OUR INDIA

Chennai Egmore Station turns century

2008-06-28T03:21:00.000-07:00

The Egmore Station turned 100 years old on June 11, 2008. It was on this day, in 1908, that a new station building was opened, and it was designed by Henry Irwing, CIE, and the architect was E.C. Bird. It was only after the formation of the Southern Railway in April 14, 1951, that it became a major meter-gauge terminal and once called the “Gateway to the South”. It is said that the air about Egmore was remarkably different when compared to the most famous Madras Central Railway Station.

In Egmore, you knew that you were entering a South Indian station, and taking a train down South. Central railway station, in contrast, was more cosmopolitan. The Egmore station building has an Indo-Saracenic architectural style, especially seen near the ticketing counter. When Trichy was the headquarters of the South Indian Railway, Egmore was almost a Madras terminus. It was also one of the few lines where a passenger changed from steam engine or diesel, to electric. Today, Egmore links quite a bit of South and East India. The main platforms are 4, 5 6, 7, out of a total of 11. On the platform looking west, the ironworks are the unique feature. The pillars are reminiscent of the British era and still bear the name of the company.

Egmore was one of only two stations to have the facility of cars driving onto the platform and the other being Howrah. But this was closed after the advent of broad gauge. Inside the station is a foot over bridge that connects platform 4 with the rest of the platforms. It is one of the oldest surviving feet over bridges in the Southern Railway. The huge British-made clock on platform 4 still works and shows the time correctly … an indication of how Egmore still ticks along efficiently for its passengers.

The Egmore station was probably the only one of its kind that had meter-gauge electric locomotives made in Japan. It was specially made for the Madras Egmore-Villupuram line, and started to work on August 14, 1965. Another famous train was the Madras Egmore-Dhanushkodi Boat Mail. The service stopped after a cyclone destroyed the line at Dhanushkodi, in 1964. There was also an entry saying in the South Indian Railway War Diaries (1942) that the SIR had agreed to overhaul Royal Air Force aircraft.

Geriatric ward

2008-04-22T04:03:00.000-07:00

Now just humans, even elephants need to be taken care of in their old age. Realizing this, the Kerala’s state forest department is all set to launch a home for the old pachyderms near the Neyyar dam, on 100 hectares. This is the first old age home for captive elephants in the country and the government also decided on the project following frequent reports of ill-treatment of sick elephants. Each elephant will be allotted 50 cents, with a trench around the plot, so that they can retire peacefully.

More info:

The first phase will be ready in the next two months. The project when completed will house 30 elephants. When completed the centre will see elephants freely moving around without chains.

A paper making unit using elephant dung is also being planned at the elephant rehabilitation centre (ERC). Yes, that is possible and such units are already in operation in Thailand and Sri Lanka. Paper manufactured from elephant dung and also fancy moulds could be novelties.

At present there are three such centres in the US and one is coming up in Spain. The initiative of the state government is commendable, but a lot of caution has to be exercised.

According to reports, Kerala has a population of around 900 captive elephants. The famed Sree Krishna Temple at Guruvayoor owns the largest herd of 65.

Raining fish

2008-03-07T02:40:00.000-08:00

Residents of Kandanassery village in Kerala had a shock and quite surprise when the raindrops that struck them started wriggling and jumping about. A closer look showed that it was raining fish! Those who experienced it collected some as evidence and kept them in a water filled bucket and more the proof was on the way, as vehicles that drove on the roads during the rain crushed some fish. The hubbub died down as scientists provided an explanation for the phenomenon, that when convective clouds are formed, it is possible that tiny aquatic organisms get lifted to the atmosphere. They can survive suspended in the clouds so long as the clouds have moisture content. The type of fish that came down from the sky was the same as commonly found in ponds and canals in the area. Talk about the one that got away.

And to mention some times back, a few places in the state had received red colored rain.

Link related to post: Raining animals

India as a destination for WAP

2008-02-21T03:30:00.000-08:00

India is still in Intel’s good books though the microchip giant recently deferred a plan to set up a manufacturing base here. Intel has chosen India as a destination for its World Ahead Programme, which aims to tap the power of technology curriculum and teachers to improve education in developing countries. The WAP, recently launched in India, offers a package that promises to revolutionize the rural areas.

Intel has signed up with Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) to take PC accessibility and education to the villages. IL&FS is the programme management agency for the Common Service Centre scheme, a public-private partnership that complements department of information technology’s National e-Governance Plan.

Under the tie-up, Intel will work with IL&FS to extend capacity building, ecosystem enabling and technology support to over 1 lakh ICT-enabled CSC to reach out to over 6.5 lakh villages. This will provide access connectivity, education and content under the WAP to rural India. Apart this, Intel will play adviser for implementation of a wireless rural broadband program.

