It was in Oct 2004, just back from Mumbai, I went on to be a part of the festival of a neighbourhood in Chennai.
Mumbai's 'local' spirit was still high on my mind. Not just the trains, but the local and neighbourhood sentiments each area in Mumbai has for the people who live there.
Though we were in and out of Chennai due to official postings, we lived in Mylapore whenever we were posted in Chennai.
My family has a close connection with Arisikara Street in Mylapore, Raja Muthiah School in R.A. Puram, Venkatesa Perumal - Vedantha Desikar temple alongside Chitrakulam and the 'Andhra hospital' (Now Durgabai Deshmush Medical centre) too!
But I distinctly remember the Luz Church Road and Norton Road where I spent most of my memorable days.
After living in Mumbai for 6 years we were back to live in Abhiramapuram and that took me to the Mylapore Festival that the meighbourhood newspaper, Mylapore Times has been hosting.
Frankly, I had never done so much of talking in my life and career till then.
I had taken part in conferences, presented papers and spoke banking business at business meetings. My exposure to clients across the counters in the bank was very limited as I had spent most of my career in administrative offices. That too in large credit appraisal departments where speaking more was a bit dangerous and not warranted!
The experience of putting people and things together (the director of the festival calls it 'marrying the two'!) was new and challenging to me. But the end product was nice.
And all that started in 2004 continues for me and I am into co-ordinating the Mylapore Festival for the fifth year.
Every year the experience is different.
The entry of younger Orkut group two years ago, as volunteers added colours to the preparations and hosting.
The young keep up the spirits and I live in my 20s and 30s all over again!
A new set of 25 youngsters volunteer this year too.
The oldest neighbourhood of Chennai is getting younger day by day with the participation of young people in the festival!
Welcome to the 2009 edition on Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Electricity bill online in Chennai and suburbs!
When the Tamil Nadu Government declared a holiday on Sep. 15, I thought I would take a chance and see if the TNEB office is open to collect the bills as it was the last day for payment. (By the way, why do we keep it till the last date? I resolve to pay it early next month, but somehow it gets dragged till the last date every time!)
I had to make a trip to the EB office on Sep. 16. The counter at Besant Nagar opens at 8 am. So most office-goers stop by at 9 O' clock and make the payment. If you can be there around 8.30, you can be the first or second in the queue.
But on Sep. 16 at 8.15 am the counters were overflowing. Apartment watchmen and maids were seen holding bunch of electricity cards and each one took more than 15 minutes at the counter. I was getting late for a consultancy session and wished if there was an alternative mode!
But I could reach the counter at 9 am and paid my bill. On way back I saw a board getting ready - Payment will be accepted on Sep. 17 till 2.30 pm!
I do spend most of the time online. I had earlier checked out online bill payment facility - Bill Junction - when we were residing in Bombay till 2004.
I was wondering if TNEB itself would come out with an online payment facility!
Yes, my wishes came true. This facility was inaugurated by the Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veeraswami yesterdaty. Read here-
I am now waiting for the next month's electricity bill to pay it through www.tneb.in!
I had to make a trip to the EB office on Sep. 16. The counter at Besant Nagar opens at 8 am. So most office-goers stop by at 9 O' clock and make the payment. If you can be there around 8.30, you can be the first or second in the queue.
But on Sep. 16 at 8.15 am the counters were overflowing. Apartment watchmen and maids were seen holding bunch of electricity cards and each one took more than 15 minutes at the counter. I was getting late for a consultancy session and wished if there was an alternative mode!
But I could reach the counter at 9 am and paid my bill. On way back I saw a board getting ready - Payment will be accepted on Sep. 17 till 2.30 pm!
I do spend most of the time online. I had earlier checked out online bill payment facility - Bill Junction - when we were residing in Bombay till 2004.
I was wondering if TNEB itself would come out with an online payment facility!
Yes, my wishes came true. This facility was inaugurated by the Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veeraswami yesterdaty. Read here-
I am now waiting for the next month's electricity bill to pay it through www.tneb.in!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Holiday for Anna Centenary in Tamil Nadu
Yes, it is a holiday today. A bonus holiday for the government employees.
Bankers too have a day off as it is a holiday under Negotiable Instruments Act.
Private institutions were also asked to declare a holiday considering "the importance of the day".
