Monthly Archives: October 2013

Tamil society yet to emerge from 19th century, scholar

October 29, 2013About Chennai(Madras) / TamilNadu, Arts, Culture & Entertainmentadmin

Madurai :

Nineteenth century marked the growth of atheist movement in Tamil Nadu, emergence of caste identity and politics, participation of middle and lower middle class people in freedom movement, emergence of Tamil press and modern literature. Hence, learning about that period is essential to understand various social issues confronting Tamil Nadu now, said scholars at a seminar on ‘Tamil society and 19th century’ held in the city on Thursday.

“Though the Tamil society achieved significant growth during the 19{+t}{+h} century, it is yet to emerge out of the century,” said A R Venkatachalapathy, professor from Madras Institute of Development Studies.

Addressing the gathering at the seminar organised by the department of Journalism and Science Communication of Madurai Kamaraj University in association with Kalachuvadu publishers, Venkatachalapathy said that 19th century brought modernisation of the society across the country. The railways, telegraph, ports and photography evolved in the country during that time with a significant impact on the society. Moreover the ‘rule of law’ and the constitution also came up in this period. Modern thinking evolved with the growth of printing, intellectual discussions, public speaking and journalism. The very concept of census, numbers and geographical maps also evolved during this period, he said.

The influence of Christianity also played a crucial role in the country as well as on the state. While the Catholic church started its influence in the country by 16th century itself, mainly among the affluent of the society,

the Protestant church influenced the lower strata of society. Both played a crucial role in modern thought and philosophy of the country especially in the state, Venkatachalapathy explained. “However the 19th century is yet to end in the state and we are left to wonder when the change over to next century will happen,” he said.

S Kannan, publisher of Kalachuvadu said that our perspective towards the past keeps changing with new information emerging about the past. The two-day seminar will discuss the key topics like public sphere and private sphere in colonial Tamil Nadu, cultural discussion in Tamil society, translating native scholarship on 19th century and enhancing orientalism, emergence of dalit print in colonial Tamil Nadu.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Tamil Nadu / TNN / September 27th, 2013

Mahabs shell museum houses 40,000 varieties

October 28, 2013Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature, Records, Alladmin

Mahabalipuram:

For the first time in the country, an exclusive museum has been set up in the coastal town of Mahabalipuram to conserve and document marine life, particularly seashells and their biodiversity.

The museum is a now home to about 40,000 types of shells collected over a period of 33 years from different seabeds of Indonesia, Philippines, Australia and Japan. The rib cages of whales and teeth fossils of sharks have also been preserved in the museum which is now a hit with foreigners.

“Since my childhood, I have been collecting shells as a passion. It all started from the coastal waters of Cuddalore and then extended to the shallow waters of Kasimedu and Rameswaram coast,” says a beaming Raja Mohammad, founder of India Seashell Museum.

“There have been days when I had to cough up my day’s food expense to buy a shell or a marine fossil that cost several lakhs. The museum is now open to the public at a nominal charge and we have approached former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, seeking his expertise on converting the museum into an interpretation centre for children and a place for studies on seashells and marine organisms. He has responded positively and will soon visit the centre.”

“The shell museum is a dream come true and I want to convert the centre into a resource place for those who want to explore marine shells and their anatomy and biology. This is the biggest museum in south Asia for shells and the process of collecting more specimens is under way,” says Mohammad who is a school dropout and depends on marine biologists for technically supplementing his museum.

“The collections are amazing. I never thought that seashells were so rich in colour. It is a beautiful experience to gaze at the specimens collected from the seabed,” says foreign tourist Anne Hallam from the UK.

“The museum with expensive pearl varieties and rare exhibits from different parts of the world is highly informative,” says another foreign tourist, Meryl Prothero.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by C.S. Koteswaran / October 28th, 2013

A basket of 12,000 surprises

October 28, 2013Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nature, World Opinionadmin

Sathya Narayanan sells exotic vegetables and fruits at Anna Nagar. /. Photo: K. Pichumani / The Hindu

Sathya Narayanan imports a bewildering array of exotic fruits and vegetables. Vipasha Sinha does a quick count

It always happens to cooking enthusiasts. They keenly watch the master class of Master Chef Australia and drop the pen the moment they hear about the ingredients. The problem: half the ingredients they use are not available here and often, they have no substitutes. Here is where Sathya Narayanan chips in.

