Coimbatore :

The white marble temple with its Gopurams and yellowish-range flag on Rangai Gowder Street is a centre of activity on a Sunday morning. Rajasthanis in the city who predominantly belong to the Jain community have come in large numbers to meet a seer.

This temple is one of the many places of prayer and congregation for the 120-year-old Rajasthani community in Coimbatore. The first set of Rajasthanis to set foot in the city and later make it home were the TV Brothers who opened TV & Brothers agencies that dealt with a range of products manufactured by TATA. The second family to move in was the Ottaji Group, who again opened up agencies for various products and were involved in their distribution across the city.

With the dawn of the 20th century, more Rajasthanis had learnt about the spinning mills, in what was then known as a town in Madras state. “They would procure large scale cotton wool from Gujarat and sell it to the spinning mills here,” says Madanlal P Bafna, former president of the Sree Rajasthan Swetamber Murti Pujak Sangh. “They would also buy back the cloth manufactured and sell it to different markets through wholesale trade,” he says.

The first set of Rajasthanis set up shop across streets like Rangai Gowder Street, Oppanackara Street, Big Bazaar Street, Raja Street and Vysial Street. “They were primarily wholesalers,” says Bafna. Today the community is 12,000 member strong, but the five streets around the Koniamman Temple continue to be the wholesale hub in the town housing shops more than 40 years old.

However, as the families grew larger and needed more space they chose to move to neighbouring places like R S Puram, Sai Baba Colony and Race Course. “We ensure we are close to our places of worship,” says Jitendra Chowhan, the captain of the Suparshwnath Jain Seva Mandal, the community’s form of a youth wing in the city, as he touches Bafna’s feet to get his blessings.

Being a deeply spiritual community it is in places of worship and during festivals, such as Paryushan, that the entire community gets together.

Despite being 2,300 km South of their home state, Rajasthan, for more than 10 decades, Rajasthanis say they are not insecure about slowly losing their culture. “Unlike other communities, our beliefs and practices have been strongly installed in our children,” says Bafna. “Most of us still live in a joint family, love marriages continue to be extremely rare and our children are taught to speak Rajasthani from childhood,” he says.

Most of the community have been in the city for four generations but make it a point to visit Rajasthan at least once a year. “We either go during a long school holiday or for a marriage. We don’t have much family but we all own houses which are locked up most of the time,” says Rajshree Bordia, another member of the community.

The community which now forms a vital part of the city’s economy has diversified into various forms of business such as jewellery, finance, real estate, sweets, textiles, garments and even electronics. “Today, we don’t need to travel outside Coimbatore to buy anything for our weddings that are held here,” says Sajan Ranka, another resident. “Right from clothes, to puja accessories, food, mehendi, traditional decorations to gifts we get it here,” he says. “To us, stepping into the wholesale hub itself is like stepping into a micro-mini Rajasthan,” he says.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by Pratiksha Ramkumar, TNN / March 31st, 2014

Rotaract Club of CEG and the city’s well-known singers came together for a musical evening with a cause

Members of the Rotaract Club of the College of Engineering, Guindy and well-known singers came together for Sangarsh, a music concert to raise money for the treatment of those with Haemophilia, a genetic disorder.

At the Music Academy, Shaktisree Gopalan, Al Rufian, Tippu, Pop Shalini and Mukesh took turns to entertain the audience. Supported by Lakshman Shruti, compositions of A. R. Rahman dominated the concert. Those with haemophilia also spoke during the event.

Shaktisree began the evening with ‘Adiyae Adiyae’ instead of her hit ‘Nenjukulley’ (Kadal). Al Rufian, who, after singing a couple of stanzas of his song from G.V. Prakash’s latest album, Naan Sigappu Manidhan, delivered the energetic ‘Humma Humma’ from Mani Ratnam’s Bombay.

Shaktisree returned to deliver a few Hindi and Tamil party songs. Elfe Choir, comprising students of KM Conservatory, presented Rahman’s many celebrated songs in their own unique way, often changing the tempo.

Talking about the event, Muhil, chairman of Rotaract Club of CEG, said, “Since 2003, Sangarsh has been involved in supporting various causes. This time around, we decided to support the Haemophilia Society of Chennai.”

The audience were given a sense of how difficult it is live with haemophilia by a young boy. RJ Balaji, who was invited as one of the guests, recalled his experiences as a presenter of Sangarsh and spoke about his journey as a professional radio jockey.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Events / by Udhav Naig / Chennai – March 23rd, 2014

Madurai :

Many students complain that they can’t give time for hobbies due to studies. Students like M Sarvajit Krishna are exceptions, though. The 15-year-old from TVS Nagar here finds time to pursue studies as well his passion, playing mridangam, seriously. The budding percussionist is already a known name in the mridangam circuit in Madurai. Simultaneously, he nurtures the dream of becoming a doctor.

Krishna’s music loving family is confident that he would be become a renowned mridangam percussionist. He started playing mridangam, an essential accompaniment in Carnatic music performances, at the age of five. Two years later, he commenced professional training to play the percussion instrument. His keen interest in music from childhood helped him to devote time to practice and play mridangam at classical music concerts.

“Listening to classical and devotional music from the childhood drove me to pursue mridangam seriously. With the help of my master K Thiagarajan I have already received several awards like ‘Isai Karuvula Vaithiya Mani’ and ‘Laya Ratna’ from various music associations. I attend classical music concerts in Madurai, Chennai and other parts of the state,” said Krishna.

I will be attending a concert in the United States after my examination, he added.

Krishna knows his priorities well. “Although studies are my first priority, mridangam has always been my passion,” he said. His mother R Lakhshmiprabha, who is herself a vocalist, hopes he can pursue twin careers. “He is good at studies too. He is aspiring to become a doctor while simultaneously continuing his musical skills. He has won awards and prizes in studies too,” said.

Parents noticed Krishna’s talents in his childhood when he used to utilise any object to raise sound with his fingers. At just five years he started exhibiting his skills in mritangam. Soon, his parents took efforts to nurture the interest. His father K Mohan, a chartered accountant and mother, would accompany him wherever he performs, said K S Ramakrishnan, his grandfather.

“I want to play mridangam for all reputed classical singers, especially Nithyasree Mahadevan and Sanjay Subrahmanyan. Though, I want to keep on developing my skills, the scope is very less in Madurai. Only a few listen to classical music here. I wish I were in Chennai where opportunity is abundance,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / V. Devanathan, TNN / March 24th, 2014