Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/12-14 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for 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 INSIDE

• Short ‘N’ Snappy

• At talks and walks (3 pages)

• Celebrating our city • Madras Week in colour (2 pages) • Etched in copper

Vol. XXIV No. 10 MUSINGS September 1-15, 2014 Will it next be a Madras Landmarks ‘Madras Season’? – 50 years ago (By Sriram V., Associate Editor, Madras Musings) nd so, the 375th birthday encouraging the organisers and Week clearly is becoming Aof Madras that is Chennai presenters even more. The younger each year and that is a has come and gone. What re- number of heritage walks in the very healthy sign. The presence mains is a wonderful memory, a city and events of a similar na- of the young also ensured that happy recollection of a great ture was a mind-boggling 38, all IT companies sat up and took week gone by, when several sec- of them with full participation. notice. tions of society celebrated the There were three factors The second was the way the birthday with unprecedented that made a key difference to electronic media took an inter- enthusiasion. Truly, Chennai this year’s celebration. The first est in the celebrations. This has has notched up another first – was the participation of the never happened in past years. the only city in the country to youth. For the first time, True, the English media did celebrate its birthday each year Madras Week was not some- report on it in the past, but the and commemorate its 375th in thing that attracted only the Tamil TV channels had largely a most befitting manner. middle-aged and above. It had dismissed the event as elitist The team of coordinators is gennext in full force, organising, and being celebrated by a no longer small. This year, we conducting and participating in minority of people. This year saw the coming of age of the events exclusively meant for that was not the case. It was in Madras Week celebrations – them. It was a spontaneous ex- fact the Tamil channels that there were scores of volunteers pression of love for the city. The took the lead. On August 22nd, from every part of the city. Yes, young also took Madras Week most of them had flashing mes-

even that into the world of social media – sages on the ticker tape indicat- G Art Deco is an eclectic style that combines traditional craft motifs with usually remains aloof organised there were Facebook posts, ing that it was . machinery age materials and shapes. Beginning in France in the 1920s, it an event or two. More impor- tweets, blogs and instagram/ They also had special program- became popular the world over and lasted till the 1940s. It came somewhat tantly, each and every event flickr updates that kept the mes. The radio channels too late to India where it is perhaps best associated with cinema theatres. Art was well attended, thereby internet world buzzing. Madras (Continued on page 5) Deco arrived in Madras by the late 1930s, with Parry & Co’s Dare House, constructed between the late 1930s and early 1940s, being among the first. With that iconic building dominating the skyline of Esplanade Road/ Madras Week – China Bazar Road (now NSC Bose Road), it was but natural that neighbouring structures when built decided to follow the same style. All of these came up on land once occupied by the classical edifices of the and School, which functioned in this area before shifting a people’s celebration to and from the 1930s. Its buildings were all bought over by finance and insurance companies which functioned in them till the (By The Editor) 1950s when they began demolition in order to build new offices in modern ver 150 events spread insula, civic conservancy and the Pallava, Chola, Pandya and style. The sole survivor of the college structures is the Anderson Church. Oacross several locations the economy. There were views Chera kingdoms. If that is so, One of the newcomers was the State Bank of Mysore. and organisations of the city expressed on the challenges why was this opportunity not The State Bank of Mysore came into existence in 1913 as the Bank of have just come to an end. All of that the city faces in its journey taken to highlight the relics of Mysore Limited, established under the patronage of the Maharajah of that these were to commemorate the to becoming a world-class me- that glorious past, of which princely state, on the advice of Sir M. Visweswarayya. It was, however, only 375th birthday of our city. The tropolis. There were presenta- there are several in the city it- in the 1950s that it opened an office in Madras, purchasing the erstwhile events witnessed full houses tions on the lives of several self? Why were special trips not College Hall of Madras Christian College. This was demolished and the and were held with the enthusi- noble residents of the city who organised to the Pallava cave at new structure came up in pristine Art Deco style. The chief architect was astic support of the hospitality went on to make powerful con- , perhaps the first in- B.R. Manickam, then the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, industry and the media. If this tributions to the world. The stance of a temple being hewn Mysore (afterwards Karnataka). Of note is that, he was also later the ar- was not a sure shot success, current generation, to which out of a rock in India? Could chitect of the Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore. Assisting him in the Bank of then what was it? Certainly it the British Raj is something that not events focussing on the Mysore building was the firm of C.R. Narayana Rao. was NOT what a Tourism De- is only in text books, came out grand temples that dot the city’s partment official apparently dis- in full strength to participate. coastline have been planned? Built with the grey stone with which several of the Bangalore edifices of the period were constructed, the Bank of Mysore building was inaugurated missed as a celebration of the Are these expressions of a Could the Museum not have on September 5, 1957 by K. Kamaraj, Chief Minister of Madras, in the ‘colonial’ in a display of a mind- ‘colonial hangover’? What we been asked to showcase its presence of S. Nijalingappa, Chief Minister of Mysore. Two years later, the set out of tune with the times. did was celebrate our city, warts Bronze Gallery and its magni- bank was reconstituted as the State Bank of Mysore, becoming a subsidiary Consider the facts – much of and all. ficient collections of inscrip- of the State Bank of India. what went into celebrating The same official apparently tions? By merely dismissing Madras Week this year con- also said that his department is Madras Week as a Brown Sahib The building continues to be in use and is well maintained, at least from cerned the here and now. There only mandated to celebrate the event, the Department of Tour- outside, barring a distressing tendency to replace the original windows with were discussions on business ancient Dravidian age, the plate glass. Along with its neighbours, it presents a uniformity of skyline that leadership, security of the pen- Sangam era, and the glories of (Continued on page 2) is rare in an increasingly cluttered city. CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS September 1-15, 2014 Karnataka plans to protect Weak after Madras Week t is done, Chief! Exactly as events, though for what earthly to the periphery and there they Iyou had predicted it would purpose MMM does not know. eked out a precarious living in heritage sites be a celebration worthy of 375 May be he plans a parallel areas such as , years. Old Mother Madras event in the underworld. Then Wall Tax Road and Park G The Deccan Herald, Bangalore, recently reported never had it so good before. there is he of bouncer-build Town. All this was said with a the following: Cakes, books, talks, walks, who feeds on everything that is breezy insouciance that only a film screenings, exhibitions, on offer including, in MMM’s politician can bring to a sub- he Archaeology, Museums and Heritage Department, quizzes, rides, sails, TV fea- view, the paper plates and the ject that he knows nothing T Karnataka, has proposed to bring heritage sites in the State tures, news reports, tweets, fb polystyrene cups. At one event, about. If MMM had been on under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act (KTCPA) posts, blogs, photo sessions… MMM, not having much else the spot he could have asked for their protection and conservation. you name it, we had it. And to do, counted the man con- the man as to how was it then Once the heritage sites are brought under the KTCPA, the The Man from Madras Musings suming twenty savouries, fif- that most of the streets of was happy to see you, Chief, teen cups of sweets, twelve George Town were named urban development authorities, such as the Bangalore Develop- flitting from spot to spot, so to plates of fritters and six cups of after Indian dubashes. ment Authority and the Mysore Urban Development Authority speak, always being greeted by coffee. The man slept soundly MMM also wanted to know (MUDA), will be able to incorporate these sites in their master someone who wanted to be during the panel discussion as to the veracity of the news- plans, which serve as a guide for public and private decision-makers photographed with you. that followed (after six cups of paper archives the ex-MLA for future development. MMM confined himself to coffee!!). The next day saw an- had read where