Triplicane, Chennai, India
Triplicane, Chennai, India Triplicane is one of the oldest commercial districts in the South Indian city of Chennai. In fact, the costal communities that include Triplicane, along with Thiruvotriyur, Mylapore and Thiruvanmiyur, predate modern Chennai by at least two millennia. Most popular guide books are more likely to mention Mylapore with its outrageously colorful Shiva (Kapaleeswarar) Temple at its heart. #gallery-1 { margin:... [Read More...]
Museum Complex, Egmore, Chennai
Museum Complex, Egmore, Chennai Chennai’s Government Museum complex in the district of Egmore is comprised of six buildings and 46 galleries. Of these, we only had time to visit the Gallery of Bronzes and the adjacent gallery of coins. Reading the dates on the coins, one gets an idea of just how far back (BC) India’s recorded history actually goes. There was even a display of the light-weight alloy coins that were commonly used back when I... [Read More...]
Navaratri ‘Kolu’ (India)
Navaratri ‘Kolu’ (India) As a small child growing up in Kerala, I was quite unaware of the vibrancy; of the intensity and vitality of ‘Kolu’, which is an integral part of Navaratri, a celebration of the Goddess Durga. I was introduced to its color and pageantry only after my mother and I relocated to Bangalore in Karnataka, a state that is in many respects synonymous with the traditions of Navaratri (also known there as Dasara). It didn’t... [Read More...]
Guindy National Park, Chennai, India
Guindy National Park, Chennai, India Just this past week I happened to be returning from somewhere. I was sitting in the back of the car, listening to OASIS on my iPod. We were stuck in the usual Chennai traffic. To my right, there was a high wall that seemed to go on for miles. It’s not unusual to see walls in Chennai (or anywhere in India) as walls are regarded here as a prudent way of protecting one’s property. #gallery-4 { margin:... [Read More...]
Trees of South India
Trees of South India When one travels to another hemisphere or latitude, the first thing one notices is that the vegetation has changed. I remember a close friend of mine remarking on returning to New Jersey from California after a long absence, “My God! It’s so green here.” It’s not that he didn’t know. It just strikes everyone – the sudden, abrupt, indelible change – made entirely possible these days by the invention of... [Read More...]
Kalakshetra; Chennai, India
Kalakshetra; Chennai, India Kalakshetra literally means “A Holy Place for the Arts”. It was established in 1936 by Rukmini Devi in order to spark a revival of South Indian traditions in music, dance and handicrafts. Both her father and husband were influential members of the Theosophical Society in Adyar. While most members of the Society, including her husband, were absorbed in their work to advance India’s political freedom, Mrs. Devi determined... [Read More...]
Amethyst, Chennai
Amethyst, Chennai Colonial heritage is not necessarily something despised by all people. Often, colonial heritage sites are lovingly maintained for posterity. I remember way back in the mid ‘70s landing in Singapore after a wearying boat ride from Jakarta in steerage. Even in those days it was a sprawling modern metropolis with glass and chrome office buildings and shopping malls. There was also an Indian and a Chinese sector, both abounding... [Read More...]
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Do I have a fresh perspective on Thiruvananthapuram (formerly known as Trivandrum)? Nothing that hasn’t been said before. But there is one aspect that is so immediately striking – especially now, when I am fresh in from the chaos and clutter of Chennai, India’s only first-tier city in the south where I currently reside. Yes, one is instantly aware of the studied order of Kerala that is particularly evident in Thiruvananthapuram:... [Read More...]
Tamil Nadu Deep Sea Fishing
Chennai Journal; Dateline: Bay of Bengal, South India – April 13, 2009 I woke up earlier than usual today. The people next-door set off cherry bombs in celebration of the Tamil new year. It was still relatively cool outside (80’s), so I decided to go down to the beach (Bay of Bengal) and watch the sun rise. What I witnessed was timeless, almost biblical. A fishing boat was about to leave for work. I noticed the silhouettes of an unusually... [Read More...]
