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Creating a cleaner temple The weavers village MADRAS Finding the past at Alwarkadai Memorable Ranji triumph MUSINGS Stormy petrel of Tamil Literature Rs. 5 per copy Vol. XV No. 3 May 16-31, 2005 (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) Crashing hoardings...
udden squalls and accompa- overtime to complete the pro- Snying thunderstorms re- cedure within one month. We cently wrought much havoc on found more than 90 per cent of city roads with many old trees hoardings (2331 then, both The cost of heritage falling and comparatively public property and private) adras Musings wonders when the day will dawn when we in younger hoardings crashing. were in violation of the rules. MChennai will see such action as has recently been reported With at least 12 such hoardings Five per cent of these violators from Beijing. A news report states: in very bad shape, the time has casually stated theyd no order, The residents of Beijing could face a fine of up to US$24,000 come again to look into the but since theyd already given a (approximately Rs.12 lakh) for tearing down or damaging old build- structural stability of hoardings proposed application form, they ings listed for protection. in Chennai and this evergreen went ahead and erected the The fine, which for many Beijingers is the equivalent of decades issue. hoarding anyway. When no- of income, is mandated in a new set of rules that took effect re- cently, aiming to protect the ancient citys cultural heritage, Xinhua Putting up the diversion sign was tices were issued to remove the news agency reported. my job. Someone else will take care of A spokesperson of the Out- hoardings violating regulari- The regulations have been drafted specifically to protect old the mess its created! door Advertisers Association says, What can we do in the sation, a stay was obtained by buildings under threat during the massive construction wave Where do we go face of natures fury, when even currenly sweeping the city, according to the agency. from here? boats each 50 times a hoardings When the Peoples Republic of China was established in 1949, weight are damaged by a gale of l by Beijing was one of the oldest capitals in the world and had largely Take Diversion intone the signs, escaped widespread destruction since the beginning of the Ming the latest in the long line of 99 km/hr? A Tamil daily I saw SHOBHA MENON Dynasty (1368 to 1644). bogeys hell-bent on creating a screamed for removal of all Chinas communist rulers have destroyed that legacy in the span stir in the lives of Chennais hoardings in the city. The fig- of some 50 years, first by tearing down the citys walls in the 1950s road-users. ures given by earlier reports in and 1960s and then destroying thousands of old courtyard homes to Well-worn pathways spring sud- the Press (well over 5,000 the Outdoor Advertisers Asso- build roads or make way for real estate projects over the last den surprises, turning in upon hoardings with new ones mush- ciation. The issue is still pend- decade. themselves, while you go rooming all the time, according ing in Court. Well have to wait around in circles, re-thinking and see what happens. drove-movements. to a recent one) are wrong. Disconsolate commuters, espe- There are in all about 3500 Non-implementation of the States financial pressures) you remove unauthorised the amended rules causes tre- cially uninformed ones, spend hoardings across the city (of is certainly a big handicap, hoardings (10 per cent of these mendous loss to the govern- hours driving up and down which around 3000 are autho- confirms another official. have political connections), roads they thought they knew, ment in the form of loss in rev- rised). Do they ban all journals control and maintenance of the trying to figure out how to get enue. And unless we regularise All hoardings also need to because there are a few yellow structures become easier. In from Point A to Point B. Some the existing hoardings, we cant get a No Objection Certificate journals? Or say there can be no Mumbai, Bangalore and residents traverse eight roads to go on to process proposed appli- (NOC) from the DC Traffic fishing at all because of a tsu- Hyderabad, no unauthorised get to their homes that unfortu- cations. The lack of a separate (from the traffic safety point of nately lie just that little bit out nami? hoarding can be erected on any enforcement team (like the one view) and the AE concerned of reach, while others gaze as- The Chennai Corporation premises. In Chennai, weve that existed between 1985 and (as to whether the hoarding is tonished as crowded buses waltz was officially in charge of col- 2001 and was disbanded due to structurally safe etc.). Once (Continued on Page 7) past their once-quiet windows. lecting applications and issuing They are not the only ones suffer- licences for hoardings when the ing. Those given the unenviable task State Government began look- of ensuring the new rules are ing at the streamlining of the ... and trees that fall obeyed also appear to be in pain. multicrore hoardings industry The other day, a certain traffic in 2001. In 2003, the State Gov- policeman found himself plumb ernment, through a notifica- in the middle of a sea of heav- tion, transferred the licensing and dont fall ing, roaring traffic, all thor- powers for hoardings from the oughly confused over the no Chennai Corporation to the (By Shobha Menon) right turns, no left turns, and Chennai Collectorate. the go-back-whence-you-came ell-known naturalist managed to get some attention less care and which have been directions. Besieged, he decided A source at the Collectorate WM. Krishnan was an ar- paid to what kind of trees used as avenue trees for centu- to eschew the whole mess, says, The natural calamity has dent supporter of the British should be used for urban green- ries the Tamarind, Neem, sought refuge in the only tiny come as a blessing in disguise. in their view of planting Neem ing. Whether exotic or indig- Marudhu, Banyan and Peepul patch of shade offered by the Those hoardings affected by the and Tamarind on both sides of enous varieties should be used, why should we go in for exotics dry, thin branch of the only tree squalls cannot use the earlier roads in old Madras. But slowly and what are bad trees and like the Rain Tree and the in the vicinity, and apparently stay application as a reason to and steadily, over the years, ex- good trees are some of the Peltophorum for avenues? embarked on an inner search for a higher peace. re-erect without regularisation! otic species, like the Rain Tree issues that have begun to be But an official in the Parks Sort of throwing in the towel, Weve found the same agencies and Peltophorum, have slipped considered. Department, Chennai Corpora- with a touch of let-them-eat- that call for regularisation wil- into Chennais tree population Naturalist Theodore Bas- tion, responds, On very wide cake? fully go about breaking the even to the extent of over- karan feels strongly about the avenues, Rain Trees are a good Cant blame the poor soul, rules. After the prevailing rules whelming native species, at this colonial mindset that looks choice. Some avenues in the though. were amended in 2003, the ap- point. The recent squall in the more at exotic than native spe- busy T.Nagar area are shady and The many-headed in full battle- plications for existing hoardings city that uprooted around 100 cies. He says, When we have pleasant only because of the cry can be overwhelming. were checked out by 60 teams trees (mostly Rain Trees and trees that are native and sturdy, Ranjitha Ashok at the Collectorate who worked Peltophorum) has effectively have longer life spans and need (Continued on Page 7) 2 MADRAS MUSINGS May 16-31, 2005 5-S techniques help in creating a cleaner temple
he Sri Parthasarathy trap for the abhishekam overflow the last five years says, Ini- TSwamy Temple in Tripli- is being incorporated. A far cry tially, this project was to be cane was in the news recently from the usual ambience of completed in six months. But in for its popular week-long an- much frequented temple a temple environment with so The Sri Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane. nual float festival in the precincts. many inter-related factors, the
