In Kolli Malai, there’s a longstanding bungalow where the seriously ill are taken to a forest and left there, much like the scene depicted in the movie 7th Sense film. The people of Kolli Malai say that those who are incurably ill are brought to a mountain called Sikkupparai. If the heat of Sikkupparai helps them recover, they return home, otherwise they die there.
Interestingly, Kolli Malai also has a tradition of sacrificing girls to gods, which might seem unbelievable but has been practised for a long time in this area of Namakkal district. Although it sounds like something out of a movie, it was a reality in Kolli Malai.
In the early 1900s, an Englishman named Jessimen Brand, who was trained in medicine, arrived in Senthamangalam, Namakkal district, at the age of 24. He set up a small hospital and began offering medical assistance to the locals. During those times, outbreaks of cholera and plague were common, and many lives were lost. Jessimen Brand’s medical care saved many people. The residents of Kolli Malai, who often travelled long distances to Senthamangalam to sell forest-grown fruits, benefited greatly from his medical services.
In 1912, Jessimen and his friend Marling ventured up the hill to a place called Vazhavanti in Kollimalai, where they stayed in a thatched hut and treated the hill villagers. Jessimen also began constructing a wooden bungalow there. In 1919, when a poisonous fever outbreak struck the area, the local custom was to leave the afflicted on a mountain rock, known as Sikkupparai Rock, where they would be allowed back into the village only if they survived. Jessimen, however, treated and saved many of the sick.
Jessimen also spoke out against child marriage, which was prevalent in Kollimalai. He and his wife Evely provided shelter and care for girls who were victims of child marriage and family curses. They treated these girls and sick children, built and maintained a hostel for them, and taught them skills such as horticulture, mat weaving, sericulture, and carpentry.
Additionally, Jessimen supported the agricultural development of the region and helped improve road infrastructure in Kollimalai. Sadly, Jessimen Brand contracted a rare disease known as blackwater fever and passed away in 1929 at the age of 44, despite receiving medical treatment. He spent 17 years in Kollimalai, and his body was buried there.
Today, the wooden bungalow where Jessimen lived still stands, and visitors can see the bed, kitchen, and other items he used. Various monuments in the area commemorate Jessimen Brand’s contributions to the progress of Kollimalai. The families of the 23 children whom he saved and raised now form a village around the bungalow, living happily—a testament to the enduring impact of Jessimen Brand’s work.
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