His basket of surprises are 12,000 exotic fruits and vegetables from across the world that include artichokes, all kinds of avocados, baby leeks, baby patty pan, berries of all kinds, kiwis, kohlrabi, kumquats, laos, leeks, shimiji mushroom, eryngi/king oyster mushroom, enoki mushroom, portebello, chive flowers and the list continues.

Sathya has been importing international fruits and vegetables for a year now. “I realised that there is a niche market for exquisite fruits and vegetables. I supply appropriate ingredients for international menu to several five-star hotels,” says Sathya.

He says, “For those who live abroad, the very name of an Indian vegetable or ingredient makes them excited. Likewise, the expats here long for ingredients from their country. There is a considerable amount of Korean people living here and I supply them necessary ingredients.”

As these fruits and vegetables are imported, quality is an important concern. “Fresh stock arrives every week and are kept in cold storage under hygienic condition and they are supplied immediately, therefore preventing wastage,” he says.

Sathya has plans to supply items to two hypermarkets in Chennai.

He also says these ingredients can change the taste of the regular food.

“Many of these produce can be used instead of the regular vegetables and the taste changes completely,” he says.

You can get in touch with Sathya at fruitmarx@gmail.com or call 24798385.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> DownTown / by Vipasha Sinha / Chennai – October 26th, 2013

TN allocates Rs 150 cr for developing Anna University infrastructure

October 28, 2013Educationadmin

While Rs 30 crore has been allocated for construction of buildings in the regional offices in Madurai and Coimbatore, another Rs 30 crore would be spent on hostels in Madurai, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli. (Above) A shot of the front building of the College of Engineering, Guindy, in the Anna University campus in Chennai.

Chennai :

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has allocated Rs 150 crore towards developing infrastructure in the regional offices and constituent colleges functioning under Anna University across the State.

While Rs 30 crore has been allocated for each of the regional offices in Madurai and Coimbatore to construct buildings, another Rs 30 crore would be spent for hostels in Madurai, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli, a State Government press release said.

The allocation would also cover construction of hostels in Dindugal, Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin and Nagercoil, Pattukottai and Panruti, it said.

Basic amenities in 12 university constituent colleges would be developed at a cost of Rs 10 crore, it added.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Education / by PTI / Chennai – October 19th, 2013

Statue of 17th century Nayak Queen found near temple

October 28, 2013Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, Alladmin

A statue of Rani Mangamma, a Nayak queen of the 17th century who undertook major irrigation and flood management projects and was well known for her administrative acumen has been found near a temple built in that era, a statement of a research body said.

The idol with a crown is seen with folded-hands, carrying a sword in her hip and a saree covering the ankles, a press release from the Pandiyan Historical Research Centre said.

The statue found chiselled onto a pillar opposite the temple.

The Centre’s secretary S Santhalingam said stone inscriptions in the temple revealed the queen had built it in 1693 in memory of her late father.

The athitana (standing place) mandapam of the temple was found damaged. The temple’s name was mentioned as “Hanuman, Azhwar”.

Though the inscription mentioned a temple of Lord Ganesha near the area, it could not be traced, the release said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by PTI – Madurai / October 20th, 2013

Minister inaugurates cane grinding works

October 27, 2013Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Natureadmin

With three months to go for the Pongal festival, known for sweet Pongal, the sugarcane grinding season has commenced in the district.

Rural Industries Minister Mohan initiated the sugarcane grinding process here on Friday in Periyasevalai Sengalvarayan Sugar Mill. The function was presided over by Villupuram Collector Sampath and joint chairman Gnanamurthi.

During the function, the Rural Inustries Minister said, starting on Friday, the sugarcane grinding process would continue till March 15, in Periyasevalai Corporation Sugar Mill. The sugarcane cultivated in the regions of Thiruvannainellur, Sithalingamadam, Ulundurpet, Arasur, Enadhimangalam and Pillayarkuppam, which has been partitioned as mill site-I and mill site-II, is ground in Periyasevalai Corporation Sugar Mill .

As many as 4,14,995 metric tonne of sugarcane which has been cultivated on 15,030 hectares is to be ground in the Sengalvarayan Sugar Mill. The minister affirmed that the 9,000 villagers in these regions would be benefited by this process of grinding sugarcane.