Kairaveni Pushkarani, its A. Kuppusamy, Executive time schedule has been affected sual quality of the space. It is l Use: Compatible uses to temple tank. It has also been in Officer of the temple, says, in diverse and complex issues. important to relocate/re-design synergise with the temple the news for another reason There have been many posi- Our idea is to help implement parking areas and remove the environment the strategic management plans tive changes from the time the the 5-S technique inside the toilets, EB transformers and l Aesthetic control: Guide- that are being implemented in strategic management group temple by coordinating with the police outpost. lines/control for colours and its environs, the result of a part- first met on August 1, 2004. We volunteers and temple authori- The temple car shed could types of materials to be used. nership between the Shingo In- are still in the process of sorting ties who will take the final de- be redesigned to minimise vi- (A glass and alucopanel stitute of Japanese Management out activities, in order to gradu- cision since religious and public sual impact of both material and structure can be devastating and the Rane Group of compa- ally implement new initiatives. sentiments are involved and colour. The gate to the temple as in Mylapore.) nies, in collaboration with Involving service organisations then bring about a self-sustain- tank from the road may be Says Sundararajan, Outside INTACH, Chennai, and the and the community is high on ing system. Training of volun- aligned with the central axis. the temple, issues are even more temple authorities and the the agenda. More than 40 vol- teers and temple staff is being Holes can be drilled in the base complex and need to be ad- temple and its surroundings are unteers, senior citizens, young- done, taking care to be in con- of the tank for water percola- dressed gradually. The overall looking cleaner than ever. sters, housewives, etc. have formity with traditional culture. tion and recharging subsoil. The response has been pretty good, The evening lamps twinkle been organised into a Prarthana Wherever the existing system compound wall could be made other than delays due to either brightly as I enter the precincts more transparent to create administrative changes at the of this more than 1500-year-old physical boundary, but visually temple or our own work pres- l by SHOBHA MENON temple, the oldest in Chennai establish connection. sures. But the continuity of the history, where the much-loved initiative needs a lot of partici- Lord Krishna appears as The hawkers and temple shops also need to be accommo- pation from the public and Arjunas charioteer, Partha- Seva Thannaarva Kuzhu and calls for an intervention, we of- NGOs. Says Kuppusamy, In sarathy. Its airy interiors are dated. Of the two flanking sets coordinated in a shift system to fer monetary support. of shops, the northern wing is the temple environs, the situa- spotlessly clean aluminium help in supervising and personal Sujatha Shankar, an archi- tion is different with a large trays for vilakkus lit by devotees well organised. The southern involvement in dusting, clean- tect and member of INTACH, wing, if shops need to be pre- floating population that is diffi- are placed at strategic positions, ing cobwebs, brass polishing, in a project report given to Rane cult to control. Hurdles that ex- shiny brass urulis are placed at sent, can be redesigned more in cleaning gold, silver, imparting on November 27, 2004, had tune with the western manda- ist need to be overcome with different points to receive the civic consciousness, regulating suggested changes that include: patience and commitment. vibuti, kumkum or tulasi devo- pam-like features and integrated queue formation, etc. You can into the store in front. Signage An official reiterates, With tees wish to dispose of. The see the visible difference all Immediate surroundings the Chennai Corporations Thuymai Pakuthi (Cleanliness for commerce can be controlled around. To establish axial relation- and standardised. help, the maadaveedhis can be Zones), named after the 12 B. Sundararajan, GM, Cor- ship between temple and tank reorganised. Public parking ir- Azhwar, reinforce the messages. porate Quality, Rane (Engine through the mandapam, Long-term plan regularities and discrepancies Water purifying systems have Valves), and Coordinator of the encroachments and insensitive To preserve the aesthetic need to be sorted out with the been installed at strategic posi- project from Rane that has additions in front of temple to and visual quality of the temple help of the Police Department. tions for drinking purpose. A implemented 5-S techniques, be cleared and commercial ac- and the tank in future, physical And if such an exercise is to water recycling mechanism to Seiri (Sorting Out), Seiton tivity reorganised. The activi- parameters need to be defined. take off at a brisk pace, there is implement a process for wash- (Systematic Arrangement), ties in the immediate environs a felt need for better coordina- ing the feet of devotees is in the Seiso (Spic and Span), Seiketsu to be spatially organised, so that l Buildability and bulk: New tion among all concerned and a implementation state. Inside (Serene Atmosphere), Shitsuke activity and structures do not structures or modifications more socially conscious public, the temple premises, a grease (Stick to Self Discipline), for hinder accessibility and the vi- not to dominate the temple of course. A reminder to our readers A big Thank You to 88 of you We publish below the list of donors who have, between 16.4.05 and 15.05.05, added to the support Chennai Heritage l It’s a year since Madras Musings began being a priced journal, and its voice, Madras Musings, have already received. We thank all of them for their support for the causes Chennai offering readers a special annual subscription rate of Rs.100. It is Heritage espouses. — Chennai Heritage now time to remind subscribers to renew their subscriptions and Rs. 25: Veluswami, M.A, Dr. readers who have not yet sent in their subscriptions to do so. Rs. 50: Chandrasekaran, C; George, Pradeepa; Kamalakannan, A; Kuttalingam, M; Murthy, Lakshmi; Ramamurti P.S; All subscriptions acknowledged by us from January 1, 2005 and Sridharnarayanan, T. th Rs. 51: Jayaraman, S. subscriptions that we receive between now and April 16 will be Rs. 100: Arunachalam, V.E; Chandrasekaran, R; Chandrasekharan, S; Chaudhary, Shreesh; Chidambar, G; Chidambaram, considered as annual subscriptions for the year April 16, 2005 to M; Chinnathambi, V; Girinath, M.R, Dr; Ispahani, S.M; Jayaraman, V.V, Dr; Ketharaman, S; Komalavalli, V; Krishna, T.C; April 15, 2006, Volume XV. 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ments on water-bodies should be removed. But of no avail. Another matter. Pozhichalur was famous in horticulture and for- Bio-fuel needs encouragement est circles for a nursery, Inderasan ncreasing global crude oil prices have created would get as soil additive would be very much less Pozhichalur queries Nursery was considered the biggest Iconsiderable anxiety amongst the industrial compared to the possible use as animal feed. nursery in the State. It had exper- establishments in the country. As industries inevi- Though the vegetable oil produced from ur village Pozhichalur is situ- tise in transplanting fully-grown tably pass on the increased cost of petroleum inputs jatropha seeds can straightaway be used as fuel, it Oated on the banks of the River trees. Its 33 acres was like a rain for- to the common man by raising the price of the fin- cannot be used in sophisticated automobiles, for Adyar, next to Anakaputhur. The est. After the death of Inderasan, ished products, the general public ultimately has to which the vegetable oil has to be subjected to a course of the river is stated in an the land was sold to a private indi- bear the burden. There are, in response to this, process known as trans-esterification, which article by Shobha Menon (MM, vidual. Our Senior Citizens Forum great expectations in the country from biofuel. would improve the properties of vegetable oil to October, 16, 2004) as follows: had suggested that the land be Of the several efforts, jatropha-based biofuel is function as fuel. In the process of trans-esterifica- The Adyar River originates taken over by the Government and considered the most promising, for reasons below: tion of vegetable oil, glycerine would be produced from Adanur Tank near Guduvan- entrusted to the Forest Department as a by-product at the rate of around one kilogram cheri and meets the Bay of Bengal and developed. Nothing has l Jatropha is a very tolerant crop with regard to of glycerine for every four kilogram of trans-es- near the Pattinampakkam-Srini- happened. soil conditions and climatic/irrigation factors. It vasapuram area. Of its total length is ideally suited for todays Indian conditions terified vegetable oil produced. It would be ex- of 42.38 km, 12.20 km is within city B. Joseph William where several regions do not have enough water tremely difficult to sell large quantity of glycerine limits. The rivers course leads from Pushparaj for agricultural operations. It is an ideal waste- that would be produced while making lakhs of Manapakkam, Manimangalam, 8, V.V. Giri Street land crop. tonnes of trans-esterified vegetable oil from jatropha. Indian demand for glycerine is only Thiruneermalai, Anakaputhur, Venkateswaranagar Massive creation of jatropha plantations would Kolappakkam, Nandambakkam, Pozhichalur, Chennai 600 074 l around 50,000 tonnes a year. Even internation- provide employment to lakhs of agriculture ally, glycerine is very much a surplus commodity Jafarkhanpettai, Saidapettai, labourers at semi-skilled and unskilled level. Kotturpuram and finally Adyar be- Wanted: