Automotive component maker Brakes India Private Ltd has decided to get into castings for turbochargers investing around Rs.180 crore mainly for export market, said a senior official.
Part of the TVS group, Brakes India supplies brake systems and castings for automotive sector.
“We see good demand from the turbocharger industry which seems to be a sunrise sector. The capacity of the new plant will be around 1.25 million pieces to start with,” V. Narasimhan, executive director, Brakes India, told IANS on Thursday.
According to him, the competition in this segment is quite stiff with the presence of around five global players.
“The turbocharger castings will be mainly for the US and European markets. The castings should tolerate very high temperature,” Narasimhan said.
Queried about the location of the turbocharger casting facility he said it will be housed at the company’s existing factory in Sholingar, around 115 km from here.
The company will also planning to have a machining unit in the US to meet the local value addition norms.
Brakes India’s subsidiary has a foundry unit in Salalah in Sultanate of Oman to serve the overseas market.
According to him, the Indian foundry industry exports around $2.7 billion worth of castings and an additional $2.5 billion in finished components.
–IANS / vj/pgh/dg
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / IANS / May 26th, 2016
Pranesh (centre, in black) with his team Photo: R. Ravindran
Meet 28-year-old Pranesh Padmanabhan, who heads a photography company that covers a wedding a day without owning a single camera. SRINIVASA RAMANUJAM finds out how
Pranesh Padmanabhan describes the four years he spent studying electrical and computer engineering in four simple words: a waste of time. “In Chennai, if you’re doing anything other than engineering or medicine, you’re considered a terrorist,” he laughs.Looking back, he could have selected the study-engineering-get-fat-paycheque route. But that didn’t excite him.
What did set his heart racing, however, was taking pictures — or rather, “visualising photographs”, as he’d later realise. That was in 2010, when candid wedding photography was still nascent and a fad among the elite.
Pranesh, who already held two management degrees then (one from Chennai Business School and an online certificate course from Harvard), was, simply put, in the right place at the right time… with the right idea.
Today, Pranesh Photography – or Studio 31, as it was rechristened – is run like a corporate and boasts an office environment that might give top IT companies a run for their money.
They have 27 full-time employees and 40 freelancers, plus a Happiness Manager, an accountant and a full-fledged technology team.
These numbers are essential. After all, the team works on one wedding per day, sometimes even two. On one particularly busy muhurtam last year, they covered 27 weddings on a single day.
The big revelation comes here: they don’t own a single camera.
“I don’t understand why one needs to invest when you can just hire cameras, as per requirement,” he says matter-of-factly.
“I’ve a regular deal with a vendor who gives me great equipment on short notice. He takes care of all the equipment, insurance, the works, while we concentrate on the pictures and post-production.”
That’s an aspect he takes very seriously, and so calls it his USP. “Anyone can take photographs these days. And by that, I mean, good candidphotographs. But it’s still an unorganised market. The challenge is to deliver a smooth start-to-finish process; right from the time an enquiry call comes to the final delivery of the album.”
Facebook and other social media have helped his company grow from strength to strength. He typically targets the IT crowd, who hail from middle and upper middle-class families who would like to see “rich photo shoots” done at their weddings as well. “For us, every wedding is special. We target the aspiring middle-class crowd that would like to see a colourful spread of their special day.”
That doesn’t mean just photos of the gushing bride, her happily-in-tears parents and the coy groom. It also includes the traditional posed photos — something that everyone has, especially the elders in the family. Of course, those were shot by shutterbugs growing up at a time when Pentax, Kodak and Konica were household names.
Thanks to package deals made by the company (about one lakh for a wedding, all inclusive), the young, jeans-clad candid photographer no longer poses a threat to the traditional photographer. “I can proudly say that we have changed the lives of about 50 of them. They have bank accounts now. They’re no longer treated with disdain.”
Success and money came Pranesh’s way, but there were still challenges. 27 prospective life partners rejected his marriage proposals – or rather, their families – pointing out that he was just a photographer. 18 banks rejected his application for a loan, because they weren’t convinced that a photographer could earn so much money.
But he’s forgotten all that and moved on. Now happily married (to a journalist), the 28-year-old prefers the cool confines of his Kodambakkam office space to the hustle and bustle at a wedding hall. He’s looking at increasing revenues – their turnover was Rs. 3 crores last year, and he hopes to achieve Rs. 15 crores by 2018, by expanding to Coimbatore, Madurai, Erode and metros like Bangalore and Hyderabad.
