Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Ropes ready for cattle, courtesy Andrews

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

Trichy :

Sitting in a small room belonging to the  Tamil Nadu Veera Vilayattu Jallikattu Padukappu Nala Sangam at Milaguparai, S Andrews has been knitting colorful ropes day and night. They will be used around cattle during Maatu Pongal celebration as well as for jallikattu events commencing in a few days with Pongal.

Every cattle owner in the state decks up his animals with all the fancy items for the occasion. Andrews knows the demand for fancy ropes and is in the knitting business for a decade. The rope, which is an essential item, is tied in a peculiar fashion around the cattle is called the “manda kayir”. “Pidi Kayir” is necessary to control the bull.

With the jallikattu season on, Andrews has been constantly knitting the nylon ropes day and night. The orders come much ahead of the traditional festival season. His clients are from across the state and are mostly bull-owners letting their bulls in for jallikattu. “The rope will be passed through the nostrils of the animal and then taken around their forehead and neck. Bells and fancy fur balls are tied to the rope,” Andrews explained.

When a bull enters the jallikattu arena, the rope is cut near the nose. A special knife, which is attached to a stick, is used for cutting so that the bull is not hurt. The nylon ropes are sometimes brought by the clients or Andrews has to travel to Coimbatore or Madurai to purchase them. A rope costs Rs 6,000.

Andrews quit his job at the head post office to concentrate on rope-making. “I learnt the art from one R Subramananian, a resident of Pudukkottai. After his demise in 2000 I took over the work and found it interesting,” said Andrews knitting a head rope.

Demand for Andrews’ skill grew only when he was spotted by Ondiraju S, state secretary of the Tamil Nadu Veera Vilayattu Jallikattu Padukappu Nala Sangam. “Previously Andrews’ services were required only ahead of Pongal. However, in recent years he is constantly knitting for more than seven months in a year,” Ondiraju said.

For the current jallikattu season Andrews has so far knitted at least 25 sets.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Trichy> Cattle / by Harish Murali, TNN / January 13th, 2014

Dainty Cow Figurines Prove to be a Sell-out!

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Krishna’s cows figurines had sold out so rapidly that all that was left after 11 30 am were mud pots! | R Satish Babu
Krishna’s cows figurines had sold out so rapidly that all that was left after 11 30 am were mud pots! | R Satish Babu

What do you do if you’ve grown up giving your family cows a makeover on Mattu Pongal, but you suddenly get married and move to Chennai? You stop and pick up a colourfully decked up mud cow off the Kodambakkam pavement instead. “

I can’t travel this year because I’m carrying. But Pongal isn’t the same without bathing our four cows and watching my brothers paint the horns. But I can’t ask them to bring a cow from Dindigul here for my sake, so I persuaded my husband to get this (points to the doll) instead,” laughs a cheerful 22-year-old Subhashini.

She is not alone. In fact, according to Krishna Wodeyar who came up with the idea of making these cows as colourful as the pots, he has been getting plenty of enquiries from customers all through Monday, despite having sold-out his stock by 11.30 am.

“My son wanted to concentrate on pots but I usually like making cow dolls. This time we made lots of them and used various colour paints and glass work on them. They sold immediately,” he says with plenty of glee.

The mud-figurines were first put out on Saturday and have quickly been sold-out over the weekend – they came in two sizes with the smaller one being sold at `200 and the larger one fetching about `450.

“In the villages, it is not just about getting the cows clean but reinstilling belief that gomatha is godly. Plenty of people who bought it asked if this was made for keeping in the puja room, so I said yes! It was made with a lot of care so it deserves the attention, just like a real cow,” he adds.