bus shelters today, as a huge capacity for biodiesel has already fore entering the sea. l Since the life of jatropha plant extends to many been created. Intense efforts are taking place adras is undergoing scorching years, the long-term work involved in maintain- around the world to develop new applications for In an article by Sashi Nair (MM, Mheat due to summer and the February 16) the origin and course ing the crop is minimum. glycerine and any worthwhile efforts in India in people travelling by bus, including this direction are yet to be initiated. are stated as follows: women and senior citizens, are put The Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh Govern- The river originates from the to a lot of sufferings due to inad- ments have introduced schemes to encourage in- The price realisation for the by-product glyc- run-off waters from the paddy fields equate bus stops. Even in most of vestment in jatropha plantations. Enthused by the erine would considerably come down when it be- irrigated by the large Chembaram- the bus stops, there are no arrange- government support, several individuals and comes available in large quantity. bakkam tank in Sriperumbudur ments for passengers to sit until organisations have already started cultivating Considering the technology issues and overall taluk. After meandering for about buses arrive. Sometimes, people jatropha in a big way. economics of operations and to ensure reasonable 40 km, it opens into the Bay of Ben- have to wait for long for buses to Nevertheless, there are technological and eco- returns to the farmers, it is absolutely essential for gal, just north of the Theosophical arrive. nomic uncertainties about jatropha biofuel and Government to provide massive subsidy support Society in Adyar. In front of the newly con- these issues have not yet been addressed adequately to the jatropha-based biofuel industry. As a mat- Recently in a Tamil daily it was structed General Hospital, there at the State and national levels. ter of fact, all countries including the USA pro- stated the river originates in are no bus stops at all, as there were Though biofuel is actively supported by several vide subsidy to the biofuel industry to encourage Palanthandalam next to Thiru- earlier. It is pathetic to see hun- the national efforts. neermalai and takes its course developed countries in the world, most of these dreds of people waiting adjacent to countries encourage production of biofuel from ed- It is necessary on the part of the government through Anakaputhur. Pozhicha- the General Hospital for buses. lur, Ramapuram, Guindy Saidapet ible crops, whereas jatropha is a non-edible crop. In to decide urgently on a subsidy policy for jatropha- The Corporation of Madras the USA it is soya, in Germany it is rapeseed, in based biofuel, considering the overall benefits, so and reaches the sea. should put up adequate bus stops Can someone tell us what is the France it is sunflower and all are actively en- that the Indian initiatives can move at a faster with seating accommodation for couraged for the biofuel potential. pace. Considering the rising trend of global crude exact course of the river? the benefit of bus passengers, since In the case of such edible crops, the cake pro- oil price and the massive and increasing outflow In the late 1950s, the village was travelling by auto in the city is a duced as a by-product is a value-added product of foreign exchange due to the import of crude oil, scarcely populated, with only some nightmare and uneconomical. 80 huts and a few tiled houses. Be- since it can be used as animal/cattle feed. In the it would be a far more pragmatic approach to sup- cause of proximity of the village to C. Lakshmi Narain case of jatropha, the cake would be toxic as jatropha port the Indian biofuel industry by extending sub- the city and also copious potable Rita Kutil, Plot No. 45 is a non-edible crop and such cake cannot be used sidy and other forms of incentive. It should be a water, the village has developed C. Lakshmi Narain Road as animal feed. It can, however, be used as soil in- cost-benefit decision. and at present there are more than Thulasi Nagar, Senneerkuppam puts to some extent, though some quarters think N.S. Venkataraman 5000 pucca houses. Poonamalee, Chennai 600 056 that it should not be used as soil additive in view of M60/1, IV Cross Street After coming to live here in its toxicity. In any case, the value that the cake Besant Nagar, Chennai 600 090 1984, I had seen year after year the Sharing MM river flooded and water going to sea am very happy to read without being tapped anywhere. If I T.Kaleeswarans offer to share become good batsmen, but the The Editor of Femina is Sathya that water is stored by constructing TNCAs role his copy of Madras Musings with coach should ensure the availabil- Saran and not Asha Saran, and the checkdams and the nearby tanks others in his area who have not re- .R. Jagannathan, with his rich ity of recognised quality bowlers Reserve Bank Governor was filled, considerable groundwater re- ceived a particular copy (MM, Sexperience as a good cricketer and groom others. S. Jagannathan, and not S.R. placement will happen. and administrator, had rightly April 1st). P.S. Subrahmanian Jagannathan as I had mentioned. I In our village there are three Though I have not been pre- pointed out (MM, April 1st) the F-4, Muruganandi regret the errors. tanks: Nallan tank of 9 acres, Per- serving old copies of MM, I shall do growing menace of high commer- Kannika Nigas Geetha Rajagopal eriammankoil tank of 5 acres, Than- so from now on and offer to share cialisation in the conduct of coach- No.7, Varadhachari Street 1, Musiri Subramaniam Road gal tank of 21 acres, and also many hereafter my copies of MM with ing camps. I agree with him that the Ranga Nagar, Srirangam Mylapore, Chennai 600 004 very deep and wide stone quarry anyone in my local area who has Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Trichy 620 006 tanks. All these tanks abut the river. not received his/her copy. (TNCA) should step in and pre- All are also encroached on. My apartment is between vent such ruthless commer- Practising it right Readability In 1996, the elders settled in the Jeevan Bima Nagar bus terminus cialisation in the conduct of coach- atch em young is true for please village, mostly retired from various and Kemp Fort, and my cell phone ing camps exploiting gullible par- government and non-government C all sports in general and Dear Readers, number is 934122 5968. Readers ents and children alike. cricket in particular. Summer sectors, came together and formed can also contact me by e-mail at I remember, when I was the As letters from readers the Pozhichalur Senior Citizens coaching camps are organised to increase, we are receiving more [email protected] Honorary Secretary of the North spot and improve mushrooming tal- Forum. We made many appeals to Arcot District Cricket Association and more handwritten letters, the Collector and Government to R. Krishnan ent. But many of these camps are many of them in a hand so small (now Vellore District Cricket As- not conducted properly. Faulty save the tanks. But till date no re- 104, Jyothi Meadows and illegible or large and sociation), the TNCA had just footwork, sloppy fielding in the hot sponse has been received from Shivalingiah Colony scrawled as to be unreadable. then started sending experienced sun, and the attitude to chucking them. We pointed to the Supreme P.O. Vimanapura Often this leads to our discarding coaches to the districts at the re- by bowlers all play spoilsport. In- Court judgment that encroach- Bangalore 560 017 a letter, particularly if some part quest of the District Associations. stead of just wasting time in these of it is unreadable. In 1986, the TNCA provided camps, a young player can hang the If you wish us to consider OUR ADDRESSES... the services of an experienced ball from a tree branch and play de- your letter for publication, please coach, C.P.S. Mani, and he stayed fensive shots for half an hour daily. type it with enough space l For matters regarding subscriptions, donations, non-receipt of receipts nearly three months in Vellore and Playing with a straight bat is the between lines or write it using a etc.: CHENNAI HERI- TAGE, 260-A, TTK Road, Chennai 600 018. conducted a camp making good use cream of coaching. Practice makes medium hand, clearly dotting the l For non-receipt of copies, change of address, and all other circulation of the arrangements made to his you perfect. ‘i-s’ and crossing the ‘t-s’. matters: MADRAS MUSINGS, C/o Lokavani Hall-Mark Press Pvt. Ltd., 122, satisfaction by the Association. C.K. Subramaniam Many readers also try to fill Greames Road, Chennai 600 006. School and college students were every square centimetre of a A101 Syndicate Bank Qtrs l On editorial matters: The Editor, MADRAS MUSINGS, C/o Lokavani greatly benefited. The cricket balls postcard space, making reading Hall-Mark Press Pvt. Ltd., 122, Greames Road, Chennai 600 006. were sold by the TNCA at a Plot 28, 29, Sector 17, I Floor or editing impossible. concessional rate to the Associa- Vashi 400 703 No personal visits or telephone calls, please. Letters received will be sent Please help us to consider tion during the period of the coach- from these addresses every couple of days to the persons concerned and An inadvertence your letters more favourably by you will get an answer from them to your queries reasonably quickly. Strange ing camp. making them more legible for us. as it may seem, if you adopt the ‘snail mail’ approach, we will be able to help S.R. Jagannathan has perti- n my letter to Madras Musings you faster and disappoint you less. nently observed that most partici- I(May 1st), I had made a couple THE EDITOR THE EDITOR pants at coaching clinics aspire to of mistakes. 4 MADRAS MUSINGS May 16-31, 2005 May 16-31, 2005 MADRAS MUSINGS 5