What about the need to keep his passion for photography intact? “I’m planning to set up another company called Hues, through which I will directly get into honeymoon photography. It will involve travelling to places like Bali, New Zealand, shooting the newlyweds for a couple of days on location. There’s a huge demand for that now.”
However, he still does not plan to buy a camera, though he can afford it now. “I came into the photography industry without one and I wish to stay that way.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Srinivasa Ramanujam / May 14th, 2016
Naturals @Home is the latest entrant in this segment. Photo: R. Ravindran / The Hindu
Pamper yourself in the comfort of your space… Naveena Vijayan on the growing trend of home salons.
It is my first time. Till date, I have taken up all my hair and skin grooming services in the unfamiliar rooms of salons. Now, there is a stranger waiting with hot wax and paper strips in my bedroom. What led to this? A harsh sun and a working weekend. As much as time constraint is a reason, a visit to the nearest salon would have also meant filling fuel in the car, braving the traffic, and finding a parking space. A load of things for some beauty? Probably not. I instead download an app called UrbanClap.
The app has a network of beauticians, carpenters, plumbers, yoga teachers, wedding photographers and more. All you have to do is select ‘Salon Services at Home’, and add items (waxing, bleach, facial) to the cart. On Friday night, I opted for the Monthly Wax and Relax package at Rs.499 — the minimum order price requirement — and received an instant confirmation for a 9 a.m. appointment on Saturday, along with the beautician’s name and photo. It was an Ola/Uber déjà vu moment.
Devi was at my doorstep at 8.45 a.m. From the crack of the door, I see her stirring the honey wax set on my study table, and spreading a white sheet on my bed. The strangeness of it ends when the first coat of wax is applied; it’s the same pain. Except, I can hear my mom talking to the neighbour, and see a younger me smiling from an old frame. Over the course of epilation, I learn that Devi has an experience of over 17 years, and ran a couple of salons in Ambattur before giving it up to take care of her kids. She was hired by UrbanClap a few months ago, and goes around the city on her two-wheeler for at least three services a day.
There are around 30 others like Devi, who have been trained by UrbanClap, which gets over 6,000 requests for home beauty services per month from Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. The services and products are standardised. Though beauty services account for only five per cent of its total requests, they earned the company a business worth of Rs 2.5 crore in February 2016 alone, according to a report shared by them.
Started in November 2014, UrbanClap is probably the oldest (in India), though only by a few months, among the many ventures that are lapping up this trend that’s taking the beauty industry by storm. A recent hefty investment made by SoftBank Capital on GlamSquad, an on-demand beauty service business launched in New York City in 2014, stands proof.
Meanwhile, in India, beauty and hair salon giant Naturals has also joined the bandwagon. The brand invested Rs. 100 crore in Vyomo, a Bangalore-based mobile platform for beauty and wellness services, rebranding and launching it as Naturals @Home on April 29. The entire strength of the staff in the 500-odd salons across the country will be part of the network. “This comes as a step towards providing on-demand beauty services for the customers, and empowering the staff, or smile providers as we call them. While at present the capacity utilisation in our salons is around 50 per cent, with Naturals @Home, it would increase to 70 per cent. This in turn would increase their pay, as they would attend to more clients,” says C K Kumaravel, co-founder and CEO, Naturals, which has also launched its own training academy in the city now.
Other players include Housejoy, a concept similar to Urban Clap, which began its services in Bangalore in April 2015, later expanding to six other cities, including Chennai. Prem Anand, head of its operations in the city, rolls out some figures: 500 requests every day for beauty services pan India, and around 30 to 40 in Chennai. “As we move towards a time-poor world, where women shoulder as many responsibilities at the workplace as at home, the whole concept of a salon where you have to wait for ages before you can get your turn, is obsolete. The new economy is about convenience and quality.” Another Chennai-based home beauty service, Pamperazi, was born out of the same sentiment, in August 2015. Lavanya Iyer, its founder, and mother of a one-year-old, says, “I could neither leave my kid and go to a salon nor find someone who provides quality and hygienic services at home. So, I decided to start a network of beauticians on my own. Now, the venture has takers from working mothers to over 70-year-old women who want to be ‘pampered’.”
Highs
Get the service done in the comfort of your home
Perfect for summer
Save on fuel and time
Get an appointment as early at 7 a.m.
