During a conversation with my friend recently, a question was deftly met with an analogy. I was so dazzled by the brilliance of the analogy, I convinced myself that the answer needed only unwrapping to reveal itself. I had an inkling of what the answer might have been but I chose to dwell, instead, on the beauty of the wrapping. What the answer was really, I can't say I know. But who cares anymore...

It has been my long-standing observation that literary devices such as thee devices often charm the reader into illusory understanding, an understanding that is really poorly disguised appreciation (rapture).

Aesthetic has always enjoyed primacy among the lay audience for it's simple ability to appeal immediately to one's sensibilities. When reading book, or watching a movie, or listening to a sppech we often forgive ambiguous content for unambiguous appeal. Of course, like everything else, I would be wrong to generalize here. But, I am sure you will agree that when discussing exalted works of writing you are more likely to discuss the form than the content and the rationale of its presentation. Take Shakespeare, for instance, an easy example of form over matter for the uninitiated (as most of us are). I have tried to very hard to find merit in his celebrated works, but I find none beyond the clever disguises for his thoughts that he alone knows. I don't understand his works, plain and simple and his distracting language far from helps me. Well, if his purpose was a fancy dress party of his imagination, I suppose I need look no further. But I am most certain behind those connotations lay some astounding insights, that unfortunately I will never be privy to.

Now one may argue that there are different nature of writing itself lends itself to interpretation and therefore exploitation. I heartily agree. It is only an observation that perhaps we have been rather swooning at the beauty of verse and not with the message. I do believe its time both writers and readers paid due homage to message, while dutifully acknowledging the messenger.

If you don't understand any of what I had to say, you will now understand perfectly will what I mean. This is a case in point. And I can't think of any analogy that can illustrate it as well. Can you?

-Swathi

Save Our Tigers - 1411 Tigers Left

Hello All,

This is not spam, and it's time our tigers stopped being treated like it were too.
The tiger being a top predator at the head of the food chain, is a critical component of the ecosystem it constitutes. The extinction of the tiger means the irreversible loss of a sizable chunk of ecosystem and the biogeophysical processes that go with it.
The increasingly assertive symptoms of climatic doom, tempered with human indifference and callousness, does, in no small measure, forebode our annihilation.

In the selfish interests of self preservation, ( because the planet will go on with or without us) I urge you to take a look at the Website. It won't take long, and you owe it to yourselves.

Save Our Tigers | Join the Roar
Link: http://saveourtigers.com/JoinTheRoar.php

Remember, the earth has all the time, but its denizens don't.

Thank you

less carbon emissions

Hi,

Acually the idea for this blog was conceived a couple of days back itself actually along time back,when Gopu and Bharath were going to and fro over the positive and negative aspects of this CFL bulbs etc.

Oneday after finishing all my work , I sat on the sofa right under the tubelight and picked up the news paper and and started looking for my glasses , and after a couple of minutes of search , I realised that the specs was already very well perched on top of my ears and nose and inspite of wearing them I was looking out for them .So u can understand the pathetic condition of my eyesight. So next day we went to an eye specialist , he checked everything and opined that there is very very minute correction which doesnt even call for changing the spectacles

So I told athimber[ Swathi I am using the word athimber because it is a family blog ; I just want to know the basic rules and dos and donts of blog culture , otherwise I've to mention very formally Ramamoorthy, whenever I've to refer to athimber] since there is no change of power in my eyesight, I can't even change my glasses, so the next best thing is change the tube light to a brighter one which can be only a " FLOODLIGHT " for which athimber said -----, "as it is Gopu is against these tungsten filament and florescent tube lights , and on top of that if he comes to know that we are planning to have a bright flood light , he will disown you. He continued to say "I've no problem if he disowns you , but I'll be affected directly by this disownment . I asked him how?, and he says that "Now you go to chennai ,once in a while saying it is good escapade for you , which is equally good escapade for me as well. . So if he disowns you , and u have no place to go, then i'll be stuck with you for ever . He says my escapades were in fact more of an escapade for him , all by himself listening to carnatic music all the 24hrs[if can manage to keep awake continuously!!!] .without any disturbance . So with all this, I am now stuck up with the same old glass and the same tube light. whenever the glass becomes very dull I reconcile myself by washing it with soap and managing for a couple of days!! .So ,if there are any grammatical / punctuation or spelling mistakes , it is all because of my poor glasses!!!!

