Category Archives: Records, All

Meet WeBe Design Lab: The architecture team behind National War Memorial

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion

WeBe design won the international competition to design the National War Memorial of India hosted by the Ministry of Defence in 2016.

National War Memorial in New Delhi
National War Memorial in New Delhi

Chennai :

“It was an overwhelming moment when the sketch on my notepad stood magnificent in front of my eyes. It’s a privilege to work for the nation,” reminisces Yogesh Chandrahasan, the principal architect of the National War Memorial inaugrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on February 25. Yogesh is a part of WeBe Design Lab, an architecture practice based in Chennai and Coimbatore. The firm was established a decade ago by a vibrant team of eight partners from the School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University, in 2010.

Bagging the project

WeBe design won the international competition to design the National War Memorial of India hosted by the Ministry of Defence in 2016. The team was commissioned to build the same in 2017. The competition hosted by the Ministry of Defence was on a global level in two stages. From around 450 entries, 75 entries were shortlisted. They were then narrowed down to nine based on conceptual designs

A team of six architects flew from Chennai to New Delhi
A team of six architects flew from Chennai to New Delhi

These nine teams further developed the designs and competed in stage two. Each of the team had to present the final design to a 20-member jury comprising renowned architects and eminent professors in the field, and to the Ministry of Defence.

“We were not in a great circumstance when we took up the project. Especially, after demonetisation and floods, things had taken a hit for us financially. Taking up a humongous project like this was a big deal that demanded great responsibility. The time given to complete the project was two years,” said Yogesh, who will be in New Delhi for another month.

Capturing emotions

The selected team had eight consultants from Chennai and New Delhi to assist the project in different areas. “The whole idea was a collaborative effort. The intent of our design was to look at the memorial as a place where soldiers were reborn,” he says.

Drafts and details

Revisiting his initial days of the project, Yogesh says, “A partner and I travelled to New Delhi to sign the final agreement before the project commenced. We had to present the detailed project report and the work demanded two whole months of stay in New Delhi. A team of six architects flew from Chennai and we stayed in a hotel there.” “Instructions from the Ministry came as orders and not requests. Here, the clients are particular about individual tasks completed in scheduled time. The deadline was the only factor that kept us going. The team was a big motivational force. Each of us used to lift one another up in times of crises,” shares Yogesh.

Grand opening

Yogesh will always cherish the inaugural day. “The Prime Minister shook hands with me and walked away. However, Defence Minister Nirmala Si-tharaman introduced me to him for a short private chat. His words still ring in my ears — ‘You’ve justified my dreams by doing a satisfactory job with the project’,” he shares.

Memorial architecture

Spread across 42 acres, the design of the `176-crore project is interpreted as four concentric circles of varied elements. The outermost — The Circle of Protection — personifies the territorial control of the armed forces of the borders, The Circle of Sacrifice metaphorically represents the formation of soldiers in the war. The Circle of Bravery has been conceived as subterranean colonnaded semi-open corridor holding the brave stories, and the focal point of the memorial is the innermost circle — The Circle of Rebirth — symbolising the immortality of jawans who lost their lives, through the external fire. The Param Yodha Sthal is a unique space dedicated for the Param Vir Chakra awardees, India’s highest military decoration.

The park is designed with the existing trees, accommodating bronze statues of 21 awardees. “As directed by the Central Vista Committee, New Delhi, the design of the war memorial is subterranean with the built form not exceeding 1.5 metres above the ground level. The design was conceived carefully to retain the character of the existing open space and the aesthetics sanctity of the Lutyens planning. Above all, the success is because of team effort and amalgamation of creative thoughts. That aside, my family and friends were a huge support. Some of my clients pooled in resources to support me financially,” says Yogesh.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities>Chennai / by Vaishali Vijaykumar / Express News Service / March 07th, 2019

This 14-year-old from Chennai is on a roll

Education, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Even before showing her prowess at the international rollball tournament, city-based Mahimasree CS impressed the jury in the state.

Mahimasree CS
Mahimasree
CS

Even before showing her prowess at the international rollball tournament, city-based Mahimasree CS impressed the jury in the state. She was the only player from Tamil Nadu to be selected to play for the Indian team in the 3rd Asian Rollball Championship held recently at Belgaum. She was the only player from South India and youngest player in the team that won gold at the event. A class 9 student of Suguna PIPs School, Mahimasree was a skater initially.

