Suganya is seen with a bouquet at a college event held recently. – DC
Chennai:
Twin sisters Suganya and Suriya pursuing BSc Maths in MOP Vaishnav College for women in the city are making their parents proud.
Daughters of flower sellers, these girls string flowers together after college hours and their parents sell them to their regular customers. After knowing the family’s financial position, the college principal Dr K. Nirmala Prasad offered scholarships and also asked them to enroll in bouquet making classes at the college free of cost.
“We learnt bouquet making and now we have plans to start our own business. Thanks to our college lecturers and friends. The college also purchases flowers and bouquets from us for various events,” say Suganya and Suriya.
Though it was not a smooth journey for the twins and their younger brother, Suganya says, “Amma and Appa encourage us to study well. Sometimes we string flowers even till 8 pm and then my mom and dad go on cycles to sell them.
We want to study well and make our parents proud,” says Suganya, who wants to pursue IT and get a job. Suriya wants to develop her family business. “I want to become a florist and also work for deaf and dumb children,” she says.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / January 28th, 2013
RBI regional director J. Sadakkadulla (right) unveiling ‘My stamp’ at the head post office in Chennai on Friday. — DC
Chennai:
Soon people can get themselves featured in postal stamps along with their pets as the ‘My stamp’ initiative is gaining popularity across the country. Already, this novel idea of the postal department has hit record sales with over 60,000 people having booked for ‘My stamp’ covers.
Young crowds have been lured to include their image as sender, say officials of the postal department. “The applicant merely needs to fill a form and submit a photo to the department which will issue his or her photo embedded in the stamp,” said an official.
Surprisingly youth have taken the lead in buying ‘My stamp’. “I love writing letters to my friends. It always helps oneself to improve their language also it will be good memorabilia. and this ‘My stamp’ initiative is a great idea,” said K. Karthika, a college student.
Applicants can receive the form at all philatelic bureaus in the state or at district HQs of the postal department and in Chennai, the philatelic bureau on Anna Salai is handling the ‘my stamp’ application. “The main aim of the project is to attract youth as sending personal letters between people have become a thing of the past. This measure will evoke a sense of attachment with the post,” said an official.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / May 04th, 2013
The three-hour programme, the brainchild of Co-optex’s new managing director U. Sagayam, will favour ‘ordinary’ people — farmers, weavers, and their wives will showcase their latest line of outfits. / Photo: S. Sivasaravanan / The Hindu
Farmers, weavers, transgenders will display line of clothes on Saturday
On Saturday, the city will play host to a unique fashion show. Eschewing svelte models in favour of ‘ordinary’ people, Co-optex has decided that farmers, weavers, and their wives will showcase their latest line of outfits.
Alongside them on the ramp will be folk artists, physically challenged residents, and members of the transgender community.
The aim? To survive in a cut-throat market and to bring Co-optex’s products closer to those who matter, but are generally sidelined by mainstream showrooms.
The three-hour programme is the brainchild of Co-optex’s new managing director U. Sagayam, who has set a high target for the organisation.
For it to survive in the market without the advantages of an advertisement blitzkrieg, he said, it was necessary to challenge cherished facts.
And so, in a daring experiment, regular residents, who know next to nothing about walking the ramp, will display Co-optex’s clothing line.
Mr. Sagayam said he hoped this, along with other sales campaigns, would help make Co-optex a popular brand among a sizeable section of the population before the year is out.
The fashion show, to be held at Co-optex’s Thillayadi Valliammmai complex, will also include a performance by visually impaired people.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology will provide technical support. “But the participants will wear our garments. Weavers, farmers, transgender community members and physically challenged persons survive on the margins of society and are rarely recognised for their work. Co-optex will honour their contributions,” Mr. Sagayam said.
The show will also be organised in Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchi.
“During a visit to Arupukkottai soon after taking over here, I was impressed by the hospitality of the weavers,” he said, adding that this inspired him to go ahead and experiment.
Last year, for the first time in its 78-year history, Co-optex managed to earn profits, by netting Rs. 244.61 crore through retail sales.