Executive director of the Corporation Sugar Anbarasu presided over the function and he was accompanied by other officials.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / Express News Service – Villipuram / October 19th, 2013

Two carom champs make Vellore district proud

October 26, 2013Sportsadmin

For the first time, two students from the district would be taking part in the national-level carom championship in the sub-junior and junior categories.

R Devadarshan, a class VI student of Vallal Krishnaswamy Mudaliar School, emerged winner in the sub-junior level while Sneha Prabha, a Class VIII student of the Sri Narayani Vidyalaya came first in the junior category at the state-level carom competition, organised by the Tamil Nadu State Carom Association, in Dindigul this week. The event is recognised by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority.

Both students met Collector Sankar on Saturday and sought his blessings to win medals in the national championship that is likely to be held either in Assam or Goa later this year.

Devadarshan said he was able to complete the board in 20 minutes flat in the finals, thanks to his eight-hour practice sessions at home. The winner said he was motivated by his father Raviraj, presently the joint secretary of the district carom association, who himself was a player in his times.

Dr Rajagopal, District Carom Association president, said more youngsters had been attracted to playing carom in the past four years. The association, started around 30 years ago, faced certain setbacks for a while but it was revived recently. “We are planning to train more school and college students,” he said.

He stressed the need for an indoor stadium for the district, which would help youngsters practise caroms in a more professional manner as currently they were practising at a cramped privatly-owned place. “The district administration should help in getting an indoor stadium, not only for carom but also for other indoor games,” Rajagopal said.

“Now that carom has been recognised in the Olympics, I see a good future for our kids to excel in this game and if we promote it in the right manner, we can be among the medals winner in Olympics,” he said, adding that he believed the game helps one improve memory and concentration and that students who practised carom were found to be doing good in the studies as well.

E M Asif, one of the coaches who has been training school kids for the past eight years, said around 500 students have shown interest in the game in the past two years. ‘Around one hundred of them have been groomed to be good players,’ he said. While around 10 of them have won district and state level competitions, this is the first time two of our students make it to the national level, he said with pride.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> TamilNadu / by V. NarayanaMurthi / ENS – Vellore / October 20th, 2013

A Peaceful Stroll Along the Secular Trail of Chennai

October 26, 2013Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

The St. Thomas Basilica in Mylapore, in the city of Chennai, India, is one of only three church in the world to have been built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus. (JG Photo/Wahyuni Kamah)

It was a hot and clear day when a friend of mine dropped me off nearby St. Thomas Basilica in Mylapore, an old district in Chennai, India.

“This is a neighborhood where you can see different houses of worship, churches, mosques and temples,” she explained.

In ancient times, Mylapore engaged in active trading with the Roman Empire. The settlement of Santhome in Mylapore was mentioned by merchants from Arab when they came to the area in the 9th and 10th centuries.

When I was entering the huge compound of the white cathedral, it was hard to believe I was in India, a country where Hinduism is the major religion and Hindu temples are ubiquitous.

In Chennai itself, Catholics make up about 5 percent of the population and the cathedral was built by the Portuguese after they arrived in the 16th century with no local influence.

The St. Thomas Basilica is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore, and the complex houses some other buildings. One of the newer additions houses a museum and an underground tomb chapel. Pilgrims are allowed to pray in an underground tomb chapel without disturbing the sacred functions in the church.

There were only four other foreign tourists during my visit, while a mass was being held in Tamil.

Upstairs, a simple museum exhibits artifacts and the history of St. Thomas and the basilica, including how Christianity dispersed in India.

According to the tradition of the Christian church in Kerala on the south west coast of India, St. Thomas, one of Jesus’s apostles, arrived around 52 A.D. from Judea. He died as a martyr in 72 A.D. in the outskirts of Chennai, which is now known as St. Thomas Mount. The body of St. Thomas was buried on the spot where the basilica was later built.

In the 19th century, when the British colonized India, they rebuilt it as a church with a cathedral status.

Pope Pius XII increased the status of the cathedral into minor basilica in 1956, and it has become a popular destination for Christian Indians since. The St. Thomas Basilica in Chennai is allegedly one of the three churches in the world that was built over the tomb of the 12 apostles of Jesus.

Stained-glass windows show images of St. Thomas inside.

Back outside on Kutchery Road in the Santhome neighborhood, many of Santhome’s buildings are related to Catholicism, such as the college, pastoral center and school, I also passed a Hindu quarter with shops selling goods needed for services and ceremonies in Hindu temples.

