Category Archives: Amazing Feats

No debating this student’s terrific oratary skills

December 27, 2018Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

The curriculum for the World Scholar’s Cup competition is diverse and varies from pop culture to neuroscience to macroeconomics.

Aadi Sai Vijaykaran. (Photo | P Jawahar/EPS)

Chennai :

It was half-past 5 and we were at Savera hotel to meet Aadi Sai Vijaykaran, a 13-year-old from KC High, who created history by winning the Junior Debate Championship at the World Scholar’s Cup held at Yale University from November 16-21. Clad in a crisp blazer, holding his shining trophy, the class 8 student oozed confidence. This is the first time an individual from India has won the coveted title. “My wife and I noticed that Aadi had a flair for oration, even when he was very young. We picked that and worked on honing his skill,” said Aadi’s father, Vijay.

The curriculum for the World Scholar’s Cup competition is diverse and varies from pop culture to neuroscience to macroeconomics. “I took quite a bit of time to prepare for this year-long contest. But, it has been a very interesting process…from getting a deep understanding of the syllabus and topics, practising and improving my public speaking and writing skills to working on my body language, I did it all. Motivation from my mother Vanitha Venugopal and father Vijay helped to be steadfast and work all the way till the end. I also trained at A to Zee Creativity — to practice, train and refine my skills with other scholars,” shared Aadi.

The sharp-witted youngster soaks in news and has the knack of picking information from different places and processing it. He also followed the United States Presidential debates as part of the preparation process. “There are several speakers who I draw inspiration from. One of them is Barack Obama and Shashi Tharoor. I wouldn’t declare myself a fan, but I have certainly learnt a lot by watching these speakers,” he explained.

The Tournament of Champions of World Scholar’s Cup is a competition for young debaters from around the world. Of the 40,000 students who participated across the globe, only 2,000 participants qualified for the final of ‘The Tournament of Champions’ through the various rounds held across the world from January.

The theme for the cup was ‘An Entangled World: diplomacy, human relationships, the science of memory, and literature, art and music’. “The competition took place over a series of rounds, and motivated us to discover new strengths, practice new skills and to inspire a global community of future scholars and leaders,” Aadi said.

For Aadi, WSC was not just about winning but also about meeting people from countries he hasn’t visited or even knew existed.“I learnt so much about our diverse world. The experience of cultural diversity and globalism was enthralling. We interacted with professors and got a feel of what it takes to get into college,” he said.

He won ‘the Top Debater in the World’ title across 58 countries, against thousands of students aged 10 to 15. Economics has become a subject of interest for Aadi. “I am good at Math, with numbers and learning about macroeconomics has drawn me to the subject,” he said.The youngster is a trained Carnatic musician, has a black belt in Karate, plays chess and football.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne Balasubramanian / Express News Service / December 26th, 2018

Chennai’s ‘Rs 5 doctor’ S. Jayachandran is no more

December 27, 2018Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technologiesadmin

He had endeared himself to residents of North Chennai

North Chennai’s famous ‘₹5 doctor’ S. Jayachandran is no more. He passed away on Wednesday morning after a brief illness. Ever since news of his death spread, people from Royapuram and Kasimedu have been flocking to his house-cum-clinic on Venkatachalam Street in Old Washermenpet to pay their respects.

The 71-year-old doctor, an alumnus of Madras Medical College, used to treat people often for free during his 43-year-long career.

His fee was ₹5 at the most and he used to give medicines to patients, often buying them from his own pocket. Posters have come up in the locality and patients like Vinoth, who was saved by the doctor when he was just 7, have stayed put at his home.

“I was brought here to him in an unconscious state. But in the evening I walked back. I brought my daughter as a 6-day-old infant when she vomited blood and he saved her too,” said Mr. Vinoth.

The doctor, an alumnus of Madras Medical College, ran his clinic for 43 years in north Chennai. He is survived by his wife, also a doctor, and a daughter and two sons. The last rites would be performed on Thursday.

Long-time friend Ernest Paul said Jayachandran had pride in being a resident of north Chennai and always wanted to project the area in a positive manner. “He was active in several associations and was always encouraging youngsters,” he said.