It was declared last evening and The Hindu's news update service put up the information at 7 pm yesterday.
The school kids whose exams are going on spent an hour's time (or more?) calling up their classmates and teachers to find out if it was really a holiday and how the day's exam was going to be rescheduled. When I saw the neighbour's kid walking around with the telephone handset calling up friends I told him to check up his school's website - he studies is a school which uses LCD panels instead of blackboards!
He did go to check up the website but could find nothing up there! He began his round of calling his friends from where he left 10 minutes ago!
I tried googling to help this boy out so that he could leave the phone out and get back to his books. I did not find even a single school in the city updating information on its website. Leave alone the day's announcement, the info on the websites were at least a month old in many cases.
But I came across a surprise.
A school in Salem had updated their website with all the information a student needs to know of the surprise holiday declared on a Sunday. Clear information of what happens to the day's Computer Science exams and what is up on Tuesday, after the holiday.
All this at the same time The Hindu published online - at 7.02pm!
The city schools do have an edge over the others in infrastructure, the technology, the resources and geeky teachers and students! But not the dedication and the dutifulness of a school outside the city. That's what I could think of!
Bankers too have a day off as it is a holiday under Negotiable Instruments Act.
Private institutions were also asked to declare a holiday considering "the importance of the day".
It was declared last evening and The Hindu's news update service put up the information at 7 pm yesterday.
The school kids whose exams are going on spent an hour's time (or more?) calling up their classmates and teachers to find out if it was really a holiday and how the day's exam was going to be rescheduled. When I saw the neighbour's kid walking around with the telephone handset calling up friends I told him to check up his school's website - he studies is a school which uses LCD panels instead of blackboards!
He did go to check up the website but could find nothing up there! He began his round of calling his friends from where he left 10 minutes ago!
I tried googling to help this boy out so that he could leave the phone out and get back to his books. I did not find even a single school in the city updating information on its website. Leave alone the day's announcement, the info on the websites were at least a month old in many cases.
But I came across a surprise.
A school in Salem had updated their website with all the information a student needs to know of the surprise holiday declared on a Sunday. Clear information of what happens to the day's Computer Science exams and what is up on Tuesday, after the holiday.
All this at the same time The Hindu published online - at 7.02pm!
The city schools do have an edge over the others in infrastructure, the technology, the resources and geeky teachers and students! But not the dedication and the dutifulness of a school outside the city. That's what I could think of!
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Young people and Chennai's heritage
I believe in passing on the rich culture, heritage and values of one generation to the next so that they are perpetually preserved. In any community or any country!
I felt glad that the Madras Day movement too believed in it , when I became part of it in early 2005.
Vincent D' Souza and I chalked out contests that would make the young people participate and worked on simple rules for the contests. Among the contests, one was on Chennai's heritage for the school kids which required them to make models of landmarks and they kids told the story on the spot to the visitors. This contest was part of the Madras Day events of the previous year, when the celebrations were first initiated by the trio - S. Muthiah, Vincent D' Souza and Sasi Nair and was supported by INTACH. (The quiz was another and is being continued from 2004.)
I observed that kids from far away schools were bringing the models, charts and other materials to assemble at the spot, by autorickshaws, cars and school vans. I thought the monitors and mouse would fascinate the kids as they fascinate even people like me and thought of making it a presentation on the computer by the next year.
But, we weren't very sure of the gizmos in 2006 and wanted to test it before we make the kids do the presentations. So we took another year to make it happen.
It was a pleasure to view the presentations on the LCD screen in 2007. Now the documents on CDs would live on forever, we thought!
For the second year, the multimedia presentation contest on Chennai heritage was held this year at Sastri Hall in Mylapore on Aug. 19.
Twenty teams from schools across the city - from Tiruvottiyur to Tiruvanmiyur participated in the contest. The school teams presented their work one after the other. All the other teams watched them with interest and curiosity. This is the power of visual medium!
By the end of the week, we received a report at YOCee's small office on the presentation contest from one of the participants. Read the report, straight from the horses mouth!
Another event was not a contest but an experience!
Two schools - P. S. Senior Secondary and Sri Sankara Vidyashramam from south Chennai travelled to the northern part of the city. On the Fun Bus (courtesy : Ashok Leyland) guided by Swahilya.
A young boy took down notes of all that they saw during their trip and mailed a report. Wonderfully neat and nice! Here's his report!
