Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Hidden tales of Chennai’s Harrington Road

About Chennai(Madras) / TamilNadu, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

There is more to Harrington Road than restaurants, concrete buildings and bustling traffic. Writer Sudha Umashanker unveils some secrets.

MCC School

Chennai : 

It’s been 40 years since writer-storyteller Sudha Umashanker moved from her father’s house on Marshalls Road to Harrington Road. Recounting her early memories of the neighbourhood, she shared, “I vividly remember the beautiful, long road lined up with tall trees on both sides. Apart from Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School, Chetpet railway gate and a small departmental-cum-stationery store called Hansa, the area was almost empty, and dotted with a few bungalows and villas.”

Over the years, shopping complexes, supermarkets, apartments, restaurants and educational institutions have mushroomed in the locality. Even as the area’s landscape has drastically evolved, the long-time resident took Madras Month celebrations as an opportunity to trace the history of the neighbourhood’s landmarks, as part of a virtual walk for the Madras Literary Society.

So, how did the road derive its name from William Harrington, a civil servant from the 1770s to 1790s? “Late historian S Muthiah wrote in one of his columns that William Harrington was given ten acres south of the Spur Tank.”

The many treasures
Considered as one of the greenest localities in Chennai, Harrington Road houses many service organisations that continue to do remarkable community work to date. Little Sisters of the Poor is one such. “It was founded by Jeanne Jugan, a French nun. The organisation, started in France, is currently spread across 100 countries. They came to Harrington Road in the 1930s after receiving a three and a half-acre facility from a landlord. They have 100 inmates. Plenty of patrons are contributing to keep their work going,” she shared.

Harrington Road from Chetpet signal

A few metres down the lane is another well-known service organisation called The Madras Seva Sadan. It was a women’s service centre run by the Women’s India Association that had prominent female members such as Margret cousins, Annie Besant and Muthu Lakshmi Reddy. When the Margret cousins had to leave, they proposed that Pune Seva Sadan take over the organisation by offering Rs 750, but they refused to. Soon after, the organisation was bought by Mutha Subbarao for a princely sum of Rs 10,000. “He acquired the Shenstone Park building in 1928 and that’s when the organisation moved to Harrington Road. Along with wife Lady Andal, the couple rehabilitated many women and empowered them. Presently, there’s The Madras Seva Sadan Higher Secondary School, Lady Andal School, Sir Mutha Venkatasubbarao Concert Hall and a women’s hostel within the premises,” she noted.

With educational institutions on both sides of the road, it’s not without reason that the traffic is always bustling here. Then there’s  MCC Higher Secondary School, which dates back to the 1800s. The school owes its origins to the Church of Scotland and St Andrews Kirk. Chaplains James Laurie and Mathew Bowce came to the city and set up the first school in Rundalls Road, Vepery. Then came Chaplain Anderson, after which the school was moved to Armenian street, and Esplanade. Just when it was about to shut down due to poor performance, Revenant William Miller brought it back to fully functioning system.

“The school was earlier called Madras General Assembly School. William Miller got the help of the Wesleyan Service Ministry and Christian Service Ministry to fund the school and hence the present name. The school was moved to Chetpet, its current location, by the first Indian Headmaster called Kuruvila Jacob after purchasing the Napier Gardens in 1950. He put the school on solid footing from 1931 to 1962. There’s a statue of William Miller inside the school in Chetpet,” she narrated. Besides this, there’s also the Chinmaya Mission Primary School which was inaugurated in 1982 by Rukmini Devi Arundale. Further down the road is the Chinmaya Heritage Centre.

Largely a residential area, the neighbourhood has a few places of worship, too. A few buildings past the MCC school is the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. “This is the first parish outside Kerala. It was opened in 1936. Now, 650 families come here for worship. The church belongs to Chennai-Bangalore Diocese,” said Umashanker. There’s also a samadhi temple dedicated to saint Gangadhara Navalar, who was fond of the deity of Kapaleeshwar temple. The temple is said to have powerful vibrations.

Illustration by Srishti Prabhakar

Of people and places
They say it’s the people that make a place. One among the many reputed families that lived in the locality was that of social worker Ammu Swaminadhan’s. Married to renowned lawyer Subburam Swaminadhan, the couple had four children. Gilchrist Avenue, where they resided, gained its name from the Gilchrist scholarship their eldest son, lawyer Govind Swaminadhan, earned to pursue higher education.