it was reported This will make the task of protection and preservation of a few select walks, talks and other panel discussion on food in 1911 that Black Town had heritage sites easier and effective, Heritage Commissioner C.G. other events, and it is of the when, during question time, up been renamed George Town Betsurmath said. quirkier side of these that he bounced and bouncer and that year. But he had no Currently, none of the authorities in the State has any plan for takes pen in hand to write spoke of how he had seen chance, for, by then, the the conservation of heritage sites. The Department of Archaeo- about. And he has strange tales cockroaches and stones in his former MLA had moved on to to tell you, Chief, that will food in restaurants and had had wax eloquent on the Cooum logy, Museums and Heritage has, therefore, proposed to bring make whatever is left of your to complain about them. which, he said, is one of the heritage sites, including buildings, heritage precincts and natural knotted and combined locks MMM wondered if it was longest rivers in the country, features of environmental significance across the State, under the part and stand on end like because they were not well becoming KTCPA. Currently, the heritage sites come under the Karnataka Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1961. SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY Comprehensive rules will be framed for the effective implemen- tation of the KTCPA as far as the protection and conservation of heritage sites are concerned. quills on a fretful porpentine, done and so he could not eat when in the city! If this be the The urban developement authorities already have powers to as the Bard put it so wonder- them. level of knowledge of our law- frame bylaws for heritage conservation under Section 12(f) of the fully. Yet another event was at a makers, is it any wonder that KTCPA. But it can be done only after bringing heritage sites under MMM well remembers his bookshop-cum-boutique-cum- the Town and the river are in the Act, he explained. column a couple of years ago restaurant. One of the honour- such bad shape?! Besides, it has been proposed to set up district-level heritage when he wrote on the free- ed guests chose to filch a book At yet another event, an conservation committees headed by deputy commissioners of the loaders who descended on the from the display and walk officer from the country’s respective districts to coordinate and oversee implementation of events in droves. He had away. He was fortunately oldest civic body chose to mentioned about their eating apprehended after the event make his speech in song. The various schemes meant for the conservation of heritage sites. The habits, their table manners and the book retrieved from burden of the song by a Natio- panel also comprises conservation experts, commissioner of the and their tendency to gener- him. Crime is raising its ugly nal Poet was whether, after respective urban development authority and the officials of the ally behave like camels – head during Madras Week, making a beautiful lute, it Archaelogy, Museums and Heritage deparment. stacking up in their vast inte- Chief, and if that is not a sure could be cast into the mud to It has also been proposed to set up a Karnataka heritage task riors enough reserves of food sign of success, then MMM destroy it. MMM could not force committee under the chairmanship of the chief minister to to last till the next Madras does not know what is. help wondering if the song steer various conservation and development programmes. Week. That, if you recollect, ought not to be adopted by the Chief, got the old magazine Tales we hear! Corporation as its anthem, for into trouble. Several of the it appeared to be doing to the A people’s celebration freeloaders wrote back saying adras Week also saw city exactly what the poet had that it was the organisers’ Mseveral sidekicks of the written about the stringed Chief making it big on the small (Continued from page 1) town and when setting it up en- bounden duty to feed them as instrument. compensation for their having screen. The actor, the writer/ And that brings MMM to ism has passed up a golden op- sure that no vestige of overseas to listen to the speeches in full. entrepreneur (as he calls him- another event. A heritage portunity. It could have partici- elements is reflected in it? Let’s And so MMM will not speak self), and the photographer walk in the vicinity of the pated, attracted tourists and face it, Madras has been the of that lot beyond mentioning were all there, rather in the Sacred Tank of Lilies was ensured that everyone recog- capital for 67 years AFTER that their numbers have manner of the butcher, the about to begin. One of the nised that Chennai could be a independence as well. There is dwindled. baker and the candlestick Chief’s acolytes was just clear- destination by itself and not a enough and more to celebrate Perhaps it is on doctor’s ad- maker. One of these program- ing his throat prior to leading mere gateway to other locations from that period also. vice. But MMM misses some mes also had a former Member the tour when a clear-voiced in South India. In fact, all those Madras Week, as we said, is of them, particularly the of the Tamil Nadu Legislative participant asked if the roads granny who used to come with Assembly holding forth on the to be traversed were ‘mucky’. wishing celebrations of the a celebration of our city. It is history of the city. The man, where we live, earn our money, three generations of her fam- MMM wondered if any Dravidian and anything else, ily. He did notice her on Day who rejoices in the name of the thoroughfare in the city was why don’t they organise similar educate our children and plan One when the hotel served powerful God who wielded the anything else but that. celebrations on a voluntary our future. It deserves to be just coffee and tea in a marked plough, had apparently repre- basis? rejoiced in and its achievements manner. She stayed off since sented Park Town at one time Tailpiece Approaching the matter need to be highlighted to the then, perhaps assuming that in and, so, considers himself quite from another angle, can we world. At an age when the this depressed economic an authority. And so he gave all ashed tricky things these deny that the city itself is a co- smallest of matters are tweeted scenario other hotels may viewers a lesson in history. Dtailpieces. The Man from lonial creation? The seat of the and broadcast across the globe, offer just the odd biscuit and It was then that The Man Madras Musings, who gener- why cannot Chennai with its glass of water. Though a few from Madras Musings realised ally breezes through the rest of Government is still in what was that the Chief has all along this column, always ends up vast record of achievements not venues really gave just that, the first British possession in the others more than made up for been hoodwinking us with his being stumped at this stage. whole of India. Several institu- stand up and speak of its glories? it and so I hope this Old version of the history of But all is well, for the wedding tions that our metro swears by, Even if it does not have an offi- Woman Who Lived In A Shoe Madras. The former MLA season, after a brief hiatus, is such as the Corporation, the cial stamp, as some celebrations (she had so many children she claimed that the area we know back. And so are the quirky Legislature, the University, the in the past, have had, that the did not know what to do) will of as Town was in reality two invitation cards. For a sample, General Hospital and the trans- people have spoken loud and be with us in the Madras parts – George Town and Black please see below. port services, to name a few, are clear for the celebrations is all Weeks to come. Town. The former, he claimed, – MMM all colonial creations. Should that matters. After all, another But others were there in was a white we not be abandoning them all great Chennai success, the full strength. The sleeveless enclave where wonder is, of course, a regular apartheid was and reverting to ancient prac- December Music Season, has strictly follow- survived and grown over now. He laughs uproariously tices if the pre-British period is for no particular reason and, ed. The ‘dirty all that deserves to be com- 87 years without official of course, surreptitiously natives’, he memorated? Why not shift the support. May Madras Week records every one of the said, were sent capital itself to some ancient follow suit. September 1-15, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 3 The law of life was born and brought up in Kerala. My first the area. There were just two bus routes – 21D Icontact with Madras was at age 21 when I and 23A. For any shopping other than daily ne- came here to take the Combined Civil Services cessities, you had to go to Adyar. But life was Examination of 1951, held by the UPSC. With unhurried, peaceful, almost bucolic. My suburb little cash on hand, I had to take a room in one was part of Tiruvanmiyur Panchayat where you of the shady lodges in George Town area. After had to go to deal with government agencies. Memories kindled In the same vein, since toi- the exam, I moved in to the city which, for a Cut to the present times. What a contrast! lets are in the news now, high- hen I saw and read about village boy like me, was intimidatingly big. Besant Nagar is now one of the choicest locali- lighted by PM and down, the Madras landmarks in