A stone to cure ill livestock                  

Right amidst in busy city lies a stone with strange markings which once used by people to cure their ill livestock at Rathnamangalam near Vandalur in Chennai. Dr Priya Krishnan from Southern History and Archaeological Research Centre who stumbled upon this stone recently feels that it was one among the archeological and historical evidences in Chennai survived urbanization while most of them vanished in time. Though the evidences disappear, some of ancient customs and beliefs still persist in day-today life.

One such evidence is this stone found at roadside in Rathnamangalam. Local people call it, ‘Sannasikal’, ‘Komarikal’, ‘Silaikal’ and ‘Manthirakal’. Worship of these stones are still prevalent in areas like Dharmapuri, North Arcot, South Arcot and Salem.

Foot and Mouth disease was a major disease that affected cattle before modern veterinary medicine evolved. Large number of cattle will perish when foot and mouth disease spread in the rural outskirts. People used to turn towards any remedy and one among them is worshipping these stones engraved with letters. A stone tablet is prepared and lines are drawn. In each square, a letter or symbol believed to have magical powers are inscribed. A stone tablet or ‘Komarikal/sannasikal’ may have 18 to 180 such inscriptions.

The tablets will be planted in the ground and cattle stricken with disease will be taken around these stone tablets. It varies place to place. In some places, the cattle are tied to these stones elsewhere the cattle are made to cross the water poured on these stone tablets. It is like a magical anklet in the villages.

On Mattupongal day, all the cattle in the village used to be taken to the stone tablet and prayers are offered.

At Rathnamangalam, villagers still call it as ‘Komarikal’ and worship it. One among the people who still follow this practice, Uma from Rathnamangalam says that her ancestors worshipped the stone. Till date, she offers worship to stone every Friday and cattle affected with diseases are still made to go around the tablet, she elaborated. Priya Krishnan estimated that stone may be more than 200 years old. 

                                                                                                                             Dr.priyakrishnan,

                                                                                                                         Professor/Archelogist,

                                                                                                                                         Chennai