Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

It is more than just a museum

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Science & Technologies
INVIGORATING EXERCISE: Yoga session under way at Gandhi Memorial Museum./ Photos: G. Moorthy / The Hindu
INVIGORATING EXERCISE: Yoga session under way at Gandhi Memorial Museum./ Photos: G. Moorthy / The Hindu

True to the Gandhian ideology of empowering women, Gandhi Memorial Museum offers vocational training programmes

Thamilmozhi Jeyaseelan, a former software engineer, is a busy entrepreneur today. The success story of Mrs. Jeyaseelan, the mother of a four-year-old-girl, is awe-inspiring.

She had enrolled her child in a personality development course conducted by the education wing of the Gandhi Memorial Museum in April. To while away her time, she joined the self-employment course organised by the museum and underwent training in the manufacture of 15 household items such as floor cleaners, ink, ‘oma’ water, phenyl, washing and dish-wash powders. “The seven-hour training was a turning point in my life. It gave me the confidence to leave my job as a software engineer in a private hospital and start a business venture. Today, I am able to spend more time with my family and provide employment to six poor women,” Mrs. Jeyaseelan says. She is manufacturing and marketing phenyl, dish-wash powders and ‘oma’ water. “The ‘oma’ water has become an instant hit in the market. The profits are good and I am glad to provide employment and empower womenfolk,” she adds.

True to the Gandhian ideology of empowering women, the Gandhi Memorial Museum offers a slew of vocational training programmes, besides offering summer classes for school students, yoga and spoken Hindi classes throughout the year.

The museum, housed on the premises of the historic summer palace of Rani Mangammal, is one of the major tourist attractions in Madurai. As per its 2011-2012 annual report, the museum attracted more number of visitors than the National Gandhi Museum in Delhi. From the 2013 fiscal, the museum had drawn 1,94,846 visitors, of which 14,135 were foreign tourists. The museum has not restricted itself to just enthral the visitors, but has been indulging in activities that are fruitful to many. With an extensive library, a research and publication section, an Institute of Gandhian Studies and Research (IGSR) and an education section, there is no dearth of activities in the museum.

The library draws an average of 85 readers every day and has nearly 300 registered members, according to records available in the museum.

The IGSR is probably one of the few places in the country which offers courses on Gandhian Thought. “We offer free courses such as Certificate in Gandhian Thought, Diploma in Gandhian Thought, Diploma in Inter-Religious Dialogue and PG Diploma in Peace and Value Education. The courses are affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University. Students from Gandhigram Rural Institute and Madurai Kamaraj University undertake research works here,” says S. Jayaraj, research officer at the museum.

Several volumes of books on Gandhian Thought have been translated in the research and publication section, which also documents newspaper reports that resonate Gandhian ideologies such as non-violence and peace, he adds.

According to Mr. Jayaraj, while handing over Rani Mangammal Palace for the establishment of the museum, the State had envisioned a centre where research would flourish. The research centre was established in 1997 and became an approved institute of Madurai Kamaraj University in 2003 and has been disseminating Gandhian Thought and related subjects to the public, he adds.

NO AGE LIMIT

But for the summer courses, the others offered by the museum such as spoken Hindi class do not specify any age limit. “We have been conducting various certificate courses, especially for women, for the past five years. Mostly women attend the tailoring, jewellery-making and household item manufacturing courses and quite a few of them are successful in their business ventures,” says R. Natarajan, education officer of the museum. The education wing also conducts value education courses in schools and colleges to spread the Gandhian values of life.

D. Sridharan, a retired pharmaceutical executive, who is taking the two-month Spoken Hindi lessons in the museum, says spending time learning in the serene atmosphere of the museum is a bliss. “Unlike other centres, the Gandhi Museum charges a nominal fee and teaches us even the fundamentals of the origin of the word. The museum is one of the best places in Madurai and could be spruced up,” Mr. Sridharan says.

ORGANIC FOOD CANTEEN

With the assistance from the State and the Centre, renovation work is under way at the museum. According to M.P. Gurusamy, museum secretary, an organic food canteen will be inaugurated in January. “We are planning to convert the open-air auditorium into an indoor facility. A museum and a park for the children will be constructed,” he says.