Tramcars were my favourite means of transport. ties and property prices and rentals are in the W shouldn't organisers of big MM, August 16th, I remem- For a few annas, you could travel long distances. top slots in Madras (now Chennai). Traffic is events such as political party My next brush with the venerable city was heavy, it is served by many bus routes, there are bered the days I worked in the meets, as well as assembles at the next year when I was called for interview in many banks, ATMs, eateries and what have Madras Public Service Commis- large religious functions, where the magnificent University building on the Ma- you. Despite these inroads of 'progress', Besant sion in the early 1950s. The of- lakhs gather, be mandatorily rina. I stayed at the Everest Hotel and had a very Nagar continues to be one of the more liveable fice functioned in the Bosotto made to provide an adequate disturbed night due to the constant rumbling of parts of the city. With a beach attached! Bliss- Hotel buildings just after shift- the suburban trains, the vibrations of which fully, there are hardly any highrise buildings. number of toilets, even tempo- ing from the Victory House. could be felt in my room. There is a definitive limit beyond which it rary chemical ones? You can’t My colleagues used to tell In 1976, during my posting here, I was alloted cannot expand, as it is bounded by sea on one only blame the citizenry for lack about the office at Victory a Housing Board flat in Besant Nagar which, at side, and the vast grounds of Kalakshetra and of civic sense, if adequate and House. The tram to Parry’s from that point of time, was considered a place in 'the the Theosophical Society on two other sides. quickly accessible facilities are back of the beyond'. Well-meaning friends ad- But there is a lamentable downside. I miss used to run on Mount not available. vised me against taking the flat. “Ange the quiet nights when I used to be lulled to Road, stopping at Swadesa- Thousands of Dalit houses Yaraavathu povaala?” was their refrain. It was sleep, now by the sound of gentle waves, now mitran (Victory House), Round across the State have no considered a suburb and only those desperately by the waves roaring in rage. Now, I am jolted Tana, Elphinstone theatre, etc. provision for toilets. looking for inexpensive accommodation. In the out of sleep by the 'vroom' of bikes by insensi- The MPSC office later Economists have quantified event, I took the flat and have never once re- tive riders and tooting of horns. Also, for most shifted to Rutland Gate and gretted the choice. of the day, the thrill of leisurely walks has dis- that India loses billions of dol- from there to its own building Back then, we could hear the roar of the appeared and you step out of your house at your lars each year due to the lack of at Government Estate, near the waves sitting at home which was about half a risk. But then, again, there still is blissful Elliot’s sanitary facilities, resulting in Kalaivanar Arangam. kilometre from the sea. In the afternoon, when Beach for bracing early morning walks. illnesses, water-borne diseases, Victory House, after it was the sea breeze set in, the ceiling fans were pro- You have to take the rough with the smooth. loss of workdays etc., not count- pelled by the breeze breezing its way through our That’s the law of life. purchased by VGP, had a show- ing our global image. house. A magnificent view of the sea could be room for Murphy Radios with a had from the terrace. It was true, in some senses, G. Sankaran banner showing the famous Dr. Prem Chandran John that Besant Nagar was, indeed, a ‘forsaken’ sub- T 43A, Seventh Avenue Murphy Baby. [email protected] urb. Therefore there were very few houses Besant Nagar Thank you for kindling my around. Only a solitary branch of a bank served Chennai 600 090 memories. Brew & litter L. Chandrasekaran simply loved Sriram V’s B17/11 I boxed item, ‘What’s brewing ness. In 1961 when I moved Right tree, right name temple, Dr. Raman and reader TNHB Flats Bagalur Road for Madras Week?’ (MM, July into this ancestral house of P.S. Ramamurti (MM, July n my article on the Gangad- Hosur 635 109 16th). Exactly. Nothing of note mine (built in 1931), both sides 16th) have mentioned that it eeshwarar temple (MM, is brewing here. In neighbour- of the street used to be lined I should be Gangadhareshwara Toilets, now & then June 1st), I had mentioned ing Bangalore, a father and his with excrement. Over the years, and not Gangadheeshwara. that the ‘Purasai’ tree is the he assertion of reader sons have brewed a single malt the heads of the Corporation While Gangadhareshwara is the sacred tree of this temple. T T. Santhanam (MM, whisky called Amruth which and our local councillors have correct Sanskrit name, it is Dr. Raman has responded that August 1st) that Indian civili- has been rated above the best ensured that the street is clean called by the locals, and known he is not sure about this and sation never had a toilet culture Scotch brands of Scotland! In and litter-free. Still, I wish the to most in Chennai, as the mentions that it could be the is not quite correct. There is Chennai, you can come away old ‘Kuppa thotties’ come back Gangadheeshwara temple, ‘Vasantakala Mallikai’. The recorded archaeological evi- only with some sub-standard so that through the day people which is the name I chose to use booklet about this temple sold dence that pre-Aryan people tipple from Tasmac outlets. dump their rubhish into them in the article as it is the more at the office in the temple living along the Indus had Sriram further says, “We still and not on the street. familiar one. public baths, covered drains don’t find any excitement in premises clearly states that the ‘Purasai’ is the sacred tree. I that most Tamil Nadu towns North Chennai.” But I do. C. G. Prasad Dr. Chithra Madhavan verified this with the priest of lack even today, solid waste Every time I step on C.S. 9, C.S. Mudali Street [email protected] removal by carts, and piped Mudali Street, I am pleased and Kondithope the temple too. public water supply. excited at the relative cleanli- Chennai 600 079 Regarding the name of the

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change of ownership, is now the A Madras Week round... by Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy Hema Malini Kalayana Remembering Mandapam. It was slightly off this road that gatherings of It’s all about celebrating our City intellectuals took place under Burma the auspices of the Lakshmipu- ots of people keep asking me what Madras Day is all about Jazz musician Frank Dubier is a legend in his own right. He may ram Young Men’s Association Land why we need to celebrate it. be living his twilight years now but the man has left his mark at (LYMA), founded by Gopala- Others want to know why we choose August 22 as the Day and concert halls and clubs across the country. samy Iyengar. what event is associated with it. When he is in the mood to rewind, this musician, whose mother with love The house of Kothaman- A few others wonder why we should celebrate Madras Day. provided the musical score to silent movies screened at the Old galam Subbu, the well-known A Tamil Nadu Tourism officer was quoted as saying that people Elphinstone Theatre on Mount Road, has great stories to tell. ith many in Madras having strong Burma connections, script writer of Tamil films, still who now celebrate Madras Day celebrate ‘colonial history’ and that And one is about how the music-trained boys of St. Patrick’s WMadras to Mandalay, anchored by Geetha Doctor, was an apt survives on the road. Lalitha Sa- the State celebrates Sangam and Dravidian heritage. School, Adyar, were so talented that they got jobs in the English topic for Madras Week. Apart from Indian government servants, dan, a vast 18,000 sq. ft property This is indeed shocking but I guess it comes from a person who military bands and in the Governor’s band in Madras. mainly from Madras, deputed by the British to serve in Burma, the owned by the dubashes of Best lives in a small world of his own. The school across the Adyar, raised in Elphinstone Park, a prop- Nagarathar (Nattukottai Chettiars) went to Burma in the 1820s at and Company in its heyday, Madras Day is all about celebrating our city. erty of about 160 acres with a large building, was bought in July the invitation of the British as traders and bankers serving Mr. Ramaswamy and Lakshmana It can be its history and heritage, it can be about its cinema and 1885 to serve as a home for boys who were transferred from a cam- Everyman. They set up kitangis in which they lived and worked, and Swamy Iyer, was acquired by In- performing arts. It can be about its landmarks and its leaders. It can pus in George Town. met the financial needs of farmers, fishermen and wood traders who dian Bank as the bank was the be about its food and the people who make and offer that food. During Madras Week, when Ranjit Balan from Besant Nagar had no access to banks. The Chettiar community played a crucial principal lender to the dubashes It can also be about its autorickshaw drivers and the filter-coffee called me, he was thinking aloud on how he could get his ‘old role in the economy of Burma as well as in founding schools, building whose stock had dwindled to the drinking public. school’, St. Patrick’s, featured in the media. temples, and inviting artistes from South India to perform there. extent that it necessitated the It is also certainly a Day to laugh