G Ramakrishnan, who served as the regional sales manager for Heidelberg India, retired from service on 31 January, 2014, after an eventful 30-year stint at the firm.
“I have been a part of the Heidelberg India group since 15 July, 1983, when it was a part of the Mahindra and Mahindra group. It was a wonderful experience, where we used to get total support from Heidelberg India as well as from Germany, which gave me complete job satisfaction so as to stay with them for the last 30-plus years,” said Ramakrishnan.
Ramakrishnan, a respected and trusted name among the printing fraternity of South India joined Heidelberg as an employee in the finance section in July 1983. But soon the company realised that he had a knack for sales and asked him to nurture and groom the Kerala territory to start with. “Initially I was asked to nurture and groom Kerala market for seven years, which helped us to have a sizeable number of Heidelberg installations in that region,” he said.
One of his greatest achievements during the tenure was establishing and strengthening the Heidelberg brand in Sivakasi. Subsequently, under him, Tamil Nadu, including Sivakasi, saw installations of Heidelberg at leading printshops namely ITC, Multivista, NPT Offset, Nagaraj and Company, Srinivas Fine Arts, Lovely Offset Printers, Sel Jegat Printers, Bell Group of companies, Safire Offset Printers, Ace Data, Chromaprint, Menaka Cards, and Thee Classic Printers.
Klaus Nielsen, managing director of Heidelberg India, during the farewell ceremony on 29 January 2014, stated, “Ramakrishnan’s sales profile reflects his high values and ethics. His great rapport with the customers brought us repeat orders. We appreciate his dedication and loyalty to Heidelberg.”
Nagarajan, managing director of Chennai-based Nagaraj and Company (Amra Press), commended Ramakrishnan, as a “reliable salesman with integrity”. “He will never recommend a machine that will not serve or suit the purpose of the end-user. No vanishing act with him, after selling a machine. At any point of time after the sales, he is available for support. He is the bridge between Heidelberg and customers like us.”
In his farewell address, Ramakrishnan said, “Heidelberg has been my mother’s house. My tenure here has been memorable, right from my fledgling days to this day, when I am officially retiring from Heidelberg India with a heavy heart. Heidelberg shaped my career and life. I will continue to promote Heidelberg, even after my retirement. It is part of my DNA composition now.”
Ramakrishnan sent a farewell message to all his clients stating that he will not say goodbye as he is just a phone call away from them. He promised to assist his former clients through his colleagues and friends in Heidelberg India during his post retirement period.
Post his retirement, Ramakrishnan has joined Menaka Cards, a leading manufacturer and supplier of invitation cards in India. Speaking on his new association with Menaka Cards, Ramakrishnan said, “I have decided not to opt for equipment sales after having served Heidelberg. Instead I will be a part of Menaka Cards with Sankaralingam, CMD, who has been my role model entrepreneur. He has built his own successful empire as a wedding card manufacturer since 1980s.”
source: http://www.printweek.in / PrintWeek India / Home> News> Business / by Anand Srinivasan / February 28th, 2014
Tirupur-based knitwear brand Dixcy Scott will launch a chain of exclusive brand outlets across the country. At present its products, vests and briefs, are available in multi-brand retail outlets.
It will initially launch 10 exclusive brand outlets . “We have launched two in Bhubaneshwar and Surat, and plan to open half a dozen outlets in the South in the next few months and get into big format stores soon,” said Raghul Sikka, Director, Dixcy Scott.
The ₹600-crore brand has signed on Bollywood star Salman Khan as its brand ambassador for the northern market. For the South, it has roped in two South Indian film actors — Jiiva for Tamil Nadu and Puneet Rajkumar for Karnataka markets, Sikka said.
Dixcy Scott also hopes to identify a brand ambassador for Andhra Pradesh. It has earmarked 6-7 per cent of its turnover for marketing expenses for the year. The company has a capacity to manufacture 50,000 pieces a day and has tied up with third party manufacturers to make another 4.5 lakh pieces a day.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com /Business Line / Home> Companies / by The Hindu Bureau / Chennai – February 28th, 2014
Malavika Sarukkai. / Photo: K. Ananthan / The Hindu
The Yaksha music and dance festival, in Coimbatore, saw some of the best talents take the stage.T.K. GANAPATHY
The open-air theatre at the Isha Yoga Centre, with the backdrop of the Linga Bhairavi shrine in the verdant Velliangiri hills in Coimbatore, came alive with the opening of the seven-day Yaksha Festival of Dance and Music.
