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Vol. XXVII No. 19 MUSINGS January 16-31, 2018

Nature sees the New Year out... & in Ooty Golf Course (left) all frosted up saw the New Year out and “Super Moon” over the Marina (above) greeted the New Year in. VIJAY SRIRAM adds that the moon picture was taken “using a 300 mm lens”. City’s open spaces need better use (By A Special Correspondent) hennai may never become a super metro or a smart city, whatever those two Cterms may mean or imply, but it is fast becoming one of the most built-up cities of India. The value of open space is fast being forgotten and Government and private parties alike view all such areas only as places where buildings can be put up. You name the precinct – colleges, University, the High Court, the stations, administrative headquarters – everywhere the trend is the same. More and more buildings are coming up. No thought is being given to alternative campuses in other parts of the city, and as a result, congestion is on the rise. It is high time the administration thinks of preserving what little open space it possesses and puts it to good, creative, alternative use. And in this it would appear that a more congested city than ours, namely Kolkata, can show the way. The South Park Street Cemetery there is one of the oldest such facilities in that The sad state of Bharat Insurance building where the LIC ignores the High Court’s orders. city. It is a city of the dead, with streets laid out between vaults, obelisks, monu- (Picture: Shantanu Krishnan.) (See page 3.) ments and funerary statuary. For long neglected, it was in the 1990s rescued from oblivion and cleaned up. Entry was regu- Market the Metro with attractive pricing lated with a watch and ward staff ensuring discipline was here is disturbing news G by A Cost Analyst localised. In travelling, people maintained. In a rare display of Tcasting a cloud of delay and do move from one zone to an- cooperation, the church, the uncertainty over the sanction of has raised this concern in an of 7.76 lakh per day in the other. Therefore, without a full administration and the media Phase 2 of . The earlier issue (MM, September project report for a 45 km line connectivity network it is diffi- worked on making the place Ministry of Housing and Urban 16th) pleading for imaginative has been proportionately re- cult to test the adoption rate. well known and it is now one of Affairs has questioned the vi- pricing and promotional strate- duced to an expectation of 4.5 The typical example is of the the city’s tourist attractions ability of Phase 2, expressing gies. lakh per day for the 28 km of reluctance of passengers to take though it cannot be said it is a concern over a poor patronage The Ministry’s calculation of line, completed so far. The ex- the Metro to Central station popular spot. But then you of Phase 1 of only 30,000 per pro rata ridership threshold for pectation that each section or even though a feeder service is don’t expect a cemetery to be a day. The Ministry cannot be financial viability based on portion thereof, on completion, provided connecting Nehru picnic space. blamed for raising this issue, as completed mileage of track is, should result in a proportionate Park station to Central. The in- the low usage is a fact and a however, questionable and is footfall would be right only if convenience of changing from (Continued on page 7) matter of concern. This journal unrealistic. The forecast usage typical travel habits were highly (Continued on page 2) CMYK 2 January 16-31, 2018

Attract with The underbelly of a flyover here was a time when, as least to MMM’s eyes, appeared lay public and when not so oc- pricing TThe Man from Madras to be an upturned broom with cupied, paying obeisance to Musings remembers only too baskets festooned all along its the late lamented duo, one the well, our city had one flyover – handle. On these receptacles creator and the other the pre- (Continued from page 1) large potential market that is at the Gemini intersection. reposed some rubber tyres. server of the party. there for the asking. It has been Thereafter, sometime in the What this ensemble was sup- Son rise party too has much one mode to another, although estimated that a monthly travel 1990s, we broke out into a posed to mean was beyond to rejoice. Truth, they feel, has the Metro price includes con- cost per motor cycle user is Rs. rash of them and they continue MMM but, then, much of mod- been upheld in the matter of nectivity, is a dampener. The 1,474 which is his/her Metro to dominate Chennai’s skyline. ern art is that way. It was the great scam over which at Some are straight, others bruited about that a very large least two of their leaders were assumption in evaluating the affordability threshold. The curve, while yet others branch sum had been spent on the art- likely to come to grief. A whole project by the experience present cost of Metro is Rs. 2,158 off into confusing branches work and the rest. Daniel come unto justice, cry of one partial segment is faulty. and needs to be brought down by and loops, the last being All was well for a couple of their posters, what with the Habituating to Metro use Rs. 684. That reduction may ap- named four-leaf clovers per- weeks. And then the vagrants Judge letting off the two lead- calls for a cultural change gov- pear large but even after reduc- haps in commemoration of the came back. They missed their ers and declaring them pure as erning travel habits. It also tion the rate is still nearly Rs. 2 green cover they displaced. All home, but it was worth it, for, driven snow. In this connec- takes time for people to realise per km higher than the then of them, however, have one in the month or two’s absence, tion MMM notes that the the values of timeliness to work, price. problem in common – namely someone had redecorated their posters in Chennai only laud time saving, travel comfort pro- the space underneath. And all demesne at someone else’s ex- the distaff of the two accused. Increasing traffic volume the bleaching powders and dis- pense. And now all was well. What of the so-called kingpin? tected from heat and pollution, and filling the bogies results in infectants of Arabia will not The police tried their best to Why is he not feted? That is a joy of a dependable time of re- large contribution to fixed cost sweeten that little land, to evict the settlers, but soon lost mystery. MMM assumes post- turn to the family at day’s end and could lead to a surplus; at paraphrase Lady Macbeth. interest. They even became ers in his praise are up at his and, above all, to be willing to the worst, it would cut losses The most practical solution pally with them. The tyres were (king’s) native village. pay a little extra for it all. compared to the option of keep- In project cost estimation, it ing prices high. The surge in to- was not safe to have assumed tal revenue, when fare is low- that when all those values are ered, is bound to be high as SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY offered, and that too in people are likely to respond sectional instalments, people massively to lower affordable would rush in. Unless the cost prices. was affordable, compared to The initial phases of the is to convert them into park- removed from the baskets and Also in celebratory mood is current cost, people were not project offer an excellent op- ing spaces. After all, these the children of the vagrants Truly Troublesome Victor, going to take it. Times are hard portunity to experiment with flyovers did come into exist- (the numbers had multiplied who having contested elec- and every rupee had to be bold pricing and promotional ence chiefly to cater to the ve- while on holiday) played tions in a pressure cooker of a saved. And, more so, consider- methods. At a later stage, entic- hicular population of Chennai around with them. The vast situation has emerged like a jet ing that it is not the car travel- ing prices cannot be tried as and so we might as well go the open space became a conve- of steam from aforesaid lers who are the target users but raising them then would meet whole hog. And that has