Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/12-14 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/12-14 Publication: 15th & 28th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI INSIDE • Short ‘N’ Snappy • U.Ve.Sa. remembered • The Munro statue • Inscriptions lost • Losing nature heritage

Vol. XXIV No. 4 MUSINGS June 1-15, 2014 Why do we Madras Landmarks – 50 years ago grounds. The Music Academy held its annual conferences here between 1930 and 1935. Far more noisy and attracting huge crowds was the lag on Park Town Fair and Carnival organised by the South In- dian Athletic Association which occupied the Moore Pavil- ion and, later, the Victoria Public Hall for several years. The SIAA’s Fair, notwithstanding a devastating fire in civic needs? 1886, was an annual feature in the city’s social calendar. Chief attractions were Gunboat Jack who performed dare- devil stunts on a motorcycle in a barrel-like enclosure, wres- (By The Editor) tling bouts with King Kong and, last but not least, a local attraction – rekla (two-wheeled cart) races. The Fair was discontinued in the 1970s. hennai probably has more supervise complex engineering By 1979, the large nursery maintained in People’s Park Cmoney than it ever did for projects” and “well-intentioned on “72 grounds had to be handed over to the Southern Rail- public projects. Our Corpo- but labyrinthine procedures de- way for expansion of the suburban railway system.” Most ration’s budget is bigger than signed to eliminate corruption of the green cover in the park has been taken over by con- ever and as for infrastructure, in procurement… which often structions such as sports stadia and the new Moore Market there is a lot of money being end up causing delays instead.” shopping complex. The Corporation’s nursery, however, has been revived since 2007 in various parks in the city. poured into it, thanks to special Both these statements hold The park had three main attractions – the Ashoka Pil- purpose vehicles and funds from good for Chennai. The tragedy lar lawn, the tea party lawn and the Royal Bath. The last schemes such as the Jawaharlal is that very little is being done named was sponsored by the Rajah of Kirlampudi and Nehru National Urban Re- to correct the situation. And, thrown open to the public in 1922. It remained in use till newal Mission (JNNURM). what is worse, very little can be the 1970s. What is missed today is Ashok Vihar, the recre- Why then does the city rather done in the short term, for these ation and family welfare centre that once functioned from ironically have less infrastruc- are problems that need a long- here. ture than before – poor roads, term vision and political will to My Ladye’s Garden in the middle of People’s Park was non-existent pavements, end- resolve. and continues to remain the Mayor’s official garden. Qua- less traffic jams and, above all, a The second of the two prob- intly named, it still exudes a charm that is unparalleled, with several age-old trees and a few statues executed in the G My Ladye’s Garden is the sole remnant of what was once dysfunctional public transport lems is a well-known fact and 1930s by a student of the Madras School of Art. People’s People’s Park – the brainchild of Governor Sir Charles system that makes commuting does not merit elaboration. The Park as a whole and My Ladye’s Garden in particular were Trevelyan. Its entire management was transferred to the the most painful experience? first, however, is the deeper film-makers’ favourites and several were the classics of the Municipality in 1866. At the geographical centre of the city, The Economist, one of the malaise and the sooner it is black and white era that had at least one song sequence some of its portions housed “zoological and ornithological most respected international recognised as such, the better. shot in the area. collections, five lakes, a bandstand, reserves for football, Between 1933 and 1973, My Ladye’s Garden was the journals, recently conducted a We have had infrastructure tennis and other games.” By 1878, a gymnasium was venue for the Mayor’s civic receptions and tea parties. It study of several Latin American projects executed in our city started inside the Park near the Vepery gate. A band played was also the place where the annual flower show was held capitals, all of which are facing with more emphasis on imme- twice a week at the bandstand, with attendance on for over a century, at a time when the city had more gar- problems similar to ours. And diate solutions rather than long Saturdays being “invariably numerous”. dens than buildings. It was part of the Mayor’s duties to like Chennai, they too have an term impact. Take a look at That year went down in the annals of the Park as being inaugurate the flower show. The Ashoka Pillar, unveiled in abundance of funding. It came some of our flyovers and you that of the first Madras Fair; it was managed by a Commit- 1948 by Mayor Dr. U. Krishna Rau, was the centrepiece to the conclusion that the prin- need go no further. Whole ar- tee of Municipal Commissioners and commenced on during those flower shows and was lovingly bedecked with cipal causes are two – “the eas beneath them have become December 30th. From 1921, its management was vested flowers (as our sketch from the past shows). My Ladye’s shortage of people in the public uninhabitable, serving more as with the Health Officer. The Park’s heydays were Garden survives gloriously. Maintained lovingly, it is a sector with the training and ex- undoubtedly in the 1920s and during Christmas Week, paradise for birds and early morning and late evening perience to design, evaluate and (Continued on page 3) when numerous events would take place in its commodious walkers and joggers. Decongesting stations in city necessary he recent blast at Central Rather than taking such number of people use Egmore not so trains that are leaving G TStation has seen the steps, the railways could have by A Special Station as well. Chennai. Consequently, people authorities take several half- done better by decongesting the Correspondent Even if there was no security are left with no choice. hearted attempts at improving two stations by creating other threat, decongesting the two There was a time when the security in the station. This has boarding and disembarking being secreted in a piece of stations is a good exercise that railways claimed that Perambur also been repeated at Egmore. points further down the line, baggage? Will two x-ray should be taken up straight- and Tambaram were being Rather than enhancing safety, within the periphery of the city. scan ners (only one of them away. One of the chief reasons developed as alternative termi- all that these steps have This plan, announced a long working) be able to check every why the stations are so full at nals for Central and Egmore achieved has been the creation while ago, appears to have been passenger and other people who any point of time is that passen- respectively. of bottlenecks. And with vast given up halfway through. enter the stations at all times of gers from all over the city have That, they said, would ease crowds descending on the sta- Can the Central Station be the day and night? These mea- to come to only these two ter- the pressure on the two princi- tions every day, the mainte- made more secure by simply sures are laughably feeble, when minals to board trains. Trains pal stations. But this was never nance of even these levels of se- closing all entrances and exits you consider that 350,000 pas- coming into the city mostly stop implemented in full. Passenger curity will soon prove impos- barring one? Can a solitary bag- sengers use the Central Station at stations such as Perambur, sible. gage scanner detect explosives every day. Probably a similar Tambaram and Mambalam, but (Continued on page 3) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS June 1-15, 2014 How about Dragon by the beach fortnight ago The Man Unkempt grounds, a graceful why thanks when all that they Afrom Madras Musings had building that is rather indiffer- did was perform a duty? Is it Art, not written about the chaotic traf- ently maintained, and plenty of gratitude for having voted in fic arrangements on Beach neglect was what MMM could the other party, thereby giving Road. Now, MMM is glad to see. If this was the state of an the defeated lot some time to report, these steps to ease ve- institute for advanced educa- sort out other and more press- banners? hicular flow have all been re- tion, what of the lesser ones in ing internal matters? versed and the bottlenecks the neighbourhood? Well, The Chief, as MMM any, many years ago we at Mylapore Times supported for have also reduced. But what is enough and more has been knows, frowns on references Mabout a year a few small projects at the Corporation school slowing down traffic is a huge written in this publication political