at our foibles and weaknesses, “Create a Heritage Walk in your campus,” I told him, Yes, there The evening started with Shylaja Chetlur and her daughter house being auctioned. The In- to celebrate our successes and to dream of better drains. are some interesting nooks on this Gandhi Nagar campus and all reciting The King in Exile, a poem by Rudyard Kipling written in 1890. dian Bank is now headquartered that Ranjit had to do was to collect as many stories as he could and Thibaw Min, the last Burmese king and his wife Supalaya, were ex- here. design the Walk. iled to India when the British annexed Burma in 1886. During a tem- In a small lane off Lloyd’s G Some jottings The catalysts of Madras Week have from the start encouraged porary stop before being moved to Ratnagiri, their third daughter, Road lived T.K. Shanmugam, by Vincent D’Souza bubbly people to curate small events that focus on the city. And Supalaya, was born there and became ‘Madras Supalaya’ to all. doyen of Tamil drama, who was hold them even in their backyard. Muthiah, speaking of kitangi’ life, explained how young Chettiar called ‘Avvai’ Shanmugam be- Walks, at any time of the year, are a way to discover and boys were sent there to learn the ropes of business. They started do- cause of the flourish with which It is certainly not a season to drool at just colonial buildings and appreciate your city ing all sorts of errands and lowly jobs and as they progressed they discard the veshti for a seat at a high table. * * * The cake with which Vivanta by Taj at Connemara celebrated Madras Day. he played the role of Avvaiyar. “could sleep only after tallying the cash of the day to the last paisa,” His son T.S. Kalaivanan still Interestingly, the Madras celebration is slowly moving away from Giridhar Ramachandran is a doctoral student at IIT-Madras. Muthiah said. One of their abilities was mental maths, including cal- lives here. The property of V.T. passe events and is growing on to some rooted projects. Can we introduce people to the variety of special interest commu- culating to fractions of 192. The Chettiar agents would meet every Krishnamacharya, Dewan of We appreciate one such effort – the Association of Geography nities and hobby groups in one place and make it a physical thing? day in the Dhandayuthapani Temple and agree on interest rates. The stories that Baroda, member of the Constitu- teachers in the city who sought to educate a group of taxi and auto Giridhar wrote, responding to an invitation to broadbase the Ma- Railway coaches in India were built using Burmese pingado wood, ent Assembly and, later, of the drivers on less known landmarks of the city and to encourage them dras Week celebrations to go beyond talks and walks on all things also called iron wood. “Wood was literally floated down the Irrawady Planning Commission, is today to ferry tourists to these places. heritage. River and then to Nagapattinam on the South Indian coast, much of Lloyd’s Road tells the headquarters of the Khadi This is a great idea. Tourists today want to go beyond the Yes, there are bikers who do the Madras-Pondy drive every now it reaching Chettinad homes that were invariably built using Burma Village and Industries Commis- Museum and the Marina and Mylapore. They want to snack at lo- and then on the ECR, the cyclists who pack in some interesting teak,” Muthiah narrated. Rice from Burma was a major export to loyd’s Road, named after noted lawyer and accomplished film producer. His home was sion. His son, V.K. Thirumala- cal food jonts, walk down busling local markets and stroll inside spots into their monthly rides. There are the photographers who India. So was dhal. “Our sambar has a Burma connect,” quipped LE.C. Lloyd, Commissioner of violinist, with political leanings later acquired by the owners of charya, a maverick lawyer and a heritage temples. And drivers who are trained are just the kind the curate a Photo Walk every month. The Beach CookOut group is Geetha Doctor who also spoke of the fabulous rubies of Burma. the Madras Corporation from and was a legal adviser to leading Dadha Pharma. Another MGR close friend of K. Kamaraj, “sold city needs today. They are the ones who can showcase the city. said to meet on the shore. M.V. Subbiah, who had recently visited Burma to relive his family 1901 to 1905 and then a Secre- actors of yesteryears, including property on the road was first it to Khadi for a song,” according Also welcome was the start made by at least four neighbourhood You will find most of them online. But Giridhar suggests that a connections with the country, spoke in glowing terms about tary to the Government of Ma- MGR, Sivaji Ganesan, Saroja Sama Needhi’s office, then to Sriram, because of his friend- groups who are on to social history projects – collecting pictures mela of all such groups at one single place be held to make it a warm Mandalay city which, he said, was better than even New York. He dras, connects the Beach to Devi and lyricist Kannadasan. became Nadigar Sangam’s office. ship with Kamaraj. Eswari Lend- and wedding cards, shooting pictures of old shops and landmarks, and valuable meet-up for people seeking a new life and who would also described how Chettiar boys aged 11 to 14 joined their family Mount Road in a single stretch. The pithamaga of Carnatic When MGR founded the ing Library started off as a waste- cleaning 35mm film shot locally and mapping the area...and asking like to do something different next year during Madras Week One kitangis or apprenticed in others to learn the business. Starting as It once had only 60 spacious music, Semmangudi Srinivasa AIADMK, it was made the head- paper shop and second-hand seniors to tell stories of life in the early days of the colony. suggestion has been Chennai Heritage Drive, Teams get a list of 50- paiyan (boy), they became adutha aalu or kanakku pillai (accountant). bungalows, today it is an over- Iyer, and ’s famed quarters of the party in 1972. bookstore. Its owner Palani, hav- There is much serious work that has begun in our city. Best done odd less-known landmarks which they need to visit and document They progressed then to kootali (business partner), pangali (share- crowded stretch. founder, G. Subramanya Iyer, Justice Somayya, who was a ing acquired a significant by its people on their own. and those who tote the largest number through the day get prizes – holder in business), and mudalali (owner). This is the road Sriram V. and lived on Lloyd’s Road, which also junior to the legal luminary amount of books in the course of * * * (Courtesy: Mylapore Times.) Visalakshi Ramaswamy, who is into handicrafts, displayed various Mohan Raman chose for a boasts the home of Narayana Alladi Krishnasamy Iyer, owned the business, started the lending items of Burmese origin that were and still are part of the households Chennai Heritage Walk during Iyengar, who made a name as a a spacious bungalow which, after library. of the Chettiars. Apart from wooden containers for storing rice and Madras Week. wooden koodais (woven baskets) for taking items for prayer in a The walk started from what temple, she displayed Moulmein jars and lacquer items. She said that was once the house of K.P. when a Chettiar girl got married, each item given to her new house- Viswanatha Iyer, a sub-editor of Catching up with the chroniclers of Madras hold was written down and the list handed over to her. That’s how The Hindu, who is remembered and over again by his late wife to becoming The Madras Man. Sriram V, another chronicler into the history of Madras and voracious digesting of various she came to know of Mandalay karandi (spoon) and other items from for his coverage of the Dandi ne of the first authors of a by the Connemara, was being Valli who had chided him for not That also led him to becoming a of the city, particularly of the today he is as passionate about sources of information, including Burma. March. Mohan Raman then Ogeneral title for East West readied to be cut by Sriram who doing something with all the ma- leader of the heritage conserva- post-1900 city, spoke on the the city as the Chief. But he has the novels and personal record- P.V. Krishnamoorthy, a retired Director from All India Radio and traced the origin of Madras Publishers when they moved to prepared a detailed index for this Madras, S. Muthiah, the chroni- edition of , terial he had collected during his tion movement. occasion about ‘Books on gone further. His heritage walks ings of Tamil writers; he felici- Doordarshan, was born in Burma and recalled how the Chettiars baashai to Mir Sahib Pet, or Misa Madras Rediscovered researches in India and abraod To the critics who feel heri- Madras’. The path Sriram has that are a pleasure have gone on tously combines the archival helped the Indian community remain true to their roots. Chettiars Pettai, where comedian cler of Madras, is fondly called by the translator (Karthik Naraya- and which were occupying two tage conservation means pre- followed into Madras history is to introduce many a participant sources in English with the lesser founded schools where Tamil was taught and brought in able teach- Chandrababu once lived. A.V. different names. Biswanath nan who translated the book for shelves of her cupboard. Out of serving only colonial heritage, different from Muthiah’s. Start- to little known facts of Madras. known local accounts. ers from South India to teach the students, organised the Thai Raman owned a bungalow at the Ghosh calls him ‘The Madras