The king was captivated and…

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Meenakshi Chitharanjan her guru Subbaraya Pillai. / The Hindu
Meenakshi Chitharanjan her guru Subbaraya Pillai. / The Hindu

Find the link at the tribute to the Pandanallur gurus tomorrow.

Here’s an interesting story… Bharatanatyam Guru Meenakshisundaram Pillai, the Pandanallur propitiator, was to be honoured for his amazing choreographies by the Raja of Ramnad, Shanmukha Rajeswara Sethupati. For the occasion, the guru thought it fit to present a special piece in praise of the raja, and so choreographed a varnam in Vachaspati, which was presented by his disciple, Pandanallur Jayalakshmi. While the Raja was impressed with the dance, he was even more impressed with the dancer. And, they were married. What’s more, dancer Jayalakshmi, 87 now, lives in Chennai!

Narrating this, Bharatanatyam dancer Meenakshi Chitharanjan said she will present that rare varnam as a solo in a programme titled ‘Samarpan, A Tribute to the Pandanallur Tradition’ tomorrow (November 1), 6.30 p.m., at The Music Academy. She will be accompanied by students of her dance school, Kaladiksha.

Says Meenakshi, “I have trained in the Pandanallur bani under gurus Pandanallur Chockalingam Pillai and Subbaraya Pillai, for over three decades. This production, which happily coincides with the centenary year of Subbaraya Pillai, is my way of expressing my gratitude to them, and taking the sampradaya to a new generation.”

Also, Meenakshi will be showcasing some rare Thanjavur Quartet compositions, which she has re-choreographed to suit a group presentation. She explains, “The Pandanallur gurus, descendants of the Quartet, established a style that boasts clean lines, intricate rhythm and a minimalistic approach to convey maximum bhava.”

Meenakshi and her disciples will aptly open with ‘Sri Raja Rajeswari’, a Gurustuthi in the rare raga, Rama Manohari. A Thodi jatiswaram with only thathakaram and sans jatis, will offer a unique touch.

Meenakshi has chosen a sabdam in Khamas, ‘Kodandapanikku Sallamurae,’ which the Quartet is said to have composed during the rule of the Mahratta kings in Thanjavur.

The finale will be Veena Seshanna’s Senchurutti thillana. The compere for the show is Revathy Sankaran, the technical director is Victor Paulraj and costume is by Poornima Ramaswamy. The performance is open to all.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by Savitha Gautam / October 30th, 2014

Leprosy Activist gets Excellence Award

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All

Chennai :

Social activist Padma Venkatraman, who has associated herself with leprosy patients for the last 30 years, was awarded the Vocational Excellence Award by the Rotary Club of Adyar recently.

Speaking on the occasion, Padma said that it was a great honour to receive the award from Rotary. “I am privileged to receive the award from Rotary. I want to bring hope in the lives of those affected by leprosy. They have come a long way from being social outcasts and now they are slowly being accepted,” she said. “The leprosy afflicted are training in several vocational skills and are being given opportunity to take up various jobs, creating different products.

In fact, there is an artist colony from where their paintings are sent all over the world,” she added. Rtn T Sathish, secretary, Rotary Club of Adyar, proposed a formal vote of thanks on the occasion.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service  / November 01st, 2014

A record of good music

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Collecting memories: V. Chandra Sekhar has thousands of EP records and long-play records. Photo: G. Krishnaswamy / The Hindu
Collecting memories: V. Chandra Sekhar has thousands of EP records and long-play records. Photo: G. Krishnaswamy / The Hindu

Chromepet resident V. Chandra Sekhar began to collect gramophone records of Hindi songs in 1970 and never stopped.

An interest in Hindi film music led V. Chandra Sekhar, a forging consultant a passion, to collect more gramophone records.

He started the collection in 1970 and could not stop. And today, he has thousands of EP records and long-play records, 3,600 compact discs of Hindi and Tamil films, 350 digital video discs, a few English records and also ones on instrumental music, besides a collection of Carnatic and Hindustani music. He has also converted 4,000 audio cassettes into Mp3 files, thereby recording more than 20,000 songs in 18 months.

“I was born in 1948 in Chennai and my father, D. Vaidyanathan, was transferred to Bombay in the same year. I lived there till 1968. As I was fascinated with Hindi film music, my father bought me a record player,” says V. Chandra Sekhar.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Downtown / by T. S. Atul Swaminathan / Chennai – November 01st, 2014

OMR sisters gallop to glory

Sports
Horse riding energises Vaishali (left) and Pranaya. If they have to miss their practice for some reason, the sisters become restive. / The Hindu
Horse riding energises Vaishali (left) and Pranaya. If they have to miss their practice for some reason, the sisters become restive. / The Hindu

They have returned with a bag full of medals from the recent FEI World Challenge Dressage event in Bangalore.