The organisation has set a target of Rs. 400 crore for the current financial year. “The competition is high now,” Mr. Sagayam admitted.
Several novel initiatives that were introduced last year, such as the ‘Mapillai’ set (clothes for bridegrooms), ‘silk for all’ and ‘old for new’ saris, were a huge hit with customers, Mr. Sagayam added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai – May 03rd, 2013
Cycling, martial arts, books, designing and entrepreneurship… youngsters’ hobbies range from the conventional to the unconventional. Vanshika Mohta talks to a few youngsters about their avocation.
The word ‘hobby’ originated from the old ‘hobby-horse’, a common name given by the English to their ponies, something the kids, who often played with their wooden toy versions, were fond of, and gradually evolved to mean a favourite pastime.
Hobbies are like the fingerprints of one’s desires and emotions. If you want to keep the zeal on, be it professional or personal, your hobby can supply your mind and self with the indispensible bouts of freshness it needs to keep going. If you have a hobby, realise it, pursue it and live it. It’s the true inner refuge from the cacophony of the outside.
Shyamini Pillai: Reads books with a passion. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Book worm
She was four when Shyamini Pillai, now a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant with Randstad in Chennai, discovered solace in books. A voracious reader, she is currently taking three books down simultaneously! She prefers anything from murder mysteries to chick-lit to mythology, by Indian or foreign writers in the electronic or paperback form, and picks books based on her mood. “I had crazy work timings during my Articleship days as a CA student, returning around one or two in the morning, and my friends would wonder how I’d still have the energy to stay up to read,” claims Shyamini, who cannot sleep without turning a few pages. She falls short of space here, but “back home, in Kochi, I could take you on a tour from wall to wall filled with rows of books. Don’t be surprised if you find some under the bed too,” she laughs! Inspired by words, she tried her hand at writing poetry and short stories when in her Std X, but doesn’t plan on pursuing that further. A die-hard shopping buff, she calls that her second love. No prizes for guessing which series by Sophie Kinsella she enjoys reading! “I relish spending my free time with family and friends. Otherwise, I’m a sports enthusiast and a gym-freak.”
Harsh Gagrani: Makes time for cycling despite a busy professional life./ by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Two tyre story
He juggles between tutorials, authoring books and being a part-time quizmaster, but forces himself to squeeze in space for his hobbies which include cycling, a lot of reading and watching movies/TV. With his own share of busy and not-so-busy periods,
Harsh Gagrani, 25, founder – LegalEdge Tutorials and author, from Bhopal makes a conscious effort to allot, however limited, time for cycling every day. “My hobby, for me, is much more than just a way to detach myself from my work for a certain amount of time. It acts as an amazing stress buster, it often instigates me to think out of the box and best of all — it often gives me a much -needed break from all the running around I do while I’m working,” he discloses.
He got his first cycle when he was 10 years old and would seize hours to catch a ride with his friends. Not surprisingly, cycles were replaced with other vehicles, but he managed to pick it up again after college and now, one can often find him rejoicing in a ride alone in one of Bhopal’s cycling clubs. Although he doesn’t go on regular expeditions, he grabs the opportunity if he can and declares that, “if my passion and interest for the same continue, and I manage to sneak in some more time from my work for cycling, I might think about going on long cycling trips.”
Rahul Saraf: Part of a peer group club. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Sporty steal
In a profession which involves travelling for about 15-20 days of a month, Rahul Saraf, 26, Director, Kaizen Cold Formed Steel, manages to steal some time for sports, something which has stayed with him since school days. “I joined the Presidency Club a while back and mostly play badminton, golf and snooker. Cricket happens twice or thrice a week,” he recounts. “It’s been 10 years since I played my first badminton match and I developed a liking for it right away.”
Other than being a field for him to socialise and catch up with friends, it gives him a challenge to face and overcome.
He often participates in Inter-club or Intra-club tournaments when possible, peer groups being one of his primary motivating factors. “Playing gives me a different high altogether. It’s an amazing equalizer for all the ups and downs one faces in a normal day and is a productive way to vent one’s frustration,” he admits. He strives to be in shape and is also trying to get into a regular gym routine.
