Tales of Cooum and its 113 temples

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All
At the book lauch in Madras Literary SocietyRomani Agarwal
At the book lauch in Madras Literary SocietyRomani Agarwal

 

Chennai :

The Cooum River has for long been a talking point in Chennai — albeit for all the wrong reasons. Environmentalists decry the pollution and neglect the river has been subjected to, turning it into a nauseous cesspool, as opposed to its rather cleaner upstream that starts from the source.

It was as an attempt to restore a cultural significance to both the river and the historical temples on its banks that the book The Gods of the Holy Koovam, by heritage enthusiast Priya Baskaran, was launched
recently at the Madras Literary Society.

Inspired to take up the project while she was part of the Cooum Cultural Mapping Group — a group of heritage lovers aiming to regenerate interest in the river through cultural cartography — Priya said that her aim was to map the various temples of importance along the course of the river that have been obscured from history.

“This book is not the first of its kind to try and retrace history — but it definitely is the first to retrace the history of Cooum,” said Priya. “Most of the information for temples in the Cooum region was not available in the public domain and was elusive. Books that detailed historical inscriptions (such as The Topographical Inscriptions of Madras Presidency (1915) by V Ranchacharya) went out of print decades ago.”
Initially organised as a trip to the source of the river in a village by the group, Priya wanted to detail more about the holy shrines along the river. “I found that the Cooum, a relatively short river of 72 km had its own Koova Puranam (which is a part of the Skanda Puranam). That is where we started from, and through further research, we found that the Cooum had 24 cheris and 18 kotams annexed to it — that was its importance! It clearly was a treasure hunt for us!” she said. She has mapped nearly 113 temples starting from the source of the river right up to the heart of Chennai.
She also found that many temples had inscriptions that could be of great historical value. “However, the sad part is that in most temples these inscriptions are no longer available as they have been modernised and subsequent work has left them bereft of heritage value,” she rued.

She also lamented the fact that several temples in the region have not been getting any patronage and are in an advanced stage of disrepair, often with certain buildings being taken up by surrounding encroachments. “The temple tanks of several temples require repair and if revived they can help replenish surrounding water bodies and villages too,” she added.
The book was released by K Sridharan, retired deputy superintendent of archaeology, state archaeology department. Priya also runs a blog called ‘Aalayam Kanden’, where she writes about lesser known heritage sites, has been featured among the top Indian travel and spiritual blogs for the last six years. A part of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be used to set up a Tamil section at the Madras Literary Society.
To order a copy, call 9790918056 or write to aalayamkanden@gmail.com

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Gokul M. Nair / Express News Service / February 13th, 2017

The long road home

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

ChaturaRaoCF13feb2017

Chatura Rao’s novel is a portrait of lost love and new-found identity caught in the sweep of a nation’s history

A Blueprint for Love traverses present to past, happy childhood to anguished adolescence and serene village to chaotic city, with the ease of memory. After all, Chatura Rao’s second novel for adults is semi-autobiographical, its opening pages and beautiful prose drawn from the years she grew up in a large house in Madras, where her cousins filled her days, and rowing flooded her hours.

In the early 1990s, Rao trained with an all-women’s crew that went on to represent India at the Asiad. Schooled at Church Park, Stella Maris and Sophia College, Rao worked as a features journalist in her adopted city, Mumbai, and switched to writing fiction while expecting her first child. The Case of Disappearing Colour was followed by books Nabiya and Growing Up In Pandupur, co-authored with her sister, Adithi.

Her first novel for adults, Meanwhile, Upriver, is the story of two disparate people who inhabit the spirituality-soaked streets of Benares. A Blueprint for Love travels across India — Pune to the Himalayan foothills, Mumbai to Gandhinagar and Baroda to Delhi, and demands of its reader attention to its lyrical lines and riveting plot. The novel moves fluidly to settle in a place, the core of which symbolises an India waiting to implode from the personal and political tragedies of our time.