The area was also home to some reputed people, who contributed to the city.’s development. One such respected figure was T Namberumal Chetty, a famous building contractor. “Theory goes that he owned many houses in the locality and all were occupied by his family members. There are over 30 houses of his, presently,” pointed out Umashanker. Another eminent person who lived in the locality was JH Tarapore, the co-founder of Tarapore and Co, a well-known construction company.

Closing the session, Umashanker touched upon an important landmark that used to be in place of present-day Prashanth Hospital. It was the Institute of Techno Economic Studies founded by celebrated economist B Natarajan. “ He studied the London passenger transport system which formed the blueprint for the state transport undertaking. This was one of his best contributions. We should never forget his name.”

The area has one of the most active residents association in the city — the Harrington Road Residents Association, who’ve been actively involved in the civic and infrastructural development. “Every place has a story to tell and we’re proud of our area. The road lives on, changing itself,” said Umashanker.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities>Chennai / by Vaishali Vijaykumar / Express News Service / August 11th, 2021

‘Rewind. Pause. Archive’: The Cinema Resource Centre’s efforts to preserve forgotten treasures of Indian cinema

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

The Cinema Resource Centre is a treasure trove of films, songbooks, LP records and movie posters. As they step into their 10th year, founder-trustee Sruti Harihara Subramanian recalls the journey.

Chennai :

“We are caught up in our worlds. It often becomes about the right here and right now — ‘How are we going to survive?’, ‘How are we going to give the best output to the current audience?’. We have no time to stop and look back. This perhaps is one of the reasons that despite the rich cinema history we have, there is very less done to preserve it,” opines Sruti Harihara Subramanian, entrepreneur-cum-filmmaker and founder-trustee of The Cinema Resource Centre — a not-for-profit public archive designed to enable research on the audio-visual cultural artefacts produced by Indian films. As the Trust steps into its 10th year, the national award-winning filmmaker walks us through the its efforts to preserve and document the forgotten treasures of Indian cinema and film-related memorabilia.

Loaded with memories
Almost over a decade ago, when an inquisitive Sruti stumbled upon a heap of film posters, movie stills and lobby cards that had been disposed of outside a popular theatre, she didn’t think twice before getting her hands dirty. She picked several artefacts that were perhaps the last-remaining physical evidence of an era bygone in south Indian cinema.

“I came from a family that wasn’t inclined towards films. I don’t remember watching films in a theatre until I was big enough to go to the movies with friends. So, my exposure to films came very late in life. Despite this, I’ve always been curious about the nature of the celluloid,” she says. But for someone who grew up in the pre-Internet era, learning about movies meant observing the minuscule details available on anything and everything — from movie stubs, cassettes, songbooks, posters to magazines. “I eventually started collecting every small cinema-related object I came across, and during my days as an assistant director it became a serious hobby,” she says.

Access to archives
Soon, Sruti realised that she was in the midst of a treasure hunt. From loading her red Maruti 800 with slides, scripts, songbooks and posters that were discarded by production houses to hitting the jackpot and digging out gold from inside a scrap paper dealer’s bag — she found smaller pieces that would go on to complete a bigger jigsaw puzzle. In this case, an archive that would give anyone and everyone a peek into India cinema, especially those made in the regional languages of south India. “Over time, the number of materials increased exponentially and I wanted to make it accessible to the public. I came across several museums abroad that were interactive and immersive. After acquainting myself with creatives and filmmakers from outside the state and country, I realised that there was so much for us to know about cinema. My dream was to go beyond the mainstream screens and create a library or cinema museum,” she shares.

Along with a small team, Sruti registered the trust in 2009 and embarked on a mission to conserve archival material by digitising and cataloguing it in an orderly fashion. “Conserving the material is a very expensive affair. The Trust is completely funded by us. Whatever I have earned so far from filmmaking has gone back into this initiative. Our focus is on digitising whatever we have on an online cloud. Currently, we have two archivists working on the process,” she says.