It began with a Bharatanatyam recital by Malavika Sarukkai. Dedicating her performance to her good friend, the late Francis Waczing, Malavika’s dance was a triumph of creativity. Her obeisance to Lord Siva, the cosmic dancer and the following invocation to the Goddess in Nilambari were a combination of enchanting music, sensitive abhinaya and skilful footwork. Her angika abhinaya was an arresting spectacle.
Malavika’s depiction of ‘Mareechavadham’, drawn from Tuslidas’s Ram Charit Manas, with the appearance of Maricha and his pursuit of the golden deer, Rama’s shooting of the animal and the gods showering the petals, was done with panache. The repeated imagery and hand gestures accompanied by precise footwork invested her recital with an abstract quality.
Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Ennathavam Seidanai’ (Kapi) portraying the Yashoda’s relationship with Lord Krishna, whipped up the dancer’s devotional frenzy. The lilting thillana in Brindavanasaranga was a sight to behold!
Music by Murali Parthasarathy and Bagyalakshmi’s was delightful as were the accompanists that included Srilakshmi Venkataramani (violin), Sreelatha (nattuvangam) and Nellai Balaji (mridangam).
The violin trio concert of V.V.Subramaniam, V.V. Ravi and V.V.S.Murari with vocal support from Raghava Krishna, was a concerted effort to create a symphony.
Adhering meticulously to the time factor, the instrumentalists shone as they played time-tested numbers in sync and yet maintained their individuality. Commencing their recital with a special Sanskrit composition in praise of Dhyanalingam in Shiv Kalyan, their renditions of ‘Ekamresanayike’ followed by ‘Nadhathanumanisam’ created a rapport with the listeners. The alapana of Purvikalyani for the kriti, ‘Anandanadamaduvar’ was replete with proficient passages.
The trio’s raga delineation of Anandabhairavi for ‘Oh! Jagadamba’ and their proficiency in the swaras exchanges after a feisty niraval, was admirable display of timing and arithmetic acumen.
The percussion group of Narendran (mridangam) and Radhakrishnan (ghatam) efficiently favoured the main artists with adequate decibel interventions, including a vibrant tani. The creative finesse and sense of balance in the vocalist’s support was enjoyable.
Hindustani vocalist Pt. Venkatesh Kumar’s husky and vibrant singing style had the rasikas absorbed in his music. An exponent of the Gwalior and Patiala Kirana gharanas, he commenced his session with a vilambit ek taal in Raag Purvi. After a brief alap, the gat, ‘Tum Bi Na Aur Kaun’ was arresting. The Kirana Gharana style of khayal stood out in his akara and sargam delineations.
This was followed by a teen taal gat ‘Muraliya Mohana Re Tum Aa Bhaje’ with niraval on these lines. The composition, ‘Theeratha Karo Sab Kare Deva Puja Karo’ in vilambit jhap taal in Tilak Kamod offered a sober and contemplative spell.
The hymn in Durga, vilambit ek taal, ‘Sakhi More Ruma Roopa’ followed by ‘Jai Jai Jai Durgaji Mata Bhavani,’ was reminiscent of the late Pt. Bhimsen Joshi and was presented with devotional fervour. Pt. Venkatesh Kumar concluded with two light bhajans. His disciple, Basavaraju, provided solid vocal support, while Samar Saha (tabla) and Vyasmurtikatti (harmonium) were fine accompanists.
Known for his uncompromising stand, Vijay Siva to give quality music on the fourth day of the Yaksha fest. He presented ‘Nadahathanumanism’ with aplomb followed by ‘Innum Paramukhameno’ (Begada) with pleasing niraval and swaras. His sketch of Anandabhairavi for the Syama Sastry composition, ‘Mariveregathi,’ with methodical and systematically arranged sancharas drew audience appreciation.
Vijay Siva’s rendition of Dikshitar’s ‘Jambupathe’ in Yamunakalyani with niraval, was rhetoric of spontaneity. Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Nadamadum Deivam Nee’ was pleasing to the ear. Siva brought out the raga bhava and the emotional appeal of Hindolam in Tyagaraja’s ‘Manasuloni.’
Violinist Chandramouli provided valuable support in the alapanas, niraval and swara sallies. Manoj Siva (mridangam) proved to be asset to the cutcheri with his tonal variations in the tani.
(krishangan@gmail.com)
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review> Dance / by T. K. Ganapathy / Coimbatore – February 27th, 2014
A memorial established for the late freedom fighter Nesamani, fondly called as “Marshal” Nesamani, in Kanyakumari district was inaugurated by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday.
