Walking Home

Walking back after early morning darshan at Sri Nannagaru Ashram, decided to take a shortcut through the fields to get back to my place. Passed by brick makers who have set up in an area that will eventually be developed into housing plots. Brick makers are never popular because of the smoke and smell of the burning brick kilns. In the below photograph a big brick kiln (under white wraps) is waiting for the time that it will be fired up.

The below photograph is of the remains of a brick kiln which has already been fired up. The fired bricks are being gradually transported by lorry to nearby building sites.

Labourers at brick kilns work very hard because they get paid by the brick. Generally a family, or group work together to produce the bricks. First the red clay is made into the right consistency.

And then with the use of moulds, is pressed into brick shapes and laid out to dry.

The moulds have identifying initials of the brick merchant, so each brick can be identified as to where it was made.

I leave the brick making venture and turn back onto Perumbakkam Road, where I notice an earth mover and truck parked by the side of the road. As there is so much construction activity at Tiruvannamalai, there is a lot of sand quarrying going on, generally by stealth late at night.




After I pass the lorries, I see the quarry located on a hill spur of Arunachala. I recently heard that the quarry has been given notice by the State Pollution Control Board that they have to close within a year. In this respect will post fuller information in this upcoming Arunachala Grace Newsletter which will be sent direct to email inboxes at the end of the month. (For your free subscription please go to the facility at the left hand margin of this page).

The cute kids below belong to a family that work at the quarry. Their hut is located opposite the quarry and when not at school, the kids are always hanging around eager to have a quick chat with folk passing by.

Nearby a neighbour is making a new cow house with lots of sturdy bamboo for their two cows.

And then after all the noise and confusion of the trucks, brick kilns and quarry, nearby a farmer has planted marigolds in his field.

Quarry

This stone quarry has been in operation for many years. The area in which it is located used to be designated 'rural', however now that Tiruvannamalai is quickly developing, the quarry is now very much in a increasingly 'urban' area. For safety reason there is the definite possibility that the work of dynamiting and quarrying stone at this quarry will be permanently halted. I have taken this rather surrealistic picture to show Arunachala in the background and the quarry with some of its machinery, situated on a spur of the Hill, in the foreground.

Even though I think its tragic that people with decision making powers should have even sanctioned quarrying a hillock spur of Arunachala, when I stopped by to take some photographs the lads working there were at least friendly and jolly.

It gets very dirty and dangerous when the machines are in operation crushing the stones. But, as always in India, no-one bothers to wear protective clothing.

The below picture is a very good view of the extensive quarrying of the hillock.In the top left corner of this photograph is a bonnet macaque monkey colony.

The next picture is a larger one of the monkey habitat. Also just behind the colony there is a Murugan shrine that is visited by pilgrims. So its even more amazing that the authorities have not yet closed down this quarry.

As the grinding machines were not working during my visit, the area was very peaceful. One hopes soon that the area will be allowed to return permanently to its natural condition.

As I was leaving the quarry a small boy in the house next to it stopped me and asked me to take his picture. Even though he looks thin and forlorn, he is a nice boy going to a nearby school and living a quite ordinary life. Sadly now processed food is becoming more popular, one is beginning to see fat, unhealthy children. This little fellow still has his thin genes passed to him from many generations and will probably live a healthier, more disease-free life than many of his contemporaries from wealthier families who can afford to buy more expensive processed junk food.



He seemed to be a sweet little boy and I have no doubt he will now target me everytime I go by until he finally gets a copy of his photograph.