The open-air auditorium is given on nominal rent for purposes other than political, communal and religious-oriented events, he says. “The resource persons, who provide training in skill development programmes, are those who are interested in Gandhian ideology. The museum does not pay them and they are volunteers. They only demand a nominal fee of less than Rs. 200 from the participants to meet the expenses of the core materials,” Mr. Gurusamy adds.

According to K.R. Nanda Rao, curator of the museum, the main gallery will soon be refurbished with good lighting.

The yoga training centre, approved by the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University Centre, has been functioning since 1998. “As of now, those who take part in training come on the advice of the doctors. Yoga should become a lifestyle habit,” says K. P. Gangadharan, yoga coordinator in the museum. People between the age group of 35 and 70 undergo yoga training and at least 100 students enrol for the certificate programmes in yoga every year, he says.

For people such as M. Soundararajan, a retired BSNL employee, who grew up in Madurai, the museum needs better care. “The museum needs more staff to clean the premises. When I was in school, I remember the area behind the palace having beautiful plants. Now, we have trees and more saplings could be planted. A new toilet should be constructed,” concludes Mr. Soundararajan who is now a student of Spoken Hindi.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by M. Vandhana / Madurai – October 21st, 2013

Vivekananda’s steno remains unsung

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

Chennai :

As the nation celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, his faithful stenographer who took the speeches of the celebrated monk to the world, remains unhonoured and unsung.

Josiah Goodwin, an Englishman, followed Swami Vivekananada  from London and documented his speeches in UK, Sri Lanka and India before he died in 1898 in Ooty following illness. He was buried near a church in Ooty.

“In his death I have lost a friend as true as steel, a disciple of never-failing devotion,” said Swami Vivekananda from Almora (UP) on receiving word about Goodwin’s demise.

Born to an English couple at Yorkshire in 1870, Goodwin came in contact with Swami Vivekananda during his second visit to the United States in 1895. “Followers of Swami Vivekananda placed an advertisement for a stenographer and Goodwin, who had come to the US in search of job, was chosen. From then, Goodwin travelled with Swamiji recording his speeches,” said a senior monk at the Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai.

Vivekananda had such immense faith in Goodwin’s work that he started calling him ‘My faithful Goodwin’. “Though Goodwin was chosen to record Swamiji’s speeches for a salary, he refused to take money after a while,” said the monk. Goodwin travelled along with Vivekananda to the UK and India. “In 1897 when Swamiji reached Colombo, apart from the speeches delivered by him, Goodwin also recorded the reception given to the spiritual master at various places including the mammoth rally from Egmore to Vivekananda House in Madras,” said the monk.

After accompanying Vivekananda through his tour to Almora, Goodwin was sent back to Madras by the Swamiji with a plan to start a newspaper in English with Goodwin as its editor. But the newspaper plan did not materialise and Goodwin was involved in bringing out an English monthly journal of the ‘Mutt’ called Brahmavadin, which is now called the Vedanta Kesari.

“The Englishman could not withstand the heat of Madras and migrated to the cooler climes of Ooty but hardly took care of his health and finally died in 1898,” the monk narrated.

On hearing about Goodwin’s death, Vivekananda wrote a small poem to his mother called ‘Requiescat in Pace’ (Rest in peace). This poem is inscribed in Goodwin’s grave at the cemetery at St Thomas Church, Ooty.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai> Swami Vivekananada / by B  SivaKumar, TNN / October 21st, 2013

City fusion band heads to IIT madras ‘Saarang’ finale

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

City-based fusion music band e-Swara Project on Sunday secured its place in the finale of ‘Saarang’, the annual cultural festival of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, scheduled in the first week of January.

e-Swara Project, a progressive fusion rock group that started playing in February this year, competed against 11 other college bands in the city in the ‘Saarang Band Hunt’ competition held at Dayanand Sagar College of Engineering on Sunday. The band will now compete at a national stage in the light music finals at ‘Saarang’.

“It means a lot to us to have qualified for a national event in the first place. It will be a great platform for us to showcase our talent and also learn,” said Dinushan Shanmuganathan, the band’s percussionist. The band recently released a single ‘Vande Mataram’ which garnered over 2 lakh views on YouTube.

e-Swara Project comprises Yogeendra Hariprasad (vocals, keyboards), Anirban Sengupta (lead guitar), Dinushan (percussions), Raynol D’Souza (bass guitar), Nitesh Iyer (drums), V Noel Aiyar (keys) and Kantick Bannerjee and Aishwarya Rangarajan on vocals.