Through a video-conference facility from here, Jayalalithaa unveiled the memorial set up in Nagercoil at a cost of Rs 48.70 lakh, an official release said.
Nesamani, a prominent local figure, among the locals also served as Municipal Chairman in Nagercoil District and as the Member of Parliament, it said.
Jayalalithaa issued orders to celebrate the day of Kanyakumari District’s merger with Tamil Nadu in memory of Nesamani as a government function, it said.
Labour Minister K T Pachamal, Information and Special Programme Implementation Minister K T Rajendhra Bhalaji and senior government officials participated in the function, the release added.
PTI
source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Z News / Home> State News> Tamil Nadu / Thursday – February 27th, 2014
On the centenary of the Pamban Rail Bridge, which connects Rameswaram to the Indian mainland, a look at its history and significance.
Infinite loop: A train runs along the Pamban Rail Bridge and above the dark waters of Palk Strait. / Photo: Bijoy Bharathan / The Hindu
It is 3.50am and the Sethu Express headed from Chennai Egmore to Rameswaram is chugging along, barely 10 minutes away from its destination. Then you begin to hear it, a metallic rumble as the train slows down to about a tenth of its intended speed. The doorways soon fill with a motley crew of half-asleep passengers comprising men and women, both young and old, who align themselves near the exits for the best view. Outside the train, the pitch darkness of early dawn offers mere silhouettes of the bridge. As the train treads the dark waters of the Palk Strait atop the Pamban Rail Bridge, the travellers are united in wide-eyed surrender, to an all-encompassing sense of awe.
It’s a sight that’s been playing in an infinite loop for about 100 years now, since the Pamban Rail Bridge opened in 1914. The bridge, which until 2010 was India’s longest sea bridge — the Bandra Worli Sea Link in Mumbai having now bagged that title — connects the island of Rameswaram to the Indian mainland. Often referred to as the economic and spiritual lifeline of this region, the bridge celebrated its centenary early this week. In the midst of the revelries, questions concerning the future of the bridge against its maintenance as a heritage site came to the fore. While the two sides objectively argue their cases, a subjective detour back in time might be just what the doctor ordered.
In the annals of the Indian Railways, one man’s name is synonymous with the Pamban Rail Bridge. Fondly known as the Metro Man of India, E Sreedharan, achieved the near-impossible task of restoring the Pamban Bridge to a fully operational state in a mere 46 days, after it was devastated by a cyclone on December 23, 1964. Reminiscing about that time Sreedharan says, “The damage to the rail bridge was so severe that it wasn’t considered worth restoring. The government was already planning to construct a road bridge connecting Rameswaram to the mainland. However, SK Patil, the then union railway minister, knew the importance of Rameswaram as a pilgrimage centre and decided to repair the bridge.”
Nature’s fury: Pamban Bridge in ruins after a cyclone battered it on December 23, 1964. / Photo: The Hindu Archives
Elaborating on those months of backbreaking work, Sreedharan says, “Of the 146 spans in the bridge, 124 had been damaged or washed away. We urgently needed metre gauge girders (support beams) to build the bridge. We sourced them from states as far as Assam and Rajasthan, but there was still a shortage. Thankfully, the fishermen in Pamban came to our rescue. They had spotted many girders that had been swept away in the cyclone and were lying 40 feet below, on the seabed. We salvaged those and worked at breakneck speed to complete the restoration. It used to take us three days to launch one girder. Soon we were launching a girder a day. On the last two days, we launched eight girders.” And the results were there for all to see. The project was estimated to be completed in six months, Sreedharan and his team accomplished it in 46 days.
But there’s an altogether personal history of sacrifice that is intertwined with Sreedharan’s association with the bridge. He says, “My wife was pregnant with our daughter when I was informed about the cyclonic damage to the Pamban Bridge. I was on Christmas leave at my hometown in Pattambi, while my wife was at her maternal home in Ponnali. I didn’t have the time to meet her before heading to Pamban and commencing work on the bridge. A few weeks later, I came to know that we had been blessed with a baby girl. However, I was unable to go see her as my presence was needed at the bridge at all times during the ongoing restoration work. Finally, after we had put the bridge back in operation, I was able to go home and see my daughter for the first time.”
The legacy of the Pamban Bridge and the need for its continued service is fully understood by engineers today. In 2006, a contingent from IIT Madras led by professor Kalyanaraman was entrusted with instrumenting the bridge. Many new members (structural elements used to brace bridges and buildings) were added to it and it was strengthened at the bottom as well.
