CULTURE - 2: BADAGA DANCE ON WORLD AIDS DAY 2103

BADAGA DANCE ON WORLD AIDS DAY 2013

BY P S SUNDAR

Badaga is the predominant community of the Nilgiris hilly district in South India.   Badagas have a distinct dialect which Kannadigas and Tamils can follow rather easily. There is no script for this language.   Badagas are basically an agrarian community and cultivate tea and hilly vegetables. 
Now, Badagas live in many countries but all hail from the Nilgiris.  Among the specific highlights of Badaga culture are Hethaiamman festival, mass feeding (Annadanam), telling hospitality, white dress, Avara Othukka meals and their dance.    

Badagas stage their dance at all important functions.  On the World AIDS Day awareness campaign organised on Dec 1, 2013, by Nilgiris Branch of Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) at Kakkuchi village, some 22 kilometres from Coonoor, the villagers, including adolescents, took a vow to keep their hamlet AIDS-free.  FPAI Nilgiris President T Rangaiah (who also belongs to Badaga community) and Administrator Dr K S Pothi and Manager G Sundara Raj assured the villagers of their support.

I have captured this in this photo:

Hailing this, the children of Kakkuchi village dressed in traditional Badaga attire staged a captivating Badaga cultural dance.  I took a video of it and have updated in Youtube which can be seen in: 

http://youtu.be/D-kU6KszRTc

Herewith a photo for a glimpse of the dance:

FPAI honoured Village Head M Bojan, Youth Leader R Gandhi and Women leader N Sumathi.    

LIFE ENRICHMENT - 4 : CARING FOR ELDERS, A PASSION AND MISSION

CARING FOR ELDERS, A PASSION AND MISSION

BY P S SUNDAR

A tea small grower couple has brought about a social renaissance in the tea hub of Denalai village, some 10 kilometres from Coonoor.

Thanks to them, 15 deserted senior citizens (as on Nov 28, 2013) including nine women are benefiting from free accommodation, food, bedding with attached bathroom, clothes, visits to worship places, personal hygiene including hot water bath, haircut and cloth washing.

So, it is not yet another old age home for the affluent but for the deserted poor. It all happened when N Ramamurthy, a health inspector in Tamil Nadu Government, and his wife Rajeswari, a tea small grower, decided to use the income from tea leaves for taking care of deserted old people. 

“While working as leprosy inspector, I was moved to see elderly patients suffering for want of timely care.  So, in 2005, we accommodated two orphaned elders in our house.  As three more sought help, we formed M N Trust in my parents’ name and converted our old house in our tea field into the Home for deserted aged”, Ramamurthy told me.  

However, it was not easy because tea income was insufficient for construction works.  Pumping in his salary, Ramamurthy has created three dormitories, bathrooms, kitchen and prayer hall.   “The 400-square-foot old house has now become the 1,600 square-foot asylum.   We have provided cots and blankets. Some inmates had died and we did decent cremation”, Ramamurthy said.  

It was R Muralidharan, Operations Manager, Gateway Hotel Coonoor, who took me to this Home first on June 29, 2013.  I took visitors to the place subsequently. Every time I visited this place, I noticed changes .. some inmates died, some newcomers, area expansion, ceiling rising, solar water heater etc etc.."I want to use my superannuation earnings for finishing the infrastructural works here, so that after me, those who manage the Home need spend only on providing food and clothes to the inmates", Ramamurthy tells me periodically.

Caring for elders is the passion of this couple as I have written in this article published in The New Indian Express on July 1, 2013:

I have documented the couple's contribution as "Unsung Heroes in Tea Community" in this article in The Assam Review and Tea News (July 2013):  

The Gateway Hotel Coonoor has been serving this Home as part of its corporate social activity.  "We have been periodically serving food to the inmates.  Our staff members have also personally contributed their mite.  In effect, we have assisted the Home with chairs, tables, plates and blankets", D Antony Gerald, Gateway's Human Resources Manager, told me.  This photo taken by me shows Muralidharan, Chef D Ramalingam, Housekeeping Head R Nagaraj (second left) and Purchase Department Head S Siva (extreme left), serving food brought from their hotel to the inmates:

