Kulam without Water

Really you are viewing a lake of Sambandar Alangulam at Madurai -17. Anaiyur, Kulamangalam, Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, Sellur, Vaigai River are very near to this. The lake is totally dry in this summer. Water can be seen only for a few months in a year. Half of the lake is filled with velikkathan trees, a thorny wood. Kulam means pond. Madurai city is a combination of many villages. Here in Madurai area, many villages are named after ponds, pools, lakes, etc. Kanmai means a small man made lake, created for the purpose mainly for irrigation. Pallam means low level area, and water may fill this to form a stagnant pool of water. Kanmai is also called kulam here.

There are several kulams. Arasankulam, Andikulam, Asaripallam, Athikulam, Anaikulam, Ammangulam, Thanakkankulan, Kanakkankulam, bibikulam, chettikulam, Tallakulam, Oormechikulam, Omachikulam, Koodangulam, Chinnakulam, Sirukulam, Periyakulam, Perungulam, Karungulam, Senkulam, Gurukulam, Mangulam, Mettukulam, Poongulam, Pudukulam, Pazhaiyakulam, Reddyakulam, Theppakkulam, Tuvarangulam, Samikulam, Peikulam,Alangulam, Arasankulam and Veppangulam are some samples.

The water inlets to the pond like lake at S. Alangulam are blocked at several places. The urbanization spoils these channels. Dirty ditch flows through the channels with garbage obstructions dumped by the people living nearby.

Pigs are living in the area. People use the lake, Alangulam, as open air latrine.

If this continues, one day the kulam will be no more and may be called verungulam that means kulam without water.