M.D. Dayalan, another long-time well-wisher, said that the doctor would send elderly patients back home by rickshaws if they came walking to his clinic. “He would even give them money to buy footwear if they were diabetic or had any foot injury,” he recalled.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Deepa H. Ramakrishnan / Chennai – December 20th, 2018

A peek into the world of speedcubing

December 4, 2018Amazing Feats, Records, All, Sports, World Opinionadmin

City-based cubing enthusiasts and record holders talk about what goes into cracking the code

Eighteen-year-old Sripad Sarma Katrapati started cubing as a hobby by following his father’s footsteps. It didn’t take long for him to hit the saturation point and give up on the puzzle. “I found the cube again in my memory box sometime in 2013. That’s when I started cubing seriously,” says Sripad, who’s the current national champion in the one-handed category. With an average of 12.14 seconds, Sripad is second in India and 11th in Asia, which are impressive figures. But he scorns at the statistics because his rival, Bhargav Narasimhan, holds the national record with 11.86 seconds. “I’m trying to beat that. I did beat him in the nationals, which makes me the national champion while he’s the national record holder,” he says. Sripad was one among a group of cubers who gathered at Phoenix Market City on Saturday to participate in the ‘Speed Cubing Competition’, organised by Chennai Cubing Club in association with World Cube Association.

Sripad’s friend, Vijay Kishore (20), is another prominent name in the cubing circle. He broke the national record in the two-handed category, with 5.72 seconds in 2016.

Despite being friends, Vijay and Sripad have often competed against each other. In fact, the latter lost to Vijay in the qualifiers at Red Bull Rubik’s Cube World Championship earlier this year. The duo even got selected for the World Championship in Boston, where they competed against some of the world’s fastest. “It sort of gave us an idea as to where we stood against them,” he says.

Vijay, though, unabashedly admits that cubing isn’t as fascinating as it was when he started out. “It’s not an artform where you have to constantly show improvement. Cubing is very mechanical and the only way you could improve is by learning more algorithms,” he says, quickly clarifying that it was cubing that gave him an identity. Sripad and Vijay were part of a team that set the Guinness World Record for most number of cubes solved in an hour at IIT Madras’ Shaastra in 2016. The previous record of 1860 cubes was by team Italy. “We broke it with 2454 cubes, with 9 people solving and two people scrambling,” says Vijay.

Unscramble

There aren’t any specific algorithms to solve the cube, although both Sripad and Vijay use the same technique called CFOP (Cross, F2L, OLL and PLL). After inspecting the cube, the participant attempts to get a cross sign on the cube, after which he/she solves it, layer-by-layer. With the help of algorithms, he/she performs the last two steps – OLL (Orient the Last Layer) and PLL (Permutate the Last Layer).

During their stay in Boston, the duo met their idol Feliks Zemdegs (Australia), who’s the current world champion with an average of 5.80 seconds in the 3×3 category. “The methodology is the same, but his (Feliks) turns-per-second is faster and he tweaks the algorithm a bit,” explains Sripad, who says he had a major fanboy moment on Feliks.

Blind melody

Vishwanath Jeyaraman (22), is an expert in solving the Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. What’s amusing about Vishwanath is his uncanny approach to solving the puzzle. For instance, when Vishwanath gets the scramble, he takes one good look at the cube and assigns one letter to each corners of a single face. He then memorises each face — all of which is done in a matter of few seconds.

“If I assign letters H, K, I , L,U and V, I remember them as, ‘Hong Kong, Iceland and ultraviolet rays are coming from the Sun’,” he says. By this method, Vishwanath generates a vivid picture in his mind that eventually helps him solve the cube, “There are over 800 algorithms I need to drill into my system. It requires a lot of practise,” he adds.

Though the success rate is relatively lower in the blindfolded category, Vishwanath believes that luck plays a huge factor for with regard to records . “The current national record is 22.26 seconds. My personal best is 21.21 at home.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by Srivatsan S / December 04th, 2018

The art in the Kanjivaram

November 11, 2018Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, Alladmin

Kanakavalli’s Vanam Singaram colouring book is an attempt to show people that there’s so more to a Kanjivaram sari than just the silk

“All of us cannot be weavers or designers, but a colouring book allows us to play a part in the craft in a way, inviting us to appreciate and engage with it,” says S Ahalya, founder of Kanakavalli that curates exclusive Kanjivaram saris. She set up the Ekavalli Foundation to take her love for the gorgeous Kanjivaram story further than saris and its début initiative is a big square cream and gold colouring book called Vanam Singaram (The Forest Adorned). “What excites us most about this project is the potential that these drawings have for each of us to participate in the art form of the Kanjivaram,” she explains.

