I walked across Tamil Nadu. 500 miles (800 kms) from Kanyakumari to Tirupati in 39 days around the month of January in 2023. I routed my walk through villages as much as possible, interacted with as many people as possible, ate at basic eateries and tea stalls and slept in basic lodges, wedding halls, verandahs of houses, temples etc. I did this walk with the intention of experiencing rural Tamil Nadu.. its people and culture.
This write-up is a collection of some of my observations and thoughts from my experience. Please note that these are based on my limited experience along my walking route at the mentioned time of the year and will (of course) not reflect Tamil Nadu as a whole.
Rice Rice Rice
About 90% of the fields I walked by were paddy fields. They require a lot of water, and there is no scarcity of that. The rivers (Thamirabarani, Vaigai, Kaveri, Thenpennai, Palar) are all fairly full and the water table is high. The pumps are in full swing and the paddy is happy. Other major crops: Peanuts, Urad Dal, Sugarcane, and Mangoes (AP).
Idly and Poori is Breakfast and Parotta is Dinner
Surprised Dosa didn’t make it here? Me too. Though widely available, Dosa isn’t as common (commercially) as Idly, Poori, and Parotta. Also, meat (non-vegetarian food minus beef and pork) is everywhere. It is more a norm than exception.
Tea and Alcohol
Tea (Chai) is the go-to ‘break’ and social drink. And despite the strong social stigma, alcohol is always in the air.
Professions/Industries
Agriculture, Construction, Food-based cottage industries, Small business, Military, and Skilled Labor.
Faith and Structure Talk
Next to livelihood (work and education) and socializing/hanging out behaviors, faith-related behaviors are most common. Gods are deeply ingrained in people’s psyche. “Everything happens for a reason”, “Maybe it is destined to happen this way” kind of structure talk is rampant. Rampant to an extent it becomes predictable.
YouTube
Nothing in the media world would come even remotely close to YouTube as an information consumption medium. Every content of culture is somehow YouTube related.
Integrity (Nermai)
Righteousness, along with friendliness and hospitality can be expected almost across the board. And if there is a perceived slip (falling of those values from expected levels), a simple pointing out (not that I had to do it) would immediately set things straight. For example, even softly questioning someone’s integrity (“Is that fair?”) will make them act immediately to uphold it.
On Tip Refusal
Tip refusal is very common. And it comes more from an integrity standpoint (it is not fair to take more money) than from a social status standpoint (by accepting a tip I acknowledge being of a lower social rank).
Attitude
I didn’t have any bad experience with people interactions. There is no dearth of friendliness and welcoming attitudes in people. So, it is all wonderlands after getting past the first few minutes of mild ‘unknown outsider’ apprehensiveness. And without a doubt, my fluent Tamil that fit right in made up for my attire and appearance that didn’t. Holding a half-American identity myself, I did experience something like imposter syndrome at times after getting accepted as one among the locals, yet seeing them with my western/anthropological eyes.
The Chola-Pandiya Divide
The cultural difference between south and north Tamil Nadu is clear as a bell. And I don’t mean slang or food. I am talking values and identity. Simply put, north Tamil Nadu (north of Kaveri) has a problem with their prevailing rural identity. People see their rural identity as lesser-than or an undesirable temporary means to getting somewhere (better wealth/status). While in the south, it’s a whole different story. There is acceptance, contentment, and above all, sheer pride in the rural identity. Tractors are decked up.. boasting colorful ribbons.. blasting folk music in their outward-pointing speakers. English words are surprisingly rare in the colloquial language. Kabaddi and Jallikattu are very real cultural phenomena and solid content of social chatter. The cultural grip of the western and urban world is not as tight on the south as it is on the north.
Fauna
Domestic - Cows, Goats, Chicken, and Ducks are all ingrained members of the population.
Street Dogs (semi-domestic) - Scary and scared.. yet, they are not ‘out to get you’. They are territorial, protective, and presume you are a threat till convinced otherwise. Tip for dealing with barking dogs: Stop. Don’t run. Turn toward them, make eye contact, and slowly back away. Talking to them in a calm tone (like a local would) helps appease them as well.
Mosquitoes are everywhere. Most active right after sunset and kind of active through the night. Daily application of repellent cream before sunset helps a lot.
Peacocks and Monkeys are almost everywhere. Peacocks are most common in the Kaveri delta area and Monkeys in Tiruvannamalai.
Saw a lot of dead snakes on the roads and one live snake (super long cobra) at a distance. Surprisingly fewer snake sightings for the amount of bushy terrain exposure I had.
Andhra Pradesh (AP)
Last 80kms of my walk was in the state of Andhra Pradesh and there is a huge difference between the states, not in terms of people and attitudes, but in the density of population. The density I felt from Ponnai to Chandragiri was less than 1% of what it was like in even remote parts of Tamil Nadu. This was the only stretch I carried food with me (1 tea stall/eatery in 30kms). Agriculture here is mostly mangoes and some sugarcane.
