Monthly Archives: December 2017

The mimicry artist and the song that has stood the test of time

Udayarpalayam R. Srinivasan recalls the sounds he produced for the popular song Kadavul Amaithuvaitha Medai in the movie Aval Oru Thodarkathai

The lines Innarkku Innarendru Ezhuthi Vaithaney Thevan Andru (marriages are divinely ordained) in the song, Kadavul Amaithuvaitha Medai, with a philosophical touch offer solace to those who fail in love.

Penned by Kannadasan for Tamil film Aval Oru Thodarkathai, the song is equally memorable for the mimicry elements included by music composer M.S. Viswanathan. Sadan, Saibaba and Udayarpalayam R. Srinivasan were the mimicry artists who lent their voice for the song. Sadan is no more.

“MSV was particular that only human voice should be used to produce the sounds. When someone suggested that the sound of thandai (anklets) could be produced by the ornament, he rejected the idea. I came forward to produce the sound. It was immediately accepted,” said 87-year-old Srinivasan, a former railway employee and vikatam (mimicry) artist. He then went on to produce the sounds he did for the film.

It was his association with the late director K. Balachander’s troupe that got Mr. Srinivasan an opportunity to perform in the film. He did 8 of the 11 mimicry sounds, including the croaking of frogs, mooing of cows, beating of the thavil, playing of the nagaswaram and veena, and the sound of anklets. The song began with his mimicry to which actor Kamal Haasan lip-synced.

“Before and after, I did not work in films, though I continued to perform vikatam concerts. I did not inform my father Udayarpalayam Ramasethu Shastri about my foray into films since he was a Sanskrit scholar who gave lectures on spirituality. Who would have approved of the son of a scholar making sounds of animals,” laughed Mr. Srinivasan, who was attracted to vikatam after listening to Thiruvisanallur Ramasamy Shastri.

“I listened to him performing vikatam at Pandurangan math on Pavalakara Street in Chennai. I was mesmerised. I approached him to learn the art, but he refused to accept me as a disciple, saying I lacked knowledge of layam. But I never lost heart and learnt it myself treating him as my guru,” said Mr. Srinivasan.

Even as a child, Mr. Srinivasan developed interest in mimicry and used to meow like cats. “I used to tease my mother’s friend with the sound,” he said. He honed his skills with regular practice. He agreed that the knowledge of music was vital for performing vikatam. “I make fun of the mannerisms of Carnatic music singers. Some behave as if they are grinding flour for making dosa and a few like they are frying jelabi in ghee. If I mimic a singer performing raga thodi, I should know the anatomy of the raga,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by B. Kolappan / Chennai – December 30th, 2017

This Forgotten Scotsman Is The Reason Why The Anamalai Hills Are Still Lush With Trees

Amidst a verdant grove of teak trees in Tamil Nadu’s Anamalai Tiger Reserve lies an ageing tombstone with a Latin inscription that says “Si Monumentum Requires Circumspice (If you seek his monument, look around)”.

The grave of a little-known Scotsman named Hugo Francis Andrew Wood, this serene spot remains a must-see for local forest guards and nature enthusiasts more than 70 years after the man himself died. For he is the reason why these ancient hills are still lush with trees.

Here is the untold story of how Hugo Wood came to the rescue of Anamalai forests at a time when they stared at a bleak future.

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In 1820, a team of British surveyors ventured into the still unexplored Anamalai range (that spanned several peaks in the Madras Presidency) and were pleasantly surprised to find it heavily forested with towering trees of teak and rosewood.

At that time, timber formed the backbone of many industries and Britain’s oak forests had vanished due to the irresponsible felling of trees. Furthermore, to retain its naval supremacy among the colonial powers, Britain desperately needed wood to make new ships.

Apart from shipbuilding and construction, logs were also needed to build train tracks for Britain’s rapidly expanding rail network — for each mile of train track, around 2,000 wooden planks were required — and provide fuel for steam locomotives.

