Several Alvars record references to ancient Chennai in paasurams from 5th century References in Hymns of Alvars to ancient Chennai (Chennai Maadham series) In tracing the antiquity of the Chennai region subsequent to the second century A.D., we have to rely on the...

The Tamil film industry is known as Kollywood -- a reference to Kodambakkam, the area in Chennai where studios were once located and stars lived. The real name of Kodambakkam, however, is Kodalambakkam (Kodal + pakkam)). Kodal...

The popular saying that two Tamils would never come together and work for a common goal is becoming a myth. The just concluded RISE, a summit for Tamil Entrepreneurs across the world held at Madurai on 28th, 29th and 30th December, is yet another success story of...

Just as Vijay’s film, Sarkar, is facing hostility from the state government, the classic movie, Parasakthi, in which Sivaji Ganesan made his debut and whose dialogues were written by M Karunanidhi, also had to undergo trials when it was released in 1952 during...

In a way, it's nice to see that Tamil cinema is going through a rash of plagiarism charges now, because, for quite a long  time, the only copyright that seemed to be followed was the right to copy left, centre and right!  Producers might have crossed swords in the...

The tell-tale moustache seemingly unkempt, eyes taking a measure of you as they look through the spectacles, a disarmingly contained laughter not loud, a pattern of talking that tended to bite the words as they are being rendered - those close to him will miss all...

Women who have taken the lead in MeToo have convened a public hearing and consultation on Sunday, October 21 between 3pm to 6pm at the Dr MGR Janaki College of Arts and Science for Women. Meanwhile, M Subramani of inmathi.com did a phone interview with Justice...

Fourteen out of 18 inscriptions in Velachery confirm that Velachery belonged to Puliyur Kottam, ancient Chennai, while many of the inscriptions provide details about the functioning of assemblies called aalungunam right from the tenth century. Interestingly, Nańgai...

Across India, the MeToo movement still remains largely confined to English-speaking media and sections. Very few MeToo confessionals have come from Indian language journalists, for instance. In Tamil Nadu, adding to that is the question of whether Vairamuthu is...

The famous Dhandeeswarar temple was born as a result of the climax in the fascinating duel between Markandeya and Yama which began at Thirukadavur and ended at Velachery, a part of Puliyur Kottam, ancient Chennai, according to the legend. The legend of Markandeya...

The Me too Movement which is moving across continents has finally hit Kollywood too with singer Chinmayi Sripada hitting out at lyricist Vairamuthu, charging him with harassing her and threatening to end her career.  Vairamuthu, has indirectly referred to the...

I wanted to prove a point. Too many inquisitive foreigners – mean-minded people, in my opinion – had delighted in quizzing me about the caste system. A Japanese man told me everyone was equal in Japanese society. “Well what about the burakumin?” I countered. He...

It is true that Malayalis refer to Tamils as Pandis and Annachis. But that’s not derogatory, says Vanamamalai, secretary of Thiruvananthapuram Tamil Writers Association. Vanamamalai says he is the right person to make that judgment. Originally from Tirunelveli, he...

Vedasireni, as Velachery was known ages ago, provides this fascinating fairy tale of how the Vedas were purified in the ambience of  beautiful lake surrounded by colorful trees. The legend of Velachery as told in the story of Thiruvanmiyur means that the place is...

There is plenty of talk about the need to restore Gram Sabhas on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi. Even actor turned politicians Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth have been stressing on the need to revive the system of Gram Sabhas to focus attention on villages, and the...

There seems to be a general lack of awareness about the contribution of Mackenzie Manuscripts to understanding and analyzing the history of ancient Chennai region. Here, we provide details of what these manuscripts meant for evaluation of history, and how he has...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHENNAI Inmathi.com wishes all its readers and the people of Greater Chennai a happy birthday !!! Yes, September 30 is the official birthday of Chennai – the day when Chennai was officially renamed (giving up the British legacy of Madras) through a...

Velachery is a bustling place now, providing a link as it were to the Old Mamallapuram Road (OMR) and the East Coast Road, and the rest of Chennai region, housing modern IT complexes and multi-storeyed blocks, yet it is as ancient as can be. The epigraphs of...

Chennapuri Annadana Samajam has been engaged for more than a century in feeding, clothing, and housing poor, orphaned children forsaken by the society. This Samajam (Society) has the proud privilege of being visited by Swami Vivekananda. The great saint, while on a...

Puliyur Kottam was the ancient administrative unit of Chennai from over 2,000 years ago. Like Egmore, Mylapore, Triplicane, Adyar, Thiruvanmiyur, Saidapet, Pallavaram, Tirunirmalai, Kundrathur, Mangadu, Poonamallee, Tambaram, Somangalam, Manimangalam, Pozhichalur...

Dropping out college to pursue one's passion may not turn out to be fruitful for most people. For Arun Karthick, 26, it did. The government of Netherlands has provided financial assistance of Rs 40 lakhs (50,000 Euro) to the Tamil film that he is directing at...

Authorities breaking open a bedsit (a studio apartment) in London, 2006, made a grim discovery. On the sofa, lay the skeletal remains of a 40-year-old woman (38 when she was dead), unnoticed for close to three years by neighbours, family (four sisters),...

Of all the Indian languages, it was only in Tamil that the first book was printed. That Tamil book was CartiIha published with Roman characters in Portugal in the 16th century. Cartilha remains an invaluable document which speaks about the greatness of Tamil...

July 21, 2018, marks the 651st anniversary of  the Madrasapatnam inscription of Kamapana II at Penneswaramadam in Krishnagiri taluk, Krishnagiri district. The inscription on a rock surface near the Pennaiyar river dated July 21, 1367 established that Madrasapatnam,...