hap- nient spot to lie down and cooker, complete with three auto and motorised two- pened under many flyovers. watch traffic go by. Last seen, triumphant whistles. Posters with stiff user resistance backed Not so in the case of the one the tyres had vanished and the laud him as the deity of char- wheeler users. by citizen bodies and civil soci- The State government can- on RK Salai. This thorough- baskets around the broom were ity, no doubt recalling the lar- ety organisations. fare, for long the Chief used for storing clothes. Talk gesse that he is alleged to have not escape responsibility for its In considering the Detailed Minister’s Way no matter who of built in wardrobes! distributed or at least prom- unimaginative pricing and mar- Project Report (DPR) for was in office, hospital, prison, ised to distribute. His victory keting strategies in launching Phase 2, apart from citing the sick-at-home or meditating on was a blow to all the aforemen- this new Rs. 20,000-crore facil- Poster plethora poor usage of the completed the Marina, has been the royal tioned celebrants, especially ity. Had they launched the line route so to speak and so it be- nd, so, ‘sucks to the High son rise party which came a section, the Centre has more aggressively the footfall by came necessary to beautify it Court of Madras,’ they cropper. Son 2 has since ac- pointed out the absence of a A now might have been much in the best traditions of our seem to say. The judgement cused Son 1 of being the prime comprehensive mobility plan larger, avoiding delay in secur- city’s Corporation. Imagine banning the putting up of post- reason for the miserable out- and proposals for private-pub- ers and hoardings on public ing sanction. the CM (whomever that may come. MMM thinks that an- lic participation for project be) driving down and seeing a spaces and private walls lasted other Tweedledum vs To promote cultural accep- implementation as required whole lot of cars parked under less than the time that posters Tweedledee situation is aris- tance of this modern way of under the new metro rail the flyover. What an abomina- and hoardings remain. What ing. travel, the Chennai Metro policy. These omissions smack tion it would be for those with the political parties, the Whatever it is, 2018 prom- could have learnt from a similar of a lackadaisical approach to Chief Ministerly eyes. And so administration which is such a ises to be a good year for those block faced by the Metro in handmaiden to the first named, formulating and defending a plan was made. in the poster printing industry, Kuala Lumpur. An old resident The powers-that-be de- and the print media (which is ditto the banner raising indus- such an important project. of KL says that when initial re- cided that this space would another offender in this regard) try, the sidewalk digging in- sponse was poor the KL Metro The State government become a plaza of sorts, or, all ganging up to represent as dustry and the road repair to why such an order went authorities experimented with a should lose no time to explain given the plans, may be platz work industry. Tamil Nadu against the very principle of fortnight of free travel. It to the Central Ministry the or piazza would have been a shines. more appropriate term. This, fundamental liberty, it seemed worked and ridership increased latter’s faulty yardstick used for evaluation of the existing trun- said the powers-that-be, would inevitable. Those whose prop- Tailpiece steadily when people realised become a space for modern erties stand defaced thus, evi- the convenience and cated line, convince them of dently don’t matter. But that, nd so the New Year steps to be taken to promote art. These would be dotting affordability of travelling by the area, so ran the dotty as The Man from Madras A dawns, exactly as The Metro. The cost of free travel ridership and seek early sanc- scheme. And then we would Musings notes, never was a Man from Madras Musings becomes part of the capital cost tion. The eventual benefits are have children playing open air consideration. predicted, full of scope for sat- of the project and is insignifi- going to be huge and they can games such as hopscotch, No doubt emboldened by ire and humour. To illustrate cant compared to total project be realised only when the entire snakes and ladders and maybe the lifting of the ban, everyone this we have the featured is back in business. photo, where, as you can see, cost. In India, we cannot also project 107 km is completed catch-catch. Add a trouba- speedily. dour or two and a few potted Tweedledum and Tweedledee, women with curly hair have rule out common people hesi- who had set out to battle fol- new joys to look forward to. The mass rapid transit sys- plants and you could consider tating to use a facility that, they yourself to be in Venice. The lowing the departure of their apprehend, might be meant for tem of transport is a basic need only absent element was the mum, having since buried the more affluent. This hesita- for a growing city. It can relieve gondola, which too could be their hatchet and been tion, if any, could also be over- traffic congestion, discourage arranged each time the space smoking the pipe of come by offering the free urban crowding, substantially flooded owing to rain. peace, letting all and sun- sample. reduce pollution and widen Work proceeded briskly dry know about it by Motorcycle users form the work opportunities. These are thereafter. The vagrants who means of posters. No bulk of the traffic, causing most social benefits that justify slept under the flyover were doubt accurately moni- tored by the guidelines of of the congestion and pollution. subsidised metro prices if neces- scooped up and dropped else- sary. For what is lost financially where. Flagstones or their the Weights and Mea- In 2013 the total vehicle popula- sures Act, these posters can be more than gained concrete equivalents were tion of Chennai was 39 lakh of laid. A couple of ferns came give equal importance to which 31 lakh were two wheel- through larger social benefits along. By way of modern art both. They are shown ers. The total has gone up rapidly and their multiplier effect on there was something that, at holding hands, waving to the –MMM to 48 lakh by 2016. It is a very the economy. January 16-31, 2018 MADRAS MUSINGS 3

they survived or what business they got into? Any prominent names you might know of? I am chronicling my family A senior architect’s history and need this informa- tion. Unfortunately, my parents lament – and plea and grandparents are no more, so this enquiry. My family t is painful to see the condition of wonderful Bharat Insurance IBuilding (see page 1) on Chennai’s main road, . settled down in Madras, two This Indo-Saracenic structure is now surrounded by bushes and generations ago. Sindhi settlers other communities came to completely damaged by nature. As a professional, I feel ashamed and wonder how a law enacted by the Government to conserve am a Sindhi and my grand Madras during partition in Prakash Jashnani [email protected] such a heritage building is just ignored. Particularly as it is parents moved to Chennai 1947? Did the camp have a I Editor’s Note: Try the owned by a public sector undertaking. during the partition in 1947. name? Any other information Even the Heritage Conservation Committee constituted by Punjab Association, Door No. However, they are no more now regarding these camps and how the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is unable to 202, Near Adharsh School Fly- and I have a few questions the refugees were resettled? initiate or take action against the owners to preserve it. over, Peter’s Road, , about the Sindhis in Chennai. Can you share any other in- The professional architectural community has thousands of Chennai 600 014. Email: Can you tell me where the formation about the Sindhi members connected locally, nationally and internationally [email protected]; Ph: 044 through an online network. As the ‘Voice of Architecture’, we refugee camp was located in Hindus who moved to Madras during the partition and how 28470925 should be the champions and custodians of the