After Kollywood actor-turned-politician Vijay recently unveiled the resolutions of his Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) party on 3 November 2024, one of the key demands—scrapping the Parandur Airport project—has reignited the debate among supporters and opponents. This issue has polarized social media, with some viewing the airport as a vital opportunity for development, while others see it as a potential disaster for a region rich in agricultural resources and water sources, and also recognised as a”rice bowl” due to its paddy cultivation. In this context, this article aims to explore both the positives and negatives of the Parandur Airport project, examining why it may be essential for Chennai and the reasons for opposition.

Chennai is at a critical juncture when it comes to aviation infrastructure. The proposed Parandur Airport project is not just a necessity; it’s a strategic move to ensure that the city can keep pace with its growing demands. Here’s an in-depth look at why this new airport is vital.

Addressing Capacity Constraints

Chennai’s existing airport at Meenambakkam has reached its limits. With a maximum capacity of 35 million passengers annually (MPA), it falls short compared to other major airports in India:

Comparative Capacity: Airports in Bengaluru and Hyderabad can handle 70 MPA, while Mumbai and Delhi are constructing second airports to meet rising demands.
Logistics and Connectivity: An expanded airport at Parandur would strengthen Chennai’s logistics ecosystem, crucial for economic growth and competitiveness.

Challenges With Expanding Current Airport

The existing airport has several operational constraints:

Land Acquisition Issues: Expanding the current site is not feasible, particularly due to the difficulty in acquiring land from the adjacent OTA and the high costs associated with other nearby locations like Gerugambakkam.
Physical Limitations: The airport’s layout is hindered by a river and narrow access routes, leading to inefficiencies, especially for cargo operations, which are crucial for business.

Supporting Future Growth

India’s aviation market is poised for significant growth. Reports indicate that the next decade will see a surge in air travel among Indians. To accommodate this:

Fleet Expansion: Airlines have over 1,000 aircraft on order, creating an urgent need for more airport infrastructure.
Job Creation: The new airport will catalyze a wide array of industries, including logistics, warehousing, hotels, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, generating employment for millions.

Site Selection And Environmental Considerations

The decision to develop the airport at Parandur wasn’t arbitrary. It followed extensive studies evaluating multiple sites. Factors in favor of Parandur include:

Land Availability: Securing 4,000+ acres is challenging in the Chennai area, especially without agricultural land or water bodies.
Environmental Management: The project includes plans for managing local water bodies, with commitments to create new artificial lakes to mitigate flooding risks.

Economic Benefits For Displaced Communities

One of the most pressing concerns about any large infrastructure project is the impact on local communities. For Parandur, the government has committed to:

Fair Compensation: Landowners will receive 3-4 times the market value for their land, ensuring they are adequately compensated for their loss.
Alternate Housing: The provision of alternative housing adjacent to the project site is a significant benefit, helping to minimize disruption.
Employment Opportunities: Promises of government jobs for displaced individuals further underline the commitment to supporting those affected by the project

PARANDUR AIRPORT
Why is it needed for Chennai?? A long read! Share Max.

Firstly people who’s lands are being acquired for #Parandur Airport are being given :
3-4 times the market value of the land
Alternate housing is being given to them just next to the project site .… pic.twitter.com/IvZhSeqnbP

— Chennai Updates (@UpdatesChennai) November 3, 2024

However, critics argues that areas like Parandur and Ekanapuram play a crucial role in the agricultural landscape, especially when we consider Thanjavur, often referred to as the “rice bowl” of Tamil Nadu due to its fertile soil. While Thanjavur relies on the riverbed and the Mettur Dam, along with the Cauvery River, these villages have developed a unique resilience. They can sustain themselves through lake irrigation, cultivating around 2,000 acres of paddy land without depending solely on government support, rainfall, or river water. This independent irrigation system highlights the area’s agricultural significance beyond its reliance on larger water bodies.

Historical Context And Heritage Sites

These areas have a rich historical context, dating back to the Pallava kings. Notably, there are two significant lakes, one of which is Vayal Eri, created by King Kambavarman. His intention was to create a lake that would provide water year-round. After rainfall, any excess water from the lake would flow into nearby ponds, which would then feed into streams, ultimately ensuring a consistent and reliable water source for agriculture.The canals that distribute this water are known as Kamban Canals. The canal runs for 85 Kms and along these canals, there are 85 ponds, pools, and streams, with the Kamban Canal eventually flowing into the Kosasthalaiyar River, starting from the Palar River.

