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Chennai, TN, the surfing capital of India
Surfing in Chennai and all of Tamil Nadu has seen a surge in popularity, captivating both locals and tourists along the state’s long and breathtaking coastline. The state's diverse range of surf spots cater to surfers of all levels, making it an enticing...
Better Tamil Nadu
A small solar-powered mill changes tribal lives in the hills
A solar-powered millet milling machine has brought rays of sunshine to the lives of the people living in a tribal-dominated village, who are happy that the machine has mitigated their difficulties in food preparation. Kathirimalai located in the Anthiyur area of Erode district is home to 75...
A selfless act by teachers gets school new floors
It was a lesson in self-reliance taught by the teachers of a school, not through books but through action. One of the three buildings of the panchayat union middle school at Murugankudi in Cuddalore district had been functioning with badly damaged floors for a long time. It made things...
TN doctor cures 40 cattle diseases with Siddha medicine
Dr N Punniamurthy, 65, has demonstrated the efficacy of Siddha medicine in curing about 40 cattle diseases, setting an example for other states to consider and emulate. He has worked as the head of the Ethno Veterinary Medicine Training and Research Centre, Thanjavur, affiliated to the Tamil...
His resolve, sisters’ sacrifice make him the doctor he is
Government school, Tamil medium, poverty in family and marginalised social status…all these factors are seen as deterrents to success. Yet Aravindhraj triumphed over all the heavy odds stacked against his education, and finally donned the coat of a doctor. Born into a marginalised family in...
Parivadini honours flute-maker with Parlandu award this year
Parivadini has carved out a niche in the world of Carnatic music, webcasting live music concerts held at Raga Sudha, home to Nada Inbam in Mylapore, Chennai, so the connoisseurs of Carnatic music can relish classical notes from the cozy comfort of their home. The credit for this must go to Jaya...
Opinion
TN Governor Ravi’s broadsides baring chinks in Dravidian armour
This column had made the point that Governor R N Ravi was not just an administrative choke point for the government but was seeking to amplify the nationalist narrative as a counter to Dravidian ideology and the DMK. Governor R N Ravi was not just a tough customer who...
Tamils must admit to, end bias against migrant workers
A Facebook post that came up recently featured a photo of film star Rajinikanth standing next to a shorter, scraggy looking man – purportedly a daily wage worker. The accompanying comment said both came from up north for survival and they should know their place and...
Why Governor Ravi’s use of ‘Thamizhagam’ is inaccurate
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi’s open dislike of the words ‘Tamil Nadu’ and replacing it with ‘Thamizhagam’ has led to a political storm in the state. The ruling DMK and its allies are of course opposed to it, but so is the opposition AIADMK. The party declared it would...
Mathi Memes
Mathi Memes: He can’t act, he can’t dance. Yet Ajith’s Valimai is a smash hit
Actress Khushbu was referring to the reception to Ajith's film Valimai. In what seemed like a mix of admiration and envy, she tweeted in Tamil: “Only you [Ajith Kumar] draw such crowds.” On Wednesday (Feb 24) evening, at a theatre in Thoothukudi, there was a large...
Editor’s Pick
A stronger focus on Chennai in Tamil Nadu budget
Chennai is seen by many across the country as a safe, modern, accessible and globally-connected metropolitan city, although the younger working population might view it as too straight-laced and falling behind Bengaluru in winning cosmopolitan credentials. Finance Minister PTR Palanivel...
Viduthalai a gripping watch even for non-political folks
Viduthalai part 1 directed by Vetrimaran speaks about the common people’s political understanding. The question of whether it is worth understanding by everyone spurs us on to the theatres where the film is being screened. The storyline of Viduthalai goes as follows: (Spoiler Alert) A railway...
A grand Chola museum may bring tourism infra to Thanjai
As a seat of ancient Tamil glory with a thousand-year heritage, the composite district of Thanjavur should have received the highest attention from latter-day governments, but except for the Brihadeeswara Temple complex, a UNESCO heritage site of international importance, it is just another...
Why does PMK see red in NLC expansion plan?
The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) is up in arms against the land acquisition move for the Neyveli Lignite Corporation's (NLC) third mine expansion project. The party has been insisting that land owners who part with their lands for the project, be given a guarantee of employment in NLC. But one...
Will TN Budget be a banger, or squib of Centre’s neglect?
The Tamil Nadu government is set to present its Budget for the year 2023-2024 on March 20 amid expectations that it will keep electoral promises made by the DMK such as aid for women, and that it will announce a return to the Old Pension Scheme, despite constraints. The state, like many others,...
Politics
Mekedaatu dam will not hurt TN’s interests, insists DKS
Amid rising temperatures and a delayed monsoon, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka D.K. Shivakumar urged the Tamil Nadu government to show magnanimity over the contentious Mekedaatu project and cooperate for the benefit of farmers of both...
A sengol from TN to launch new political conquests?
The sengol (royal sceptre) is yet another masterstroke by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reassert the idea of an Indian nation in which Tamil Nadu is an integral but unique part of it. By having the non-brahmin adheenams participating in the...