To keep the effect real, Krishna had also perched the cows on an old push-cart and lined the surface with hay to create ‘a shed effect’.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service – Chennai / January 14th, 2014

Spreading Smiles

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

NammathuShelterCF14jan2014

Indian Community Welfare Organisation (ICWO) and social work students from Mohammed Sathak College, Loyola College, Mar Gregorious College, Madras Christian College, Hindustan College, Asan Business School, Vivekananda College and SDNB Vaishnav College organised New Year Celebration at the Nammathu Illam Shelter for homeless residents, recently.

ICWO works for various developmental initiatives with a specific focus on women and children. ICWO in collaboration with Corporation of Chennai initiated Nammathu in Thattankulam Chennai. It aims to provide shelter to the elderly, orphan women, homeless and people with disabilities.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / Express News Service – Chennai / January 01st, 2014

10-day book festival in Perambalur from January 31

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

The 10-day annual book festival will commence at the municipal ground near the new bus stand here on January 31.

More than 50 publishing companies and equal number of book selling companies will participate in the expo, a brain child of Collector Darez Ahamed. The exhibition last year netted a sale of about Rs. 98 lakh while Rs. 38-lakh worth books were sold in 2011. This year it has been targeted to sell books worth Rs. 1.05 crore through the exhibition, sources said.

V. Irai Anbu, Director of Anna Institute of Management and Director General of Training, and M. Thirumalai, Vice Chancellor, Tamil University, Thanjavur, will be chief guests at the inaugural function on Tuesday evening. Noted writers, including Ponneelan, Sahitya Akademi awardee and president of the All India Progressive Writers Association, Su. Venkatesan, Sahitya Akademi awardee, S.Tamilselvam, Prof. G. Gnanasambandam, and Parveen Sulthana, Tamil scholars, and Thamira, film director, will participate in programmes at the venue on different days.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by Special Correspondent / Perambalaur – Decemeber 30th, 2013

Pamban: A Healthy Mix of All Religions

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

Pamban in Ramanathapuram symbolises the communal harmony of the coastal southern district, where members from Muslim, Hindu and Christian communities live in unity.  While the Swami Vivekananda Mandapam is situated on the seashores in Kundukaal, the Pamban Swamigal’s Memorial is located within a densely populated Muslim area.

The entrance of the street where the memorial is located has a notice on the wall of a house, which reads: “No public thoroughfare; area reserved for women.”  However, there are no restrictions on the entry of people from any religious faith.

M Guhan, a member of the lineage of Pamban Swamigal, said “Hindus, Muslims and Christians have been living here for generations and address each other as Mama (uncle) and Macchan (nephew or brother-in-law).”

“We have put up this notice, only to restrict eve-teasing and movement of drunkards,” says K Seeni Syed Ammal, president of Kadarkarai Meenavar Kootturavu Sangam, a fishermen cooperative. The street serves as a short-cut to hit the main road and earlier drunkards used to tease the women while the men folk were away.

A Christian priest, Rev Samson noted that there were instances when inebriated men created nuisance by bathing in the street. M Mohandas, another resident, agreed that when the street was a thoroughfare it led to frequent instances of misbehaviour. “This is being wrongly propagated as a case of communal fatwa,” he added.

Manithaneya Makkal Katchi leader and Ramanathapuram MLA M H Jawahirullah said no fatwa has been issued anywhere in the district. “Not only do non-Muslims visit these villages, they also invite Muslims for social functions,” he said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service – Ramanathapuram / December 30th, 2013

‘Oo-tea fest’ to be a major tourist draw

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

 

The crowded venue of the tea and tourism festival at the HADP open-air stadium in Ooty—DC
The crowded venue of the tea and tourism festival at the HADP open-air stadium in Ooty —DC

Ooty:

The aptly titled ‘Oo-tea Fest’, the tea and tourism festival organised by the Nilgiris district administration, Tourism Department and the Tea Board of India, got under way on Friday, with the HADP open air stadium, the festival venue, packed with exhibits by Self-Help Groups (SHGs), food courts, music and  cultural programmes.