Also, under the WAP, Intel plans to extend wide access to PCs with high-speed internet connections and train one million teachers in effective use of technology in classrooms. For this it had tied up with HCL Infosystems to launch Classmate PCs’ in India, a program to promote technology as an aid for classroom coaching. The project, if it comes around well, will be a dream comes true, especially for rural children, who will find their days of scribbling lessons on slates numbered.

To begin with, a few schools in the Delhi and other metros will get Classmate PCs. HCL plans to offer integrated learning solutions to schools and, to meet the end, will tap both its countrywide direct sales network and channel sales network. This Classmate PCs is said to be encourage innovation and enable children to communicate worldwide, developing 21st century skills such as digital literacy, problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration. It can revolutionize classroom learning by taking teacher-student interaction to a higher lever and a large number of schools experimenting with IT to improve education delivery and this adopt the innovative product. Other industry giants such as Wipro and Zenith too were to offer Intel-powered Classmate PCs in the Indian market shortly, with Classmate PC to go long way in increasing the potential of the student, making learning more interactive and opening up new opportunities.

For this chip manufacturing unit, Intel has opted for Vietnam and China over India, though it says India is high on its priority list for setting up production bases in future.

Bike ambulances

2008-02-15T02:16:00.000-08:00

In road accidents many lives are lost for want of timely medical help. The delay is often because of traffic snarls that hinder the movement of ambulances. To circumvent this problem, the Centralized Accident and Trauma Services are planning to launch bike ambulances in Delhi. Because of this the victims can soon have more help at hands from Bike Ambulances, the first of its kind in India.

The First Response Vehicles the ambulance service would be run by trained medical staff and an attendant will be deployed across city for 24 hours service after its launch later this year. Pointing out that Delhi roads are increasingly becoming accident-prone, the official said the 'Bike Ambulance' would enhance the speed and the reaction time as compared to the existing four-wheeled CATS ambulances in Delhi.

Too cold

2008-02-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

Early monsoon the city hides from headlines. It’s perhaps the first time in four decades that Mumbai’s winter had set teeth chattering. With the mercury decreased to 10 degree Celsius, Mumbai has become a different kind of chill-out zone.

In an unheard of phenomenon, temperatures at the nearby hill station of Mahabaleshwar hit the zero mark, freezing the surface of Venna Lake.

Bird flu in west bengal

2008-01-31T06:11:00.000-08:00

A women in West Bengal bursts into tears before handing over her ducks to health workers for culling (photo by Hindu)

On Januar4, West Bengal witnessed the first case of mysterious death of chickens. Though the government was supposed to notify the centre within 24 hours, the information reached Delhi only after 10 days. While the Centre criticized the lackadaisical attitude, Animals Recourse Development Minister Anisur Rehman explained, “We had to make sure this was a case of bird fly. Samples had to be sent to Bhopal as we don’t have any testing facility here.”

The centre said it would send 150 specialist to combat the country’s worst-ever bird fly outbreak. Though Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee claimed that the state had controlled the epidemic, Health Minister Suryakanta Mishra begged to differ. Initially only two districts were affected. By January 23, the H5N1 virus had spread to nine districts.

The 650 culling teams in the state were working overtime, and principal secretary Dilip Chakrabarty said 4.5 lakh chickens had been culling. Interestingly, while Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said 8.37 lakh birds would be killing in a week, Nadia district magistrate said the state government would cull 1.5 million birds in the next seven days. It appears that the government had failed to sensitize people, and there were reports about sale of poultry in affected regions even on January 23. But the price of chicken has plummeted and the sales at fast food joints and restaurants have also been affected throughout the state.

Panic gripped Kolkata residents as chickens started dying in Howrah which was believed to be safe. Animal Resource Development director Dr Shankar Samanta said the Howrah samples had been sent for analysis. Bird deaths have been reported in East and West Midnapore districts as well, but these were not confirmed. No human death due to the fly was reported anywhere in the state. All the same, sources in the government said 600 people were under observation in Birbhum.

Bull show

2008-01-29T05:32:00.000-08:00

Strangely trails to cine passion
with no fashion girls passing ramp
the decorated plow haulers
putting steps off-site assist agrarians
some truly great champions.

Exhibit to merry kid audience
unbeaten display of skins comparing
to miss those laid-back attires
profiles display onstage moving sight
in detailing there home site.

Handsome and dainty habitats,
the guardians grasping the bulky bulls
paired in sharp horns, exist behind walls
moving on to rich red floor
similar to catwalk it was bullwalk.