Open the book and almost immediately you see familiar motifs. You have seen them before on the Kanjivarams hanging in your cupboard. From the distinctive round rudrakshams and graceful Paisleys to grand annams and stately elephants. I know I am going to shade the paisley, but which one would Ahalya colour first?

“I don’t really have a single favourite motif, but I do think the annam is very beautiful and classic. What I love about it is that we see the annam in so many forms of art across South India, from brass work and sculpture to textile and painting. It is a mythological bird that represents the best of what each of us pursues in our own lives I think: love and peace. This idea of a bird as a messenger is very lovely, and I think the symbol resonates with the dove in the Western world as well.”

While Vanam Singaram is by no means a comprehensive documentation of the Kanjivaram motifs, Ahalya says it is a beginning. “Traditionally, most motifs are born as free-hand drawings and then converted into graphs for the loom by people trained in the process. For us to produce this book, free-hand drawings had to be converted into digital drawings.”

The free-hand drawings were of the prodigious (late) N Veerappan, who won a National Award for Craft with his creation of a silk scarf that comprised 1600 different types of designs inspired by the silk and cotton saris of South India. Veerappan trained in the arts and worked with the likes of Rukmini Devi Arundale (Founder, Kalakshetra Foundation) and cultural activist Pupul Jayakar and artists and art teachers from Santiniketan.

His son Palanivel, also an award-winning weaver, generously shared his father’s free-hand drawings that found their way into the book. “Converting someone’s work into digital art was a very laborious process. Those who saw merit in the Vanam Singaram project and were involved in bringing it to life put in hours of work across two years to bring this colouring book to the world,” says Ahalya.

There is a section in the book that tells you of the traditional hues. Chilli reds, turmeric yellows, parrot greens and the famous MS Blue and a Fanta orange too! One learns of the significance of the colours and their associations to either familiar food and spirituality! From tomatoes, onions and brinjals to mangoes, jamuns, cardamom and saffron … these are the delicious, sumptuous and evocative shades that a Kanjivaram can be.

We all wear the Kanjivaram. But, according to Ahalya, “The Vanam Singaram colouring book is an attempt to reach out to a wider audience so that people can appreciate what goes into the Kanjivaram beyond just wearing the sari. It allows people to celebrate the art of the Kanjivaram — its provenance, the skill that goes into its weave and its relevance in our culture. About 10-15years ago, everyone was quite sure that the idea of the sari was declining, that young people did not take to the sari as much as their parents and grandparents had. Fortunately, over the last few years we have seen a return to the sari,” she says and adds, “Any art, I believe, becomes precious only when there are enough people who appreciate it. This book, Ekavalli Foundation hopes, will draw more people into the world of the Kanjivaram.”

A motif for beauty

Find the Vanam Singaram Kanjivaram colouring book in all Kanakavalli stores in Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. It is also available online at https://kanakavalli.com/products/colouring-book -vanam-singaram It comes along with a set of notecards with individual envelopes and stickers, all celebrating the gorgeous motifs.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by Pankaja Srinivasan / November 09th, 2018

The raconteur of railways

November 9, 2018Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, Alladmin

Seven books and 40 years of service. Meet Srinivasa Venkatraman, a 95-year-old retired railway historian, whose child-like enthusiasm and energy defy age.

Venkatraman’s (third from left) latest book will be launched at the rail museum in New Delhi on November 18

Chennai :

Seven books and 40 years of service. Meet Srinivasa Venkatraman, a 95-year-old retired railway historian, whose child-like enthusiasm and energy defy age. Dressed in a formal shirt and pant, his eyes gleam through a pair of brown glasses as he vividly narrates his life story. “These books are my prized possessions.

Anybody working on railway projects, PhD topics and preparing for UPSC examinations will find them to be important resource materials. The topmost railway officials and general managers have appreciated my work. I hope to take these books to the shelves of railway museums, libraries, hospital and other public spheres in the future. My books will help youngsters respect the heritage,” says the nonagenarian.

Madras to Varanasi
A resident of Mylapore, Venkatraman joined the Madras Southern Mahratta railway in 1942 as the materials manager. His job was to receive materials required for the trains and distribute them to other station masters. He was stationed at Hubli, one of the biggest workshops of those times, where locomotives used to be given for service, till 1944.