As such, the surveyors were quick to realise the value of what they had “discovered”. Soon after, the mountains began being gradually robbed of their abundant tree cover, with the teak being shipped of to Tiruchirappalli (to build train tracks) or Bombay (to build Royal Navy ships in the Bombay shipyard).

Too large to be conventionally transported, the giant teak trees were cut down into logs, carried by elephants till a point and then floated down the river to the plains below — the reason why, in time, the spot came to be named Topslip.

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In fact, according to Forestination in Madras Presidency by Dietrich Brandis (1883), roughly about 40,000 trees were felled each year in government forests in Madras Presidency for the railways alone!

Thanks to this over-exploitation, the once-green hills of Anamalai had lost much of their tree cover by 1885. For the next three decades, several British foresters tried to regenerate the region but failed. And then came Hugo Wood.

Appointed the District Forest Officer of Coimbatore South Division in September 1915 (a post he would hold till 1926), Hugo decided to put a stop to the unchecked destruction of Anamalai’s forests and drew up a working plan for the same.

First, the 45-year-old Scotsman talked the local colonial authorities and convinced them to stop hunting wildlife and the irresponsible chopping of trees. He also befriended the tribals who lived near the forests, restored their traditional rights and brought back many who had been displaced (due to the British bringing the Anamalai forests under the reserved category).

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Next, Hugo scathingly admonished the British government for uprooting trees and introduced the forest management technique of coppicing — a method that takes advantage of the fact that many trees rapidly regrow during spring if they are cut down up to the stump during the winter.

Finally, he marked out areas where no logging or coppicing would be allowed for a period of 25 years. In fact, such was his dedication towards his work that he refused to provide timber to the British during the World War I (1914-1918).

In 1916, Hugo set up a bamboo hut in Mount Stuart (near Topslip) and began working in earnest to regenerate the forest of the mountain range. He started small, targeting an area of 25 acres. By the time of his death, it had spread to an area of 650 sq km.

He lived alone, cooked his own food and never missed out on a daily ritual. During his daily walks in the deforested land, he would fish out fistfuls of teak seeds from his pockets, use his silver-tipped walking stick to poke a hole in the ground, and plant seeds there.

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He would repeat the process till his pockets were empty. Then he would go back for more seeds and start again from where he left off. He also made efforts to rid the hills of Lantana camara, an invasive species of flowering shrub that hampered the growth of teak.

Hugo’s hard work paid off, breathing new life into the hills of Anamalai.

In 1925, Hugo retired after a severe bout of tuberculosis and settled in Coonoor, according to a Tamil Nadu forest department booklet. Having remained a bachelor (choosing instead to devote his life to conservation), he died on December 12, 1933, at the age of 63.

However, a few months earlier, a seriously ill Hugo had written a will asking to be buried amidst the trees he had planted. He has also sent the money for the same to the chief conservator of Madras Presidency.

On his death, this request was conceded and Hugo Wood was laid to rest among his lasting legacy — the teak trees he raised in the hills of Anamalai.

On windy days, leaves gently float down from the trees on to the tombstone as if to pay homage to the man who so completely loved the Anaimalais and who did so much to save it.

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Today, this place has become an oft-visited spot for tourists while his immense contribution has become a part of the local folklore. Forest department vehicles ferry people from Kozhikamuthi elephant camp to Hugo’s grave amidst Topslip’s flourishing teak forest. The forest department is now planning to set up a memorial dedicated to the legend at the spot.

Close by is the Mount Stuart Rest House (built in 1886) that is still let out to guests. Though the building stands in all its historic glory, it does have limited damage caused by curious bears and wild elephants who seem to have taken a permanent fancy to the house! However, do note that only wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers are allowed accommodation.

