Parry’s Corner, Chennai

Parry’s Corner is a well known junction in Chennai, named after the EID Parry’s building that stands at the corner of the intersection of North Beach Road and NSC Bose Road near Madras High Court. Paris or Parrys is a household name among Chennaites, which is an important place for commercial banking and trading and also very famous for bazaars, is one of the most congested areas in Chennai. The NSC Bose Road has many historic buildings and EID Parry’s was the second oldest business house in India exists for more than 200 years.

The EID Parry’s (India) Ltd., date back to 1788 when Thomas Parry arrived in Madras and registered as a free merchant and setup a model business of piece goods and banking. Acquiring the plot and garden house across the way from the High Court, Thomas Parry developed it as the office of Parry and Lane and remodelled the house in Palladian architecture. Followed by several partnerships the firm became Parry & Co in 1839, made it the premier house of business in the South and one of the leading businesses in the country.

The EID Parry’s building, also known as the Dare House is named after John William Dare’s contribution to Parry & Co, as the most significant partner. He was recognised in the name of the Art Deco building that opened its doors on the Parry’s site in 1940, is now houses the headquarters of Murugappa Group. Next to the Parry’s building (on the NSC Bose Road) is the head office of the TNSC Bank.

The six-storied Art Deco building/home was built in 1970 on the pulled down of Ramalingam Building, owned by the Madras Provincial Cooperative Bank. By 1974, when the Bank moved into the new home it become Tamil Nadu State Cooperative Bank come head office.

Between the Anderson Church (see the steeple in left) and TNSC Bank on the NSC Bose Road are the buildings of State Bank of Mysore and LIC Bombay Mutual Insurance. Both the building sits on the site where the Anderson Hall and College exists once. The organisations also used the old buildings till their new once opened in 1957 and 1955 respectively. Interestingly both the buildings are constructed in Art Deco style and the Bank of Mysore (center) is architect by B.R. Manicam who was the architect of Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore.

Source of Reference : Hindu Metro Plus, The house that Parry built

Fenced Paddy Field

During one of my outing on the outskirts of Chennai, I come across a meadow of paddy which I find amazing. The thing to feel amaze was not that I haven’t seen paddy fields before, but their existence. Though villages and farm lands around the Chennai are rapidly convert into plots and buildings, it’s wonderful to see the lands that are still cultivated. Perhaps sooner or later the landscape going to change but the sights will remain nostalgic like what many places used to be right now for me.

Linking this post for Run A Round Ranch's Good Fences.  Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends here 

Update Life

Following the left eye in 2012, my father underwent a cataract surgery for the right yesterday. When he was done with the left, there wasn't a need to go for right soon since cataract showed very less growth then. The Dr. has advised to go for surgery when the cataract showed 50 percent growth last year, but being caught up with other problems related to health postponed the surgery thinking how to handle life without one another as I was in need of two people i.e. my parents. At this same time last year I was into the cast post fracture above my knee and for more than 2-3 months I was depended on three people to do the natural task as human.

Early before my fracture, my father caught with one on his ankle following his bike fell down at the knock of a car. Being a diabetic patient it took more than 3 months for his wounds to heal and only later we were able to do something for his hair crack which was almost healed on its own lying beneath the wound. Shifting houses has been a task we went through last two years has kept away the thought and care for the cataract. Though he has been going through eye sight problem with one enough clear vision and other getting blur, he kept postponing the surgery thinking who will assist me or replaces him for at least a month to quite recover.

Everyone knows it’s a minor surgery and doesn't last more than 10 minutes and he was back at home in 4 hours. But things don’t end there right? Regular apply to eye drops matters much important and being away from light vital more along with complete rest and control in sugar to sustain quick recovery. Similar to the phase during his bike accident, I come into the control of my mom again but residing close to my native house our uncle’s family (dad’s bro) was helping us in many ways. Do you remember or not, the house we are staying now isn't what we were looking for but to put an end to house hunt then (March) we decided to move here to transfer later slowly.

Though we aren't in hurry now, we have a thought in mind of another house since we experience water problem here and to feed our thought, the house owner has kindly requested us to be prepare to shift house as he had approached for a plan to built a brand new home by demolishing the present one, which is 40+ years old. And also staying opposite to a school makes feel anxious and I really lose my peace during the school time. We have our own houses in the same and neighborhood areas but they aren't convenient for me. We have our home in ground floor only at the apartment and we shifted from their mainly due to short in space and my native house has homes in upstairs since uncle’s workshop occupies the ground space.

In-between I have requested a friend in US (who’s on onsite) to acquire a person hoist (a transfer device which lift a person to move their position), to help my parents to make easy my shifting. As you all know that I have lost the ability to stand post fracture. Initially the transfer between wheelchair and car only bothered me much as I don’t find great difficult with life at home as I used to it daily, but I don’t think that life sustain at this phase forever and I need to think about future with aging parents, a device like hoist will aid them reduce physical stress. He has inquired with PTA/Take-AlongLifts and looking forward to their quotation and shipping method. Hope things goes well... 