No waiting time
Lows
Restricted nail colours
Most platforms do not offer haircuts and hair colouring
No services for men
For many apps, booking is valid only above a specific amount
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Naveena Vijayan / Chennai – May 10th, 2016
TRAILBLAZER: Consultant Neurosurgeon Dr.M.J. Arun Kumar, who is also the Founder Chairman & Managing Director of Hannah Joseph Hospital, Madurai. Photo: S. James
He finds joy in handling emergencies. He can be up all night reviving trauma patients. SOMA BASU talks to Dr.M.J.Arunkumar, the man who literally gets inside people’s heads
When seasoned actor Nasser’s son Faisal met with a gruesome road accident on ECR Road, Chennai, two summers ago, it made headlines. The horrific car crash left three young boys dead and inflicted grievous injuries on two others. On May 22, 2014, life was uncertain for the critically injured Faisal.
Twenty months later in January 2016, Faisal travelled for the first time after the accident to Madurai. Besides his parents, the happiest person to watch him eat on his own, speak a few words and sit up with minimum support was an established neurosurgeon, Dr.M.J.Arunkumar, from our very own Temple Town. From September 2014, Faisal has been under the care of Dr.Arunkumar who visits him on weekends in Chennai and keeps account of his progress through whatsapp, chats and telemedicine.
A brain surgeon, Dr.Arunkumar, 49, established the Hannah Joseph Hospital, a 40 bed state-of-the-art complex devoted to Neurosurgery, Neurology, Psychiatry and Trauma, in April 2008. But his knowledge of brain science includes two decades of clinical practice at CMC Vellore and Apollo Hospitals, Madurai. And he says, he is thankful for every single day when he is able to save lives.
“We all tend to take our lives for granted whereas our lives can be gone in an instant,” says Dr.Arun, reminding how frail we are.
More than Arun, it was his father, a bank manager in Thanjavur, who was interested in making a doctor out of his son. “In my childhood, I was happy with my studies, playing hockey and singing in the church choir,” he says.
But there were two things unique about him. He had a penchant for rushing to any accident site to look at the victim and was naturally proficient in dissecting animals. “I enjoyed cleaning and cutting the chicken bought for cooking at home and my parents would discourage me saying I would become a butcher!.”
But, believes Dr.Arun, knives, needles and scalpels always added grace to his fingers! “Brain and human behaviour always fascinated me and I made up my mind early on that I wanted to be a surgeon,” he says.
With a drive to take on the toughest challenges, neurosurgery — ranked next to rocket science those days — became his obvious choice at CMC Vellore, where he also completed his MBBS. Dr.Arun gives full credit to his pioneering teachers — Dr.M.Jacob Chandy and Dr.B.Ramamoorthy — for shaping his mind, attitude and consciousness.
“They flushed me with tremendous confidence to unpack the science behind the theories on brain and the power over our health,” he says.
Neurosurgery is not limited to just the brain but the entire nervous system, including the spine. With his prolific lateral thinking, Dr.Arun was drawn into research and writing papers in scientific journals. He postulated his own theories and received excellent peer reviews. “The time was perfectly fantastic for me as I was credited with the highest number of articles published by any student in India.”
In 2000, when he joined the Apollo Speciality Hospitals in Madurai, to establish the neurosurgery department, little did he know that the hometown of his wife — a psychiatrist by profession — would one day become his operating base and change his life.
With the distinction of having performed the first endonasal total excision of pituitary tumour and the first intracranial aneurysm clipping in South Tamil Nadu, Dr.Arun dreams of making Madurai the ultimate destination for neurosciences.
Patients with cancer in their brains and haemorrhages or bleeding in the brain cavity are brought to him for emergency surgeries with much hope. “It is gratifying to know that I save lives,” he says, claiming 95 per cent success rate in traumatic head injuries.
Without meaning in a vain or egotistical way, Dr.Arun declares that at Hannah Joseph Hospital, he is able to pull out eight out of every 10 patients. This means he also gets lot of referred cases and can never keep his phone switched off. “If I do not answer calls, my patient will die,” he says, adding, “I do not turn away patients either.” Even while holidaying with his family, Dr.Arun skypes with his staff on each patient’s progress. “I feel unhappy if any of my patient reports unwell.”