The 400 magazines; 250 glass slides; 2,500-odd songbooks; 779 LP records; 25,000 vintage photographs; 8,000 posters; 5,000 lobby cards and umpteen script books, photo albums, fan stickers and launch invites that are now part of the TCRC’s  archives not only offer a nostalgic experience but have also been instrumental in aiding cinema researchers and students.  “Ironically, most of these are international students researching on Indian cinema or someone associated with the craft. In a time when there’s a dearth of archival of Indian, especially south Indian cinema, coming across our Trust is equal to hitting the jackpot for these students,” says Sruti.

CinemaTrustCF14jun2020

Built on donations
Contributions have poured in from the most unlikely sources — a stranger who donated his grandmother’s collection of Deepavali Malar from the 1940s and 50s in pristine condition; enthusiasts who’ve donated audiotapes, songbooks and LPs that they came across during a house clean-up, scrap paper dealers giving away cutouts of artistes that were once translated into posters to vendors from Moore market doing their bit. Yet, Sruti says, help from within the industry has been bleak. “I have gotten a pat on my back, been told that it’s a good initiative. But it stops at that. I am part of the industry too and I realise that we don’t look back at our own history.

Maybe that’s why we hear so many stories of former filmmakers, actors and actresses struggling today despite their enormous contributions to shape cinema. Having said that, I haven’t approached anyone for help either,” she shares.  This year marked a new beginning for the Trust and several plans were chalked to engage experts and enthusiasts alike. “We were ready to host screenings, discussions and collaborate with like-minded people as a way of celebrating a decade of TCRC,” says Sruti.  But like several dreams, the curtains have been pulled down on this one too due to the pandemic. “Everything has been kept on hold. Since we are bootstrapped, we don’t know how long we will be able to sustain the archival process given the current situation. But I still dream of a space adorned with everything cinema,” she says.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne Balasubramanian / Express News Service / June 11th, 2020

Aeronautics and mythology keeps this filmmaker’s dream alive

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Science & Technologies

G Jagadeesh Kanna | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
G Jagadeesh Kanna | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Actor-turned-entrepreneur Jagadeesh Kanna on his firm ‘Vaayusastra Aerospace’ and taking aeronautics to children using theatre arts

Is it possible to draw a parallel between the Big Bang theory and creationist myths you may have read about in religious texts?

The Big Bang, which, broadly speaking, discusses the creation of universe from initial singularity is, for the wide-eyed and perceptive folks among us, similar in context to the story about how the Hindu God Brahma came into being.

It is easy to find such comparisons either preposterous or intriguing depending on the nature and depth of one’s belief and faith.

For G Jagadeesh Kanna, it presented an opportunity to introduce the concept of aeronautics to young children. The 30-year-old theatre artiste/actor-turned-filmmaker is also an entrepreneur, who, via his IIT-Madras incubated start-up firm — Vaayusastra Aerospace private limited, has been teaching aeronautics to children between the ages of five and 14. With the lockdown, he shifted his classes online in a move that seems like will pay him rich dividends.

“A child’s brain is like a computer’s CPU. What I do is create a folder by telling them a story about how Ravana kidnapped Sita using his aircraft, the Pushpak Viman. The child may forget the technical terms but the story registers in their mind, and that is all that is needed to create the spark,” he says, adding, “For instance, Karna’s Vijay dhanush had all properties of modern rocketry and radar technology and the Brahmastra in Mahabharatha is nothing but a ballistic missile.”

Entrepreneurial insight

A few years ago, when Jagadeesh, a freshly-minted graduate with a Masters degree in Aeronautics, expressed his desire to pursue theatre, suffice to say it was not an easy-to-come-to-terms-with decisionfor his family.

“Being a full-time actor is not easy as I come from a middle class family. I could not ask my parents for money, not after they spent so much on my Masters degree. Since I had a lot of free time when I was not shooting, I started conducting paper plane workshops and teaching aeronautics to children,” he says.

During this time, Jagadeesh joined Little Theatre and Theatre Y, promoted by actor Yog Japee, and even landed himself a lead role in a film titled Naalu Peruku Nalladhuna Edhuvum Thappilla.

“By the time the movie released, I had gotten many word of mouth references about my workshops. one of my friends suggested that I approach IIT-Madras because they supported such initiatives,” he adds.