“It has its beginnings in Childhood Dust, an unpublished short story of mine. My editors at Bloomsbury, who found the style quiet and intimate, were keen that I expand it,” says Rao, speaking over telephone from Mumbai.

“I was reluctant, because the story was too personal for me, based on the loss of a dear cousin. But, as I wrote, it was the other track in the story that became more immersive. I had recently conducted workshops near Corbett National Park and the place is so beautiful, I decided that the hero, Suveer, should belong here.”

A Blueprint for Love celebrates a brave and sympathetic couple, Suveer and Reva, held together by the memory of Aboli, a girl they both loved. Suveer and Aboli’s romance plays out in a badminton court in the innocence of the 1990s, with Reva playing a willing Cupid. Aboli is determined to wed Suveer despite familial opposition, but dies soon after in a road accident.

The house where the cousins grew up, with its cosy corners and shadows cast by the dusty, lancet-shaped leaves of the mango tree, is sold, and the family scattered across India. Aboli, the love affair and the good times close like a heavy door on Reva’s life, although it seeps in like dust through the open window of her memory, casting a pall on her marriage to Tarun. Every year, Suveer, now a journalist, and Reva meet platonically on Aboli’s birthday to remember her, until Suveer travels to Gandhinagar to do an election special on the ‘dishousing’ of a Muslim businessman in a Hindu-dominated neighbourhood.

Suveer’s bid to save Mahnoor, a young Muslim woman, earns him broken bones and the love of Reva, who thinks nothing of leaving her husband and rushing to be at his side. There on, the lives of Suveer and Reva, Mahnoor and her husband Zahyan spiral downward, caught in narratives of hatred unleashed by zealots from both sides. All through this runs the thread of finding ‘home’, no longer just a physical space, but a metaphor for where one can be true to oneself despite the odds.

“Even those of us who have homes are looking to be rooted somewhere,” says Rao. “Zahyan and Mahnoor want the security of a home, while Reva has one but can’t settle down because of her own demons. This paradox was important to me.”

The book moves from Aboli and Suveer’s summer-filled romance to the bloodlust of sectarian violence, with alarming speed. “Aboli was warm and loved, Reva is confused and brooding. But, Aboli’s story was explored less because she dies young. It was a conscious choice to leave her behind.”

The novel also examines how hard it can be simply to survive. A fact that asserts itself in the book’s cover of a blue window filled with fractured glass.

Rao, who curated the Chandigarh Children’s Literature Festival last year, says, “Writing for children and adults occupies completely different spaces.” Her recent Gone Grandmother (Tulika) for children is introspective, without the layers adult literature demands.

A Blueprint for Love more than paints a tableaux of young people caught in a time of chaos. It portrays the slow death of the idea of a nation and is a love song to a lost Indian childhood.

(Published by Bloomsbury, the book, priced at Rs. 199, is available online and at stores.)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Authors / by Deepa Alexander / February 13th, 2017

This city gal aspires to make it big in boxing

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

Coimbatore:

Boxing. It’s the only focus of 14-year-old D R Harshita. And her dream is to make it big in the sport.

She was introduced to martial arts such as Karate and Taekwondo at the age of eight. But, Harshita knew that boxing was her call. The sport, she said, gave her the much needed courage and strength to face anything in life.

“It started with small incentives that I got in terms of cash prizes when I won district and state level competitions. I knew this was a way to not only help my struggling parents but also to become brave,” Harshita said.

Harshita has won three consecutive gold medals at the state-level in the 48-50kg weight category under the 14 age group. She also has represented the state at the national level event. At the Khelo India, organised by the National sports Authority of India in January this year, she was placed fourth.

The journey has not been an easy one. Harshita’s father Ramesh Arvind is a farmer and mother, a system analyst. “Harshita’s father faced huge losses in business 20 years ago and since then we had been struggling to make both the ends meet. I started to work to support the family,” said P Jayanthi, her mother.