highest stan- Madras when the Sindhis and dards of professionalism, ethics and best practice. Hence, it is Disappointing syllabus our responsibility to actively lobby the Government to influ- adras Musings (December ence, change, encourage feedback and opinion from all on policy and legislation. All of us can be a part of the effort to protect M16th) has explicitly our heritage in many ways, such as collecting donations and brought out the lacunae and using such amounts for specific purposes like conducting semi- non-appealing syllabus framed nars/events, publishing newsletters etc. for Humanities in schools. His- Above all, it is pride in our heritage and our responsibility tory, Geography and Civics in towards it that matters. We must be vocal against practices that one book is not only an over- destroy heritage and must spread awareness so that all come load but it also does not speak together to safeguard these heritage structures. on the history of the land. The We have to deal with several laws that affect the well-being writer rightly points out that lo- of the common man. The Regional Town Planning Act, the Development Control Regulations etc., have to be interpreted cal study, as area study, is very by us judiciously when we discharge our duties. There are other important, based on the prin- laws such as Heritage Conservation Act, Coastal Regulations ciple of “From Known to Un- Zone Act, Environmental Protection Act, Forest Act etc. that known”. The syllabus does not need to be studied well to be able to practice satisfactorily. instill pride in the development It is not too late even now for the Heritage Committee ap- made in every sphere locally pointed by the Government to take steps towards the preserva- Beware ’s and nationally. tion of what is left of the City’s heritage. I hope the Department of Together we can make the difference. Education and State Council of Thank God the Taj Mahal was not built on the basis of the Catfish Education Research and Train- lowest tender! icknickers to popular Pulicat Lake, particularly children and ing (SCERT) will definitely S.L. Chitale Pwomen, love to wade barefooted in the cool and calm back- look into the syllabus and en- Dhun Building, Chennai 600 082 waters. They are, however, quite unaware of the stinging catfish sure that it highlights the past [email protected] lurking amidst the bottom weeds and slush of the brackish (salt) through the present and leads waters here. to the future. The content and Auxiliary Fire Service (A.F.S.) The Gray Eel-Catfish or the Canine Catfish-Eel (Plotosus the related activities should be a single soul will face demise also with 29 Fire Stations, with canius), is widely distributed in the backwater lagoons, estuaries relevant to developing an in- sooner or later. two fire appliances each and and mangroves of Asia, particularly of the Indian subcontinent. sight among the students and S.S.Rajagopalan some ambulances. Closer to us, it is common in the Pulicat Lake and they may inspiring them to become re- 30,Kamarajar Street even migrate into the , Adyar and Kovalam backwaters, I joined the AFS in Madras. sponsible active citizens. Chennai 600 093 and into the that connects them all. Nine pucca fire stations were Unwary waders may get stung on their toes, feet and lower Dr. Smt. Girija Seshadri built on a war footing. I saw the Reposition box legs, but the commonest victims on the Pulicat Lake are the [email protected] High Court Fire Station being have been reading Madras local tribal fisherwomen who wade while crouching to collect built overnight, the work Musings for many years and juvenile prawns by feeling for them with their fingers in the bot- Air raid shelter I tom slush and weeds. They can be stung both on hands and legs. lighted with petromax lights. would appreciate your consider- he air raid shelter The Governor also sanctioned ing this suggestion. In the Pulicat Lake, this catfish is called Irungeluthi in Tamil. (Musings, December 16th) It grows to about three feet in length, but usually those that T Rs. 40 as Evacuation Advance Please print the ‘box’ per- inhabit the coastal shallow waters are less than a foot in length. belongs to the Government of to every government servant taining to subscription/dona- Younger ones are grey, but older ones are dark grey. The Madras. The then Madras advising them to send their tion on the seventh page, just characteristic barbels (whiskers) of catfish, are a pair of longer Presidency Governor, Sir families to the villages. I also re- behind where “Madras Musings ones on their upper lip and three pairs of smaller ones on the Arthur Hope, had it built in ceived Rs. 40. is supported as a public service lower lip. Their single dorsal (top) fin and the paired pectoral 1942 with numerous others. Aaron David by the following organisations” (shoulder) fins carry at their front margin a serrated sharp sting, The marauding Japanese came Retired Divisional Fire Officer is printed as you have occasion- with a groove running from the venom gland in the skin upto as far as Rangoon. No. 2, Thommayappen Street the tip of the sting. ally done. Bombing of Madras was im- Royapettah, Chennai 600 014 While sending subscription/ Sting: Catfish sting gives a sudden burning shock, followed minent in late 1941 and early by intense pain and cramps, ascending up and paralysing the Nostalgic memories donations, the ‘box’ is cut and victim making him or her fall prostrate, as in the case of a scor- 1942. The Governor was con- filled and then despatched to pion sting. Hence this catfish in the Pulicat Lake is also called cerned about loss of civilian life. he January 1st issue of Ma- you. When it is cut, on other the Theli Meen (Scorpion Fish) in Tamil. Some victims sweat He directed the City Police to Tdras Musings is a veritable pages, some important articles profusely and even become breathless and faint. They are in- organise the A.R.P. (Air Raid collection of nostalgic memo- also get cut. Many preserve valid for two or three days. In the Pulicat area, the Yanadi tribal Precautions), a civil service ries. The first one by the elder Madras Musings for years. fisherfolk superstitiously believe the victim to be demon-pos- organisation to advise the brother of Subbudu reveals the sessed and subject the victim to all kinds of witchcraft, magic people about the air raids, ob- struggle of the critic. Subbudu R.K. Bhuwalka and charms. Physician’s treatment is necessary, if available. serve black out, take shelter had often preferred to be in the D 405 Ashok Gardens Occasional fatal cases due to catfish sting have been known in when the siren wailed and come mould of Dr. Johnson who Tokersey Jivraj Road Pulicat. out when it gave the all clear – a Sewree, Mumbai 400 015 Venom: Catfish venom acts like a neuro-muscular venom would be lavish in his praises for most victims, but in a few cases of old and weak victims, it long steady sound. Wardens, and biting in his criticisms. He Editor’s Note: We try to do brings about cardio-vascular symptoms also, depending on the Messengers, First Aiders, and expected the artistes to be mod- exactly what reader Bhuwalka age of the victim and the amount of venom injected. Some skill- Doctors were appointed under els of perfection and he could suggests, but only too often, the ful fishermen on the Pulicat Lake bite off the catfish stings! this scheme. Ambulances were not digest ordinary perfor- length of articles does not make More research on fish venoms in India needs to be attempted bought by the late Dr. M. mances by the great musicians. it possible. We know it is incon- not only to find out the precise antivenom, but also to explore Santhosham, who was a promi- Similar is V. Sriram’s article on venient, but can only suggest the therapeutic potentials of fish venoms in India. nent figure in the A.R.P. Deputy JBS which had its own halo dur- Xeroxing the box when it is – P.J. Sanjeeva Raj Commissioner of Police, D. ing its heydays. The lesson badly positioned and sending [email protected] Latham, was the Controller of learnt is that any organisation, the copy. Or a scribble on the the A.R.P. He organised the political or social, dependent on wrapper with address will do. 4 MADRAS MUSINGS January 16-31, 2018 January 16-31, 2018 MADRAS MUSINGS 5