The sheen is missing, however, as only five tea factories, including the two state-owned units, have come for the exhibition, bringing with them varieties of Nilgiri tea for visitors to appreciate and savour.

M. Budhic­handran, Ooty MLA  who inaugurated the show, explained the various welfare schemes being implemented by the state government for tea growers. R.Ambalav­anan, Exec­utive Director of the Tea Board of India, South Zone, in his address, touched upon the history of Nilgiris tea and trends in consumption in recent times, appealing to the small tea growers in Nilgiris, who form the bulk of the farming community in the hills, to focus on good quality to fetch a premium price for their produce in the market.

Dr P. Sankar, collector of Nilgiris, said that tea was a health drink with cardio-protective and other related medicinal traits.  He said that everyone should come forward to lend their support to the product to ensure that it took care of their health as well as that of the economy of tea growers.

N. Chandrasekar, Secr­etary of the Nilgiris Hotels’ and Restaurants’ Associ­ation, said that tea and tourism were the lifelines of the hill economy and  that the organisers should plan this festival well in advance to make both a grand attraction in the winter just as they did with the flower and fruit show in the Nilgiris.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by B. Ramachandran / December 28th, 2013

Community groups and SHGs to maintain Tiruchi parks

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature
FACE TO FACE: An AIADMK councillor speaking at the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation Council meeting on Friday. / Photo: A.Muralitharan / The Hindu
FACE TO FACE: An AIADMK councillor speaking at the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation Council meeting on Friday. / Photo: A.Muralitharan / The Hindu

They are allowed to collect user and entry fee; lights, gardens, amusement equipment, toilets lying in disuse

Tiruchirapalli City Corporation Council on Friday decided to hand over maintenance of public parks in the city to community groups and women self-help groups.

A decision to this effect was taken at an urgent meeting of the council with A. Jaya, Mayor, in the chair. Conceding the need to improve the upkeep of the public parks in the city, an official resolution that was approved by the council, said the infrastructure such as lights, gardens, amusement equipment, and toilets have been lying in disuse in many of the parks because of the absence of personnel to maintain them.

The corporation now plans to identify community (comprising residents of the respective areas) or self-help groups to maintain the parks. Initially, the parks would be handed over to the groups for maintenance for three years. The civic body would post watch and ward staff and groups would be vested with the task of maintaining the parks, including the gardens and other infrastructure. The corporation will not pay the groups any salary.

However, they may be gradually allowed to collect a user fee of Rs. 50 a month or Rs. 2 a person as entry fee to the parks. The groups will be allowed to put up milk kiosks through Aavin or other agencies.

The council approved a resolution to relocate all the 66 traders of the Vazhakkai Mandi functioning adjacent to Gandhi Market, to the Viragupettai Overhead Drinking Water Tank complex, where the necessary infrastructure will be developed.

Answering a query from M. Mohamed Mustafa of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Corporation Commissioner V.P. Thandapani said the OHT complex had adequate space to accommodate the traders.

The council gave its nod for constructing a new commercial complex by demolishing the diamond jubilee building, an old toilet complex, a two-wheeler parking lot, and a few shops in front of Gandhi Market as part of the civic body’s initiative to renovate and redevelop the market.

However, the move was strongly opposed by Syed Ibrahim (independent), who sought to know the fate of the 200-odd traders currently at the diamond jubilee building and wondered whether they would be allotted space at the new building or given alternative sites. Corporation officials contended that no trader had been allotted shops at the building and only platform shopkeepers were allowed to carry on their business there on a first-come-first-served basis every day.