In corporate sector, feels Dr.Arun, target-based surgery linked to revenue leads to unethical practices and non-transparent work culture. “It adds to the stress levels of the doctors,” he says. He follows the CMC work model at his centre. “I want to run it like an institute and not like a private hospital. We have developed a system where we work as a team and I have the luxury of being assisted by two neurosurgeons, two anaesthetists, a scrub nurse and her assistant and a dozen PG students.”
He has done surgeries which have lasted 16 hours. When such patients keep in touch for years after, Dr.Arun says, he realises how amazing it is to be able to help people regain their lives.
From his first surgery as a resident doctor for removing haematoma (blood clot) at CMC Vellore, Dr.Arun has lost count of the simple and complicated surgeries that he has done over the years. “I perform over 200 surgical procedures a year but even if one patient dies, it does not get easier,” he says. Thankfully, this sort of thing is few and far between at Hannah Joseph Hospital which saw 200 surgeries last year including 50 complicated ones and lost two patients.
“The anaesthetist loves me because I am very fast in surgery,” he smiles. “My surgical skills are flawless too but complications arise due to spasms in the brain or some other surgery-unrelated parameter,” points out Dr.Arun.
He feels blessed to have the education and experience in surgery and neuro-intensive care. “The minute I look at a patient, I know what he/she needs and do quick thinking,” he says.
It is the innate confidence that is now leading him to establish his second hospital which will be a standalone largest private hospital in neurosciences with 150 beds, three ICUs with 12 beds each, four state-of-the-art operation theatres and a helipad.
In four years, Dr.Arunkumar hopes to be on top of resuscitation to be able to reverse a patient’s cycle of death. Most doctors don’t have the time to explain to their patients but Dr.Arunkumar with his wry humour and reassurance showers all his attention on them. Still when people call him heartless and amazingly honest, he knows he is so for the good of his patients.
Known for refusing awards, Dr.Arunkumar believes his religion is his practice and he does charity by giving discounts to needy patients.
“Your earnings do not secure your future,” he says, “but the goodwill you earn does.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Soma Basu / Madurai – May 05th, 2016
When Narayan Murthy came to India from the United States, he didn’t know that he would end up retracing his roots, in a journey that would last forever.
A management consultant by profession, he is the founder of GoodSeeds, an organisation that sells organic food and home products. And it doesn’t end there.
Narayan works closely with farmers across the region to help them find a platform where they can find buyers and connect with other farmers for better reach and productivity.
Says Narayan, “I left India in 1992 and went to the US for higher studies and a job. I completed an MBA from Booth School of Business, Chicago, after which I started working as a management consultant. I was earning quite a decent package and monetarily I was very sound. But there was a voice in my head which kept on telling me that this is not what I wanted to do. But I didn’t know what it was that I was looking for.” That’s when he decided to come back to India and spend a few years here, “I came back and after a year or so, I realised that it was my roots that I had been missing.”
Narayan Murthy, founder of GoodSeeds, which sells organic food and home products
Originally from Chennai, Hyderabad is now his home. But how did he land up here? He answers with a chuckle, “I got a job here in Microsoft as a strategic planner in 2008. Now this city is my home.”
It so happened that one day his friend complained about how good organic food is not available in Hyderabad. Since Narayan was already wondering what to do with himself, the idea appealed to him. Thus was born GoodSeeds in the year 2012. “The name came about because it was about sowing good ideas about what we eat, drink, who we live with and where we live,” adds Narayan. Sort of an eco-friendly contribution to society.
While the company sells a variety of organic items ranging from organic baby food and organic fruits to organic personal care products, farmers often come to them to gain market connections, “Many farmers get in touch with me. I connect them to the market and customers who choose to buy organic products. This way they are able to connect to other farmers as well. We also help them get access to seed banks, so that they can expand their crop portfolios,” informs Narayan.
He goes with farmers to different areas like Yadagirigutta, Anantapur, outskirts of Mysuru and Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) for advise and to network. As a result of his efforts, farmers are coming closer and becoming part of co-operatives. Narayan adds further, “It’s beneficial that small farmers become part of small co-operatives. For example at Timbaktu, Anantapur there’s a small co-operative of 40 farmers. A farmer can’t do everything alone. If he tries everything and it goes wrong then unfortunately it will be him who will starve. These days people give their lands to farmers on lease to grow crops. In return, the farmers are paid on a monthly basis. So, even if there’s a drought, farmers will get their money and manage to keep their respect intact, as well.”
