தர்மம் மிகு சென்னை........

[swathi25]

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The house of groaning shelves

- Naveena Vijayan

They were once hallowed spaces of knowledge. Today derelict and with aging collections of books, libraries in the city still hold secrets within their cavernous halls.

There’s pin-drop silence. The gentle whirr of a fan, the rustle of paper, and the thud of a dropped book often cracks it. Unlike in school libraries, there are no ‘shushers’. There isn’t need for one; there aren’t many visitors to shush. A few of the city’s grand old libraries, for most part of the day, are left with just the aging books. Pick one from the shelf, amidst a cloud of dust, and you’ll see tiny silver fish play hide and seek. Many of them, difficult to maintain, have been brutally shredded in the past, says Uma Maheshwari, librarian at Madras Literary Society (MLS) — the oldest in the city. But not anymore. People are now adopting books — paying all it takes to get them back in form. These sit on a separate shelf, newly-bound and way past their lifespan. “We have given them a grace life of 200 years for now,” says Uma, drumming her fingers on the remaining 45, which await adoption.

Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/turning-pages-at-chennais-libraries/article8341899.ece

Courtesy: The Hindu

 

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A user’s view of Connemara Library

(By M Ramanathan)

In the 2002 Country report: India titled Public Library Services in India: Systems and Deficiencies (http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s8/annual/cr02-in.htm), R. Bhattacharjee, the then director of the Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF), identifies the enactment of the Madras Public Libraries Act, 1948 as “sensational and monumental” because the Act symbolised “the first concerted effort in India to institutionalise, structure, and otherwise co-ordinate and organise public library services.”

The Act was a result of the efforts of S.R. Ranganathan (SRR), who received the necessary support from T.S. Avinashilingam Chettiar (a former student of SRR), the first Education Minister of the composite Madras State. Sadly, not many among the current generation of library users know SRR. In 1991-1992, on his birth centenary, the Government of India released a postal stamp and a first-day cover honouring him. But the announcement to declare ‘August 12’ as Library Day in India has not materialised.
The Directorate of Public Libraries (DPL), born out of the Madras Public Libraries Act, 1948 (now Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Act), is responsible for public libraries in the State. A quick look at the DPL’s website

(http://www.pallikalvi.in/Directorates/DPL/Default.aspx) leaves you feeling that much more is needed. Historical details of the Connemara Library and of the Madras Public Libraries Act are incomplete. There is also no mention of SRR. In contrast, the Karnataka Public Libraries Department recognises SRR (http://www.kar.nic.in/publib/PUBLICLIBRARY.htm). It is painful to see that his home State has failed to recognise SRR, who was born in Sirkãzhi and worked in Madras.

Equally painful is that the 150-year-old Connemara Public Library (CPL; est. 1860, from seeds sown by Captain Jesse Mitchell) is not a registered member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). Now that the Government’s big budget Arignar Anna Centenary State Library, said to be modelled on the National Library, Singapore, is scheduled to be ready for inauguration in June 2010, I hope that the CPL will not suffer still further.

Read more at: http://madrasmusings.com/Vol 20 No 3/a-users-view-of-connemara-library.html

 

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[h=1]Bookmark This: Get Lost In Stacks Of Books In This Beautiful, Heritage Egmore Library[/h]

[h=2]Ten-Second Takeaway[/h]Built in 1890, the Connemara Public Library is not just one of the oldest libraries in the country, it is also one of the biggest and most beautiful buildings as well.


[h=2]A Lesson In History[/h]If you’ve never seen the large circular red building while driving down Pantheon Road in Egmore, then you’ve definitely missed this library. Originally part of The Pantheon {where the name for the road comes from}, the Connemara Public Library was part of a series of buildings that shared a space but different architectural styles from Indo-Saracenic and Gothic to Neo-Byzantine, Rajput, Mughal and Dravidian architecture. In 1973, a section was added to the library with a whole slew of new collections of books – they now have over 600,000 books in the library!
Named after Lord Connemara, the former Governor of Madras, the library only asked for a small deposit from their members to use the facilities. And currently, the Connemara Library is one of the largest in all of Asia and is also one of four National Depository Libraries {these libraries receive copies of all books, newspapers and periodicals published in the country}. It also serves as a depository library for the United Nations.