Soon, he was transferred to Madras. The railway board in Delhi then was looking to recruit 100 people across the country with five from each state. Venkatraman cleared the test and moved to the national Capital and worked there between 1944-1956. “My wife Lalitha Venkatraman and I completed our Bachelors in arts degree in Delhi. I enrolled for evening classes at Birla Mandir. I’d pass on the books to my wife who studied at home.

That was the time when steam engines were replaced by diesel engines. I requested for a transfer to Varanasi where a huge diesel locomotive workshop was set up. My wife completed her MA in Political Science at Banaras Hindu University. That motivated me to get my own Masters in Political Science from Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu. She went on to pursue her PhD in the same subject. We lived our golden period between 1957-1982 in Varanasi and I retired as a stores officer there,” shares Venkatraman, who continued to stay in Varanasi for another 20 years and came back to Chennai in 2008.

Fame at 90
After his retirement in 1985, Venkatraman used to write several articles for the Indian Railway Magazine every once in three to six months. He learned how to write a footnote, gather research materials and collect books from his wife who was actively involved with her PhD lectures. In 2013, he penned his first book Indian Railways- the Beginning. After an overwhelming response, he published his second book Indian Railways at a glance in 2014.

But, given the volume of information, Srinivasa had to simplify it through four subsequent books — The Madras Railway (2014), The Goa Railway (2015), PM Modi- the Indian Railways (2016) and The Pondicherry Railway (2017). Every book has a set of pictures, extensive history and images of preserved documents from the times of Britishers. The latest book on The Nilgiris Mountain Railway will be launched at the rail museum in New Delhi by BBC correspondent Mark Tully on November 18. The book is dedicated to the current chairman of Indian Railway Board, Ashwani Lohani.

“I type 20 pages a day. My four children were concerned about my health. I spent most of my time on the trains, covered more than 1,000 stations and lived like a nomad. Despite the one-man army effort there was not much of a recognition or empathy at all.

After a point, it became emotional and physically draining. Sourcing of information and rare documents from national archives was a daunting task. My motive is to preserve these heritage documentations not for fame but for my own satisfaction. Even when I sleep, the determination to pen another book constantly keeps me awake,” says Venkatraman.

Memorable trips
“Every Sunday there’s a train from Chennai to Goa. My favourite rail route has always been from Goa to Londa (a town in Karnataka). I must have taken that route at least a 1,000 times. One such experience was through Braganza Ghat, a stretch of hill station at Goa-Karnataka border.

It is the steepest gradient in Indian railways. The way these Britishers have constructed the tracks, bridges and brake system is impeccable. The engines designed to function in hill stations have an excellent brake system and engine power. One engine pushes the other from behind and climbs up the hills. Sadly, we find it difficult to maintain these engines and keep them in a good condition.”
For details call Venkatraman on 9444444865

What’s your take on bullet trains in India?
Bullet trains are not required in the present circumstances. But in order to keep pace with America, China and Japan we may need it in the future. We have evolved from having tradition steam engines to diesel and eventually electric. On the downside, considering the exorbitant price of a bullet train, it might not be affordable. We need to make a foundation today to achieve something big in 10 years. It is a necessary evil after all.

If you were made the Railway minister what changes would you bring about?
The work culture has to be changed. Discipline must be enforced and punishments should be given. People take the Railways for granted. Unionism must be broken. We need to sack people if they’re not performing efficiently.

Rail routes that Indians must go on at least once
Mettupalayam-Ooty: This beautiful mountainous railway is worth seeing. The functioning is peculiar. Here, the engine from the back pushes the train forward. Kalka-Shimla: The toy train is a delight to watch considering the scenic path it takes. And, the Mumbai-Pune route.

Did you know?
●   The Railways is the largest employer with a total of 1.4 million employees
●   There are around 7,500 small and big stations in India
●   The Southern Railways was created on April 14, 1951
●   The first passenger train in South India ran from Royapuram to Wallajah road on July 1,1856
Source: tnpscthervupettagam.com

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Vaishali Vijaykumar / Express News Service / November 08th, 2018

Veteran villupaattu exponent dead

November 4, 2018Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, Alladmin

Poongani died in penury

Veteran villupaattu exponent, Poongani, 86, the country’s oldest ‘villupaattu’ performer, died at Kottaaram near here on Friday night.

Poongani, a recipient of the Om Muthumari Award, instituted by the Department of Journalism, University of Madras, was said to have performed at over a thousand events. She started practising at the age of 10 after getting inspired by ‘villupaattu twin sisters’ Lakshmi and Dhanalakshmi.

