MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday directed the State government to reply to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking direction to change the name of Thamirabarani river to 'Porunai' river.
The litigant, SMA Pon Gandhimathinathan of Thoothukudi, submitted that Thamirabarani river originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats near Papanasam in Ambasamudram Taluk. It flows for nearly 128 km and covers Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts, before draining into the sea at Gulf of Mannar, he added.
A symbol of Tamil culture and civilization, the river was originally called 'Than Porunai' or 'Than Poruntham', which is a pure Tamil word, but later evolved into 'Tamira Porunai', before getting its present name 'Thamirabarani', Gandhimathinathan said. He further pointed out that in several Tamil literary works like 'Purananuru', 'Silappathikaram', 'Periyapuranam' and ancient stone inscriptions, the river had been mentioned only as 'Porunai' and not as 'Thamirabarani', which is a Sanskrit word. He also referred to an interview given by a retired anthropologist Maheswaran to TNIE, in which the latter had opined that 'Porunai' is the right name for the river since 'Thamirabarani' is a Sanskrit word. Gandhimathinathan requested the Court to direct the government to change the river's name to 'Porunai'.
A Bench comprising Justices R Mahadevan and J Sathya Narayana Prasad, who heard the plea, sought a reply from the government, along with supporting documents, and adjourned the case for two weeks.