and so MMM will behind our office complex. and colourful dragon that has about at least two age-old insti- stop with that. He will, there- come up on the premises of the tutions that stand within fore take his lyre and now sing The schools run by Chennai Corporation are now called Lady Willingdon Institute for stone’s throw, both now doo- of the poster industry itself, Chennai Schools in wake of the branding make-over carried out Higher Education. In its scale med, sorry deemed universities which, in his view, comes out by the city’s civic body. and size it is so enormous that (and both aptly domed as well), in flying colours in this entire When the school reopened after the summer holidays, we gath- passersby cannot but help which are equally shabby. The thanksgiving process. Just ered a few students to paint the outer wall of the school with im- stopping and staring. populace that came to enjoy imagine... the election results ages of their choice. Tigers and cats, flowers and the sun, grass and MMM had his eye on what the entry of the dragon, not come out on a particular day, peacocks. initially looked like a roller that there were many, also and within a few hours of that, Our link with that school snapped for various reasons but every coaster made out of bamboo added to the mess at the Lady the posters are all out. Perhaps time I used to drive down the road where the school is located I almost from the time it was Willingdon Institute. it is time for our Election stared at the works of art which survived the grease of the streetside first put up. He initially as- And that brings MMM to Commission, which takes a sumed that it was one of those two other points. The first, as long time to conduct and com- auto shops and the stains of uncouth men. contraptions on which mem- to what exactly is an institute plete the polls, to learn from Recently, I broke journey on Cathedral Road to watch the bers of the public could under- for higher education doing the poster industry. “Do it students of Stella Maris’s College give the final touches to a series take hair raising rides (hair lending its grounds for a low now” appears to be the motto of paintings they had created on a section of the college wall. raising for those not chal- quality entertainment fair? The of the poster printers. You too should do the same. For, the girls have done a wonder- lenged in that department in place has in the past been used Closer inspection, how- ful job. Each piece stands out and draws us in – if we care to look the manner of MMM) accom- as a dumping area for Republic ever, reveals that it is all more long and deep. panied by blood-curdling cries. Day floats and also as the involved than that. True, there Now these works are part of the Art Chennai season. Art But that this was not so soon venue for a rather shoddy is a flurry of printing activity Chennai is a big effort by an art collector and businessman, Sanjay became evident when the bam- book-fair with heavily political the day the results are an- boo scaffolding began to get undertones (the argument be- nounced. But, apparently, Tulsyan, to showcase the best of Indian artists in our city and to covered with canvas and ing that the other and bigger everyone who contested has take art into the city so that more people begin to soak in it. coloured paper. And soon one in January had political invested in posters declaring This season, I managed to be at a few Art Chennai shows. But thereafter appeared the overtones of the opposite victory, long before the results my focus was on how the shows in the public spaces engaged people. The art mela held at Cholamandal on a weekend was a big hit – people could watch 30 artists create small works and offer them for just 500 rupees. It wasn't the cost of art that mattered; SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY what did was artists willing to interact with people. Having theme shows on Elliot’s Beach also worked. The large space allowed people to take in a set of old images of our city or the images of women screaming which were part of a theme show. dragon, complete with fiery camp), but such an event with actually come out. Those who Looking at the Stella Maris’s work took me to the time when mouth, bulging bloodshot coconut shies and hoopla- win plaster the walls with the civic body under one regime got artists to paint the walls along- eyes, scales and lashing tail. hoops did not do it credit. Sec- them and then take out victory side arterial roads and paint them extensively. And the next re- ‘Entry of the Dragon’ was ondly, why does the police, rallies. Those who lose con- gime had most of these works whitewashed – and these were mere the rather strange name of the which is constantly belly-ach- sider it a part of the necessary scenery images – folk artistes, hills and dales, countryside and mu- jamboree, whatever that ing (a rather apt expression, investment in what could have sicians. meant. The more prudish given the paunches of some of been a profitable enterprise. Does the State tolerate art? Or does it want us to be suffocated readers of this publication will our policemen) about traffic And, presumably, they use the with vinyl banners? – (Courtesy: Mylapore Times). forgive MMM for first think- congestion in the beach area, surplus sheets to warm them- ing that it was all an advertise- give permission for such selves, the electorate having – Vincent D’Souza ment for a locally made aphro- events? left them out in the cold. disiac. But on closer inspec- What all parties appear not tion (and NOT because Thanksgiving to realise is that the electorate MMM thought it was one of would rather not like to have CHENNAI HERITAGE THOSE things), the whole ar- hat, as you all know, is an these posters defacing the rangement turned out to be a TAmerican term. But here, walls. But then, what is No. 5, Bhattad Tower, 30, Westcott Road, rather low key and tacky en- in our very own Chennai, there Chennai without its posters? Royapettah, Chennai 600 014 tertainment fair. Inside were a has been a thanksgiving of People like MMM and the couple of merry-go-rounds sorts. The Man from Madras Chief are in a miniscule mi- I am already on your mailing list (Mailing List No...... ) and other what’s-their-names, Musings alludes to the rash of nority, and not even of the posters that has broken out in / I have just seen Madras Musings and would like to receive all of them of a uniform sad- kind that gets special status ness. The dragon was, how- the city, all thanking the gen- mind you. it hereafter. ever, a work of art. Those who eral public for having voted and wanted to visit the fair entered made victorious various candi- Tailpiece G I/We enclose cheque/demand draft/money order for Rs. through its gaping mouth and dates in the general elections. 100 (Rupees One hundred) payable to CHENNAI came out presumably from the One group has stuck to expres- ith the Chief’s permis- HERITAGE, MADRAS, as subscription to Madras rear end in a rather alimentary sions of loyalty and fealty, and Wsion, The Man from Musings for the year 2014-15. fashion. But of that MMM did it is better that way, for MMM Madras Musings will make one not pause to take a look. He is told that retribution is quick more political statement. All of Chennai is now divided into G As token of my support for the causes of heritage, also noticed that after the en- and grinds exceeding small oth- try of the dragon, there was erwise. “Send her victorious, two groups. And, no, MMM environment and a better city that Madras Musings does not mean the parties espouses, I send Chennai Heritage an additional not much to do. A quick affair happy and glorious…” appears to be the message here and affiliated to the Lady or the Rs...... (Rupees it turned out – just a couple of thrills maybe? MMM is sure his readers know Daddy. Rather, he writes of ...... ) But leaving that aside, all the rest. the third variety for whom Please keep/put me on your mailing list. this gave MMM some time to That in a way is understand- there were and more oppo- nents than proponents. Over- Name : ...... wander around the campus able, for the cavaliers or royal- named after a First Lady of ists have done very well. But night, however, MMM sees ...... Madras and later Vicerine of what puzzles MMM is as to several of the former have why the roundheads, who have switched sides and begun sing- Address: ...... India who was known for her pushy nature and pursuit of been trounced, have also put ing hosannas to the man they ...... the best in whatever took her up posters. These, to be seen in consider the new messiah. As fancy. And MMM must men- certain parts of the city, thank to how that pans out, watch ...... tion here that the place does the general public for having this space five years from now. All cheques to ‘Chennai Heritage’. DD/Cheque should be sent by not do her memory any good. voted and stop with that. But – MMM Speed Post only. June 1-15, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 3