Besides taking stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata, Poongani spread the devotion of Amman through her performances.

The style of swinging the veesukol around her head and striking the bow with bells to the rhythm of the song gave her a unique identity. However, she never got an award from the State government.

Though she received 100% more than the male artistes in her troupe as salary, Poongani lived in a shack in abject poverty, subsisting on the government’s monthly old age pension of ₹1,000.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu> Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / Nagercoil – November 03rd, 2018

An apostle returns: Bringing St. Thomas back to Chennai

October 27, 2018Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

The old church. | Photo Credit: R. RAVINDRAN

St. Thomas is largely credited with bringing Christianity to India

When Reverend Father P.J. Lawrence Raj was an assistant priest in Chennai, he wrote many letters to the bishops of the Catholic world. When he didn’t get a response, he wrote to Christian magazines.

His letters were an attempt to solve a new-age problem afflicting a historical icon: in a saturated religious marketplace, he was seeking brand recognition for St. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus and the man largely credited with bringing Christianity to India through the Malabar coast in 52 AD.

Fr. Raj composed these letters over 30 years ago, on St. Thomas Mount, a hillock overlooking Chennai’s airport. Two thousand years ago, when there was no airport, no flights roaring overhead, and when most of the surrounding land was dense forest, it is believed that the apostle Thomas was murdered by a group of Hindus who did not fancy his proselytising.

“I have a special attachment to him,” says Fr. Raj. “He was a great witness for faith. We are all Doubting Thomases — we don’t believe easily.”

Fr. Raj, who was ordained 36 years ago, has served at some of the Ivy League institutions of Chennai’s Catholic world — Santhome Basilica, where Thomas is buried; Velankanni Church, dedicated to Mother Mary, and now Little Mount, where the apostle is believed to have hidden from his murderers inside a grotto.

Thomas is believed to have lived, and preached, in the Chennai region for over 13 years. As one of the original Twelve, he has built-in brand recognition. There are churches, roads and even hospitals named after him. But of late, he is no longer the draw he once was; festivals dedicated to his memory are in the shadow of others, notably the Velankanni festival, which draws the faithful in their thousands.

Neglected saint

“Two thousand years is a long time,” Fr. Raj muses. “What happened after St. Thomas was martyred and till the Portuguese came, we don’t know. The Portuguese gave more importance to Our Lady. To be very frank with you, it is the people of Kerala who are more attached to St. Thomas; they call themselves St. Thomas Christians. In Tamil Nadu, we have more of an attachment towards St. Francis Xavier, or recent saints like Mother Teresa. And when Velankanni Church came up in Besant Nagar in the 1970s, our devotion to Our Lady became stronger. Perhaps priests didn’t take the initiative, but I think we have neglected St. Thomas.”

Fr. Raj’s efforts to bring Thomas back to the mainstream narrative of Chennai’s Roman Catholic world reads like a marketing campaign: High-level initiatives include a renovation, in the early 2000s, of the Santhome Basilica where the remains of the apostle were buried in a crypt below surface level. Members of his parish nicknamed him ‘Father Renovation’ as he orchestrated a slew of beautification and restoration projects in his parish churches, including St. Teresa’s Church in Nungambakkam, even as he faced allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds. “I tell people that ‘that this tomb of Thomas is the womb of Christianity in India’ — without Thomas, Christianity would not have come to India so early, and here at Little Mount, I am trying to do the same work I did at Santhome.”

Fr. P.J. Lawrence Raj who is spearheading renovation work | Photo Credit: R. RAVINDRAN

Outside, on the sloping grounds of Little Mount Church, a short-statured, elderly man dressed all in white with a black belt takes up the story. D’Cruz knows four languages, and claims to have a connection with Thomas “that nobody else has”.

The church’s local guide steers you in the direction of the grotto, pausing to point out the spots where Thomas placed his hand, his foot, his knee. Gesturing at a narrow opening in the cave, he says, “This was not an open space, but when Thomas prayed and needed to escape, it opened up.”

Reviving Thomiyar

He ticks all the boxes: the bleeding cross, the holy fountain where Thomas quenched his thirst during those last hours (whose water is now sold in plastic bottles for a nominal fee), and even tells me a slice of his own personal story. “For me, it is 100% Jesus,” D’Cruz says. “He and the Mother have brought me to Thomiyar.”

He sees a group of Korean tourists approaching, and breaks off our conversation. “Excuse me, over here!” he calls out, in suddenly accented English. “Do you want to know about Thomas?”