And so, Jagadeesh approached IIT-M’s Rural Technology Business Incubator with a presentation that was approved eight months later, after he developed an agreeable revenue model. “Meantime, I worked as assistant director to Rajiv Menon in Sarvam Thaala Mayam and as an associate director to Anita Udeep in 90 ML,” he says.

Jagadeesh02ANDHRA13mar2019

After approval, Vaayusastra was given space inside IIT-M Research Park and a start-up capital of ₹10 lakh to hit the ground running. In the two years since being incorporated in April 2018, the firm has generated ₹50 lakh in revenue and taught close to 30,000 children, says Jagadeesh, adding that he also employs theatre artistes and aeronautical engineers.

“I developed this model to support theatre artistes because, when I was one, the main issue I had was money. If I did not have a project, then the next month was a huge question mark. With Vaayusastra, actors are paid per session (around two or three sessions per weekend) and they make around ₹15,000 per month, which allows them to pursue their passion with peace of mind. Also, only around 5 out of 100 aeronautical engineering graduates go onto work for ISRO, HAL, Boeing and such companies. The rest pursue higher studies or turn to teaching. Vaayusastra is a space for these people also to showcase their talents and gain experience,” he says.

Expanding horizon

Even as the hands-on workshops and summer camps were growing in popularity, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Jagadeesh acted swiftly to shift his classes online. The first batch started on April 15, and the next one is set to begin on May 13 with as many as 480 students participating till date.

“One of my mentors suggested that I drop the subscription fee and reach out to more people. I was charging ₹3,500-4,500 for the three month course earlier, now I charge less than ₹1,000. Whereas earlier, my reach was with parents of children who live in Mandaveli, Adyar area in Chennai, after moving classes to Zoom app, I’m able to reach more students. In the last batch, we had a group of 20 students from the UK taking part,” he adds.

Still only 30, Jagadeesh has a vision of expanding the base of his company. He reveals he has been in discussions with NIT Trichy and Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, and both institutions have agreed to incubate his firm.

“The first step is to have two more branches across Tamil Nadu. I can employ more theatre artistes this way,” he says.

However, he is not ready to let go of his dreams of turning a filmmaker just yet. Having met actor Oviya while filming 90 ML, Jagadeesh remarks that she agreed to play the lead in a film he intends to direct. “Only the official confirmation remains,” he adds.

For more details: www.vaayusastra.com

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Pradeep Kumar / May 06th, 2020

RIP J Anbazhagan: An outspoken leader who fought against the sale of gutka in Tamil Nadu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Records, All

Anbazhagan filed a case in the Madras High Court to highlight the illegal manufacture and sale of gutka and pan masala in the state. His efforts eventually turned out to be successful.

DMK MLA J Anbazhagan died of Covid-19 while undergoing treatment in a hospital in Chennai on June 10, on his 62nd birthday. (Photo | EPS)
DMK MLA J Anbazhagan died of Covid-19 while undergoing treatment in a hospital in Chennai on June 10, on his 62nd birthday. (Photo | EPS)

A walk down the Sangam era

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Madurai, the cultural hub of Tamil Nadu, known to have housed and incubated poets and scholars from the Sangam period, is believed to be the birth place of Tamil literature.

Keezhadi excavation site
Keezhadi excavation site

Chennai :

Madurai, the cultural hub of Tamil Nadu, known to have housed and incubated poets and scholars from the Sangam period, is believed to be the birth place of Tamil literature. Speculated to have lasted between 300 BC to 300 AD, the Sangam was an institution to which most south Indian academics contributed, under the patronage of the Pandya kings. In fact, literature discovered of this era has been confirmed with archaeological evidence as well. With the recent Keezhadi excavations and the Kodumanal findings, culture enthusiasts are eager to understand the ancient Tamil history and culture from the time.

And to fulfil their wishes, Friends Of Heritage Sites (FOHS), a group of history and heritage enthusiasts in Chennai, has organised a four-part webinar on Sangam literature and culturalscapes on May 14 and 15. Epigraphist and historian V Vedachalam will be taking the audience through a bird’s eye view of the Sangam period and sharing insights into its structure. Continuing the thread, V Selvakumar, archaeologist will talk about the link between Sangam literature and archaeological evidence.