sively in literature on Madras, both in the context of the Dutch East India Company and Lagging on the English East India Company – derives from ‘Arumuga Mudaliar’, who is referred to in Dr. P. Sanjeeva Raj’s piece civic needs (MM, ????). Are there any Four responsible later specialised in manufactur- thoughts on this etymology? I (Continued from page 1) their work will impact the fu- ing acoustic guitars, since elec- have long been searching for ture generations in the city. To here are four hospitals in cesspits and refuse dumps. The tric ones had not yet arrived. the etymology of ‘Armagaon’ overcome the weaknesses in the Chennai which have traffic has moved on (or has it?), T He had a windfall when he and have never been able to system, the Government has on mainly contributed to Medical but the debris and the garbage was asked to supply, in short track down the details. occasion opted to form commit- Tourism (MM, May 1st). They have remained. The MRTS is a time, fifty guitars for a scene in Some of the terms used in tees to which outside experts are Sankara Nethralaya, the story by itself. Ill-connected a Tamil movie, Madras to Madras are indeed curious and are drafted. But these too are Cancer Institute, Madras Medi- with other transport systems, it Pondicherry. Although he re- hard to derive. One example is invariably from Government- cal Mission, and Apollo Hospi- is underutilised and, worse, has ceived payment for the work, ‘Pinjarapole’, a gesture of the backed institutions and agen- tal. destroyed what was once a navi- his happiness was short-lived as early Gujarati community in cies, resulting in a uniform way While the first three are not- gable waterway – the Bucking- the actors had not only to ‘play Madras to look after the desti- of thinking. for-profit hospitals, the last is a ham Canal. The elevated road on’ but also ‘to play with’ the in- tute cows of Madras. For long I When there are private Public Ltd. Company hospital from the Port to Maduravoyal struments. By the end of the could not explain this term. organisations involved, they are with profit in mind. None of the now threatens to do the same to scene, almost all the instru- Now I know that it comes from selected on the basis of the most hospitals was built with Medi- the Cooum. All this points to ments were in pieces and on a Marwari [Rajasthani] term opaque considerations. And cal Tourism in mind. Each one just one thing – someone higher hearing about this Raja was bro- (not Gujarati), where pinjara these have mostly meant the concentrated on its area of spe- up, invariably after a jaunt ken-hearted for some time. means cage and pola means Government agency completely ciality. abroad, takes a fancy to a par- He later ‘invented’ a ‘guitar- bulls (curiously, not cows). It is handing over all its responsibili- Dr. Badrinath wanted to ticular project or solution and a veena’. Primarily a guitar, it had curious that the term pinjara is ties to the private agency. It is, make Sankara Nethralaya the team below simply executes it in deep concave curves between used, for panjaram (with an ‘a’ however, the Government that best eye hospital in the country. a bumbling manner, with delays the frets to facilitate pulling of and not an ‘i’) is extensively has a social angle to its portfolio He achieved it. and no thought aforehand of its the string. Towards the end of used by the rural people of and not the private contractor. Dr. Shanta wanted to make impact. the 1970s he shifted his estab- Tamil Nadu to refer to a large It is, therefore, necessary that the Cancer Institute the best It is not as though the statu- lishment to Chromepet and not basket-like structure used to the State agencies remain ac- hospital for cancer care in the tory bodies – the Corporation much has been known or heard cage domesticated birds like countable and alert as to how a country. She achieved it. and CMDA being but two – of him since. chicken. proposed solution impacts soci- Dr. Cherian and his team of lack the necessary posts and the The words ‘panjara kozhiye ety at large. doctors wanted to make Madras N. Ramanathan incumbents for them. But as to vittu’ were used in the popular All this calls for an atmo- Medical Mission one of the best 35, Fourth Main Road their competence to handle film song Porale Ponnuthayee, sphere of debate, dialogue and hospitals for heart ailments. Raja Annamalaipuram such tasks, that is another mat- rendered by the late Sujata and discussion in Government They achieved it. Chennai 600 028 ter altogether. The recruitment scored by Ilayaraja in a Bhara- circles between the elected rep- In the process of achieving process, the training given and, Academic too tiraja hit (cannot remember the resentatives and the bureau- excellence, their name and most importantly, the freedom film’s name). cracy. The latter needs to keep fame spread all over the coun- fter reading the three given to think and work for itself abreast of the latest devel- try and abroad. Patients started Aexcerpts from Manohar Dr. A. Raman themselves are all flawed. It is opments the world over in areas coming to these institutions of Devadoss’s book From the Charles Sturt University fairly certain that none in our that concern it. It is highly excellence from all over the artist’s perspective, I bought a PO Box 883, Orange, NSW 2800 town planning and infrastruc- doubtful if officialdom in its country and even abroad. And copy of the book. It is not only Australia ture project departments has present state is anywhere near Medical Tourism in Chennai interesting reading but is also any long-term vision on how such preparedness. was born. brilliant academically and can The term Medical Tourism be used for 1st year of Civil & was not coined when these hos- Mechanical Engineering stu- DECONGESTING STATIONS pitals were started.The only aim dents for their engineering of the founders of these hospi- drawing subject. (Continued from page 1) leaving the city. Even the Sha- would have to travel long dis- amenities, which are not satis- tabdi Express from Chennai to tances. What is, on the other tals was to provide excellent S. Velumani treatment in their areas of factory even at Egmore and Bangalore halts at Cantonment hand, needed is that trains sethuramalingam.velumani@ Central, are practically non-ex- Station. However, it does not should halt at Tambaram and specialisation at minimal cost to gmail.com the patients, irrespective of istent in Perambur and Tamba- do so at Perambur! then terminate at Egmore. their economic status. Alternative? ram. Both the suburban stations The plan to develop Tam- More importantly, all trains have badly maintained plat- baram as a third terminal for the leaving Egmore need to halt at This dedication and single n the letter from an eminent forms, no facilities for the physi- city failed for a simple reason – Tambaram. A similar arrange- minded pursuit of service to so- educationist about the big- I cally otherwise abled, and have the authorities wanted to make ment has to exist between ciety by the dedicated teams of hearted hotelier and the narra- terrible access. it an alternative to Egmore. Central and Perambur as well. doctors created a brand image tion how those who came to Those who live in the distant Trains would terminate at Only if these arrangements are for these hospitals.Thus, Medi- value English language school suburbs also complain that tra- Tambaram and not come into in place will our city’s principal cal Tourism as we know it now final papers remained to praise velling to Egmore and Central Egmore. That was an impracti- railway terminals have less was born. his hospitality and generosity beats the very economics of cal idea, as those who lived in congestion and, therefore, less I agree with the author that (MM, April 16th), I found the train travel. Taxi fare from, say, the northern areas of the city risk. the Government should take use of ‘alternate arrangement’ Tambaram to Central is now steps to encourage Medical for ‘alternative arrangement’ in Rs. 500 or so. A railway ticket Tourism in Chennai. Some of the letter a bit jarring. from Chennai to Bangalore in OUR ADDRESSES the suggestions given by the au- Alternate and alternative an AC chair car costs only Rs. thor are noteworthy and worth connote different concepts and For matters regarding subscriptions, donations, non-receipt of receipts etc.: 800! True, the railways provide implementing. the words are not inter-change- CHENNAI HERITAGE, 5, Bhattad Tower, 30, Westcott Road, Royapettah, feeder services by way of the able, having as they do different Chennai 14. Prof. V. Chandrasekhar local trains to help people resi- shades of meaning, even Besant Nagar, Chennai ding in far-flung areas to come Madras Musings now has its own email ID. Letters to the