World’s low cost car

2008-01-18T04:48:00.001-08:00

It was like Latest Maruti Zen Estilo and Matize in shape, the new Nano car by Tata motors is talk on the month which was officially introduced on January 10. This car was said to be smaller than Maruti 800 but more spaces inside that the 800. The 1 lakh car has an “all-aluminum 624cc, twin-cylinder fuel-injected engine that puts out 33bhp. It comes with a four-speed manual gearbox.” The car was reached a top speed of about 105kmph during testing and gives 20km per litter. Currently it could be available in petrol when it launches for people's use in this year end. This curve roof cars run on standard tubeless tires, which fear free from punctures.

Something about the car:

Development cost: Rs 1,500-1,700 crore.
The Singur plant will have a capacity of 1.5 lakh cars on two shifts, and 3.5 lakh cars per year in three shifts
Forty patents have been filed from the design of the car
Engine: All-aluminum 624cc, twin-cylinder fuel-injected engine
Power: 33bhp, four-speed manual gearbox
Meets Indian and European emission and frontal and side-crash standards
Price: Rs 1 lakh (dealer cost), plus VAT and transport costs

Benazir killed

2007-12-28T04:26:00.000-08:00

Benazir Bhutto assassination

Tamil Cinema Seventy Five Years...

2007-12-18T03:16:00.000-08:00

The achievement of the Tamil film industry Kollywood is not a simple one; it proved to the world of cinema, we have reached a place in regional films industry. We have given the best movies that could stand crossing times of history; for example Kattabomman was the first films praised by an international award for the best performance of Shivaji Ganeshan as the bravo freedom fighter Veerapandiya Kattaboman, which develops the freedom sense couldn’t be forgotten soon which tell to the world that Kattaboman would be like him. If said achievement everyone would turn to talking about M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar’s Haridas that runs crossing continuously for 110 weeks, but it was not clear that the Superstar Rajini Kanth’s Chandramuke has broken the record of Haridas with running over 800 days. I am still unaware of much achievements and records that the Tamil cinema earned, it have produced five chief ministers was not easy to think, it shows the hunger of people on cinema and the first Tamil film released is Kalidas in the year 1931.

From that time till now, the people and industry have been experienced different stories, watched multiple actors, directors, music composer, technicians… who could die for cinema and living for cinema to exist forever. Bharathi Raja’s 16 Vayathinilea with an extraordinary performance of the universal hero Kamal is a new incarnation to Tamil cinema and could tell the path change of outstanding as a hero position. Vikram’s Pithamagan over taken all in rooted to a remarkable side of the human being itself. The list is not short to list here the successfully runners of this industry, for Balachander who began his career as script-written in 1965 and directed 100 films which specially attracts the family and youngsters was said to be a teacher and who found identity for many artist. Then came the Maniratnam who was known for his films with short dialogues have his own tread to give different films where u could not find any relation to one another where his Nayagan was took place in hundred best films by Times Magazine.

The grand is a special word introduced for only director Shanker who could bring the dreams to visible and an enjoyment in watching his technical effects he uses. His teams which bring back the historical period with humor to appreciate by all for his certainty is believe to give quality films in low-budget. There are films which could hold some sports playing by the artist, but the character itself played by a sport could be our all rounder cricket, yes Venkat Prabhu the director of Chennai 600 028 is just a blower of the young generation of cinema. In heroines who comes out of the glam world in looking for scope is little, where the dream girl Simran had the both in her performance, where Sri Devi from her child artist to heroin would never forget how many enters, then its Jothika’s performance who could have all talents to stay for long… the actor Revathi the National Award winner for best performance in Thevar Magan who was totally away from the glam.

Directors are not said only to be a man, Tamil’s first women director was to make her first film Miss Kalama in 1936 was T.P Rajalakshmi and then comes the Suhasini with a script of women freedom in Indira, and V.Priya of Kanda Naal Muthal is welcomed from all generations. MS Vishwanathan and Ramamurthy’s music composing are the forefront to all Tamil film music directors, the song given by them are very strong could not fell easily. Ilaiyaraja soothing tunes and A.R.Rahman’s varies styles are global reach. The lyrics are most wanted to full fill the dreams of music, where Kannadasan that time and Vairamuthu’s lyrics are too favorable for much because Kannadasan’s are thoughtful taken from the human life and Vairamuthu’s are beautiful in every wording and the upcoming writes like Pa. Vijay, Na. Muthukumar are not less to any other poets, they give more energetic lines catchable by all age people. The most important thing to talk about cinema is Comedians, because comedies only bring family to theaters and without comedy it bores the film. Actor Nagesh is the first impression and best impression for comedians, who is a brake dancer his body too makes comedy. Manorama is a female (comedy) actor was famously known as Aachi, is one should come to born to reach her place who acted over 1000 films and still acting.