Recounting his memories of the bridge, Dr S Arul Jayachandran, from the Structural Engineering Laboratory at the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras says, “I was about four years old when the cyclone struck. My hometown, Madurai, was bathed in a pall of gloom. A few months later, I undertook the first rail journey of my life. It took me across the Pamban Rail Bridge. I remember how everybody peeped out of their windows in the train when it crossed the bridge on a particularly low-tide day. We were stunned and delighted to know that this was the same bridge that had once been ravaged by the cyclone.”
For Jayachandran, it was merely the beginning of a lifelong love affair. In 1983, for his undergraduate thesis, he presented the concept of an alternate bridge connecting Rameswaram to the mainland. He is now finalising a technical report based on a study that he had carried out on the Pamban Rail Bridge in December 2013. He says, “The 100-year-old bridge has a place of pride in the hearts of many generations of Indians. We consider it a part of our historical identity. From a purely conservationist point of view, it is a thing of beauty and must be protected. From a scientific viewpoint, the safety of the passengers is paramount. The bridge has withstood the test of time for more than a century. I am optimistic that it will remain so for another century.”
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Features / by Bijoy Bharathan / February 28th, 2014
Chettinad, SICL bag multi-cargo terminal contract from Kamarajar Port Limited (earlied called Ennore Port Limited)./ A file photo. / PTI
Chettinad Builders and South India Corporation Limited (SICL), the lone bidder, on Thursday bagged the contract to construct the Rs.150 crore multi-cargo terminal at Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL).
This is the second project to be awarded by the Port authorities in the last two weeks, with the first one was awarded to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone for constructing Rs.1,270 crore container terminal.
The letter of approval was given to Chettinad Builders and SICL on Thursday, a day after Ennore Port Limited (EPL) was renamed as Kamarajar Port.
As per the proposal, the selected bidder has to design, build, finance, operate and transfer the multi-cargo terminal for a concession period of thirty years. The terminal will have a quay length of 270 metres to handle two million tonnes of bulk and project cargoes such as turbine and generators, windmills, fertilisers and wooden logs. It will come up between the container and iron ore terminal.
According to informed sources, eight parties had evinced interest to construct the multi-cargo terminal. During the scrutiny, the Port officials rejected two proposals. Even though there were six bidders, only Chettinad Builders and SICL submitted its bid.
“Chettinad Builders and SICL had offered a revenue share of 36 per cent. We were surprised by the offer as the revenue share was higher than what it was suggested by our project advisor. We have accepted the lone bid and issued the letter,” said a KPL official.
For the Rs.1,270 crore container terminal KPL received two bids, of which Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone offered a higher revenue share of 37 per cent and bagged the contract. Both the projects are expected to be commissioned more or less during the same time.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by N. Anand / Chennai – February 28th, 2014
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa addresses at the Tamil Nadu Vision 2023 Phase II on Friday /. Photo; V. Ganesan / The Hindu
The Tamil Nadu government will set up an ‘Auto City’, considered a first of its kind initiative under the automobile and auto component policy launched by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
It will be under the theme ‘Tamil Nadu, the Partner in Automotive Sector Investment’.
The state government would form an Automotive Industrial Development Centre offering investment facilitation services to companies willing to invest in the automotive industry, the policy document said.
It said AIDC would help the government put in place appropriate policy framework. It would also support and facilitate its implementation and interventions aimed at making Tamil Nadu a destination for manufacture and export of motor vehicles.
As per AIDC, the government would set up an “Auto City”, a state-of-the-art over 1,000 hectare industrial park as a JV for domestic and global automotive and auto-component firms.
Besides, an Automotive Suppliers Park would come up to improve the logistics competitiveness for units set up in it.
The Auto City would have a logistics hub to provide multi modal transport, a design and technological park and common infrastructure like effluent treatment and waste management utilities. It would also dwell on transport of goods to various ports on 24 hour basis for movement of consignment trucks.
“The Government of India, Ministry of Shipping, will be impressed upon the need to construct multi-level parking in the major ports of State”, the policy document said.
Additionally, the state government would also promote new auto clusters in Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts while existing ones in Madurai and Coimbatore would be strengthened.
SIPCOT would promote Auto-Industrial Parks in Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli,Tuticorin and extend infrastructure and common facilities to attract more investments from small and medium auto-component industries.
On the automobile policy, it said a package of incentives is currently available only for ultra-mega auto projects.
Though automobile and components constitute an important segment, Tamil Nadu does not have a separate integrated and comprehensive policy to retain the leadership’s position, the document said.