editor can be though, regrettably, many to the centre of the city, but sent via email to [email protected]. Those who wish to intimate A music shop people including even some dai- given the conditions of the change of address can also do so provided the subscription number is lies, indiscriminately use them here was yet another trains and the overbridges to be quoted. For non-receipt of copies, change of address, and all other as a matter of course. T‘musical’ association with negotiated, how many people, circulation matters: Madras Musings, C/o Lokavani Southern Printers Pvt. the building occupied by the N. Srinivasan especially those who are elderly Ltd., 122, Greames Road, Chennai 600 006. On editorial matters: The Everest Hotel (MM, April 9, 35th Street, Besant nagar or with baggage, choose to Editor, Madras Musings, No. 5, Bhattad Tower, 30, Westcott Road, 16th). At least from the 1960s Chennai 600 090 travel by local trains? Royapettah, Chennai 600 014. there was a musical instruments No personal visits or telephone calls, please. Letters received will be sent What’s the source? Bangalore, a city with even shop (Everest Musicals?) in a more traffic problems than ours, from these addresses every couple of days to the persons concerned and two-roomed portion on the have read somewhere (I can- has now a system where several you will get an answer from them to your queries reasonably quickly. ground floor. The owner was Inot recall exactly where, per- trains stop at the suburban sta- Strange as it may seem, if you adopt the ‘snail mail’ approach, we will be one Raja and he was very skilled haps in Srinivasachari’s The tions of Cantonment, Krishna- able to help you faster and disappoint you less. at repairing musical instru- City of Madras, 1939) that the rajapuram and Bangalore East. ments, especially the violin. He name ‘Armagaon’ – used exten- This is both while entering and – THE EDITOR 4 MADRAS MUSINGS June 1-15, 2014 June 1-15, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 5 Remembered when PAGES FROM THE PAST U.Ve.Sa. celebrated 81 Thus was bout six feet in height his good time, Pillai came to know part. They examined him in and at great cost. You will find Afigure is well proportioned; of this and very gladly agreed grammar, in prosody, and in ex- the disciples engaged in deci- made his features are suffused with the thereafter to supervise the stud- tempore poetry. Swaminatha phering these manuscripts and culture of ages; his moral ies of Swaminatha Iyer,. Iyer came out with flying colours helping their Kulapathi in edit- expression is only equalled by his The disciple never for a day in the examination and was ap- ing them. If you sit for a while cultural, for there is a softness, a even absented himself from the pointed to the post. This was in and watch the great scholar at the statue gentleness, and delicacy about it, presence of his guru. He was 1880. work you will really marvel at his and that air of profound religious present with his guru when great As a teacher of Tamil, it is memory power and scholarship. veneration which characterises scholars carried on discussions said that Swaminatha Iyer The way in which he gives cross supermen. Verily, Mahamaho- on Tamil literature and dialecti- touched the high watermark. references to similar words in of Munro padhyaya Dr. U. V. Swaminatha cal disquisitions. He used to ac- Students used to flock to his class other classics of Tamil literature, Iyer is one without a second in company him during his travels. and scramble for seats. It is said quoting chapter and verse and the field of Tamil research and Whenever Pillai taught him, he that the then Principal, Rai giving the special sense in which G Some time ago (MM, October 16 and November 1, 2012), scholarship. listened to him with great atten- Bahadur T. Gopala Rao, who it is used in each of these clas- Sriram V. wrote a detailed story about the Chantrey statue For over two generations tion and respect. Pillai himself guided the destinies of the Col- sics, is nothing short of an amaz- of Thomas Munro. Now, to add to that, reader A. Raman Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. U. V. was very proud of his new dis- lege with great success and dis- ing feat of memory. sends us excerpts from a letter written by ‘C’ in 1840 but Swaminatha Iyer has been devot- ciple and spared no pains to tinction at the time, used to stop The Mahmahopadhyaya’s ing his best talents and energies shape him well. Swaminatha for a few minutes and listen to title to lasting fame as the great- published in the Madras Journal of Literature and Science in 1844. for Tamil research. He will be Iyer’s love and respect of his guru the lectures of Pandit Swami- est scholar that the Tamil world Dr. U. V. Swaminatha Iyer celebrating his 81st birthday on have taken the shape of a biogra- natha Iyer. has seen within the last two gen- the 6th March, 1935. He was phy which was published last In 1903, Swaminatha Iyer was erations rests on his bringing to rectly represent the religious im- ago it conferred on him the he great object of Sir ordinary difficulty and anxiety, born in 1855 of respectable par- year. As a biographer, Swami- transferred to Presidency Col- light the great Tamil classics. It port of the works. He consulted Doctorate in literature. He is a T Francis Chantrey in all for unless the greatest care be ents in the village of Uttamada- natha iyer has, perhaps, excelled lege, Madras. He too was anxious may surprise many to be told that Buddhist and Jain scholars and member of the Boards of works of this nature is to com- taken, it is sure to bake dry in napuram in the district of even that prince of biographers to go to Madras as he was at the the Tamil classics Jivaka studied their philosophy and re- Studies of the Madras, Benares, bine simplicity in the outline and summer and freeze hard in the ancient and modern, and experiment was repeated till all Tanjore. His father Venkata- in English, James Boswell. time engaged in research work Chintamani, Silappadhikaram, ligion along with them. If Bud- Mysore and Annamalai Univer- drapery with dignity in the atti- winter, either of which by though perhaps it would scarcely was thoroughly dry. subramanya Iyer was a great Meenakshisundaram Pillai and in editing the Tamil classics. Manimekalai etc. were known to dhists and Jains hold Swami- sities. tude and expression: it is only distorting the form will in one pass muster with the fastidious The mould of the horse was devotee of Lord Shiva. Early in was highly respected by the He felt that his transfer to scholars fifty years ago only natha Iyer’s commentaries on Quiet and unassuming, com- necessary to look at the figure re- day ruin the labour of months. authorities in the Adjutant divided into five and that of the life Swaminatha Iyer was initi- Thambirans of the Thiruvava- Madras would facilitate his pub- through references to these clas- these works as authoritative and passionate and charitable, as he cently erected on the island to be When at last however he was General’s Office, it is still suffi- rider into three pieces. A pit ated into the study of Tamil lit- duthurai Mutt. He used to pay lication of the Tamil classics. sics in other pieces of Tamil lit- correctly representing their is, Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. V, satisfied as to how completely he completely satisfied, a mould was ciently military to satisfy ordinary close to the furnace was then dug erature and music by his dutiful frequent visits to them, accom- He retired from service in erature. Nodody had ever read faiths, it only speaks of Swami- Swaminatha Iyer is a type of su- has here succeeded in attaining taken in plaster of Paris, and a persons and at the same time not sufficiently deep to bury each of father whose proficiency in those panied invariably by Swaminatha 1919 at the age of 64. After retir- these classics fifty years ago, as natha Iyer’s German-like tho- perman, always returning good this happy union. cast in the same material took offend the taste of the lovers of these parts – one was placed in it the place of the enormous mass two subjects was of no mean or- Iyer. The head of the Mutt, ing, he was persuaded by Raja Sir their existence was not at all roughness in his work. for evil. He remembers small The horse may be looked the antique, whose prejudices and all around was rammed tight of clay which was immediately der. Swaminatha Iyer possesses Srilasri Subramania Desikar and Annamalai Chettiar, the founder known. It is even said that the In his publication of Patthu- helps with gratitude. His charity upon rather as the Artist’s beau founded as they are in nature with fine sand leaving two or broken up to be moulded into even to this day a good voice and the Thambirans were equally im- of the Annamalai University, to great guru of Swaminatha Iyer, ppattu, Swaminatha Iyer has is