Interestingly, the Home is sensitising youth on caring for elders as these photos I had taken of the Notices displayed there indicate: 

I had documented this in my article in The New Indian Express on July 31, 2013:

  

What would have happened if this Home failed to accommodate some such elders?  "They would have ended up as beggars and some would have committed suicide", Ramamurthy told me which kindled my writing this article in The New Indian Express (Aug 16, 2013): 

And, the Home teaches youth to experience the unparalleled joy of giving.  I asked Vaishnavi, a XII standard student, to look at the face of the receiver (a) when he/she comes to receive the blankets she was donating, (b) when he/she actually receives them and (c) when he/she goes off with the blanket. Vaishnavi was moved to tears after this experience and she told me that her attitude to life has changed.  This was one of the pictures I had snapped of Vaishnavi donating the blankets: 

  

And, the receivers also react with sentiments as only they can measure the benefit of the gift.  One inmate, for instance, asked Sruthi, visitor from Dubai, if she would sit on her lap just like her grand daughter.  And, I snapped this unusual photo:

Sruthi also pleased the inmates by showing photos she had clicked of them.  Many were eager to see how they looked as this photo I had snapped shows:

If such small pleasures can be big for the deserted elders, they experience immeasurable happiness when people visit them as these photos taken by me show -- in the first, visitors from Dubai led by K G Veeraraghavan and his wife Geetha and the second, from Thrissur led by Usha (seen with Ramamurthy's daughter Seema in the photo):

'Visitors' means, support, monetary and moral, to The Home. All the above were donors.  "To celebrate my 16th birthday, my parents and relatives had lined up 16 mega events -- visit to this Home, contribution and service to the inmates was one of them.  Flying in from Dubai where I was born and growing, I learnt a lot from this visit", Sruthi told me. 

The Rotary Club of the Nilgiris which has funded the construction of gender-based toilets, approach road and area expansion, has also contributed solar heating systems as this photograph shows of Rotary District Governor Dr Senthilnathan Siva dedicating them on November 12, 2013:

And, my article on Rotary's contribution appeared in The New Indian Express on July 7, 2013:

I had referred to this in my article, "Nostalgia - 4" in this Blog.

Ramamurthy can be contacted on phone: (91) (0) 9843915680.

LIFE ENRICHMENT - 3: LEARNING LIFE THROUGH LENS

LEARNING LIFE THROUGH LENS

BY P S SUNDAR

I happen to have photographed a photographer himself!

Dethan Punalur is a celebrated photographer of Coonoor who has won many awards for his captivating snaps on nature.  He has staged 31 exhibitions by now.  His creativity is not through manipulation of lens but looking at nature with a 'different eye', a 'third eye'!   People come across these subjects in their day-to-day life but seldom do they see them the way Dethan does as I had captured in this photograph of this photographer and the article published in The New Indian Express on Oct 8, 2009:

And, his snaps on monkeys are a treat for eyes and mind as I have grouped here:

Of these, regarding the left middle photo, my exclusive article, "Monkey's grief Eternised" published in The New Indian Express on Oct 26, 2012 (see below) documents a mother monkey grieving over her dead baby, a photograph that speaks volume and has won 'National Geographic' recognition.  Regarding the right middle photo, my article, "Monkey Manners: Adults scold the brats" published in The New Indian Express on Nov 19, 2012, (see below) describes the father-son-grooming in monkeys!!