Roli Maheshwari: Dancing for physical and mental upliftment. / by Special Arrangement / Th e Hindu
Happy feet
Roli Maheshwari joined her first dance class under Shiamak Davar’s when she was five and hasn’t left dancing since. “During family weddings, we never hire a choreographer and I prepare almost all the dance routines for the family functions.”
Operating her own business, this 23-year-old fashion designer from Delhi starts work at nine in the morning and goes on till seven in the evening. Busy seasons see her working into the wee hours of the night, but when she heard of belly dancing classes, she re-organised her schedule.
Having always wanted to learn dance, Roli steals three hours out of her work pattern, twice a week and has been managing comfortably for a year now. “The training is ardous and by the end of it, my stomach muscles ache so much, I have difficulty eating,” she accepts, “but if you can’t find time for your hobby, there’s no point in working hard elsewhere,” she believes. The satisfaction of learning something new keeps her going.
Take a stroll
She was one step away from pursuing an MBA when she decided that she didn’t want to study further and enjoyed something else much more. Having interned under a designer for six to nine months, Hasmeet Chawla, 23, Mumbai, started her own line of accessories – Get Accessorised —and has been working on her own for a year now. “I never concentrated much on classes and would end up sketching something or the other. But once I went to Stds XI and XII, I did not think about it again and got into the usual college procedures. It was only after I finished my graduation that I finally revived this hobby and managed to turn it into a profession,” she narrates.
She finds inspiration from nature, common objects, etc. If I have to take a break, I watch movies, go on my evening walks, or listen to music. Mostly of the times, I work for hours together with music in the background,” she says. Five-day long exhibitions and one in every two months are all part of this pursuit. “I bring out in images what people imagine in words and that gives me an inexplicable joy.”
Sachin Agarwal: Pursuing Articleship and entrepreneurship side by side. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Sporty sessions
While work is hectic through the week, respite comes on weekends for Sachin Agarwal, 23, doing his Articleship with Deloitte in Mumbai. “I love to meet with my friends, give out creative ideas, and have debates. All of us are from such different backgrounds that there’s a lot to learn. Three months ago, four of us launched a website, an online retail platform, on hearing about its market from of friends,” explains Sachin, who has been taking time out to work on the website for the past six months, and admits that the venture is less work and more fun.
With one-and-a-half hours per day for three days a week, the gym is his other haunt. “It’s a brilliant kick-start to my mornings and helps me overcome lethargy, making me more agile and energetic for the rest of the day. Moreover, the trend among my peers encourages me to keep going back even when I have not been regular,” he reveals. Saturday evenings are earmarked for football, cricket or volleyball and he also takes regular trekking trips with once the monsoon kicks in.
Nishant Shah: Passionate about gaming and martial arts. / by Special Arrangement / Th e Hindu
Gaming guru
“I come across a new challenge and experience a surprise every day. My speed, dexterity, strength have all enhanced,” articulates Nishant Shah, 23, Market Analyst, Chennai. He undergoes one and a half hours of intensive training in mixed martial arts, each day after work for five days a week and has been doing so for the past eight months. “When I was younger and I’d watch Karate kid or see people do cartwheel, I’d say to myself that I could never do all that. Now I’m actually doing much more! There are times when we’re just running, running like maniacs, or learning how to retaliate and roll out of a troubled situation,” he says, exhilarated.
The other two days of the week he returns to his hobby — video games. “Gaming has evolved from just jumping left and right and shooting to so much more.” To him, they are like short narratives, an experience not very different from reading a book or watching a movie, except that the story is in the player’s control. “I’m completely immersed in the characters; they transport me to a parallel universe. If I read about a great game online, I don’t mind staying up a few hours extra to try it out,” he confesses.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Vanshika Mohta / Chennai – July 03rd, 2013
Fish being fried at the Kaani Women Self Help Group eatery near Papanasam Dam /. Photo: A. Shaikmohideen / The Hindu
Kaani tribal women’s small eatery near Papanasam dam has food aficionados raving
After enjoying a delicious lunch at a roadside eatery under a thatched shed near Papanasam dam in a salubrious climate, one of the customers, wife of a leading hotelier here, asked the woman serving the food to give her packed ‘meen kuzhambu’ (fish curry) sufficient for three servings.