not known to the public. He is ideal of the animal than as the must always find favour with a three runners of channels for the other forms. his knowledge of music is full and touched the highest plane of even now helping the widow of representation of any particular true Artist. metal to pass through – the complete. bronze entered from below the research scholarship. At first he the Satagopachariyar of Ari- species, although no doubt the The horse being thus fixed in When the whole work was His old students remember G mould and gradually ascended to ‘A Memoir’ by S.R. Venkataraman of Mangalore could not get original of the yalur, under whom he read Tamil Arab blood will be found to somewhat more permanent ma- cast in plaster of Paris, the next even now the sonorous cadence book. A rare manuscript, a com- at the very outset. He is, to this the top, had it at once been prevail in its composition, and terials, Chantrey then proceeded step was to form moulds of such of his voice with which he used that appeared in the Hindu Nesan, March 2, 1935. mentary of the , fell day, helping the grandson of poured in from above the bronze Patthuppattu fortunately so when we consider to the figure of the rider, which a material, as would be at once to read Tamil poems in class. He into his hands and the commen- his guru, the late Meenak- would have been honey-combed the country where it was to find had to be gathered from the most sufficiently fine to preserve the was very fortunate indeed in tator had dealt with its peculiar shisundaram Pillai. He has and full of bubbles when allowed its final resting place. The pains incongruous sources – the chief delicacy of the workmanship; respect of his early year teachers. pressed with Swaminatha Iyer’s take up the principalship of his the late Meenakshisundaram prosody and grammatical con- endowed a scholarship in the to cool. After some time the sand which Sir Francis took with this of which was the admirable por- and yet strong enough to bear He studied Tamil literature deal- scholarship, his manners and Tamil College in Chidambaram. Pillai, had not read some of these was dug away, and the mould struction. Taking these technical Government College, Kumba- part of his task are almost incre- trait by Sir Martin Archer Shee; the heat of melted bronze. This ing with Saiva and Vaishnava behaviour. He became a great He held that post from 1924 to works as their existence was not having been broken up, the suggestions as the basis, like the konam, in the name of the late dible; the whole of the royal but when we reflect that a paint- object is effected by a mixture of cults at the feet of the exponents favourite with the Mutt. Later 1927 when he retired so as to known. When Swaminatha Iyer metal was brought out black and expert jeweller who makes an or- Thiagaraja Chettiar who was stud... then in all its glory – was ing gives only one point of sight brick-dust and plaster in nearly of the respective schools. Unlike when Pillai died, the head of the whole-heartedly devote his time started on his mission of collect- rough – a few days’ hard rubbing nament of beauty and brilliance responsible for inducing him to submitted individually to his and that a piece of sculpture has equal proportions, and ten or the present day students, young Mutt appointed Swaminatha to research and study. ing rare manuscripts of Tamil with files and sand paper soon out of ill-shaped diamonds, accept the post of Tamil Pandit inspection – he consulted the to be viewed in every direction, twelve inches thick. Inside of this Swaminatha Iyer lived with his Iyer to succeed him. He was en- For over forty years Swami- classics, some of the works came Swmainatha Iyer, exercising his in that College. removed this outer coating and best veterinarians – and finally it forms of itself no mean tribute again, in order to regulate the teachers and studied the whole trusted with the supervision of natha Iyer taught college stu- to light one after the other. It was scholarship and imagination, was The significance and impor- left it bright and shining, which kept it in the model for a space of to the Artist’s skill, that in a thickness of the metal, a core was gamut of Tamil literature. To the Tamil studies of the sanyasis dents and created in them a love found later, when going through able to reconstruct the whole of tance of Swaminatha Iyer’s ser- appearance in its turn was dead- nearly four years, in order that he place when every body is familiar constructed of the same materi- give a finishing touch to his stud- in the Mutt. and respect for Tamil literature. the manuscripts, that some of the the original of the book. In a vices and contribution to Tamil ened into its present hue by an might be able to avail himself of with Munro’s face and form, not als and about half an inch smaller ies, his father apprenticed him to A few years later, Swami- Among his students he counts, passages in these works couldn’t similar manner, he has improved literature cannot be over-stated. application of muriatic acid and any improvements which time or one objection has been raised to in every proportion than the true the celebrated Tamil scholar of natha Iyer was asked by a friend with legitimate pride, many who be easily understood without any potash. the commentaries on Silap- Before Swaminatha Iyer pub- reflection might suggest. The the fidelity with which he has size of the figure. These moulds the day, one Meenakshisunda- and well-wisher of his, one are leaders in various walks of life commentary. The various pieces were padhikaram, Purananuru and lished his works very little was preserving of the clay for so long caught up the likeness of a man when completed were placed in ram Pillai of Mayavaram, who Thiagaraja Chettiar, the Pandit and many who have filled with The first book that Swami- joined together in the following Manimekalai. known about the culture and a period in a proper state of whom he never even saw. The immense ovens and slowly baked seems to have influenceed the of the Kumbakonam College at credit to themselves posts of natha Iyer took up for editing manner – half an inch was sawed Besides this, Swaminatha Iyer civilisation of the Tamils. Now moisture was alone a work of no drapery is a happy compound of dry, for had the slightest mois- life of the young protege in an ex- the time, to take up the post of trust, power and influence. His and annotating was the Jain clas- has played a distinguished part in he has made the glorious past of off the edges of the parts to be ture remained when the metal traordinary manner. Swami- Tamil Pandit in the College, as old students recall with respect sic called the Jivakachintamani. the cultural life of the Tamils. He the Tamils live in these books of connected, and the interior was was poured in, the mould would natha Iyer was then a lad of he very much wanted to retire and reverence those eventful Its first edition appeared in 1887. has attended invariably almost his. As a commentator he is su- institutes would have been estab- raton volume with a fairly good filled with sand; a small crucible have been burst to pieces. In barely 16 or 17. from service having become old. and happy college days that they It was an epoch-making work all the important conferences of perb and unrivalled. He has tried lished to continue the useful work biographical sketch of Swami- of melted bronze was then pre- order to ascertain this important Pillai had a host of disciples, The Kumbakonam College at spent sitting at the feet of and at once it established the Tamil pandits and religious in his works to always give the in which he has been engaged for natha Iyer. His brithday should pared and poured along the in- point with certainty a small hole all of them taking up advanced that time was at the height of its Swaminatha Iyer. Swaminatha Iyer’s reputation as more than fifty years. be observed all over Tamil Nadu terval – the heat of this metal was leaders and has contributed not views of the author instead of was bored into the thickest part study in Tamil literature. He did fame and was rightly called the Swaminatha Iyer’s house has a rising star of the first magnitude The Celebration Committee in every important town and sufficient to make the rims of the a little to the promotion of Tamil foisting his own views on him. of the mould, and some grains of not at first know that his new Cambridge of South India. been an institute of research and in the literary firmament of the that has been formed in Madras village, and attempts ought to be solid part become liquid, and learning. He played the role of a He has made the lot of the the material extracted, which acolyte had attained very high Swaminatha Iyer agreed to take postgraduate study in Tamil lit- Tamils. Since then, that book would do well in the first place to made to start a reading room and when the bronze became cool, University