[h=2]Reading Nook[/h]One of the biggest draws of the library is the architecture on the inside. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, it has a beautiful hall with reading rooms and teakwood bookshelves. The ceiling is a work of art, built in a truncated semi-circle with wood carvings all along as well as coloured glass pieces that draws in the light to make it look like a rainbow inside a library. Every inch of wood in the library is designed with leaves and flowers and even on the tall pillars you can find intricate design work.
Relaxing in one of these reading rooms, with the light spilling through the glass work is something that you only find in books. While the library was originally only one floor, with the increase in books and demand, an adjoining three-storied building was constructed to accommodate all of the books that the library now has.


[h=2]Growing With The Times[/h]https://lbb.in/chennai/connemara-public-library-egmore/

 

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Take your libraries seriously

- K.Srilata

Despitethe digitization of books, libraries continue to hold a special place for booklovers.

When I was a child, I lived with mymother and my grandparents in a tiny, 400 square feet flat. There was notelevision and no one had heard of personal computers. School work was light.My evenings stretched ahead of me in limitless fashion. I had all the time inthe world to do what I wanted— which was to read. Story books. Books of poetry.Even my English text book. There was one small problem, though. I didn’t owntoo many books. And, there was no question of a quiet reading corner in a flatas tiny as the one in which we lived. What saved me was the school library anda small book store whose owner very kindly looked the other way as I stoodthere reading books from cover to cover.

Cutto the future

As an unemployed adult and mother of a baby desperate for quiet time, I turned once more to the library. This time itwas a public library two streets away from mine that saved my sanity. Things have changed now. I teach in an institute which, incidentally, has a large library and I have the money to buy books. I can even order them online!

My road to books has never been easier.My cupboards are overflowing with books. I have my very own personal library.Paradoxically, I have less time to read and am confronted with a stressfully long list of books I ought really to read, but haven’t managed to. However,that’s another story.

Despite this “excess” of books, I continue to fantasise about spending a whole day in a library in the company ofbooks and other readers. Sometimes, bang in the middle of a hectic semester chock- a -block with classes, meetings and administrative duties, a need to escape to the library overwhelms me.




Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/features/education/issues/take-your-libraries-seriously/article4209262.ece

 

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[h=1]கிண்டி ரேஸூம்... ரிட்டர்ன் ரயில் டிக்கெட்டும்! (மெட்ராஸ் நல்ல மெட்ராஸ்-18)[/h]
-தமிழ் மகன்


'ரேஸ் பைத்தியம்' என்று ஒரு பிரயோகம் இருந்தது. 'ஒரு முறை குதிரை ரேஸுக்குப் போய் வந்தவன், அவன் சொத்து முழுவதையும் அழிக்கும் வரை அதில் இருந்து மீண்டு வரமாட்டான்!' என்று அஞ்சிய காலம் அது. அப்படி ஒரு போதை அதில் இருந்தது.

கிண்டி குதிரை ரேஸில் கலந்துகொள்ளும் குதிரைகளின் பராக்கிரமங்களைப் பற்றியும், அந்தக் குதிரையை செலுத்தும் ஜாக்கியின் திறமைகளைப் பற்றியும் அன்றைய தினசரிகளில் ஒரு பக்க அளவில் எழுதுவார்கள். பொதுவாக சனி, ஞாயிறு கிழமைகளில் குதிரை ரேஸ் நடக்கும்.

பெரிய பெரிய சினிமா நட்சத்திரங்கள் எல்லாம் குதிரை ரேஸ் பைத்தியமாக இருந்தார்கள். டி.எஸ்.ரத்தினம், டி.எஸ்.பாலையா போன்றவர்கள் சினிமா ஷூட்டிங் மாதிரி ரேஸுக்கு கிளம்பிப் போனவர்கள்.

குதிரை ரேஸில் குதிரை இடறி விழுந்துவிட்டால், அந்த இடத்திலேயே அதை சுட்டுவிடுவார்கள் என்று என் அப்பா சொல்லுவார். அப்போது பிராணி வதை சட்டம் எல்லாம் இல்லையா எனத் தெரியாது. அந்த அடிபட்ட குதிரை இருந்தால் நாம் ஜாலியாக ஓட்டிக்கொண்டிருக்கலாமே என நினைப்பேன். நாங்கள் வசித்த புரசைவாக்கம் தாணா தெரு பகுதியில், ஒருவர் ரேக்ளா ரேஸ் போல குதிரை வண்டி ஒன்று வைத்துக்கொண்டு எங்களுக்கெல்லாம் 'காண்டு' ஏற்படுத்திக்கொண்டிருப்பார். அதனால் குதிரை மீது ஒரு பிரியம் இருந்தது.