I am happy for two reasons - one is for being part of a movement which gives me hope that all is well at the hands of the youth and the other is that I could provide a platform for the reports by the kids on such events that would be documents forever.
I could be present and be part of the events in a very limited way this year though, due to personal reasons.
I felt glad that the Madras Day movement too believed in it , when I became part of it in early 2005.
Vincent D' Souza and I chalked out contests that would make the young people participate and worked on simple rules for the contests. Among the contests, one was on Chennai's heritage for the school kids which required them to make models of landmarks and they kids told the story on the spot to the visitors. This contest was part of the Madras Day events of the previous year, when the celebrations were first initiated by the trio - S. Muthiah, Vincent D' Souza and Sasi Nair and was supported by INTACH. (The quiz was another and is being continued from 2004.)
I observed that kids from far away schools were bringing the models, charts and other materials to assemble at the spot, by autorickshaws, cars and school vans. I thought the monitors and mouse would fascinate the kids as they fascinate even people like me and thought of making it a presentation on the computer by the next year.
But, we weren't very sure of the gizmos in 2006 and wanted to test it before we make the kids do the presentations. So we took another year to make it happen.
It was a pleasure to view the presentations on the LCD screen in 2007. Now the documents on CDs would live on forever, we thought!
For the second year, the multimedia presentation contest on Chennai heritage was held this year at Sastri Hall in Mylapore on Aug. 19.
Twenty teams from schools across the city - from Tiruvottiyur to Tiruvanmiyur participated in the contest. The school teams presented their work one after the other. All the other teams watched them with interest and curiosity. This is the power of visual medium!
By the end of the week, we received a report at YOCee's small office on the presentation contest from one of the participants. Read the report, straight from the horses mouth!
Another event was not a contest but an experience!
Two schools - P. S. Senior Secondary and Sri Sankara Vidyashramam from south Chennai travelled to the northern part of the city. On the Fun Bus (courtesy : Ashok Leyland) guided by Swahilya.
A young boy took down notes of all that they saw during their trip and mailed a report. Wonderfully neat and nice! Here's his report!
I am happy for two reasons - one is for being part of a movement which gives me hope that all is well at the hands of the youth and the other is that I could provide a platform for the reports by the kids on such events that would be documents forever.
I could be present and be part of the events in a very limited way this year though, due to personal reasons.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Four months and counting . . .
When I mentioned 'three months' to a friend last month, he smiled at me through the edge of his eyes! I smiled too sheepishly. But the truth is I am counting and will do so, not till the ninth month, but all through my life!
The first month after I took a break from my routine was really tough. I spent most of the time convincing myself of the rest I needed the most at that time. Over three months I am almost back to the routine. Yet, I hesitate to decide on resuming the old time table.
Many things kept me busy all these four months.
I could get the kids' website YOCee a database driven site and could link the bylines of the young authors to their brief profiles.
I could host the student reporter programme for the website just by sitting in front of my computer.
I could get another website up and running for a friend (two?)
But what really brought me back to near normalcy was the Madras Quizzes - the Tamil and the English quiz. Making the presentations / slides and organising the questions, rounds, scoring and playing the stills and videos brought my energy levels back to the original point.
Now, what next, ask my energies!
And am back to blogging!
The first month after I took a break from my routine was really tough. I spent most of the time convincing myself of the rest I needed the most at that time. Over three months I am almost back to the routine. Yet, I hesitate to decide on resuming the old time table.
Many things kept me busy all these four months.
I could get the kids' website YOCee a database driven site and could link the bylines of the young authors to their brief profiles.
I could host the student reporter programme for the website just by sitting in front of my computer.
I could get another website up and running for a friend (two?)
But what really brought me back to near normalcy was the Madras Quizzes - the Tamil and the English quiz. Making the presentations / slides and organising the questions, rounds, scoring and playing the stills and videos brought my energy levels back to the original point.
Now, what next, ask my energies!
And am back to blogging!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Walks around cities
When you are new in a city, town or a small village, the best way to explore the place is to take a walk.
In a village, you can just take the host down for a walk and have tender coconuts, and peanuts on way and when you leave the place, get a nice gift for the host! You have had lots of fun!
In cities it is different route.