The weavers village a l Two-pages out of the past Finding the past at Pitt encouraged Alwarkadai
he librarian gingerly ject to civil prosecution in the Chintadry Petta (as per the rev- he last time I went to Before I could get proactive, a help me place a novelist, he T handed over the three thick Madras courts. Chinnatambi enue reports of 1730 and 1734) T Mylapore to buy a book I spry man with bare feet, whom I named a movie adapted from his volumes of Loves book on the Mudaliyar and Vennala Narayan was set aside for support of the was in the VIII grade. The San- hadnt noticed before, stepped book. Such a pity, so few Tamil history of Madras. The brittle Chetti were lent an interest-free two temples. They were to be re- skrit text for my class was avail- forward to ask if I was looking for novels have been retold in cellu- papers had withstood the ravages loan of 2000 Pagodas to make sponsible for ensuring this sup- able in a well-established book- anything in particular. He looked loid. of time fairly well, but I was not building advance payments. port and paid the company 30 store near the Kapali Temple. too old to be an assistant. Who Why was the knowledgeable so sure of the present state of In 1735, Pitts successor Pagodas a year in three kisths. For a schoolchild from T.Nagar was he? In response to my im- Ramanan only a procurer? Ah, many monuments mentioned in Benyon was unhappy with the They were also asked to keep the going elsewhere to buy anything plied question, Ramanan simply you should have come to my the pages of the tomes. My man- progress, despite the settlement streets clean and planted with was an adventure. said, Speak to Alwar, by all shop in the old Moore market, date was clear, get all the infor- of 230 families Two famines had trees and allowed to collect rent Twenty years later, I was back means, but he will refer you back he sighed. That whole building mation on temples in Madras you limited the refunds from weavers from the shops. They were also in the area to find another book- to me. and the one across burned down can. I set to work with gusto and as well as overall productivity. allowed to let the paddy fields store which has been in business Brightening at the first sign of one night. One wide street con- by evening was armed with sev- Benyon asked his dubash, Adiap- surrounding the village for rev- since the 1950s. Alwars sidewalk customer service, I asked for nected them. What does that tell eral sheets of paper with closely pa Narayan, to help. Much of the enue generation for the temples. store, a stock of books sitting on Sanjay Nigams Non-Resident In- you? He paused dramatically. scrawled notes. But, as always, it development of the village seems Their descendants still play a plastic sheets, has shifted around, dian and Other Stories, a recently Whatever the reason for the fire, was the minor references that to have been in his time. Nara- small role in the temple that is based on the whims of municipal out-of-print book. Ramanan the thought suddenly hit me elicited my greatest curiosity. yan died in 1743 before he had administered by the HRCE officials, before it became a land- candidly said he could not get me that, the tragedy of 1985 reduced All the famous temples in repaid the advances. He had Board. mark near Kamadhenu theatre. this Indian author from abroad. several such collections of out- George Town had several para- spent approximately 18,000 Pa- Wondering what the present Three generations of readers Next, I tried some Mexican of-print books to ashes. graphs, but not so the Chintadri- godas to construct the temple, state of the place was, I set off on have shopped at Alwars, but I comic books. My Spanish Aside, the now defunct Ma- pet temples. Their history was and his heirs were unable to re- a Sunday morning at the crack of had missed out on the experience sources have dried up, he said. dras magazine, must have docu- equally fascinating. To a modern pay it. In 1749, the village of dawn to beat the traffic to till now. Anything in Tamil, perhaps? mented the mysterious fire. Chennaiite, Chintadripet seem- Cattawauk, near Ennore, was Chintadripet. Turning left be- While most of Alwars rev- Jaganmohini, an obscure name Maybe he can get me that issue. I ed to have more to offer than just given by the family to the Com- hind the Simpson office in enue was from the sale of second- from a newspaper article, came started making a wish-list. the fish market and that was pany and his son Jaggu petitioned Mount Road and passing a hand textbooks, his reputation to my rescue. I am not a big Pudhumaipittans stories on certainly worth a visit. the Board in England regarding church on the right, any rem- was built on the ability to procure reader of Tamil books, but a Tirunelveli men and their first Poring over the A-Z, the twin the estate. The eventual out- nants of slumber were firmly ne- The Madras team which won the Ranji Trophy for the first time in 1954-55. Balu Alaganan captained the team, which beat Holkar in the final at Indore. The team out-of-print books for clients. womens magazine from another brush with urban life in Madras temples were marked clearly and come was in favour of the gated by the powerful odour of comprised, seated, left to right: A.G. Kripal Singh, C.D. Gopinath, Alaganan, V. Pattabhiraman (Manager), B.C. Alva, D.L. Chakravarthi and M. Suryanarayan, and Even the Maharajah of Mysore era could be fun to flip through. is number one. Going by the the evening was spent in reading the fish market. Thankfully, I standing, left to right, B.S. Alva, J. Ramakrishnan, M. Balakrishnan, M. Murugesh, A.K. Sarangapani, S. Balakrishnan, M.G. Bavanarayanan and M. Balasubramaniam. has used his services, it is said. translations, there is a new craze through the notes so as to get a l by PRADEEP hadnt thought of a leisurely walk Precious finds have been shipped for this Manikodi writer. feel for the place. The East In- CHAKRAVARTHY to discover the temples, I told to anonymous foreigners who l by Vijayashree My mother eagerly scanned dia Companys directors had myself. A few questions on the had all but given up on their Venkataraman the books I had selected, for ter- commented on the shortage of whereabouts of the twin temples That memorable year search for some rare book. Give mites. When Ramanan named a [email protected] calico and the Governor Mortan Company, but the report offers a for Shiva and Vishnu led me to Alwar a weeks time and he will price, she trusted my instinct on Pitt resolved to encourage its glimpse of how the temples were Nainiappa Naicken Street. The When Tamil Nadu were Ranji champions get you any title in any language, the value of the books and made manufacture in Madras. Weav- built. Adi Narayana temple and the if it is not already available with I sent off the Jaganmohinis no move to bargain, surprising all ers from Salem and Worria- It has in former letter been Adi Pureeswara temple share a him, it has been said of this well- with a foreigner. People get PhDs of us, including herself. pollam (Udayarpalayam?) were observed that, in this country, common wall and a tank. for the first time known school-dropout. out of those. I have novels by One lingering look at the invited to relocate. They agreed men who are fond of showing Going there early in the adras won the Ranji Tro- Instead of being perturbed, he elegant stroke player, and M. the fifth wicket. T-C were 141 Alwar is no longer at his usual Vai.Mu.Ko, the editor of the bright gopurams of the temple to do so, but asked for open their wealth and grandeur have morning was a good choice; it Mphy title for the first time, instructed me calmly not to Balakrishnan, a delightful striker for six in their second innings. spot, a friend reported recently. magazine. A prolific writer, you and I was ready to head home, to spaces to work in under the as yet found no better means of was quite peaceful and certainly defeating Holkar in the final. throw my wicket away as he was of the ball, provided him fine The match being drawn, Madras Did he have to move again or, know. Come to this address to- savour my bounty. But first, we shade of trees. Trees were in displaying them than by the far from the