Of the rest, the left top shows monkey counting 'one..two..three'...right top shows monkey examining the expiry date before drinking the juice!..left bottom is monkey's prayer to The Cross while right bottom is running race..I have documented this monkey behaviour in my article in Dec 2012-Feb 2013 issue of Contemporary Tea Time (see below) 

  

And this study on monkey behaviour is incomplete without this article of mine published in The New Indian Express on Sep 14, 2013:

Dethan's photographic study on Coonoor could easily become a document on landscape history as years roll by as I have recorded in this article published in The New Indian Express on March 20, 2013:

And, there is a book authored (no, photographed!!) by Dethan as I have enumerated in these articles published in The New Indian Express on June 13, 2012:

On Christmas day (Dec 25, 2013), Dethan shared with me a unique photo showing a symmetrical line-up of monkeys with two babies, frightened but alert, at left and right end while five adults were calmly sitting in between them

“They had a hunger-less satisfied countenance which made me feel that after a sumptuous Christmas lunch, they all had assembled for a family group photograph!   And so like a sincere photographer, I clicked as they gave me this unique pose!   Soon thereafter, however, they made their way back to the forests as thick mist started obstructing visibility”, Dethan detailed.

This is the family Group Photo after Christmas lunch!

And this New Year (2014), Dethan shared with me as Greetings a photo he had taken.  The message is, while all along monkeys had been travelling by jumping from place to place, this is a photo to show their organised way of climbing through a ladder!   "Probably, for the monkeys, this is the modern technology", Dethan said. Herewith this photo:

Just as the Nilgiris is famous for monkeys, it is famous for hotels as well!  So, what happens when a monkey visits a hotel served by another monkey?  This is how it will be with the waiter monkey asking the guest monkey politely, "Anything more, Sir?"..notes Dethan in this photo he shared with me on Feb 21, 2014:

On Vijayadasami day (Oct 3, 2014), Dethan sent me this photo showing monkeys' engagement with rice..Dethan wrote, "In Kerala, today is Vidhyaramabam with 'Hari' and 'Shri' but here, it is 'Ari' (rice) and Sthree (female)!

On Nov 4, 2014, Dethan sent me this photo which is another study of monkeys linking with human behaviour.  Here, one monkey is tickling the other to make him laugh as Dethan put it, "Laughter is the best medicine".. when you don't laugh by yourself, tickling does the trick!

LIFE ENRICHMENT - 2 : PERSONALISED GREETING CARDS

PERSONALISED GREETING CARDS

BY P S SUNDAR

At 82 years, Mrs Pattammal Venugopalan is an invaluable treasure on family fabric.   Married 67 years ago, she has led her family through children's education, several weddings and grooming grandchildren -- she has 5 children, 8 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.  All of them, including the sons-in-laws and daughters-in-laws, hail her as a compulsive cook who also excels in household chores. 

But, what singles her out beyond family management is her personalised Greetings and presentation cards..even in this era of digitalisation of sending Greetings through e-mails and SMS, Mrs Pattammal makes her own cards and everyone loves receiving one from her!  These three articles of mine published in The New Indian Express on Oct 10, 2010, Jan 3, 2011, and May 3, 2012 record her contributions.. 

She is busy like a bee...

  

LIFE ENRICHMENT - 1 : POSITIVE APPROACH, KEY TO SUCCESS

POSITIVE APPROACH, KEY TO SUCCESS

BY P S SUNDAR

 Mr N Balachandran, retired Joint Director of Rural Development, has written this to me from Kumbakonam:

"On Nov 8, 2013, I had been to Kumbakonam Head Post Office around 1.30 pm to remit money in a Savings Bank Account.  The counter with a Board indicating continuous working hours between 9 am and 4 pm was vacant. As I was told that the concerned Staff Member had gone for lunch, I waited for more than half an hour patiently.  Thereafter, I approached the Postmaster who was polite.  He searched for the Staff and discovered him engaged in a chat after the lunch.  The Postmaster requested him to resume his work. The response of the Staff member seemed very casual as he took his own time to resume his seat. The treatment meted out by a young Staff member towards his Senior Officer, who is of middle age, and that too in front of the Public, speaks for itself volumes of the deteriorating work culture nowadays, among youngsters.

"I had similar experience in a nationalised bank at Kumbakonam , where the Staff Member was rude.  There also, the Manager apologised for the staff's erratic behaviour. It is high time that there should be training for junior Staff members to effect value-orientation and attitudinal changes".