They also encourage things like the Sunday organic bazaar held at Saptaparni, Lamakaan, Our Sacred Space and Goethe Zentrum, where farmers sell everything from organic fruit to staples like rice. It’s probably not as fancy as the farmers’ markets in the US, but hey, with people like him around — it may become a reality sooner than you think!
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Education> Edex / by Saima Afreen / April 25th, 2016
Overall products including garments made in India have got huge potential in the global market, according to a senior functionary from USA-based Sourcing at Magic.
“Many are inclined to source their requirements from India, keeping in mind all advantageous factors like political relationship, cultural relationship, quality manufacturing, communication angle and above all dependability and responsibility,” Bob Berg, Director (international Business), Sourcing at Magic from USA has said.
Bob was recently in Tirupur to interact with knitwear garment exporters on ‘how to do business with USA’ and avenues to develop contact with buyers and brands in the world market through the fair, Sourcing at Magic, scheduled at Las Vegas from August 14 to 17, Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA) president A Shaktivel said in a statement today.
While discussing the share of US apparel imports from India, Bob said that India contributed four per cent of US imports, with a growth of eight per cent, whereas China registered only two per cent growth Year on Year.
The given import scenario in US apparently revealed that there was good potential available to increase imports from India, thereby giving more avenues for Indian knitwear and apparels to US markets, he said.
Stating that SOURCING at MAGIC is North America’s largest, most comprehensive sourcing event, reflecting the fashion supply chain at its most complete, Bob said it offered unmatched access to over 35 countries representing the world’s most important markets.
The fair was also a convenient space for retail buyers, global importers, licensees and brands to meet and conduct business with offshore manufacturers like India and contract suppliers from the international manufacturing countries.
Sakthivel said he had urged Bob to focus specifically on sourcing from India by highlighting the virtual facts to all leading buyers and brands during their visit to the particular fair. NVM APR ABK
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home / PTI / April 18th, 2016
Coimbatore residents have been putting their backyards to good use … and no, we are not talking about just kitchen gardens. The braver of the lot are rearing honey bees in their gardens not only as a hobby but also as means to supplement their income.
M R Srinivasan, of the entomology department of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), said while many farmers attended the training programme conducted by them every month on beekeeping, the number of home makers and students taking part was, interestingly, on the rise. “This can be done anywhere as it does not require much investment or time. One needs some practice and should learn the basic nuances. We get entries from people from all walks of life,” he said.
While some women got interested in beekeeping out of curiosity, some wanted to produce honey in their homes. N Krishnaveni, a software engineer, said she found a beehive in her garden and became curious. “I wanted to learn the art of beekeeping. I was told that bees are best at cross pollination so I thought this would help increase the yield in the mango farm maintained by my family,” she said.
Like Krishnaveni, Saranya, an MBA student, wanted to get involved in beekeeping to increase the yield in her farm. But some women said they were aware of the benefits of pure honey and wanted to extract it on their own. “My husband is in the honey business and has a company in Bengaluru. But I want to rear them at home to extract honey for household purposes. I have already started learning the techniques,” said F Shabeena, a homemaker from Ukkadam.
Many women who already have terrace gardens and kitchen gardens are also rearing bees. K Jayanthi, 26, says she comes from an agricultural background and has always loved rearing bees. “I take part in various training camps conducted by TNAU and government to learn the techniques,” she said.
The women said they were not scared of the bees. “Unless we disturb the bees, they do not we disturb the bees, they do not attack. If right techniques are used, there is no danger at all,” said Krishnaveni.
An apiary expert, R Philip Sridhar said beekeeping was be coming popular as one just needs to give some time. “There are no maintenance costs involved. We need to check the chambers once a week at least to ensure the bee count is appropriate. One needs to check for the presence of eggs, honey and pollen storage. Moth attacks need to be prevented. Other techniques if learned, can not only make beekeeping fun but also yield commercial benefits to beekeepers,” said Sridhar.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / Komal Gautham / TNN / April 22nd, 2016
Over 200 creative designs were showcased on the ramp at Hotel Clarion recently. No heavy expenses, no competition and no over-the-top decor. This fashion show – Life is a Label — was all about giving a platform to student designers who may not have had the resources to showcase their designs on their own.