Mr. Thandapani said measures were aimed at relieving the congestion around the market. However, alleging irregularities in the move, Mr. Ibrahim staged a walkout from the meeting.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / December 28th, 2013

MARGAZHI MELODIES : Music and its lovers in north Chennai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
North Chennai too, celebrates the season with gusto. Bharathanatyam exponent Padma Subrahmanyam speaking at the inauguration of the Margazhi Deiva Tamizh Isai Vizha at Sri Kothandaramar temple in Old Washermenpet / Photo: Special Arrangement / The Hindu
North Chennai too, celebrates the season with gusto. Bharathanatyam exponent Padma Subrahmanyam speaking at the inauguration of the Margazhi Deiva Tamizh Isai Vizha at Sri Kothandaramar temple in Old Washermenpet / Photo: Special Arrangement / The Hindu

If south and central Chennai hog the kutcheries and the sabhas, north Chennai too has its own celebration of the Margazhi season, though in a much smaller way.

Every Margazhi, despite the cold mornings, a large audience gathers to listen to Tamizh Isai at the Sri Kothandaramar temple on Perambalu Street in Old Washermenpet. The Margazhi Deiva Tamizh Vizha is in its 26th year, and is being organised thanks to contributions from kind hearts that support music.

R. Mohan Kumar, a resident of Tiruvottiyur, who is at the temple every day at 5.30 a.m. to listen to discourses and the concert of the day, says it is nice to have concerts nearer home. “Earlier, I have attended a few free concerts in sabhas in Mylapore. But I am more comfortable here as I enjoy the music in the mornings and then go for work,” he said.

Margazhi Deiva Thamizh Vizha organisers, S. Mahalingam, Ma. Ki. Ramanan and S. Yugarajan said they were continuing the work of the Irai Pani Anbargal that had been conducting street bhajans for over 45 years now.

“Our aim is to encourage Tamil isai only. The musicians sing for free. We get at least 200 listeners every day,” said Mr. Ramanan. Mr. Yugarajan said that though north Madras was once home to Carnatic music, the area had lost its sheen over the years. However, organising Carnatic music festivals here had helped residents slowly learn to appreciate classical music, he said.

The Tamil Isai Sangam is a leader of sorts in propagating Pann isai (Tamil music) in the city. In its 71st year now, the Sangam was started by Sri Annamalai Chettiyar, R.K. Shanmugan Chettiyar, Kalki and Rajaji.

“Artistes are welcome only to sing Tamil songs. Even Carnatic vocalist K.J. Yesudas, who has been performing at our Sangam for 35 years now, sings only in Tamil,” said a representative of the Sangam. Yesudas will perform for the Sangam on December 28 at the Raja Annamalai Mandram in Esplanade.

Other organisations in north Chennai like the Perambur Sangeetha Sabha (PSS) in Perambur, Sri Sai Vivekananda in Kodungaiyur and Padma Sarangapani Cultural Academy (PSCA) in Villivakkam, support Carnatic music in their own way.

The PSCA had been organising music festivals for 10 years, but stopped after they found that rasikas preferred sabhas in south Chennai. PSCA secretary V. Jayakrishnan said they were unable to continue despite providing transport to the rasikas, as the response to their music festival was not good.

Kalyana Varadan of the PSS said the sabha was established in 1931 and has been organising music programmes every month, except during the kutchery season.

According to historian V. Sriram, the city’s first sabha, the Madras Jubilee Gayan Samaj, was begun in 1887 at Pachaiyappa’s Hall on NSC Bose Road. There were several other sabhas too, including the Muthialpet Sabha and the Thondai Mandalam Sabha, which was the first to ticket concerts in the late 1880s, and the Perambur Venkatesa Gunamritha Abhivarshini Sabha, which was the founder of the Madras Labour Union in 1918-19.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> Marghazi Melodies / by Deepa H Ramakrishnan & R. Srikanth / Chennai – December 25th, 2013

Amidst battle of ideas, cultures meet in Chennai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All, World Opinion
This is the first time the World Universities Debating Championship is being held in India. / Photo: R. Ravindran / The Hindu
This is the first time the World Universities Debating Championship is being held in India. / Photo: R. Ravindran / The Hindu

1,200 students from 60 countries test each others’ skills in debating championship

“50 cents, now that we have adopted the US dollar,” said Austen Harrison, talking about the price of a newspaper in Zimbabwe. “Before that, don’t even ask. The currency’s value kept depreciating. It was utter chaos,” said the student of teacher education at Mutare Teachers’ College in the southern African country.