The Weather Factor
Timing my walk around January to place it after the rainy season and before the sunny/dry season worked out perfect. I had only couple hours of light drizzles and 2-3 days of bothering sun/heat. All other days were perfect with cool breezes and overcast skies. Also, I did most of my walking in the mornings (5am to 11am) to stay off the sun. Can’t escape the tropical/coastal humidity and resulting sweating though. The day can’t feel done without a shower.
3 Sections of the Walk I Enjoyed The Most
Marayur to Manamadurai - Paddy Fields
Ayyampettai to Anaikarai - Riverside/Beaches
Chavatagunta to Chandragiri - Hillstationlike
Google Maps
Walking directions were 99% spot on.. showing the shortest routing even through basic trails and narrow alleyways in remote villages. Was helpful in connecting with the locals as well. Since giving directional pointers for your upcoming walking path, is the most sought connecting ritual of the locals, you can make a great impression by knowing shorter routes which are usually their best-kept secrets. BTW though everyone has mobile phones, they don’t quite use them for directions in rural areas where people ‘know’ their routes.
Mobile Connectivity
Got an Airtel SIM card and it worked perfectly. I’d say I had coverage 100% of the time, even in the remotest areas.
Wind Power
As the locals dearly call them, ‘Kaathadi’s (fan) aka Wind Turbines are everywhere in the south. And given the constant flow of wind throughout the south, it’s not a surprise the wind power industry capitalizes on it. Even though they stand out in the landscape, altering the skyline, for some reason, they don’t feel intrusive (like cellphone towers). There is something quiet and calming about them. Trivia: Tamil Nadu has the most wind turbines and produces the most wind power of all states in India.
No Airplanes
The first airplane I saw in the skies during my whole walk was at the very end (after reaching Tirupati).
(not so pet) Peeves
Public restrooms are well, nonexistent. Basic sanitation even for locals in truly rural areas is mostly nonexistent. And despite what the politicians claim, open defecation not just in rural but also in semi-urban areas is super common.
Seeing garbage (esp plastic bottles) carelessly tossed and systematically discarded out in the open was saddening.
Being greeted and sent off by garbage and poop in the outer perimeters of the villages was let’s say, not flattering. Given the sheer number of villages I walked through, seeing the same pattern over and over again was truly heartbreaking.
Government Freebies
There is a lot people get for free from the government.. healthcare, education, transportation (buses are free for women), groceries etc. The 100-day rural employment project is also mostly seen as a freebie.
People with Disabilities
Though it was fairly common to see people with speaking/mental disabilities blended and accepted in the social fabric, it was almost impossible to see people with physical disabilities blended the same way.
Personal - Physical
I started out with 15-20 kms per day and saw the calves and thighs beef up in the first week (this is my first long-distance walk ever btw). So, stronger leg muscles helped with keeping the knee cap in place. Moving past my main worry of getting runners knee/patellofemoral syndrome was a godsend. For the first time in a long time, my physical limiting factor was no longer mechanical. It felt so good to slow down because of exhaustion and not for protecting the knees.
Interestingly, I got Shin Splint pain in my left leg after 600kms. It got to a point where the pain due to the stiffness was so bad that I couldn’t even move. Luckily, it was nothing serious (consulted a doctor and marathon friends) massaging and resting for a couple days before resuming helped.
Personal - Routine
Body loves routine. When set with one, it doesn’t mind repeating whatever it is without complaining. ‘Limit pushing’ becomes much easier when done along with the routine. I was able to push to a max of 45 kms (28 miles) in 12 hours and since it was all within an already established routine, nothing felt out of normal.
Personal - Psychological
In spite of the high uncertainty, I was constantly in a good (up) mood throughout. No ‘wtf’ moments, no angry or ‘why the hell did I sign up for this’ thoughts. Did not hit any lows (not even one) in the 39 days. I surprised a lot of people and myself with my curious and happy mood throughout.
Now that I am done, what next?
Somebody asked me this after I was done and I just blurted out whatever came to my mind at that moment as an answer and liked it so much. So, here it is: Try to be that person who I was with others all along my walk (fully present and having no preconceived notions while interacting) with everyone I meet going forward.
Takeaway
Every moment is new and pure. It is our responsibility not to poison it with our desires and accumulated garbage.
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Media Features
Also, I got featured in a Tamil YouTube channel - Mr Ji Talks (the dudes saw me on the road, got curious, enquired, and decided to feature me), and a Tamil weekly magazine with global reach - Kungumam (a friend notified them through a letter and they called me to interview). Checkout the links below:
- YouTube Channel Feature https://youtu.be/VLczI0utkDk
- Tamil Magazine Feature (PDF Link) https://tinyurl.com/ytmbzf92
- Tamil Magazine Feature (Website Link) https://tinyurl.com/2p864bpb
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