நஞசல நடடல நல வளணம / Paddy Agriculture in Nanjil Land

The Nanjil Nadu region encompasses parts of the Thovalai and Agasteeswaram taluks in Kanyakumari District. It has a great historical and agricultural significance in Tamil Nadu. This place derives its name from two key factors. One is from the rule of Nanjil Valluvan, who is a celebrated local king who governed the land with distinction and the widespread use of the Nanjil (plough) in Marutham (agricultural) lands. In the past, this region has been an agrarian stronghold of paddy and banana cultivation. The connection between the land and its people emphasises an everlasting cultural truth that "Without soil, there is no human existence." It is the evidence of the present awareness of climate change and eco-criticism. Despite the critical role of agriculture, modern society often neglects sustainable land, lured by scientific advancements for profit and creates ecological crises. Traditional farming practices in Nanjil Nadu emphasise the preservation of soil health and ancestral Tamil intellectual knowledge. At present, Rice and banana cultivation remain predominant in the Nanjil region’s agrarian identity. This study examines the historical, cultural and agricultural inheritance of Nanjil Nadu and portrays the integration of traditional ecological knowledge into contemporary agricultural practices. By analysing the region’s farming techniques, socio-economic dependence on agriculture and the philosophical respect for land, the paper supports sustainable agrarian policies. Hence, the paper emphasises the need for balancing modernisation with ecological responsibility from the sustainable agricultural knowledge of Nanjil Nadu.