Two sisters from OMR have done themselves proud with their performance in the recent FEI World Challenge Dressage, organised in Bangalore.

The sisters Vaishali and Pranaya Vinayan Pillai, along with Isabelle Hasleder, their first coach, won two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal at the event. The achievement is a vindication of their decision to take up horse riding five years ago. Even before getting onto a horse, they knew they would love the sport.

“While driving along Sholinganallur, we’d see the Chennai Equestrian Academy. One day, my sister and I decided to check it out. We were fascinated with the lush green campus and well-kept horses. We couldn’t wait to go on a horse ride,” says Vaishali, an automobile engineering student. Pranaya is in class IX. Vaishali says she has always turned her hand to things that most others are not even aware of. She has always wanted it that way. Dressage seemed to fit the bill for her.

“When I tell my friends that I specialise in Dressage, they don’t get it. I have to explain to them it is related to horse-riding,” says Pranaya. Dressage competitions consist of a series of individual tests with an increasing level of difficulty. The rider and the horse have to work as a team. It requires great concentration and stamina, explains Vaishali. And, of course, intense practice. Both girls are aware of this. “We are just learning and there is a long way to go. We ride for three days a week and as competitions near, we ride almost every day,” says Vaishali. Horse riding energises them. If they have to miss their practice for some reason, the sisters become restive. Pranaya once broke her arm following a bad fall and he this what she remembers about the period when she was hors de combat. “To watch my sister ride horses, while I was stuck at home was irritating,” says Pranaya. The sisters thank Kishore Futnani, the managing trustee of CEC and Brian Bullmore, the stable manager, who have constantly encouraged them to perform better.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Downtown / by Vipasha Sinha  / Chennai – November 01st, 2014

Junior squash nationals: Kush Kumar, Harshit Kaur Jwanda win boys and girls titles

Sports

Kush Kumar of Tamil Nadu graduated to the senior level with his ninth national title after he claimed the Under-19 boys trophy in the Junior Squash Nationals, which concluded in Chennai on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Harshit Kaur Jwanda retained her Under-19 girls title.

Abhisheka Shannon, daughter of former International athlete Angela Lincy and Football coach Robin became the new champion in the girls Under-11 category. Shannon took time to settle down before setting aside the challenge of top seed Diksha Aurubindo of Tamil Nadu.

Kush had an easy outing against Vijay Kumar, who he beat 11-5 11-7 11-6 to clinch the title.

On the other hand, second seeded Jwanda was two games down against Lakshya Ragavendran, the top seed, in the final, but she held on to her nerves to register a come from behind victory, 9-11 10-12 11-8 11-4 11-7.

Yet another creditable effort came from Adya Advani, the second seed in the girls U-17 section, as she toppled the top seeded Akanksha Salunkhe of Goa in five games.

The boys’ title in the U-17 category was grabbed by Velavan Senthilkumar.

Results:

Boys (U-19): Kush Kumar (1) (TN) bt Vijay Kumar (2) (TN) 11-5, 11-7, 11-6.

U-17: Velavan Senthilkumar (1) (TN) bt Robin Singh Mann (5/8) (Del) 11-7 11-1 11-6.

U-15: Tushar Shahani (1) (Mah) bt Chitanya Shah (2) (Mah) 11-9 11-9 11-8.

U-13: Yash Fadte (1) (Goa) bt Advait Adik (3/4) (Mah) 11-8 13-11 11-2.

U-11: Jeh Pandole (1) (Mah) bt Shreyas Mehta (2) (Mah) 11-9 15-13 11-5.

Girls (U-19): Harishit Kaur Jawanda (2) (Del) bt Lakshya Ragavendran (1) (TN) 9-11 10-12 11-8 11-4 11-7.

U-17: Adya Advani (2) (Del) bt Akanksha Salunkhe (1) (Goa) 11-7 6-11 11-6 3-11 11-9.

U-15: Nikita Joshi (1) (Mah) bt Amita Gondi (5/8) (AP) 11-6 11-9 11-3.

U-13: Megha Bhatia (2) (Del) bt Ananya Dabke (5/8) (Mah) 12-10 12-14 11-9 7-11 11-6.

U-11: Abhisheka Shannon (3/4) (TN) bt Diksha Aurobindo (1) (TN) 7-11 11-8 11-7 11-7.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / PTI / Chennai – November 01st, 2014

Dindigul hamlet without power to get solar lanterns

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Science & Technologies

Chennai :

Gandhigram Trust has come to the aid of 27 households in Meenatchi Oothu village in Dindigul district, living without electricity for many years.

The village, situated in a mountainous region, has been without any source of power. Currently, the villagers are using kerosene lanterns after sunlight. With infrastructure for regular source of power needing more funds, the trust approached the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Rural Development to supply free solar lanterns to the households. They will be distributed in the village on Friday.