“Using case studies, I will be explaining the social and cultural aspects of the era. Over 400 poets from diverse backgrounds contributed to the Sangam. There is a fair amount of documentation that gives us enough to construct its social and cultural environment. We have references to salt merchants, and involvement and contribution of women to the economic trade of the era,” says Selvakumar.

Cascading through the various accounts uncovered by archaeologists, Selvakumar will be covering the economy of the Sangam age based on said archaeological material and literary references. Primarily, with respect to craft production and long-distance trade that the ancient Tamizhagam had with the ancient Afro-Eurasian world. Sangam literature also covers the first hints of urbanisation of the time. “Tamizhagam was inclusive of parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. I will be talking about the various migrations that took place due to political and economic changes,” he says.

This is the first webinar by the team and they have already crossed  100 registrations. “Normally we host a seminar or conduct a field trip once in two months. Since we can’t do that now, and everyone is also keen on learning and trying to spend their time usefully, we thought of doing this,” says Sharmila Devadoss, president of FOHS.

The webinar will be cast live on the FOHS YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/9OxC8z42wbA on May 14 and May 15 from 6 pm to 7 pm.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Naaz Ghani / Express News Service / May 13th, 2020

GI tag for Thanjavur Netti Works, Arumbavur Wood Carvings

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

Applications for both the products were filed by Poompuhar

The Thanjavur Netti Works and Arumbavur wood carvings have been given Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry here in Chennai.

The application for Thanjavur Netti works was filed by Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation (Poompuhar) and in the case of Arumbavur wood carvings it was filed by Poompuhar in association with the Arumbavur Wood Carvers’ Handicrafts Industrial Cooperative Society Limited and the Arumbavur Temple Car and Woodcarving Artisans Welfare Society. “Both the applications got registered and GI tag has been granted,” said Chinnaraja G.Naidu, Deputy Registrar of Geographical Indications.

A GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation by virtue of their geographical association. The tag conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the geographical origin of the product. The owner of the GI tag has exclusive rights over the product

IPR Attorney and GI Advocate Sanjai Gandhi, who was instrumental in getting the GI tag for the products, said, “Thanjavur Netti Works (Thanjavur Pith Work) is made from pith. The pith is obtained from netti, a hydrophyte plant called as Aeschynomene aspera. The artisans are skilled in this particular craft and this art is traditionally transferred from their forefathers.”

The lakes around Pudukottai (Pudukullam & Kallaperumbur lake) are surrounded with marshy land which favours the growth of the hydrophytic plant. The soil found in Thanjavur is favourable for the growth of the plant that is used for the production of pith handicraft based in Thanjavur. The notable works from Thanjavur Netti Works include models of the Brihadeeshwara Temple, Hindu idols, garlands, door hangings and show pieces used for decoration. The pith stems are found in and around the Thanjavur region and Mannargudi.

Arumbavur Wood Carving is done at Arumbavur and around the Veppanthattai taluk of Perambalur district. The wood carvings are primarily made out of wooden logs of Indian siris (Poo Vaagai, Albizia lebbeck), mango (Mangifera indica), lingam tree (Mavilangam), Indian ash tree (Othiyan – Odina wodier), rosewood, neem tree (Vembu – Azadirachta indica). The carvings in Arambavur Wood Carvings are often inspired by architectural details on temple sculptures and carvings. The dimensions of the wood blocks used depend on the wooden sculpture to be carved. The descriptions and designs which inspire the work lie in temple architecture indigenous to the region. Usually, the statues are crafted in the range of 1 to 12 feet.

Sculptures of Lord Vinayaka, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Krishna, Lord Siva and Goddess Parvathi can be seen in Arumbavur Wood Carvings, along with motifs such as hamsa/mythical swans, poomakhumbhal cornucopia, kaamadhenu, other floral motifs; temple chariots and temple cars used during processions of deities, figures of Christ, Dasavatara panels, avatars of Goddess Laksmi and vahanas for temple deities among numerous other designs .

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Sangeetha Kandavel / Chennai – May 12th, 2020

What a ‘window’ful world!

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

The series, titled ‘Windows of Madras’, takes us on a journey around the age-old city via its windows, giving us a peek into the history that seeps through its crevices.