Photographs :  Pic (01) www.commonos.wikimedia.org / P. Jeganathan / (02 and 03) www.ddraftaniwalpower.org  (04 and 05) www.keralarchaeology.blogspot.in

source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> Conservation> Environment> Lede> Nature / by Sanchari Pal / December 28th, 2017

Beyond the ramp

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With Suvastra Designs, this NIFT graduate creates fashion for everyone, regardless of disability

Meet fashion designer Shalini Visakan, a pioneer in adaptive clothing style in India.

When big brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Burberry launched their adaptive clothing lines in 2016, they weren’t successful, mainly because their designs were wearable for only a certain category of the differently-abled.

The physique of each differently-abled individual differs according to their disorder and lifestyle, and Visakan understood this. She understood such requirements better, since her husband is also differently-abled. And that is how Suvastra Designs was born.

Ergonomic designs

She says, “We used to travel a lot, and every time he had to move, people wouldn’t know how to lift or handle him. So, I designed pants with handles to carry him along, with extra crotch length that would give space for his urinal cups, unlike normal pants. The important part is that it should also look good and formal.”

Visakan took it forward by designing a one-piece sari for her friend’s mother, who wasn’t allowed inside a temple because she was wearing a nightie. The sari has an attached blouse, inskirt, pleats and pallu.

She states, “My friend’s mother is very religious and had to stop visiting the temple since she couldn’t wear a sari any more. So, after looking at the clothes that I had designed for my husband, he requested me to do the same for his mother.”

“We either meet the customer in person or ask them to send a video about themselves to understand their demands. For example, thicker fabrics such as denim are used to stitch pants for someone with polio.

Likewise, for people with spinal cord problems, clothes are designed using materials that allow free air circulation. Velcro or elastic-attached towels are made for people who are fragile and unable to control their own body. People who are paralysed on one side of their body can use shirts with magnetic buttons and an easy-to-handle zipper,” she explains.

Bridging the gap

Her husband and pillar of support, Visakan Rajendiran, says, “In a country like India, people feel more comfortable attending a social gathering in traditional attire. We realised that there is a big gap between the clothes available in the market and the requirements of the people.”

The Trios fashion show, held at Hilton, Chennai,  in January this year, was India’s first fashion show that had models on the ramp in wheelchairs, alongside able-bodied odels. Visakan took the initiative to include physically-challenged models, and designed outfits for the ramp.

She explains her intent, “The idea was to create awareness about an inclusive societyThere is no need to be sympathetic. The disabled also live a normal, happy life. This show was not made to showcase their struggles or tell inspiring stories. It was instead a show where the platform about equality; to show that beauty is inclusive.”

The success of the event was soon evident, as a lot of people started approaching Visakan. Their recent ad shoot for Suvastra Designs showed a differently-abled model.

“We approached a lot of brands, offering to shoot for free, but the idea was rejected. Only then did we decide to shoot an advertisement for our own brand, Suvastra Designs. Many people weren’t able to tell that the model is differently-abled. We wanted this to be a motivating factor for others,” discloses Shalini.

Bigger gains

The custom-made clothes start from a basic price range of ₹1,000. The couple reveals that although the business isn’t profitable yet, they want to expand its reach, rather than focus on profits.

The couple is also planning to train differently-abled persons to groom themselves, maintain fitness, ramp walk and build confidence, so that they can enter beauty pageants. They also hope to expand their stores across India to cater to the larger population.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Priyadarshini Natarajan / December 29th, 2017

Call to undertake research in ancient Tamil music

Madurai :

Poet N S Sundararaman of Dharumai Aadheena mutt has said that the names of many renowned Shiva temples, revered in Thevaram (garland of divine songs praising Lord Shiva), were sanskritised in the past and the same fate should not befall Pannisai (ancient Tamil music and a predecessor of Carnatic music).

He further urged the Tamil Isai Sangam to undertake research in Pannisai. He was speaking at the Tamil Isai Sangam’s silver jubilee anniversary celebrations on Monday. The Sangam honoured its octogenarian trustee S Mohangandhi, also a former income tax officer on the occasion. Mohangandhi was a student of the first batch of Thevaram class and was praised for his untiring efforts to promote it for 25 years.