Kizhakku Pathipagam), Anand Man’ in his Tamarind City. Kumar, IAS, Regional Joint Com- his scrapbooks, the rich wealth of the Madras Man says the build- ing with his passion for Carnatic All this helps him with his writ- Poosam festival, and hosted Tamil film stars, like S.G. Kittappa and intersection of Lloyd’s Road and The highlight of the evening Senior journalist Sushila Ravin- missioner of the Chennai Corpo- information in notes, and his ings that survive from olde music and its history, he was ing and he is the latest among the K.B. Sundarambal, and classical vocalists and musicians. Royapettah High Road. A civil for many, however, was Joint dranath called him ‘The Mad ration, Rear Admiral (retd.) passion for the city, have been Madras are memorials to the “destined” to meet The Madras city’s chroniclers, which is a long Mystical Mandalay, a pictorial presentation on ‘Burma today’, by and sanitary engineer, he was a Commissioner Anand Kumar Man of Madras’. And to Sriram Mohan Raman, Secretary of the born many books over the years, beginnings of institutions which Man and, now, they are a team line. He has a better knowledge Shylaja Chetlur was shown and a Burmese soup Khao Swe, prepared close associate of Rajaji and ad- bursting into a song, a Bharati V., who teams with him at Madras Literary Society, and the and he will be completing 40 are now part and parcel of mod- two decades old. Encouraged by than the Chief about 20th Cen- by Chef Rajesh and his team at The Park, was served before the vocated the importance of sani- song. books by the end of the year, ern India. the Chief, he went about delving tury Madras, drawn from his audience said goodbye to Burma that’s now Myanmar. tation, the lack of which had Madras Musings, he is ‘The author himself. most of them on the city. Lloyd always chiding Indians Chief’. After Gautam Padmanabhan, Muthiah retains his fondness about. It was Raman who gave Two books of his, Madras Re- CEO of Westland, welcomed the (Continued from page 1) for Ceylon where he was a suc- well. After all, there is no dearth MGR his first house in the city. discovered – his first and the Bible audience. Muthiah spoke fondly Next, a ‘Madras Season’? cessful journalist and is consid- channels too participated with of people from this city among MADRAS MUSINGS ON THE WEB MGR, then a fledgling actor in of the city – now in its seventh of Gautam’s parents K.S. and ered something of an authority on great gusto. A couple of them scale. At a much smaller but no This was also the first year the Indian diaspora. the late 1950s, paid a rent and an edition, and Tales of Old and Chandra Padmanabhan – who To reach out to as many readers as possible who share our its ethnicity and events there had events for the whole day, less significant level were the that Madras Week went interna- As this story goes to press, additional sum every month as New Madras, revised and up- when they moved to Madras wel- from the late 1930s to the late with one of them presenting neighbourhood food walks, cre- tional. The beginning was made there is no sign of the celebra- keen interest in Madras that is Chennai, and in response to instalment towards the house at dated to commemorate the comed his Madras Discovered, 1960s that shaped the island’s programmes by children. ating a new niche among tours in Malaysia thanks to the Indian tions winding down. There are requests from many well-wishers – especially from outside 160 Lloyd’s Road where he lived 375th year of the city’s founding then 160-pages long and now destiny. He came to Madras in They say that the best way to around the city. Perhaps it is time High Commissioner there, T.S. exhibitions, talks, walks, quizzes and eventually became its owner. (it was first published 25 years 575 pages in extent, as their first Chennai and abroad who receive their postal copies very 1968 when he discovered that a man’s heart is through his that the retail trade too looks at Tirumurthy. and marathons still to be held, After Raman passed away, MGR ago on the occasion of the city’s general title to be published in several people in early Madras, stomach. Perhaps the route to a Madras Week on lines of the A photo exhibition was the last event happening some- late – for an online edition. Madras Musings is now on the had an oil portrait of him made, 350th birthday), were released at the city. The association has who went on to fame, fortune and city’s affection is also the same. Dubai Shopping Festival. We organised and this was very well time in mid-September. Who- web at www. madrasmusings.com which still survives in AVR’s the on August continued with East West over notoriety, while charting a course For the first time, we had restau- hope that this will happen next received. With this we may soon ever branded it Madras Day will home. AVR’s son V.P. Raman, 22nd, Madras Day. But before the last 25 years and more. that made Madras the first city of rant chains and hotels putting up year so that the celebrations find Madras Week being cel- now have to probably consider THE EDITOR Mohan Raman’s father, was a their release a huge cake, pre- Muthiah also recalled the origi- pared specially for the occasion nal manuscripts being typed over Modern India, he was on his way special food events on a mega scale yet another level. ebrated in other countries as calling it the Madras Season. 6 MADRAS MUSINGS September 1-15, 2014 What if Lally had won (Current Affairs questions are from the period August 1st to 15th. Questions 11 to 20 per- in 1761? tain to Chennai and Tamil Nadu.) 1. How did the Indian-origin hat’s a famous thought in “holiday recreation”. And there mathematician Manjul Bhargava Tspired by S. Muthiah, who he proved a good student. of Princeton University make had once wondered as to what His father’s influence having news recently? if the temperamental French- inspired in Thomas-Arthur an 2. The World Health Organi- man of Irish origin, Comte de intense hatred of the English, sation has sanctioned the use of Lally, had succeeded in defeat- he joined the Irish Brigade in experimental drug ZMapp to ing the English in 1761 with his 1718 but, when made Captain, tackle which Global Health Emer- last brilliant throw as he burst moved to the regiment of gency? out of a beleaguered Pondi- Dillon. There he planned a 3. The new airline venture cherry. If only he had succeeded Jacobite uprising, to restore the between Tata-Singapore Airlines on that fateful day, this article Stuart Kings to their throne and (SIA) is named…? would have been telling you, in challenge the House of Han- 4. On August 6th, Rosetta became French, that Lally was France’s over. His plans never materia- the first ever spacecraft to reach greatest general! lised, but he made a name for which type of heavenly body after Who then was this fascinat- himself on the battlefields of a journey of more than 10 years ing character who has his name Europe. By 1749 he was a and 6.4 billion km through deep inscribed on the Arc de Triom- Major-General and a Hero of space? Lally in Pondicherry. France. 5. On August 5th, the artwork For seven years after the set sail in May 1757 and, after a lower castes. For the lack of Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red was unveiled in the Tower of Lon- treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle long and tedious voyage, disem- money, he kept castigating the don to commemorate the cente- (1749) that concluded the last barked in Pondicherry at the Pondicherry officials. He re- nary of…? war, Europe remained at peace. end of April 1758. The voyage fused to hide his feelings and 6. What museum was inaugurated But soon hostilities ensued had taken almost a year thanks expressed himself freely in in New Delhi on August 1st by again between France and En- to d’Aché’s doubts and capri- words that people did not President Pranab Mukherjee on gland over their rival claims in ciousness. The English squad- forgive or forget. He was, thus, the occasion of his completing his North America. In June 1756 ron which had sailed three detested by the natives and the second year in office? war was finally declared and months later reached the Coro- Europeans alike in Pondicherry. 