மேலும் படிக்க: https://www.vikatan.com/news/article.php?aid=47944


Courtesy: Vikatan

 

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[h=1]Survivors of time: Madras Race Club - A canter through centuries

- Anusha Parthasarathy[/h][h=2]Tracking the history of the country's oldest race course[/h]

Madras Race Club. Photo R. Shivaji Rao
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A large iron horseshoe welcomes visitors at the entrance of the Madras Race Club (MRC). Televisions hang from metal holders before many booths where bets are placed and names are staked. At the MRC, not much has changed and a layer of chalky dust remains on the scoreboard.

Even though the club was officially constituted in 1837, its origins go back to 1777, when 81 cawnies of land were granted by the government to conduct races. There is proof of this in a letter written by the then Collector of Chingleput dated June 22, 1825, mentioning the grant. The land was taken from the Adyar villages of Venkatapuram and Velacheri.
Racing became irregular and almost stopped soon after it had begun in the 1770s. This was a result of Hyder Ali, who came within striking distance of Madras. A few years later, 35 cawnies were added and two race courses came up — a smaller one to train horses and the other with a stand to watch the races.

The club functioned till 1875, when the Prince of Wales Edward VII visited Madras. Racing again went through a tough phase and finally in 1887, the Club was revived. A balance of 11 rupees, 13 annas and 12 paise was carried forward to a new club called Madras Race Club with 50 members.


Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/features/m...a-canter-through-centuries/article2916420.ece

 

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[h=1]Hooves will thunder in real competition again at Guindy racecourse[/h]
- R MOHAN


Lester Piggott rode here as ‘Sir Lester’ as he still had his knighthood then, back in the ’80s.

The sound of the thundering hooves of thoroughbreds running for coveted prizes will be heard once again in the historic Guindy racecourse.

The sound of the thundering hooves of thoroughbreds running for coveted prizes will be heard once again in the historic Guindy racecourse. The Indian Turf Invitation Cup weekend (March 5-6) might well be a path breaking one for the Madras Race Club, which is hosting the big racing weekend after a gap of 11 years.

A sea change has come about at the course that we all remembered from a youth spent in chasing dreams of tuned-to-the-minute racehorses triumphing in one of sports’ great pursuits.


Read more: https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nat...l-competition-again-at-guindy-racecourse.html

 

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[h=1]Landmarks of Chennai – Guindy Races[/h]- sriramv

Did you know that the first horse races were held in Chennai? Read about the history of the Madras Race Club here...

Like many other firsts, Madras also holds the record for the first ever race meet in India. This was in 1780 and held on the Island. But it would appear that Guindy was the area earmarked for racing as early as in 1777 when 81 cawnies of land was taken from the villages of Velacherry and Venkatapuram for the construction of a racecourse.

Almost from 1790 or so the Assembly Rooms on the racecourse were a landmark of the city. William and Thomas Daniell did a painting of the building in 1792. The racecourse stood to the left of the Assembly Rooms, where it still is, and according to the Daniells, “the amusement took place in the cool season, when the ladies of the settlement are invited to a splendid ball.” Racing in the early years began at six in the morning and ended by ten so that people could get to work. The sport received a setback during the Mysore Wars and was revived in 1804. Land amounting to 35 cawnies was added facilitating the laying out of a second and smaller track meant for training horses.

It is not clear as to who managed the races in the early years. The Madras Race Club was set up in 1837 and functioned till 1875 when the Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward VII, visited it. It faded thereafter, to be revived in 1887 by Lt. Col. George Moore, President of the Corporation of Madras. A new Madras Race Club came into existence in 1896, taking over the assets and liabilities of the earlier one.
Racing suffered during the First World War but was revived in 1919 thanks to the efforts of the Governor, Lord Willingdon. The Bobbili and Venkatagiri stands were constructed a year later. The Guindy Lodge, built initially for the club Secretary, and now the home of the Madras Race Club proper, came up in 1931.