lecturer in 1927 and Tamil pandits much better than were immediately placed in a pair proficiency in Tamil which is not up the post, though the head of erature for over a generation. had undergone three editions make arrangements to continue library in each village, named the whole was found burned into delivered a series of lectures on what it was before. He has in- of Dr. Wollaston’s scales and ordinarily associated with young the Mutt where he first served, Any casual visitor to Thyagaraja and the discerning reader will the topic “Tamil of the Tamil age duced the Pandara Sannidhi of the work that he has been carry- after him. It is high time that the a solid mass. their weight ascertained with the colts of his age. Naturally, Pillai was against Swaminatha Iyer Vilas in Pillaiyar Koil Street, find that every succeeding edi- and the Post Sangam age”.The the Thiruppanandal Mutt to give ing on for over half a century. Madras Committee issues Though the process is liable to utmost nicety – they were then entrusted the supervision of his accepting the assignment. Thiruvetteeswaranpet, will find tion has been an improvement Government also honoured him a prize every year to the student We should have an institute necessary instructions to such of many accidents, I am not aware exposed to considerable heat and studies to one of his assistants. Swaminatha Iyer, before he the venerable Bhishma in a room over the preceding one. It may be by conferring on him the title of who passes first in the Vidwan’s named Dr. Swaminatha Iyer In- the local committees as are that more than two failures were once more put into the scale, af- As days wore on, the assistant was appointed to the post, had to surrounded by a number of eager mentioned here in passing that “Mahamahopadhyaya” for the examination. stitute and it should be subsi- willing to celebrate the day in made in the whole number of ter which if their weight was less found he learned more from his face a Board of Examiners in and devoted disciples. His room almost all the classics deal with dised by the Government like the their own places. In conclusion, meltings. The sword, the bridle, solid and lasting contribution he In any other country Swami- than on the first trial, it was evi- ward than he could teach him. Tamil! He was subjected to a stiff is a veritable storehouse of rare Buddhism and Jainism. In edit- Bhandarkar Oriental Institute in let us all join hands to honour and the lower part of the tail had made to Tamil literature. natha iyer would have been raised dent that the mould had still He felt helpless to clear the viva voce examination in which Tamil manuscripts which he had ing these works, Swaminatha Poona. Attempts ought to be one that has done yeoman were also formed in separate The Madras University also to the peerage; statues would some moisture remaining – the doubts raised by his ward. In professors of the college took collected with great difficulty Iyer took very great care to cor- honoured itself when two years have been erected to honour him; made to publish a commemo- service to Tamil literature. castings. 6 MADRAS MUSINGS June 1-15, 2014 An ancient (Current Affairs questions are from the period May 1st to 15th. Questions 11 to 20 per- temple that’s tain to Chennai and Tamil Nadu.) 1. Recently, the World Health Organisation declared the spread losing its of which acute, viral disease, (which India has declared as eradicated) as ‘an international public health emergency’? 2. Which cinematic legend inscriptions debuted on Twitter recently with the tweet “Salutation to the Lord. Vanakkam anaivarukkum! rowded Purasawalkam has This temple is said to be one A big thank you to all my fans? Can ancient Chola temple of the oldest in Chennai; it is Excited on this digital journey”? for Siva right in its centre, certainly one of the better- 3. An US investigator recently whose tall, five-tiered gopuram known shrines in the city. The claimed to have found the wreck of the Santa Maria, the flagship is visible from the main road. It mandapa opposite the main of a famous explorer, near Haiti. is dedicated to Gangadeeswara, sanctum, from where you can Name the explorer. the form of Siva who received also see the shrine for Goddess 4. Which Oscar-winner is, star- the River Ganga on her torren- Pankajambal, is very modern. ring as the protagonist in Grace tial descent from the heavens. Apparently it was constructed of Monaco which kick started this This area gets its name from in 1964 when the temple was year’s Cannes film festival? the Purasai (Palasha) tree, or renovated. A rare stone image 5. Name India’s own payment Flame of the Forest, which must gateway, developed by the Na- tional Payments Corporation of once have grown in abundance G by here. Perhaps it was a sacred India, that was launched recently Gangadeeswarar temple, Purasawalkam. to compete with networks such grove of these trees. Our an- Chithra Madhavan as Visa and Mastercard. cients knew it had a number of lithic record in Tamil etched in 6. The Supreme Court has given medicinal uses other than reli- water. The temple itself is clean permission to Tamil Nadu, re- gious significance and wanted here, not usually seen in and well maintained. the ancient Tamil script of the jecting the objections raised by to preserve it. Alas, there is but temples, is of Bhagiratha, a king All this is there, and more. Cholas, dates to the 13th Cen- tury CE. Interesting but per- Kerala, to raise the height of the one Purasai tree here today. who performed penance to Siva But, is something missing? The 116-year-old Mullaiperiyar Dam for bringing the River Ganga to ancient inscriptions are missing. plexing is the fact that this epi- by how many feet? Luckily, it is the sacred tree of earth from the heavens. A won- A temple of the Chola times it graph registers a donation made 7. Name India’s first indigenous the Gangadeeswarar temple and, being inside its precincts, derful sight is the very well- certainly was. A few stray Chola by a man named Neelakanka- air-to-air Beyond Visual Range pillars are mute testimony to raiyan to the temple in Tiruvan- (BVR) missile, that was tested is well protected. maintained temple tank full of from a Sukhoi-30MKI, recently. the temple’s antiquity. The best miyur (probably referring to the 8. Who is the next Army chief? way to date a monument is by Marundeeswarar temple). 9. Which India-born siblings reading the stone records A few other inscriptions have emerged as the richest in etched on the walls, replete have also been found in this the UK with 11.9 billion GBP? with many a date and nugget of temple and these belong to the 10. Scientists recently an- information. Sadly, they are not reign of the Vijayanagara em- nounced that a new element there in this temple, having perors. One such inscription named Ununseptium is about to been wiped away during one or can be dated to the 15th Cen- join the periodic table. What is perhaps many renovations. By a tury CE and perhaps belongs to the proton number of the new el- ement? stroke of luck, a few of the in- Deva Raya I or Deva Raya II. It * * * scriptions that had survived is written in the Tamil script of 11. By what more famous name earlier renovations were spotted Vijayanagara times, but is un- is Madras-born singer Arnold in the past, and copied. If not fortunately in a damaged con- George Dorsey known to fans for them, no one would know dition, with only some portions around the world? that this is an ancient monu- readable. 12. What do the initials TT ment. On a stone slab found in this stand for in the name of the illus- Only one Chola inscription temple is another inscription trious TTK and his family mem- has been discovered in the belonging to the Vijayanagara bers? A view of the Temple-tank. Gangadeeswarar temple. This times of the 16th century CE. It 13. What first in Tamil cinema does the 1985-release Annai too is in Tamil. Unfortunately, Bhoomi claim to have? this too is slightly damaged. It 14. Which place near Chennai records that a person was em- Central gets its name for ‘a bank ployed in this temple to light sloping down from a fort which ‘Two States’ in 1923 the lamps daily. Another exposes attackers to the defend- Vijayanagara inscription of the ers' missiles’? n 1923, a wedding took place under the famed 16th Century CE found on the G 15. The first school in Madras banyan tree in the Theosophical Society in A tale from the past by north wall of the sanctum was a little ‘public school for chil- I dren, several of whom are En- Adyar. It was between Jayalakshmi, daughter of GANGA POWELL sanctorum (garbha griha) is also glish’, started in a priest’s house Ranganatha Mudaliar of Arcot, and Bhagat Ram in Tamil. This fragmented epi- in White Town. Name the priest. Kumar, son of Hukum Chand Kumar of Quetta Annie Besant gave them an ornate silver vase as graph mentions devotees pray- 16. According