The residence of Ramalinga Vallalar in Seven Wells. Photo: K. Pichumani / The Hindu
No other regional variation of Tamil language has been subjected to as much ridicule as Madras Tamil — a dialect with inflections that make it sound rude, while it’s actually intimate.
Late thinker-comedian N.S. Krishnan would have the audience of ‘Kindanar Charithiram’ in stitches whenever he mimicked rickshaw pullers vying with one another to get a customer.
Critics of Madras Tamil, probably, missed the other side of ‘tharmamiku Chennai’ (the city filled with values of dharma), as described by Ramalinga Vallalar, the author of Thirvarutpa, a spiritual work in praise of the grace of god.
The city has been a citadel of Tamil scholars, especially in places like Choolai, Egmore, Thambu Chetty Street, Lingi Chetti Street and areas around Pachiyappa’s School, in what was then known as the ‘old black town’.
Vallalar lived in Chennai for 33 years on Veerasami Pillai Street in Seven Wells. He moved here with his family from south Arcot district to eke out a livelihood, after his father died.
He penned the bulk of his work while living here and left for Vadalur after he was disillusioned with ‘thettiley mikuntha Chennai’ (a city filled with vices).
Now researchers have secured photographs of Vallalar’s disciples who were instrumental in publishingThiruvarutpa. P. Kamalakannan, a retired government employee, and a researcher on siddhars, has succeeded in collecting the photos of Irukkam Rathina Mudaliar, Sivanandapuram Selvaraya Mudaliar and Puduvai Royal Hotel Velu Mudaliar.
Kikiti Somasundaram Chettiyar of Mylapore and Velu Mudaliar rendered financial assistance to the publication.
The disciple who actually persuaded Vallalar, who was not interested in publishing his works, to print his seminal work of Thirvarutpa was Rathina Mudaliar, a native of Irukkam, a small hamlet near Pulicat, now north of Chennai.
He lived near his residence on Veerasami Street.
P. Saravanan, the author of Arutpa-Marutpa and Kantana Thirattu, says it was Rathina Mudaliar who threatened to go on a fast so that Vallalar would consent to publishing his works. The first volumes were published in 1867.
Another person who worked closely with Rathina Mudaliar was Sivanandapuram Selvaraya Mudaliar. Both Rathina Mudaliar and Selvaraya Mudaliar decided to publish Vallalar’s works along with Thozhuvur Velayuda Mudaliar, the principal student of Vallalar, after a few persons printed his works with numerous errors.
Now the State government is holding parleys with the owners of Vallalar’s house to convert it into a memorial after CPI (M) whip K. Balakrishnan made a request to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by B. Kolappan / Chennai – August 01st, 2014
A leopard in Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu. / Photo: Jomish Mohan / The Hindu
“Those who have never seen a leopard under favourable conditions in his natural surroundings can have no conception of the grace of movement, and beauty of colouring, of this the most graceful and the most beautiful of all animals in our Indian jungles.”¯ Jim Corbett, Man-Eaters of Kumaon
Wildlife researchers say that in tiger-dominated forests, the leopards — smaller in build — keep a very low profile.
If we went by this theory, the leopards in the suburbs of Madras were lucky as there were never any tigers in this part of the State. Thus, the scrub jungles on the southern fringes of the city came to be known as leopard country. These majestic spotted animals still continue to come out of their habitat and encounter humans, who have encroached into what were once their lands. Given the fear the movement of a leopard causes among people, the outcome for the cats, more often than not, is rather unfortunate – they are trapped in cages and find themselves in a zoological park.
S. Subburayalu, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, who served in the city, says Vandalur and its surroundings always had leopards. In those days, they would come out whenever there was a disturbance in their natural habitat, or if there was water scarcity.
Recalling the incident of a leopard straying onto the airfield at the old airport in Meenambakkam in February 1983, Mr. Subburayalu says they received a complaint from the airport police and security personnel that a wild animal strayed into the north-western sector of the airfield. Following this, a team of forest officials combed the Cowl Bazaar and Manappakkam areas, but the animal could not be traced, he says.
Later the Forest officials did a reconnaissance using the aircraft of the Madras Flying Club. However, the animal could not be sighted. It was later identified as a black leopard, which the officials tried hard to, but failed to trap. Similarly, in 2002 a leopard from the wild strayed into the Vandalur zoo. Authorities had to keep the zoo closed for a month, he recalls. The movement of leopards continues in the urban areas near the city even today.