Since 1992, the Tamil Isai Sangam, functioning at the Raja Muthiah Mandram, has been conducting free music class on Thevaram on its premises and more than 2,000 people have studied there so far.

Sundararaman said that learning of Thirumurai (Shaiva literary works, twelve in number) will help one in many ways. “Thirumurai will uplift humans. It will change the thinking of chicanery and will help one to attain self-realisation. People belonging to Nagarathaar clan have contributed much to spreading Tamil Isai. The Tamil Isai Sangam needs to do research in Pannisai,” Sundararaman said.

Former Income Tax commissioner of Madurai S Sankaralingam who presided over the function said “One who wishes to see progress in life needs to learn Thevaram and read Thirumurai.” Trustee Thu. Meikandaan said “Thevaram music will help better functioning of brain.” Tamil Isai Sangam secretary P R Chockalingam and treasurer R M Somasundaram offered felicitations. V S Janaranjani welcomed the gathering. A G Sankar proposed a vote of thanks. A women’s troupe also sang Thevaram at the function.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Madurai News / TNN / December 26th, 2017

Former BJP State chief K. Narayan Rao dead

Former BJP State president, freedom fighter and educationist K. Narayan Rao, 88, passed away at his residence in west Tambaram on Wednesday.

Narayan Rao became a member of the RSS during his college days and when the BJP took shape, he was persuaded by leaders to become the State unit’s first president.

He also established ‘Kalaniketan’ in 1958 to produce movies.

In June 1978, he took charge as secretary of JG National School.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 28th, 2017

A glorious tradition of supporting the arts

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New book showcases contribution of Thanjavur Marathas

The contributions of the Thanjavur Maratha rulers to the State were recalled at a book launch in the city on Tuesday. Pratap Sinh Serfoji Raje Bhosle, sixth descendant of the Thanjavur Maratha royal family, released his book — Contributions of Thanjavur Maratha Kings — chronicling their impact on fields such as art, culture and literature.

“This covers not only the history of the former rulers, but also the lives of Shivaji Maharaj, his son Sambaji, their guru Samartha Ramdas Swami, the Cholas and the Nayakas, and also contains historical facts about their contribution to bharatanatyam,” he said.

Actor Vyjayanthimala Bali presided over the event and released the book. “Thanjavur is unique in so many ways and what the Serfoji family has contributed to bharatanatyam is part of history,” she said, recalling the time when there were Marathi compositions written for the dance form. “There was a time when it used to be called Maratha bharatanatyam, I have seen dancers perform on Marathi compositions written by the rulers.Bharatanatyam exponent Lakshmi Vishwanathan and Aravinth Kumarasamy, artistic director of Apsara Art Singapore, were present at the event.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 27th, 2017

The church by the sea

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St Thomas English Church that turned 175, stands a solemn witness to the passage of time

It’s late afternoon and birds keel over the squat steeple of St Thomas English Church (STEC) that stands at a bend on Santhome High Road. Children rush out of the school gate, a few swing from the low branches of trees that swish noisily in the brisk sea breeze. A winter coastal light washes over STEC’s white structure, complete with arches and turrets. Beyond stands a fishing hamlet barnacled to its compound wall that has replaced the fence with a wicket gate that opened to the beach and the bay beyond. Here, in the sweep of golden sands where Thomas, the saint who lends his name to the church and one of Christ’s 12 apostles walked, there is a mercurial stillness that hangs in the air — a quietude that has conquered the call of birds, chatter of children and the roar of waves for 175 years now.

I’m led on a guided tour of the 14-ground campus by Rev Richard Ambrose Jebakumar, the present presbyter, and Sheeba and Roshan, who were born and raised in this pastorate and whose families have been members for generations. High above the arched doorway is a crest emblazoned into the wall that spells out 1842 – the year the church was founded — and reads ‘Quarto septennial – abounding in grace, faith and love.’