Just a few meters across, I spotted a small Jain temple. Jainism is one of the oldest religions in the world with most of its followers hailing from India.

By the end of my temple trail in Santhome, I was almost overwhelmed by the great diversity of faith, but at the same time, it was a relief to see that people of different religions can live peacefully side by side.

source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com / Jakarta Globe / Home> Category: Features, Travel / by Wahyuni Kamah / October 20th, 2013

Twin books penned by Vimala released

October 24, 2013Arts, Culture & Entertainmentadmin

Vimala Ramani’s books being released by Mathioli Saraswathy (left). Dance exponent Padma Subrahmanyam receives the first copies. — DC

Chennai:

A twin book release came on a note of appropriate reverence on Tuesday evening as the subjects dealt with are Shlokas and the Hindu Festivals & Food. Beyond the mouth watering recipes for special occasions that are spelt out in great detail, there is a good reason for GenNext to take particular interest in the book on festivals as it explains a great deal about the culture and customs. There is also no better or quicker guide to the legends behind the festivals.

With her vast experience as the producer of popular television serials, the author of the two volumes, Vimala Ramani, narrates in a nutshell the tradition behind festivals, when they are held and how they are to be celebrated and what food is to be cooked to mark them. Coming so soon in the wake of Prema Srinivasan’s Pure Vegetarian, Vimala’s exposition on the stories, celebrations and recipes of the naivedyam to be offered to the gods before we gorge on the sweets and the savouries is bound to add to the rich cultural and gastronomic legacy of the state.

The Tamil calendar is spelt out in great detail so the uninitiated may grasp why our festivals tend to fall on different dates in the calendar each year. The notes explaining the puranas and the history behind the festivals make the book a pleasurable read that is enlightening.

If we have been celebrating without knowing much more than the fact that most festivals portray the victory of good over evil, Hindu Festivals & Food (Ram’s Creative Chamber, `900) represents the best way to gain some knowledge.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / September 11th, 2013

Get set for golu galatta this season

October 23, 2013Arts, Culture & Entertainmentadmin

Try stepping in to North Mada Street at Mylapore, and you’ll hear lines like this every nook and corner. Truly, Navarathri fever is in the air.

It’s that time of the year when you have to bring out all those carefully stored dolls from your attic, dust them, and strategically place them so that they adorn the golu padis in your house. The eternal favourites among kids and youngsters remain the park setting and the cricket set.

The dolls, which are usually made in Cuddalore and Panruti, are in different sizes and prices. “This year, there’s a 30 per cent increase in prices of dolls, mainly due to the increase in transportation charges,” says Veeramani, a shopkeeper. While the dolls of gods and goddesses are hot favourites, leaders like Gandhi and Nehru have a lot of takers as well.

Theme-based golus, which have been in vogue for the past few years, are the flavour of the Navarathri season. Manohari R, a homemaker, is collecting the right kind of dolls to spruce up her theme-based golu on wildlife in the country. “We see so much of talk on conserving wildlife,” she says, “So, during this season, I’d like to create awareness among people who visit my house to see the golu about this burning issue.”

Buying two of the same dolls is also in fashion. And the reason is simple: they are kept either facing each other, or at the two ends of the golu padis, to provide, what people call, a thematic balance.

No festival is complete without food, and with Navarathri, sundals and payasams are all set to make an entry into your everyday cuisine.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time you decked up your golu padi.

How to create a cricket golu
– Get a complete cricket set from the neighbourhood cricket shop. Check each player before you buy; some of the pieces come with defects such as a missing hand.

– Spread the players so that you have ample space for everyone. While the batsman, bowler and umpire are a constant, you can change the other fielders every day to give it a ‘new match’ feel.

– You could ask your friends to create a new field and have a competition to decide which is the best.

How to create a park golu
– For a park, you need grass, trees — lots of it. They’re available in a heap, in your neighbourhood market. Pick as many as you want.

– Don’t forget to throw in some chairs, merry-go-round and park benches. Also, buy a few birds and parrots. They add variety.

– Get a lot of mud. Add water and then dry it under the sun. Once done, spread it across the ‘golu park’.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Life & Style> People> Cricket / by Srinivasa Ramanujam, TNN / October 06th, 2013

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