In years of cinema this comedy of Banana by Goundamani and Senthil is never bored scene and in the 80 to even 2000 they where like king makes of comedy and joins the Vadivelu and Vivek for single comedian where Vadivelu once he visible at screen it automatically makes to laugh people and Vivek keep a thought in his comedy that are knowledgeable. In singers P. Susheela and S.Janaki; S.P. Balasubramaniam and K.J.Yesudas, T.M. Sounderarajan are some awesome singes of Tamil Industry who has given hundreds of songs. These are some facts about our Tamil Film Industry and there are lots to know. Today it reached a Himalayan height in the 75 years of Tamil Cinema, it was really great. Let move to see more heights in Tamil cinema in future and wish all the best to the whole industry to give good movies and pleasant entertainment for the people and live long.

Diwali firework

2007-11-18T05:14:00.000-08:00

Above is a short video of diwali fireworks on sky... without sound.

King of Chess

2007-10-18T01:25:00.000-07:00

Riding on the horse cart in majestic way like a king after winning the war! By the noon yesterday he leaves the flight in where the traditional music was played to welcome him. Then it was school children’s and his fans greeted, then he sat on the horse cart and get in the procession till his resident at Besant Nagar in Chennai, where he was congrats by public on both the side through out the way. Fine if you find who that special person was. It’s Viswanathan Anand the winner of World Chess Championship 2007 in Mexico.
The World Championship win at Mexico City will go down as one of his greatest achievements. He had earlier won the title in 2000 in a knockout format, but the absence of Vladimir Kramnik had taken some sheen off the win. This time though, he is the undisputed World Champion, after competing with eight of the world’s best. He was the only undefeated player in the tournament and the only person to have won the World Championship undefeated in both the knockout and the round-robin format. He was undefeated through the event, and became the first non-Russian after Bobby Fischer in 1972 to hold the number one ranking and the World Championship simultaneously; the latest addition to his glittering resume will further impact the rapid growth of the sport in the country.

Consistency has always been the 37-year-old’s forte. He has remained in the top-3 since 1997 (he’s No.1 now), and has not finished outside the top-3 in a tournament since May 2002. Besides that, he has performed exceptionally in both the classic and the rapid formats. Consistency, versatility and a single-minded focus have taken him where he is now. His calm and modest demeanour is very unlike that of the eccentric geniuses that the sport produces, and has helped him maintain his focus. Anand’s pioneering role in Indian chess is common knowledge, and this win will only help in inspiring a lot more children into taking up the sport. His subsequent achievements after becoming India’s first Grandmaster in 1987 sparked off massive interest in the game. India now has 15 Grandmasters and many potential ones. Chess is a sport that is suited to Indians, and it was just a matter of time before more Indians started dominating the game.

Anand is also a perfect ambassador for the sport in India, and is aware of his responsibilities in improving media coverage for chess. The World Champion can presently afford to rest on his laurels and has some time on his hands before his match against Vladimir Kramnik next year. One of India’s greatest sportsmen is playing some of his best chess, and is enjoying it.

Travel at risk

2007-10-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

It happen to be long time to post anything this side, I would try to be active here from now onwards. Above is a scene of Passengers traveling in a train at our neighboring Bangladesh, where the train was over filled by people and those haven`t got a seat got to climb on top of train. This was a rush for Ramadan, where they risk their life in travel.

Save the Kings!

2007-05-30T04:31:00.000-07:00

The dry scrub forest of Gir National Park in Gujarat is the only place where you will find wild lions (kings of the forest) in India. It’s also the only place in the world where the Asiatic lion species roam. Here, around 300 to 350 Asiatic lions roam the jungle and sometimes-even stray into villages and the beach nearby. Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than their African cousins. Though they have a less developed mane, Asiatic lions have thicker elbow tufts and a longer tail tuft. It was found from Syria through Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and most of northern and central India. But by the early 20th century, there were less than a hundred lions surviving only in Gir.

The Nawab of Junagadh, who then ruled over Gir, banned lion hunting in the area. Soon after, the population started growing. Today, there isn’t enough space in the forest area, which is why lions are moving outside. To create a second home for the lions, the government had planned to shift some of them to another forest in Kuno, Madhya Pradesh. Twenty-four villages were uprooted to create a sanctuary for the lions. But the Gujarat government has refused to part with the lions because it wants it to remain unique to Gujarat. Translocating the lions would protect the species. If there is an epidemic in Gir forest, a large chunk of the population could be wiped out. So, it is important to also have lions living in other places as well.