Anti-BJP battle: Congress has miles to go and promises to keep
Congratulating the Congress on its landslide victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has noted, “They have taught a fitting lesson to the BJP for its vindictive politics, establishing their Kannadiga...
Shadow of hooch tragedy hangs over TN govt.
Barely a month after the Tamil Nadu government stated in the Assembly that there had been no hooch tragedies in the state for 14 years, two incidents of illicit liquor, claiming 22 lives so far have put paid to these official claims. The two...
Kalaignar 100: He was a journalists’ delight
Former DMK supremo and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu ‘Kalaignar’ M. Karunanidhi’s birth centenary year begins on June 3, 2023. A political, cultural and social icon indelibly engraved in the Tamil consciousness, he is and will be remembered forever for his...
Culture
Kondaiah Raju: The painter who brought the gods home
It was artist C. Kondaiah Raju (1898-1976), who, in his portraits, infused life into several Hindu gods and goddesses and made them part of several temples and households. He was one of the few famous painters such as Raja Ravi Varma. Born to...
‘Vaikom Poraattam’: On Periyar’s role, Gandhi’s strictures
The Kerala government has planned a year-long event to commemorate the centenary of Vaikom Satyagraha, which took place March 30, 1924 - November 23, 1925. The historic agitation was launched with the prominent demand to open the streets around...
Justice Party defied pressure to Sanskritise medical edu
(This is the third and final article of a three-part series) Soon after the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms of 1919, the Justice Party, which formed the provincial government for Madras Presidency in November 1920, faced various challenges. But the...
Pure Tamil drive broke Sanskrit’s grip on medicine
(This is the second article of a three-part series) When Macaulay’s report led to stopping of the British government's financial support for Sanskrit — and to Arabic and Persian, which anyway received far smaller share from the funds — Sanskrit...
Why could Indian shipping ventures not hold their own against British monopoly?
Why did the Indian shipping industry, particularly steam navigation, not flourish during the British reign in the country? This question is worth deeper analysis. That is what J. B. Prasanth More, the Puducherry-born, Paris-based academic, has attempted in his...
Food
Drink water regularly; it does more than just quench thirst
Drinking enough water every day plays a great role in maintaining human health. Water accounts for 75 per cent of the substances our body is made up of, and drinking enough water aids digestion and regulates metabolism. How much water should you...
Have greens everyday to keep diseases at bay
Food in itself and of itself is medicine. So goes an old Tamil adage. Familiar with the medicinal properties of greens, our forefathers made them a part of their daily diet. Modern doctors too insist on taking greens regularly as they play a...
Drop it like a hot potato: Boiled good, french fries bad
Is potato good for health or not? Some vouch for the potato’s health benefits such as being able to prevent cancer. But others say the tuber is anything but healthy. So, which is it? Potato, one of the world’s important food crops, is a...
Keep your gut healthy to have a happy mind
Whether one is prone to illnesses or builds good immunity to fight them depends a lot on one’s gut health. Sounds strange? It is scientifically proven that a healthy intestinal tract can rein in diseases. Being alive and kicking, totally free...
GI tag for Vellore thorny brinjal, Ramnad rotund chilli
In recognition of Tamil Nadu’s indigenous varieties of brinjal and chillies, the thorny brinjal of Vellore and the rotund chilli of Ramanathapuram have been given the geographical indication or GI tag. ‘Mullu kaththarikaai’ (thorny brinjal) is endemic to Vellore...
Civic Issues
Chennai is a mega construction site but GCC can ease pain points
Strange as it may seem, the bustling traffic on Arcot Road, a State Highway feeding into Porur, has been redirected since May 6 via densely populated residential neighbourhoods in Kodambakkam and K.K. Nagar, among other places, to facilitate work on the 118 km...
A partial victory for people with disabilities in TN cities
Something is better than nothing, the Madras High Court noted, and ordered the Tamil Nadu government to procure 499 low-floor buses suitable for use by people with disabilities in cities and suburbs. With its order of April 18, the Madras High Court has for now...
Environment
Can Chennai open more parks only at high cost?
Chennai’s Semmozhi Poonga, which experiences fluctuating fortunes based on who is in power at Fort St. George is all set to host a short three-day flower show from June 3. To prepare the park for the event, funds have flowed in for beautification, including laying...
Fishing ban an opportunity for TN fishers in Karnataka
The Mangaluru district administration has announced a 61 days monsoon fishing ban between June 1 and July 31. All mechanized boats with onboard and outboard engines above 10 HP have already begun being hauled up in Mangaluru and along the coast. All mechanized and...
Sports
Chennai, TN, the surfing capital of India
Surfing in Chennai and all of Tamil Nadu has seen a surge in popularity, captivating both locals and tourists along the state’s long and breathtaking coastline. The state's diverse range of surf spots cater to surfers of all levels, making it an enticing...
CSK’s Gujarati, GT’s Tamil talent bode well for IPL
“You do get emotional; the first game at CSK everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of tears,” said an emotional Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he led Chennai Super Kings to a record fifth IPL final on Monday. So without going into the details of how and where...
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