“I decided to teach both my daughters martial arts so that they could protect themselves. But seeing their passion for boxing, we decided to support them,” Jayanthi said. Harshita’s elder sister R Yashwantika is also a boxer and has won medals at the district level.

Harshita said her role model had always been Mary Kom and other wrestlers. “Women face a lot of hardship in any sport. I just got hooked to boxing and wanted to set an example for others. Even today, when I look around, I find parents not letting their children travel alone as they are scared of their safety. I want this to change. I want parents to treat both sons and daughters equally,” she said.

Harshita’s coach Selva Shankar said he was proud of her and wanted parents to come forward and support their children when they take up sports like boxing. “Usually, we do not see many athletes or sports personalities from South India. But Harshita’s parents have set an example. They have helped both their daughters pursue their passion in a lesser known sport. Despite their hardships, they continue to support them,” Shankar said.

Alvernia matriculation higher secondary school for girls, he said, allows their students to take up boxing as a professional sport. “Usually, we do not see schools encouraging the sport. If more such schools help their students take up sports, we will have many international champions,” Shankar said.

Shankar now trains Harshita to help her qualify for international events that are scheduled for April in Malaysia.

Jayanthi said it was often difficult to fund her daughter’s sporting dream. “We had to work extra and collect money to ensure she was comfortable. We wanted to make things easy for her so that she could win at the state and national level,” she said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Coimbatore News / TNN / February 13th, 2017

Age doesn’t deter this 72-year-old from racing

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

Coimbatore :

In a first in the country, a 72-year-old active racer has won an award for completing 50 years in motorsports. Stepping into the 51st year of career, D Vidyaprakash is not ready to give up the sport anytime soon. He is gearing up for another round of racing competition, with eight races lined up for the championship this year in the saloon cars category.

Recently, Federation of Motor sports clubs of India (FMSCI) had felicitated him with an award. “It is a big honour for me. And receiving it from Jean Todt, who was the manager for the Ferrari team when Michael Schumacher won five times world championship, made it more special,” Vidyaprakash said. Jean Todt is also the president of the Federation Internationale de Automobile (FIA).

Ask Vidyaprakash what keeps him going and pat comes the answer – Racing. “Since my childhood, I loved to fiddle with parts of any machine and always worked to make it better. The same passion drew me to racing in which every year I wanted to come up with a better and faster car. The satisfaction that I get from racing cannot be matched with anything. My teammates, family and competitors are also a source of inspiration,” he said.

In 1980s, Vidyaprakash had almost retired from racing. “In 1990s, Karivarthan created a car and wanted me to test it on the track. He also gifted me the car and asked me to use it for the next race. There has been no looking back since then,” Vidyaprakash said.

Aware of his limitations that have come with the ageing, he said, “I know my reflexes are slower and eye sight is becoming weaker. I know where to draw the line and am careful at the racing tracks,” said Vidyaprakash. “I will continue to race until I feel I can,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Coimbatore News / TNN / February 13th, 2017

Gripping finish to Karupanan’s show

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

Madurai :

Skill, stamina and training may be enough to beat the bull. But if you have to beat R Karupanan, it may not be enough.

Youth trying to tame a bull at Palamedu Jallikattu near Madurai on Thursday | K K sundar
Youth trying to tame a bull at Palamedu Jallikattu near Madurai on Thursday | K K sundar

The 34-year-old stayed put in the arena for seven hours, living the dream of every bull tamer, at Palamedu Jallikattu on Thursday. The traditional sport was organised in Palamedu after a gap of two years, with the lifting of the ban.
Karupanan tamed nine bulls from 9 am to 4 pm and stole the show.
“Winning a Royal Enfield Bullet in Palamedu Jallikattu is the biggest prize that I have got so far,” Karupanan, a farmer and resident of Aritapatti near Melur in Madurai district, told Express.