Sunday’s event was IIT Madras’ first outreach programme in an attempt to ensure more participation, said Ravi Gondalia, final year aeronautical engineering student and head of IIM Madras’ publicity team. “We have had similar band hunts in Pune and Bhopal. Now, we head to Kochi and Hyderabad. Earlier, we invited entries through video links that was adjudged by experts. But our judges complained that it was not the right way to judge light music groups,” Ravi explained.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore /  by Express News Service – Bangalore / October 21st, 2013

Tamil society yet to emerge from 19th century, scholar

About Chennai(Madras) / TamilNadu, Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Madurai :

Nineteenth century marked the growth of atheist movement in Tamil Nadu, emergence of caste identity and politics, participation of middle and lower middle class people in freedom movement, emergence of Tamil press and modern literature. Hence, learning about that period is essential to understand various social issues confronting Tamil Nadu now, said scholars at a seminar on ‘Tamil society and 19th century’ held in the city on Thursday.

“Though the Tamil society achieved significant growth during the 19{+t}{+h} century, it is yet to emerge out of the century,” said A R Venkatachalapathy, professor from Madras Institute of Development Studies.

Addressing the gathering at the seminar organised by the department of  Journalism and Science Communication of Madurai Kamaraj University in association with Kalachuvadu publishers, Venkatachalapathy said that 19th century brought modernisation of the society across the country. The railways, telegraph, ports and photography evolved in the country during that time with a significant impact on the society. Moreover the ‘rule of law’ and the constitution also came up in this period. Modern thinking evolved with the growth of printing, intellectual discussions, public speaking and journalism. The very concept of census, numbers and geographical maps also evolved during this period, he said.

The influence of Christianity also played a crucial role in the country as well as on the state. While the Catholic church started its influence in the country by 16th century itself, mainly among the affluent of the society,

the Protestant church influenced the lower strata of society. Both played a crucial role in modern thought and philosophy of the country especially in the state, Venkatachalapathy explained. “However the 19th century is yet to end in the state and we are left to wonder when the change over to next century will happen,” he said.

S Kannan, publisher of Kalachuvadu said that our perspective towards the past keeps changing with new information emerging about the past. The two-day seminar will discuss the key topics like public sphere and private sphere in colonial Tamil Nadu, cultural discussion in Tamil society, translating native scholarship on 19th century and enhancing orientalism, emergence of dalit print in colonial Tamil Nadu.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Tamil Nadu / TNN / September 27th, 2013

Mahabs shell museum houses 40,000 varieties

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature, Records, All
K Raja Mohamed explains his collection of seashells to two tourists from UK at his India seashell museum at Mahabalipuram on Sunday. An avid collector of seashells, his find of 40,000 shells is on display at the museum all round the week. —DC
K Raja Mohamed explains his collection of seashells to two tourists from UK at his India seashell museum at Mahabalipuram on Sunday. An avid collector of seashells, his find of 40,000 shells is on display at the museum all round the week. —DC

Mahabalipuram:

For the first time in the country, an exclusive museum has been set up in the coastal town of Mahaba­lipuram to conserve and document marine life, particularly seashells and their biodiversity.

The museum is a now home to about 40,000 types of shells collected over a period of 33 years from different seabeds of Indonesia, Philippines, Australia and Japan. The rib cages of whales and teeth fossils of sharks have also been preserved in the museum which is now a hit with foreigners.

“Since my childhood, I have been collecting shells as a passion. It all started from the coastal waters of Cuddalore and then extended to the shallow waters of Kasimedu and Rames­waram coast,” says a beaming Raja Mohammad, founder of India Seashell Museum.

“There have been days when I had to cough up my day’s food expense to buy a shell or a marine fossil that cost several lakhs. The museum is now open to the public at a nominal charge and we have approached former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, seeking his expertise on converting the museum into an interpretation centre for children and a place for studies on seashells and marine organisms. He has responded positively and will soon visit the centre.”