7. Who emulated badminton stars France decided to send a force mandel Coast at the same time. Madras was ideally the next Prakash Padukone and Syed to the East. Despite differences The authorities in Pondi- target and Lally would have Modi’s feat on August 3rd? And of opinion over giving Lally in- cherry ordered a gun salute in probably succeeded if it had not what feat? Comte de Lally of Tollendal dependent charge, Lally was Lally’s honour. By some strange been for the lack of finance and 8. Which former diplomat and the unwillingness of d’Aché to minister’s work, One Life is Not launch an attack on the English Enough: An Autobiography, recent- phe in Paris and has his name remembered in a street in fleet stationed between Madras ly created waves? and Pondicherry. So, Lally Pondicherry? G 9. Name the world-famous, From a paper presented during decided to attack Tanjore on Oscar-winning comic actor and Thomas-Arthur de Lally, Madras Week by Sumitra Muthukumar Baron de Tollendal, a general in the advice of a Jesuit priest. producer who committed suicide He marched south with a on August 11th. the French army, was sent to India during the Seven Years large force, short of transport, 10. The centenary of which ammunition and food. With the fantastic engineering feat was War that broke out in 1756 men starving, they plundered a celebrated in the Americas on Au- between England and France. promoted Lieutenant General mischance, the guns set apart gust 15th? He belonged to a distinguished and sent to Pondicherry, as for firing the salute were loaded temple but found only paddy. * * * family, the O’Mullallys, one of much to take on the British as with live ammunition. Five Then, at , he mistook six Brahmins for spies and had 11. Name the three Chettiar the old noble families of Ireland. to purge the Pondicherry gov- shots went through the Comte siblings who have all been Mayors His father, Gerard Lally, fled to ernment of the rampant corrup- de Provence with Lally on board them attached to cannons and of Madras. France following the Treaty of tion that prevailed there. and this was immediately re- blown. Then when he was ready 12. One of the earliest businesses Limerick, together with his de- The French Government garded as a bad omen by the sai- for an assault, news arrived that of the city was a tannery set up in throned Catholic king, James II. promised Lally the equivalent of lors who were by nature extre- Karaikal was in danger from the 1805 at Leith Castle in San Thomé. In time he became the colonel 6 million pounds and three mely superstitious. English. Lally changed course to Who set it up? of the regiment of Dillon. Later, thousand men. But from the The news on the ground was take on the besiegers. In Karai- 13. The Parish Venkatachala Iyer he married Anne de Bressac, very beginning he was doomed also not encouraging. Chander- kal, he resolved to besiege Street in George Town was the who was from an aristocratic to disappointment. He had re- nagore and Mahé had fallen to Madras. But once again he was first to receive which now- French family. To them was quested a single command over the English. Nevertheless, Lally, let down by d’Aché. When the common sanitary provision? born Thomas-Arthur in 1702. land and sea and wanted his eager for action after months of French fleet was worsted in a 14. Which iconic portrait of a Following the French mili- own man as his engineer and fi- enforced inactivity, ignored the skirmish with the English, d’ legendary Tamilian was created by nancial controller. The Gov- fact that de Leyritt, the Gover- Ache sailed for Mauritius in Bhashyam (aka Arya)? tary custom of the time, he joined his father’s regiment as a ernment did not accede to any nor of Pondicherry, could give early September. 15. From which fruit does the of his requests. him neither information nor Undaunted by being left Chennai area with the pin code private. When he was seven years old, his father brought him The fleet was given to Count any financial assistance, and without sea power, Lally con- 600058 get its name? tinued to make plans to attack 16. Which Somerset Maugham a Captain’s uniform of Dillon’s d’Aché, a man who would turn marched to Cuddalore where Regiment – and a commission! out to be Lally’s nemesis. he invested Fort St. David and Madras. He recalled the Mar- work is said to be based on the sui- quis of Bussy from the Deccan, cide of one Adela Nicholson in ‘The boy loved to parade wear- D’Aché was a good sailor, but took it on June 2nd without ing his uniform, but his father opinionated and intractable. Aché’s support. advanced money from his own ? pocket to meet the expenses of 17. Which composer’s Symphony was determined that he should He was also a man of extreme Though this first expedition not hold his commission with- caution and would ultimately had been successful, Lally, with the army, and set off for Madras. No. 13, composed in 1958, is Lally and his troops arrived called the ‘Madras Symphony’? out being given a taste of actual paralyse Lally. For his as engi- his hasty temper and sharp service. Lally, therefore, started neer and financial controller, tongue, had managed to anta- on the outskirts of Madras on 18. Which architect of repute December 14th and quickly built Lawrence School, Lovedale, spending his holidays with his Lally was given a person who gonise everyone. Impatient occupied Black Town, but after and the Nilgiris Library? father in the French camp. At was technically sound but not a with the practice of the caste that things went from bad to 19. Which pioneering actress was nine, he was present at the siege man of combat. Finally, of the system – for him it was just an called ‘Cinema Rani’? and capture of Geronaso – to promised money, only 4 million excuse to escape from doing worse. Desertions multiplied because the soldiers were not 20. What record does the Car- “smell the gun powder,” as his pounds were given. Lally, deter- work and he had Brahmins natic music song Natakadi Vidyala, father said. Three years later, he mined to be made a Marshal of carry on their heads loads of paid. There was hardly any food composed by Ramaswami mounted guard in the trenches France, went ahead despite materials that then were forbid- and Lally, instead of being a Dikshitar, hold? at Barcelona. He was then these shortcomings. den to touch. They were also hero to his men, became a hated (Answers on page 10) packed off to college after this After many false starts, Lally teamed with the men of the (Continued on page 9) September 1-15, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 7 Celebrating Madras Week – in colour Discovering Thirupura Sundari Sevvel, an architect-planner by profession initiated a project to study and map the history of the first planned layout of Madras City. Although Anna Nagar may not have a centuries-old heritage like Madras, it is certain that a few decades from now Anna Nagar too will have heritage to cherish. Some little-known facts about Anna Nagar • The area was a barren land and was chosen to hold the India International Trade and Industries Fair (IITIF) in 1968. • Various pavilions were erected as complete concrete structures and semi-permanent ones. • The parking lot for vehicles was where Kandasamy Naidu A wish for the City College is situated now. • Shuttle buses were operated to the fair pavilions from the A small, experimental stall behind the Gandhi statue on the Marina was put up by volunteers. parking lot. People were invited to tie a wish for the city on its birthday. This is an idea should multiply next year; • The Tower Club is located in the building that was the Kerala let’s say, similar stalls at 10 or 12 locations across the city. Contact: www.themadrasday.in Pavilion (with lots of modifications). • The Tower inaugurated in 1968 gave a panoramic view of Madras city; the Tower has a cycle track which was later closed for cycle movement (as scooters were going up and down as pleasure rides). • The Park around the Tower was developed in stages in later times. • Residential plots were sold at Rs 2000-3000 with a 75 per cent Government subsidy to build houses to promote the layout ini- tially, since very few takers were there for this area that was without facilities like schools, hospitals, markets, etc. • Government officials being the first to be allotted plots, the area is populated largely by government officials. Singing for the City • The first blocks of houses were built opposite Tower Park (which is now W-Block). August 16th was a pleasant Saturday evening and those who frequent the Natesan Park in T’Nagar were in for a pleasant experience! The members of the Madras Youth Choir had gathered there to celebrate the 375th year of the founding of Madras in a unique manner. The children’s choir and the senior choir presented songs of social relevance, human values, civic sense, environmental awareness and patriotism and enthralled the audience with their music and the strong messages the songs conveyed. – Rajashree Bhaskaran A song for the City The Madras Song a tribute to the memories and magic of Madras. It was launched by the Murugappa Group to celebrate Madras 375. Catch up with the song on YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/ The T-shirt of the Anna Nagar Social History Group which organised con- MurugappaGroup tests for the young and old to help them ‘discover’ their locality. Walk and taste • The Ayyanar Statue in W-Block, just past the Dr. Visvesvaraya There were several food Tower Park Arch, was built during the second World Tamil walks during Madras Week – Conference during the Chief Ministership of C.N. Annadurai. and every participant tasted the food items at every stop. The • The Blue Star bus stop in 2nd Avenue is just an incidental name stop seen below was in Mint without any history/landmarks behind it as buses stopped here Street. and there was a small shop by it with the name Blue Star. – D. Mohandas Connemara creates nooks of its history The lobby of Vivanta by Taj Connemara had a surprise for people who were not frequent visitors to the place. In a corner, the wall has been turned into a gallery of historical photos of the hotel and people associated with it. Alongside is a set of two colonial-styled chairs and centre table, with a marble top. There is also a book with a few pages tracing the hotel’s history. A smart executive then led me to another part of the lobby where a set of 12 photos of the halls and rooms of the vintage hotel are displayed. More is being planned – a walkthrough for interested guests who will be offered some wine and given a quick history of the Connemara. Other institutions, a century and more old, would do well to emulate this. – Vincent D’ Souza 8 MADRAS MUSINGS September 1-15, 2014 A laugh a day in our MADras!