When she was practising to skate, she was introduced to rollball by the physical director of her school, Rajasekar V, who also serves as the secretary of the Coimbatore District Roll Ball Association. “I started skating when I was in class 5. Rajasekar was my coach. Seeing my skating skills, he introduced me to rollball and trained me,” she says. Mahima was selected at district-level in rollball in 2016. “After the selection, I was appointed as the captain of the team,” she says.

In 2017, the 14-year-old participated in the National Rollball Championship in Goa, SGFI Rollball Championship in Chhattisgarh, and in 2018 she took part in Invitational Rollball Championship in Sri Lanka. Her team won bronze at the national meet, silver at the invitational championship and two gold and one bronze at SGFI championship.

“The first national- level match I took part in was in Udaipur in 2016 where my team secured fourth place,” says Mahima, who is a goalkeeper and defensive player in the sport. Talking about the recentlyheld Asian Rollball Championship, she says that it is her first venture into the international- level. “Players from 17 countries took part in the tournament. In the finals, I played offence and defence against Bangladesh and won gold with a score of 4-3.

It was difficult to win in the finals because the score was 3-0 in favour of Bangladesh. When we almost lost the hope of winning, the coach motivated us to play for the country and in the last 30 seconds, we placed the goal,” she shares. Mahima plays tennis, is a swimmer and an athlete. “Playing as a team taught me team spirit. I feel proud to have represented India,” she says, adding, “I aspire to represent India in the Olympics, and make the country proud,” M a h i m a says.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities>Chennai / by S P Kirthana / Express News Service / March 06th, 2019

In a big win for regions’ farmers, Erode turmeric receives Geographical Indication tag

Business & Economy, Records, All, World Opinion

The Geographical Indication (GI) tag is granted to products that are special for a particular geographical area and prevents misuse of the popularity of the products by others.

Boys cleaning turmeric at a farm in Tamil Nadu (File Photo | V Karthikalagu/EPS)
Boys cleaning turmeric at a farm in Tamil Nadu (File Photo | V Karthikalagu/EPS)

Chennai  :

Turmeric grown in the Erode region was conferred the Geographical Indication tag on Wednesday, enabling the farmers and traders from the region to claim sole rights over the famed ‘Erode Manjal’.The Geographical Indication Registry of India granted the coveted status based on the application filed by ‘Erode Manjal Vanigarkal Matrum Kidangu Urimaiyalargal Sangam’.

The Geographical Indication (GI) tag is granted to products that are special for a particular geographical area and prevents misuse of the popularity of the products by others. The application for the GI tag was filed by the traders’ association from Erode, first in 2013 and after a scrutiny, the application was accepted and publicly notified in August 2018.

The traders’ association in its application said that the region in and around Erode is synonymous with the turmeric and vice versa. ‘Erode Manjal’ is famous across the globe. The prominent areas of cultivation of Erode turmeric in the region in and around Erode, are Kodumudi, Sivagiri, Havani, Gobichettipalayam, Anthiyur, Chennampatti, Sathyamangalam and Thalavady.

“During the Sangam era, 2000 BC, of Tamils, the peasants grew turmeric plants in front of their houses. There is evidence that turmeric is one of the commodities traded during the Chera, Chola and Pandian Kingdoms. The turmeric assumed greater importance in the religious and socio-cultural traditions as it was considered as an auspicious and holy herb. For its aroma and colour to the food items, turmeric has multifaceted utility in food, medicine and cosmetics,” the application said.

Among the two important varieties of turmeric – Chinna Nadan and Perum Nadan, the Erode farmers raise Chinna Nadan. It is grown as an important commercial spice crop in the Erode and bordering areas in Coimbatore district and thousands of small and marginal farmers are involved in its cultivation.Speaking to Express, Chinnaraja G Naidu, Deputy Registrar of Geographical Indications in Chennai, said the product has been registered and the certificates have been issued under Class 30.