maddening crowd of Though they had reached the fi- quite confident of holding one support. Like Kripal Singh, the were declared winners on their worse still, (since the newspapers morrow for those paperbacks, dropped Ramanan back at work. 1773/4 absent in Tiruvotriur, building of temples. Whether the fish market. The priest was nal twice before in 1935-36 and end up. His were not empty young left-arm spinner M.K. lead in the first innings. say he was in his seventies) was he offered, but I got him to take Children in school uniforms were Lungumbauk (Nungambakkam) from these motives or to draw obviously in a good mood and his 1940-41, Madras lost to Bombay words as subsequent events Murugesh was the leading bowler Madras next beat Hyderabad he truly gone? As a booklover, I us rightaway. scouring the stacks under and Wasseravally. Pitt was ob- inhabitants to the new pattah, lovely recitation was a treat to and Maharashtra respectively. It proved. I was extremely lucky in- of the team as well as of the on similar lines. Consistent bat- simply had to find out. Con- Back by the temple, we Alwars watchful eye. Too late, I viously not going to postpone perhaps both, Narrain, out of his the ears. The temples are small is also a sad fact that the triumph deed to have as my colleagues a championship. He had a tally of ting by the short, stocky and vinced that a decade abroad had reached a tiny outhouse, full of realised, I hadnt exchanged a commercial gain for a few trees money, built two pagodas there; and unprepossessing. An inter- was not repeated in the 29 years band of fine sportsmen whose 23 wickets at an average of ebullient D.L. Chakravarthi deprived me of the skills required books, after passing through single word with the legend. and cast his eyes on Sunku and that they might not want esting carving of Yama, the Lord thereafter. The captain of the tri- aim was only to do well as a team. 19.52. Kripal Singh, with his off- (61), Kripal Singh (67), M. Sur- to function in Madras, my some unbelievably narrow lanes. However, the possibility of meet- Ramas extensive garden. The proper endowments, he obtained of the Underworld, and two umphant team was R.B. Alaga- In this respect, much credit is spinners, provided him admi- yanarayan (54) and the bowling mother accompanied me. As he rummaged through the ing the old Tamil authors, first- former chief merchants property not only from the inhabitants of bronze women holding lamps nan, a sound batsman and a fine due to our two coaches, Ram rable support to take 13 wickets. of the spinners A.K. Sarangapani When we got to the Luz bus stacks, Ramanan threw names of hand through these used books, had several trees and copious every denomination in your and bedecked with carefully de- team man, who continues to take Singh and K.S. Kannan. They Superior as they were in all and Murgesh saw Madras shelter, which once gave Alwar a old authors at me. I recognised drove away all such concerns water. It occupied a peninsula bounds some contribution, but tailed jewellery were noteworthy. keen interest in the game in the through. For Hyderabad, Gull roof, we saw a vendor of steel only those who had been pub- from my mind. formed by the loop of the Tripli- also from many of those in the The temples will elicit no gasps various roles of selector, admin- l This article is excerpted from P. N. Sundaresans Mahomed and Ibrahim Khan, vessels at the spot. He gave us lished in popular weeklies. Oth- I simply could not keep them cane River and was bounded by adjacent districts such as Poone- of admiration from the architec- istrator and commentator. book, Ranji Trophy: Golden years 1934-5 to 1983-84, who took seven wickets in the directions to his illustrious ers sounded vaguely familiar. To waiting. the Karanesvari Temple and mallee, the Tripossore countries ture buff, but for a traveller who Many views have been ex- published in 1984 by the BCCI. Madras, as Tamil Nadu, match, bowled well. Earlier predecessors store. Further Periamet. Sunku Rama had a etc. These went under the name wants a moment of rest there are pressed on that victory, recalls won the title for the second time in 1988 and has not Hyderabads victories over down, on Luz Church Street, we cowle granted to him by Gover- of voluntary charitable dona- several spots, under the kadamba Alaganan, one such being that won since. Andhra and Mysore, by an in- saw a shirtless man with a Periyar nor Collet in 1719 that pro- tions, but when it is considered tree and in the pillared manda- the victory was a fluke. What- nings and on first innings lead, beard against a backdrop of The weavers village claimed his ownership, but Pitt what power and influence pams. ever it may be, there is no gain- spared no efforts in moulding us departments of the game, Madras were featured by centuries from piled-up books. It was Alwar. had that set aside and in Octo- Narrain had over the people, it I was fortunate to meet Chan- saying the fact that there were in into a well trained and well disci- were forced to a draw by Travan- Gul Mahomed, E.B. Aibara and Well-thumbed tomes on pro- (Continued from page 4) Adiappas work? Possibly so, for ber 1734 the proposal for the cre- will be easily conceived that what drasekhar, the Executive Officer this particular season certain plined unit. core-Cochin in their opening Abbas Ali Baig and the bowling gramming languages stood out in the four corners were embel- ation of the village of Chindadre was called voluntary, and even to the temple. Showing me contributory factors which, to my The outstanding batsman of match at Ernakulam. A splendid of Gul Mahomed and Ibrahim those stacks. Madras was not a has five feet of water, Chandra- lished with very European-look- Pettah was approved. appears as such at this day under around, he displayed great pride mind, did help considerably in the Madras team as well as of the knock by Balan Pandit of 81 runs Khan. beneficiary of the outsourcing sekhar said, as he opened the ing winged cherubs. Stacked Only spinners, weavers, the hands of some of the casts, in the improvements made. The achieving our ultimate victory by season was Ram Singhs eldest helped T-C to a total of 247 runs. In their only home match of boom for nothing! The collec- doors of an old shed to show me away in a corner were two in- painters, washers and dyers with was merely the tribute paid to best room in the temple was un- merit alone. A predominant de- son A.G. Kripal Singh, who With Kripal Singh touching the season, Madras then de- tion disappointed me because I the real treasure of the temple, cense burners, also beautifully priests and attendants for the power. doubtedly his office. It over- sire to win prevailed, which indi- sported a beard in his early years. grand form and with Alaganan feated Bengal by 157 runs. Fresh saw nothing but useful books the wooden Nandi that carried fashioned with chubby and temple were admitted to the new Support seems to have re- looked the small temple tank rectly erased the inferiority com- He had an aggregate of 636 runs offering him solid support, Ma- from his experience of a tour to texts and exam guides. Alwar the processional image of Shiva cheeky looking goblins. village. Immigrants had to get the turned to the family by way of a surprisingly not only was it full of plex of some of our younger play- and a sequence of scores which dras set aright a poor start to Pakistan, Gopinath excelled in made no move to help. He must for the December / January Aru- With this enchanting sight, I approval of Augustus Burton, the cowle granted by Governor water but it was teeming with fish ers. I shall always remember reminded us of Rusi Modi at his their reply to make 414 runs for scoring a scintillating 121 while have something to pique the in- dhra Dharisanam festival. Noth- bid goodbye and felt happy that special officer who allotted them Archibald Campbell on 10th Au- that rippled the surface. The young Murugesh walking up to peak. The captain himself, with the loss of eight wickets, when Kripal Singh missed the hundred terest of buyers who read or col- ing had prepared me for the sight there was indeed some part of land. As evidence of the purely gust 1787 to Goda Mungapathy early morning sunrays glittered join me for the last wicket in our 181 runs to his credit, M. Surya- the innings was declared. Kripal narrowly in both innings, 98 and lect books simply for pleasure. I of a colossal Nandi carved out of Chintadripet that retained if not commercial interest of the Gov- Naicker and Diddi Venkata Raya on the water and bathed the old match against Holkar at Indore narayanan, a grandson of the late Singh compiled 208 runs, which 97. Though Madras (347 runs) needed to ask him, but I had no wood but beautifully gilded and the structural beauty of its past, ernment, the inhabitants were Naicker, the descendants of buildings beyond the tank in a in the second innings, when our M. Baliah, who led Madras in still stands as a record for the dismissed Bengal for 174 runs, idea how to interrupt his chat surrounded by two rows of im- at least a vestige of the more lei- expected to settle their disputes Narrain alias Audiappa Naick. mellow light. This tank always position was none too rosy, the their first appearance in the final State, and with his captain, who with his neighbour, the coconut- portant members of the Hindu surely pace of life that it would by arbitration and were not sub- Through the cowle, the village of (Continued on page 5) scoreboard reading 219 for nine. in 1936, C.D. Gopinath, an scored 106, added 276 runs for (Continued on page 8) seller. pantheon. Could this have been have once had. CMYK 6 MADRAS MUSINGS May 16-31, 2005