Sruti can well adopt as its baseline, for it has fought hard to G SRIRAM’S SEASON conserve artistic tradition while Clive and other The surprise that stayed at the same time blazing a trail of urbanity, fearless honesty and modernity in the manner it has Farewell covered the arts. to a dedicated Fort libraries the course – Sruti The early editorial board and contributors’ list were impres- rasika of t is the Pongal season and vest in a bale of calico cloth that them from Dust and Vermine, sive, including as they did the hen Dr. N. Pattabhi sail for the US. There members of the extended family Madras that is Chennai is in the was to be sold in England. The and that none of them be lent or likes of C.V. Narasimhan, S. I Raman started Sruti, a he obtained a doctor- and numerous friends. the Academy grip of ’s Lit for Life fest money realised, £28-10, was used carried out of the library without W Rajam and M. Krishnan. Yet, “south Indian classical music and ate, researching the (Pattabhi’s encouragement and Sarangapani. 2018. It is ironic that when mat- to buy books and these were the Consent of both the Minis- nobody gave the magazine a dance magazine” in October trade union movement the work experience at Sruti later ters literary are being debated shipped out to Whitefield. A ters, if two shall be on the place.” chance in hell of surviving be- his is Sarangapani from Kumbakonam,” he would an 1983, it was by and large a family in India, then served helped people carve a niche for elsewhere in the city, the oldest year later, the Directors in En- They asked for a catalogue to be yond a few months, but survive “Tnounce each time he called, even though he knew that I affair. His two elder brothers the UNDP with dis- themselves elsewhere. An ex- library here, or, to be precise, the gland purchased a further £20 prepared, one copy of which was Sruti did, shaking up the worlds had his number saved on my phone. Sundaresan and Venkatraman tinction for many ample was Gowri who played a building that claims to have worth of books and sent them to be given to the President of music and dance out of their “I have been expecting your call for the past so many years,” I housed it, is in ruins with nothing here. These two sets of books (Governor) and the other sent to were publisher and financial ad- years. While in the major role; her work at Sruti led comfort zones, setting standards would retort. “How is Komalavalli? And did you come by being done about it. I allude to formed the nucleus of the city’s England. This was completed in viser, my maternal uncle S. U.S., he also cut his to her subsequent career in The perhaps no other publication of Garuda?” what is known as the Clive’s oldest library. But the collection 1716, but was rejected for its Ramaswamy was senior editor, teeth in journalism, Hindu.) its kind has approached. It has my fellow assistant editors, writing for the Indian Gowri belonged to a family And then we would both laugh. This was a standing gag Library Building, Fort St George. was considered the personal poor quality by the Directors tirelessly campaigned for good between us. Now I will not get that call any more. There are several unresolved property of Whitefield. In 1663/ who were convinced that the Anandhi Ramachandran and Express, Financial Ex- steeped in journalism, music and taste and accountability in the mysteries about this structure. 64, Governor Sir Edward Winter Madras library stocked its books Gowri Ramnarayan were closely press, Commerce, dance and she had access to Sarangapani was a diminutive man, simply dressed. In the hot- fields it covers, heavily treading house atmosphere of the Music Academy where exotic species Was this really a library used by thought it would be better if they in “confused irregular heaps” and related to me, ‘research staff’ was Deccan Herald and the some of the top musicians and on many celebrated toes. It has Kamakshi, Gowri’s cousin, busi- Illustrated Weekly of In- dancers of Madras. Her back- thrived in pashmina, silk, designer clothes and diamonds, he stood Clive? That may not be a correct not sorted by subject. A revised played a key role in the revival of out in his simple white and white attire. He often had the stubble interpretation. But we do know catalogue was prepared in ness manager Ravi Rajagopal was dia. ground helped our cause when ragam-tanam-pallavi, in the docu- of a few days on his face. And as compared to the business barons that as a young man and a lowly 1720 and this was deemed satis- a nephew of Pattabhi, T.A. In 1981, Pattabhi we approached D.K. Pattammal, mentation of the often selfless and top-ranking professionals with incomes in ten digits, he was a Writer, Clive was encouraged to factory. The Chaplain who com- Narayanan, the printer, was his took premature retire- requesting her to be the subject work done by several men and man of the masses. He had retired from the postal services. But all read books by the then Governor pleted it was rewarded with a cousin’s son-in-law, and photog- ment from his position of our first major story. She hap- women to keep their art alive, as this never gave him any complex. He moved with everyone as an equal and with perfect ease. The point was, he knew his music. of the Fort, Sir Nicholas Morse, LOST palanquin allowance. In the rapher Pat Raman was, well, as a director in the pily gave us exhaustive inter- well as particular schools of mu- Pattabhi. UNDP, and decided views which led to Gowri’s two- And to him, at the Music Academy, that was all that mattered. who was of a bookish tempera- meanwhile, the Company insti- N. Pattabhi Raman. sic and dance, it has unearthed ment. He had a well-stocked li- LANDMARKS tuted an annual audit of books, Pattabhi was by no means the and try to settle down part profile of her. several devoted custodians of our He had been listening to the best of Carnatic music for over brary and encouraged the to be done by “two of our ser- first journalist or writer in the to a quiet life in Madras. He be- Ramanuja Iyengar, an innova- Pattammal was on the cover heritage and writers of merit who seven decades. He had heard them all – Ariyakkudi downwards. Company’s servants to read. The vants together with our Minis- family. His great-uncle A. came a patron member of the tion of the 20th Century, was of the first issue of Sruti and so And yet he did not belong to that category that denounces all the have helped record their music of today as trash. He enjoyed listening to those performing bulk of the books were religious OF ters” and this was to be submit- Madhaviah had been one of the and one of the few remnants of what was 13-year-old U. ‘Mandolin’ endeavours, it has created a band in nature and Clive plodded ted to the Vestry. early Tamil novelists. An uncle, started listening to his own im- Srinivas, thanks to his mastery of in the junior category as much as he heard those who sang in the was now presumed to be tradi- of devoted and capable contribu- evening and for whose concerts the ticket-buying public had to through several. It is believed CHENNAI Janardhanam Naidu feels that P.N. Appuswami, had been a pressive collection of tapes and tion. The contemplative aspects the tiny instrument hitherto bet- tors. Arudra, Avinash Pasricha, queue early in the morning. And when he analysed a performance that they helped in calming it was this public library that well-known science writer. LP records of Carnatic and of Carnatic music were relegated ter known in film music orches- V.R. Devika, Gayatri Sundare- it was always a well-thought out, objective exercise. down what was a temperament Nicholas Morse encouraged his Madhaviah’s son M. Krishnan, Hindustani music – when he was to the background by an increas- tras than in the kutcheri scene, san, P.C. Jayaraman, S. Krish- naturally prone to depression. As juniors in service to avail of. an eminent wild life expert, pho- not indulging in bathroom sing- where the lad was making waves. Somewhere along the way, he had acquired a vast collection