Austen welcomed the New Year in Chennai, hoping that things continue to be stable when he gets back. On Thursday and Friday though, his entire focus is on arguments and counter-arguments on a variety of issues. He is among the 1,200 participants from 60 countries who are in Chennai at the Rajalakshmi Engineering College for the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) 2014. This is the first time the debating championship is being held in India.

If debating is all about discussing different sides of an issue, the best argument is presented by the person who has thought of all possible angles. “One of the topics had to do with the abolition of gated communities. In Australia, inequality is much less than in developing countries. Many participants could not relate to the topic, but as I grew up in Thailand, I was able to present a cogent argument,” said James Gray, an economics student from Australia.

The topics of discussions ranged from NATO and media issues to global security threats. “Participants from English-speaking countries always seem to be at an advantage. As Asians, it is sometimes difficult to contextualise your examples. The same issues mean very different things to people from different countries,” noted Ritvik Chauhan, from the IIT- Bombay team, the only one from India among the 48 teams that qualified for the next round. His teammate Souradip pointed out that in debating, one was often forced to argue against one’s own views.

“We were supposed to talk about ‘the hook-up culture’. Though we have no problems with it, we had to argue that sometimes, such relationships rob you of the ability to emotionally connect with people,” he said.

It was not all serious debating. Joshua Baxter from New Zealand, a student of law at the University of Auckland, was fascinated with autorickshaws. “For a moment, I thought it was dangerous but I held on. I still cannot understand why drivers here honk so much.”

Lodged at a five-star hotel many of these candidates welcomed the New Year dancing to Indian music. Rosie Unwin, an adjudicator from London, said she was touched to see people on the streets on New Year’s eve, wanting to shake hands with everyone.

Some of them have made friends here too.  Liam Brown from Melbourne, Australia said he managed to have a long conversation with the security guards at the college. “They heard Australia and screamed Ricky Ponting. We then analysed how the Indians thrashed us the last time.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Vasudha Venugopal / Chennai – January 03rd, 2013

MARGAZHI MELODIES : Not just artistes: Chennai Corporation School students too, serenade

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education
The students were trained as part of a Music Literacy Project and performed at the TAG Centre on Sunday. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The students were trained as part of a Music Literacy Project and performed at the TAG Centre on Sunday. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

This Margazhi festival, it is not only accomplished artistes but also children from less privileged backgrounds who are taking to the stage.

Dressed in crisp pavadais and veshtis, 20 students from a Chennai Corporation school in Mylapore sang songs by V.V. Sadagopan and Bharathiyar among others at the TAG Centre on Sunday.

They were among the children who were trained as part of the Music Literacy Project at 16 Chennai Corporation schools.

Anil Srinivasan, founder of Rhapsody – music through education, a music initiative that runs the Music Literacy Project along with NGO NalandaWay Foundation said that TAG Centre extended an invitation to the students to perform.

Nalina Kumari, headmistress, Chennai High School, VP Koil Street, Mylapore, said the students were extremely excited. “It was a very good platform for them, and music helps greatly in a child’s development,” she said.

R.T. Chari, managing director, TAG Group of Companies, said he had heard the students earlier this year, and decided to invite them to perform in December as part of the South India Heritage Lecture programme.

“We are planning to give a chance to students from one Chennai Corporation school every year to perform during the music season,” he said.

“The mission is to take music to everybody and also indirectly build a rasika base,” said Sudha Raja, principal faculty, Rhapsody

Mr. Srinivasan said that around 100 students from both top schools and poor socio-economic backgrounds will be performing on December 28 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mylapore.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> Margazhi Melodies / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 25th, 2013