This year, there have been 19 lion deaths an unusually high number. What is more worrying is that poachers killed eight of these lions. The others died due to natural causes or by falling into wells. The remains of eight lions were found strewn in the forest. Guards also found iron traps, kerosene stoves, utensils and skinning knives at the site. This has made police and wildlife activists suspect that the Katni gang of poachers is involved in the killings.

These poachers are part of an international animal trade network. Tigers killed by these poachers are sent to China, where tiger parts are used in traditional medicine. For the first time, lions are being killed. Now, the police suspect that lions are also being used in China since their bones are very similar to tiger bones. Poaching of the lions has become one more danger to this endangered species. It is important to do as much as we can to protect the last remaining Asiatic lions in the world. That means guarding the forest, tracking down poachers and expanding the spaces in which they can roam free.

Bagh Day

2007-04-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

The debris-laden garden was the venue of a peaceful public meeting held to protest the martial law imposed by the Lt. Governor of Punjab, Michael O' Dwyer. Just after the meeting had begun, Dyer marched in at the head of 50 soldiers. He stationed his men on either side of the entry and without a word of warning opened fire with machine guns on the people. For ten full minutes while the trapped Indians screamed for mercy the soldiers fired 1,650 rounds. The result was a stampede. Many jumped into a well in the garden while others tried to scale the walls to get out. Convinced that he had done a "jolly good thing" Dyer withdrew leaving the wounded and the dying to fend for themselves.

The Jallianwala Bagh lies in the heart of the walled city of Amritsar and at the heart of our struggle for independence. For it was bagh, in the holiest city of the Sikhs, on a day sacred to them as the birth anniversary of the Khalsa April 13, 1919, that a massacre involving the killing of hundreds of unarmed, defenseless Indians was ordered by Brigadier-General R.E.H. Dyer. This was a turning point in the history of Anglo-Indian relations, more decisive than even the first war of independence. A committee was formed with Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya as president to raise a memorial to perpetuate the memory of the martyrs.

The bagh was acquired from the Jallewala sardars on August 1, 1920 but the actual construction of the memorial had to wait until after Independence. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President on April 13, 1961, inaugurated the monument, and befittingly named the Flame of Liberty. The central 30-foot high pylon, a four-sided tapering structure of red stone standing in the midst of a shallow tank, is built with 300 slabs with the Ashoka Chakra, the national emblem, cast on them. On all four sides of the pylon the words, In memory of martyrs, 13 April 1919, is inscribed in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English. Bullet holes are carefully preserved under thick glass frames. The well, now enclosed holds no water, only coins tossed by those who come to pay homage. At the adjoining martyrs' gallery the Jallianwala Trust files have recorded details of condemnation that followed the massacre.

Dyer was unrepentant when the British Parliament passed strictures against him. The Lt. Governor of Punjab, Michael O'Dwyer was shot dead 21 years later in London by Udham Singh, who was executed within months. Udham Singh's portrait rests in the gallery with the famous lines from his trial inscribed below, “What greater honour can be bestowed on me than death for the sake of my motherland?”

Celebrate a natural Holi!

2007-03-04T02:35:00.000-08:00

Today is Holi! So many of us love playing this colorful festival and look forward to it with excitement! Holi began as a celebration of the end of winter and the coming of spring. This was also the time when crops like wheat and barley were harvested and the festival was a way of thanking nature. There are several legends about the festival. The bonfire on the night of Holi is symbolic of the victory of good over evil.

The colors of Holi were originally the colors of trees that flower in spring. These colors were made from flowers, roots and herbs and had therapeutic and medicinal value. Some of the common plants that were used include henna, hibiscus, and marigold. In addition there are roots such as beetroot and tubers like turmeric that also give bright colors.

But, did you know these days colors we buy in the market are not meant for use? Toxic chemical substances, many of which are meant for industrial use only, have replaced the beautiful colors of nature. The commercial colors include pastes, dry powders and watercolors and they are mostly made up of a chemical colorant with a base such as asbestos or silica. The colorants contain heavy metals like mercury, lead and chromium, which can cause damage when they enter the body causing rashes, allergies and breathing difficulties. Some industrial dyes take a long time to come off the skin and slowly enter the body through the skin!

So if we want to celebrate a healthy Holi, follow this way:

Yellow: Mix turmeric powder with besan for a lovely yellow.
Red: Did you know that if you add a few drops of lemon juice to turmeric powder it turns bright red?
Magenta: Slice or grate a beetroot. Soak in one liter of water for a wonderful magenta.
Orange: Boil the peels of 10 - 15 onions in half liter of water for an orangish-pink color. Remove the peels before use, to remove the smell of the onions.
Green: Mix a fine paste of leaves like spinach, mustard, coriander or mint in water. Use mehendi / henna powder, separately or mix with equal quantity of any flour for a lovely green shade.