An article on Guindy by the humorist S.V. Vijayaraghavachariar (SVV) appeared in The Hindu at around the time and this is what it had to say:

“Guindy is the place where races are held at stated seasons of the year. On race days the whole city gets empty and congregates at the course, from HE the Governor of Madras down to Muniammal, the vegetable seller. A racecourse is the most democratic place in the world. It would be nothing surprising if a Secretary to Government should take Muniammal aside and request her to whisper in his ears the name of the winner. And mind you, Muniammal knows the birth, upbringing and idiosyncrasies of every horse that runs in the race even better than the owner himself. It is really staggering what an amount of money passes from the hands of visitors through the small apertures of the ticket-selling windows. Guindy is the bottomless sink into which all the wealth, earned or borrowed in the city, disappears without leaving a trace behind.”


Read more at: https://sriramv.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/landmarks-of-chennai-guindy-races/

Courtesy: MADRAS HERITAGE AND CARNATIC MUSIC

 

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[h=1]Namma Diary: Tamil Nadu must now give up coercive anti-sport acts[/h]
- R MOHAN

Far from promoting sport, what these revenue-extortion methods represent is a devious takeover plan.

There is a statue under the Gemini flyover proudly proclaiming that horse racing had been abolished in Tamil Nadu


The government of Tamil Nadu has taken coercive action against a couple of sports bodies. This does not bode well for sport. Nor does it do anything for the image of the State which will be seen as expressing its greed for revenue by acting against promotion of sport. The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association as well as the Madras Race Club had to go to seek legal redress against such coercive action in the form of demands in excess of Rs 2,000 crore.


As a joint lease holder, Madras Cricket Club also get dragged into the demand for land rental arrears. Bank accounts were frozen last week and Rs 46.16 lakh transferred to the government account. The MCC may be a private members’ club now but it has a rich history of having developed cricket in the State as well as hosting Test matches. How legal these moves by the revenue authorities are will be determined in the court of law. But it appears absurd that a demand for arrears went from Rs 32 lakh to Rs 1,153 crore in the space of a month as was pointed out to the court by the TNCA counsel.


Read more at: https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nat...ust-now-give-up-coercive-anti-sport-acts.html

 

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தி.நகரும்... பிள்ளையாரின் தம்பி பெயரும்! (மெட்ராஸ் நல்ல மெட்ராஸ்-19)


-தமிழ் மகன்

'மனம்போல் முடிந்தது' என்று ஒரு சிறுகதை. 1930-களில் வெளியான இந்த சிறுகதையை அன்றைய புகழ்பெற்ற எழுத்தாளர் எஸ்.வி.வி. எழுதினார்.

சாயந்திரம் ஐந்து மணி ஆகிவிட்டால் தி.நகர் ரங்கநாதன் தெரு ஆளரவம் அற்று அமானுஷ்யம் நிழலாடும். தி.நகர் ரங்கநாதன் தெருவில் யாருமற்ற மாலை வேளையில் நடந்த காதல் காட்சி ஒன்றை அந்தக் கதையிலே அவர் எழுதியிருக்கிறார்.

ஹம்சா வசிக்கும் ரங்கநாதன் தெருவைக் கடந்துதான் தினமும் ரயில்வே ஸ்டேஷனுக்குச் செல்வான் ரங்கராமானுஜம். ஒருநாள் சாயந்திரம் 5.18-க்கு ரங்கராமானுஜம், ஹம்சா வீட்டண்டை வழக்கம்போல் வந்தான். ஹம்சாவும் வீட்டண்டை சுவரில் வழக்கம்போல் சாயந்துகொண்டிருந்தாள். தெரு நிசப்தமாக இருந்தது. இந்த வீட்டுக்கெதிரில் திடீரென்று நின்று ஏதோ தேடுகின்றவன் போல் ரங்கராமானுஜம் தரையைப் பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருந்தான். ஹம்சா உள்ளுக்குள் சிரித்துக்கொண்டே இதைக் கவனித்துக் கொண்டிருந்தாள். அவன் கண் எதையோ இழந்துவிட்டுத் தேடுகிற கண்ணாய்த் தென்படவில்லை. இவர்கள் பாஷைதான் இருவரும் ஒரே சமயத்தில் கற்றுக் கொண்டாயிற்றே!