Taking this initiative forward was Fashion Students’ Association (FSA) president B Arul Mozhi who was a designer herself. After watching one session of avant garde on ramp, City Express had a chat with her in the green room, which was chaotic and energetic. “A year has passed since FSA was launched. This is the first time we have had sponsors for our second show. The first was held in a resort in ECR. There were only about 12 designers that time,” recalls Arul about the initial journey of FS
So, why did she decide to create a platform for young designers? “I’m a B Tech fashion graduate from Anna University. When I attended job interviews, they’d ask for my last collection and I hadn’t done any more after my college project. Many colleges don’t teach students about what should be done to flourish in this creative field. Moreover, designing new collections and putting up shows is very expensive. There are also those who don’t have a degree but still get into the industry because they can afford the entry fee of fashion shows,” she opines. This got her thinking and FSA was created.
A student designer, S Priyadarshini, who was a part of two fashion shows by FSA, chips in about her experience. “Last year’s show was my first and I struggled to come up with good theme and creative ideas. Though I chose nature as my theme, I was not happy. But I watched the other designers and learnt a lot by mere observation and further research. This time, I am pretty confident,” she smiles and continues to talk about her new cocktail collection.“Sometimes, designers do come out with their own collections, but then what? Hosting a show is expensive and the clothes end up collecting dust. Hence, we’ve decided to host four shows a year where designers can exhibit their latest works at an inexpensive entry fee,” informs Arul.
FSA vice-president R Kalpana who exhibited her silk-inspired outfits wants to design clothes for celebrities. “People who come in to watch us may go back and talk about it to people in the fashion or film industry. It would be a dream come true if I could design one for actor Trisha,” she says. The fashion show was an all-day event where Pradeesh Raj, actor and assistant director of film Visaranai was also present.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express Features / April 21st, 2016
Farmers on Bargur hills are gradually warming up to the idea of cultivating Rosemary herb, which, besides ensuring profitable returns, also keep wild animals at bay.
The farmers in 33 hamlets surrounded by reserve forest find the altitude of about 1,000 metres above sea level suitable for cultivation of the aromatic herb. The crop was promoted a few years ago by MYRADA Krishi Vigyan Kendra based in Gobichettipalayam.
Farmers on the hills have traditionally been cultivating ragi, onion, and beans, and have been suffering losses due to damage caused to the fields by wild boars, deer and elephants. The KVK introduced Rosemary as an alternative crop to reverse the trend of migration of the people towards urban areas.
There is good market worldwide for the oil extracted from the herb that grows as a perennial evergreen shrub to a height of up to one metre, according to a documentation by MYRADA KVK.
The oil is used as component in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. According to Horticulture Department officials, though gradual, Rosemary is gaining attention of farmers as a dependable crop.
‘There is good market worldwide for the oil extracted from the aromatic herb’
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by R. Krishnamoorthy / Erode – April 12th, 2016
Pradeep Chakravarthy, a London School of Economics graduate, has been organising heritage tours in Tamil Nadu since 2014. | Ratheesh Sundaram
When President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Muziris Heritage Project (MHP) in February in Thrissur district’s Kodungaloor, he called it the largest conservation effort in the country. The project was initiated by Kerala Department of Tourism to conserve historical monuments and museums, and to boost tourism. In Chennai, Abhimanyu Prakashrao—representing eight generations of the Buchi Babu family, the first family of Madras cricket—upheld the legacy by restoring the colonial 250-year-old Luz House, owned by Buchi Babu’s father Moddaverapu Dera Venkataswami Naidu, dubash to Parry & Co in the 19th century. In neighbouring Puducherry, the state government joined hands with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in 2014 to restore 21 heritage buildings in the city. From February 5-7, the former French colony also witnessed the second edition of the Pondicherry Heritage Festival.
MHP was launched in 2006 as a heritage conservation initiative. Muziris Muziris, or Muchiri Pattanam, was one of the earliest ports in India, an entry point of varied cultures to India and finds mention in the Sangam literature. P J Cherian, chairman of the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR), who led the excavation of the port, says it is time that historians studied Muziris as a Periyar Valley Civilisation. The Spice Route project is another heritage tourism initiative by the Kerala government.
Other stakeholders in the legacy pie are keeping the momentum going with heritage hotels in offbeat places such as Tranquebar aka Taramgambadi into Tamil Nadu. Heritage tours are tapping unexplored places that are teeming with history.
Heritage is slowly getting its due in south India, and leading from the front are Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the twin citadels of history, art and culture.