Within a couple of minutes, mouth-watering hot fish curry with a few pieces of fish is packed in a hot-pack and handed over to the customer even as a few more tourists await to get the curry packed after enjoying their lunch.
This has become an everyday affair at the small eatery ever since the Kaani Tribal women self-help group started this business venture 15 months ago with the help of Kalakkad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) administration. They serve lip-smacking quality lunch at a nominal price but with limited resources.
Though they have to purchase everything – right from salt to LPG cylinder – from the market either at Ambasamudram or Vickramasingapuram and transport it to their eatery close to one of the prime reservoirs of the district, the rightly priced food items with excellent quality attract a decent crowd everyday and helps to revitalise the lives of two dozen Kaani Tribal women and their families.
This success story has not been realised overnight. The long and sustained efforts put in by a few dedicated officers of the KMTR, especially C.Gurusamy, Deputy Director of KMTR’s Mundanthurai Division, have transformed the lives of these women.
Though the KMTR officials were ready to arrange financial assistance for setting up the eatery, the Kaani Tribal women, the actual beneficiaries, were not prepared for such a business venture as they were not used to it.
“Even in these modern days, the Kaani women don’t interact freely with outsiders, which is essential for successfully running a hotel. So we had to persuade them,” says Jebaz, Ranger of Mundanthurai Range.
Though constant persuasion helped a lot in mentally preparing the women for the business venture, it was the unusual method applied by the forest officials that ultimately yielded results.
“Even though their food is very simple, the Kaani women make it in a delicious manner. So some of us occasionally had lunch in their houses and used to laud their skill in preparing yummy food. We repeatedly asked them to showcase their culinary skill to the tourists visiting Mundanthurai and Papanasam dam, while getting attractive revenue out of it, and this finally encouraged them to test their luck in the venture,” recalls Mr.Jebaz.
Since there is no power in the eatery, the Kaani women prepare the ‘masala’ for the fish curry, fish fry, side dishes, sambar, rasam, etc., manually by using grinding stones, and this is another reason for the special taste which attracts crowds.
While the unlimited fish curry meal is priced at Rs.50, the price of fish fry varies from Rs.10 to Rs.30 depending upon the size. “You can’t get fish fry for this price anywhere in this region,” says V.Valsala, one of the Kaani women running the eatery. As long as the Kaani women were cultivating lemon, jackfruit, banana, etc., in their small farms, the revenue they got was very little.
“After the forest officials encouraged us (Kaani women) to form a women self-help group, they motivated us to start the eatery, which has become a success story now as we have been getting a decent revenue for the past 15 months and this has ensured our economic independence,” proudly says Ms.Valsala.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Madurai / by P. Sudhakar / Tirunelveli – May 31st, 2013
Over a 100 cars were in attendance at the annual rally of the Madras Heritage Motoring Club. / Photo: R. Ragu / The Hindu
Morris cars might have stolen the show, but many other vintage and classic vehicles had their set of admirers too, at the MyTVS Heritage Rally held recently
Prejudices among vintage vehicle owners are sometimes carryovers from the past. In the inter-war years, a rivalry was brewing between Morris Motors Limited and Austin Motor Company. Austin and Morris owners took the fight to British taverns, bitterly dissecting the rival cars in slurred conversations. Comparisons continued to be drawn even after the two car majors merged into British Motor Corporation in the early 1950s. The war of words continues to rage, but truces also happen.
A truce was once again reached on August 4 in Chennai, when the Madras Heritage Motoring Club (MHMC) gathered at Don Bosco School grounds for their annual MyTVS Heritage Rally, the club’s ninth on the trot. Austin owners — there are many of them in MHMC — had to put their prejudices on hold, because the day belonged to the Morris camp.