“There are around 150 people in the village and there is no infrastructure to set up a transformer and a power system. This is due to paucity of funds as the panchayat’s net revenue is only Rs 35,000 annually. This is when Gandhigram through NIRD offered to supply solar-powered lanterns,” said village panchayat president M C Ratnakumar.

With extra funds from the district administration, we were able to provide a borewell, solving the drinking water problem in the village. However, electricity remained a dream for the villagers until a few days ago, said Ratnakumar.

The Gandhigram Trust sent a team to assess the conditions in the village and then approached the NIRD with a proposal to substitute kerosene lanterns with solar.

“Our water and sanitation team conducted a baseline survey in the village. After this, we approached the NIRD for distribution of solar lanterns free of cost,” said trust secretary K Shivakumar.

The households are involved in cultivation of pepper and the trust is planning to source solar dryers from the institute in the coming months.

“The solar dryers cost around Rs 7,000 to 8,000 per piece. We have approached the institute for free distribution of the dryers in the coming months,” said Shivakumar.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / by B Sivakumar, TNN / October 30th, 2014

Digging wells, the solid scientific way

Science & Technologies
The centre's facilities will help residents avoid the unnecessary sinking of deeper bore wells to find water —Photo: M. Karunakaran
The centre’s facilities will help residents avoid the unnecessary sinking of deeper bore wells to find water —Photo: M. Karunakaran

Wondering which spot to dig for groundwater or what is the quality of water in the land you own? Are you still thinking of folks walking around with those peculiar ‘Y’-shaped twigs? It’s not quite that way any more.

We’ve become more scientific, we’re using special tools to figure out where the water lies. The ‘we’ in this case refers to the State Ground and Surface Water Resources Data Centre, Taramani, which provides consultancy services to identify groundwater potential.

The centre is also set to improve its water testing laboratories in Chennai, Tiruchi, and Madurai, at a cost of Rs. 5 crore, to test more parameters.

On an average, the staff members of the centre functioning under the Water Resources Department carry out nearly 30 field inspections every month to choose suitable sites for digging wells.

“We survey the site with a geophysical receptivity metre to check the depth of water availability and soil condition. We also analyse the water quality using the equipment. Consumers can get results about groundwater table and quality in a week,” said an official.

Consumers can save time by not having to sink deeper bore wells unnecessarily. Farmers, residents and commercial establishments also make use of the service, which is offered for Rs. 500 for farmers and Rs. 1,000 for others.

“As per the government order, consumers will also have to provide transport facility,” the official added.

To increase patronage, the centre plans to hold more awareness meetings on its services and groundwater among residents and students.

At present, the water testing lab in Taramani gets only around 30 to 40 samples every month. The lab also has facilities to test the presence of harmful heavy metals like cadmium and pesticides in groundwater.

“We are taking measures to create awareness about the water testing facility and expand the infrastructure of the lab. We have the facility to test up to 29 parameters. Consumers can get up to 18 parameters tested for Rs. 250 and get results in three days through post or in person,” an official said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / by K. Lakshmi / Chennai – October 31st, 2014

Wielding both the scalpel and guitar with finesse

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Science & Technologies

Chennai  :

By day he is a laparoscopic surgeon who spends long hours in the theatre. Once night falls, though, he exchanges the white coat for the guitar, and the hospital for karaoke bars.

“In the last two years, I have been singing a lot,” says Dr J S Rajkumar, chairman, Lifeline Rigid Hospitals, who used to sing and play the guitar through medical college. After a hiatus from the world of music, he decided to take it up again, taking time out from his busy schedule.

“All of us wait for that golden period when you can have your books, guitar and be with friends, but that is a myth. You have to pick up that book or guitar and be with friends right now, or never do it,” he says.

Like Rajkumar, many doctors who are also ardent musicians are “taking up old arms” now that they have established a name for themselves in the medical profession. In a few months’ time, a group of them will come together to perform at ‘Doctors’ Special’, a concert being organised by musician-drummer ‘Pioneer’ Suresh. The concert, to be held soon after the December music season, will feature film numbers, mainly Tamil and Hindi, from the 1960s onwards.

“There is a misconception that only professional singers are talented, but I believe music is there in every human,” says Suresh, who has his own band, Bharti Entertainers, and has played for singers like K J Yesudas, Shweta Mohan and Vani Jayaram. “I found many talented doctors and decided to form a group so that they get a platform to showcase their talent.”

Some of the doctors who will be performing in the concert have had formal training in music. Dr Chandrasekhara Chandilya, head of department of internal medicine in Apollo Hospitals, learnt Carnatic music and mridangam.