“In those days, human habitations were not located so close to the Reserved Forest boundaries. So there was not much of man-animal conflict. This is one of the reasons for increased human-animal conflicts today,” he adds.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / P. Oppili / Chennai, July 31st, 2014
With Madras Corporation taking charge by 1866, the Madras Zoo as it was called, became the country’s first public zoo to be formed.
A century and 61 years ago, Edward Balfour, the director of the two-year-old Government Museum at Egmore was struggling to come up with ways to attract more visitors to its premises. It was then that he conceived the idea of showcasing a collection of living animals as an adjunct to the museum. The first few animals to be exhibited — a leopard, a tiger and an orangutan — proved to be a tremendous draw, leaving visitors fascinated. A couple of years later, with the generous donations of the Nawab of Carnatic, a menagerie was established in 1855. Six years later, the facility was compelled to relocate People’s Park (Georgetown) in August 1861. Edward Thurston, the then superintendant, is said to have been plagued by complaints from neighbours who were thoroughly mortified by the roars of the wild beasts housed in the Museum campus.
With Madras Corporation taking charge by 1866, the Madras Zoo as it was called, became the country’s first public zoo to be formed. Boasting of an exotic range of animals and birds, the zoo was considered to be in the league of the best including the London Zoo.
However, with the imminent threat of the Japanese bombing the city in the Second World War, the zoo faced a turbulent time. Apart from managing the exodus of panic-stricken people, authorities had to contend with the animals in the zoo, should the city be under siege.
Mayor V. Chakkarai Chetti and Commissioner C. Pulla Reddi ordered for arrangements to transport the wild animals to safer regions. The Railways were roped in to cart the animals in sealed cages on a priority basis. Mysore zoo and Erode were some of the few shelters which were willing to temporarily care for the animals. However, despite the best efforts of authorities, many dangerous species and poisonous reptiles had to be put down.
After the war, the zoo invested heavily in expansion and fresh improvements to overcome its losses. And it did. By 1975, due to the lack of space and increasing pollution, the zoo moved outside the city limits and was named Arignar Anna Zoological Park, or Vandalur zoo as we now know it.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Chennai / Nitya Menon / Chennai – July 31st, 2014
Many forgotten memories were rekindled at College of Engineering, Guindy, on Saturday, when the class of 1985-89 got together to celebrate 25 years of passing out.
For Ravi Appan, who now works for Ericsson in the U.S., it was a chance to return to his alma mater and reconnect with the people from his past.
“The college was where I first met my wife, over 25 years ago. Although I had visited my college once, around 15 years ago, today was the first time I had the chance to really look at the campus,” he said.
The idea for the alumni meeting came up around six months ago, when P. Gopalakrishnan and R. Mahesh got together and decided the entire batch should meet. “Initially, we had just around 20 people signing up, and we almost dropped the plan. The impetus came when, around four weeks ago, close to 100 people agreed to come,” said Mr. Gopalakrishnan. “There is now a tentative plan to meet again in 2039, when we complete 50 years,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / Staff Reporter / Chennai – July 27th, 2014
Adithya Sivasankar and G. Prashanthi from Sri Akilandeswari Vidyalaya, Trichy, won the zonal final held in the city / Photo: M. Srinath / The Hindu
Sixty-five teams participated in the INTACH quiz, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the trust
Which is the area in the city that served as the horse stable for the Nawab of Carnatic? Which Indian island speaks Dhivehi, a language typically spoken in the Maldives?
If these questions leave you flummoxed, you may be surprised at the confidence with which teenagers of classes VII to X, participating in the Chennai Round of the INTACH India Heritage Quiz 2014, shot back answers without so much as batting an eyelid.
Held at Asian College of Journalism, the quiz series commemorated the 30 anniversary of INTACH or the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.
Sujatha Shankar, convenor, INTACH Chennai Chapter, said, “As a society we tend to take our heritage for granted. We hope by such efforts the next generation takes ownership and gets involved in protecting what is ours.”
The quiz itself saw 65 teams of two each participating from over 20 schools across the city. The team of Arjun Pant and Sachin Vinaayak from Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Annanagar, went on to the zonal finals. Here, they met their counterparts from Pondicherry, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Salem, Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore.