Sunaina Mandeen co-founded People for Pondicherry Heritage to preserve and protect the town’s architectural and cultural heritage. | G Pattabiraman
Last year, under the Ministry of Urban Development’s National Heritage Development Augmentation Yojana (Hriday), the Centre had sanctioned Rs.23 crore for Kancheepuram and Rs.22.3 crore for Velankanni for development and improvement of heritage sites over the next two years. In 2014, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had announced a subsidy of Rs.16.82 crore for 60 of the 64 heritage towns in the state.
In Puducherry, fondly called Pondy, which boasts of a unique Franco-Tamil heritage, attempts towards heritage conservation have been ongoing with some heritage homes being converted into cafés, restaurants and hotels. But it was the collapse of the 144-year-old Marie town hall building in 2014 that made the townspeople aware that all was not well with their famed heritage. “After the Marie building came down, people got together and a spontaneous movement was formed, called ‘People for Pondicherry Heritage’. A week after the collapse, a candle-lit tribute to Marie was organised,” says 63-year-old Sunaina Mandeen, co-founder of People for Pondicherry Heritage.
Ashok Panda, co-convener of INTACH, Puducherry chapter, has helped convert homes and buildings into heritage hotels. | G Pattabiraman
Conserving the heritage of this beautiful sea-side town is high on the Puducherry government’s agenda. “Two years ago, the government, which owns 30 heritage buildings, agreed to partner with INTACH to restore 21 buildings. Five or six buildings have been restored, with two to be restored this year,” says Ashok Panda, co-convener of INTACH, Puducherry chapter. With its team of 10 architects and restoration experts, INTACH has converted homes and buildings into heritage hotels such as Hotel Orient, Hotel Gratitude, Maison Perumal and La Maison Tamoule, and has restored 25 Tamil homes on Vysial Street. Hotel Orient was restored at a cost of `60 lakh and Hotel Gratitude for Rs.1 crore. For Maison Perumal and La Maison Tamoule, INTACH suggested the design.
Private players, especially those who endorse heritage preservation, are making a beeline for Puducherry, with many of them taking over ancient places and converting them into heritage hotels. Palais de Mahe on Rue de Bussy, a shining example of French colonial architecture with high ceilings and a yellow-white facade, owes its existence as a heritage hotel since 2013 to CGH Earth. In 2009, the group had restored an old Tamil house, Maison Perumal, at a cost of `2 crore. “Each of our properties has its own special charm and character. Palais de Mahe in the French quarter is very French, while Maison Perumal has a distinct Tamil character,” says Sam John, manager of Maison Perumal.
A hundred km away from the former French enclave, pioneers in the heritage architectural-restoration-for-reuse Neemrana Hotels honed in on Tharangambadi, which housed a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845. In Tamil Nadu, Neemrana’s 2004 project was the Bungalow on the Beach, an 18th-century Danish colonial house that belonged to the governor of Danish India, followed by Naik House and Gate House. On the Neemrana cards is another heritage hotel, Thamgam House.
In the neighbouring capital, a bit of Chennai’s vast architectural heritage was saved when the 17th century Luz House opened its doors to the public in 2014. “Luz House was in ruins for 40 years, except when it functioned as a L’Oreal heritage spa. I suggested to my father that we could transform Luz House to earn revenue,” says Abhimanyu Prakashrao, whose family owns the Dutch colonial bungalow. With an investment of Rs.50 lakh for restoration, the risk paid off for this MBA graduate. They have been doing well by letting it out for events and weddings. “We plan to start a small café, an eight- or 10-roomed hotel next. So far, only a third of the house is open to the public,” says Prakashrao.
Abhimanyu Prakashrao upheld the family legacy by restoring the 17th century Luz House in one of Chennai’s oldest areas, Mylapore, in 2014. | R Satish Babu
Bengaluru has its share of old bungalows, with many remodelled to create a new entity. The late 19th century colonial structure in Basavanagudi houses an antique home-furnishing boutique, Basava Ambara. When Venkataram Reddy heard in 2009 that the outhouse and a section of the mansion owned by the M Mahadevan family was available for rent, he took it. The bungalow is home to the Mahadevan family, and houses The Rogue Elephant, a café integrated into the boutique.
What separates Karnataka’s capital from the capital of the Vijayanagara kings, Hampi, is 350 km. Known for its beautiful ruins, Hampi and its surrounding areas—such as Anegundi—get many tourists. Shama Pawar, founder of the Kishkinda Trust, has been restoring the ruins of Anegundi and promoting its art and culture for the last two decades. “We have done lot of documentation about the ruins and monuments that are not covered under the government agencies. There is a mantapa with 64 pillars in the Tungabhadra river, with each showing 64 kinds of skills. The mantapa surfaces only during summer when the river water is low,” she says.