No novice to the stage, he also had his own music troupe. “Since I had my own practice then, I could make time for shows,” says the 61-year-old. Though his singing had to take a back seat from 2000, as he moved to Sri Lanka, he took it up again a decade later. “I have sung for DD Podhigai’s ‘Thullatha Manamum Thullum’,” says Dr Chandilya, who sings mostly in Tamil, though he has sung a few Hindi and Malayalam numbers too.

The senior consultant physician and cardio-diabetologist, who was earlier with Ilayaraja’s troupe, did playback singing and even tried his hand at music direction. “I did it for three movies, but only one was released,” he says. “Everybody in Chennai knows me as the singing doctor,” he says.

For many of them, singing is a stress buster. While it “gives an element of calm” to Dr Rajkumar’s frazzled nerves, for eye surgeon Dr J Chandrakanth, it is a way to destress. “I didn’t do professional concerts though I performed through school and college,” says Dr Chandrakanth, who learnt Carnatic music violin recital and Bharatanatyam for 10 years.

While all of them are passionate about music, medicine was their career of choice.

Having carved a niche for themselves in the world of medicine, they are now keen to pursue their passion. “I recently performed at the Don Bosco reunion with DB School of Rock,” says Dr Rajkumar. “It was a success. We are now planning to form a classic rock band.”

Right now, though, they are all looking forward to the Doctors’ Special. “There are so many of us out there who have talent, it is a good platform to showcase our talent,” says Dr Chandilya.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by Priya Menon, TNN / October 28th, 2014

Two idols, copper plates found in Srirangam temple

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Trichy  :

Two idols and copper plates with inscriptions were excavated during the renovation work at the Srirangam temple on Tuesday.

The 10.45 crore renovation work led to the findings near the Parthsarathy temple, where the labourers were working for the past few days. While digging a platform near the temple, the workers found the idols and plates. They immediately alerted HR and CE authorities. According to the joint commissioner of HR & CE P Jayaraman, a two- feet idol of Chandrashekarar and another idol of Lord Ganesha in a dancing position were excavated. A set of copper plates with inscriptions were also found near the spot. Jayaraman said,

“We have no idea about the type and make of the idols. We have alerted ASI authorities, who would be able provide more details on the idols.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> City> Trichy / TNN / October 08th, 2014

Celebrating 75 years of friendship

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion
Members of the G.D.Naidu family with the Stoll family of Esslingen, Germany, during a celebration of the 75th year of friendship between the two families, in Coimbatore. Photo:K.Ananthan / The Hindu
Members of the G.D.Naidu family with the Stoll family of Esslingen, Germany, during a celebration of the 75th year of friendship between the two families, in Coimbatore. Photo:K.Ananthan / The Hindu

What makes the bonding between the two families significant is that it has expanded to become a relationship between two cities (Coimbatore and Esslingen) and two countries

It was September of 1939 and Europe faced the Second World War. Forty- six-year-old Gopalswamy Doraiswamy Naidu from Coimbatore was on a business trip to Germany and was at Holzmaden, Esslingen. He had no place to stay or get vegetarian food and spent a night under the open sky.

Berta Stoll, wife of Gottlieb Stoll, saw G.D. Naidu and invited him to their home, which was nearby. Naidu stayed with the Stoll family for four or five days, cooked his own food with vegetables picked from their garden and thus began the story of a friendship, which has lasted for 75 years, between the two families.

A few years after his visit to Germany, when businesses were down in that country and there were no buyers for German products, Mr. Naidu wrote to his friends the world over, recommending Festo products from the company of the Stolls.

What makes the bonding between the two families significant is that in the last seven-and-a-half decades, it has expanded to become a relationship between two cities (Coimbatore and Esslingen) and the two countries.

About 20 members of the Stoll family are here on a five-day visit. The second, third and fourth generations of the two families — Stoll and G.D. Naidu- gathered in the city on Sunday to celebrate 75 years of their friendship.

Members of the two families recollected the visits to India and Germany, their education and early days of work at each other’s factories, exchanged gifts and cut a cake.

There is a proposal to twin Coimbatore and Esslingen and the Esslingen Coimbatore Association has been formed. Over the years, the Stolls have also contributed to institutes and hospitals here.

“The Stoll family is into water conservation and research on waste water treatment. We can work together for water conservation and waste water treatment projects here,” says Vanitha Mohan, Managing Trustee of Siruthuli.

According to Coimbatore Mayor P. Rajkumar, cooperation between Esslingen and Coimbatore will help in technology transfer and exchange of ideas. The Mayor of Esslingen is expected to visit Coimbatore next year and efforts are on to have an agreement between the two cities.

“The common interests and value systems have strengthened the friendship between the two families over the years and the friendship has made Coimbatore attractive to them, says a member of the G.D. Naidu family.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by M. Soundariya Preetha / Coimbatore – October 29th, 2014