The winners of the zonal final were Adithya Sivasankar and G. Prashanthi from Sri Akilandeswari Vidyalaya, Trichy. The girls will soon be on national television representing the southern zone in the national semi-finals and finals to be held in Delhi.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / Staff Reporter / Chennai – July 18th, 2014
In-house canteens are an integral part of the campus. Photo: M. Karunakaran / The Hindu
From idli-vadai-pongal to vempampoo rasam and filter coffee, Chennai’s canteens have it all
Legend has it that the strike in Binny Mills in 1921 started over food. Led by V. Kalyanasundaram, it lasted six months, but was suppressed when the management tactically split workers into two groups, using canteen hierarchy. But the struggle didn’t go waste: It spawned the first workers’ union and the employee canteen got established on firm ground.
Today, every departmental canteen in Chennai has history added to its menu. “The 250-year-old College of Engineering, Guindy, gave south Indian industry its basic structure, which included the workers’ canteen,” says painter Srinivasan N., analysing the canteen concept. “In manpower-rich manufacturing, subsidised food is seen as a way to keep workers happy. Whether autonomous (IIT, DD, Anna University, Chennai Port Trust), Government-controlled (Ordnance Factory, Ripon building, ONGC, Southern Railway) or private (TAFE, Hyundai, Leyland), in-house canteens are an integral part of the campus. Now, brain-powered IT industries have switched to food courts,” he remarks.
Whether brick and mortar or chrome and steel, canteens here are a no-frills service. You check the prices of the standardized menu on the blackboard, buy coupons and accordingly collect food at the counter. Hot, soft idlis, crispy vadas, and thin dosais along with ‘meals’ are a staple.
Have you been to any of these?
AIR
The canteen opened on December 1, 1974 and shifted to the separate tower block in 1984. The shift at AIR starts at 6 a.m. and at 8 the staff is assembled in the canteen. Newsreaders are the first to choose from idli, puri, dosa or pongal and get their fill of tea or coffee. You can come back for bajji, vadai and bonda till noon, and after that you can go for a lunch thali that consists of rice, sambar, rasam, two vegetables, buttermilk, pickle and appalam for Rs 20. Peckish at 4 p.m.? Try out the kara sevai, butter murukku and the bajji.
While the pathway and the hall need sprucing up, nothing can dim the thrill of being in a place where Chennai’s luminaries broke bondas. “L.K. Advani came here in the 80s and had special coffee,” says Dr. Selva Peter, Deputy Director/Hony. Secretary of the canteen, listing out the celebrity visitors: Kannadasan, T.M. Soundararajan, P.B. Srinivas, L.R. Easwari, Sivaji Ganesan, Ilayaraja, Vairamuthu among others.
During the two years of the Isai Saaral programme, all popular Carnatic and Hindustani singers were treated to snacks, Selva Peter says.
Although the canteen staff number has dwindled, the cooks still serve “guests” from the Police Commissionerate nearby, Bank of India, Santhome branch and the Crime Records Bureau. At the All-India staff training workshop, out-of-state participants wanted to know which hotel the food was from. Not surprisingly, Sankaran, head cook since 1974, was quickly re-appointed when he retired.
Doordarshan
I join Dr. Balaramani, Asst. Director/Hony. Canteen Secretary for a special thali lunch that included bright orange jalebis and sweet mango pieces. “We make sure our guests visit the canteen and we ask them to try a meal. It costs no more than Rs. 44 (lunch is Rs. 25),” he says. Post-recording, artistes, accompanists and theatre assistants head straight to the canteen. “Only the fussiest stars leave without tasting the day’s fare,” he says.
Starting small in 1975, the canteen went departmental in 1980. “Our canteen is exclusively for the 500 plus staff, resource persons, AIR FM transmitter engineers on the premises, home guards and the TN Women Police on guard duty,” Balaramani says. The canteen specialises in dosai varieties, on Tuesdays you get idli-vadai-pongal-upma, Thursdays are for puri-masala and keerai vadai. At 1 p.m. you can choose from the lunch thali and variety rice, at 3 p.m. it is bajji, dosai, tea/coffee and kesari.
The Doordarshan dining hall too has been graced by a galaxy of cinema and theatre artistes. Helpers have served actors Vivek and Nasser, Vairamuthu, Kutti Padmini, Kathadi Ramamurthy, Delhi Ganesh, R.S. Manohar, Nagesh and G.V. Prakash. The canteen is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., five days a week, but was open for 18 hours on election counting day.
“This canteen is more than a mother to us,” says Sethu Madavan, who joined in 1986. “Today, a canteen employee’s children are engineers. We enter the hall with a prayer that the day’s work should go smoothly,” he says.