Cars at the Madras Heritage Motoring Club rally. / Photo: R. Ragu / The Hindu
As part of an MHMC exercise to commemorate the ‘Centenary of Morris’, around 20 machines, which included the marques Morris 8 ‘E’ Series, Morris Z-Type and Morris 1000, were prominently displayed at the rally. Cognates of the Morris Oxford, Hindustan 14 cars also joined in the honour.
S. Kylas, MHMC secretary and a Morris 8 owner, observed, “Austin is as iconic as Morris. Austin’s engines and pricing were its attractions.”
Wondering how Kylas, a Morris man, could bring himself to take a detached view of the age-old rivalry?
Well, he owns an Austin 8 as well.
Special categories to judge German, French and Italian cars were introduced in this edition of the rally /. Photo: R. Ragu / The Hindu
Widening the range
Special categories to judge German, French and Italian cars were introduced in this edition of the rally. The move was aimed at showcasing these cars, which rarely make it to the podium simply because the open field teems with British and American machines. A Volkswagen Karmann Ghia from the 1960s was adjudged the best German car. Karmann Ghia was a hand-crafted sportscar. A Peugeot from the 1970s made the cut in the French category. There was a slip between the bonnet and the grille for the lone Italian machine up for judging: a Fiat 125. Just when it appeared that the car would make it without any competition, the judges decided to scrap the category.
Family drive
There were some surprises in store, the biggest of them being the entry of a 1954 Dodge Kingsway (powerhood) convertible for judging, by two girls bearing the Guhan surname. M.S. Guhan has over the years lent silent support to MHMC rallies, bringing in a fleet of cars but refraining from entering any of them for judging. “This time, his daughters Aruna and Aparna were in the fray with their Dodge Kingsway convertible. The car was adjudged best restored in its category; C.S. Ananth had restored it for the Guhans,” says Kylas.
Public participation
Viewers’ Choice Award was another fresh introduction. “We have created this category to enhance public participation,” says Kylas. Visitors chose the Guhans’ Dodge Kingsway and Sumanth Chaganti’s 1952 BSA Star Twin as the best car and bike. Sumanth’s son Siddharth did a victory lap with the Twin Star, and how! Actor Priya Anand, who had earlier flagged off the rally, rode pillon as he did a round of the school grounds.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metro Plus> Motoring / by Prince Frederick / Chennai – August 06th, 2013
Some of the items found near Dharmanallur village | Express
An urn and grave goods believed to be of the Megalithic period were excavated at Dharmanallur village near Sethiathope in Cuddalore district by the History Department of the Annamalai University. A terracotta well ring believed to be dating back to 800 years was also found at the same village.
Assistant professors of Annamalai University Dr Sivaramakrishnan, Dr Kalaiselvan and Dr Ramar along with five research scholars have been conducting research in the village for the last five years as they had a hint that the site belongs to Megalithic period.
On Saturday, the researchers team stumbled upon an urn, parts of grave goods, 15 cm long iron sword that are believed to be of the Megalithic period and also a 235 cm circumference terracotta well ring.
Explaining about this in detail, Sivaramakrishnan said, “Urn and parts of grave goods could probably belong to 2,200 years ago. The well ring could be 800 years old. In the past five years, we have found many urns from this site. But this is the first time in Cuddalore district that we have found black and red grave goods with graffiti marks on it. We believe that the scripts found on these goods might be similar to that of the Indus Valley script. The things and marks on it are similar to the ones that we had excavated in Tiruchi Uraiyur, Erode Kodumanal and in Palani Porunthal.”
The details of all the things that were excavated could only be ascertained after a detailed examination, he added.
“We also found a leg bone from the site. We would send it to Bangalore for DNA test. After getting the result, we are planning to advance our research,” he added.
Speaking about the Dharmanallur village, Sivaramakrishnan said, “ From the same site, we had found many urns. Now we have found one more. In addition to that, we found a terracotta well dated some 800 years ago. This well had the facility to filter water. From the same site, we had already found a stone inscription that belonged to Nayaks of Gingee. We also found several other goods like century-old bricks from here. All these findings show that the site was an active habitat for many centuries.”