to Rudyard Kipl- in the North West Frontier Province. The bride a wedding present and Arundale a clock. ing at the temple and giving ing, in The Song of the Cities, who was 19, the bridegroom 26. Looking back on the event now, it occurs to gifts to the shrine. kissed Madras on her mouth, It was in July, traditionally an ‘auspicious’ me that both mothers, by dying, had set in mo- The inscriptions in the eyes and brow? month for weddings in South India, so undoubt- temples of Chennai are very im- 17. Which is the latest working tion the events leading to this union. For edly there must have been many weddings being Jayalakshmi was sent to study in far-off Benares portant to students of history station added to the list of MRTS celebrated on that day. But this one was differ- and archaeology and to those stations? (as it was then known) when she was eight years ent, for the bride was South Indian and the bride- interested in our city’s past. But, 18. Name the MPs from the old because she was a motherless child; Bhagat three Chennai constituencies. groom was from the North. Contrary to what Ram, likewise, was sent to Benares for schooling over time, a sizeable number of 19. Continuing known the pre- might be expected, given the social mores in In- because, it was hinted, his step-mother was not inscriptions have been lost vious question, name the only dia at the time, it was not a runaway affair. It had good to him. because of mindless renovation. two constituencies in the State the blessings (indeed, had been arranged) of the The school in Benares was the Theosophical These epigraphs are now few in that the AIADMK did not win. fathers who were both Theosophists. There were School in Kamacha. It was a rocky start for my number and most of them are 20. In the days of the Madras no mothers, for both the bride and the groom had fragmentary. We have lost and Presidency, how many fanams mother who was fresh out of Kurnool and spoke lost their mothers when young. Many leading neither Hindi nor English. But she was deter- are losing much history by way would two rupees get you? Theosophists were there to bless the couple, in- of defacing our inscriptions. (Answers on page 8) cluding Annie Besant and George Arundale. (Continued on page 8) When will we ever learn? June 1-15, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 7

G Endangered natural heritage An evening with a Short-eared Owl My friends were lucky enough f only I had known what my G by to sight it. The owl was on the friends would sight that I ground, close to the high, evening I wouldn’t have said no T. MURUGAVEL brown grass tufts, well camou- to that birding trip. For, it was a flaged, its pale fawn colour with species that I had last sighted The next day, along with my heavy dark brown streaked un- over a decade ago in the wet- friends, I reached the spot derbody blended perfectly with land close to the Alambara Fort around half past three. To my the background. Its blackish- ruins. It was a Short-eared Owl, surprise, I found three other brown erect ear tufts were Asio flammeus, which my friends friends of mine already there. short, and black bristles domi- had sighted in the wetlands of They were also in search of the nated its pale white facial disc. Siruthavur. I had been looking bird, but they couldn’t locate it. It did not bother much about out for this species for so many We joined them and scanned us, but it kept looking at us with A Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus). (Sketch by the Author.) years. So when I learned of the the landscape. We could see its beautiful, bright, lemon yel- presence of this species, I several other birds, like sky- low eyes, following our move- was obvious that the owl didn’t wings, going in circles, and it decided to go to the spot the larks, pipits and plovers, but not ments. like their presence; it took off, went up high, until the crows next day. However, I was also the owl. We then decided to escaping from the mobbing stopped their chase. After a brief certain that the probability of split and search in two groups. As we watched the owl, a few birds. Followed by the crows, the stay in the air, the owl landed sighting the bird was almost nil. Patient search yielded results. crows landed close to it and it owl flew with its deliberate flap of several metres away. There again, it settled in the safety of While many antelope spe- the grass. We observed the bird cies are native to Africa, through our scopes for some blackbuck are native to the In- time and, as the sun started sink- SPEED, thy name is dian subcontinent. A couple of ing, we left the place with a lot of centuries ago, they were found satisfaction of sharing some pre- in large herds all over the coun- cious moments with a magnifi- try. Today, the blackbuck is cent bird. Blackbuck listed as ‘near threatened’. It is Back home, I referred to protected under Schedule 1 of Salim Ali’s Compact Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan lackbuck, Antilope cervica-pra, Cervus is the Indian Wildlife Protection (Volume 3, page 315) and was ‘deer’and capra is ‘she goat’. The figure may Act, 1972. B amazed by Ali’s keen observa- remind you of a goat, lean and nimble-toed with So what made this animal tion and accurate documenta- a tiny tail. Blackbuck are considered second only that once was seen in large tion. His description of the owl’s to the cheetah in their speed, they literally fly herds across the cuontry to be flight pattern, especially when over ground as they gallop, as I saw over three listed as a threatened species? mobbed by crows, is an exact decades ago when I visited Point Calimere. The primary reason is its speed. In fact, the swift movement of portrayal of what we had At the end of my first year animals that have descended Blackbuck are bovines. the antelope has been recogni- observed: “…flight irregular, working towards a B.Sc. gradu- from domesticated aniimals but Bovidae, or bovines, are animals sed from ancient times in our rather rolling and wandering, ation in Zoology in Tiruchi, are now living wild, explained with cloven-hoofs and charac- scriptures. Nandita Krishna in punctuated with glides. Either when I was busy cramming one of the forest officials with teristic unbranching horns her book, Sacred Animals of flops into the herbage again af- information about the various us. After an early morning covered in a permanent sheath India, tells us that the antelope ter a hundred metres or so, or invertebrate phyla, I was asked, lecture on migratory birds by of keratin. The term ‘Antelope’ was considered the vehicle of covers long distance before along with some two or three the resident BNHS scientist, we is used to describe all members Vayu, the Wind God. It was the alighting, sometimes very high senior students, to volunteer in were divided into groups, each of the family including Bovidae mount of the Maruts, the storm up in the air, and flying in wide counting blackbuck. I doubt if I assigned one area to count the that do not fall under the deities. Lord Shiva is seen in circles, especially when mobbed knew what they were, but my blackbuck. That is when I first category of sheep, cattle, or many sculptures holding a by crows and other birds…” I Professor convinced me that got to see them. We first learnt goats. Wikipedia tells us that horned stag, representing con- then called Dr. Santharam, this was a not-to-be-missed to identify the various animals the English word “antelope” trol over the restless mind and the ornithologist, and men- chance of a trip to Point Cali- in the herd and I wrote this in a first appeared in 1417 and is thoughts, for “thoughts are like tioned the sighting. He said he mere (Kodaikanal). note about the trip. derived from the Old French the antelope, flying switfly as had sighted this species way This trek was the idea of the “The fully grown adult bucks antelop, itself derived from the wind.” back in the 1980s in the Adyar Forest Department, Tiruchi. A had a black coat on their backs Medieval Latin ant(h)alopus, From time immemorial, Estuary. wonderful idea with the double and had horns with three rings. which in turn comes from the antelope have been hunted by This news really surprised purpose of sensitising youth to The sub-adult males did not have [Byzantine Greek] word antho- kings. In nature, their chief me, considering the present sta- wildlife and carrying out a so dark a coat and had horns with lops. It is also possible that the predator was the cheetah. tus of the estuary, which has census of animals. Definitely it one or two rings. The females were word is derived from the Greek Trained captive Asiatic chee- lost its grasslands to tall build- worked, at least in my case. It it light coloured and the white stripe anthos (flower) and lopos (eye) tahs, now extinct, were used to ings. I couldn’t stop worrying had not been for them, I doubt across their