WindowsCF30apr2020

Chennai :

From the stained glass windows of Santhome, unique horizontal windows of Chintadripet, sunburst jaalis of George Town to the Art Deco windows of Royapettah — the distinctive character of buildings is almost often interwoven with the area’s heritage and is reminiscent of its architectural history. In an attempt to capture the essence of Chennai’s myriad structural styles, Sunil Raghavendher, an architect, has set out on a mission to create an encyclopedia of the city’s hidden marvels through visual imagery.

The series, titled ‘Windows of Madras’, takes us on a journey around the age-old city via its windows, giving us a peek into the history that seeps through its crevices. Minimalist illustrations, geometric shapes and a blend of colours make the series an aesthetic affair. “My idea is not to just focus on the windows but to give a taste of how every component of a structure can come together and build a certain mood. This will act as a visual encyclopedia of Chennai’s architectural diversity,” he says.

The idea took form during Sunil’s 28-day self-quarantine period at his home in Mogappair. “I was working at a firm in New Delhi. When the lockdown was announced, I took the last domestic flight from New Delhi to Chennai and landed here last month. As soon as I reached Chennai, I self-quarantined. That’s when I had all the time for myself and decided to work on this series,” he says. As part of initial research, Sunil browsed through information about heritage buildings listed in Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority’s (CMDA) and Heritage Conservation Committee’s (HCC) websites. “This gave me a set of localities to concentrate on and read about. The Internet gave me enormous information about the history, cultural and architectural background of these areas,” he says.

Through the illustrations, he aims to not just express his love for the city but also hopes to create awareness on heritage conservation. “I’ve always had a sketchy idea about wanting to do something for Chennai that would matter. I wanted to focus on the architectural heritage of the city. Something that’s often been ignored,” he explains, sharing a quick trivia. “In India, Chennai has the second largest number of heritage buildings after Kolkata. Not many are aware of that. Most buildings are in a dilapidated condition and need attention. These structures, if they aren’t preserved might go down and we will be losing a lot of our own stories. So this type of archival is very important. It will make us value what we have,” he explains

SunilCF30apr2020

He has currently completed around 18 illustrations and is working on more. “I am also focusing on areas which are seldom given importance to — in terms of heritage conservation. What we all need to be aware of is that conservation is a slow process. So apart from the involvement of government bodies and private organisations, neighbourhoods should also come together to preserve what’s in their backyard,” he says. He hopes that people become aware of the structural marvels around them the next time they step out and can observe the intricate detailing in simple facades of everyday life. “Next, I will be focusing on different types of doors — how they are reflective of a society, its socio-economic condition, religion and heritage,” he shares. For details, visit Instagram handle @sunil_ raghav

Royapettah
Royapettah consist a rich architectural and cultural diversity — from the garden houses of the close knit Anglo-Indian community to the agraharams and the Islamic style houses dating back to the Nawabs of Arcot time with predominant Christian influence. The houses of Royapettah built in 1920s and 1930s derives its idea from the Art Deco style of architecture.

Santhome: The history of Santhome is woven with its Cathedral. Santhome has old, classical buildings, some in white, faded green, grey and yellow but all them resonate with charm and warmth. The houses and street names has a Portuguese hangover. There used to be a lot of Anglo-Indian families living in European style houses which are now given away to apartments.

Mylapore: The area doesn’t just have the agraharam houses but also consist of heritage houses with Neo Classical architecture and houses with an amalgamation of Classical, Indian and Muslim style of architecture. The houses built before 1930s have wrought iron balustrades and houses from 1930s and 1940s were constructed in the Art Deco style with distinct geometry.

Mount Road: The settlements on the road are older than the road itself. The buildings on this road display a dominance of Dutch architecture, Art Deco and Indo-Saracenic style.

Chintadripet: Chintadripet was one of the few localities in those days where streets were not demarcated on the basis of caste. Chintadripet used to have many row houses back then. The walls of every house were connected to each other. These houses were reminiscent of the French Art Decor style of construction, which followed the pattern of horizontal windows and vertical doors. Many houses used to have (and some still have) the Gajalakshmi symbol on top that signifies wealth. The houses run deep inside and have two courtyards; one in the front and another at the back. These houses still have the old style of door hinges, flooring, water pumps and even rain water harvesting systems.