The stormy petrel of Murugan began writing seri- ous fiction in the early 1990s a time when literary debates in Tamil Literature Tamil centred on issues of caste oppression and identity. This period saw the emergence of a he stormy petrel of the Agni Pravesam, a short story body of confessional writing by TTamil world of writers, a published in Vikatan, was about writers from the so-called un- maverick man of letters, is the a young Brahmin girl who was touchable or Dalit communi- ties. A new genre of Tamil lit- celebrated Tamil writer, essay- seduced. It shocked the pre- erature came into existence, ist, scriptwriter, film-maker and dominantly middle class Brah- called Dalit Literature a lit- speaker, D. Jayakanthan. The min readers of the magazine, Perumal Murugan. Jnanpeet Award for 2002 was but created a tremendous im- given to him recently for his rich pact by focussing on the prob- contribution to Tamil litera- lems faced by young women go- ture. It is no exaggeration to ing out alone in search of liveli- state that the Jnanpeet Award hoods. JK expanded the short A writer of protest Committee has honoured itself, story into a full-length novel instead of the other way round, Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal, in running by giving it to JK (as he is fa- which Vikatan serialised and miliarly known to his friends brought him greater fame. This D. Jayakanthan. and fans). was one of the few instances of for Kiriyama Prize teens when the family fortunes After the Award was given a writer expanding his own pub- dwindled, whereupon he drop- lished short story into a novel. amil writer Perumal erature of protest, resistance and to the noted Tamil writer ped out of school and left home. T Murugans third novel Sea- subversion. Akilan many years ago, no Like most creative writers, Like some kind of Dick Whit- sons of the Palm was one of the Perumal Murugans work other Tamil writer until JK was tington, he made his way to he was drawn to the medium of five finalists in the prestigious may be seen as a response to considered, though there have Madras and there, through the cinema and wrote and directed Kiriyama Prize for fiction 2005. this genre. His fiction recre- been a few who deserved it. To influence of an uncle who was a Unnai Pol Oruvan (1965). It ex- The prize is for outstanding ates the everyday brutality of those who know JK well (like plored life in the Madras slums. books in English (or translated caste society in relentless communist, found a roof over into English) that promotes this writer), awards and prizes his head in the office of the Survival of the fittest was all detail. He is credited with do not mean much to him; as that mattered in such sordid greater understanding of and restoring literary value to Communist Party publication among the nations of the Pacific he remarked, after being award- conditions of life. Done in real- Tamil realist fiction, which had Jana Sakthi. Here he hobnobbed Rim and of the South Asian sub- all but died in the post-modern ed the Jnanpeet, it is only an with many top leaders of the istic style, the movie had a tell- continent. Past finalists and endorsement! ing impact and proved a critical 1980s. No mere chronicler, Communist Party and imbibed winners of the award include Murugan writes as a critical Announcing the award, the ideals and ideas of Marxism. success, winning the Presidents Monica Ali, Carlos Fuentes, Ha insider. His art both records L.M. Singhvi, Chairman of the He helped with composing of Certificate for regional films. Jin, Rohinton Mistry, Michael as well as mercilessly indicts Jnanpeet Committee, observed, Jana Sakthi and selling it at Inspired by the success, he Ondaatje and Simon Winches- the inhumanity he grew up Jayakanthan has not only en- made another film, Yaarukkaaga ter. The judges had this to say with. It is a reality, he once street corners in Madras. Thus, about the novel: Murugans riched the high literary tradition he was learning fast in the Uni- Azhudaan (1966). It was about a remarked, whose cruelty third novel focusses on the ar- insists on being written about. of the Tamil language, but has versity of Life many lessons, sleazy hotel where a poor waiter duous lives of a group of lovingly also made an outstanding con- which would stand him in good was falsely accused of theft. drawn child characters with Seasons of the Palm has been tribution to shape Indian litera- colourful names like Shortie, ten years in the writing: I could ture. He has been doing it and Tallfellow, Matchbox, and never finish it, but neither could I stay away from it. And then more for nearly half a century Stumpleg. Born into the un- one summer, it got written. I and this recognition from the l by RANDOR GUY touchable class in Southern In- dia, the children work as goat grew up in this world, but just Centre has come to him cer- memories are not enough to tainly late. herders and face not only the universal difficulties of adoles- write. You have to wait until Jayakanthan set brave new cence but at the same time they acquire colour and shape, stead when he became a writer. This film did not meet with suc- and become a story. Murugans trends in Tamil literature by cess although it made a strong heartbreaking hunger and dis- creating a world of stark realism, He began to write short sto- possession. earlier novel, Current Show ries during late 1950s for small socially relevant statement. The (published by Tara, in English), breaking conventions, kicking Thirtyeight-year-old Muru- circulation magazines like role of the poor waiter was bril- centres on unusual male friend- at sacred cows, exploring the liantly played by that star-come- gan is a lecturer in Tamil Litera- ships amongst dispossessed Saraswathi, Thamarai, Sakthi ture in a government college in lives of the downtrodden and dian C.K. Nagesh. youth. His current body of work the exploited. Having known and others. His themes and Tamil Nadu. Murugan grew up JK made two more films but is made up of three volumes of poverty as a youth, the experi- style of writing found him many in a harsh landscape, amidst verse and short fiction, a dialect regretfully, they were disasters, ences he underwent filled him admirers. Soon, he graduated to hardworking peasants. While a dictionary and a collection of el- with the Censors and others student in the mid-1980s, he with rage against a smug society write for mainstream Tamil egant scholarly essays on con- creating problems that pre- was involved with socialist liter- comfortably settled and sweep- magazines like Ananda Vikatan. temporary Tamil literature. His vented their release. ary groups and wrote widely in ing the dirt under plush carpets. It was here that his fame began outstanding literary work has al- to spread when he wrote about Then came the success of broadsheets published by the ready earned him a national fic- Indeed, JK was the first Angry radical left. The experience of the middle class Brahmin mi- Sila Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal tion award and several local lit- Young Man of Tamil literature. untouchability is a strong the- erary awards. (Courtesy: News lieu, its mores and morals, the (1977) as a film. It was written matic concern with him. He says, There was a time hypocrisy of traditionalism and by JK for the screen and di- from Tara.) when I numbered among my orthodoxy. Appearing as they rected by the moviemaker of close friends rickshaw-drivers, did in a traditional family maga- the melodramatic, A. Bhim prostitutes, rowdies, pickpock- zine like Vikatan, the readers Singh. The successful producer- Film Society Movement for wrote for Paathai Theriyuthu ets and cigarette-butt scaven- were shocked by his stories at director followed the screenplay some time in the 1960s. During Paar (1960) Thenankeetru gers. There is a sense of involve- first but soon felt that here was to a T and the result was an ex- that period, a film society, Oonjaliley The tune was com- ment with them. Sometimes I a bold writer who dipped his cellent movie. Lakshmi played Rasana, was established by S. posed by that innovative music even wonder whether I would pen not in ink but in vitriol and the role of the seduced Brahmin Krishnaswamy (Babu), S.V. director M.B. Srinivasan and not have been happier if I had vinegar. Vikatan increased his girl and won the Presidents Venkataraman, Saavi (writer rendered by P.B. Srinivas and S. decided to live among them as