Natural beauty of the kind found in Theosophical Society is fast vanishing. / Photo: N. Sridharan / The Hindu

To breathe the air of the Theosophical Society and smell the fragrances of its diverse vegetation while listening to a recent lecture at the Blavatsky bungalow inside its sprawling campus, just beyond the Adyar bridge, was to be overcome by a deep sense of loss of a past rich in simple beauty of a kind that rapid urbanisation has banished from our midst in the last couple of decades.

The quiet of the afternoon punctuated only by birdcalls and greenery all around us created an impression of a faraway place completely divorced from the cityscape we had left barely half a kilometre behind.

The bungalow is right next to the great banyan tree under which Rukmini Devi Arundale had her arangetram, back in December 1935.The last time I had spent any length of time inside the TS had been in 1986 when she passed away.

Her cottage inside the society was a perfect example of the simple beauty and grace social activist Aruna Roy spoke of during a recent talk at Kalakshetra recalling her own student days at the institution. The gleaming red floor, the Pattamadai mats and functional but elegant cane and wooden furniture were minimalist if anything; and the house was airy and sunlit.

There had been an endless stream of mourners coming in all morning to pay their last respects to Athai, as the great lady was known in dance circles. Men and women congregated quietly in small groups. Some of them chanted and sang softly, reverentially, spontaneously.

The human drama is never complete on such occasions without a touch of the comic, and relief was provided by a few self-proclaimed torchbearers of bharatanatyam. Each of them informed the print and TV journalists present that Athai had specifically but confidentially told her that she was the successor she expected to take her legacy forward.

The funeral procession to the cremation ground adjoining Kalakshetra in Thiruvanmiyur was again a picture of dignified, graceful solemnity, marked by a silence seldom seen in our part of the world.

As we came out of Blavatsky Bungalow—where young J Krishnamurti and his brother Nitya probably had their first glimpses into the world of theosophy, still unaware that their lives would soon be turned upside down—I remembered the extraordinary people who once walked there.

I remembered the impact of the magnetic presence of Rukmini Devi as she sat next to her much-loved lieutenant Sankara Menon in the driver’s seat of her Fiat; I remembered lying sprawled on the lawns of nearby Vasanta Vihar and listening to the gentle but mesmeric tones of Krishnamurti; I remembered the many teachers, musicians and dancers who cycled everywhere in their dhotis and cotton saris; I remembered the countless hours I spent at the Adyar Library in the 1960s; I remembered Mary Lutyens’s description of Adyar in her biography of Krishnamurti as the most beautiful place in the world.

And I felt blessed that Adyar had once been part of my life.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by V. Ramnarayan / November 18th, 2012

At the audio launch of Sathiram Perundhu Nilayam

Sathiram Perundhu Nilayam

What it is about…

Haji Cine Creations’ Sathiram Perundhu Nilayam is based on a true life story. Directed by Ravipriyan, who has also written the story, screenplay and dialogue, the film features Roshan, Twinkle, Swathi, Pandiarajan, Nalini, Mayilsamy, Muthukalai, Alex Raja, Ilamaran and Rohini. The music was composed by Sriram. The first CD was released by actor Radha Ravi and received by Asiq Meeran, the Deputy Mayor of Tiruchi, and Roshan, hero of the movie.

Music highlights

There are six songs in the album and the best is ‘Yaar Ivano’ sung by Madhumitha and written by Ilaiyakamban. He has also written another song ‘Tiruchi Malaikottai,’ sung by Solar Sai. Kamakodian’s meaningful lyrics in ‘Sonna Varthai’ are expressively rendered by Prasanna. The same lyricist’s ‘Adicha Fullu’ sung by Krishnaraj is for the masses. ‘Unnale,’ written by Sarathy, has been sung by Venki and ‘Manasu Vecha Kathalukku’, written by the director and sung by Jaidev is above average.

What they say…

Producer Balkeesh Alavudeen: When director Ravipriyan came to me with a story on the TASMAC shops in Tamil Nadu and particularly how the people working there are treated in society, I got interested to produce the film. Trichy N. Babu joined me in the venture and the film has come out well.

Director Ravipriyan: I have worked with directors K. Balachander, Indiran and Majith. This is my first film. It is based on an incident that happened at the popular Tiruchi bus terminus, Sathiram Perundhu Nilayam. In fact it was the story which helped me easily find a producer.

Hero Roshan: I am a theatre artiste and have won several awards in Tiruchi and other places. I wanted to prove my mettle on celluloid. Director Ravipriyan happened to be looking for someone to play the lead in his film and he said I fitted the role to a T. I feel my work in the film will fetch me recognition.

Music director Sreeram: I have been interested in music from a young age. My first film was Akku.Director Ravi Priyan who watched it liked my work and approached me to do his film. My future films include Kaanagam, Virudachalam and Annakalangiyam Magal Poonkodi.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Chennai> Cinema / by S.R. Ashok Kumar / November 17th, 2012

Chennai:

S Suresh was happy on Wednesday when Barack Obama was re-elected as US President, not because of any political affiliation but because it meant his bookmark listing all the US Presidents could stay in his collection. “I was wondering if I’d have to get a new one if Obama lost,” says Suresh, 45, who has a collection of more than 250 bookmarks.

An archaeologist and state convener of the conservation group INTACH, Suresh began his bookmark collection as an offshoot of his penchant for collecting books. “I have more than 20,000 books, a collection begun by my grandparents,” says Suresh.

Some years ago, while reading , Suresh realised that some of his books contained unusual bookmarks. “I took them out and found that there was an interesting collection,” he says. He began “systematically” collecting bookmarks in 1997.

His collection includes bookmarks of metal, paper, stained glass, cherry wood and even one of dried flowers, which he never uses for fear it will disintegrate. A friend has knitted him a wormshaped bookmark in wool. The oldest is a 75-year-old leather bookmark that belonged to his grandparents . He even has one made of magnetic sheets that not only marks your spot in the book, but also never falls out. “I got it at the Guggenheim Museum in the US,” says Suresh. “They made it because garden readers complained that bookmarks fly off during strong winds.”

Suresh bought more than 150 of his bookmarks while travelling abroad. “Many museums abroad sell bookmarks with photographs of the building or the masterpieces . They also print entry tickets in the form of bookmarks,” he says. He sometimes buys two entry tickets just so he can add one to his collection. In India , the only museum to give entry tickets in the form of bookmarks is the National Museum in Delhi.

“Very few cultural institutions in India bring out bookmarks,” says Suresh. So, a few years ago when he heard that Kalakshetra Foundation was bringing out bookmarks featuring founder Rukmini Devi Arundale, he rushed over and bought a couple. Suresh says it’s easy to preserve his collection — he just stores them in his books. “It keeps them pressed and fresh,” he says. “And honestly, there’s really no better home for a bookmark.”

kamini.mathai@timesgroup.com

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City / by Kamini Mathai, TNN / November 09th, 2012