AGS Office
Annapurani of AGS office, they call their canteen of more than 50 years, in a nod to their women-dominated workforce. Homely food goes to all the offices in the complex, and if you are here, you can’t leave without sipping their coffee. Even though the canteen went from co-operative to departmental, conventional to steam cooking, plantain leaves to plates, the aroma of coffee is a constant, say officials. While vadais are permanent, major breakfast foods are on a weekly rotational basis. Lunch is served in a thali, but if you fancy tiffin, that is available too. One item you don’t want to miss is the rasam say insiders. Also, plan your visit — Monday for pongal and Friday for the famed rice upma-vathakozhambu combo.
Close to 400 officials pile in for breakfast and lunch. For the single, married-with-kids and long-distance commuters, the canteen is a boon – the food is good and the rates are low. Curd rice is rated high, as is the neer-moru. You can also pick from chappathi or mixed rice varieties. Food combos have add-ons like sweets and coffee.
A meal costs Rs. 15, coffee is Rs. 5 per cup. The canteen maintains quality by buying provisions from its co-operative store in the complex. Cleanliness is religion — steam cookers hiss, mechanical scrubbers clean up plates, a machine kneads dough, huge exhausts keep the spot smoke-free and an RO plant provides water.
If the sitting area gleams, the counter looks like it’s from a popular fast-food joint. Everything smells class, and most AGs are patrons.
The canteen prepares and supplies snacks for office functions, higher officials’ visits and farewell treats to save on office budgets. During Deepavali, the kitchen prepares 1.5 MT of mixture and nearly one MT of sweets, so make sure you order the special mixture and boondhi laddu. “The office canteen is an extension of our kitchen,” say employees. For me, its best feature is its proximity to the parking area.
Anna University
As students, parents and guardians gather anxiously at Anna University grounds during admission season, the one place that keeps them smiling all day is the “main” canteen. The food is cheap – Rs. 16 for a full thali and Rs. 4 for coffee, apart from the sweets and ice-cream which are on offer all year round.
While the campus is 250 years old, the canteen has its own history. Generations of students have succumbed to its gastronomical charms.
“My mentor Ravi and I would bunk classes, sit under the aalamaram opposite the CEG canteen and order bread omelette. Whenever I was asked which branch of engineering I was in, I’d say canteen branch,” said Crazy Mohan. Bread omelette was his son’s favourite too, at AU.
“People from the Cancer Institute and Science City take parcels of the healthy, non-spicy food,” said Registrar Dr. Ganesh, reminding me that the canteen bans soft drinks and preservatives. “The pav bhaji is very good here, have it with fresh fruit juice,” recommends Srinivasan.
“Prices are affordable, and the food is prepared with clean, modern kitchen equipment. An RO plant and a bio-waste-disposal system are part of this century-old canteen.”
The herbal food canteen at Chennai Corporation Campus. Photo : A. Muralitharan / The Hindu
Ripon Building
The canteen menu of South Indian delicacies at the Ripon Building were upgraded with a herbal touch in 2012. To ward off seasonal sniffles, it serves nilambu kashayam and sukku coffee; its vepampoo(neem) rasam is guaranteed to cure stomach trouble, thoothuvalai soup should help you breathe easy in cold weather.
In an effort to promote millets, the canteen serves varagu, saamai, thinai and kuthiraivali rice varieties. These can be washed down with herbal tea, herbal soups, juices and ginger buttermilk. The kollu (horsegram) rasam helps reduce weight, so eat away at this historic canteen.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Featurer> MetroPlus / Geeta Padmanabhan / Chennai – July 17th, 2014
She is spotted with some of the hottest hunks all over the country and biker-actress Alisha Abdullah enhanced that image recently when she and John Abraham bumped into each other in the city.
She even posted a photo online of the two rekindling their friendship, saying it was fantastic to get back in touch with John. “It was a chance meeting. We both ended up being in the same hotel, but a very fortunate coincidence indeed. I know John from nearly five years back when we were both brand ambassadors for a product, and though we have remained friends over time, you know how difficult it is to keep in touch in our industry. However, he was really excited to see me.”