சிறிது நேரம் கவனித்துவிட்டு, ''என்ன தேடுகிறீர்கள்?'' என்றாள் ஹம்சா. ரங்கராமானுஜத்தின் இதயம் படபடவென்று அடித்துக்கொள்ள ஆரம்பித்துவிட்டது.


மேலும் படிக்க https://www.vikatan.com/news/article.php?aid=48199

Courtesy: Vikatan

 

[naithru]

Airport. This Amman Kovil in Chennai Airport is the only Temple at any Airport in India. Apparently when the Airport terminal had shifted from Meenambakkam to Tirusulam in 1985, Airports Authority had to acquire land from villagers and relocate their houses. The villagers had agreed under the condition that the Kovil, which is very important to them, is protected.This promise has been kept all these years. When the new terminal and ramps were designed recently, care was taken to avoid damage to the Temple. The Sakthi Sandhiyamman now stands just opposite the domestic arrivals. Source :Google

 

[swathi25]

Airport. This Amman Kovil in Chennai Airport is the only Temple at any Airport in India. Apparently when the Airport terminal had shifted from Meenambakkam to Tirusulam in 1985, Airports Authority had to acquire land from villagers and relocate their houses. The villagers had agreed under the condition that the Kovil, which is very important to them, is protected.This promise has been kept all these years. When the new terminal and ramps were designed recently, care was taken to avoid damage to the Temple. The Sakthi Sandhiyamman now stands just opposite the domestic arrivals. Source :Google

naithru Ji,

This one is the more relevant news item.

MEENAMBAKKAM: For a safe journey

The Sandhi Amman Temple attracts devotees from around the city despite its most unusual location inside the airport.

IT MIGHT be common to see a tree serving as a temple or a compound wall of the house forming part of a small temple. But it is not often that one finds a temple inside an airport.


A little beyond the domestic terminal at the Anna International Airport in Meenambakkam is a temple that is patronised by many.
The temple is believed to date back to ancient times and legend has it that the deity, Sandhi Amman has been guarding the seven towns (Tambaram, Pallavaram, Trisulam, Pammal, Meenambakkam, Madipakkam and Pozhichalur) around the temple. She is known as Ellai Katha Amman.

When the airport was to be constructed, there was controversy about the location of the temple.

"But somehow the temple survived it all and today most people travelling abroad come here and take the blessings of Sandhi Amman before they embark on their journey," says the priest.


Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/03/06/stories/2003030600980300.htm

 

[swathi25]

அது ஒரு அழகிய தூர்தர்ஷன் காலம்! (மெட்ராஸ் நல்ல மெட்ராஸ்-20)


-தமிழ் மகன்


அது ஒரு பொற்காலம் என்றுதான் சொல்ல வேண்டும். வெள்ளிக்கிழமை மாலையும், ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை மாலையும் சென்னை மக்கள் தகிப்பார்கள். அலுவலகத்தில் இருந்து ஆறுமணிக்குள் வீட்டுக்குள் நுழைந்துவிட வேண்டும் என்று பதறுவார்கள். குடிநீருக்காக சாலையைத் தோண்டுகிறார்கள் என்றால் கொலைவெறியர்களாக மாறிவிடுவார்கள். மின்சாரம் தடை பட்டால் மின்வாரிய அலுவலகத்தில் புகுந்து ரகளை செய்வார்கள்.

ரொம்ப சஸ்பென்ஸ் வேண்டாம். வெள்ளிக்கிழமை தோறும் சென்னை தூர்தர்ஷனில் 'ஒளியும் ஒலியும்' என்ற தலைப்பில் ஐந்து அல்லது ஆறு திரைப்படப் பாடல்களை ஒளிபரப்புவார்கள். ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை மாலைகளில் ஒரு சினிமா ஒளிபரப்புவார்கள். அதைப் பார்க்கத்தான் இப்படி ஒரு ஆவேசப் புறப்பாடு.