“The shell museum is a dream come true and I want to convert the centre into a resource place for those who want to explore marine shells and their anatomy and biology. This is the biggest museum in south Asia for shells and the process of collecting more specimens is under way,” says Mohammad who is a school dropout and depends on marine biologists for technically supplementing his museum.

“The collections are amazing. I never thought that seashells were so rich in colour. It is a beautiful experience to gaze at the specimens collected from the seabed,” says foreign tourist Anne Hallam from the UK.

“The museum with expensive pearl varieties and rare exhibits from different parts of the world is highly informative,” says another foreign tourist, Meryl Prothero.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by C.S. Koteswaran / October 28th, 2013

A basket of 12,000 surprises

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nature, World Opinion
Sathya Narayanan sells exotic vegetables and fruits at Anna Nagar. /. Photo: K. Pichumani / The Hindu
Sathya Narayanan sells exotic vegetables and fruits at Anna Nagar. /. Photo: K. Pichumani / The Hindu

Sathya Narayanan imports a bewildering array of exotic fruits and vegetables. Vipasha Sinha does a quick count

It always happens to cooking enthusiasts. They keenly watch the master class of Master Chef Australia and drop the pen the moment they hear about the ingredients. The problem: half the ingredients they use are not available here and often, they have no substitutes. Here is where Sathya Narayanan chips in.

His basket of surprises are 12,000 exotic fruits and vegetables from across the world that include artichokes, all kinds of avocados, baby leeks, baby patty pan, berries of all kinds, kiwis, kohlrabi, kumquats, laos, leeks, shimiji mushroom, eryngi/king oyster mushroom, enoki mushroom, portebello, chive flowers and the list continues.

Sathya has been importing international fruits and vegetables for a year now. “I realised that there is a niche market for exquisite fruits and vegetables. I supply appropriate ingredients for international menu to several five-star hotels,” says Sathya.

He says, “For those who live abroad, the very name of an Indian vegetable or ingredient makes them excited. Likewise, the expats here long for ingredients from their country. There is a considerable amount of Korean people living here and I supply them necessary ingredients.”

As these fruits and vegetables are imported, quality is an important concern. “Fresh stock arrives every week and are kept in cold storage under hygienic condition and they are supplied immediately, therefore preventing wastage,” he says.

Sathya has plans to supply items to two hypermarkets in Chennai.

He also says these ingredients can change the taste of the regular food.

“Many of these produce can be used instead of the regular vegetables and the taste changes completely,” he says.

You can get in touch with Sathya at fruitmarx@gmail.com or call 24798385.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> DownTown / by Vipasha Sinha / Chennai – October 26th, 2013

Statue of 17th century Nayak Queen found near temple

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

A statue of Rani Mangamma, a Nayak queen of the 17th century who undertook major irrigation and flood management projects and was well known for her administrative acumen has been found near a temple built in that era, a statement of a research body said.

The idol with a crown is seen with folded-hands, carrying a sword in her hip and a saree covering the ankles, a press release from the Pandiyan Historical Research Centre said.

The statue found chiselled onto a pillar opposite the temple.

The Centre’s secretary S Santhalingam said stone inscriptions in the temple revealed the queen had built it in 1693 in memory of her late father.

The athitana (standing place) mandapam of the temple was found damaged. The temple’s name was mentioned as “Hanuman, Azhwar”.

Though the inscription mentioned a temple of Lord Ganesha near the area, it could not be traced, the release said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by PTI – Madurai / October 20th, 2013

Minister inaugurates cane grinding works

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nature

With three months to go for the Pongal festival, known for sweet Pongal,  the sugarcane grinding season has commenced in the district.

Rural Industries Minister Mohan initiated  the sugarcane grinding process here on Friday in Periyasevalai Sengalvarayan Sugar  Mill. The function was presided over by Villupuram Collector Sampath and joint chairman Gnanamurthi.

During the function, the Rural Inustries Minister said, starting on Friday, the sugarcane grinding process would continue till March 15, in Periyasevalai Corporation Sugar Mill. The sugarcane cultivated in the regions of Thiruvannainellur,  Sithalingamadam, Ulundurpet, Arasur, Enadhimangalam and Pillayarkuppam, which has been partitioned as  mill site-I and mill site-II, is ground in Periyasevalai Corporation Sugar Mill .