T Nagar: T Nagar is believed to be the first planned urban neighbourhood in Chennai created in 1920, conceived in a European style, with the Panagal Park resembling the Arc De Triomphe and the Pondy Bazaar resembling the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Triplicane: The streets of Triplicane take one through historic Pallava settlement that have transformed through the ages while still rooted firmly in their rich and varied culture and its architectural styles and influences that range from Vernacular to Neo Classical to Art Deco.

George Town: The neighbourhood is known for several classic styles of buildings such as Indo-Saracenic, Neoclassical, Gothic, and Art Deco, apart from several traditional styles. Each building presents its uniqueness in its architectural character.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne Balasubramanian / Express News Service / April 30th, 2020

‘Corona’ an age-old term, finds mention in Nanjil Nadu dictionary

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

It denotes a disease affecting the palm

The term ‘corona’, which is now commonplace, thanks to the global pandemic, has been in vogue in Kanniyakumari for ages.

In fact, its use to denote a type of skin disease was so widespread that it found its way into the Nanjil Naatu Sollakarathi (Dictionary of Nanjil Nadu), compiled by folklorist A.K. Perumal.

“In the spoken language, it is pronounced as ‘corona’, but we write the word as ‘corna’. It is a skin disease normally affecting the fingers and palm,” said Mr. Perumal.

Achiammal, an 80-year-old woman who is familiar with the word, said it was used to curse those who tampered with weighing measurements to cheat the customers.

“We would say, kaiyile corona theenam pidikkattum (Get corona disease in your hands),” she recalled. Theenam denotes disease.

Agriculturist Shenbagasekaran said the word was common among traders, particularly among those buying and selling milk and paddy.

“If women notice the milkman trying to tamper with the weighing vessels, they would say, ‘Let your hand get corona’,” he said.

At a time when paddy was given as remuneration instead of money, the word was used to curse the employer if he tried to reduce the amount of paddy.

“In the process it also became more of an imagery. It means that you should be fair when it comes to paying remuneration to workers,” Mr. Shenbagasekaran said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by B. Kolappan / Chennai – April 23rd, 2020

The spoken word’s worth

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Mockingbirds, the city’s first spoken word/poetry collective, is celebrating its fifth anniversary with online events curated to create awareness on this less-explored art.

Participants at an event held in 2019
Participants at an event held in 2019

Chennai :

To have your voice heard without judgement, to give shape and sound to your thoughts, to get a place under the spotlight (even if it’s only for a couple of minutes), to string words together and perform in front of an audience — for any budding poet and spoken word artiste, to have a conducive platform is essential to grow. Five years ago, when the city lacked such a definite space, a group of friends gathered at a cafe and discussed ways through which their poetry and spoken word can find an audience.

The group, instead of waiting for serendipity, decided to create it and in April 2015, on a summery afternoon, Mockingbirds, the city’s first spoken word/poetry collective was born. In several interviews, Michelle Ann James, one of the co-founders, has often reiterated that the group is built on these lines from the award-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird — ‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.

They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’. Over the years, the group has diligently stuck to its vision — of providing a platform to budding performers and inspiring expression through versification. “It’s all about poetry for poetry’s sake,” says Michelle. To commemorate their fifth year anniversary, the group recently curated an Instagram live open mic session — of poetry reading in English and Tamil. “We had about 136 people join us for the live session and about 33 active participants. That’s a lot, especially for something as niche as spoken word and performance poetry,” details Michelle.

Growth and adversity

From curating poetry performances in quaint cafes and open terraces to conducting workshops and aiding literary events, the group has slowly yet firmly carved a space for itself in the city. “Back when we started out, Instagram wasn’t a popular medium, so, most events were announced through Facebook and people came to know about us through word of mouth. I vividly remember one of the initial events we had curated. It was at Spaces, Besant Nagar, and we had just one participant. A lot of people had promised to make it but didn’t turn up. We were heartbroken but we kept going,” recalls the word artist. Yet, something constructive was born out of the adversity.

The sole participant who made it to the event — Ishvar Krishnan — eventually became one of the core members of Mockingbirds. “Ishvar experiments with sound, music and words. I remember the first time I met him — he came for the performance with a bunch of papers, nervous, his hands shivering. Now, he has grown, has his own style and audience. That’s what Mockingbirds aims to do — act as a non-judgemental platform for people to explore and grow,” she says. Similarly, Aashika Suresh, another performer who skipped work to attend one of Mockingbirds’ open mic performances has now found her calling. “She is one of our core members. She is now a freelance writer and poet. Our growth as a group has been organic,” says Michelle.