The application also said that the Erode turmeric requires a hot and moist climate and the temperature in the district varies from 20 to 37.9 degree Celsius. The turmeric thrives best on the loamy or alluvial soils.
According to the traders, Erode is one of the largest markets for turmeric in India. Erode Regulated Market, Erode Agricultural Producers Marketing Co-op Society, Gobi Agricultural Producers Marketing Co-op Society and open market are the major daily turmeric markets in Erode. Coimbatore Regulated Market is also a marketing centre.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Harsh Murali / Express News Service / March 07th, 2019

Tamil Nadu students win hackathon

Education, Records, All, Science & Technologies

Eight teams, including two from Tamil Nadu, emerged winners at the just-concluded Smart India Hackathon.

The teams from Tamil Nadu cracked the challenges in the Civil Aviation and Labour and Employment categories. A total of 32 teams participated in the event held in the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology. The participating teams were assessed by experts from respective departments. Kancheepuram District Collector P. Ponniah and Civil Aviation Joint Secretary Usha Padhee distributed the prizes.

Across the country as many as 1,373 teams comprising over 10,500 engineering students participated in the hackathon organised by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

As many as 148 teams participated in the contest held in five co-ordinating centres in the State.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – March 05th, 2019

The House that Chisholm built

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

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We often read and hear of the history of Chennai’s Senate House — but what of its present and future?

I am delighted to see that some use has at last been made of the University of Madras’ Senate House as was promised, when this magnificent “Work of Genius” was restored in 2008 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the founding of that premier educational institution.

Parts of the Chennai Photo Biennale exhibition were mounted here recently and had visitors once again admiring the interior of this bit of architectural splendour.

The story of this building goes back to July 1864. It was suggested at the time that the first office buildings of the University, then located in Presidency College, be established in a building called Senate House to be raised on Marshall’s Road. However, Governor Lord Napier, in his Minute dated November 28, 1867, stated his views categorically. He wrote:

“The site on Marshall’s Road stands at a great distance from the Presidency College, the College of Civil Engineers, the Medical College, the principal schools and the quarters which supply the greatest number of students and persons concerned in literary pursuits. But it is hoped that the University buildings will not be circumscribed to a mere hall or Senate House for the offering of Degrees and other rare solemnities. We expect that, eventually, University Professorships will be established and that University lectures will be delivered (emphasis mine). Even at the present moment it is most desirable that a University library should be founded, which would serve as the General Public library for the studious classes in the capital, a library in which the valuable Manuscripts belonging to the Government may be lodged and in which the past and current publications of the Presidency (which we are now directed to register and preserve) may be deposited and, as I trust, united with an ample collection of works useful to the general student and particularly interesting to the educated inhabitants of Southern India. If such should be the eventual character of the University buildings, it is obvious that nothing is more desirable than to place them in some degree of juxtaposition with the principal haunts of education and to provide them with cheerful attractive aspects as well as a good supply of air… (emphasis mine).

Chisholm02CF06mar2019

“The proposals which I accordingly submit to Council are comprised under the following heads:-

(i) To affirm that the proper site for a University building is the ground between the Marine Villa and the Revenue Board office” (off the beach).

Work then began 150 years ago, in 1869, at a site where the Nawab’s Artillery Park fired gun salutes to greet visiting dignitaries, and in the style of The Nawab’s Octagon, Nawab Wallajah’s bathing pavilion. The University offices moved into Senate House in 1879.

The design of the building was by Robert Fellowes Chisholm. The designs of Chisholm, a young engineer who had joined the Bengal PWD in 1859, were chosen the winners of two competitions in 1864. A 21-year-old Chisholm arrived in Madras in 1865 to supervise the building of both sites. In 1872, he was appointed Consulting Architect to the Government of Madras, an appointment pushed through by Governor Lord Napier who virtually became his patron. In 1877, he was also appointed the Superintendent of the Government School of Industrial Arts (now the College of Arts and Crafts). He retired in 1889 to take up similar positions with the Gaekwad of Baroda. He left India in 1902 to practice in London. Apart from his work in Madras he was responsible for designing some of the finest 19th Century buildings in India. Amongst them are the Lakshmi Vilas Palace and the Museum in Baroda, the Napier Museum, Trivandrum, the Lawrence (Asylum) School and Town Library in Ootacamund, and the Rangoon Cathedral. He was also responsible for the restoration of the Tirumala Nayak’s Palace in Madurai. During his twenty years in Madras, he not only changed the city skyline, but he spread the Indo-Sarcenic architectural style he was considered master of throughout India. Senate House was planned to integrate with Chepauk Palace, to which he made several additions and amendments.

