Category: News

The week went by SO fast… although the nights seemed to drag on due to the fact that it was SO hot!  The only way we could stay cool was to wet a sheet and spread that over us with a fan blowing.  It didn’t even take one hour and the sheet was dry and we were so hot.  Well, we made it through the week – Jamie was doing medical work each day in different villages, and I was teaching in the DTS for the week.

A highlight of the week was when Daniel took us to his village – 30 km out of Madurai.  It was the place where he grew up with his brother, mother and grandmother. What an honor it was to be invited in to share a fresh chicken meal made especially for us by Daniel’s mother and grandmother.  Being the only white people in the village did draw some attention to the neighbours – even some standing outside the door looking in to get a glimpse. It was an amazing evening shared with new friends!

Friday, August 8 – Heading to the furthest point south in the continent!!

One day we took a drive up the mountain side and stopped to overlook the valley.  Behind us on the rocks are some strange looking ‘houses’… Muniyaras.  Muniyaras, made of three or more upright stones and a huge capstone, are believed to be the burial site of the people of the prehistoric period about 2000 years ago, the earliest inhabitants of the High Ranges.  All the structures have similar features pointing out that they were made during a particular period of time either by a nomadic tribe or the inhabitants of the earlier time. It is believed that these are tombs and that they are the remaining evidence of a tribe who revered the dead.  There are a varieties of sizes, but all have the same basic formation.  When you look at the structure, you wonder how the large piece of granite was made and then placed on the top.  Unfortunately, not much archaeological work has been done with them.  In 1985, some pottery and iron metal pieces were found in the chambers but there has been no action taken to protect them.  There full story remains a mystery.