அந்த நாட்கள் என்று சொல்வது, 80-கள். மக்கள் அதற்காக காலையில் இருந்தே தயாராவதைப் பார்த்திருக்கிறேன். எல்லோருடைய வீடுகளிலும் டி.வி இருக்காது. தெருவுக்கு ஓரிருவர் வீட்டில் இருக்கும். தெரிந்தவர் நண்பர்கள் தயவோடு ஒளியும் ஒலியும் ஆரம்பிப்பதற்கு ஒருமணி நேரம் முன்னதாகவே வந்து காத்திருந்த தருணங்கள். ஒலியும் ஒளியும் என்றால், சம்பந்தப்பட்ட டி.வி. உரிமையாளர்கள் 25 காசு வசூலிப்பார்கள். சினிமாவுக்கு என்றால் 30 காசு. டி.வி. உரிமையாளர்கள் கிட்டத்தட்ட சேனல் உரிமையாளர்கள் போலத்தான். சில வீடுகளில் பாய் போட்டு அமர வைப்பார்கள். சில வீடுகளில் சிமெண்ட் தரையில் நெருக்கியடித்து உட்கார வேண்டியதுதான்.

மேலும் படிக்க: https://www.vikatan.com/news/article.php?aid=48726


Courtesy: Vikatan

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]The bells toll again: Chennai revives its Armenian link with annual church service[/h]

Once a flourishing community in the city, Chennai now only houses six Armenians.

Susan Reuben is in the city once again to attend the annual service that was conducted at the Armenian Church on Tuesday.

“We were here last year and we are trying to make our visits as frequent as possible. There are a good number of people here today for the service, and this way, we can hope to revive the community again in Chennai,” she says. Susan is warden of the Armenian Church in Kolkata for over 21 years.


Read more at: https://www.thenewsminute.com/artic...its-armenian-link-annual-church-service-76052

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]Nuggets of a time gone by[/h][h=2]- Sriram V[/h]

[h=2]One of the oldest residences of the city, the Government House was in existence as early as the 1700s[/h]That heritage is not restricted to buildings alone, was brought home to me when industrialist Mohanchand Dadha showed me a pocket watch from his collection.

It was an exquisite piece in 18 carat gold of the open-face variety, with the winding stem at 12 o clock, indicating that it was meant for civilian use. I turned it over and 300 years of Madras history stared me in the face. The photograph on the rear was that of Government House, Government Estate, opposite The Hindu.

Until 1947, it was the residence of the governor, the most powerful man in all of Madras Presidency.

One of the oldest residences of the city, it, or rather its core, had been in existence since at least the early 1700s when it was the
property of Antonia de Madeiros of the rich and powerful eponymous Portuguese family, after whom our city probably got its name of Madras. It was rented in the 1740s from her by Governor Thomas Saunders, who found living in Fort St George impossible. The East India Company purchased the house in 1753 and it became the Governor’s official residence thereafter.


Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/news/citie.../nuggets-of-a-time-gone-by/article4801316.ece

 

[swathi25]

Hundred years of astatue in Chennai

- Sriram V.

First Indian judge of High Court got this honour

Statues are dime a dozen in our city,today, but a 100 years ago, the idea of statues for Indians was unusual and indeed, a matter of debate and controversy. Almost the first Indian to have a statue in his honour was Sir T. Muthuswami Iyer, the first Indian judge of the High Court of Madras. This was bitterly opposed by many, chief among these being V. Krishnaswami Aiyer, then rapidly rising to the top of the legal profession. He, though second to none in his admiration of the late judge, felt it was against Hindu tenets to have statues put up for people. The statue was put up regardless, and remains a symbol of justice to many, in the centre of the High Court.

Ironically, it would be KrishnaswamiAiyer's turn in 17 years.


Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/todays-pap...ars-of-a-statue-in-chennai/article3279436.ece

 

[naithru]

Thanks Swati ji for excellent posting!

 

[swathi25]

Thanks Swati ji for excellent posting!

Thank you naithru Ji,

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]எம்டன் வந்தான்... எம்.ஜி.ஆர். வந்தார்! (மெட்ராஸ் நல்ல மெட்ராஸ்-21)[/h]

-தமிழ் மகன்


சென்னையில், "அவனா எம்டனாச்சே... !" என்ற சொல் வழக்கு கொஞ்ச காலம் முன்னாடிவரை சகஜமாக இருந்தது. எம்டன் என்பதை சிலர் எமன் என்ற அர்த்தத்தில் சொல்வர். சற்றே சரித்திரம் தெரிந்தவர்களுக்கு எம்டன் என்பது ஒரு கப்பலின் பெயர் என்பது தெரிந்திருக்கும்.