Sivaramakrishnan further said, “Marks and scripts on these goods are similar to Indus valley scripts. This shows that this place had some links to Indus valley civilization.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by K. Ezhilarasan – Cuddalore / September 02nd, 2013
Oppanakara Street always meant business. The street that stretches from Prakasam bus stop to Mill Road has been a commercial hub for centuries despite the urban legend that the street got its name because many make-up artists lived here. The hustle and bustle of the street has remained constant though the nature of institutions housed here has changed. The financial firms and tax collector’s abode of old have been replaced by textile showrooms and modern banks.
“Oppanakara Street could be one of the oldest and busiest commercial stretches in the country considering that right from the time when it was part of the Vijayanagara Empire and Madurai Nayak rule right into the 15th century,” says Rajesh Govindarajulu of INTACH.
There is no consensus on how the street got its name. Most attribute it to the presence of tax collectors, oppanakarars of Balija Naidu community. In ‘Ithuvo Engal Kovai’ (Is This Our Kovai) published in 1951, Kovai Kizhar C M Ramachandran, who was vice chairman of Coimbatore Municipality, it is mentioned that tax collectors were based here. “Ithuvo Engal Kovai could be seen as one of the earliest historical account of modern history of Coimbatore city. About a century back, Oppanakara Street was to Coimbatore what Mount Road is to Chennai. Apart from Oppanakara Street, the only major commercial centre and seat of public offices was Raja Street,” says C R Elangovan, a local historian.
The Coimbatore guide and directory edited by R Ramalingam in 1954 bears a testimony to the commercial vibrancy of Oppanakara Street as it reveals a long list of banks and private finance firms that were functioning out of the street. These include the then Coimbatore Bhagya Lakshmi Bank Ltd, Madras City Bank Ltd, Dhravya Sahayanidhi Bank Ltd, Modern Bank Ltd and finance firms, Moolchand Kishandas Financiers and Motilal Madhavdas Financiers.
The Athar Jamaath mosque on Oppanakara Street is a heritage structure that was built and maintained by the descendants of perfume sellers who migrated here from Pettai in Tirunelveli after plague stuck their native district. “It was a privilege to have a business establishment on Oppanakara Street and some of the basic amenities like electricity were first provided to this street in Coimbatore city,” says Govindarajalu.
Both Govindarajulu and Elangovan dismiss the claim that Oppanakara Street was a major centre of make-up artistes for drama and theatre groups. The claim is that the street’s name is derived from oppanai kaarar, which means make up artists. “That’s wrong. Oppanakaarar means tax collectors in Tamil and in Telugu, it is oppana vaaru,” Elangovan adds. Perur K Jayaraman, another chronicler of Coimbatore, also says there is no historical evidence to back the claim that Oppanakara Street was a hub of make-up artists. Perhaps, it is an urban legend that grew out of the presence of a devadasi’s residence near the present Oppanakara Street some 200 years ago.
(Beginning this week, TOI takes you through the hidden history of Coimbatore’s interesting and famous streets)
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by Binoy Valsan, TNN / September 01st, 2013
My diet differs from time to time depending on the kind of work I am doing. I am mostly on a low-carbohydrate diet. I prefer to give myself a day off from dieting every week, and eat the things that I love. Since the food that we eat and our mood is closely related, it is essential to enjoy the foods that we like to eat — of course, in moderate quantities.
I am not a gym person. I find walking on the treadmill very boring. I enjoy doing outdoor activities, like trekking and cycling.
I have always been a fan of pilates, even before I became Miss India, because it is learning a different exercise every day. It is a core exercise so it helps with my body posture in modelling as well. I have also always been interested in Zumba. It is very exciting indeed.
When it comes to my skin, I prefer to keep things natural. I cleanse and tone twice a day and that’s about it.
But I make sure to apply sunscreen while going out to avoid the tan, especially important for a climate like India’s. Sunscreen is not just good as a sun block, but it keeps the dirt from entering your skin pores as well.