Chennai Sangamam week!!

2007-02-26T02:25:00.001-08:00

Chennai Sangamam festival, aptly called Namma Theru Vizha (Our Street Festival) was inaugurated by chief minister M.Karunanidhi in the IIT open stadium on last Tuesday. Like the December month musical pageantry and some like Dhurga festivals in kolkatha. Some think that haven’t happens before like how the city is celebrating this Chennai Sangamam which was organized by poet Kanimozhi with Tamil center constitution.

It’s by the tourist department to give hand to this festival to create awareness about our traditional arts and artists among chennai people to decrease the relation between city people and rural artists. This festival started on Tuesday by 6pm in IIT campus; by continue of rural arts, songs, dance and much more programs. This festival would be ending today by 6.pm at Elliot Beach after the weeklong programs in Parks, beaches, theaters and some important place where people gather. This festival has Miellattam (Peacock dance) Kaliyattam, Mattatam (Bull dance), Karaka attam, Oielattam (grace dance), Puliattam (Tiger dance), Singam attam (Lion Dance), Kattai kaal attam (stick leg dance) and more…

We can deem this Chennai Sangamam is like creating a praise and own courtesy for rural artist between people. Organizers of this festival have decided to conduct it every year. The funds collected by these programs will be used for good service is a solace news. You can get more details here of this Festival. we hope this would bt the first step towards many more big celebrations of our traditional arts and artists. The Tamil enthusiasm would be remit to people and more importantly for our young’s by bringing out arts to streets.

Photo's from indiavarta.com

Art & Music

2007-01-09T00:44:00.000-08:00

Some thing about chennai continues...

The Music Academy special for art and Dance in Chennai

Classical dance and music have been an intergral part of the Tamil identity. In December. Last year, Chennai touched a high when it organized a music and dance festival. The highlights of the concert was the participation of the sabhas-The Music Academy the Nara Gana sabha, Karithik fine arts, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Thyagabrahma sabha, fine Arts Society and others. The unflagging patronage of adoptive, many of who had come from USA, Canada, the UK, Singapore and Far East, also contributed to the success of events. The extensive range of music-classical, Hindustani, and light music-provided an Attractive package. Varieties of dance forms and instrumental sorirees were an added attraction. No wonders that Chennai came to be called the Artistic Capital of India.

The biggest gainers of this event were the young artistes. Many of the new violinists have a high level of efficiency in instruments like veena and flute. With proper violin and percussion accompaniments becoming indispensable. More women have taken to violin and are doing extremely well. Unlike some years back, when senior vocalists had to depend on male violinists of lesser caliber, today vocalists can always count on the young performers.

The continuance of music is also dependent upon the facilities of coaching. A true wellwisher would certainly pray that young artistes get the quality that was seen. Classical music is taught at Chennai Central College of Music, the University of Madras, the college at Chidambaram, besides other places like Palakkad and Madurai.But how many brilliant performers have they produced? It is disturbing those today those who are coming to the front rank have come up on their own steam or have being coached by a clutch of lesser-known teachers. It is obvious that bright and continuing future of music and dance must have powerful back-up arrangements in the colleges promoting talent.

Some thing about chennai 1.

2006-12-18T08:06:00.000-08:00

Grave of M.G.R.'s (Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu)

It’s a city where tradition meets modernity but strikes a balance all the same. Filter coffee (or coffee day), silk sari, Mylapore, Thiruvellikeni, Marina Beach, gana sabhas, book reading… what would chennai be without these? Much has been said about Chennai shedding its conservatice image but truth seems different. Of course, there were things like book reading sessions, bling dates and French class, which lent a number when compared to the traditional identities like the sweet aroma of filter coffee or the shopping frenzy of Renganathan Street.

Look as the customary Sari, for instance. Its resurgence as a modern daily were was inevitable when a leading textile brand launched its pocket sari collection recently. The city known for its tolerance and willingness to experiment, could accept anything new from the world. Yet they love to retain their own taste and culture. If filter coffee is what tickles Chenaiites taste buds, cinema is their frenzy. Their pastime is theater, while Mylapore and Thiruvellikeni embody the cities frozen past. When it comes to food, Chennai equally craves for pizzas and cappuccinos as it does for Idlis and filter coffee. Let’s seen some of best of chennai in coming days……..

