PEACOCKS OF ETTAPPAN PALACE

Ettayapuram is a small sleepy town in the district of Tuticorin in South India. Ettayapuramm was ruled by the Pandya Kings until they lost the province to the Nayak Kingdom. Ettappan was appointed as the Zamindar by the Madurai Nayak dynasty under the supervision of Vijayanagar kingdom. 

Ettappan was believed to be a traitor as he gave away information to the British that lead to the capture and hanging of Veerapandiaya Kattabomman (Veerapandiya Kattabomma was a courageous 18th-century chieftain who fought agaisnt the British rule). In fact, Ettappan came to be used as a metaphor for a whistle-blower or traitor.

The Ettappan palace is now in ruins and the entire compound is closed off . By the time I got there the sun was setting and there were hardly any people around . I have to say there was something very eerie and spooky about the place, with the palace run down like in all the horror movies and all I could see and hear were peacocks – lots and lots of them .. They were everywhere ; on the roof , on the compound walls, crossing my path… got a weird feeling like I was being watched.

Blues Hues of Tuticorin Dock