MAYILADUTHURAI: A village near Sirkazhi in Mayiladuthurai district is a haven for bats year round and significantly tranquil during Deepavali as the residents don’t burst crackers to avoid disturbing the large population of bats.
Perambur, located in Kunnam panchayat in Kollidam block, is home to thousands of bats. Here at ‘Vavvaal Thoppu’ (‘The Bat Grove’) hundreds of bats roost from the branches of a large banyan tree.
For over a century the locals have been avoiding bursting crackers during Deepavali as bats are said to be sensitive to noise. Bats also reside on other large trees in the panchayat. The villagers intention is to protect only the bats, but inadvertently they have created a bird sanctuary where even migratory birds make a stop-over.
“We consider bats as ‘holy’. We let them live in peace,” said farmer R Selvakumar.
The banyan tree also serves as a small shrine for Lord Muneeswaran. Villagers consider the grove as ‘sacred’.
The villagers celebrate the festival of lights every year at another temple called Sri Aaladiamman Temple.
“Even during the annual festival in other temples, we limit the usage of crackers to a bare minimum not to disturb the bats,” N Palani, another farmer said.
The residents inform about their custom when they seek matrimonial alliances from those outside the village. “The grooms and their families who visit our village for occasions like ‘Thalai Deepavali’ (Maiden Deepavali) also respect our custom and hence avoid celebrating with fireworks,” Palani added.
The village with around 1,500 people is primarily into farming, with paddy being the primary crop. Many local and migratory birds arrive in the tranquil village. B Ayub Khan, Sirkazhi Forest Range Officer, said, “We should conduct a census in Perambur to learn more about the species arriving here.”
The only drawback in visiting the scenic village and the sacred Vavvaal Thoppu is accessibility. The place lacks proper roads and it takes a trek through muddy fields.