“These are words that have largely inspired the philosophy of this church and its members,” says Rev Jebakumar. “Raised to meet the spiritual needs of the large number of Europeans who had made Santhome home, the church owes its existence largely to the dynamic Methodist missionary Robert Carver.” Carver, who is buried under the main altar of the church, arrived in India in 1824 and was a pioneer in the work of the oldest mission of the Church of England in India that worked at promoting Christian knowledge. By 1836, Bishop Daniel Corrie obtained a grant to build the church. By 1842, Carver had moved back to Madras from Mannargudi, and STEC was consecrated later that year. After Carver died a few years later, the church had many notable presbyters leading it, including AR Symonds and A Westcott, with the first Indian presbyters taking over in the 1930s. Their names now fill the wooden plaques that hang in a quiet corner of the church, although their work has for long defined the character of this pastorate. “St Thomas’ strength lies in the fact that it is a family church. Governor Thomas Munro worshipped here, and generations of families have been members here. It has helped foster a rare bond,” says Sheeba, member of the pastorate committee, outlining the many activities the 250 member-families pitch in for.

“Hospital visits and working with women and children from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those from the nearby CSI School for the Deaf, are some of the areas of focus.” Sheeba’s husband, Roshan, was a member of ADAG (Anti-Drug Action Group), a church band in the 1980s. “The church also pitched in to help the flood-affected people in the locality. The school, established in 1986, serves children from modest backgrounds. Weddings for the poor were held for the 175th anniversary. We also organised special services and installed a statue to mark the occasion,” adds Rev Jebakumar.

The church has changed little since it was first raised. Massive wooden doors open to aisles lined with beautifully carved pews and walls with poignant marble plaques that tell tales of English men land women ost to battles, sunken ships and tropical disease. The stained glass behind the brass and stone-embedded cross on the altar was replaced after the tsunami struck. “We were at service that Sunday. It was the only part of the church that was destroyed,” says Sheeba. On the brass lectern stands a version of the King James Bible, its pages brittle with the weight of history, but its words firm.

Music has been a strong tradition in the church. The Thomas Robson pipe organ, built in 1868 and played by organist Anila Manoharan, is the second-oldest in the city. Its strains wash over the cobble stone altar outside and to the sunset lingering across the foam-topped waves. And, above the roar of the traffic rise the words so loved by the people here — ‘There’s a church near a bend on the sea shore, No lovelier place I love more.’

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Deepa Alexander / December 27th, 2017

Lions Club honours four personalities

Special moment: Sanjay Khaitan, former international director, Lions Club, presenting the Lions Centennial Marquee Awards in Chennai on Sunday. | Photo Credit: K. Pichumani
Special moment: Sanjay Khaitan, former international director, Lions Club, presenting the Lions Centennial Marquee Awards in Chennai on Sunday. | Photo Credit: K. Pichumani

Centennial celebrations of The International Association of Lions Club-District 324-A1 held

The Lions Centennial Marquee Awards were presented on Sunday to four eminent personalities on the occasion of the centennial celebrations of The International Association of Lions Club-District 324-A1.

Industrialist Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetti (philanthropy), musician T.V. Gopalakrishnan, State Higher Education Secretary Sunil Paliwal (public service) and N. Ravi, publisher, The Hindu Group (journalism), were honoured.

Centennial district governor K.S. Babai said all the four awardees had rendered service with dedication. “Whenever someone comes asking for a donation for a genuine cause, without any hesitation, Mr. Nalli Kuppuswamy offers help almost immediately,” she said.

Speaking of Mr. Gopalakrishnan, she said his music was pure and divine and attracted millions across the world.

“It is hard to find a person like Mr. Ravi, who has made a great contribution in the field of journalism,” she said, adding that he was an extremely simple person and fine human being.