of – SRIRAM V ing preoccupation with speed nan, Lakshmi Devnath, Lakshmi stories and anecdotes about artistes, their foibles and mannerisms. to where Morse’s library was in Clive certainly was a frequent tographer, columnist, author and ing in the best and razzle-dazzle, the elaborative Trail-blazing Traditionalist was Sreeram, S. Muthumeenakshi, In me he found a ready listener. When I wrote the history of the the Fort we do not know. It was borrower as testified in his letters aesthete, became an early con- apaswara tradition. The peace components of erstwhile the title of the DKP profile which K.S. Muthuraman, D. Naren- Music Academy along with Dr. Malathi Rangaswami, he was of very likely in Fort House, which Home. But the library itself was tributor to Sruti. Pattabhi’s father and quiet, however, did not last kutcheri-s like the ragam-tanam- Sruti carried on its cover on dran, T.T. Narendran, Nirmala great use. We became close friends thereafter. was central to the entire precinct nearing the end of its life. The V. Narayanan had been an long. He had only himself to October 16, 1983 – a title that pallavi were endangered species, Ramachandran, Dr. N. Rama- Sarangapani took his Music Academy membership very seri- and not the present building re- French occupation from 1746 to M.A., M.L. by qualification, but blame for it, because he stirred and fidelity to sruti was fast turn- were owned by the Company and ously. It was I think the asset he cherished the most. He became a ferred to as Clive’s Library, which 1749 saw the scattering of the also an unhonoured genius of a things up when he decided to put ing into a major casualty of the member sometime in the dim past, at a time when being one was is on the northern side of the the books were bought off the collection. When the British widespread craze for virtuosity at not considered a prestige issue. Those were days when the Music Fort, separated by an arched Chaplain. In 1671, the personal came back, they were busy with the expense of depth and gran- Academy was not on a very sound footing and so solicited mem- passageway from the Exchange collection of another Chaplain, reconstructing the Fort and it deur. berships. Sarangapani joined and he loved the institution. He Building. Walter Hooke, was added to the was only in 1754 that a request would come to attend the AGM each year and when the elections G With his first major preoccu- library. By 1675, when the Direc- by V. Ramnarayan happened every three years, he would be there to cast his vote. Did Clive maintain a library was sent to the Directors to re- pation in Madras completed – tors asked for and obtained a During the December Music Season, he made it a point to be at in Madras after he became the sume the practice of sending out the construction of his home in hero of the siege of Arcot? There complete catalogue of all the books. This was, however, not the inauguration and then be present every day for practically ev- the heart of , right next ery concert and lecture session – morning, afternoon and evening. are no references to this and so books in the Fort Library, there complied with and there was writer in three languages – En- to use his journalistic experience to The Hindu’s family estate – Making this journey each year from Kumbakonam was not easy we come to the conclusion that was in place a lending system as never a library in the Fort there- glish, Tamil and Sanskrit. His and try to change the way classi- Pattabhi found the raison d’etre of and I am sure staying in Chennai for 15 days was even tougher, yet the name is just the figment of well – the register was kept by the after. contributions to the Tamil lexi- cal music and dance were pro- his post retirement life: a crusade he did it. At the end of the Season, the President and the Secretar- someone’s imagination. The Chaplain and delay in returns It is very unlikely that the ies were bound to get some feedback from him, in person, over the con and sloka books of the moted, performed and appreci- for the preservation of tradition building itself abuts Clive Street, meant a fine of one pagoda. In earlier library in the Fort could phone and sometimes via postcard! He had seen the Music Acad- Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham were ated in his home State. and promotion of innovation in which runs east to west at the the meanwhile, books kept in- have been named after Clive, for emy grow from being a nomadic sabha functioning at various as considerable as his role as edi- Over the decades, Pattabhi, Indian classical music and dance, extreme northern periphery of creasing, chiefly owing to dona- he was just a junior Writer when rented places to a powerful body and it mattered to him that it tor of the Indian Express. exposed to the sophistication the Fort and so it is quite likely tions from company servants it was in existence. But it is still starting with Carnatic music and kept growing. In 2009, The Hindu did a profile on Sarangapani Sundaresan retired as The and professionalism of Western and his love for the Music Academy. that the thoroughfare gave its such as John Dolben and Rich- interesting that there should be Bharata Natyam. Hindu’s sports editor. Pattabhi classical music, had come to ex- name to the structure. It must ard Elliot, and the Society for the a building bearing the name Once he decided he would This Season, Sarangapani was absent. I was informed that himself had dabbled in journal- pect a certain level of decorum, also be remembered here that Promotion of Christian Knowl- Clive’s Library. The structure is, start an English language he had had a stroke, lost his ability to speak and was confined hardly any building of Clive’s edge sending in publications however, in an area to which ac- ism in his student days, bringing style, and customer satisfaction monthly to carry out his agenda, to the house. Sometime during the Season, when the Music regularly. out a magazine he had grandly as an informed follower of the he turned to two of his young Academy that he loved was filled with music, Sarangapani time survives along the outer pe- cess is restricted and last heard passed away in Kumbakonam. I am sure that on its way out his riphery of the Fort. Most of the In the early 1700s, Charles of was completely overgrown called The Societarians. performing arts. Eager to reac- relatives interested in both these A polio victim, Pattabhi did quaint himself with the South fields as well as writing – Gowri soul dropped in at a concert at 168/306 TTK Road, Royapettah, present structures were built Lockyer came to Madras and saw with trees, all of which are Chennai 600014. when the precinct was rede- the library. It had by then £438 steadily working towards its col- not allow his physical disability Indian art scene as a rasika, he Ramnarayan, a trained amateur signed in the 1780s. worth of books and was in a large lapse. The Navy, which techni- to hamper any of his activities, was in for a rude shock – in fact, classical vocalist, Ph.D. scholar What cannot be forgotten, room on the first floor of a build- cally is in occupation of the playing cricket and table tennis several rude shocks. Poor acous- and English teacher, and me, a nathan, Ranjani Swaminathan, Akademi has, for instance, been however, is that a library existed ing. Could this have been the structure, had asked INTACH as enthusiastically as any normal tics, absence of concert etiquette company executive and former T. Sankaran, Sarathy, Sujatha a strong pillar of support in the Fort from 1661. In his de- structure now known as Clive’s to submit a proposal for restora- young man, much to the conster- on the parts of performers and cricketer with an interest in mu- Vijayaraghavan, Sulochana throughout. tailed account of such facilities in Library? The room below was tion more than a decade ago. nation of my father, audience alike, lack of profes- sic. We were his chief partners in Saralaya, Sunil Kothari, V.S. The Sruti Alliance, an idea the city, written for the Madras used for a free school run by Nothing has happened since Venkataraman, who constantly sionalism, poor taste in stage crime