1914ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் உலகப் போர் நடந்து கொண்டிருந்தபோது, இங்கிலாந்து நாட்டினருக்கு எதிராக இருந்த ஜெர்மானியர்கள், இங்கிலாந்தை தாக்குவதற்கு படை திரட்டி வந்தனர். இந்தியாவும் அப்போது இங்கிலாந்தின் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இருந்ததால், இந்தியாவும் ஜெர்மானியர்களுக்கு எதிராகப் பார்க்கப்பட்டது.

முதல் உலகப் போரில் இந்தியாவையே ஜெர்மானியர்கள் எதிர்த்தபோதும், இந்தியாவின் மீது முதல் உலகப் போரை ஒட்டி குண்டு வீசப்பட்ட இடம் என்ற பெருமை (?) சென்னைக்கு உண்டு.

மேலும் படிக்க: https://www.vikatan.com/news/article.php?aid=49768

Courtesy: Vikatan

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]October, 69 years ago, when Madras was bombed

- A. Srivathsan[/h][h=2]Legends have been woven around the 1914 bombing of Madras by the German cruiser Emden, but little is known or remembered about the tough times the city faced during 1942 and 1943, when it lived in the fear of Japanese planes. In fact, in October 1943, a lone Japanese reconnaissance did bomb Madras. In a four-part series, A. Srivathsan digs into the archives of The Hindu to piece together a crucial phase of history that altered the lives of thousands of citizens[/h]
It was in the middle of World War II. Japanese air force and navy were conducting daring attacks in the eastern seas and captured Singapore and Andaman Islands from the British. In return, American planes that flew out of the Indian air base bombed Japanese ships at Port Blair. The threat across the Bay of Bengal was clear and imminent.


The first attack closer home happened in Colombo. On April 5, at about eight in the morning, on an Easter Sunday, 75 Japanese planes dive-bombed and opened machine-gun fire on the harbour and adjoining areas. The British claimed the attack was effectively repelled. Sir Andrew Caldecott, Governor of Ceylon, speaking in Tamil, asked shopkeepers near the harbour to not panic. The death toll was only 50, “much less than the daily casualties from the street accidents in London,” he tried to reassure.


But his words failed to improve confidence and many left Ceylon and arrived in Dhanushkodi and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. The news of the refugee exodus reached Madras. The city, by then, had started receiving evacuees from Burma. By the end of March, a batch of about 700 Tamil refugees who fled Burma following Japanese attacks, managed to reach Calcutta, caught a train and arrived in Madras. Their accounts narrated the horrors unleashed by war.


Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/news/citie...ago-when-madras-was-bombed/article3956159.ece

 

[swathi25]

When 5 lakh fled the city in two weeks

- A. Srivathsan

In the thick of World War II, on April 5, 1942, 75 Japanese planes dive-bombed and opened machine-gun fire in Colombo, killing 50. The next morning, a single Japanese plane fired at Kakinada, 700 km north of Madras, damaging two ships, killing one person and injuring five others. On April 7, panic struck closer home when Madras woke up to an air-raid alert. About 50,000 people began fleeing the city every day. In the second part of a series on the bombing of Madras in 1943, A. Srivathsan digs into the archives of The Hindu to revisit possibly the largest mass exodus witnessed by the city

Anticipating attacks on the city, an Air Raid Preparations (ARP) unit was set up in January 1942.

ARP trained volunteers to enforce blackout rules, offer first aid, and guide people to shelters during an emergency. By end of March, about 4,400 volunteers were ready. The government built air shelters and cut 22 miles of safety trenches. It also disseminated information about various kinds of siren sounds and screened motivational movies.


Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/news/citie...fled-the-city-in-two-weeks/article3958860.ece

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]And then, Madras was bombed[/h]- A. Srivathsan

[h=2]Just when the city and administration were limping back to normalcy after a few tense months of air raid alerts and safety drills, tragedy struck. In the concluding part of a series, A. Srivathsan writes about the strict censorship that was in place during 1942-43[/h]By the end of April 1942, the government announced that the threat to Madras had reduced and important departments would return.

When the situation was slowly improving, ARP blundered and delayed the city’s return to normalcy. On May 6, a month after the city witnessed the first air-raid alert, ARP sounded another warning at 10 in the morning. Though the alarm lasted for just a while, it caused concern. Enquires revealed the alarm was false and it was accidentally set off while cleaning the siren. Though government offered explanations through newspapers, anxiety lingered.