Sriperumbudur, one of the Business Hotspot in India

2006-10-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

India is an old country but a young nation. I dream of an India strong, independent, and self-reliant and in the front rank of nations of the world, in the service of mankind.
- Rajiv Gandhi

Sriperumbudur was famous for the assassination of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was died 15 years ago on May 21, 1991, but now this place was the one of the Business Hotspot in India. Some even call this town India’s Shanghai! Products made in Sriperumbudur are found in almost every street in India. Be it the Hyundai car, the Nokia phone or Saint-Gobain glass that adorns most offices they are all born in this little town of Tamil Nadu.

The engine of industrialization in this region was probably Nokia, which set up shop in January 2006. With Nokia entering the fray, we hope it will become an international hub for telecom manufacturing units too. The Nokia factory, with a staff strength of more than a thousand, product a million handsets within 2 months of production. Motorola, which hope to follow the way, has announced plans for setting up a $100 million worth manufacturing units, to be operational in January 2007. Since then, many companies have signed MoUs with the state government for setting up factories in Sriperumbudur, the latest being US-based Tessolve Services, a semiconductor chip-testing company.

Union Minister for Communication and IT Dayanidhi Maran who, doing his best to encourage foreign companies to setting up factories in Tamil Nadu with the support of State government said Sriperumbudur is already knows for world-class manufacturing units in the automobile and glass sectors. The Sriperumbudur plant is an important link in Nokia’s objective of maintaining a global presence.

The process for Nokia’s entry into India began in 1994. The location, which was first, chose, was Goa, but it settled in Sriperumbudur. Though most companies in the town ply buses form Chennai for their employees. Though there were some talks, a railway line form Chennai to this town is more useful means of travel and a discussion needs to be held between the state government and the major companies here. Mobile phones manufactured here reaching the markets fast and by a strategic location as it on the highway that connects Chennai-Bangalore-Mumbai.

The presence of glass giant Saint-Gobain, which has a sprawling 177-acre site, has made it a hub for glass manufacturing. This is the best place in India where we find lands close of the city. Employment opportunities are plenty for residents in the town and adjoining village. Most of the factories hire labor form nearby villages. As of July 2006, Nokia had a workforce of 2,500; Motorola plans a workforce of 3,000 in the initial phase, which could grow to 7,000 in the second phase. Real estate prices have also raise, as the people buy lands here for the there comfort to stay near their working place. Today they see the town as a gateway form Chennai’s traffic and congestion. The emergence of Sriperumbudur as a business hub highlights the difference between industrialization in Bangalore has grown congested with the IT boom, Chennai has been smart to push companies from the city to the outskirts benefit too. For that, traffic hazards that are often caused due to road laying on the Chennai-Sriperumbudur route must ease. Schooling and collage education and the adjoining towns and village need to improve. Traffic jams are usual scenes in the Chennai-Sriperumbudur often due to road laying. It makes the travel and the employers to reach the place hard, it must made easy. If the schooling and collage education improves in this region, we can see a bright future to the people in this place.

Kolkata Museum

2006-09-25T23:49:00.000-07:00

The Kolkata of today barely resembles Charnock's fusion of three villages. Essentially, that was what Calcutta was all about before the city became eponymous with Park Street, restaurants, bustling roads and traffic snarls. Always cosmopolitan, Kolkata is probably an even bigger melting pot of cultures than, perhaps, Mumbai. Nothing embodies this global spirit more than the Indian Museum, at the junction of Chowringhee and Park Street. Established in 1814, this is one of the biggest and oldest museums in Asia. Ask for the Jadughar and for once, you won't be sent off to Timbuktu. The white, high walls stretch across from Sudder Street to the Government Arts College, though technically it is located on Chowringhee Avenue. It was shifted here in 1875 from its earlier premises of Asiatic Society in Kolkata.

With collections to rival the Smithsonian and the British Museums, it isn't just a storehouse of countless artifacts from the world over. The building seems to be a tiny world, an island in the midst of a busy street. The tall gates with their spikes are the doorways to different recorded ages. All those entering through the high steps are travelers in a time machine. But this is not all that Kolkata's Jadughar or "House of Magic" has to offer. Its jadu lies in the magic with which it houses portions of man's past. The high ceilings seem to stretch to infinity. Amid the silence there is vibrant life. Showcasing essential elements of different cultures, the dark, often dank, interiors show up the objects more sharply. Gradually the eyes grow used to the absence of light; the smell seems natural. It is this ambience that gently draws you in and makes the textbook history we are used to, a tangible living reality.

This museum is always a `must visit' simply because it provides stuff that memories are made of. For hundreds of school children, the 4,000-year-old Egyptian mummy is perhaps the best draw. No visit is complete without hushed whisperings of the mummy winked at me. Outside, the pavements are busy areas with booksellers, toy makers and of course the old coin seller sitting with an ancient box of coins selling small round mounds of metal dating from Kanishka's reign to hapless foreigners. Emerging from the underbelly of history, eyes unused to sunlight, blink, and in an instant the ancient world fades away and blaring car horns signal a return to our world.