in the early days – though Sundararajan and his son V.S. conceived by Pattabhi, consisted Tercentenary Volume in 1939, R Chaplain Lewis. It was through then. ran after him trying in vain to décor and auditorium aesthetics Gowri needed a bit of convinc- Kumar, Vimala Sarma, the of a number of organisations Janardhanam Naidu, Director, Lockyer’s writing that the Direc- Just imagine the building be- protect him from injury. and negligible remuneration for ing that she had it in her to write Waran Brothers Mani and which extended financial sup- , gives tors in England once again took ing restored and converted into Pattabhi graduated with an the artists were among the many anything other than scholarly Raman … the list is long and im- port collectively, in effect under- us the story behind the Fort li- an interest in the library. They a museum of books and authors economics honours degree from irritants preventing unfettered material – as he began to put his pressive. It has also developed a writing the cost of production brary. Chaplain William directed the Council in Madras of the city, with a vibrant discus- Vivekananda College, Mylapore, enjoyment of the artistic experi- ideas into practice at breakneck superb constituency of readers annually. The composition of the Whitefield prevailed upon the to ensure that valuable books be sion space and a cafeteria. What going on to acquire an M. Litt. ence. The modern concert for- speed. The Sruti mob soon grew, and well wishers in places high alliance varied from year to year. from Madras University and set mat attributed to Ariyakudi Company’s factors in 1661 to in- kept in “close Presses to keep an attraction it would be! gathering in its fold many other The first issue of Sruti, October 1983. and low. The Sangeet Natak (Continued on page 6) 6 MADRAS MUSINGS January 16-31, 2018

K.P. Balaji (1926-76) died in an air crash in Bombay. From Kathakali in Kerala, he moved to Marg, that cultural journal in (Quizmaster V.V. Ramanan’s The City’s Bombay. JoiningThe Illustrated Weekly of In- questions are from December dia, he was with it from 1954 to 1961. He then got into advertising with S.H. 16th to 31st. Questions 11 to Benson’s and rose to be one of its 20 relate to Chennai and Directors. His son, K.P. Karunakaran, Tamil Nadu.) Burmese settled in Australia, put together a 1. Which world title did Viswa- collection of his writings and published nathan Anand reclaim after 2003 them as a commemoration of his and where? father’s 40th death anniversary. Over 2. Parliament recently passed the repatriates the next few issues, we publish a few of Indian Institute of Petroleum and Balaji’s Madras-focused articles that Energy (IIPE) Bill paving the way ummidipundi is a wayside set up by the State Government appeared in The Illustrated Weekly in 1964-65. for setting up an institution of Gstation some 25 miles from to receive the first batch of TODAY’S ARTICLE IS ON national importance. Where in Madras. For the major part it India’s newest dispossessed – the REPATRIATES FROM BURMA. Andhra Pradesh is it to come up? looks a shabby, straggling vil- repatriates from Burma. 3. Where was India’s first-ever lage, promoting itself into a sub- When I visited the camp a But, of course, the Indians in understanding from State offi- broad gauge air-conditioned AC urban dignity with little more few days later, I found it a scene Burma have really no choice. cials. They, and thousands of EMU suburban train flagged off than a coat of whitewash on its of much activity, but, signifi- The new regime seems to be- others who were yet to come, recently? mud walls. On the station cantly, it was mostly woman lieve that Socialism is a natural pose a staggering problem for 4. The India Government Mint benches, like permanent fix- who were up and about, wash- corollary to a wholesale export the Central and State authori- recently launched ‘Bharatiya tures, sit a few lethargic coolies. ing clothes under a common tap of “aliens”. (The Chinese, ac- ties. Their future is bleak and Nirdeshak Dravya (BND-4201)’. When the train pulls in, they or bargaining vehemently with cording to reports, do not be- uncertain – their only hope What is it? cast a quick, apprising glance at a vegetable vendor. They long to this category.) Indian seems to lie in a programme al- 5. Which former India wicket- the dozen or so people who get seemed to have settled down in establishments have been ready initiated, to find them keeper is the General Manager of down – and instantly reject their new surroundings, with a ‘nationalised’. “Even people employment in projects and the BCCI? them as of no account. I don’t quick adaptability which is per- who have applied for citizenship plantations or help them start 6. NITI Aayog is to set up an know what this place is known haps characteristic of their sex. are being persuaded to leave the small-scale industries in differ- Economy Fund of Rs. 4,000-5,000 for. One of them who volun- The men sat in small groups on country,” one of the repatriates ent parts of the State. crore to promote the production teered to be my guide, said the verandahs of thatched huts said. “In the past few months, and use of which clean fuel? sourly, in response to a stock or under trees, full of gossip particularly, life was just impos- 7. According to the UN World question, “But then I’ve been about their past but with no sible. Officials used to raid Migration Report (2018), which here only ten years.” clear-cut ideas of the future. houses and shops and confis- nation’s diaspora is the world’s But suddenly, one day, if only They appeared to accept things cate property. Our wages were largest, with slightly more than momentarily, the picture with an equanimity close to de- 15.6 million people (6 per cent of cut in half. Some people were changed. The people who got spair. The uprooting from their the total number of international sent to jail. They had, we were Wordless down at Gummidipundi (they old homes – a slow, coldly cal- migrants)? told, failed to give an accurate Gopulu arrived from the city in special culated political manoeuvre – 8. Which football team became account of their assets in buses) were still of the same ple- had given them no moments of the first to win the FIFA Club Burma.” beian stocks, but they numbered heroism, nor had any sudden G The late Gopulu during his World Cup back-to-back with a It was always the same story: victory recently? a few hundreds. Most of them tragedy sharpened their wits Ananda Vikatan days had a were women and children, not and prepared them for the ques- of blatantly unjust, often crude, series of wordless jokes 9. George Weah, a former FIFA methods adopted by the Ne World Footballer of the Year, was noisy or disorderly as you would tion, “What next?” that brought about loud have expected of a crowd like To many of them, India is a Win regime to drive the Indians laughter. These were recently elected President of out of the country. Many had which African country? that, but strangely silent, as the strange land. “I don’t know brought out as a book, in been deprived of their life’s sav- 10. It was recently announced men, too poor to engage coolies, which my home is,” one of them 2005, and a copy was unloaded their meagre posses- said. “I was born in Burma… ings and left destitute. The recently sent to me by that India is the second largest people I saw at Gummidipundi producer of horticultural crops sions – a rusty iron trunk, a bas- There’s no one I can ask now. Charukesi. We are pleased represented the poorest of the and fruits in the world. Which ket tight-packed with blackened My parents are both dead. They to publish these cartoons Asian country is No. 1? cooking pots, a clumsy bed-roll spoke Tamil. So I presume they poor, who had no money even for a new generation of to buy their passage home, and * * * tied with rough and knotty coir came from these parts.” Madrasis. who, having landed in Madras, ropes, etc. The children, some “How many Indians are – THE EDITOR 11. For translating which Mala- did not know where to go. yalam work has Yu. Ma. Vasuki possessively clutching broken coming back? I asked (the offi- won the prestigious Sahitya toys and battered cardboard cial estimate was 2,00,000). The refugees recall with Akademi award for translation? boxes, looked around with un- “I don’t know. Maybe five gratitude the help they received 12. Which Shiva devotee was complaining eyes at what their lakhs. Maybe less. Who knows from the Government of India. known as ‘Thirunalaippovar’? elders were vaguely referring to who wants to stay and who In Madras, they told me, they 13. What famous institution is as their new home, the “camp” wants to leave?” had met, with sympathy and located at 168/306 TTK Road, Royapettah? 