While Mr Balachandran has titled this as 'Deteriorating work culture',  I am reminded of my following article on 'positive approach' published in The New Indian Express issue dated April 30, 2011, where he also figures. 

  

MY SON'S UNFINISHED AGENDA

MY SON'S UNFINISHED AGENDA 

BY P S SUNDAR

My six articles on my son S Vignesh written on his last six demise anniversaries including this year (Oct 21, 2013) appear in this blog numbered consecutively 1-6. 

In them, I have referred to the articles Vignesh had written. I hereunder give the scan of his three articles published in The Hindu (July 29, 2000) and The New Indian Express (June 26, 2002 and July 10, 2012). 

These are strong articles reflecting his acceptance of the limitations caused by muscular dystrophy and hence deciding to do humanities/commerce course in Plus Two as he could not do Science course despite scoring excellent marks. And, in Commerce stream of Plus One and Two also, he was scoring high marks. He was mentally prepared to become a Chartered Accountant, Cost and Management Accountant and Company Secretary like me and his maternal uncle S Venkatesan so that there would be no need for practicals' classes.  

But, God's intentions were different..Vignesh passed away on Oct 21, 2003, while he was studying in Plus Two....So, his becoming a professional remains an unfinished Agenda. 

NOSTALGIA - 4: RE-DEDICATION TO FOLLOW LINGAN'S GREAT IDEALS

RE-DEDICATION TO FOLLOW LINGAN'S GREAT IDEALS

BY P S SUNDAR

Nov 19 marks the 49th demise anniversary of a notable member of Badaga, the predominant community of the Nilgiris, N Lingan, who had several firsts to his credit. My article on the occasion of his 105th birth anniversary just six days ago (Nov 13) appears in this blog as "Nostalgia - 3: Lingan's contributions recalled with gratitude".

I give here a photo I had taken of the photo of Mr Lingan. 

On the demise anniversary today, I recall the respect I paid to this great citizen of the Nilgiris through my article published in The New Indian Express dated Nov 21, 2011, as given below. 

In this article, I had quoted Lingan's grandson R Muralidharan (Operations Manager, Gateway Hotel Coonoor) to say, "On my part, I have decided to attach special care to senior citizens".   And, I have reasons to confirm that Muralidharan is doing this already.   He is a significant supporter of "Anbalayam", an old age home run by M N Trust at Denalai village, some 10 kilometres from Coonoor. He has been instrumental in the Home getting infrastructural improvements through Rotary Club of Nilgiris including two solar water heating systems costing Rs 54,600 which Rotary Governor Dr Senthilnathan Siva dedicated on Nov 12, 2013. "We have also built separate gender-based toilets in the Home and an approach road.  We have helped in the expansion of the living area resulting in the Home being able to double its accommodation number", Norman Wood, President of Rotary Club of Nilgiris, told me.  

Murali periodically takes his family members, colleagues and friends to the Home resulting in offering of food, plates, blankets and bedspreads besides monetary contributions. 

More importantly, many have told me that because of this, they have learnt the joy of giving.

This reminds me of Bhavadgitha 3.21:

"The deeds of a great man are followed by other people;

 The high standards he sets by exemplary acts, the      world pursues!".

OBITUARY - 3: MEENAMBAL, A LESSON FOR ALL

MEENAMBAL, A LESSON FOR ALL

BY P S SUNDAR

If I ask you to name five Noble laureates, Oscar titleholders or Olympic Gold winners, quite possible that you say, you don't remember them...But, if I ask you to name five persons who had shown extreme affection for you, five who have influenced your life or five with whom you would prefer to spend time, quite possible, you will name them without much of a thinking.  It is not that the celebrity winners are less important to you than the second set, but the people who really touch your lives, who teach life-lessons, who motivate you to success or blossom into your role models need not be well-known pubic figures but can be someone closer to you like mother, father, aunt, cousin or neighbour.