Like any other museum, this one too has precious items of history that are internationally recognized. These are the Natural History collection with its fossils of crocodiles and lizards, Mughal miniatures and the Buddhist relics. The library on the premises has a special focus on the Raj and Kolkata. After the exhibits of the Indus Valley Civilization, ancient Egyptian history and Natural history you move through the numismatics section.

English Translation of Jana Gana Mana

2006-09-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India. Originally written in formal Bengali language, it is the first of five stanzas of a poem composed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Here is the English Translation, Requested by Mirror.

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, the Maratha country,
in the Dravida country, Utkala (Orissa) and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
it mingles in the rhapsodies of the pure waters Jamuna and the Ganges.
They chant only thy name,
they seek only thy blessings,
they sing only thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Hail, Hail, Hail to thee.

National Song of India turns 100

2006-09-07T04:19:00.000-07:00

Today our National song Vande Mataram completed its 100 years of singed. It was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, and is set to music by Rabindranath Tagore. Later it was transilated in English by Shree Aurobindo. The fact that Vande Mataram is still popular today can be attested to by the fact that it was recently declared as the second most requested song by the BBC's World Service radio. However in the final ranking details, the origin was miscredited to a 1950's film. In recent times, famous music composer A. R. Rahman, in association with Bharat Bala Productions released a successful album with the title Vande Mataram.

Here is a English transilation of the Vande Mataram, which was originally singed in Bengali.

Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Green fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
When swords flash out in seventy million hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Thou who saves, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foe drove
Back from plain and sea
And shook herself free.

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nerves the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine.

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair

In thy soul, with jewelled hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Loveliest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I bow to thee,
Mother great and free!

A real Heroine of India

2006-09-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

20 years back on September 6,1986 when five terrorists hijacked the US bound Pan Am Flight-73 flight at Karachi airport, and took control of the aircraft. One of the worst hijacks in aviation history it claimed 20 lives; this was the largest toll in a hijack until 9/11. The remaining 375 passengers and crewmembers would not have survived, if the airhostess Neerja Bhanot, was not there.

Neerja Bhanot identified herself as one of the airhostess, who was held at gunpoint and announced that the place had been hijacked. Unfortunately, the three-member cockpit crew of pilot, co-pilot and the flight engineer abandoned the aircraft, leaving 400 passengers and a 13-member cabin crew in the hands of brutal, thoughtless terrorists. Since Neerja was the cabin crew leader, she took over command. Neerja requested the passengers to be calm and obey the hijackers. She served coffee and sandwiches and her charming smile eased the tide of fear that had swept across their faces.

The leaders of the hijack identified himself as Mustaga. He ordered Neerja to collect the passports of all the passengers. Later she realized that the Americans were the main target of the terrorists and in a brilliant move she discreetly collected all the American passports and hid them. There couldn’t have been a better way to confuse the terrorists. By 9.pm when the auxiliary power unit failed entirely and the aircraft was plunged into darkness. Fearing an imminent raid by commandos, the hijackers shouted now is the holy war!! They fired their AK47, till they exhausted the bullets. By then Neerja had opened an emergency exit and a pan Am mechanic opened another. She used all her strength to guide and push people down the chute and while shielding three children; she absorbed the onslaught of bullets into her own body.

She would have escaped by the emergency exit first, but the angelic women gave up her life to save the innocents like a mother. After spent the bullets, and try to escape, the Mustafa and others captured by commandos and sentenced to life by a UA court. Neerja was brave in life, brave in death. The only stewardess, to have commanded an aircraft and held the hijackers at bay, was an Indian.

Neerja Bhanot was born on September 7, 1963, in Chandigarh. She did her early schooling at the local Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School. When the family moved to Bombay, she continued her studies at Bombay Scottish and then graduated from St. Xavier’s College. Neerja made a wonderful model as well as an airhostess. For her brave act India awarded her the Ashoka Chakra (Neerja is the first and only woman recipient of the this India’s highest civilian award for bravery). She was also awarded the "Tagme-e-Insaniyat" (Pakistan), the flight Safety Foundation Award and the Medal of Heroism of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (U.S.A.). Neerja's family put her insurance money in a trust, 'Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust’, to which Pan Am also contributed an equal amount. Every year, this trust honors airline crew that act beyond the call of duty and Indian women who show exemplary courage as well as compassion for their fellow humans. Neerja died at the age of 22 just 2 days shy of her 23rd birthday.