Culture
Culture

In praise of Chennai in 5th century AD

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 works of the early Vaishnavite...

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Triplicane Temple
Culture

How Kollywood owes its name to a flower

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 is the name of a flower that grew in these parts, as recorded in...

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Culture

The man who created the grammar of modern Tamil drama

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 of this. Na Muthusamy,...

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