Smt Meenambal was such a great personality that everyone -- not just her son Nathan (Ambi), daughters Raji, Sundari, Bala and Indu all living in Bangalore -- who had occasion to know her would admit to have been influenced by her judicious juxtaposition of espousing social cause with family management.   On the occasion of her passing away at 89 years age on March 2, 2013, this article of mine published in The New Indian Express on Aug 5, 2006, itself is a humble homage.  I also give here the photo I had taken of her on June 6, 2011, at Calicut, the last day I met her as I am reminded of H W Longfellow's immortal lines:

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.

       

CULTURE - 1: UPHOLDING TRADITION IN MARRIAGES

UPHOLDING TRADITION IN MARRIAGES

BY P S SUNDAR

Among the marriages I attended in the recent times which kept up tradition as I had experienced during my wedding 28 years ago was the one of Hareesh Parthasarathy (Mahindra Sathyam, USA)  with Rekha (Rajalakshmi Sundaram) in Calicut (Kerala, India) on June 6, 2011.   It had an elaborate mix of religious rites with contemporariness that gave the youth all the fun and the much-needed exposure into the tradition attached with marriages.  Another highlight was the colourful illustrative pamphlet prepared by Rekha's younger brother Sriram, an engineering student then, which gave significance of the rites associated with traditional marriage. This is in addition to engaging an event manager.  

This was highlighted in this article of mine in The New Indian Express of June 21, 2011.   Scan images of the pamphlet referred to above are given below.  Two photos I had taken of the groom on uncle's shoulder for garland exchange (maalai mathal) and unjal utsavam are also found here.   

NOSTALGIA - 3: LINGAN'S CONTRIBUTIONS RECALLED WITH GRATITUDE

LINGAN'S CONTRIBUTIONS RECALLED WITH GRATITUDE 

BY P S SUNDAR

Nov 13 , 2013 marked the 105th birth anniversary of a great personality of the Nilgiris, Mr N Lingan, who had several firsts to his credit.  His eldest son Advocate Narayanan passed away on Nov 7, 2013.  His three other sons Dr Sreedharan (practises in Manjur, Nilgiris), Mr Kannan (General Manager, Fernhill Palace Ooty) and Mr Rajaram (Director, Indco factory, Thangadu, Nilgiris) five daughters Messrs Leela, Suseela, Indira, Kasthuri and Bhanumathi recall their father's contributions. 

Mr Lingan's grandson Mr R Muralidharan, Operations Manager, Gateway Hotel Coonoor, responded positively to my suggestion to hold family get-together to express gratitude to the celebrated grand father.

This article of mine published in The New Indian Express issue dated Nov 14, 2011, hails Mr Lingan's great achievements.  

NOSTALGIA - 2: FIELD MARSHAL SAM MANEKSHAW IN PRAGYA'S ALBUM!

FIELD MARSHAL SAM MANEKSHAW IN PRAGYA'S ALBUM!

BY P S SUNDAR

AMONG THE PRIZED POSSESSIONS OF PRAGYA JAIN (NOW IN THE USA) AND NEERAJ JAIN (IN COONOOR) IS THIS ARTICLE OF MINE PUBLISHED IN THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, JULY 1, 2008 ...SOON AFTER SAM MANEKSHAW PASSED AWAY AT WELLINGTON (NEAR COONOOR) ON JUNE 27, 2008. 

OBITUARY - 1 THOUSANDS ATTEND LAKSHMI'S FUNERAL

PS SUNDAR'S OBITUARY ON MRS LAKSHMI PUBLISHED IN THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS ON APRIL 3, 2010.

OBITUARY 2 - GG LEFT A BETTER EARTH THAN THE ONE HE ACQUIRED!

GG LEFT A BETTER EARTH THAN THE ONE HE ACQUIRED!

By P S SUNDAR

                     

                        “Few times last few days, GG was saying ‘Sundar would come and we can have lunch together’.  Somehow, he was thinking that you would join us for lunch” – when Lakshman and his wife Nalini told my wife and me at Jain Kalyana Mandap, Coonoor, during the ‘Surabhi Sanstha’ Jain ladies’ organisation’s charity gala on Sunday, Oct 20, 2013, we rushed to see him taking rest in his car.   We had a jolly-good chat when I invited him for his favourite breakfast with us listing all possible items on the menu.  But, little did we realise that it would be our last meet as three days later, on Oct 23, 2013, he passed away.