D’Cruz is a grassroots ambassador for Thomas, and fits in with Fr. Raj’s plan to make the apostle relevant again. His compatriot Aubrey Laulman, an Anglo-Indian who started working at the church eight years ago, after settling his daughters in marriage, performs a similar function at St. Thomas Mount. He says he was hesitating on the steps leading up to the mount when he felt a gentle but irresistible push on his shoulder. “It was a miracle,” he says, drawing my attention to the cross believed to have been hand-carved on the rock by Thomas himself.

An altar for St. Thomas at Little Mount church | Photo Credit: R. RAVINDRAN

“Look at it from different angles, you will see how intricate the work is,” Laulman points out. “Those days, people prayed a lot. That’s why Thomas was able to do so many miracles. They prayed a lot because there was no Tata Sky,” he says, laughing at his own punchline, the sound of his delight bouncing off the empty walls of his church. “Don’t mind me, I am very frank.”

D’Cruz and Laulman are spreading the story of St. Thomas among those who visit the two churches, but Fr. Raj’s focus is on those who don’t even make it as far. “After I took over the parish two years ago, we have made The Feast of St. Thomas an 11-day affair, not three,” he says, as we pick our way gingerly across the debris of building work. “We are renovating the entire church; we will make the festival as popular as The Feast of Our Lady, which is celebrated after Easter. It is time to focus our attention on St. Thomas, to give him publicity, and get the parishioners and the public involved in the story.”

This essay is from a National Geographic Society and Out of Eden Walk journalism workshop.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> Field Notes> Sunday Magazine / October 27th, 2018

Velu Nachiyar: The Tamil Queen Who Fought Away the British | #IndianWomenInHistory

October 24, 2018Amazing Feats, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Velu Nachiyar, the little-known queen from Tamil Nadu, was the first Indian ruler to fight and triumph against the British. She did this in 1780, 77 years before the First War of Independence. Popularly known as ‘veeramangai’ (brave woman), she also devised the first recorded suicide bombing in history, with her Dalit commander-in-chief Kuyili.

Early Life

Born in 1730 to Raja Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Rani Sakandimuthal, she was an only child. The royal couple thus raised her as they would have raised a male heir. She was trained in horse-riding, archery, and martial arts such as valari (throwing sickle) and silambam (fighting with a stick). She was also well-versed in several languages, including English, French, and Urdu.

SHE DEVISED THE FIRST RECORDED SUICIDE BOMBING IN HISTORY, WITH HER DALIT COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF KUYILI.

When she was 16, Velu Nachiyar was married to Muthuvadugananthur Udaiyathevar, the prince of Sivagangai. They had a daughter together called Vellachi, and ruled over the kingdom for over two decades – from 1750 to 1772, until the year that Mathuvadugananthur Udaiyathevar was killed by the British.

Veeramangai’ Velu Nachiyar. Image Source: Corner Zoned

Years Of Stay In Dindigul

After the British invaded Sivagangai with the son of the Nawab of Arcot and killed Velu Nachiyar’s husband in what is known as the ‘Kalaiyar Koil War’, she was forced to flee her kingdom with her daughter. She found safe haven at Virupachi in Dindigul, and lived there for eight years under the sanctuary of Gopala Nayaker.

During her stay in Dindigul, Velu Nachiyar met Haider Ali, the Sultan and the then ruler of Mysore. She conversed with him in Urdu and highly impressed him with her courage and perseverance. This led to her garnering unwavering support not just from Gopala Nayaker, but also from Haider Ali, who pledged to be her ally in her fight against the British. He even built a temple inside his palace as a sign of their friendship.

She was invited by the Sultan to stay at the Dindigul fort where she was respected like the queen that she was. Haider Ali also provided her with a monthly financial support of 400 Pounds and 5000 infantry and cavalry troops each. All of that combined with the weapons provided by the Sultan, helped Velu Nachiyar assemble a powerful army to drive away the British.

The conquest Over The British

1780 was the year Velu Nachiyar bravely defeated the British in a brilliantly formulated coup. Her intelligence gathering agents found out where the British had stored their ammunition. A suicide attack was then devised to destroy all of it.