“When I was very young, I was interested in Jallikattu and used to practice with a bull belonging to the Ellamanayagi Amman Temple in the village using Vadam Jallikattu technique. For 17 years, I have participated in several Jallikattu events across the State and have won prizes including bicycle and bureau,” said Karupanan, who keeps a Jallikattu bull in his house.
Thanking the organisers and the officials from the district administration for organising Palamedu Jallikattu in a proper manner, Karupanan said he was very happy to participate in the event. He claimed that five years back, he had tamed 10 bulls in a similar event in Theni district and that taming nine bulls in Palamedu was his second best achievement.

Thanking the students who staged a protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu, Karupanan said he dedicated his victory to the students who played a big role in the conduct of Jallikattu after two years. He further added that he had registered to participate in the Jallikattu to be conducted at Alanganallur on Friday and give a stunning performance there too.

During the Palamedu event, a team of officials were closely monitoring the bull tamers playing by the rules and the bulls that were performing well. Later,  District Collector K Veera Raghava Rao distributed shields and certificates to five best bull tamers – Karupanan, K Sivakumar of Mudalaikulam village (tamed seven bulls), P Senthil of Manampatti (tamed six bulls), V. Prabakaran of Melur (tamed six bulls) and K Silambarasan of Chinnaoorseri (tamed four bulls). He also distributed shields and certificates to five best bulls owned by Jallikattu Peravai president P Rajasekaran, bull owned by Anbu of Sikandar Savadi, bull owned by Ayyadurai of Boodakudi, bulls owned by Selvam of Karuppayurani and bull owned by Karuppasamy of Oothankudi for their performances.
Though the Jallikattu was scheduled to start by 8 am, the event commenced only at  9 am as the members of the Jallikattu organising committee delayed the bringing of temple bulls to the arena at Palamedu.
Before the start of Jallikattu, six temple bulls were brought to Vaadi Vasal after special poojas were conducted in a local temple in Palamedu.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Kaushik Kannan / Express News Service / February 10th, 2017

Early Nilgiris through photographs

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
The Burn foot lake of Udhagamandalam in 1860 – from a collection of photographs of A.T.W. Penn.
The Burn foot lake of Udhagamandalam in 1860 – from a collection of photographs of A.T.W. Penn.

Christopher Penn, the great grandson of ATW Penn, one of the first photographers who documented the Nilgiris and Southern India, visited the Nilgiris on Saturday and made a presentation at the Nilgiri Library of his great-grandfather’s photographs.

Mr. Penn, who stumbled upon his gilded ancestry by sheer coincidence in 2000, has been visiting the Nilgiris over the last decade.

Mr. Penn made a pictorial chronicle of the early Nilgiris, by reading from his book and also based on research done on the pictures.

Mr. Penn exhibited photographs of the Ooty Boat House, Willow Bund, a view from St. Stephen’s Church, Tiger Hill and many more.

Reading from his book, Mr. Penn, who is 79-years-old, and believes that this could be his final visit to the Nilgiris, described the funeral rites of the Todas, emphasising the importance of the Toda buffalo to the local culture.

The author said that the buffalo would be sacrificed with a single blow, and placed in the grave of the fallen man in such a way that the head of the deceased would touch the buffaloes’ and the hand would be in contact with the animal’s horn. Geetha Sreenivasan, president of the Nilgiri Library, welcomed Mr. Penn.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by Staff Reporter / Udhagamandalam – February 09th, 2017

Tamil Nadu agri icon receives Canadian medallion

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

Chennai :

Veteran agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan has been presented with the Canadian governor general’s medallion in recognition of his contribution to “improved agricultural practices and rural development in India and abroad.”

Consulate general of Canada in Bengaluru Jennifer Daubeny handed over the medallion on behalf of H E David Johnston, governor general of Canada, at a meeting held at the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation  (MSSRF) in Chennai on Monday.

Daubeny presented the medallion and citation that placed on record the “profound impact” of research being conducted at the MSSRF.

Daubeny said she was glad of the partnership between and various agencies of the government of Canada and the impact it had on rural development.

Speaking at the event, M S Swaminathan said, “Only collaboration can solve many problems.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News>  Chennai News / TNN / February 08th, 2017