''Pani Manidhan'' (1998) (Alt: ''Panimanidhan'', ''Panimanithan'') is a children's novel written in
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
by Indian author
Jeyamohan
Bahuleyan Jeyamohan (born 22 April 1962) is an Indian Tamil and Malayalam language writer and literary critic from Nagercoil in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
His best-known and most critically acclaimed work is ''Vishnupuram'', a fantasy s ...
. It encompasses themes like adventure story, science, fantasy, mystery and values making it an important creative work in the children's literature canon in Tamil.
Development
Jeyamohan had been invited by Manoj, the Editor of Tamil newspaper
Dinamani
''Dinamani'' is a Tamil language, Tamil daily newspaper. The newspaper was established in 1933 and is owned by The New Indian Express Group. The first edition was published on 11 September. It is printed and published from Bangalore, Chennai, C ...
's ''Siruvar Malar'' children's weekly to write a serialized novel. Jeyamohan created ''Pani Manidhan'' for the weekly in 1998 and it received considerable fan support from children as well as adults. Kavitha Publications published it as a book in 2002. Kizhakku publications and Natrinai Pathippagam brought out subsequent editions.
Plot
Yeti
The Yeti ()["Yeti"](_blank)
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. is an ape-like creature purported t ...
is the legend of the Snow Man rumored to be found in the mountains of
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
. Many consider the legend to be somewhere between truth and lies.
An Indian military officer named Pandian is asked by his commanders to investigate certain mysterious giant footprints found in snow near a remote village. Pandian, who feels it is just the imagination of the villagers, sets out on a trip and encounters strange happenings, native legends and finally, the wondrous truths themselves.
Pandian rescues a boy named Kim from the snow. A doctor who is also out researching the Snow Man joins the group. Together they- military officer Pandian, the Buddhist mountain boy Kim and the Doctor with the Western Scientific views - begin the search for the Yeti in the mountains. The Doctor tells Pandian that the Yeti might be the proverbial missing link in the evolutionary chain to Humans. But Kim, who says he has seen the Snow Man, says the Yeti looks nothing like the monkeys in the pictures shown by the Doctor and he looks more like
Homo Erectus
''Homo erectus'' (; meaning "upright man") is an extinct species of archaic human from the Pleistocene, with its earliest occurrence about 2 million years ago. Several human species, such as '' H. heidelbergensis'' and '' H. antecessor' ...
.
Along the way, Pandian is surprised to see Kim performing sophisticated breathing and meditation Yoga exercises. Through various adventures, Kim explains his native cultural beliefs and practices that correspond to Pandian's and the Doctor's statements on nature, humanity, soul, evolution and natural effects.
The group encounters
Bhikshu
A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भिक्खु, Sanskrit: भिक्षु, ''bhikṣu'') is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics ("nun", ''bhikkhunī'', Sanskrit ''bhikṣuṇī'') are members of the Sangha (Buddhist c ...
s searching for their
Lama
Lama (; "chief") is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term ''guru'', meaning "heavy one", endowed with qualities the student will eventually embody. The Tibetan word "lama" means "hi ...
. They are led to a fantasy land where it is revealed that there exists a society of Yetis and other creatures. Their world is one of biblical harmony and coexistence of all creatures. In fact, the Yetis have planned and engineered the whole adventure for the group. Kim is the only human who has throughout remained conscious of the actions of the soul. The group leave the land with far greater understanding of nature and the universe.
On their way back, the group again meets the Bhikshus who choose Kim as their head Lama. The Doctor and Pandian pay their respects to Kim. The truth about the legend of the Yeti the Snow Man is preserved as a secret.
Themes
Pani Manidhan has themes of adventure mixed with spiritual pilgrimage. Jeyamohan has said that "..as the children grow up, the story grows with them". It has a fantasy story that is supported by deep discussions on science and philosophy.
The story begins with the scientific analysis by Pandian and ends with the revelation that the Snow Man is the incarnation of
Maitreya
Maitreya (Sanskrit: ) or Metteyya (Pali: ), also Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha, is regarded as the future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. As the 5th and final Buddha of the current kalpa, Maitreya's teachings will be aimed at ...
Buddha. It explains that Science is not the only way to understand Nature, but without discrediting Science. Pani Manidhan is an effort to simultaneously describe the beauty of both Science and Mythology to young readers, and the ways they work.
Style
Pani Manidhan was written in a style accessible to readers of eight and above. Most of the sentences are only six words in length.
References
{{Portal, Children's literature
Indian children's novels
Tamil novels
1998 novels
1998 Indian novels
Indian fantasy novels
Yeti in fiction
Maitreya
Lamas
Homo erectus
Himalayas in fiction
Novels set in India