Thanks to the transferable job I was in and my husband is still in, we could get to stay in different types of places in India - rural, semi-urban, urban and metropolitan. And we never missed to visit the neighbouring towns and cities on many weekends.
But ten years ago, all that we depended on to go around the new place was the govt.tourism dept. Like the Mumbai Darshan and the Delhi Darshan. One day conducted tours by the dept was just enough to come back after the tour to say that we saw the Gateway of India and the Marine Drive sitting inside the bus.
If you want to get a flavour of the place into yourself and soak in the lifestyle of the city, the best way is to join the passionate groups that conduct 'walks' across the city
On one such visit to Mumbai, my friend and I were part of a group that explored the Fort area of the city. Two young women architects take the effort to show the visitors to their city, a different ' Bombay'. Check their website here - http://www.bombayheritagewalks.com/
And if you go to Bangalore, do try out the Bangalore Walks which is different from the city tours that show you the Vidhana Soudha and the Lalbagh always. Take a look at - http://bangalorewalks.com/
However the oldest is the London walks - They have a weekly timetable . There are private walks, special walks for special occasion and exclusive walks for kids. Here is where they host their detailed website - http://www.walks.com/
For a few years now, a set of passionate people in Chennai are hosting walks at different places. A walk inside the Fort St. George, George Town walk, north Madras walk, Tree walk, turtle walk and a few more being explored. You can mail a query to madraswalks@gmail.com
A group of photo enthusiasts in Chennai is on regular photo walks every month! Check the project on Flickr here.
I personally have a plan for a Map Walk for kids. They will map their neighbourhood, mark the landmarks and have fun on the lanes and by-lanes of their own area!
Your ideas and suggestions are welcome!
In a village, you can just take the host down for a walk and have tender coconuts, and peanuts on way and when you leave the place, get a nice gift for the host! You have had lots of fun!
In cities it is different route.
Thanks to the transferable job I was in and my husband is still in, we could get to stay in different types of places in India - rural, semi-urban, urban and metropolitan. And we never missed to visit the neighbouring towns and cities on many weekends.
But ten years ago, all that we depended on to go around the new place was the govt.tourism dept. Like the Mumbai Darshan and the Delhi Darshan. One day conducted tours by the dept was just enough to come back after the tour to say that we saw the Gateway of India and the Marine Drive sitting inside the bus.
If you want to get a flavour of the place into yourself and soak in the lifestyle of the city, the best way is to join the passionate groups that conduct 'walks' across the city
On one such visit to Mumbai, my friend and I were part of a group that explored the Fort area of the city. Two young women architects take the effort to show the visitors to their city, a different ' Bombay'. Check their website here - http://www.bombayheritagewalks.com/
And if you go to Bangalore, do try out the Bangalore Walks which is different from the city tours that show you the Vidhana Soudha and the Lalbagh always. Take a look at - http://bangalorewalks.com/
However the oldest is the London walks - They have a weekly timetable . There are private walks, special walks for special occasion and exclusive walks for kids. Here is where they host their detailed website - http://www.walks.com/
For a few years now, a set of passionate people in Chennai are hosting walks at different places. A walk inside the Fort St. George, George Town walk, north Madras walk, Tree walk, turtle walk and a few more being explored. You can mail a query to madraswalks@gmail.com
A group of photo enthusiasts in Chennai is on regular photo walks every month! Check the project on Flickr here.
I personally have a plan for a Map Walk for kids. They will map their neighbourhood, mark the landmarks and have fun on the lanes and by-lanes of their own area!
Your ideas and suggestions are welcome!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Advertise your services, dear CA friends!
When it comes to choosing a career, doctors and lawyer may rank better than a CA.
But, ICAI, has been constantly working on better recognition for the Chartered Accountants and so is the ICWAI for the Cost Accountants.
In a recent development, CAs are allowed to advertise their services. This is ahead of of their doctors and lawyer counterparts!
So now, here is a sample advertisement:
But I feel, more than advertising their services, the CAs need to advertise why Chartered Accountancy is a good career to choose, for the benefit of the IT crazy younger generation.
Perhaps the younger generation needs to know that at the end of any business or career, the money earned is to be managed well, the financial plans need to be drawn for the progress of the company and a good management information system (MIS) should be in place to monitor growth and ring the bells when needed!
ICAI gives an overview here.
