Ponniyin Selvan Varalaatru Peravai

Dear friends
This one is quite interesting that I like to share with you all.
somasundaram



My Young Days in School

(This extract is from a Tamil book written
by Tamil Thatha, Dr. U. V. Saminathayyar named, “Yen Charithiram”)


In those days, the village school was
called “ Thinnai Pallikoodam “. The
system of learning was entirely different. All the boys have to arrive at the
school at 5 A.M. itself with their palm leaf (Panai Olai) “chuvadis”. All the
chuvadis are connected to a wooden piece of same size attached by means of a
string and tied. This is called “chuvadi thooku”. As soon as the boys arrive at
the school, they have to hang their chuvadi thooku in the walls and they have
to recite the lessons taught on the previous day loudly, taking turns. The
teacher would be inside the house (the school ) and would be listening to their
recitations.

After 6 A.M., all the boys go out to finish
their morning duties, bathe in the river or canal, wear their religious symbols
on their forehead and chant the necessary mantras/ slokas sitting on the river
bank. Then they will carry in their clothes sufficient quantity of clean sand
and come to the school. They will remove the sand already spread on the floor
on the previous day and spread the new sand in its place for writing purposes. Some
will write and some will read.

At 9 A.M., they will eat the rice which
they have brought along. This rice is called “Pazhayadhu”. Before eating, the
teacher will give each boy a blow with his cane in his palm. This is probably
to remind them that they are in the school and not in their house.

The teacher will appoint one boy as
“monitor”. He is normally a well built boy who has to control the other boys.
It is his duty not only to control but also listen to the recitations and note
the mistakes. Some boys try to earn his good-will by giving something to eat
from their homes.

After noon, the boys will go to their homes
for lunch and come back at 3 P.M.. The classes may extend up to 7 P.M. even.

Every day evening, the teacher will tell
each boy the name of either a flower or a bird, or an animal or a village and
he has to remember the name and tell the teacher correctly the next day. This
exercise is to improve the memory power of the boy.

Since the boys have to come to the school as
early as 5 A.M., they will be accompanied by some elders .If they come late,
they will get a cane beating on their palm. The first late arrival will escape
with a soft touch. However the subsequent arrivals will experience the ferocity
and frequency of beatings in increasing order. The boy who got a good beating
will probably be the first boy to arrive next day, even before time. The first
boy is called as a “Different One”(Vettran). Sometimes the joy of the first
person may be short lived because already there may be some one before him
lurking in the dark corner who indicates his presence by a cough.
For those boys, sand is the present day
written in the chuvadi by the teacher, the student will learn the alphabets
first, called as “Nedunkanakku”. Then he will learn numbers. The chuvadi in
which the teacher has written is called the Original Olai or “Chattam”.

The numbers and letters written in the
chuvadi are more visible if we apply either turmeric powder, or charcoal, or
Oomathai leaf juice. They also preserve the chuvadi.
Chuvadis are of different sizes. There will
be a hole in each chuvadi and a thread will be inserted into the hole to tie
them together. Blank chuvadis will be attached both in the front and back.

Yezhuthanis are of different types .e.g.
stout ones (gundu yezhuthani), pull types (vaaru yezhuthani), foldable ones
(madakku yezhuthani) etc.
For the pull types, there will be a
scabbard made up of palm leaf (panai olai). For the foldable ones, there will
be a handle made up of ivory, or horn, or wood.

When a boy begins to start reading a new
book (Nool),the process is called “Chuvadi Thuvakkal”. Before the teacher
starts a lesson from the “Nool”, that chuvadi will be placed before Lord
Pillaiyar after applying turmeric and pooja done, to invoke His Blessings.

On that day, the boy will bring a kind of
rice called “kaapparisi”, probably pounded rice (aval) mixed with coconut
pieces, jaggery and sesame from his home and it will be distributed to all the
boys. That day will be declared a holiday for the school. All the boys will be
happy not because they are going to start reading a new book but because they
are getting a holiday and the accompanying snacks.

Further, there will be no school on New
Moon day, Full Moon day, Ashtami day, and Pirathamai day. These days are called
“Vaavu