A couple of Open Bill Storks sun themselves at Nelapattu. This was the first time I saw them strike this pose. They just stand their with that solemn look and wings wide open as if welcoming visitors. 

The Ekambaranathar Temple tower (gopuram) at Kanchipuram. 

A detail from the courtyard where the famous Ekambaranathar Temple's mango tree stands (or used to stand). 

The famous mango tree within the Ekambareswarar Temple. This tree is said to be about 3,500 years old. (This picture was taken two/three years back. More recent pics of this tree show that the tree is no longer standing.) Here is where Lord Shiva, as Ekambaranathar appeared before Parvathi. If you can read tamil, this detail can be seen in the pic below.  

A lady arranges a pile of stones -- one more among the numerous such piles. Usually, this is a prayer to get to own a house.  

sad neglect

It is really sad when we see places of great value - either historic, religious or archaeological interest - in Tamil Nadu or anywhere in India subject to neglect. The following two pics were taken about two years back but illustrate the point I want to make. Why do we not treat such places better or cherish them more?

Dakshinamurti, Shiva in the form of the `Guru' (teacher).You can see him in most Shiva temples, usually facing south. This particular sculpture was at the Ekambaranathar Temple, Kanchipuram. One would assume that something of such beauty would be cherished. But...

This was how he was being treated. It is sad when you visit places of such value and you see the neglect. 

Just another crowded street in Parry's, the Central Business District, in Chennai. But what caught my attention were the boards on the fuse box -- a casualty of the City's two major curses, people spitting and urinating anywhere and everywhere. The board on the right threatens that anyone caught pissing there will be beaten with a slipper. The other warns of a risk of being electrocuted and `don't hold us responsible,' it says.
One of them would certainly have been effective... I hope. :)

FLOAT FESTIVALS

The last one month has been a season of float (theppam) festivals at the temples. Guess we can all thank the plentiful rains last year-end that ensured full tanks in the temples across the State. Here is a sampling of the festival at the Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane. The earlier post was from the Kapaliswarar float festival, Mylapore.

The float festival celebrated last Sunday at the Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane. The temple tower (gopuram), lit with serial lights, can be seen in the background.  

The float being pulled around the temple tank. The kids in the foreground had a gala time dragging the float around the tank. 

A view of the deity in the float. 

This pic of the Kapaliswarar temple tank was taken last month on Thai Poosam during the `theppam' (float) festival. The float can be seen to the left of the frame and the Kapali temple tower to the right. The pic is composed of two frames digitally stitched together to get this panaromic view. 

After the ride around the tank. The deity goes back to the temple. 

STAMP OF CHENNAI - 3

One more in the stamp of Chennai series - like the rest of the posts in this blog a random selection. But the combination of pics here is the fall out of a piece of information that was new to me, when I heard it in January 2006, when the AVM stamp was released. The stamp to commemorate AV. Meiyappan, who started AVM studios. He was one of the persons responsible for so many of Bharatiar's songs being popularised in movies.
He purchased the copyright of Mahakavi Bharatiar's songs for Rs 10,000 from another individual who had bought it for Rs 600. AVM then used many of the songs in his movie `Naam Iruvar' (we two) released in January 1947. Then he donated the copyrights to the Tamil Nadu Government.
This I heard at a presentation on AVM studios by his son Mr AV.M. Saravanan.

Stamp of Chennai - 3. The stamp of Subramania Bharati (1882-1921). Popularly called `Mahakavi Bharatiar' a poet and freedom fighter, known for his patriotic songs. He was also a teacher, a journalist - editor of a nationalist paper `Swadesamitran.'  

The man we can thank for bringing Bharathiar's songs into the public domain -AV. Meiyappan. The AV.M stamp and first day cover is at the top. The lower cover is a special cover and cancellation to commemorate AV.Meiyappan (1907-1979). The stamp was released in January 2006, as a part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of AVM studios, one of the two studios in Kodambakam, Kollywood, to continue in film business. (The other is Prasad Studios - another post later) The special cover has the stamp of another movie great NTR - N.T. Rama Rao, of telugu filmdom, who went on to become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. The frames in the special cover include those from `Naam Iruvar' that had a number of Bharathiar songs, next is a pic of Ms Vaijayanthimala Bali in `Vaazhkai,' Sivaji Ganesan in `Parasakthi,' the kid is Kamal Haasan in `Kalathoor Kanamma' aaannd in the last frame MGR - THE `Puratchi Thalaivar' in ANBE VAA. 

A first day cover. 

The Parthasarathy Temple procession, Garuda Vahanam, vends past Barathiar house (the red and white structure to the right) in Triplicane. I realised that I do not have a close up of the house only after deciding to put this post together. But there is a significance, though tragic - Subramania Bharati was killed by the temple elephant. 

The Mahakavi Bharati's house in Pondicherry.  

Varadaraja Perumal Temple

Back to Kanchipuram. (See related pics posted in January of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple at Kanchipuram.) Quite a few of the large temples in Tamil Nadu have the 100-pillar halls referred to as `Nootru Kaal Mandapam' (100-legged halls), and the pillars are profusely carved. The Varadaraja Perumal Temple too has one such hall. Here are a few details from there.

The sculptured pillars in the 100-pillar hall at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram. 

A sculpture at the 100-pillar hall at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram. 

Valentine's Day

Have a great Valentine's Day. A couple of Surya Kirans, part of Indian Air Force's nine-member aerobatic team, make the sign above Chennai's skies. Hope you can see them at the base of the heart. A third acts out the role of Cupid's arrow. February 14, according to information on the Internet, among other things, marks the official start of the mating season for birds. So I've included more high fliers below.

Painted Storks mating. Pic taken a few year back at Vedanthangal. But it was not on a February 14.

butterflies 

Grasshoppers...