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In 2006 a committee was formed at the University to celebrate in 2008 the 150th anniversary of the Institution. This committee, together with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, Chennai chapter, as well as several corporates raised around ₹7,00,00,000 to restore Senate House and ready it for the sesquicentenary celebrations. Restoration completed, promise was made that the building would, as in the past, be put to good public use.

This never really happened and Senate House became virtually a godown. Fortunately the Chennai Photo Biennale has lit a candle that may yet prove the lamp to lead the way to regular public use of this magnificent building.

The forgotten plaque

It was a fairly prominent story the other day and its headline read “Facelift for Saidapet Bridge”. A fresh coat of paint and new grills at a cost of ₹43 lakh were promised. Not a word about heritage significance here.

The Saidapet Bridge is officially called the Maraimalai Adigal Bridge and connects Saidapet with Guindy. But from ancient times it has been called the Marmalong Bridge, though those with a sense of history remember it as Coja Petrus Uscan’s Bridge, recalling that that legendary Armenian, “John Company’s most loyal friend”, developed a causeway here into a bridge linking Saidapet with St. Thomas’ Mount. He also endowed its maintenance as well as that of the steps to the Mount.

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A stone plaque at the northern end of the bridge remembers the munificence of the Armenian who left a fortune for the public good, particularly the Roman Catholic Church. For years, heritage enthusiasts have campaigned to save this historic memorial stone and it is only good fortune that has still kept it in sight despite all the Metro work around it. What is surprising is that in the most recent news story no mention has been made of the Uscan memorial and saving this listed heritage monument for posterity.

My picture today shows the plaque in position during the last week of February 2019. Surely a facelift to Saidapet Bridge must include giving prominence to this plaque and narrating the story of the city’s benefactor who died in 1757.

I hope that during the facelift for the Marmalong / Saidapet / Maraimalai Adigal / Petrus Uscan Bridge, more attention will be paid to the plaque than there is in the news story or in real life.

The chronicler of Madras that is Chennai tells stories of people, places, and events from the years gone by, and sometimes, from today

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by S. Muthiah / March 04th, 2019

Golden Leaf India Awards: Best teas competition begins in Coonoor

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nature, Records, All

The first-level screening of teas for the 15th edition of ‘TGLIA’ was held at UPASI headquartered in Coonoor.

Tea tasters at First level screening test for TGLIA southern tea competition on at Coonoor.—DC
Tea tasters at First level screening test for TGLIA southern tea competition on at Coonoor. —DC

Coonoor :

For this year’s ‘Golden Leaf India Awards: Southern Tea Competition (TGLIA)’, the first-level screening of teas began here in Coonoor on Saturday, as tea manufacturers showed keen interest in the competition.

The TGLIA conceived by United Planters’  Association of South India (UPASI) in collaboration with Tea Board of India is an annual feature eagerly looked forward to by the tea fraternity in South India.

This competition over the last 14 years helped immensely to showcase the quality teas of various regions of South India all over the world, said Mr. Arun Kumar, convener, Organising Committee of  TGLIA.

He further added that there was considerable enthusiasm amongst the producers to participate in this year’s TGLIA competition, 15th edition this year, which showed the success and  popularity of this competition.

As many as 152 entries were received from 44 tea estates/companies for this year’s competition from different agro-climatic regions of Nilgiris, Wayanad, Anamallais, Travancore, High Ranges, other minor tea growing regions, and from ‘Bought Leaf’ factories. This unique event generated an intense competition among the six growing regions to produce quality teas, he disclosed.

The first-level screening of teas for the 15th edition of ‘TGLIA’  was held  at UPASI headquartered in Coonoor.  A five -member panel representing leading tea brokers and packagers evaluated the teas that have entered the competition.

The process of selecting the best teas’ from various agro-climatic regions is based on a multilayer screening process using a scoring system that capture the various quality attributes of tea such as dry leaf appearance, infused or spent leaf appearance, liquor attributes such as colour, taste/flavour, briskness and strength in an objective manner.