But, ICAI, has been constantly working on better recognition for the Chartered Accountants and so is the ICWAI for the Cost Accountants.
In a recent development, CAs are allowed to advertise their services. This is ahead of of their doctors and lawyer counterparts!
So now, here is a sample advertisement:
Escape from all taxes!
Call XYZ and Company
Experts in arriving at NIL Income Tax
This is going to be ahhh!Call XYZ and Company
Experts in arriving at NIL Income Tax
But I feel, more than advertising their services, the CAs need to advertise why Chartered Accountancy is a good career to choose, for the benefit of the IT crazy younger generation.
Perhaps the younger generation needs to know that at the end of any business or career, the money earned is to be managed well, the financial plans need to be drawn for the progress of the company and a good management information system (MIS) should be in place to monitor growth and ring the bells when needed!
ICAI gives an overview here.
Friday, May 16, 2008
M. J. Akbar's Covert is out!
Politics has never been my favourite subject for discussion, neither in college, nor now.
But I keenly follow current affairs that affect our daily life and in general, the public.
And when the news is about writings and authors, I follow with more interest.
The recent news which caught up my attention is the launch of veteran journalist M. J. Akbar's new political magazine - Covert.
What's more interesting is that the online edition of the magazine is also up!
Akbar knows the media as well as the medium to launch his new effort, though his blog is written by a 'Power of Attorney holder'!
By the way, Mr. Akbar, the 'About us' page link of Covert is blank!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Roadside cement factory!
Suddenly, our colony footpaths, which are reasonably well maintained, started looking bad in the eyes of the city fathers!
The bordering slabs were dug out and laid again. For reasons best known to the Corporation!
In the process a few slabs were broken and new slabs needed to be put up in their place.
On a quiet night, a truckload of stones and sand arrived in front of our home. A week later a few workers came early morning and started 'producing' the slabs on the spot.
The frontage and side spaces of a huge vacant house, located in a corner of the main road and a cross road became the production area.
A scene of the work spot!
Our colony gets a face lift!
The bordering slabs were dug out and laid again. For reasons best known to the Corporation!
In the process a few slabs were broken and new slabs needed to be put up in their place.
On a quiet night, a truckload of stones and sand arrived in front of our home. A week later a few workers came early morning and started 'producing' the slabs on the spot.
The frontage and side spaces of a huge vacant house, located in a corner of the main road and a cross road became the production area.
A scene of the work spot!
Our colony gets a face lift!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Madras - Calcutta : Memory link - trams
This day that year is one of my favourite columns in The Hindu. It tells you about an interesting event that happened fifty years back.
Here's one that happened 55 years ago in Chennai - 1953 April 12: Madras trams stop operating.
I came across this accidentally when I was searching for a science related info on NCSTC.
I have heard about tramways in Chennai. My dad used to narrate the experience of travelling on it, just to spend the day when he was in Madras on job search. The very thought of a 'train' on rails in the middle of a road was beyond my imagination till I happened to see one in Calcutta. (We saw it on the day we stooped over while travelling to Madras from Patna in 1992!)
The bell, the overhead wires, the slow movement that any fit person could easily jump into it while it was on the move were part of dad's stories.The side story was that the buses ran on charcoal power, at that time and a very few preferred to travel by buses! Trams ran on electric power!
When I googled for more info on Madras trams, I stumbled upon this article of nice memories by R. Ganapathy. You will also surely enjoy it.
Here's one that happened 55 years ago in Chennai - 1953 April 12: Madras trams stop operating.
I came across this accidentally when I was searching for a science related info on NCSTC.
I have heard about tramways in Chennai. My dad used to narrate the experience of travelling on it, just to spend the day when he was in Madras on job search. The very thought of a 'train' on rails in the middle of a road was beyond my imagination till I happened to see one in Calcutta. (We saw it on the day we stooped over while travelling to Madras from Patna in 1992!)
The bell, the overhead wires, the slow movement that any fit person could easily jump into it while it was on the move were part of dad's stories.The side story was that the buses ran on charcoal power, at that time and a very few preferred to travel by buses! Trams ran on electric power!
When I googled for more info on Madras trams, I stumbled upon this article of nice memories by R. Ganapathy. You will also surely enjoy it.
Monday, March 31, 2008
My first video post!
