Why This 150-year-old Milestone In Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar Is Worshipped

Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar, formerly called Virudhupatti, holds great importance to the local community. An excavation by the Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation in Virudhunagar once unveiled an ancient milestone. Serving as a guiding beacon for travellers heading to Virudhanagar, this milestone gives valuable insights into the historical roots of the city. The milestone is from the British era, and is believed to be around 150 years old. It holds great significance and is revered as Muthu Muniyasamy, a divine figure in the local community. During the colonial period, milestones displayed the names of towns in English and Tamil, along with the distance indicated in Roman, Tamil, and Arabic numerals.

“Travellers would make a customary stop at the milestone in Virudhupatti, offering pujas and breaking coconuts to honour Muthu Muniasamy, the revered guardian deity believed to ensure their safe voyage,” shared Sivanandham, a resident of the area, in an interview with The New Indian Express. The ancient milestone in Virudhunagar features the name ‘VIRUDUPATTI’. The distance from this site to the Virudhunagar railway station is named as ‘1’ mile in Arabic numerals and ‘ka’ in Tamil numerals on the milestone.

Virudhunagar was founded as a municipality in 1915, neighbouring Srivilliputhur in the Ramanathapuram district. Initially known as Virudhupatti, the town gained significance with the establishment of a railway station in 1876, connecting Madurai to Thoothukudi. This development transformed Virudhupatti into a thriving trading centre, facilitating the export of local products through the Thoothukudi port. Notably, the railway station still retains its abbreviated code as ‘VPT,’ representing ‘Virudhupatti.’

T Dharmaraj, Head of the Folklore Department at Madurai Kamaraj University, shares that local legends associate folk deities Karuppu, Madan, and Muni with locations where people met tragic deaths. These deities, believed to be the spirits of those who died unnaturally, were highly respected by the community. To ward off negativity and appease the spirits, people made offerings to these stones.

Virudhunagar is located approximately 506 km southwest of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and 53 km south of Madurai. During British rule, Virudhunagar gained prominence as a significant trade centre. Positioned to the east of Kowsika River, the town features a predominantly flat terrain with no major geological formations.