The teas qualifying the first level of screening will also be screened for pesticide residue parameters and heavy metals. The final tasting session is likely to be held  in Ahmedabad, Mr. Kumar added.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by B. RaviChandran , Deccan Chronicle / March 03rd, 2019

Madras chamber of commerce and industry honours Dr Shanta

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

“Men may come and Men may go, but I will go on forever”,Dr V. Shanta said.

Padma Vibhushan Dr V. Shanta
Padma Vibhushan Dr V. Shanta

Chennai :

Padma Vibhushan Dr V. Shanta, chairperson, Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar was felicitated and honoured by the Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry and WITT during an healthcare seminar, “Healthcare: Today & Tomorrow- Creating a Sustainable Enterprise with Medical Leadership” organised here .  Dr V. Shanta in her special address detailed her six-decade journey with Cancer Institute (WIA). She spoke about the challenges and the struggles faced and highlighted on the achievements and requested to give a “Status” to the Cancer Institution that it deserves, on par with other Government Institutions and concluded her address with a clear statement defining her – “Men may come and Men may go, but I will go on forever”.

Mr. Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, president, The Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry, while delivering the presidential address stated, “While it’s good to look at revenue and employment numbers, it’s equally important to put ‘CARE’ back into Healthcare, and ensure quality, accessibility, availability and affordability of healthcare. And we have a long way to go to be happy with the impact numbers”. He concluded his address by stating “With technology playing an unbelievably important role, I believe Tamil Nadu has a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to become the healthcare (or Health Tech) capital of the country and perhaps of the world”.

The Keynote Speaker Padma Shri, Dr Sneh Bhargava, former director, AIIMS, New Delhi, addressed on “Where did we go wrong?”  She elaborated on the current status of healthcare in the country in the context of 5Ms – Men, Machine, Money, Medicines and Management. She highlighted on the detrimental factors that are prevalent in the sector.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by Deccan Chronicle / March 03rd, 2019

A solo drive across the country, for a ‘clean’ mission

Amazing Feats, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion
Sangeetha Sridhar. | Photo Credit: K_Pichumani
Sangeetha Sridhar. | Photo Credit: K_Pichumani

NRI spreads awareness on Swachh Bharat

“Tamil Nadu is the 29th state I’m visiting. I’ve been driving through the country for around 183 days and have covered 41,000 km,” says Sangeetha Sridhar, rattling off numbers when asked about her journey.

An NRI from UAE, Ms. Sangeetha, who originally hails from Coimbatore, has been driving through the country in her modified Tata Hexa for her initiative – ‘Clean India Trail’.

“I wished to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE and the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and undertake this trip as a goodwill journey. Gandhiji always dreamt of a clean and safe India for women and I planned this trip systematically to show that this doesn’t have to be a faraway dream,” she says.

Ms. Sangeetha began her trip from Mumbai on August 12 and has been travelling solo since then, visiting over 290 cities. Her travels, she says, have taught her self-reliance and sustainability while allowing her to soak in different cultures and have engaging conversations with interesting people.

Sanitation audit

“Through this journey, I’ve been auditing the condition of sanitation facilities available and creating awareness about the Swachh Bharat Mission. I drive a vehicle that is made in India and only use products and technology that are home-grown,” she says. Her car is fitted with solar panels and the middle seat has been removed to ensure that she can sleep inside. “At night, I ensure that I find a safe place to park my vehicle – either inside the compound of a residential complex or a police station. I sleep inside the vehicle and use the public sanitation facilities available,” she says.

Ms. Sangeetha has also been engaging with nearly 59 signature industries across the States she has travelled through and has also visited various heritage sites. Collaborating with a start-up, she explains that all the information she collects are documented on an app in her phone. “For my audit of the sanitation facilities, the app provides me with a log and I also can record voice notes which will be location-tagged so that I can go back to them later,” she says.

With her website www.cleanindiatrail.com detailing her travels, Ms. Sangeetha says that the results of her audit will be handed over to the United Nations Sustainable Development Board and the Ministry of Tourism. “People everywhere have been extremely welcoming. For women who wish to travel and go on long solo road trips, it is extremely important to prepare physically and mentally. Plan your milestones clearly so that you know what it is that you want to see and it is imperative to study everything along your route,” she adds.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by S. Poorvaja / Chennai – March 02nd, 2019

IIT-Madras and Sankara Nethralaya bring out path-breaking treatment for retinoblastoma

Education, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

According to the statement, the research will help in ensuring better treatment for retinoblastoma that affects one in every 1,500 children across the world.