'So now how am I compensating for all the carbon emissions that I produce by using the regular tubelight, which now we r forced to use even during the day [ almost 24 hrs]for the past 1 yr , as a tall building has come up next to our house and preventing the entry of direct sunlight. to our drawing room . Hey very simple , we always use public transport,[ though we have no choice, !!!] so that is amajor contribution in reducing the caarbon accumulation in the atmosphere.! The otherday in one of his concerts during question ans wer session Sanjay subramaniam was telling , if at all he wishes for some govt rule to be brought about, it shd be on the ban of cars. He was telling that all people shd be made to compulsarily travel by bus. He was talking about the traffic snarls caused by excessive cars on the road. This morning only i read in paper that Ahmedabad has successfully launched BRTS service which is a dedicated bus road which reduces upto 5000 cars on the roads . In bombay also BEST undertaking chaiman has said that they are ready with the project to take off and is wondering why the Govt is dilly dallying in launching this scheme .Some lobby must be holding them back

Chennai in November , December and January!

I must write about the 3 beautiful months, that we Chennaiites feel very proud of! These are the best months here and if you enjoy the performing arts, - music, dance, drama, - and the sports (tennis) scene, this is the place to be in!
Starting November we have the The Hindu November fest sponsored by the Hindu, and the Drama festival , where we have plays from different places in India and also from other countries. A week of top class plays. And then the November Fest where you have again musicians from India and abroad from different genres performing here. A treat , really.
We start December with The Other Festival( it is now called The park's new Festival) - a brainchild of Anita Ratnam and R anvir Shah who bring in varied and very contemporary dance forms from all over. This heralds the beginning of the Chennai Music and Dance season here! Through December we have the most amazing music kutcheries, workshops, conferences, dance recitals, dance dramas, not to mention the best food that the sabha canteens churn out! This is one month where the veetu sappadu takes a back seat. Even if you dont attend a kutcheri, never mind, you can always visit the canteens , to taste mouth watering food!
Ending the month is the much awaited Kalakshetra festival, which usually happens during the last 10 days of he month.Their dance dramas are something! The costumes, the ambience of the kerala style auditorium, and dancers! A truly visual and auditory treat!
Come january, the dances continue after the music takes a back seat. And we have this great sporting event to look forward to- The Chennai Open , the annual tennis matches , which was Vijay Amritraj,s present to his beloved Chennai.Though we may not get the top rung players, we have seen some great players here.A week of tennis excitement, where we have reguarly gone for a couple of matches most years.
Then comes the Chennai Sangamam, (check out their website) a wonderful event, in its 4 th year, which was conceptualized by Kanimozhi, MP,( karunanidhi's daughter) and father Jesper Raj.Coming during Pongal time for a week, it showcases tamil folk arts-music dance and plays, at different parks, beaches and other places all over Chennai.The whole city wears a festive look, and you cannot miss their slogan 'Thiruvizha, engal theruvizha'. Besides folk performances, they also have carnatic , rock and other forms pf music.which is part of Chennai today. And the best part of all this is the food. Very typical Tamil cuisine from different parts of Tamilnadu, prepared in 5 star kitchens. 5 star food, served very hygeinically at street food rates! The only time and maybe the only place this can happen! Their madurai jigardhanda drink, is something to die for. We normally take bottles to fill them up with and have at home.The last day of the festival is a parade on the Eliots(Besant nagar) beach where all the participants come in a parade, dancing and singing away in all their traditional finery and gather there . We try not to miss this. And of course for a last mouth of the jigardnada and other delicacies.
The one last event which is again a big draw is IIT's Sarang, which normally brings January and all good things to an end. Even as the month slowly draws to a close and the chill (!)( I can hear some of you sniggering!) gives way to warmer weather, my heart feels heavy.That we have to wait one more year for the festivities to begin. Till then adieu.

Th 'big' temple of Thyanjavur

thought I would send this article on the Brihadisvara temple as it celebrates 1000 years! As you read you wonder at the architectural marvel of those times. I was amazed!

A millennium of magnificence

LAKSHMI VISWANATHAN

As we celebrate a thousand years of the ‘Big Temple' in Thanjavur – Rajaraja Chola dedicated it to Brihadisvara, Lord of the Universe in 1010 – an ode to the monument that has never ceased to amaze with its simple design, stupendous proportions and grandeur... LAKSHMI VISWANATHAN

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It is a marvel of engineering, considering the technology of those ancient times.

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Photo: Bijoy GHOSH

Maximum impact:The uniquely structured Gopuram.