Magic through words

Weaving magic with the inherent music in language and verbal expression, the group has been a force to reckon with. As performers, the group is also informed about their responsibility to give back to society and to raise consciousness. This is perhaps why, most of their events are a free ground for expression — about mental health, politics and whatnots.

As they step into a new year, Mockingbirds aims to become a resource organisation, take alternative ways of interpreting poetry — to understand ideas and concepts — into educational institutions. With the lockdown in place, several online-based events and workshops are scheduled to take place. “Our main commitment is to poetry as a craft. We are also in the process of organising longer workshops and open mics in the coming weeks. We want to receive video entries of spoken word and create an audience for the performers,” she adds. For details, visit Instagram page @mockingbirdsinmadras or send a mail to projectmockingbirds@ gmail.com

UPCOMING EVENTS
Hindi open mic poetry (Insta live) on April 25 from 8 pm to 9 pm. An introductory workshop on Poetry
Appreciation in English by Aswin Vijayan, poet and assistant professor of English, on April 26 from 7 pm to 9 pm. This is a pay-as-you-wish workshop.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Roshne Balasubramanian / Express News Service / April 23rd, 2020

Chennai graffiti artist Vijz brings Tamil pride to city’s walls

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

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One of Chennai’s oldest graffiti artists Vijz develops different fonts in Tamil script while painting freestyle

On the walls near the cab pick up point at Palladium, the Tamil word ‘Thaazhmai’ (which translates to ‘humble’) is painted in bright bold blue and orange. “All artists think they have these invisible crowns,” says its painter Vijayaraj, cheekily. “We are constantly comparing our works, trying to be better than the others. So I wanted to remind ourselves that we should all be humble in what we are doing. Only then can we learn something new each day.”

Across the city, under flyovers, in restaurants, offices and malls, you can find Vijayaraj, aka Vijz’s works. He also recently participated in St+Art India’s graffiti jam, where around seven artists from across India got together to paint the walls of a compound at Kannagi Nagar. On a 12-foot high wall is Vijz’s work: the word ‘Chosen’ is in monochromatic tones.

One of Chennai’s oldest graffiti artists, Vijz is most famous for his Tamil lettering. He is the founder of the city’s five-member Tamil Graffiti Crew.

“Tamil is a beautiful script to write. The sharp lines, angles, curves… you can experiment with all of these,” says Vijz. In one of his works under a bridge in Erode, Thiruvalluvar and Bharati’s faces are painted next to a farmer and his bull. In the centre is written ‘Enna thavam naan seithen tamizha naalai pirapatharku’ (What penance did I do to be born a Tamilian!). Tamil pride is a recurring theme in Vijz’s works.

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The artist has developed different fonts in Tamil script, painting even the alphabets, and common words in Tamil. “These are not things you can sit and develop at home. They come out when you are painting freestyle,” he says. The skill of an artist, he believes shows only when he/she is painting freestyle. “It shows how much he has practised and how confident he is. Every time I freestyle, I can come up with a different font.”

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Though he paints in Tamil, for eyes not familiar with his work, the lettering can sometimes be too complicated to read. “When you are painting graffiti, you have to make it complex, for it to look stylish and personalised,” he admits. Which is why the use of monochrome can be helpful, he explains. “It shows the structure of the letters more clearly and you can understand the pattern and foundation of the letter. If I am too complex with my lettering, I will reduce the variety of colours to make it easier to read.”

Vijz has been taking his art form to others who also want to learn Tamil lettering. Many of his graffiti crew members are also part of his dance crew, All for One. So this community is like a milieu of people who appreciate the hip hop lifestyle.

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And yet, he does not believe in the ‘rebel’ side of graffiti — that it needs to be a covert action done without permission. “You need to ask yourself what is graffiti to you? What are you trying to say? Is it just about your skills, or do you want to convey something to the world? You can’t just go around spray painting your own name everywhere,” he says.

For Vijz, it is about sharing those words that have influenced and transformed him. “Artists can’t speak through words, so we speak through our works.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by Sweta Akundi / March 18th, 2020