14. By what other common name is the ‘Arudhra Darisanam’ festi- The surprise that stayed val celebrated? 15. Which Chennai resident was the first Indian to be appointed as the course – Sruti Crown Prosecutor by the British Government? achieve his dream. He drove 16. Which sabha started off in (Continued from page 5) bani and Lalgudi Jayaraman’s George Town in the early 1890s, To Pattabhi, the magazine music, had all been Sruti activi- himself and his associates to- moved to in was always only one of the ac- ties over the years. wards the achievement of seem- 1902 before settling at its present tivities, if the central one, of the ‘Samudri’ (The ingly impossible objectives, location on Mount Road in 1936? Sruti Foundation, a trust Subbulakshmi-Sadasivam Mu- which included investment in 17. Under the newly expanded formed a few years into the life sic & Dance Resources Insti- considerable real estate a long Greater Chennai Corporation of the magazine. Documenta- tute), kickstarted by a Ravi distance away from the city to (GCC), where would North and tion and research – in the Shankar concert as fundraiser, house ‘Samudri’. For the first divisions be teaching methodologies of the was Pattabhi’s ambitious time in years, Sruti, which had headquartered? various schools of music and project to set up a mega-archi- been put on a sound financial 18. At which venue was M.S. dance, in particular – were ar- val centre that would enable re- footing, began to feel the pinch Subbulakshmi presented to the eas in which he was keen to searchers and teachers to record as funds were diverted to the Madras audiences in 1933? make a major contribution. A the oeuvre of their parampara new project. The worst fears of 19. The entry point for a ragam-tanam-pallavi revival se- for posterity. It became an ob- Pattabhi’s friends and well wish- Jallikattu ground is called…? ries of concerts, a national semi- session with Pattabhi in the last ers came true when he fell ill in 20. What has the Rajinikanth nar on dance, books on Thakur years of his life, though the way November 2002 and died soon Rasikar Mandram been re-chris- Jaidev Singh, Semmangudi he went about it, there seemed afterwards. tened as? Srinivasa Iyer, and Balasara- no doubt in his mind he ex- (Answers on page 7) swati, and seminars on the GNB pected to live long enough to (To be concluded) January 16-31, 2018 MADRAS MUSINGS 7 The fitness coach of India’s women’s cricket team

t the age of 60, fitness ex- instructor. In the 2000s, when of 22 which included both a performance she believes that Apert Radha Krishnaswamy Krishnaswamy was transferred physio and a fitness coach.” there will be an increase in the is still capable of running full to Mumbai in his Indian Over- The journey of the Indian participation of girls in sports. “I marathons. She has attained ce- seas Bank job, she got the op- women’s team to the final of the believe that women’s sport will lebrity status today, as the fit- portunity to work as a trainer at World Cup was a very taxing benefit a lot in India. We expe- ness coach of the Indian the Mumbai Cricket Associa- one for the players and also for rienced the change when we Radha Krishnaswamy. women’s cricket team which tion. But that was for a short the support staff. “Before the were handed business class tick- reached the World Cup final at while as her husband’s job soon ets after the final. I hope that a Prime Minister Modi was in no Lord's and went down fighting took them to a new posting. women’s IPL tournament will hurry and chatted with us with against England. Her long years Radha was eager to put her G by come soon.” a sense of calm and composure. of hard work on the road to rela- talent and training to construc- Anab Ansari This was the first time that He interacted with every mem- tive fame started right from her tive use, and the eventual relo- the Indian women’s team got ber involved with the team, but student days at Stella Maris cation of the family to Chennai the chance to play a match at later admitted that he was un- College, Chennai. helped her, as her association World Cup, we had a camp in Lords and to their delight the able to watch a single match of “I was always interested in with the Tamil Nadu Cricket India and one in England to get final took place in front of a the World Cup.” sport and was very fond of vol- Association (TNCA) began acclimatised to the conditions packed stadium. It was a dream The epitome of physical fit- leyball while in school, but later then. Krishnaswamy encour- there. We knew that the come true for the girls to get the ness herself, she is respected by shifted to athletics when I was aged her to do whatever it took matches against Australia, En- feel of the historic Lords bal- cricketers as someone who at university,” says Radha. “I to fulfil her dream. “My hus- gland and New Zealand were cony. “The team was extremely wants to do her best for them, never knew that I would be- band has been extremely sup- going to be the toughest, but excited to play at Lords. For me, genuinely concerned about come a fitness trainer at such a portive and has helped me out beating England in the opener it was my second trip to the his- each player's fitness, and keenly high level.” Radha and her sis- many times. As a sportsperson of the World Cup was a big toric stadium; I had gone there aware of individual require- ter were fond of sport and both himself he can understand me boost to our confidence. The previously with my husband ments. She spent several hours were supported by their parents better than most, though my losses against South Africa and when we visited London to with women’s cricket coaches to pursue their interest, though children never got interested in Australia were a bit discourag- watch Wimbledon matches, but in Chennai, to try and under- they came from a conservative sport, which is fine.” ing but we were still confident I had never experienced the stand the biomechanics of the South Indian family. Radha’s Radha is particular about of making it. The semi-final Lords dressing room until the fi- game and address the physical marriage to Tamil Nadu open- people getting her designation against Australia was probably nal.” demands of the game, as in all ing batsman V. Krishnaswamy right, as many times people mis- the game when we were most The invitation by the Prime her years as a fitness expert, she did not, however, make her an take her for a physio. She ex- nervous, but Harman’s blister- Minister Office (PMO) for a had never worked with cricket- instant cricket fan. plains the difference, “A physio ing century changed all that.” dinner was something very hard ers before. She earned their ap- Her husband’s career took manages injuries during a The loss in the final against to believe for the girls. “The preciation for her thoroughness the family to many different cit- match, while we train the play- England was a heartbreak for team dressed well for the event and eagerness to learn. And ies, and Radha managed to con- ers before the start of the match the team, but Radha says that at the PMO and we were awe- learn she did, helping her to tinue her training wherever and are free during the course all that was made up after re- struck by the arrangements turn out a very fit set of women they moved. She also tried to of the match. This year’s World ceiving an unexpected roaring made for us. The hospitality of cricketers. develop as a physical training Cup contingent had a strength welcome back home. After this the PMO staff was excellent.