The centrepiece at Biswajit Balasubramanian’s exhibition, MADras, where the cartoons on this page were among those on display.

“Appa, how come Madras gets to celebrate its birthday for one full month and I only for one day?”

“Because hot idli with sambar is available for a rupee, all my regular benefactors are giving me one rupee instead of the usual five rupees!”

“It’s wise to look before you leap, especially at this time of water scarcity!”

“Like my son Karthik, Jimmy is a keen follower of cricket!” “Actually, nothing to worry about Arvind’s eye sight, all he needs is a good haircut!” September 1-15, 2014 MADRAS MUSINGS 9 Etched in copper nscriptions etched on stone seen on the walls and Ipillars of temples are well-known. Similar epigraphs etched on sheets of copper are not that well known. The newly refurbished section of copper plate inscrip- tions inside the Stone Sculpture Gallery of the Madras Museum in has on display many of Chola copper plate inscriptions (11th Century AD) with the these rare inscriptions issued by been edited and Pallava copper-plate inscription. important dynasties of South translated by Chola Seal. India. These are part of a 600- scholars and their contents away. All of them are bi-lingual, and heavy Karandai copper ered accidentally in May 2010 plus collection. Written in made known to the academic the first part composed in San- plate charter (1019 CE) un- at a depth of twelve feet in a different scripts and many world. These copper plates, skrit and etched in the Grantha earthed in a field in Puttur vil- trench along with many ancient languages, these epigraphs usually rectangular in shape, script and the second portion in lage, Thanjavur District. It con- bronze images when the Kaila- range in date from the 3rd have round holes near the mar- Tamil. One of the best-known sists of 57 plates and a massive sanatha temple in Thiruvin- Century CE to recent times. gin to allow a circular copper in the fields of history and ar- ring with the Chola seal, weigh- dalur village (near Mayiladu- What exactly is the content ring to pass through to which is chaeology is the large Thiruva- ing in all approximately 111 kg. thurai) was being renovated. of these copper plate inscrip- attached the seal of the dynasty langadu copper plate inscrip- Both the Thiruvalangadu and Needless to say, the plates too tions? They usually mention which issued the inscription. Karandai copper plates date to are bound by a copper ring grants of villages or plots of cul- The earliest copper plate on the reign of the illustrious with Chola seal, which are tivable lands to private indi- display, dated approximately to G by Rajendra Chola I who ascended intact after nearly 1000 years. viduals or public institutions by the 4th Century CE, belongs to Dr. Chithra Madhavan the Chola throne in 1014 CE – The weight is an unbelievable kings. Names of monarchs, the Pallava dynasty. As in the exactly one thousand years ago 150 kg. their achievements, officials, case of many of these copper today. Copper plates of the Chera queens, princes, places, dates plate epigraphs, this was discov- Occupying centrestage in dynasty (11th-12th century CE), and much, much more can be ered quite by accident in 1899 tion discovered in Thiruva- the gallery is the enormous Krishnadeva Raya of Vijaya- gleaned from these priceless while a field was being ploughed langadu near Arakonam. It Thiruvindalur copper plate nagara (16th century CE), etchings on copper which are a near Maidavolu village in Gun- consists of 31 large plates strung grant, the biggest, heaviest and Pandyas (16th century CE), mine of information for histori- tur District, Andhra Pradesh. on a ring to which is attached a lengthiest in India thus far dis- Nayak rulers of Madurai (17th ans and archaeologists. Many of The language of this donative seal showing the Chola emblem covered. Any onlooker would century CE), Setupati Raja of them even have the name of the epigraph is Prakrit and the of the tiger and many other marvel at its sheer size and bulk! Ramnad (17th century CE) and poet who composed the verses script is the southern Brahmi. symbols alongside proclaiming Dated 1058 CE, it is of the time even one of the British period and also the name of the The bull emblem of the Pallavas the greatness of the Imperial of Rajendra Chola II. This in- of the 19th century can be seen engraver. They were given to adorns the elliptical seal on the House of the Cholas, totally scription, comprising 85 rectan- here. The last mentioned the donees as documentary copper ring of these plates. weighing 92 kg. gular copper plates, each plate records a settlement made by a proof of the donation. Luckily, It is the Chola copper plate Even bigger than the Thiru- uniformly 44 cm in length and most of these inscriptions have grants that take one’s breath valangadu plates is the huge 21 cm in breadth, was discov- (Continued on page 10) What if Lally had won in 1761?

(Continued from page 6) received reinforcements led by utter dismay not a single man emies were within the walls of of the French East India Com- Sir Eyre Coote. On November followed him. When he finally Pondicherry and not without. pany, and literally every man commander. Progress was also 19th Wandiwash was taken by induced a group to charge, the But Lally battled on. who had lived in Pondicherry hindered by the incompetency the English army. To counter delay had given the English the He planned one last bold had contrived to stir up feeling of the engineer de Durre who this, Lally resolved to retake time to set up their canons and stroke to rid himself of the be- against Lally. The public bayed took ages to open up a breach Wandiwash. Lally divided his the cavalry fell back, leaving the sieging enemy. His plan was for his blood. He was accused of in the right place. This was fi- army into two. Placing himself General alone in the field. Lally that while his right column sur- treason and peculation and ty- nally done and the assault was at the head of one part of it, he then galloped towards the in- prised the English from the rannical administration. planned for the following day. marched to Conjeevaram, plun- fantry in the centre. Eager for front, the left column stationed In the face of this public out- At daybreak, English ships were dered the town for provisions action and regardless of the fire on the other side of the river cry, Lally was advised to escape sighted in the Bay to the dismay for the army and moved on to which was rained upon them, Ariankuppam should cross and when he could. But so comple- of Lally and he was forced to Tripatore the next day. On get- the French column advanced attack the enemy from its rear. tely did he believe in his inno- raise the siege and return to ting this news, Coote immedi- and broke a part of the English Inexplicably, the left column, cence that he refused and said Pondicherry. ately rushed to Conjeevaram, line. The unbroken part of the instead of attacking from the he was prepared to face all char- In Pondicherry, the news of which was the effect Lally had English line quickly formed up rear, came between the assault- ges before the tribunals. He vol- his failure caused rejoicing, he hoped to obtain. Leaving Bussy on its flank and soon there was ing column and the town and untarily surrendered himself was so hated. behind in Tripatore, Lally one to one combat. At this time the sandwich could not be com- and was imprisoned in the In the meantime, Conflans, marched on Wandiwash. occurred a most unfortunate in- pleted. There was nothing to Bastille. The trial lasted three who had replaced Bussy in the The plan was bold and cident. Lally’s pivotal position stop Coote from pressing the long years and Lally was refused north, suffered total defeat and feasible and if well executed was on the extreme left and was French against the walls of an advocate since it was a char- capitulated to the English. The bore all the marks of success. supported by an entrenchment Pondicherry. ge of treason. As reward for 55 local Subedar, Salabat Jung, The idea was to take the town on the other side. By sheer mis- Pondicherry surrendered un- years of service he was convict- greatly discouraged, immedi- surrounding the fort and at- chance, an English cannon-ball conditionally on January 16, ed of betraying the interests of ately signed a treaty with the tempt a breach before the En- landed in the entrenchment 1761. Lally was sent to