1780 WAS THE YEAR VELU NACHIYAR BRAVELY DEFEATED THE BRITISH IN A BRILLIANTLY FORMULATED COUP.

Kuyili, the commander-in-chief, gallantly volunteered to carry out the suicide mission. She doused herself in ghee and set herself on fire before jumping into the ammunition store, destroying every last bit of it. Kuyili is considered by many to be Velu Nachiyar’s adopted daughter, and is the first recorded suicide bomber in history.

Udaiyaal was also an adopted daughter of Velu Nachiyar. She too died in the battle against the British while blowing up their arsenal in another suicide attack. In her memory, the queen built an all-women army and named it after Udaiyaal.

Post War

After her victory over the British, Velu Nachiyar reigned over the Sivangangai kingdom for a decade. She made her daughter Vellachi heir to the throne. The Marudhu brothers, her fellow escapees from the Kalaiyar Koil War, were given administrative positions in the kingdom. To express her gratitude to Haider Ali for his immense and timely help, Velu Nachiyar constructed a mosque and church at Saragani. She further maintained friendly relations with Tipu Sultan, Haider Ali’s son, and loved him like a brother.

Vellachi, Velu Nachiyar’s daughter, succeeded her to the throne and ruled from 1790 to 1793.

The 66-year-old valiant queen passed away in 1796 in Sivagangai, her beloved kingdom. She had been suffering from heart problems and had been treated even in France.

The statue of Velu Nachiyar in Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu. Image Source: Daily Hunt

Appreciation And Depictions In Popular Culture

As part of his album ‘Tamilmatic’, Tamil-American hip-hop artist Professor A.L.I. dedicated to Velu Nachiyar a song titled ‘Our Queen’.

On December 31, 2008, a stamp was released in her remembrance.

A grand ballet performance was presented by OVM Dance Academy of Chennai. It narrated the life story of the lionhearted queen. Another grand ballet performance was held in Naradha Gana Sabha in Chennai. The director of the performance, Sriram Sharma, researched on her for about a decade.

The late J. Jayalalitha, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, inaugurated the Veeramangai Velu Nachiyar Memorial in Sivagangai on 18th July, 2014. A six-feet bronze statue of the queen was also erected and it was announced that January 3 would be celebrated as the birth anniversary of the undaunted queen who shattered gender roles as early as the 18th century.

References

source: http://www.feminisminindia.com / Feminism In India – FII / Home> History> Velu Nachiyar / by Hamsadhwani Alagarsamy / October 17th, 2018

Monegar Choultry: House of hope

October 10, 2018Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, Alladmin

The trees in the compound are striking. They have unmistakeably been standing there for decades. The work that’s been going inside the old building, set at the far end, pre-dates them — hand-written wall announcements on the sides make it clear. We are standing in front of Monegar Choultry that has sheltered and fed people since 1782. The choultry ran the first organised charity in Madras.

Historian S Muthiah, in his article in MetroPlus dated November 19, 2001, takes us to its origins . “When Madras was stricken by one of its worst-ever famines in 1781, the city’s first formal charity was set up by the Government and St Mary’s Church,” he writes. “A Famine Relief Committee was established in 1782 and the Committee rented a house for poor feeding just beyond the north wall of George Town — in present day Royapuram that was all fields, vegetable gardens and fruit groves then.”

He writes: “The house continued as a refuge for the poor and the sick even after conditions improved in 1784. It is around that time, it appears to have got its name. Monegar Choultry, perhaps by then being locally administered by the village headman (manugakkaran).” Nivedita Louis, city historian, tells us that in 1782, a village headman established a gruel centre in his garden in Royapuram. Soon after the Mysore War (1799), the centre became a choultry for the sick and those in need. In 1807, the Government and the Nawab of Arcot made substantial donations as more people began to seek solace under its roof. A hospital was constructed within the choultry in 1799 by John Underwood, an assistant surgeon. In 1801, the hospital was combined with the ‘Native Hospital and Poor Fund’ in the choultry. During the visit of the Raja of Venkatagiri, another choultry was built next to Monegar Choultry for feeding a hundred people and giving alms to another hundred every day. The charity thus started became permanent when the Raja invested ₹1 lakh in Government Securities on June 28, 1870, for its upkeep.

The Native Hospital was taken over by the Government in 1910 and was renamed Royapuram Hospital, later Stanley, while the choultry was shifted to the premises of the nearby Raja of Venkatagiri Choultry. For a long time, Stanley hospital was referred to as the ‘Kanjithotti hospital.’