Chennai :

The IIT-M and Sankara Nethralaya researchers have identified pathways by which diseased cells in retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer, obtains energy for growth and survival, said a statement issued by the institute.

According to the statement, the research will help in ensuring better treatment for retinoblastoma that affects one in every 1,500 children across the world.

The research study has led to the identification of five more new drug targets that can be used for treating the eye cancer. The research will offer the potential for developing new and more effective drugs with minimal side-effects.

The published work is the first study to use Constraint-Based Modeling (CBM) to predict metabolic biomarkers for diagnosis of Retinoblastoma in Indian patients and to suggest novel drug targets for its treatment.Their work has recently been published in the Journal of Federation of European Biochemical Societies letters. Leading medical and genomics research organizations in India and the US have contributed to this research.

In India alone,1,500 new cases of Paediatric Retinoblastoma are reported daily, adding tremendously to the socio-economic burden of cancer care. Most common symptoms of this disease are appearance of a white dot in the retina and squint. As with most forms of cancer, the key to retinoblastoma management is early detection and treatment.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Express News Service  / March 01st, 2019

Dharani dreams big

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

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The story of a fisherman’s son, who taught himself to surf, win championships, and train hundreds of people in the sport

Dharani Selvakumar once snuck into a boat to follow his father to sea. “He’d warned me to keep off the water at any cost,” says the 27-year-old surfer from Kovalam. The instant he saw his son, A Selvakumar, dragged him back home and whacked him. A fisherman, he knew the dangers and uncertainties of the profession, and wanted his only son to grow up far from the whiff of the sea. But the sea runs in Dharani’s blood. Nothing — not even his Computer Engineering degree — could keep him from it. Today, the seven-time National champion and ISA-certified surfing instructor, is in charge of Covelong Point @ Mahabs, the second branch of Covelong Point Surf School.

Dharani was an over-protected 90s kid. Despite his father’s repeated warnings, he did what any kid who lived by a beautiful seaside village would do. He jumped into the water the moment he came back from school and college, spent many afternoons catching crab with his bare hands, and surfing with broken windows and polystyrene boards. And when the surfing culture caught on in Kovalam, Dharani promptly followed suit, borrowing a cousin’s surf board.

“I had a three-month break before I joined Engineering,” he remembers. It was an unforgettable three months. Dharani spent every day hitting the water with the board, conversing with the waves, negotiating the ebbs and falls, falling and rising, until he mastered the art of surfing all by himself. “I was addicted to it,” he says. “But I fell out with my cousin and had to return his board,” he says.

Dharani approached Moorthy Megavan, co-founder of Covelong Point Surf School, who let him use his boards. Soon, Dharani started participating in surfing tournaments.

“The Summer Swell Challenge of 2012 in Puducherry, was the first competition I participated in,” he says. He came first in the semi-finals. In 2013, Dharani came first in the Junior Level at a tournament in Covelong. More successes followed, and Dharani travelled to surfing tournaments in various places, including Vizag, Kovalam (Kerala), Mangalore, and Konark Beach. “I also travelled to Thailand with the sponsorship of Arun Vasu of TT Group, who’s been a big support,” he says. Somewhere along the way, he learned stand up paddling too.

Dharani started teaching at Covelong Point in his free time and enjoyed the process. He’s trained over 6,000 people so far, some of whom are equipped enough to participate in tournaments. The best thing about teaching, for Dharani, is that he gets to see the same unabashed thrill in his students that he experiences every time he rides the waves. “I cannot describe the feeling, but I’m able to share it with someone else, which makes me happy,” he says. Dharani says that he would love to start his own surf school in the future. “But for now, I want to focus on taking the sport to the next level, and involve more boys from Mamallapuram in it,” he adds.

It was not easy making a career out of the very means his father advised against. “People in my village kept badgering him about why I was whiling away my time at sea despite being well educated,” he says. But Dharani’s mother Desam stood by him. She did housekeeping where he taught just to be with him. Gradually, Dharani’s father began to see how much happiness the sea brought his son. On an average day, there may be many people on the beach, admiring Dharani’s moves on the surf board. But he knows that sometimes, his father does too, pausing on his way to work.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Akila Kannadasa / February 27th, 2019