There are legends of kings who have rewarded poets with a piece of gold for every letter. It was called 'akshara-laksham'. After Tamilnadu was drained by the Turks, the Kannadigas and Telugus captured it and held it. The Pandya country came under the rule of the Madurai Nayaks. One of the minor kingdoms in the Nayakdom was the SEthu Naadu. This was the territory covered by the present Ramanathapuram and Sivagangai districts. The total area would have been 11000 square kilometers.
One of the kings was MuthuRamaLinga SEthupathi.
Some of these kings upheld the ancient tradition of patronising poets, scholars, and artistes. Whatever was within their means, they did for Tamil and the Tamil poets and scholars. This Sethupathi had a court of poets, musicians, and scholars. Every day, the king devoted a few hours to read, discuss and compose Tamil literary pieces. One day they were discussing the various 'thuRai's. ThuRais were various shades of emotional and sentimental situations. Most of the poets were saying that certain thuRais could be described with a few songs; while others could only be depicted with still lesser songs. It is a very difficult feat.
One of the poets said, "That is not so. A good poet can sing any number of songs in any one of the thuRais".
"Can you?" asked another poet.
"Sure. Why not?"
"Oh Yeah? How many can you sing?"
"Naan nuuRu paaduvEn. I can sing a hundred songs?"
"I see.... So be it. Let us see you sing all the four hundred."
"Huh? I never said four hundred. Only a hundred is the deal"
"Well...Thats what you said".
"No, I did not".
"Yes, you did. You said 'naanuuRu songs'".
"Oops...That was 'naan nuuRu paaduvEn'. Not 'naanuuRu paaduvEn'. However I will take up the challenge and sing four hundred songs".
So the poet sang four hundred songs in the genre of 'oru thuRai kOvai'. It was the thuRai of 'naaNi kaN pudhaiththal' - 'hiding the eyes with hands in shyness'.
On the day that it was launched, there was a great ceremony. As the poet sang each verse, the Sethupathi rolled a coconut towards the poet as a reward. For four hundred songs, four hundred coconuts.
What was so special about the coconuts?
Only this.
They were golden coconuts!
Four hundred of them!