On accepting the award, Mr. Ravi said he felt honoured. A postal stamp was released on the occasion. Vijayalakshmi Thavva, district chairperson, centennial celebrations, spoke.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Staff Reporter / Chennai – December 25th, 2017

Of numbers and notes

Vocalist Palghat Ramprasad.
Vocalist Palghat Ramprasad.

Chennai :

It is not often that a scholar in applied econometrics gets his alaaps right. But Palghat Ramprasad, born into the family of legendary Carnatic musician Palghat Mani Iyer, found his love for numbers and music was not mutually exclusive.

 
Grandson of the incomparable mridangam legend, the persona of Mani Iyer is writ large over the thoughts, words and deeds of all the musical reflections of Ramprasad. “I have grown up listening to more stories about my grandfather than tales from epics,” says the independent economist who consults for Tamil Nadu government projects as well as organisations like the UN and its sister concerns.

In 2004, when he was making a name in music circles, he had to take a hard decision to become a full-time economist. Having bagged a record of gold medals in his postgraduate study in economics at University of Madras, academics seemed a stable investment. He went onto get a PhD in applied econometrics on gender, poverty and other social issues from the University of Georgia, Atlanta, but his loyalty to music remained and he eventually devoted enough time for ‘sadhakam’.

His initiation into music as a vocalist  was influenced by his grandfather. “Though my father and guru Rajamani was a violinist I did not follow in his footsteps because my grandfather felt that being an accompanist relegated one to a corner. He could not achieve what the main artist could and he had that sense of longing always in him,” says the 36-year-old, who was a visiting post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University.

Ramprasad sticks to tradition, not believing in detracting from songs made popular by masters such as Ariyakudi, Semmangudi, Madurai Mani Iyer and G N Balasubramaniam. For him, repetition is a way of establishing a rapport with the audience a la Semmangudi. “It helps me recognise the intrinsic value in the krithis. In fact, I listen to recorded performances of the 1970s more than those belonging to the later years,” he says. He still includes quite a few ‘neravals’ (extempore rendering of varieties for the same line in a song), a suggestion of Mani Iyer, with an amazing clarity in the lyrics.

Having made his debut when he was seven-and-a-half years old, he has been accompanied by mridangam maestros like Umayalpuram Sivaraman and Palghat Raghu.

In between preparing for concerts this season, he also found time to merge his profession and passion by developing an algorithm that could help musicians save hours of labour. Named ‘Manipravaha’, after his grandfather, it is part of the Zeekh app and helps create and document song lists for concerts. ‘Manipravaha’ is able to identify a variety in songs with respect to ragam, talam and composers and the artist is thus able to avoid repetitions by keeping track of songs rendered by him in previous concerts. Listeners can also make requests for songs by directly communicating with the artist. “A theory called the Delanay triangulation, an optimisation technique used in computational geometry, has been deployed in developing this algorithm,” says Ramprasad. The app has been downloaded around 2,000 times this season by artists and rasikas.

(The author is a music enthusiast)

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Chennai News / by Aarvalani / TNN / December 26th, 2017

How a coast got its name

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An Italian adventurer, who travelled to India for travel’s sake, has a good claim

Ever since Charles Allen, writer and historian, can remember, he has been immersing himself in India’s “muddy waters, getting her dust between my toes.” Returning to the country of his birth time and again, he has made pilgrimages to Kedarnath and Badrinath, visited “thousands of Hindu mandirs and kovils, Jain bastis, Sikh gurdwaras and Buddhist stupas…” and written on India for 40 years. But, as he says in the introduction to Coromandel: A Personal History of South India, “…the fact is that I know far more about North India than I do about the South, which is partly why I set myself the task of researching and writing this book, which concentrates on the country south of the Narmada…” The greatest difference between North and South — ‘Arya’ and ‘Dravida’, ‘wheat’ and ‘rice’, ‘alluvial’ and ‘volcano’ — is language, he writes. An excerpt:

The word Coromandel makes its first appearance on Portuguese maps at the start of the sixteenth century. It was then picked up in quick succession by the Dutch, the French, the Danes and the English. Like so many Indian words that crept into the English language from late-Elizabethan times onwards, it is a corruption. That quintessential portmanteau of Anglo-Indian words and their derivations Hobson-Jobson has this to say about it:

Coromandel, n.p. A name which has been long applied by Europeans to the Northern Tamil Country, or (more comprehensively) to the eastern coast of the Peninsula of India from Point Calimere to the mouth of the Kistna, sometimes to Orissa… The name is in fact Choramandala, the Realm of Chora; this being the Tamil form of the very ancient title of the Tamil Kings who reigned at Tanjore… The name occurs in the forms Cholamandalam or Solamandalam on the great temple inscription of Tanjore.

So Coromandel takes its name from the ancient dynasty of Tamil rulers known as the Cholas. That word ‘Chola’ first appears on rock inscriptions that can be accurately dated to within a year or two either side of 260 BCE, carved by order of Emperor Ashoka, and it continues to reappear century after century on the walls and monuments of the great temple cities of Tamil country, right up to a final appearance in the year 1279 CE.

The adventures of Ludovico

As to who first coined the word Coromandel, a young Italian adventurer from Bologna named Ludovico di Varthema has a good claim. If Ludovico is remembered at all today it is because he was the first non-Muslim European to visit Mecca, and to live to tell the tale. However, what makes Ludovico and his Itinerario — first published in Rome in 1510 and subsequently in English in 1577 — special and so unusual for the time is that the author’s main concern was not to enrich himself through trading in spices or slaves, or to boast about slaying idolators or saving their souls for Christ. He travelled for travel’s sake, filled, in his own words, with ‘a desire to behold the various kingdoms of the world… with my own eyes.’

When Ludovico di Varthema’s Itinerario was published in Rome in 1510 every copy was snapped up. Up to that point the Portuguese had successfully guarded the trade secrets of their navigation in the Indies. Thanks in part to Ludovico’s descriptions of India’s eastern seaboard, the coast of Coromandel now became a target for Portugal’s maritime rivals: the Dutch, Danes, French and English. It was the Dutch, through the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), or the Dutch East Indies Company, who went on to show the Portuguese how to trade without scruples. In 1609 they captured the Portuguese fort at Pulicat, which stands at the mouth of the Pulicat lagoon, today a placid bird sanctuary.

Pulicat subsequently became the headquarters of the VOC for its trading operations up and down the Coromandel coast, with slaving as a sideline. Between 1621 and 1665, VOC ships transported 38,441 slaves from the Coromandel coast, chiefly through Pulicat, for sale to Dutch plantations in Batavia, an activity done with the connivance of local rulers and helped along by several local famines. By such means the VOC became the wealthiest private company the world had ever seen, paying 40 per cent dividends to its shareholders in Amsterdam — which may help to explain why the Dutch named their fort at Pulicat Guelderland.

Shift to Nagapattinam

In 1690 the VOC shifted its Coromandel headquarters from Pulicat to Nagapattinam, which remained under the control of the VOC until 1781, when it fell to the East India Company (EICo) following two sea-battles fought directly offshore between two evenly matched fleets, the British and the French.

When Ludovico stepped ashore at Nagapattinam in 1505 he had unknowingly arrived in what had been the Chola heartland for fifteen hundred years and more. Nagapattinam stands at the mouth of the Kollidam, the southern channel of the Cauvery River, and it was here within this fecund triangle of silt threaded with waterways that the Chola kings established their temple capitals: initially, inland at Uraiyur; then on the coast at Kaveripattinam (today Poompuhar); later still in Thanjavur; and then, as their territories continued to expand, at a new site further north which the ruler of the day named Gangaikondacholapuram — ‘the city of the Chola who took the Ganges’ — which became their fourth and last capital.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books / by Charles Allen / December 11th, 2017