The state has six car manufacturers around Chennai. They are — US car maker Ford, Korean-auto major Hyundai, Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd, the JV plant set up by France-based Renault and Japan-headquartered Nissan and Germany’s BMW, with a total capacity of 13.80 lakh units per year, it said.
Tamil Nadu accounts for 35 per cent of India’s auto component production worth USD 6.2 billion.
Aimed at making Chennai one of the top five global auto-clusters, the state government had on Friday unveiled the first of its kind automobile policy, an industrial policy and second volume of ‘Tamil Nadu Vision 2023’.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business> Industry /PTI / Chennai – February 21st, 2014
Mickael made history in November 2012 when he became the first person ever in Africa to receive a MenAfriVac meningitis vaccine outside of the cold chain. It is made by Serum Institute of India. Photo: Sylvestre Tiendrebeogo/WHO
“It’s a great Indian success story,” said Dr. Jacob John, a former virologist of the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. He was referring to MenAfriVac, a meningitis A vaccine manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India. The vaccine passed the litmus test during a large-scale vaccine campaign in Banikoara district in the Republic of Benin, West Africa.
In the first-ever use in a developing country, the vaccine remained stable outside the cold chain at temperatures not exceeding 40 degree C for not more than four days. The vaccine should normally be kept in a cold chain at 2-8 degree C. The results of the vaccination programme funded by GAVI and WHO/PATH (which also provided training, supervision, evaluation) were published recently in theVaccine journal.
An independent body under the guidance of the Ministry of Health in Benin conducted active monitoring for adverse events following immunization (AEFI) by comparing the rate and severity of AEFIs in the study area and a control area. “The results of the study, which have been submitted for publication, indicated there was no increase in AEFIs with the CTC practice, and no serious AEFIs reported at all,” Dr. Simona Zipursky, first author of the paper from OPTIMIZE, a WHO/PATH Collaboration, Switzerland noted in an email to this Correspondent.
The fact that controlled temperature chain (CTC) would increase the efficiency of the vaccination campaign was amply demonstrated in Banikoara district, Benin — about 1,50,000 people aged 1-29 years were vaccinated for meningitis A from November 15-25, 2012.
The CTC vaccine greatly helped in increasing vaccination coverage in a few areas where access was a problem and electricity was unreliable. According to the paper, the health workers stayed in the villages for three consecutive days before returning for a refill.
“100 per cent of the vaccinators surveyed felt CTC was either ‘extremely’ useful or ‘relatively useful’. They reported that the biggest benefit from the CTC practice was the fact that it enabled them to vaccinate more people. Other key benefits included: no need to return to health centre every night (hence, able to reach more remote areas), reduced logistic burden (no need to worry about cold chain or ice packs) and reduced wastage,” said Dr. Zipursky.
Another big advantage is the huge savings in cost. “A study published in the WHO bulletin showed that using a CTC approach can reduce the cold chain related campaign costs by 50 per cent. To put it in perspective, for the remaining MenAfriVac campaigns between 2014 and 2016, [the savings would translate] to over $12 million dollars,” Dr. Zipursky noted.
The vaccine was originally meant to be kept at 2-8 degree C at all times. But WHO approved the CTC use after Serum Institute successfully demonstrated its stability and potency even when exposed to higher temperatures. According to the paper, this was the first time WHO had approved a vaccine to be used at ambient temperature in developing countries
“Even prior to the request, we had done trials of up to 40 degree C,” said Dr. Suresh Jadhav, Executive Director of Serum Institute. “As it is a heat-stable vaccine, we wanted to see if it remains potent even when exposed to 40 degree C.”
But the test period was restricted to one week. “We conducted this study even when it was not required,” he said. But the duration of test was extended to one month when the company was requested to test its stability and potency when exposed to 40 degree C.
“We found the potency was getting reduced after three weeks [of exposure to 40 degree C],” Dr. Jadhav said. “But there was a clear indication that the concept worked.”
The reason why the vaccine remains stable even at 40 degree C is because the freeze drying of the vaccine makes it heat stable or thermostable.
The 40 degree C upper temperature limit has come as a boon to people in the sub-Saharan African belt where about 200,000 people suffer from meningitis every year during the dry season when wind spreads the bacterial spores. Mortality is about 10-15 per cent and morbidity is very high.
“The ambient temperature reached [during the campaign] was 39 degree C,” Dr. Zipursky noted. “Luckily in the African meningitis belt, temperatures during the MenAfriVac campaign season are usually below 40 degree C.”