                                                            

Mr G Govindarajulu, GG as he was popularly called, was among those few Chairmen who were an embodiment of rich tradition mixed with modern outlook.  He was the longest serving Chairman-cum-Managing Director of The Devashola (N) Tea Estates Co Ltd having led the company for 28 years until he breathed his last at 89 years.

When he acquired Palaniappa and Sultana estates, these properties lacked infrastructural facilities. Because of his foresightedness to improve them, he has left behind a better property than the one he acquired.   Thanks to his broad outlook, today, Sultana and Palaniappa are among the most sought-after jewels in the Western Ghats.   He used to tell me that these were ‘paradise on earth’.

He had been a symbol of experimentation for progressive change.  This is evidenced by his support for eco-friendly approach through zero-cost farming adopting natural agriculture friendly to the flora and fauna of the region and subsequently, the organic cultivation leading to the creation of vermi-compost unit including Panchakavyam.  The cattle shelter unit is a glorious attempt to save cattle condemned for butchery and has enhanced the spiritual value for the properties.

There had been successful efforts in producing zero-processing tea like silver tips through canvas and shade.

During his tenure, Palaniappa Estate became a meteorological station and this made Colacamby a reliable agro-zone of the Nilgiris.  Meteorological data collected from this station are used by tea industry and meteorological officials

The eco-friendly adventure tours he pioneered has led to Palaniappa and Sultana gaining enhanced value for recognition as the apt rendezvous for energy-boosting corporate teamwork training including rope walking, rock climbing, tent-staying, trekking and nature-study.   Nature-linked lifestyle including using food-grade mud pots for cooking and staying in bunkers was a great hit with youth from India and abroad. Throwing open the 650-acre variety plantation and cottages and labour lines to visitors gave opportunity to the uninitiated to learn about such plantations and appreciate Western Ghats as home to rich flora and fauna.   Many have wholeheartedly thanked GG for this. 

GG had regarded his workers and staff as the greatest assets.  This year, his manpower was happy to receive his blessings when he disbursed the bonus.   The renovation of the temple and conduct of Kumbabishekam there were highly appreciated by his workforce.

He was also Chairman of The Nilgiri Agro Agencies (P) Ltd and Director of The Mysore Fertilisers Co (P) Ltd and Self Savings Scheme (Chit Funds) Pvt Ltd.

On the social front, he had been a member of Rotary Club of Nilgiris in the beginning and later for several decades, a highly respected member of the Lions Club of The Nilgiris of which he was the oldest Past President.

As a strong supporter of cultural activities, GG was a prominent front-row personality at most of the 138 programmes the Nilgiris Cultural Association (NCA) had organised in the last 15 years of its service to the cause of cultural promotion. .  He played major role to promote Tamil culture through lyricist and cine song-writer Vairamuthu.  He was physically lifted sitting on his wheel chair to the auditorium of St Joseph’s Boys’ Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, On Sept 28, 2013, to attend the ‘Life Redefined’ programme of dances on wheelchair organised by NCA. That was the last NCA programme he enjoyed.

“As founder Trustee of Nilgiri Sri Sai Trust, GG had contributed significantly to the construction of Sai Kailash Mandir in Yellanahalli.  We will name after him the new staying facility for devotees”, Nilgiri Sai Organisations’ President Dr Ramu told me.   The organisation staged bhajans in his honour.

Little wonder, therefore, that thousands of people from different walks of life attended the funeral of this renowned industrialist and philanthropist and offered their heartfelt condolences to his sons M Lakshman (wife Nalini), M Balaji Rao (Sharmila), grandsons Ashwin (Aishwarya) and Rohit and granddaughter Seetha (who lives in Hongkong with her husband K Sambasiva Rao and son Siddhartha and daughter Sadhana).  GG’s wife Lakshmi had passed away on April 1, 2010.

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