As many as 4,14,995 metric tonne of sugarcane which has been cultivated on 15,030 hectares is to be ground in the Sengalvarayan Sugar Mill. The minister affirmed that the 9,000 villagers in these regions would be benefited by this process of grinding sugarcane.

Executive director of the Corporation Sugar Anbarasu presided over the function and he was accompanied by other officials.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / Express News Service – Villipuram / October 19th, 2013

Twin books penned by Vimala released

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Vimala Ramani’s books being released by Mathioli Saraswathy (left). Dance exponent Padma Subrahmanyam receives the first copies. — DC
Vimala Ramani’s books being released by Mathioli Saraswathy (left). Dance exponent Padma Subrahmanyam receives the first copies. — DC

Chennai:

A twin book release came on a note of appropriate reverence on Tuesday evening as the subjects dealt with are Shlokas and the Hindu Festivals & Food. Beyond the mouth watering recipes for special occasions that are spelt out in great detail, there is a good reason for GenNext to take particular interest in the book on festivals as it explains a great deal about the culture and customs. There is also no better or quicker guide to the legends behind the festivals.

With her vast experience as the producer of popular television serials, the author of the two volumes, Vimala Ramani, narrates in a nutshell the tradition behind festivals, when they are held and how they are to be celebrated and what food is to be cooked to mark them. Coming so soon in the wake of Prema Srinivasan’s Pure Vegetarian, Vimala’s exposition on the stories, celebrations and recipes of the naivedyam to be offered to the gods before we gorge on the sweets and the savouries is bound to add to the rich cultural and gastronomic legacy of the state.

The Tamil calendar is spelt out in great detail so the uninitiated may grasp why our festivals tend to fall on different dates in the calendar each year. The notes explaining the puranas and the history behind the festivals make the book a pleasurable read that is enlightening.

If we have been celebrating without knowing much more than the fact that most festivals portray the victory of good over evil, Hindu Festivals & Food (Ram’s Creative Chamber, `900) represents the best way to gain some knowledge.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / September 11th, 2013

Get set for golu galatta this season

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Try stepping in to North Mada Street at Mylapore, and you’ll hear lines like this every nook and corner. Truly, Navarathri fever is in the air.

goluCF23oct2013

It’s that time of the year when you have to bring out all those carefully stored dolls from your attic, dust them, and strategically place them so that they adorn the golu padis in your house. The eternal favourites among kids and youngsters remain the park setting and the cricket set.

The dolls, which are usually made in Cuddalore and Panruti, are in different sizes and prices. “This year, there’s a 30 per cent increase in prices of dolls, mainly due to the increase in transportation charges,” says Veeramani, a shopkeeper. While the dolls of gods and goddesses are hot favourites, leaders like Gandhi and Nehru have a lot of takers as well.

Theme-based golus, which have been in vogue for the past few years, are the flavour of the Navarathri season. Manohari R, a homemaker, is collecting the right kind of dolls to spruce up her theme-based golu on wildlife in the country. “We see so much of talk on conserving wildlife,” she says, “So, during this season, I’d like to create awareness among people who visit my house to see the golu about this burning issue.”

Buying two of the same dolls is also in fashion. And the reason is simple: they are kept either facing each other, or at the two ends of the golu padis, to provide, what people call, a thematic balance.

No festival is complete without food, and with Navarathri, sundals and payasams are all set to make an entry into your everyday cuisine.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time you decked up your golu padi.

How to create a cricket golu
– Get a complete cricket set from the neighbourhood cricket shop. Check each player before you buy; some of the pieces come with defects such as a missing hand.

– Spread the players so that you have ample space for everyone. While the batsman, bowler and umpire are a constant, you can change the other fielders every day to give it a ‘new match’ feel.

– You could ask your friends  to create a new field and have a competition to decide which is the best.

How to create a park golu
– For a park, you need grass, trees — lots of it. They’re available in a heap, in your neighbourhood market. Pick as many as you want.

– Don’t forget to throw in some chairs, merry-go-round and park benches. Also, buy a few birds and parrots. They add variety.

– Get a lot of mud. Add water and then dry it under the sun. Once done, spread it across the ‘golu park’.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Life & Style> People> Cricket / by Srinivasa Ramanujam, TNN / October 06th, 2013