fame in a big way and he wrote Medal for Best Actress. and journalist), JK and others Janaki. That was the first time one of the family. Truly, an at- several novellas and magazine In an innovative move, the interested in serious cinema. the xylophone was used in traction for their life was serials in it which established complete screenplay of Sila That was a time when JK at- Tamil cinema. planted in my youthful mind him as a top modern Tamil Nerangalil Sila Manidhargal was tended many screenings and JK has written 40 books and There is in the lives of such writer. He also wrote for other published at the price of Rupee meetings of the Society in hundreds of short stories, essays people a flaming passion, a live- noted magazines like Dinamani One! That was a period when a Western dress, once even sport- and two memorable explora- liness, and truth! This indeed Kadir and Kumudam. few screenplays of Tamil mov- ing a dinner jacket! Sadly, like tions in autobiography. Many of formed the theme of his early ies were published as books. many good things in life, his books won awards in Delhi writing, which first brought him Some of his works of this pe- (Not many may be aware that Rasana too faded. and in Madras besides being recognition. riod included Kokila Enna Seithu Vittal?, Agni Pravesam, Rishi- Serukulathur Sama published Few today recall that JK was bestsellers. Jayakanthan was born into a moolam, Vizhuthugal, Sila the screenplay of his film Shy- also a talented lyricist who He has inspired many young comfortably placed agricultural Nerangalil Sila Manithargal, lock (1940). The screenplay was wrote meaningful songs for writers who treat him as a befit- family in Cuddalore, on April Parisukku Po and Ganga Engey sold for one-and-a-half annas)! some Tamil films. Mention ting role model of Modern 24, 1934. He was entering his Pogiral. JK was also involved in the must be made of the song he Tamil Literature. May 16-31, 2005 MADRAS MUSINGS 7 Trees that fall and dont fall
(Continued from page 1) avenue concerned. What is In gusty wind-prone areas, these Its like if, in Delhi, there are Metrowater, often undermine wrong in introducing exotics, if trees need not be planted, we more accidents in Maruti cars, the root system. Spacing bet- thick canopy of the Rain Trees they are of a good variety, with need to expect the natural its just because there are more ween large sized trees like the there. The Peltophorum too is a good leaf characteristics and effects of natural calamities. Maruti cars on the road! Rain Tree and Peltophorum is compact, colourful and showy good flowering tendencies? While a Principal Conserva- While a Corporation official also a crucial factor in their tree. Its yellow flowers enhance Dr. Livingstone, Head of the tor of Forests was recently re- cited the reasons for the popu- stability. the visual effect of the avenue. Botany Department, Madras ported as saying that Peltopho- larity of the Peltophorum and However, O.T Ravindran, a Why is there such a hue and cry Christian College, says, Both rum is not a tree suitable for the Rain Tree for urban green- veteran horticulturist, says, about tree species that have the Rain Tree and the Pelto- roadsides, another senior offi- ing as quick growing and There are beautiful Rain Tree fallen down due to a natural phorum or Perum Kondrai are cial in the Forest Department shade-giving, one native tree avenues in many parts of Chen- phenomenon? If a tree has a exotic species, with generally says, There is no scientific rea- enthusiast feels such a choice nai. Its wrong to say they good anchorage this is denied shallow roots that dont go too son to condemn the species. against indigenous varieties is shouldnt be planted in the city. sometimes by the side of city deep, but theyre quite accli- Maybe, a few trees might fall more as a shortcut and to As softwood trees, they should roads that are black topped, and matised to our region. Quick- due to old age or termite attack. show results in spite of the be planted where wind tunnels alongside cemented pavements growing and shade-giving, Certainly not due to a shallow fact that the exotics have a are unlikely between buildings it will stand the velocity of theyre a popular choice in ur- root system; this is a term used shorter life span than indig- and not in very open spaces. If winds. Where trees have fallen, ban greening. There is nothing more for agri/horticultural enous species. Sources confirm enough space is left around the it merely means their root sys- wrong in planting these trees crops. Many reasons are pos- that the latest directive to Cor- trees so that the roots can grow tems are weak. This can be even though native species like sible for the trees falling may poration officials in the Parks normally, such tree-falls will brought about by a) the nature Neem, Pungam, etc. stand a be due to root borer, termite or Department has been to plant not occur. The Peltophorum of the particular tree itself (and better chance provided some insect attack, soil differences, more of the Gul Mohur, Cassia can also be used as a good road- is not restricted to a particular guidelines are followed. To excessive pollution on wind side Fistula and Peltophorum side tree in the right places. Na- species) and b) the local condi- make these trees less top heavy, and, of course, wind pressure. varieties. tive species like the Neem, tions in which the tree has to branches should be regularly Since 90 per cent of the trees Another concerned citizen Puvarasu, Tamarind, Ponga- grow. Tree species for avenue trimmed so that the root system planted on roadsides belong to feels, Once in ten months, the mia, Cassia, Albezia etc. could planting should be chosen de- is not under strain to hold the the Rain Tree or Peltophorum roadsides are dug up, with tree also be planted. We just need to pending on the width of the extensive weight of the crown. species, they also attract nega- roots cut or their grip loosened. take care to plant more care- tive attention of this sort when Support services provided by dif- fully. And there is no bad tree. they fall. There is nothing ferent government depart- Only people who plant a tree in Subscriptions and wrong with these tree species. ments, like the Telephones or the wrong place or in the wrong contributions conditions can be called bad! l As readers are already aware — and hundreds have responded positively — we have no other alternative but to price Madras Crashing hoardings... Musings. From April 16th (Volume XIV, No.1), Madras Musings has been priced at Rs.5 a copy, ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION: Rs.100/-. (Continued from page 1) Please make out your cheque only to ‘Chennai Heritage’ and send it, been going on pursuing this is- together with the COUPON BELOW, to CHENNAI HERITAGE, 260-A, sue for so many years (our As- Guidelines—but they TTK ROAD, CHENNAI 600 018 or C/O LOKAVANI-HALL MARK sociation has written over 1000 PRESS PVT. LTD., 122, GREAMES ROAD, CHENNAI 600 006. unacknowledged letters to the are challenged An ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION of just Rs.100 covers only a part of concerned departments at vari- our costs. Corporate support and YOUR support will continue to be The following are the current guidelines for hoardings. These ous points in time). Like the have been challenged by the Outdoor Advertisers Association. essential for Chennai Heritage and Madras Musings to play a greater Tamil saying Erumai mattukku role in creating awareness about the city, its heritage and its envi- mel mazhai vizhuvathupol (like l Hoardings on the sides of roads with more than 100 ft width ronment. We therefore look forward to your sending us your contri- rain on a buffalos back!), there should have a maximum size of 20 x 12 ft. butions IN ADDITION TO your subscriptions. is no effect at all! says another l Roads between 50 and 100 ft width 15 x 10 ft size. 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Therefore, please keep your contributions coming IN ADDITION advertisers, whove been trying l No hoardings are allowed in front of educational institutions, TO YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS. If, say, you send in a cheque for Rs.500, since 1979 with no result. The popular places of worship, hospitals, in-patient treatment facili- we will treat Rs.100 of it towards subscription to Madras Musings for need for enforcement of regula- ties and places of historic and aesthetic importance. Hoardings in the corner of streets or junctions should be 100 mt 2004-5 and the remaining Rs.400 as contribution towards the causes tions is even more imperative. l Chennai Heritage espouses. away from the junction. A clause in the Collectors Or- l Hoardings should be erected only on steel structures. We look forward to all readers of Madras Musings, and those der in 1968 said that hoardings newcomers who want to receive copies, sending in their subscrip- must be erected in front of the tions. We are indeed sorry we can no longer remain a free mailer. AE Highways, AE PWD or AE The Editor Corporation. Later, after the Senate House Conservation Fund erection, it had to be certified l The Senate House Restoration and Management Trust appeals to all CHENNAI HERITAGE by the officer concerned. But alumni of the University of Madras and heritage lovers everywhere to con- this procedure is seldom fol- 260-A T.T.K. ROAD, ALWARPET, CHENNAI 600 018. tribute to the Senate House Conservation Fund which the Trust is manag- lowed, and structural stability ing for the purpose of restoring Senate House to its old glory by December I am already on your mailing list (Mailing List No...... ) / I have certificates are issued anyway. 