Here’s a mystery: To the left of the choultry is a gate guarded by a carved stone beam standing on two stone pillars. “This was once the choultry superintendent’s house,” says Nivedita. It will be interesting to find out what the two winged creatures supporting the beam are.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Geeta Padmanabhan / October 08th, 2018

The ability to work wonders

October 7, 2018Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinionadmin

The Swarga Foundation Calendar features some inspiring women from across the country

“People with disabilities face a lot of stigma. This project aims to create an awareness on disabilities”, said Swarnalatha J, managing trustee of Swarga Foundation at the launch of its annual calendar, ‘I’m Special’ at The Residency Towers. The theme for this edition is Women of Substance with 12 women from various fields.

The calendar is the result of eight months of work. “We started in February. We short listed the people and did the photo shoot. The photographs are taken by Anand Daga, a film maker from our city. I am also a model in it”, said Swarnalatha, who has Multiple Sclerosis. After an introduction about the foundation there was a Bhratanatyam performance by Prerana Sahane and a vocal performance by Divya Bijur and Swarnalatha. Santhalinga Marudasala Adikalar, Perur Adheenam Pontiff and Balchand Bothra, Chairman of Mahaveer’s launched the calender.

One of models, Gauri Shekhar Gadgil, is a swimmer and actor from Pune. She has Down Syndrome. A doctor advised her to swim and she went on to win a silver medal at the 2007 Special Olympics held at Shanghai, China. She also won a bronze and two silver medals at The Asia Pacific Swimming Competition organised by The Down’s Syndrome Association in 2012. Gauri has also acted in a Marathi movie, Yellow directed by Mahesh Limaye, for which she received a special mention in the 61st National Film Awards. In 2017 she was awarded with the Role Model National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Divya Bijur is a physiotherapist based in Mumbai who is visually challenged “I am blind from my birth. I learnt physiotherapy from the Sikkim Manipal University and started my own Physiotherapy clinic, Vasai eight years ago. My patients were initially sceptical, but things have changed now. I have a lot of patients who believe in me. My life is good,” said Divya.

Ashla Rani MP from Trivandrum was 28 when she met with a train accident that left her a quadriplegic. “I was working in the software industry and my life changed in an instant. I couldn’t move my fingers or my legs. I also lost control of my bladder and bowel. I now type with my knuckles. I also joined the NGO Pallium India that provides palliative care. This accident has changed my entire perspective towards life. I am a lot more positive now,” said Ashla.

Madhavi Latha has polio. “I am from a rural village in Telagana. I studied hard and got a job in a bank where I worked for 15 years. I started to ride a scooter and a car at the age of 27. This was very empowering for me. In 2007, my muscles started to weaken and I was diagnosed with Scoliosis. Later, I learnt to swim. In 2011, I won three gold in swimming at the National Paralympic Swimming Companionship held at Kolhapur and started the Paralympic Swimming Association of Tamil Nadu. I started to play wheel chair basketball in 2014 and started the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India. We have 500 players across the country, says Madhavi who is also the vice-president of an MNC in Chennai.

Preethi Srinivasan was a state level cricketer and swimmer before she met an accident. She took a fall on the beach at Puducherry that left her paralysed. “It took me an year to come in terms with my condition. I understood how society views a person with disability. In 2013, I started Soulfree to support people with spinal injury. We train medical technicians, conduct awareness programmes, and provide financial support to patients who want to start their own business. My goal is to have an inclusive self sustainable village for people with disabilities in our country.” She received the Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage and Daring Enterprise in 2017.

Prerana Sahane from Pune is a hearing impaired Bharatanatyam dancer and artist. Her dance teacher Shumita Mahajan said, “She lost her hearing following a paralysis attack when she was six-months-old. She came to me to learn Bharatanatyam when she was seven. Prerana performs across the country and has received the Role Model Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2015.”

Calender women

The others featured are Rajalakshmi SJ, Mrunmaiy Abroal, Ketna L Mehta (Paraplegia), Sujatha Burla (Quadriplegia) and Malvika Iyer (Bilateral Amputee)

Info you can use

The calender costs ₹ 300 and is availabel at Jini & Jony, Brookefield Mall and Swarga Foundation, Nanjundapuram Road

Available in desktop and wall hanging options and can be customised with logos

Proceeds will be used to set up a physiotherapy clinic

8870955111 for details

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style / by Susan Joe Philip / October 02nd, 2018

Chennai First

a Celebration. Positive News, Facts & Achievements about Chennai, Tamilians and all the People of TamilNadu – here at Home and Overseas