belly was prominent. indicating beautiful eye or hunt this graceful animal. Soon, about protection of the wetland if I would have developed an There were fawns too. The first alluding to the long eyelashes. the large herds began to shrink. we visited, as almost all the land interest in the ‘life’ part of life group that we saw consisted of an There are many references to The killing of antelopes was so around the lake was marked for sciences; I would possibly have adult male, a female and a fawn. ‘doe eyes’ in Indian literature rampant that a movement de- sale and small huts had been gone into medicine or microbi- They appear to have sensed our too but, interestingly, antelope veloped to protect them with raised. It is disturbing to note ology instead and, who knows, approach though we were at quite are merely ‘a type of deer’ in the birth of Guru Jambeshwar that quite a few projects, like may have continued to be blind some distance. Through the Tamil; looks like they don’t (Jambaji) in 1485 CE in Bika- power plants and ports, are pro- to the biodiversity around. binoculars we saw the majestic have a special name of their ner, Rajasthan, and the estab- posed along the coast. It is com- We reached Point Calimere splendour of the male, standing own. Like all ruminants, they lishment of the Bishnoi who fol- mon sense that these so-called at night and even as we entered erect and tense, poised to run if we digest food in two steps. First low his 29 principles of which ‘developmental projects’ will the protected area through a approached closer. The female they chew and swallow in the eight are about preserving wipe off the biodiversity of this narrow road, we saw eyes of and the fawn were grazing quitely normal way, and then regurgi- biodiversity. The Bishnoi are fragile ecosystem. It is up to us various animals relflected in the nearby.” tate the semi-digested cud to re- strong protectors of blackbuck to think sensibly and minimise headlights of the bus. A small Later, we did see some chew it and thus extract the as they revere them as Jambaji. our interference with our group of feral horses was graz- animals trotting and then maximum possible food value. They share their crops with environment so that local as ing not far from the forest guest galloping. An unforgettable That is because they feed largely well as migratory birds can house. Feral? ‘Feral’ refers to sight indeed! on grasses. (Continued on page 8) sojourn in peace. 8 MADRAS MUSINGS June 1-15, 2014 SPEED, thy name ‘Two States’ in 1923 is Blackbuck (Continued from page 6) cumspect. Questioning her em- educator was in association barrassed her, and she always with the Besant Theosophical (Continued from page 7) district of Odisha, locals in the mined to stay, she later told us, brushed off my attempts to get College in Madanapalle, for blackbuck and other antelope Balipadar-Bhetnoi area protect because she hated her teacher her to open out the story. This most of the time as Principal. In and even bring up orphaned the blackbuck that range freely, in Kurnool so much! dichotomy in their characters this role he succeeded eminent fawns. They are also strong pro- sometimes even eating part of The next ten formative years was a part of our family ambi- educationists like Ernest Wood tectors of the trees, a lifeline in their crop. It seems that over a were spent at Kamacha in the ence. (the founder), Dr. Cousins and the desert. century ago, the locality was hit Theosophical School and Col- Father the stereotypical ‘sen- C.S. Trilokekar. The College, It is not just in Rajasthan by a long spell of drought. Dur- lege. Undoubtedly they were a timental’ Punjabi. Mother the founded in 1915, will celebrate that these graceful animals are ing this period, a small group of very special part of her life, for more ‘down-to-earth’ Tamilian. 100 years as an educational in- protected by locals. In Ganjam blackbuck appeared in the area. she never ceased telling us tales Their shared Benares experi- stitution next year. Soon after, it began to rain and of her school friends, teachers ence and Theosophical back- Mother, during the early the drought was broken. and escapades. She was troop ground were a bond resulting in years of her marriage went to Subsequently, the locals began leader of the Girl Guides when shared interests. For both, Shantiniketan where she stud- to associate their prosperity Lady Baden Powell visited. She friendships forged in school ied painting with Nanda Lal with the blackbuck and, now, and her classmates, who were a were lifelong ties and these Bose. She also completed the actively protect them. heady mix of Bengalis, Biharis, friends often visited our home. Montessori Teachers’ course Despite such instances, the Burmese Indians, Kashmiris, The marriage, if not quite as with Dr. Maria Montessori in blackbuck population is shrink- Mahrattas, Punjabis, Sindhis romantic as I imagined, was Adyar. My memory of her role ing as they are under threat and other South Indians, would nevertheless groundbreaking. It in Madanapalle is as the mover from poaching as well as being have been one of the earliest was an ‘arranged marriage’, but and shaker behind cultural at risk from inbreeding because groups of women graduates in an arranged marriage pre- events. She conducted painting of the isolated populations, India. empted by a young man who classes on campus, organised apart from the loss of habitat as Father would have been six had fallen in love after a passing exhibitions, and produced plays open areas are taken over for years ahead – and that is a big glance. The wedding broke con- when she was not running the agriculture and other activities. difference when you are still in ventions of caste, religion (Fa- girls’ hostel or supervising the There are, of course, a number school. He never recalled ther was a Sikh), and the re- College gardens. of protected areas. In Chennai, Mother from this time. By the strictions of geographic region. The banyan tree is a strong, you can see some blackbuck in time he completed high school, There were not many such mar- standing symbol of continuity, the IIT campus too, a part of he was one of a select group of riages in India at the time. One change and regeneration. My Guindy National Park. It was a young Indians chosen by of the handful of places where it parents’ union lasted sixty years. lovely surprise to see a young Arundale to be sent to England could possibly have happened, The family that started with Jaya buck trotting out from behind for higher studies. The group was Adyar under the spreading and Bhagat now includes some bushes as we walked out included, amongst others, J. banyan tree in the gardens of Andhras, Konkans, Mahrattas Till June 16: Art exhibition by from the Humanities Block one Krishnamurti and his brother the Theosophical Society. and Tamilians as well as Ameri- Brijesh Devareddy (at Dakshina- day. I quickly pulled out my Nithya. They left India in 1913. Education was an important cans, Australians, Chinese and Chitra). cellphone and took a picture My father went to Oxford. aspect of Theosophical work in Canadians, and is spread over Till June 30: Photographs by but all that I got was a blur. World War I intervened and India in the early 20th Century. five countries. – (From: South of Kushboo Bharti – art in public Speed, thy name is blackbuck. most of them did not return till With some breaks over the the Adyar River by K.V.S. spaces of Jaipur (at Dakshina- (Courtesy: Sri Aurobindo’s Ac- years, Father’s working life as an Krishna and K. Ravi Menon.) Chitra). 1918. tion) Around 1922, upon re-visit- ing Kamacha. Father saw Jaya MADRAS MUSINGS ON THE WEB ‘running in the rain’ and de- Answers to Quiz cided that this was the girl he To reach out to as many readers as possible who share our 1. Polio; 2. Superstar Rajinikanth; 3. Christopher Columbus; 4. Nicole wanted to marry. All his life he keen interest in Madras that is Chennai, and in response to Kidman; 5. RuPay; 6. Six feet; 7. Astra; 8. Lieutenant General Dalbir wore an enamelled ring in the Singh Suhag; 9. The Hindujas, Srichand and Gopichand; 10. 117. requests from many well-wishers – especially from outside shape of a shell with a blue band * * * Chennai and abroad who receive their postal copies very late in the centre, with JAYA on it 11. Englebert Humperdinck; 12. Tiruvellore Thattai; 13. It prides – for an online edition. Madras Musings is now on the web at in gold letters. As a girl I loved itself on being the first 3D film in Tamil; 14. (Fort) Glacis; 15. Father www. madrasmusings.com this romantic slant to the way Ephraim de Nevers; 16. Robert Clive; 17. Mundakanni Amman Koil; THE EDITOR Father and Mother had come 18. Dr. J. Jayavardhan, S.R. Vijayakumar and T.G. Venkatesh Babu; together. Mother was more cir- 19. Dharmapuri and Kanniyakumari; 20. 24 fanams.

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