I love to explore any new gadget or a widget online. But, the videos on YouTube or GoogleVidoes took a lot of time to penetrate through my interests for reasons unknown.
But when I was part of a team to explore possibilities and ways to host videos online, I tried out one, to make sure that the video works online. The first and simple one was YouTube, then the Flash movie and then Google videos.
The test video is posted below.
I liked it. The chitraveena player loved it!
But when I was part of a team to explore possibilities and ways to host videos online, I tried out one, to make sure that the video works online. The first and simple one was YouTube, then the Flash movie and then Google videos.
The test video is posted below.
I liked it. The chitraveena player loved it!
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Hindu - Then and now!
A year ago, The Hindu introduced the epaper edition.Registered users could access the paper for a month for free.
During Feb. 2007, the epaper announced subscription rates.
After a year, from Feb. 1, 2008 the subscription rates are revised.
Reduced from Rs. 400 a month to Rs. 150 a month! No explanations, no assigning reasons!
The reasons can be many - increased online advertisements takes care of the cost or the newspaper is aiming at more readers / subscribers or could have realised that the rates are on the higher side . . .
Indian broadsheets are on the spree of driving their subscriptions. On their print editions.
Deccan Chronicle came at Re.1 a day. Now monthly subscriptions at Rs. 50
Business Standard launched a campaign in Chennai.
Now Times of India at Rs. 350 half a year with freebies.
Should The Hindu too send out its marketing team out now?
But world over the newspapers have broken down the subscription module. The Washington Post came out for free. Why did they 'tear down that wall?'
In my personal opinion reading a newspaper online that too the e-replica is a pain. Reading the content in plain html format serves the purpose and less strain to the eyes. I get to see a few newspapers and magazines offer web extras online.
Even the Business Line from the The Hindu Group of Publications!
So, decide now to be or not to be in the subscribers' list!
During Feb. 2007, the epaper announced subscription rates.
After a year, from Feb. 1, 2008 the subscription rates are revised.
Reduced from Rs. 400 a month to Rs. 150 a month! No explanations, no assigning reasons!
The reasons can be many - increased online advertisements takes care of the cost or the newspaper is aiming at more readers / subscribers or could have realised that the rates are on the higher side . . .Indian broadsheets are on the spree of driving their subscriptions. On their print editions.
Deccan Chronicle came at Re.1 a day. Now monthly subscriptions at Rs. 50
Business Standard launched a campaign in Chennai.
Now Times of India at Rs. 350 half a year with freebies.
Should The Hindu too send out its marketing team out now?
But world over the newspapers have broken down the subscription module. The Washington Post came out for free. Why did they 'tear down that wall?'
In my personal opinion reading a newspaper online that too the e-replica is a pain. Reading the content in plain html format serves the purpose and less strain to the eyes. I get to see a few newspapers and magazines offer web extras online.
Even the Business Line from the The Hindu Group of Publications!
So, decide now to be or not to be in the subscribers' list!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Thyagaraja Aradhana - Adyar, Chennai
I am personally amused by the idea of paying tribute to Thyagaraja, one of the great composers of Carnatic music on every Sunday after the aradhana at his Samadhi in Tiruvaiyaru is over.
(Leave alone the aradhana or the tribute at Tiruvaiyaru that has become a show off these days and displays no sanctity.)
This continues till April and travels to the USA and Australia.
I see the musicians hopping across to all the sabhas hosting the aradhana week after week. Some even sit for one Pancharatna kriti in one sabha and move on to the other if there are more than one aradhana on the same day.
After all they have to show their faces and offer their namaskarams to the organisers more than paying tribute to the composer!
You are a lucky one if you had been to this place on a day other than the aradhana!
Sit on the cemented slabs on the banks of the river Cauvery, sit inside the mandapa where the composer's samadhi is situated, if you can, sing a song and pay your tribute, walk down the quiet streets of the village, have a look at the cement and mortar building that is coming up at the site where house of Thyagaraja once stood!
Tell me, if you make a trip after reading this post!
Picture caption: Aradhana held at the Karpaga Vinayakar temple in Karpagam Garden, Adyar on Fen. 3, 2008
(Leave alone the aradhana or the tribute at Tiruvaiyaru that has become a show off these days and displays no sanctity.)
This continues till April and travels to the USA and Australia.