The Thanjavur “Big Temple” (Peria Kovil) is one thousand years old this year, 2010. Rajaraja Chola I commissioned this greatest edifice of Tamil history and performed the sacred dedication of the temple in the year 1010, the 25th year of his reign. It was the jewel-in-the-crown of Rajaraja, an extraordinarily powerful king, a grand monarch with a style of his own, a conqueror who also understood art and architecture, and a true devotee of Siva. It is a matter of pride that a Tamil king built the finest example of Tamil architecture, stupendous in proportion, yet simple in design. Siva in this temple is known as Brihadisvara — the Lord of the Universe. A gigantic stone “lingam” fills the sanctum sanctorum, sheltered by a vimanam (towering roof) which pierces the sky at 216 feet. One can gaze with awe at this majestic structure from a distance as one drives towards Thanjavur. However many times one has seen it, one cannot help but hold one's breath in amazement. And as you enter its precincts, this temple never fails to humble you, for, such is its magnificence. It is the perfect tribute to the Almighty, ordered by a great king and executed by his subjects who contributed to its building in more ways than one. To this day, it stands tall as a reminder of who we are in the history books of culture, art, architecture, religion, language, governance and trade.

The temple occupies an area measuring about 750 feet by 400 feet, in a fort, surrounded by a moat. It is a marvel of engineering, considering the technology of those ancient times. The towering vimanam is built up with stones with bonding and notching, without the use of mortar. The topmost stone, weighing about 80 tons, is still a matter of discussion for engineers who are baffled as to how the builders lifted it to that height without the help of modern contrivances. A charming tale is told about a ramp being built from a village — Sarapallam — four miles away, from where the giant stone was pulled up by elephants!

Representative craftsmanship

The details of the stone work of this imposing vimanam are representative of the masterly craftsmanship of South Indian artisans. The shilpi (sculptor) and the sthapathi (architect) came together to create their fanciful abode for Shiva. Naturally, the shape had to echo Mount Kailash itself. In its perfect geometry and distinct clarity of lines, this tower is unbeatable.

Every feature of the temple is larger than life — the monolithic Nandi, the gigantic (12-feet high) Dwarapalakas (guardian deities) and the sculptures in the niches around the central shrine. They are distinguished by an elegant simplicity in lines and ornamentation. The faces of the figures like Dakshinamurthi and Yogalakshmi are beatitude in essence. Inside the vimanam, there is a hidden corridor surrounding the sanctum. Rarely open to visitors, this is a treasure trove of Chola painting and sculpture. The walls of this cave-like corridor were plastered with lime and used as a large canvas for the paintings. Perhaps the subjects chosen were dear to the great king's heart, for, he was a staunch Shaivite, a great warrior who took pride in his victories, and was responsible for the renaissance of the Bhakti movement through the spread of the songs of the saints ( Thevaram). The paintings, which have survived time and a 17th century coat of paint, are exquisite in detail and colour, and proportion. The colours in the paintings are subdued, the lines are delicate and the expressions vivid and true to life. Figures of Dakshinamurthi, Nataraja in Thillai, surrounded by celestials, dancers and saints in a celebration, and Tripuranthaka, the gigantic warrior, are masterpieces of Chola painting. The story of Sundaramurthi Nayanar reaching Kailash on a white elephant is depicted on another wall. The most telling of all is the portraiture of Raja Raja with his Guru Karuvur Devar. It was Karuvur Devar, the wily administrator, who master-minded the building of the temple, and fittingly he has a special shrine dedicated to him in the outer courtyard of the temple. While the sculptures of Shiva in this corridor are imposing and colossal, the fine series of 81 karanas (dance poses) are superb illustrations of the Natya Sastra. These figures are much bigger than the dance figures in Chidambaram and other temples. The renowned historian C. Sivaramamurthi averred that this group is unique as it depicts Shiva himself dancing.

Plenty of documentation

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this temple is the vast number of inscriptions on its walls which record details of Raja Raja's reign as well as that of his successors. They reveal that Raja Raja endowed a large number of villages, money and cattle to the temple for its maintenance, daily worship, festivals, singing of devotional songs and dancing. He and his queens presented fantastic gold and gem set jewels to the temple. The king's donations, as well as those of his favourite queen Lokamahadevi, and his sister Kundavai are recorded on a slab close to the sanctum. Among the most noteworthy inscriptions is the one about the two streets given over to the occupation of the 400 Devadasis who were pressed into the service of the temple from many surrounding temples of the region. Their names, places of origin, the door numbers of the houses they occupied are also part of the details inscribed. From the inscriptions we gather that the king, his queens, and their relatives set the example followed by the nobility, the merchants and even soldiers, to return to the people what was collected by taxes etc., by erecting irrigation canals, hospitals, schools, granaries and so on.