That heritage is an invaluable asset has manifested in people getting together and working towards its preservation. Sharmila Ganesan, co-convener of INTACH, Tamil Nadu, started Friends of Heritage Sites (FOHS) in 2014. “We wanted to involve the local community for they are stakeholders too, and often resort to vandalising properties,” says Ganesan. For their pilot project in 2015, they honed in on Mamallapuram to revive the ancient Pallava art and train local sculptors. “We commissioned six garden sculptures adhering to Pallava art and conducted a heritage workshop for middle-school kids,” she says. The organisation also conducts heritage tours every year.
Tamil Nadu’s heritage lies in its 36,000 temples. Chennai-based author and historian Pradeep Chakravarthy, says, “As a seven-year-old I used to visit temples and that impacted me.” Chakravarthy began organising heritage tours in 2014 on a friend’s suggestion. “We picked Tirunelveli as I knew the lay of the land. During the trip, we visited the house of an old zamindar family,” says the London School of Economics graduate. Trips to Vellore and Pudukottai have been planned for this year. “I am looking for a Tamil Jain family in Vellore to host us for an ‘ahimsa’ lunch,” he adds.
Sabita Radhakrishna revived the 1,000-year-old Kodalli Karuppur sari worn by the ranis of Thanjavur up to the 19th century. | R Satish Babu
Not just architectural heritage, the revival of textile and arts heritage has come in for scrutiny. Writer, columnist, foodie and playwright Sabita Radhakrishna, who has worked with textiles for the last 30 years, says, “I wanted to revive the Kodalli Karuppur sari, which has 1,000 years of history. It was made exclusively for the ranis of Thanjavur up to the 19th century. With government support and help of a master weaver and a painter from Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh, we spearheaded the revival campaign last year.” In June 2015, Radhakrishna started the 60 handloom sari pact in which one wore only handloom sarees 60 times.
Sambaji Rajah Bhonsale, a royal descendant of the Maratha rulers and a Thanjavur painting expert, imparted training to 100 women in the art. | Ratheesh Sundaram
Heritage art such as the Tanjore (Thanjavur) paintings has also got a shot in the arm. Last year, along with a few other painting experts, B Sambaji Rajah Bhonsale, a royal descendant of the Maratha rulers and a Thanjavur painting expert, imparted training to 100 women on an initiative by CM Jayalalithaa. The women were paid Rs.2,000 each as stipend.
Thanjavur’s rich cultural past is also being revived by Prakriti Foundation, an organisation started by Chennai-based businessman-turned-culture czar Ranvir Shah.
Meera Krishnan of Prakriti Foundation has restored 50 panels at Devashriya Mandapam in the Thyagarajaswamy temple in Thiruvarur. | R Satish Babu
“We are looking to restore the Kalyana Mahal Chhatram at Thiruvaiyaru into a heritage centre,” says Meera Krishnan, programme coordinator for Prakriti Foundation. Its first project in 2008 was to restore 50 panels at the Devashriya Mandapam in the Thyagarajaswamy temple in Thiruvarur. Each year in March, Prakriti organises the Sacred Music Festival on the banks of the Cauvery river at Thiruvaiyaru, 12 km away from Thanjavur and the birth place of the legendary poet-saint Thyagaraja. Next on their agenda is to build a hostel for students of the music college there.
Tombs are as much part of the southern heritage as temples, and the Qutb Shahi tombs in Hyderabad representing a blend of Persian, Pashtun and Hindi architecture, are the only necropolis in the world where the members of seven generations of one royal dynasty are buried. They are also Hyderabad’s oldest heritage structures. In 2013, Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) took up the task of their restoration at a cost of `100 crore over a 10-year period. Conservationist architect and project director of AKTC Ratish Nanda says, “Our ambition is long-term preservation of this 450-year-old heritage structure.”
Chennai celebrates its heritage and 377-year-old history with the Madras Day celebration since 2004. Journalist and historian Vincent D’souza, who ideated the festival, keeps it pithy when it comes to heritage conservation. “If you are proud of your heritage, you will treat it with respect, not vandalise or spit on it,” he says.
With inputs from Saumesh Thimbath,Chetana Divya Vasudev, Amit S Upadhye and Saima Afreen
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Sunita Raghu / April 02nd, 2016
