Chennai Times

Some smart citizens have initiated a move to thank the CM for reclaiming the chennai skyline by sticking to his earlier pronouncements of removing the hoardings - www.thankyouchiefminister.com is a website set-up with some very nice photos of the city. It is amazing how much greenery is visible in chennai, I think it was Kushwanth Singh who many years back wrote that chennai had perhaps more greenery than Delhi. I am not sure about that, Delhi looks always very grey to me. But, suddenly you see the greenery in stella maris college and the horticulture department as you approach the gemini flyover from cath road, suddenly the temple tower in mylapore is visible as you step out of saravana bhavan in north mada street, the ugly houses and skeletons of iron that held those smiling faces and bouncing bodies do provide space for extra skyline in the chetpet bridge, for once you see the theosophical society greenery as you go on the adyar bridge...i am sure many parts of the city are re-clai...

Responsible communication in public life is one of the many lessons we can learn from Gandhiji . Here is quote, 'I have completed reading Rolland’s books on Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. I always had reverence for Ramakrishna I had read little about him. But as I had heard several things about him from his devotees, that feeling had sprung up. I cannot say that Rolland’s books have added to it. In fact both the books of Rolland are meant for Westerners. I will not say that we can derive nothing from these books. But I for one have derived very little benefit. The things which had influenced me are also to be found in Rolland’s books. The additional matter which it contains has not added to the impression. It did not appear to me that Vivekananda was as much a devotee as Ramakrishna. Vivekananda’s love was great. He was full of feeling and used to be carried away by it. It was like the golden covering for his knowledge. The distinction which he made between religion and politics was...

This afternoon's assertion from the CM on the floor of the assembly sets to rest the four day old drama on the fate of Vivekananda Illam, I should confess driving past the Illam this morning I was looking out for some kind of government seal and battalion of police men outside the gate. None were there and the place looked as peaceful as before. 'Tamilnadu Chief Minister has dismissed reports about plans to demolish Vivekananda House near Marina beach in Chennai. He said the government had no plans to build a Tamil cultural centre in its place as reported in the news media. Replying to a special call attention motion in the Assembly, he said some were trying to create a conflict between the government and samiyars by spreading malicious news that the memorial of Swami Vivekananda would be razed down. ‘We don’t have any problem with Swami Vivekananda. His preachings were almost similar to those of our leaders Periyar and Anna,’ said the Chief Minister....' (read full news ...

Since my post yesterday on this issue there have been further developments. This morning's dailies all carried news on the DMK's bid to take over the Vivekananda Illam obviously each with its own twist to it. (image below: yesterday's Indian Express Lead) The Dinamani which broke the story yesterday through front page lead articles, gave responses from people who oppose the issue - Jayalalitha, Cho Ramaswami, Pe Su Mani, Sarath Kumar among others . The Dinamani carried an interview with Swami Gautamananda, the President of Ramakrishna Math, Chennai along with the protest from Jayalalitha. The Hindu characteristic of itself, made the Math sound like some kind of pavement squatter to be permitted and evicted by the Government at will . Other News items: AIADMK, BJP against TN Govt's 'move' to vacate Vivekanandar Illam Chennai, April 22: The Opposition All India Anna DMK (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Jana...

The majestic looking Vivekananda House on the beach road in Chennai must have caught the eye of some of our politicians too frequently. Read this morning's tamil news and English one here The 'Ice House' as it was called earlier was handed over to the Ramakrishna Math on lease to establish an exhibition for Indian Heritage about 13 years back. The Math has historic connections to this building too. Swami Vivekananda on his return from the famous Western travel gave a series of lectures starting at Colombo and finally reaching then Calcutta and beyond. Some of the most powerful lectures (link to Madras lectures) were delivered in the then Madras in the year 1897. He was given one of the best welcomes in Chennai at Egmore station and taken in a procession to the Ice House, then known as 'Castle Kernan' and owned by a prominent lawyer Bilagiri Iyengar. He is reported to have stayed there for 9 days during this trip and later the Ramakrishna Math was formally start...

Only a few days back I was talking to Prasanna about Sri. C.S. Ramakrishnan, popularly known as CSR among the circle of Ramakrishna Mission friends, heard just now that this genial vedantin passed away in the early hours of this morning. Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore is one of the earliest modern day spiritual institutions to be set-up in Chennai city. With the Student's Home and the Vivekananda College all at Mylapore and the grand new temple this institution is a representation as well as a integral part of the Mylapore culture now. It was the citizen of Mylapore who offered the land and invited the brother monk of Swami Vivekananda to set up the monastery and stay there. In more than a century, this institutions have shaped not just the culture and landscape of Mylapore, but, much of Chennai and many other parts of Tamilnadu. The monks of the order have played a vital role, but, the role of the chennai citizens is no less significant. The voluntary spirit of the Chennai citizen wh...

Exnora was once a people's organization, both conceptually and functionally. It could have continued to be the neighbourhood community organization it was till the 'International' came into picture and it started living the Chennai middle class dream of having a 'global storm' out of every small noisy sneeze that it makes. It is today highly populist and is the biggest balm for the mindless consumerism of the chennai middle class. It makes them feel extremely comfortable in their lifestyle, never challenges them and instead gives populist, visible, gestures, a pitch more sophisticated than the Kollywood type. Here is one more from the ever imaginative brain of Exnora - 88888 , an idea it hopes which will attract the chennai minds to the perils of global warming, how? Simple gesture - switch off electricity for 8 minutes at 8 p.m. on 888, why not 8 a.m.? far less to switch off then, more convenient; what if i choose to write 08/08/2008 instead? what do we do after 8 ...