I see the musicians hopping across to all the sabhas hosting the aradhana week after week. Some even sit for one Pancharatna kriti in one sabha and move on to the other if there are more than one aradhana on the same day.
After all they have to show their faces and offer their namaskarams to the organisers more than paying tribute to the composer!
You are a lucky one if you had been to this place on a day other than the aradhana!
Sit on the cemented slabs on the banks of the river Cauvery, sit inside the mandapa where the composer's samadhi is situated, if you can, sing a song and pay your tribute, walk down the quiet streets of the village, have a look at the cement and mortar building that is coming up at the site where house of Thyagaraja once stood!
Tell me, if you make a trip after reading this post!
Picture caption: Aradhana held at the Karpaga Vinayakar temple in Karpagam Garden, Adyar on Fen. 3, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
Nature and kids
One of the treasures of this city is its beaches.
The Marina and the Elliots have different features and the visitors to these beaches are also different.
What kids and adults do at the Marina is different from what happens at the Elliots.
But our beaches do not have those trees we find on the beaches of Kerala.
So what?
Prakriti Foundation recently held the The Tree of Life festival in Chennai and kids were also part of it.
They created the trees on the Elliots beach. For the contest titled 'Nature and I'.
Many created the Fort. And a few created all the elements of nature - Sun, plants, volcanoes, rivers.
On the plots allotted to them for the evening.
I could see all-kids teams, family teams, school teams and a band of friends, a few of them were college students.
But they all were concerned about the nature.
A kid was telling me about the climate change in the North. Cold waves and avalanches unusual to our country bothered him .
A good sign of awareness.
The Marina and the Elliots have different features and the visitors to these beaches are also different.
What kids and adults do at the Marina is different from what happens at the Elliots.
But our beaches do not have those trees we find on the beaches of Kerala.
So what?
Prakriti Foundation recently held the The Tree of Life festival in Chennai and kids were also part of it.
They created the trees on the Elliots beach. For the contest titled 'Nature and I'.
Many created the Fort. And a few created all the elements of nature - Sun, plants, volcanoes, rivers.
On the plots allotted to them for the evening.
I could see all-kids teams, family teams, school teams and a band of friends, a few of them were college students.
But they all were concerned about the nature.
A kid was telling me about the climate change in the North. Cold waves and avalanches unusual to our country bothered him .
A good sign of awareness.
Friday, January 25, 2008
PonGala!
What can a few brown papers, paints, craft papers, poles and strings create?
A lot. With sparkling ideas and a lot of enthusiasm these could create a Kids Community festival.
I received an invite from two bubbly kids to PonGala - a festival for kids and by kids!
Wow, the idea coincided with what I have been trying to do with kids.
The invite said - sacrifice your TV time and join the fun. The giveaways are certificates. Assured prize - lots of fun!
On a quiet
morning after the grand Pongal Day, a small colony in Kilpauk came alive with kids in traditional dresses, rangolis, kummi, pot painting, festoon making contest and many more.Mascots Bhooma and Suri depicting the Mother Earth and Sun god made out of chart papers and bunch of straw, the festival banners made of brown papers decorated the place!
A day of real fun and frolic!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Almanac - update
Long ago I had blogged about the No. 28 Asal Pambu Panchangam.
Recently Raja Krishnaswamy mailed a comment on this:
And yes, every system has scientific approach to time, stars, planets and their effects on human life.
Just the humans have to believe!
PS: Sorry for the delayed post. We have been busy with another festival here, which has nothing to do with the traditional festivals that make to the almanac, but we mark it in our calendar!
Recently Raja Krishnaswamy mailed a comment on this:
"I was browsing the internet when I came upon your blog posting on the Pambu Panchangam. Not sure if you are aware, but even the western world uses a Panchangam and there is a popular Almanac sold in the US called the "Farmer's Almanac" published since 1792 which identifies appropriate times to seed, etc.Yes, Raja. I am aware of this. My post was an observation of the age-old almanac trusted by the Tamil population in our country. On a lighter side.
So there is a very scientific basis to picking the times in the Pambu Panchangam. Check out http://www.almanac.com/ "
And yes, every system has scientific approach to time, stars, planets and their effects on human life.
Just the humans have to believe!
PS: Sorry for the delayed post. We have been busy with another festival here, which has nothing to do with the traditional festivals that make to the almanac, but we mark it in our calendar!
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