New Delhi, July 7 -- At first sight, Ekanapuram resembles a typical Indian village. Roads are narrow. Old tiled-roof houses are slowly giving way to concrete dwellings. Its 2,500-odd residents are pious; many temples dot this village, located 75km west of Chennai. A school here has just completed its 100th anniversary. Most of its residents are farmers while some youngsters have recently started working in the factories of the nearby Sriperumbudur and Oragadam industrial belts.

The villagers are particularly proud of its long history.

"Ekanapuram has been around for centuries," said 85-year-old M. Krishnamurthy, a farmer whose family has lived in the village for generations. He cites British records documenting the village's population ...