2005 and maintaining it thereafter in the same condition. just seen Madras Musings and would like to receive it hereafter. Guidelines on where to erect, Cheques should be made out to the Senate House Conservation how to erect, periodic inspec- Account and sent to the Registrar, University of Madras, Chennai 600 005. l I/We enclose cheque/demand draft/money order for Rs. 100 (Rupees One tions etc. need to be clearly Contributions are eligible for benefits under Section 80-G of the Income hundred) payable to CHENNAI HERITAGE, MADRAS, as subscription to stipulated and enforced, says a Tax Act. Madras Musings for the year 2004-05. hoarding owner emphatically. Dear Registrar, l As token of my support for the causes of heritage, environment and a better In June 2004, a hoarding op- I am pleased to enclose a cheque for Rs...... as my contribution city that Madras Musings espouses, I send Chennai Heritage an additional Rs posite the Chennai Corpora- to the restoration and maintenance of Senate House. Kindly acknowledge ...... (Rupees ...... ) tions headquarters crashed on receipt. Please keep/put me on your mailing list. a car injuring the driver. Again, Name: ...... in September, another giant Name : ...... Address: ...... hoarding collapsed dangerously ...... Address: ...... close to the Judges Quarters in ...... Adyar. Maybe hoardings need ...... Note: Overseas postage Rs. 550/year extra. Cheques for overseas postage to come crashing down with I am an alumnus/alumna/heritage lover and wish the project all suc- alone payable to M/s. Lokavani Hall-Mark Press Pvt. Ltd.. All other cheques to even more unfailing regularity, cess. My college was ...... ‘Chennai Heritage’. for any effective regularising actions to be taken. Date: ...... Signature: ...... 8 MADRAS MUSINGS May 16-31, 2005 That memorable year
(Continued from page 5) Mushtaq Ali surprised every- taken the first innings lead; body by putting Madras in to Bombay followed Gujarats ex- thanks to the spirited bowling bat after winning the toss. ample when they gave up the of J. Ramakrishnan, right-arm Alaganan then adds, Our match to Baroda in the West medium-paced, and Alva they opening batsmen, Chakra- Zone final round about lunch took five for 66 and four for 59 varthy and S. Balakrishnan, time, after the latter had taken Alaganan did not enforce the gave us a flying start which was the first innings lead. These two follow-on. Bengal then hit back later consolidated by another were bad enough but the to skittle out Madras for 139 brilliant century by Gopinath. unsavoury practice was re- runs in the second innings, Kripal again batted well scoring peated by Baroda even in the thanks to some excellent effort 75, but the most enterprising important semi-final round by Chowdury (six for 35). Only batting came from Sarangapani. against Holkar, after its first in- a masterly knock by Kripal His last wicket stand of 65 runs nings ended shortly before tea Singh saved them from a rout. with Murugesh was really worth on the fourth and final day. And it was Kripal Singh, now watching. In our first innings Indian Cricket, in its notes of with the ball, in association total of 478, I had the dubious the season, condemned the de- with Murugesh who then distinction of being the only plorable habit of some teams helped to dismiss Bengal for 155 member to contribute nothing conceding a match when their Olive Ridley turtles runs and thus helped Madras to to the score. Holkar, in reply, opponents had surpassed their a fine victory. Murugesh took scored 417. Our slow bowlers total on the first innings The five for 53 and Kripal Singh four Murugesh, Sarangapani and laws of the game make no pro- hatch at city beach for 18. Kripal backed by excellent field- vision for this practice; they en- he efforts of M. Murugan of Exnora, Olive Ridley Turtle Con- Consistent batting brought ing did a grand job. Going in to visage every game being played Tservationist, yielded results one recent morning, when one of Holkar 441 runs while fine bowl- bat a second time, we scored throughout the allotted period. the relocated Olive Ridley Turtle eggs nests at Elliots Beach hatched and 117 nestlings emerged. ing by the left-arm Arjun 311 leaving Holkar to get 373 Many State captains are oblivi- Murugan, with the help of the Exnora Life Guards at the Beach, Nayudu and spinner Sarwate runs for an outright victory. I ous of the cardinal fact that carefully collected them in an aluminium vessel and safely put them enabled them to dismiss Madhya must confess the days game was these practices can only alien- back into the sea. The sea, because of the recent earthquakes in Pradesh for 161 and 100 runs. really exciting with our oppo- ate the public, who are deprived Sumatra, appeared withdrawn by about 10 to 12 feet from the nor- Earlier, Madhya Pradesh had nents making a grand effort to of the full complement of a mal water line. beaten Uttar Pradesh on first in- get the requisite runs. They just game for which they have paid However, the nestlings happily took to the water and disappeared nings scores. Holkar next met failed by 46 runs, and Madras their money of admittance. The into deeper waters very quickly. About 10 to 12 eggs in the nest Baroda. In the semi-final at won the Ranji Trophy for the Control Board should insist on appeared to have not yielded hatchlings and were found broken. Indore, the rival teams, batting first time since its inception. the immediate discontinuance This was the first hatching this year and more are likely to occur in strongly, took three and half Kripal Singh got seven for of such harmful practices. A the relocated positions. (Courtesy: Environment Ambassador, journal of Exnora International.) days to complete their first in- 213 in the match, Murugesh got most timely comment, as the nings, followed by Barodas deci- eight for 211, while Sarwate, championship matches, despite with six for 194, was Holkars keen rivalry between the teams, paragraphe: Recontre avec Philippe sion to concede the match. Minvana/The architectural secret Holkar relished the gesture of best bowler. Kripal Singh made were not receiving the public of a paragraph: Meet Philippe Min- Vijay Hazare in sending them in 75 and 91, Gopinath 133, support they had in the early yana; Lapin chasseur/Rabbit in to bat and assiduously built up a Sarangapani 74 not out, while years. This decline in popular- sauce. Play by Jerome; Phedre. score of 492 runs. Holkar then N.R. Nevsarkar (85), Mushtaq ity was due to the visit of for- Till May 20: Nights In Paris, an ex- Play by Jean Rachine; and Tam- had anxious moments, but in the Ali (55 and 51) Jadhav (77) and eign teams diverting the atten- hibition by Manish Pushkale bours sur la digue/Drums on the end got a first innings lead of 80. Sarwate (56) were the leading tion of the public to their per- who was selected under the dyke. Play by Helena Cixous; fol- Our final against Holkar, scorers on either side. formance. One critic remarked, Indo-French Academy for the lowed by From stage to the screen recalls the Madras skipper The attitude of teams and This trend has become so ac- Arts-Artists in residence Ariane Mnouchkine; The Tragedy programmes (At Alliance Alaganan, evoked much inter- their captains conceding a centuated in recent seasons of Hamlet. Play by William Francaise). Shakespeare; followed by Brook est among cricketing circles be- match, a stray occurrence in that most members of the pub- by Brook an intimate portrait. cause of the controversy regard- previous years, assumed rather lic decline to watch any but a May 20-22 and 27-29: French the- (At Alliance Francaise.) ing the venue of the fixture. I menacing proportions to spoil Test match, a most unsatisfac- atre on screen. In sequence: Un do not intend to go into the the Ranji Trophy championship tory state of affairs. fil a la pattle/A fly in the ointment. May 25-June 4: Private vs. Public merits or demerits of the issue of 1954-55. It all started when Play by Georges Feydeau; Views, a photography exhibition except to state that the matter Gujarat conceded the match to Sport on Inventaries/Inventories. Play by presented by the Embassy of was finally decided by fixing the Baroda at tea on the last day of Philippe Minyana; followed by Luxembourg. (At Alliance Pages 4 & 5 La Secrete architecture due venue at Indore. the match after the latter had Francaise.)
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