I don’t use hair conditioner regularly, only after a show when my hair is exposed to chemicals. Even without it, my hair is naturally healthy.
But I have recently used a shampoo and conditioner, which claims to contain egg, and it has shown very good results.
– Rochelle is a model and TV anchor.
As told to Papri Das
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Health & Wellbeing / DC / Rochelle Rao / August 29th,2013
Cosy living: A house built in the traditional Karaikudi style off ECR, Chennai. — Bijoy Ghosh / The Hindu
Nestled in a corner of a small lane that branches off from East Coast Road, Ramesh and Priya’s (names changed) house reminds one of ancestral homes in Karaikudi. “Some of our friends ask us if this house is hundred years old,” smiles Priya as she greets me at the door.
There are raised platforms or “thinnais” near the steps leading to the doorway, reminding one of scenes from R. K. Narayan’s novels. Sunlight streams in from the roof down to the central courtyard, which is bounded by thick pillars. “The courtyard is a common feature not only in traditional Indian homes, but also in Italy and France,” says Ramesh, Priya’s husband.
Ramesh and Priya lived in the US for several years before deciding to move back to Chennai. About five years ago, the couple asked an architect based in Pondicherry to create the blueprint. The house was built over three-and-a-half years.
STUMBLING BLOCKS
Finding skilled artisans who would stick to a timeline proved to a big problem. Often times, says Ramesh , the workers would suddenly drop the job on hand and go back to their village for a couple of days. “Staying abroad while the work was going on was a good thing. We weren’t so upset about things not moving on certain days. Had we been here, it would have been more difficult to handle the stress,” he adds.
There were other challenges as well. One of the unique features of the house is the lime plastering that has been used on the interior walls of the house – a building technique that is slowly fading out.
Very few people know this art, and they are extremely secretive about the formula. “When they are mixing the lime, they didn’t want anyone else to work on the house for fear of others finding out. So work had to come to a halt on other areas while this was ongoing,” says Ramesh.
Authentic touches
Windows and wood were salvaged from old houses in Karaikudi. Several trips were made to villages to secure and transport the materials, which ran to a few tonnes in weight. “We got the horse cart that was used to transport the stuff as a bonus!” says Ramesh pointing to the vehicle, which is placed in a corner of their spacious garden. Some block-printed tiles were sourced from Rajasthan.
Traditional aesthetic elements abound in every corner. The pillars in the central courtyard are made of rosewood and polished with linseed oil. Coloured oxide is a unique feature of this home – the side room boasts a large platform, floor and walls made of blue oxide, while one of the front rooms has a large square platform of green oxide, which complements a brown leather sofa.
NO EMBELLISHMENTS
The natural patterns in the oxide enrich the rooms, which otherwise are kept simple and free of embellishment. Little block-printed tiles and patterned niches have been discreetly added to the walls to lend a touch of colour and art.
The kitchen, which was Priya’s pet project, is an open space with a counter that runs along the walls, open shelves, and a ledge for storing mugs and other small cutlery.
An antique almirah with wire netting occupies one corner. Even as the daily cooking is going on, the sounds of pots and pans being used filters out to the rest of the house, lending it a very cosy feeling.
NATURAL HARMONY
The central courtyard is open all the way up to the roof, creating a “chimney effect” for the hot air to rise – hence, temperatures within the house are a couple of degrees lower than the outside. Also, the family relies on ground water for all purposes – even drinking and cooking. “The water goes through so many layers in the ground that it is naturally purified, and fortified with minerals. We actually don’t need RO or artificial purifiers to ‘treat’ the water,” says Ramesh.
As with any eco-conscious home, the garden is an important part of the house. Several plants and trees are being raised in the space outside the home.
And efforts are made to ensure every square foot is put to good use.
For example, Priya points to two beautiful lily ponds in the garden – “Those were formerly pits dug up to mix the lime in. When the work was finished, we converted them into ponds.”
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Real Estate / by Yamini Vasudevan / August 24th, 2013