The local people have traditionally utilized a method akin to step cultivation, allowing water from the lake to flow naturally through their fields. However, the proposal for a new airport threatens to erase the name of the town “Nelvoy,” which means “paddy fields,” along with the agricultural heritage that it represents.

In the village, there is an 11th-century Chola Shiva temple, notable for its architecture resembling a sitting elephant. Additionally, there is a large lake called Idayatru Mangalam, named for the travelers who once stopped there to rest. This area is recognized as a heritage site.

Community Concerns

As the project progresses, community leaders express deep concern. One of the village heads, discussing the village’s characteristics, mentioned that it has five fields dedicated to agriculture, covering 650 acres. Known as “Nelvoy,” the village focuses exclusively on paddy cultivation. The lake stretches up to 7 kilometers, with water from the Palar River feeding it. However, since the announcement of the airport, the villagers have been unable to access water from the lake because the Tamil Nadu government is not allowing water from the dam to flow into it.

A Question of Sustainability

The saddest part is that the government has proposed an airport runway on this historical lake, which has sustained the entire village for many years. This raises the question of sustainability—how can we prioritize development while jeopardizing our own agricultural heritage, often referred to as the “rice bowl”? Another shock is that the entire airport is set to be built on 12 lakes.

The proposed Parandur Airport is positioned as a crucial step toward modernizing Chennai’s aviation infrastructure and meeting the demands of a growing population. However, the plan raises significant concerns about the impact on local communities, agricultural heritage, and the environment. While the government has pledged economic benefits and employment opportunities for those displaced, critics emphasize the importance of the region’s historical and agricultural significance. With the potential to disrupt vital water sources and erase longstanding cultural identities, the project poses a profound question: how can Chennai balance the need for development with the preservation of its rich agricultural landscape?

The Solution

The land where highways now stretch and factories operate was once farmland. Infrastructure requires land, but the focus should always be on providing fair, prompt compensation to those affected. Compensation delays are common, and promised government jobs often don’t materialize. These issues should be urgently addressed whenever land is acquired. However, halting projects entirely undermines the broader welfare of the state’s people. industrialists who create job opportunities, tourists who boost the economy, and local businesspeople all rely on airports. Investment decisions heavily factor in connectivity, and Chennai risks falling behind both Bangalore and Hyderabad without progress. The priority for political parties should be in ensuring timely compensation. But to call for the complete dropping of the project is foolhardy.

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The post Is Parandur Airport Needed For Chennai? appeared first on The Commune.

The main purpose of visiting a temple is worship. So, when you visit a temple like the Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, you might go with the thought of having a good darshan of the deities. Once that purpose is fulfilled, if you happen to wander across the temple, probably when you are coming in circumambulation, you might notice just one intricately carved pillar at the 1000 Kaal mandappam. When you manage to take in the beauty of the pillar and look around you, you would be drowning in 985 such exquisite pillar with unique designs and unimaginable craftsmanship. But how many of these architectural marvels have you noticed at the Meenakshi Amman temple? 

Now, this is the case with most devotees visiting any Temple in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is known for its majestically built temples with significant architectural styles. But, how many of us spend time analysing and understanding the architecture of the temples we visit? We are usually smitten by the grace and elegance of the deity, and fail to notice their abodes – the temple itself. There is so much to think about and understand why a part of a temple is designed in a particular way. Surely, learning about architectural importance will enhance our experience of visiting a temple. But, it is difficult because of the lack of material to understand the same. 

The two major styles of temple architecture in India are the Nagara style, which is predominantly found in the North and the Dravida style, which is found in the South. Sometimes, some temples are built in the Vesara style, which is found to be a mix of both Nagara and Dravida styles. Built by the Cholas, The Airavateshwara temple, The Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and the Brihadeeshwara temple, are all known for their grandeur and architectural excellence. Apart from these, the temples of Mahabalipuram built by the Pallavas, are known for their style of design. 

“References from the Sangam Literature tell us that early temples in Tamil Nadu were built with perishable materials like wood, mud etc. and therefore most of these did not stand the test of time. The first Pallava king to build temples with imperishable materials was Mahendravarman I, in the 6th Century CE. The Mandagapattu Tirumurti Temple built by him was the first rock-cut temple in Tamil Nadu, which was built without wood, brick, mortar or metal. Temples that were built after this period, by the Pallavas, Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas, were all mostly built with imperishable materials. Only by analysing the Garbha Griha (Sanctum), the Mandapa, and other elements inside the temple, especially the inscriptions, can we find out which dynasty built the particular temple,” said Raghuram SK, a historian with an MA in Museology from the National Museum Institue of History of Arts, Conservation and Museology, New Delhi. 