The dry season during January to June throughout the sub-Saharan belt is when meningitis outbreaks occur. “MenAfrivac has been introduced in 12 countries just before the dry season (November/December since 2010) to protect populations before the meningitis season,” Dr. Olivier Ronveaux, from the Meningitis Focal Point, Control of Epidemic Diseases Team, WHO, Geneva noted in an email.
Besides other huge gains, the cost of the vaccine per se is incredibly low. According to Dr. Jadhav, the cost of one dose is just $0.60 cents (Rs.36). A polysaccharide vaccine, on the other hand, cost about $5 dollars and is not effective as the polysaccharide provides only short-term immunity and hence given during an epidemic. MenAfriVac vaccine is a polysaccharide conjugate vaccine.
“There is a great sense of satisfaction… there is a great sense of achievement,” said Dr. Jadhav “as you can not only save lives but also avoid morbidity.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> S & T> Health> Medicine / by R. Prasad / March 05th, 2014
It was similar to a full-fledged hospital operating out of a college premises. More than 3,000 people belonging to all walks of life thronged the Srimad Andavan Arts and Science College premises on Saturday for a special medical camp organized to mark chief minister J Jayalalitha’s 66th birthday which falls next week.
The special camp was conducted by the Chennai-based Sri Ramachandra Medical College Hospital. A team of 117 doctors and support staff came all the way from Chennai for the purpose.
Special vehicles from important points in the city such as the central and the Chatiram bus stands ferried people to the camp where all medical facilities are available under one roof. Even high-end equipment such as scanners are installed at the venue.
At the neatly arranged stalls patients were first registered and screened. Thereafter, they were taken to the concerned department by volunteers. Doctors of various specializations provided free consultations. Basic diagnostic tests were done free of cost. To add to this, medicines were also provided free of cost for one week. Spectacles and hearing aids were given to poor patients. Medicines worth Rs 7 lakh were disbursed at the counters, said the doctors.
Serious cases were referred to the nearby hospitals or to the Chennai hospital, said the doctors. Two cancer and cardiac-related cases were found.
Totally 3,100 people attended the camp on the first day. The special camp, which will conclude on Sunday, was inaugurated by the minister for khadi and village industries T P Poonachi in the presence of district collector Jayashree Muralidharan here on Saturday.
“We are getting good response for the special camp. It is as if we have shifted our hospital from Chennai to Trichy and a new branch has emerged here,” said Dr S Anandan, dean and professor, Sri Ramachandra Medical University.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Trichy / TNN / February 23rd, 2014
A couple of streets in Madurai are named after wells. Of these, Thottiyan Kinatru Theru has a few interesting tales behind its evolution.
The wide street which runs from Maravar Chavadi in South Masi Street to South Avani Moola Street is named after a well which existed in the locality till about a quarter century ago. A century back Thottiyan Kinatru Theru was known as Maravar Chavadi Street, said K Ganesan, a 64-year-old retired corporation employee. The street later acquired the current name after the local deity, Thottichi, enshrined in a small tank-like structure at the end of the street.
Many Maravar households existed in the locality. Marvars were mainly employed as soldiers in the armies of several dynasties that ruled Madurai. It was at Maravar Chavadi the Marvars used to assemble before marching to Kavalkooda or Kavalkotta Theru where the army post existed. “As the worship of Thottichi – the local deity – gained prominence in the last few decades the street came to be known as Thottiyan Kinatru Theru,” Ganesan explained.
Local residents say the deity is powerful. R Arumuga Perumal, who runs a petty shop near Thottichi’s shrine, narrated about a ritual on the street. People will anoint the deity with milk after child births in their homes. “She is a powerful deity who fulfils the prayers of her devotees. She demands milk from households in case of child birth. It is believed the new-borns develop trouble during sleep if the milk is not offered to the deity within 30 days,” the 49-year-old said.
Perumal recalled the existence of the well 25 years ago. “People entering into Meenakshi Temple through the south gate used to wash their feet with the water fetched from the well. Such wells existed in all four entry points into the temple area,” he said. However, the wells disappeared over a period, Perumal said.
R Shivakumar, author of Neerindri, a booklet on water bodies of Madurai said wells were water bodies shared by the community. While the wells within the city catered to drinking water needs and domestic purposes, the wells on the outskirts of the city were used for agricultural purposes. “Rapid urbanisation has eaten away these structures and the numerous borewells sunk in later periods depleted the water table in the city,” he remarked.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / TNN / February 23rd, 2014