CHENNAI HERITAGE City’s open spaces need No. 5, Bhattad Tower, 30, Westcott Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600 014 better use (Continued from page 1) the General Hospital are the Lady Willingdon Institute when I am already on your mailing list (Mailing List cemetery’s neighbours. Why a book fair was held there. The No...... ) / I have just seen Madras Musings and Yet, something of that kind can’t something on the lines of QMC could definitely consider would like to receive it hereafter. is being attempted. Crazy as it the South Park Street Cemetery such an option, especially as an G I/We enclose cheque/demand draft/money order for may sound, a classical music be attempted here? Is anyone in oft repeated excuse for the poor Rs. 100 (Rupees One hundred) payable to CHENNAI performance in the open air is charge even thinking of such a state of its campus is lack of HERITAGE, MADRAS, as subscription to Madras Musings planned inside the cemetery! possibility? funds. for the year 2017-18. Dedicated to Bach, whose work The same issues plague other Hopefully, what is happen- is most closely associated with open spaces that are badly kept ing at the Lady Willingdon In- G As token of my support for the causes of heritage, environment and a better city that Madras Musings espouses, the church, the event has tick- – the compound of the Queen stitute is not thought of here I send Chennai Heritage an additional ets priced at a moderate Rs. 20 Mary’s college is another in- too. With institutions thinking Rs...... per head, chiefly to encourage stance. Yes, it is a girls’ institu- only on the lines of additional (Rupees ...... ) Please people to come. Much will of tion and so there are safety is- construction on their surplus keep/put me on your mailing list. course depend on how the sues, but surely the empty space land it is no wonder that we response is and what follow-up can be put to good use for cul- have ministers blithely declar- Name : ...... action takes place thereafter, tural events that can pay a rent ing that a wedding hall will be Address: ...... but it is still a commendable for using the land. Such an ex- built where Madrasa-e-Azam initiative...... ercise was attempted a couple of stands. It is time we reversed All cheques to ‘Chennai Heritage’. DD/Cheque should be sent by Contrast this with say the St. years ago in the neighbouring this trend. Speed Post only. Mary’s Cemetery on the Island. This has fast degenerated into a garbage dump for the neighbourhood. A huge Answers to Quiz MADRAS MUSINGS unauthorised, but subsequently legalised, colony of squatters ON THE WEB 1. World Rapid Chess title at Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), 2. has come up abutting the place. Visakhapatnam, 3. Mumbai, between Andheri and Churchgate, 4. It is To reach out to as many readers as possible who share our keen The lone caretaker is hardly a the reference standard for gold of ‘9999’ fineness (gold that is 99.99 per interest in Madras that is Chennai, and in response to requests from deterrent to the variety of ille- cent pure with impurities of only 100 parts-per-million), 5. Saba Karim, 6. many well-wishers – especially from outside Chennai and abroad gal activity that takes place in Methanol, 7. India, 8. Real Madrid, 9. Liberia, 10. China. who receive their postal copies very late – for an online edition. the compound, the least of * * * Madras Musings is now on the web at www.madrasmusings.com which is open defecation. All of 11. O.V. Vijayan’s Khasakkinte Itihasam, 12. Nandanar, 13. Music this goes on in the midst of one Academy, 14. Thiruvadirai, 15. V.L. Ethiraj, 16. Suguna Vilasa Sabha, 17. and , 18. Soundarya Mahal, 19. Vadivasal, 20. – THE EDITOR of the busiest localities of our city – the Central Station and Rajinikanth Makkal Mandram. 8 MADRAS MUSINGS January 16-31, 2018 Mylapore celebrates There was more than kolam-s he annual Sundaram TFinance Mylapore Festival, held every year in the precincts of the Sri Kapali Temple on the eve of the Pongal festival, is no more a neighbourhood cultural festival. It draws people from across the city, is widely fol- lowed online, and stories of its life have reached far and wide. The flagship event, the two Folk dancers (above) in the Kapali temple and the young sang with joy in the kolam contests held on the Nageswara Rao Park (right). weekend on one end of North Mada Street, saw participants lights were switched on for the legendary Princess Heo Hwang- enter the world of art & craft at from and Tamil play Andha Naal based ok to King Suro of the Gaya DakshinaChitra. on late Veena S. Balachander’s kingdom – continued to manifest January 19-20: Snowman, an Indo- Thiruverkadu, from itself across time and over myriad and West . script for his classic film starring Korean exhibition (at The Gal- Sivaji Ganesan, over 30 chil- forms and routes of interaction. lery @ InKo Centre). Also, Frenchwoman Twelve researchers from dren crowded on the smaller The Turtle Trail January 20: A talk on Turtles and Chantal Jumel who has been InKo Centre with the Acad- Korea, India, Malaysia and Elephants, by Dr. Supraja here for at least four festivals, stage at the Main Stage area emy of Korean Studies, Korea Canada will be working on this and watched the play through Dharini, Chairperson, TREE because she keenly records the and support from the Korean project and will share their re- Foundation (at 11 a.m., Madras kolam-s as part of her long-term its 55 minutes. Beyond them Cultural Centre, New Delhi, search findings at a workshop in Literary Society). Chennai on February 7-9, 2018. study, flew in on time this year were some 500 people. brings together researchers to February 1-10: Instrospection – an to not only be at the Mylapore Clearly, performances in a examine the deep-rooted links For further information, art exhibition curated by Neeta Festival but also roam the inner public heritage precinct and in between Korea and India, both T: 044-24361224; enquiries@ Omprakash showcasing the work inkocentre.org streets of the area to look for the ancient trajectories as well as of 20 artists from Goa and the open attract a huge and di- the modern manifestations of * * * Odisha (at DakshinaChitra). intricate kolam designs during verse audience. what is a significant ongoing in- The Margazhi and Village Festi- February 7-9: The Turtle Trail, a this Margazhi season. tercultural dialogue titled The Also, hawkers, street food val 2017-18 at DakshinaChitra has research workshop (at InKo Two Japanese journalists Turtle Trail – Indo-Korean ties vendors and the like are treat- been tailor-made to suit the festive Centre, Chennai). also flew in to be here – they from antiquity to the contem- ing this Festival as their own. mood, offering the rich and varied porary: a new perspective, the February 15: Access Music VI fea- had heard about the popular They also set up stalls, illumi- folk art forms of South India. project aims to include the his- turing Shilpa Natarajan (at InKo kolam contests and are working nated their spots and added to January 17-21: Pattada Kunitha/ torical, linguistic, religious, Centre, Chennai). on a feature on kolam-s. Pata Kunitha by Daiah Janapada the atmosphere. trade, commercial as well as cul- The four-day festival hosted Kalavidaru (Karnataka). A folk * * * If there was one big com- tural links between India and over 35 events at ten different dance mainly by men. DakshinaChitra Workshops Korea, with a particular focus on plaint from people who at- January 24-28: Dappu a group Adults venues and the 16th edition southern South Korea (particu- tended the fest, it was against dance by Bharathi Kala Samithi January 27-28: Photography. Re- was as popular as the previous larly the Gaya kingdom, the cur- the traffic. (Andhra Pradesh). source person: Poochi Venkat ones. rent day Gimhae region) and When scholar-writer Dr. Their suggestion: Get the Southern India (particularly the * * * * * * Chithra Madhavan started her Chennai Traffic Police to regu- ancient Ai kingdom, the current Till January 31: Crystal Dreams, an Children ‘Temples of Mylapore’ Walk for late or bar vehicles on one sec- day region stretching from art exhibition by Olaf Van Cleef January 27: Wheel pottery; Re- the festival weekend, there were tion of the Mada streets around Kanyakumari to Trivandrum). (at DakshinaChitra.) source person: Palani (at at 6:30 a.m. close to 90 people Sri Kapali Temple – the The project aims, through Till January 31: Chettinad Thilai DakshinaChitra) festival’s focus zone – to allow rigorous research, to position the Vaasal – an exhibition of line February 17: Miniature fridge at Sri Madhava Perumal magnet making. Age group: 10- Temple, the start point. people to enjoy the cultural southern sea routes from India to drawings by K.G. Narendra Babu Korea as the genesis of a rela- 14 years; Resource person: And on one evening of the festival in peace. (at DakshinaChitra). tionship that starting in circa 48 Jan. 24-Mar. 28: Vasantha Vizha. Rekha (at DakshinaChitra) stage performances, when the – Vincent D’Souza CE – with the marriage of the Step out of the classroom and Contact: Lakshmi: 984177779

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