It took a few more months for things to turn around. By July-end, news about evacuees and their problems almost disappeared from the newspapers and it was clear that the city had almost come back to its normal self.


Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/and-then-madras-was-bombed/article3965756.ece

 

[swathi25]

சொன்னால் நம்ப மாட்டார்கள்! (மெட்ராஸ் நல்ல மெட்ராஸ்-22)

-தமிழ் மகன்

பணத்தின் மதிப்பு எங்கே போய் நிற்கிறது என்பதற்கு கடந்த 50 ஆண்டுகளில் ஏற்பட்ட மாற்றம் அதிர்ச்சியாகத்தான் இருக்கிறது.

ஆரம்பத்தில் சென்னையில் பல்லவன் ட்ரான்ஸ்போர்ட் என்ற சிவப்பு நிற பேருந்துகள் ஓடிக்கொண்டிருக்கும். இப்போது ஓடிக்கொண்டிருக்கும் பேருந்துகளை விட சற்றே நீளம் குறைந்தது. டீசல் வாசனை அதிகமாக இருக்கும். அதனால், பஸ்ஸில் பயணம் செய்பவர்கள் வாந்தி எடுப்பது சாதாரணமாக இருக்கும். கொஞ்சம் முரட்டு வாகனம்தான். அத்தனை சொகுசாக இருக்காது. நின்றுகொண்டு பயணிப்பவர்கள் பிடித்துக்கொள்வதற்காக பஸ்ஸுக்கு நெடுக்காக இரும்பு பைப்பில் தோல் வார் ஆங்காங்கே தொங்கும். பெரம்பூரில் இருந்து சென்ட்ரலுக்கு பதினைந்து காசு. சென்னையில் எங்கிருந்து எங்கு சென்றாலும் 50 காசை தாண்டாது.

உலக வங்கியில் கடன் வாங்கித்தான் புதிய பேருந்துகள் விடப்பட்டன. சிவப்பு நிறத்தில் பேருந்துகள் இருக்கக் கூடாது என்ற உலக வங்கியின் நிபந்தனையின் பேரில் பஸ்கள் பச்சை நிறத்துக்கு மாறிப்போனதாக அன்றைய கம்யூனிஸ்ட் பேச்சாளர்கள் மேடையில் பேசினார்கள்.

மேலும் படிக்க: https://www.vikatan.com/news/article.php?aid=50083

Courtesy: Vikatan

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]... A lifetime by the river[/h]- Deepa Alexander

[h=2]The Madras Boat Club celebrates 150 years of rowing, sportsmanship and camaraderie. DEEPA ALEXANDER leafs through its colourful scrapbook of memories[/h]“Easy oars!” shouts the coxswain, as the rowers dip their oars into the Adyar river one last time. The pink light of dusk colours the water and a startled heron takes flight. Rowers come ashore, carrying boats with sludge-green hulls, their muscles taut, limbs brown, spirits upbeat.

It’s the evening before the start of the 75th edition of the Amateur Rowing Association of the East’s (ARAE) annual regatta,
an event that has brought together premier rowing clubs from British colonies in the Eastern hemisphere since the 1930s.
Coaches shout out instructions, old oarsmen greet each other, lascars clear the decks of odds and ends, and the last of
the rowers to stoically finish an outing collapse in exhaustion as the waters gently lap against their boat.
It’s a scene that has changed little since the Madras Boat Club was established in 1867 to promote to
the highest level the sport it was founded for — rowing.


Read more at: https://www.thehindu.com/society/...-A-lifetime-by-the-river/article17068134.ece

 

[swathi25]

[h=1]DID YOU KNOW ONE OF INDIA’S OLDEST ROWING CENTRES IS IN NAMMA CHENNAI AND IT TURNED 150 THIS YEAR?[/h]
If you have been in Chennai long enough, you surely would have driven around the plush Boat Club Road and had a glimpse of the Madras Boat Club, if only from outside. And on early mornings and evenings it is hard to miss the rowers of different age groups on the Adyar river, if you pass the Kotturpuram bridge. Madras Boat Club might be associated with city’s swish set but it also has a rich history and has been actively involved in promoting rowing as a sport.

Read more at: http://cafechennai.in/madras-boat-c...ing-centres-is-in-namma-chennai-150-year-old/