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Dune of the Fox or Narimedu

 

When I came across that word in the many pages of the 1913 book “Vestiges of Old Madras 1640-1800 Volume 1” by Henry Davison Love, I was confused. How can there be Nari (Fox) in Madras? That too close to the shore on a sand dune!

The location where the present St.George Fort stands was known as Narimedu (High Ground of Fox or the Dune of the Fox) and was given to the British East India Company by the Naik King Damarla Venkatadri in the year 1639.

 

Love writes: “ We may conclude, then, that the boundary of Madras depicted in the map of 1733 coincided with that of the Naik’s grant, save that the former included an undefined area called “Narimedo”, which was added in 1645, or earlier. The boundary passed through a point on the coast 300 yards north of the river outlet, and travelled across the Island to the cut uniting the two rivers. It then followed the Elambore River for a distance of 1000 yards, curved inland, but subsequently met the river again at the north west angle of the present Georgetown. Bending due east till about 1000 yards from the coast, it then turned north for a distance of about 2000 yards. Finally, it travelled east again to the sea. It thus enclosed a compact area, save for a projecting coastal strip in the northern end. The total length of the tract from north to south was about three and a quarter miles, and its mean width one mile. It seems probable that this area, exclusive of the portion added about 1645, was the extent of territory granted by the Naik in 1639.” (P-27,28)







There was a Fisher Kuppam in Narimedu, in the South Eastern Corner of Fort St. George (probably today’s Nochikuppam)


My confusion about the Fox persisted till yesterday. Last night I happened to read the People’s Plan for Eco Restoration of ENNORE Wetlands. 

 

A story presented in page 32 cleared all my confusion: 

 

(The Report is available at: https://storyofennore.wordpress.com/reports/)

 

 

FOOD FOR THE FOX

As told by male fisher, Kattukuppam




 

In those days before the companies came, our river was teeming with fish of different kinds. After a day’s fishing, we would sit on the riverside taking the fish out of the nets. 

 

The foxes would hang out at a safe distance watching us. Every now and then, we would toss a few fish for the foxes. 

 

That was a long time ago.

 

The river is dying.

 

Now there are no foxes… or fish in the river for the foxes.

 

 

 

Fox & Fish by Kiruba

Indian ink on paper



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