We are generally aware of the larger architectural aspects of the temple, namely, the Gopura, the Garbha Griha, the Devakoshtas (shrines of other Devatas), and the mandapas. However,  2 parts of the temple that have not been spoken about much are the Bali Peedam and the Madapalli. 

Generally, the Bali Peedam is understood as a place where a ‘Bali’ or sacrifice is made for the deity. However, in no temple today, the Bali Peedam is used for that purpose. While it is natural to assume that the Bali does not take place in temples today because of laws against the same, it is important to note that the Bali Peedam originally itself had nothing to do with an actual sacrifice. In a book called ‘Kalai Iyal Rasanai Katturaigal’ historian Kudavayil Balasubramanian has written, “The tradition of offering rice (neivedhya) to the deity, with mantras, music, songs and dance, is what we mean when we say ‘giving Bali’.” So, the Bali Peedam is still used for the same purpose of offering neivedhya to the deity, even today. 

The Madapalli is the temple kitchen, where the offerings for the deity are prepared. When asked about the architectural aspects of the same, Balaji, founder of the Youtube channel ‘Smriti- The Vedic Lifestyle’, said, “The Madapalli is generally found in the Agni Moolai (South-East) of the temple. The size of the Madapalli depends upon how much of neivedhya has to be prepared for the deity. More the amount, the larger the size. The goddess of the Madapalli is called Madapalli Naachiyar, and she is always present inside the temple Madapalli. There should be a well inside, the water from which will only be used for cooking. Only Bronze utensils are used for cooking and are transferred to brass utensils once done. To top it all, only firewood stoves are used for cooking, not gas stoves.”

There are architectural differences even between Saivaite and Vaishnavite temples in Tamil Nadu. The Rajagopura of Vaisnavite temples is often different from that of Saivaite temples. Just by observing the Devakoshtas (shrines for other Devatas) in the temple, we can learn whether the temple is for Lord Shiva or Vishnu. “In Saivaite temples, we will typically have shrines of Dakshinamurthy in the South, Ardhanari or Lingothbhavar in the West, Brahma or Durga in the North. On the other hand, in Vaishnavite temples, we generally have lesser Devakoshta images. Similarly, in terms of architectural design elements, Shiva temples have more designs than Vishnu temples. Having knowledge of these aspects and analysing the same can help us identify whether a temple is a Saivaite one, a Vaishnavite one, or even a Shakta one for that matter,” Raghuram explained. 

When temples were initially built in Tamil Nadu, they were not only places of worship but were also places that were used in a holistic approach that was meant for providing a livelihood for thousands of people. So temples evolved from places of worship to places of administration. “A temple was working as a treasury for the entire village or town around it. The mandapas in and around the temples were places where the entire village would assemble like a Panchayat, to make important decisions, or address the grievances of the residents. Agraharams or small housing facilities were also built around the temples as a means of residence for those who worked in and for the temple. Inscriptions in temples have provided us with enough evidence to prove this. So, the architecture also tells us a lot about how temples functioned in those days,” Raghuram added. 

In the end, devotees visit temples for worship. But, there is so much more to temples, especially in Tamil Nadu, in terms of architecture, that surely would help in enhancing our temple worship experience.  Without the knowledge and understanding of temple architecture, devotees are indeed failing to appreciate the contributions of our ancestors.

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The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has announced the creation of 6 new circles and expansion of 3 others to promote conservation and protect ancient sites and monuments.

The new circles created are Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, Rajkot in Gujarat, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, Meerut and Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, and Raiganj in West Bengal.

With this Tamil Nadu will have 2 circles – Chennai and Tiruchirapalli.

The Tiruchi circle has been created keeping in mind the rich archaeological significance of the land of Cheras, Chozhas, Pandyas and Pallavas. Also, Tamil Nadu is home to thousands of temples that are 3000-4000 years old.

Along with the creation of new circles, the Delhi mini circle has been merged with Delhi circle and the Hampi mini circle has been expanded to a full-fledged circle by joining a few areas from the Dharwar circle.

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