A Vinayagar temple in front of a church, especially in the southern coast of Tamil Nadu where the entire fishermen community converted to Catholicism centuries ago, is a rare sight. The Siddhi Vinayagar Temple, facing Our Lady of Lourdes Church at Idinthakarai in Tirunelveli district, is only a few decades old. Behind it lies a tumultuous history that led to the reconversion of a significant section of the fishermen to Hinduism in the 1960s. It is a story vividly told in the novel Alaivaikaraiyil by Rajam Krishnan, whose centenary is celebrated this year. Alaivaikaraiyil is the fictionalised name for Idinthakarai.
“At least 200 of us become Hindus and join the larger population outside. There is an organisation called the Hindu Parishad. They are ready to offer us all help. After all, we were Hindus in the past. St. Xavier converted us to Christianity,” says Benjamin, one of the characters. He says this while convincing his friends and relatives who faced police brutality for refusing to sell shark fins to contractors appointed by the church.