Madras the King and sentenced to dea- English and refused any help to glish came back. But Durre with causing an explosion and the and then on to England as a th. On May 9, 1766 he was put the French. Lally’s last hope de- his usual dilatory ways took troops were forced to run aban- prisoner-of-war. In London, he in a dung cart, gagged and igno- pended on the return of the more than a week to make the doning their guns. The entren- came to hear of the terrible miniously led to the scaffold. fleet from Mauritius. D’Aché breach and establish a battery, chment was immediately taken things that were being said The public clapped till the end. did in fact return, but stayed for by which time the English were by the English. about him in France and asked Years later, Lally’s son just two days. He landed a small back. By May 1,1760 the French to be released on parole. On his Trophime-Gerard, assisted by contingent of men and gave Battle was inevitable. Lally were confined to the limits of return he found that all of Voltaire, got the case reopened. some money and sailed away hastened to draw up his men in Pondicherry and the place was France had been stirred to its Louis XVI, eager to show a never to return to the Indian a single line. Seizing an oppor- invested by land and by sea. But depths by the loss of the French spirit of reform, set aside the seas. tune moment he decided to what could a single man do Indies. The entire Council of 1766 decree and, in effect, Meanwhile, the English charge with his cavalry. To his against a whole town? The en- Pondicherry, all the employees exonerated Lally. 10 MADRAS MUSINGS September 1-15, 2014

seems to have taken it in his stride. Once, when he served in A bird that changed Tellicherry, a bailiff from Ma- dras came to arrest him, and the story goes that the man was sent a canal’s course back with a specimen of a rare monkey (Presbytis Johnii) – a n 1836, T.C. Jerdon, a 25- doni) and the Anchor Catfish Pradesh, but its travails didn’t live one at that! Iyear-old surgeon, arrived in (Hara jerdoni). But one cryptic end there. Rejoining the army with the the Madras Presidency. After bird, endemic to the Eastern A threat loomed over the rank of Surgeon, Jerdon did training at the General Hospi- Ghats, popularly known as bird’s habitat in the form of the active military duty till the end tal, he was sent to treat troops Jerdon’s Courser, has to be the Telugu Ganga project under T.C. Jerdon’s... of 1857. By then, the amateur battling insurgency in a district most famous of creatures which interlinked canals would ... Courser naturalist’s fame had spread. nearly half-way to the Calcutta named after him. carry water from a reservoir in His services were transferred to Presidency. Once that was For a quiet bird, it has seen Andhra Pradesh to our ever- the Government of India on quelled, he joined his cavalry plenty of drama. In 1848, the parched city. This would have special duty to prepare major regiment as medical officer and curator of the Royal Asiatic passed through the courser’s works on Indian natural history. served in various parts of India Society of Bengal, Edward home, so that route was avoid- In Birds of India, he described in a three decade long career. Blyth, declared Rhinoptilus ed. Researchers then showed 1,008 species spread over the But why do we care about yet bitorquatus, a species new to sci- that the bird’s range, though length and breadth of the another employee of the East ence based on Jerdon’s speci- narrow, extended well beyond country, which he traversed India Company, even if he had men. By the turn of the 19th the sanctuary. So, in 2008, the and re-traversed during the died insolvent at the end of his century, this bird was declared Supreme Court ordered the course of this work. On one of service? extinct. So, when it was unex- drawing up of an alternative his excursions into the jungles Here’s a reason: At least a pectedly sighted in 1986 there route for the canal and this was of Assam, he caught fever. few species of plants, animals was much rejoicing. The Indian a victory for the conservation- After convalescing, he returned and birds of the Indian subcon- government promptly put its ists. Grazing, logging, and quar- there was no single collective to England in 1870, where he tinent are named in his honour. image on a Re 1 postage stamp. rying are persistent threats to account of the birds, he began died two years later leaving a Among them are the Indian It was also given a place to call the bird’s habitat. There are less recording the ones he saw and wealth of drawings and speci- violet (Jerdonia indica), the home, the Sri Lankamallesh- than four hundred Jerdon’s heard in the Eastern Ghats and mens of tropical plants, birds Palm Civet (Paradoxurus jer- wara Sanctuary in Andhra Coursers left on the planet. The the Deccan. This formed the and animals. last time someone officially basis of his first book A Cata- Jerdon had laid the ground- sighted one was in 2009. logue of the Birds of the Peninsula work for other naturalists in ETCHED IN COPPER In the early 19th Century, of India. After four years of such India. For zoologists going out fieldwork, plus official duties, he into the field, his reasonably (Continued from page 9) this courser was not critically endangered like it is now, but went on leave of absence to the priced books served as the start- committee of three members, namely Andrew Scott, Collector of the bird must’ve been elusive Nilgiris, where he got married at ing point. A.O. Hume, ‘Father Guntur, John Read, Collector of Masulipatnam, and I.L. Caldwell, just the same. The nocturnal the age of thirty to Flora of Indian Ornithology’ and a Superintendent of Tank Repairs, regarding distribution of water bird hides in the shade of the Macleod, who had an interest founder of the Indian National from some channels of the River Kistna (Krishna) to the villages of scrub during the day, but Jerdon in botanical art. Congress, too acknowledges Bapatla and Chukur (Cherukuru). The copper plates are secured procured the bird, and de- His next stop was Nellore, this debt in My Scrapbook or by a ring, the ends of which, interestingly, have a figure of Ganesha! scribed its call for posterity. As where he served as Civil Surge- Rough Notes on Indian Zoology Such an array of ancient copper plate inscriptions is rare to see. a student at the University of on. Here, Jerdon drew on the and Ornithology, which he dedi- I wonder how many in Chennai even know about this gallery? Edinburgh, he had belonged to knowledge of the aboriginal cates to Edward Blyth and Dr. the Plinian Society (Charles Yanadis to catalogue reptiles T. C. Jerdon, and calls himself Answers to Quiz Darwin himself had been a and more avifauna. Later, ants their pupil. 1. He was awarded the prestigious ‘Fields Medal’; 2. Ebola virus; 3. member), an association of and fish were objects of his He hoped that this book Vistara; 4. Comet; 5. World War I. It’s a garden of ceramic poppy flowers; young naturalists, a students- study, but he never lost sight of published in 1869 would form a 6. An AV museum chronicling the history and treasures of the highest only club that met weekly, his beloved birds. He observed “nucleus round which future office of the country; 7. P. Kashyap, by winning the men’s singles gold at critiqued papers, took trips to them at his own expense and observation may crystallise” and the CWG; 8. Natwar Singh; 9. Robin Williams; 10. Inauguration of the the countryside, collected and made sketches or hired a local also that others would help him Panama Canal. identified specimens using rules draftsman for the job. Expedi- “fill in many of the woeful * * * of taxonomy. That training paid tions into the jungle and blanks remaining in the 11. M.A. Muthiah Chettiar, M. Ramanathan Chettiar and M.A. Chi- off, when Jerdon came to a commissioning illustrations cost record.” They did. They still dambaram; 12. Thomas Parry; 13. Underground sewage; 14. Subramania money. The good doctor’s do. Bharati; 15. Fig (or Athi). The area is Athipet; 16. The Colonel’s Lady; 17. country, most of whose flora Henry Cowell; 18. Robert Chisholm; 19. T.P. Rajalakshmi; 20. Longest and fauna had not been docu- finances were never in order, And so science marches on. song, set to 108 ragas and talas. mented systematically. Since creditors harassed him, but he – Vijaysree Venkatraman

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