One of the best bronze images of the period is that of Nataraja, referred to as “Adavallan” in this temple. Raja Raja named the currency of his reign, a coin, Adavallan.

Over time, many additions and improvements took place in this temple. Sevappa Nayak, the first of his dynasty who ruled Thanjavur, built the shrine for Murugan (Subrahamanya) as an integral part of the temple. It is a beautiful, elaborately-carved stone structure, a designer's delight. To copy the un-repeated designs on each of the short pillars of this shrine would take an artist weeks if not months. One can just imagine how long the stone chiseller would have taken to complete each piece. Facing this shrine one can also see a mandapamwhich houses a Maratha period portrait gallery. Done as mural paintings but in the style now known as “Tanjore painting” with gold leaf embossing, the portraits of Serfoji, his queen and other royals are a feast of colour.

Magical pull

One can spend a whole day in the Big Temple, and still want to come back to marvel at every detail of its beauty. Many kings had built temples to Shiva on the banks of the Kaveri. Many saints have sung in praise of these deities. But there is only one temple to Brihadisvara, and it stands tall a thousand years after a devotee-king climbed a ladder with a copper pot ( kalasam) anointed with holy water from all the sacred rivers, to dedicate it to history. Our history!

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Burj Dubai: Tallest not costliest!

An apartment on the 100th floor of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building and one of the most sought-after addresses in the world today, comes at a price of Rs 38,000 per sq ft. But don’t hold your breath, desi realty rates beat that by a mile. The rates of apartments in Mumbai and Delhi condominiums are much higher.

In fact, the per square foot rate in Mumbai’s NCPA Apartments at Nariman Point is between Rs 90,000 and Rs 1 lakh. Till date the highest per sq ft rate paid in Mumbai stands at Rs 97,842 for a fourbedroom flat at NCPA Apartments in 2007. This is the highest rate paid for a residential unit in the history of Indian real estate. In July-August last year, an apartment in Maker Tower B in Cuffe Parade sold for around Rs 93,000 per sq ft.

According to Gulam Zia, national director, research and advisory services of global property consultants Knight Frank, “In the posh localities of Mumbai and Delhi, where there is a scarcity of land, realty prices have shot through the roof. Rates in Mumbai’s western and central suburbs of Worli, Lower Parel and Prabhadevi are upwards of Rs 40,000/sq ft.’’

Realty prices in India are inverse to the country’s image of a developing nation. “Mumbai and Delhi command one of the highest per sq ft rates in the world,’’ says Anshuman Magazine, CMD, CB Richard Ellis, South Asia, a leading global property consultancy firm. In India, while the land cost itself is high, the cost of quality is even higher. If one is paying Rs 38,000 per sq ft for an apartment in the Burj Khalifa, which has amenities such as Armani Hotel, discos and designer shops, for the same price or more in Mumbai or Delhi, one will only be paying for the location and not for the construction or amenities.

TALLEST, NOT COSTLIEST:

While an apartment in Burj Khalifa costs Rs 38,000/sq ft, a flat in Nariman Point was sold for Rs 98,000/sq ft in ’07

Introspection Series: On Communication

My thoughts seem to yield only to the gentle coaxing of my pen ( yes pen). It is not that they won't submit to other agents of persuasion, but they would do so guardedly, cautiously.

I can't tell i the incoherence and sputtering paroxysms i my intellect in insufficiency or sloth. But I hear it being said often that people who are somewhat incapacitated in verbal expression find comfort and release in the pen or keyboard.

Personal expression goes through a rigorous editorial process, thereby allowing for a message to be delivered elegantly. But it makes me wonder, does the distortion of the thought take place when it is ejected with little processing or when it is sandpapered, filed, chiseled, and polished? When do the grains look better?

Now that gives us some semblance of an answer. I don't really care for the authenticity of thought being conveyed, more its appearance. And perhaps rightly so for thought is not static. Unlike the grains of wood, it doesn't wait patiently while it is being groomed, or distilled. It changes constantly. And it is not in the capacituy of our own communicative abilities to tap its essence and deliver it without corrupting its form or purpose.

That is my foremost purpose. I know it is futile but for now, at least I know that I know.