And the bike-crazy duo apparently decided to collaborate on a project. “When he saw me looking fit and glam, John proposed the idea of working together and I was only too happy to agree, I mean, who wouldn’t? John was as warm and friendly as ever. He’s off to Los Angeles now, but we have set up a meeting for the second week of August to get together and brainstorm. The way he has maintained his body over the years is truly awesome, and I was absolutely gushing over him,” Alisha laughs. While shooting for her second movie is about to start, the racer says she’s struggling to balance her film, sport and fashion commitments. “But when the lure of Bollywood comes calling, it’s hard to say no,” she says.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Entertainment> Tollywood / DC / Gautam Sunder / July 28th, 2014
Santha Sheela Nair, retired IAS officer and vice president of Tamil Nadu Planning Commission, lighting the first lamp at the Chozeeshwarar temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram on Friday | express
Jayankondam :
People of Gangaikonda Cholapuram and its surrounding villages took pride in celebrating the crowning millennium year of King Rajendra Chola.
Thousands of people, including women and children, thronged the Chozeeshwarar Temple on Friday evening and a huge rally started from Maaligai Medu, the village where remains of the king’s palace were excavated.
Three elephants walked in front of the rally in memory of the king whose skills on the battle field was well known. The elephants were followed by folk artistes, who caught the eye of people as the rally passed by. Slogans praising the king were raised all along the rally.
Writers Balakumaran, Kulothungan and Kudavayil Balasubramaniyan, who wrote books on the king and the temple, Santha Sheela Nair, vice-president of Tamil Nadu Planning Commission, P Senthil Kumar, commissioner of disciplinary proceedings, Nagercoil, K Dhanavel, IAS officer (retd) and Porko, former vice-chancellor of Madras University were taken on a chariot-like vehicle.
The writers were later honoured for their contributions to Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
Meanwhile, in Thanjavur, a torch relay commenced at Thanjavur Big Temple. The rally was flagged off by Collector Dr N Subbaiyan, in the presence of writer Balakumaran, who lit the torch. The torch was escorted through Thanjavur city by 1,000 volunteers on motorcycles.
From Palliagraharam, around 100 volunteers on bikes escorted 20 torch bearers, who took turns in taking the torch to Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
The torch was used to light up 1,000 lamps around the temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The Thanjavur chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) made arrangements for the torch rally. The team of torch bearers later joined the rally.
A huge crowd welcomed the rally when it reached the temple. Around 6.30 pm, Santha Sheela Nair lit the first lamp at the temple, after which a thousand small lamps were lit by women, marking the millennial year of the king’s coronation.
Ramu (75) of Thottikulam village, said, “I haven’t seen such a joyful festival before. When I was young I heard a lot about King Rajendra Chola and this temple. Only now am I seeing how the people are celebrating the king. The joy of people here gives me the feeling that the king is alive and in our midst.” Later, a grand symposium was held on the temple and writers and historians spoke about King Rajendra Chola’s achievements in various fields.
(With inputs from TNIE Thanjavur correspondent)
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by K. Ezhilarasan – ENS / July 26th, 2014
Late King Rajendra Chola was on Saturday remembered not just for his skills in battlefield but also for tackling drought.
“The lakes, especially those built by Rajendra Chola 1,000 years ago still help us in tackling water problems,” said Porko, former vice-chancellor of Madras University, recalling his contributions at a grand symposium held at Gangaikonda Cholapuram on Friday night marking the millennial year of the crowning of the Chola king.
Writer Balakumaran said children should be taught the history of Tamil Nadu so that they will understand the importance of personalities like Rajendra Chola. “Every Tamilian should know the history of the Chola kings. I appreciate the people of Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the surrounding villages for organising this celebration,” he said. He also requested the State government to build a memorial for Rajendra Chola at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
M Rasendhran, commissioner of agricultural department, praised Rajendra Chola for his skills on the battlefield.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service / July 27th, 2014
Fourteen Jain rock beds dating back to the 5th century AD have been excavated inside three caverns on top of a hill in Vellore district.
The beds were found on the Bhairavamalai in Latheri on the Vellore-Gudiyattam road when Jeeva Kumar, a Jain priest, was on a study tour in search of abandoned and neglected Jain sites in Tamil Nadu. “It was difficult to climb the hill because the rock steps to the caverns were almost lost over the years. Recently, the locals have built a temple near the caverns. They have also built a flight of 1300 steps for the new temple. Unfortunately, there is no passage to these caverns that house the ancient rock beds,” says S Jeeva Kumar, who has excavated a number of Jain sites in various parts of Tamil Nadu.
The hill is situated in a small village called Kukkara Palli and scholars say the word ‘palli’ has a strong association with Jainism.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / M. T. Saju, TNN / July 21st, 2014
