The famous Nilgiri mountain is situated in the southern part of India. The Anaimalai, Palani and Cardmon hills are situated from north to south respectively from the south of Nilgiri. All the mentioned mountains and hills make a natural border line between Tamilnadu and Kerala upto the Indian Ocean. Tamilnadu is east towarded and Kerala is west towarded to the border line.
A heritage river of most southern Tamilnadu is flowing towards the Bay of Bengal. The name of the popular river Tamraparni. It is very remarkable that the beauty of mountain of river origin is mentioned many times in ancient Tamil literature. Papnashan and Ambasamudram, place of pilgrimage, are situated on the bank of Tamraparni. It is believed that the hermitage of sage Agastya was also on the bank. As far as possible there were many trees bearing leaves Tamra coloured (copper coloured) in the valley of Tamraparni river. It is very possibility of being Ashoka tree garden of the tamra coloured leaves. We know that the colour of new leaves of Ashoka tree is tamra or copper coloured. It was normal that the attractive and beautiful leaves were called as Tamraparna and the tree of Tamraparna were called as Tamraparni. |
In simple words a tree with tamraparna was named Tamraparni. Again in first phase the river which would flow through the area of Tamraparni trees was named as Tamraparni according to Tamraparni trees. In second phase the area or land or valley of Tamraparni river was called as Tamraparni according to river name. In third Phase the utterance Tamraparni was changed as Tamil. The possible change may be written as follows :-
Tamraparni > Tamraparni > Tamraparni > (Name of Tree) (Name of River) (Name of Land) Tamraparni >Tamra > Tamral > Tamral > Tamid > Tamil Sringa > Sringal > Sinhala (Peak) (Sri Lanka) Banga > Bangal > Balgala . |
It is noticeable that "L" utterance has been added with the root word for expansion of meaning of the word. It is also remarkable that the utterance Bangal has been changed as Bangla for the effect of local utterance. Like this the utterance Tamral had been changed as Tamid or Tamil for local utterance. It is to say that metal copper is called Tamilram in Tamil language. In a word : Land of Tamraparni is Tamil or Tamilnadu .
Again state Kerala that land of cheernaparni is situated to west of Tamraparni that is Tamilnadu. The ancient name of Kerala was Chera. The garden of coconut trees was the land of chera. As far as we know that the coconut trees grew up at first in Chera area of India. At present 70 percent of coconuts are produced in Kerala. It is remarkable that the main coconut leaves are large in size. Again every main leaf is divided into many little leaves. Like these the little leaves were called cheernaparna (Torn leaf) and the tree of cheernaparna was called cheernaparni.
The possible changes are as below :-
A. Cheernaparna > cheernaparni
(Leaf) (Tree)
cheerna > chera
(Land)
B. Jeerna > Jera
(Old)
The above descriptions tell us that ancient Kerala was demarked as chera. In conclusion Father Nilgiri Creates twin :Tamraparni and Cheernaparni .
We may know from Sanskrit dictionary that other name of coconut tree is Naadi or Nari. And again
the fruit of nari tree is called Kela or Kera. In course of time the word Kera changed as Keral for the expansion of area. The word Keral would mean to the land of Kera-fruit (coconut fruit). If we think deeply, we shall be able to understand that the word 'Keerna' is the root word of 'Kera'.
Here Keerna means hardness as wood. We know that the most insided eatable coconut fruit is covered with hard thing as wood. Hardness or Keerna is the principal factor of the whole coconut fruit. The possible changes are as below :-
Keerna > Kera > Keral
(Hardness) (Fruit) (Land)
Again 'Keral' became 'Kerala" for English pronunciation. It is remarkable that at first man came in touch of cheeraparni and the land was named Chera. In second phase man came in touch of Kera fruit of cheeraparni and the land Chera was renamed as Keral or Kerala. Respectively the leaves and fruits are in the roots of name Chera and Kerala.
* Naadi = The tubular stalk of any plant