Thirudan Police

Titled in the name of a nostalgic game we played during our childhood days imagining ourselves as thirudan (thief) and police and trying to catch the opponents to eliminate. The Tamil film Thirudan Police is also based on the same but the difference was the thief and police are in the same department. Rather being a usual serious action cop story, the film is based on comedy and father-son sentiment and revenge in an amusing way.

Vishwa is a carefree person and dislike his father Singaram; a sincere head constable who wants him to become a police officer before his retirement. But the situation brought him into the same department as his father was killed in a fake encounter planned by an assistant commissioner to save his son from a rape case, as he found the evidence. Vishwa doesn’t seem to feel sorry for his father’s death or shows any interest on revenging the culprits until he realized the worth and hardship of his father as he himself went through it. But how does he revenge, is the highlight set in a light-hearted way.

The movie led by Attakathi Dinesh shows much improvement in acting (following his character as visually challenged in Cuckoo) and also continues to act close to reality make it appreciable. His sorrow for disregarding his father has been carried out light-heartedly though it makes sense and meaningful when he broke down realizing his mistake to misunderstand his father. Veteran actor Rajesh in the sincere head constable suit suits him well, as he had done similar roles in couple of films earlier and though he comes for a short period deserves respect. The upcoming comedian Bala Sarvanan has done best supporting role, and being a constable he guides Dinesh and make fun together.

Naan Kadavul Rajendran and John Vijay played the funny villain roles against the serious assistant commissioner, who launched them to kill the constable Singaram and to help his son to finish off Vishwa. Between the comedy rattle there’s a mild love track with Iyshwarya Rajesh – not so fair but enough with girl next door image – make some pleasant appearance and couple of duets with Dinesh. Music by Yuvan was fine and I liked the song Pesadhe, which sounds pleasant along with a party song by Vijay Sethupathi.

The debutant director Caarthick Raju had done a decent job to be watched by everyone and will be appreciated for highlighting the father-son relationships, apart attaching photos of the actors and technicians shot with their fathers to the credit was something innovative and touching. Produced by SPB Charan, the film has SPB Balasubrahmanyam appear in a special guest roll, sent a brief message to student on father’s behalf. Thirudan Police – A Light-hearted Play!

Park gate and flowers

Actually this shot doesn’t focused on the blue gate barred in spike/arrow bars, but on the flowers which are commonly known as spider flowers or spider plants belong to the family of Cleomaceae. Close to the gate of Anna Park in Yercaud, the colourful flowers make beautiful lines on both sides as inviting visitors into the park. Though it isn't a big park or garden, there are number of beautiful flowers esp. roses to admire and during summers they conduct flower shows displaying number of flowers.

I was looking for a photo for Good Fences Thursday (run by Run A Round Ranch) and come across this look like newly painted gate of Anna Park from my storage in laptop. To say about the spider flowers, they are native to South America and blooms in purple, pink or white with four petals and six long stamens.

Kayal and Anegan (Music Feel)

For last few days I have been listening to the songs of an upcoming Tamil film, Kayal.  The successful combination of Prabhu Solaman and D Imman, who stroked the hearts with the reverberating Mynaa and Kumki, has once again come together for Kayal, to continue their passion for melody. But I couldn’t avoid the feel that few songs in the album resemble their early compositions. For example Paravayaa Parakkurom exist the feel of listening to Neeyum Naanum from Mynaa! Initially I don’t like this song as it begins with grief but listening two more times in energetic voice of Haricharan holds grip.

Yenga Pulla Irukka is another song that comes close with my favourite from Kumki, Onnum Puriyala. But I don’t complain as I enjoy it on the line of melody and shades of Onnum Puriyala, I only find the loud instruments as little noisy. Unna Ippo Pakkanum is beautiful melody rendered by Haricharan and Vandana Srinivas, and Yengirindu Vandhaayo is a solo solely attribute to Shreya Ghoshal. Apart, Deeyaalo Deeyaalo, which is a thoughful folk and one of the best in the album according to me personally, Yen Aala Paakkaporaen (listen it below) is my most favorite song and feels so evergreen.

Begins with charming strings, followed by chimes chanting the motto of the song soon captures the attention in the sweetest voice of Shreya, singing in fluent. The song travels on a melodic folk track tuned in the traditional clay instrument, Ghatam, was later joined by K.G.Ranjith, taking the song to another step on the soothing front and both emphasis the lyrics into a very beautiful song.  Surprisingly all the songs were written by Yugabharathi!

Along with Kayal, I was also listening to songs of Anegan, a newly realised audio album of Tamil film Anegan. This is also a successful combo following Ayan, Ko and Mattran, Harish Jayaraj and KV.Anand goes hand-in-hand for this already chartbuster on FM radios.  Though I liked the songs of entire album, Aathadi Aathadi (listen below) fascinated me lot! I simply love the melody sung by Bhavatharani, Abhay Jodhpurkar and Dhanush. Among the instruments played, just like Yen Aala... from Kayal, Ghatam has embraced a lot along the gently flow of the song, which also has a bit of Chinese interruption.  

Few other songs that I enjoyed in the Anegan: Roja Kadale is an energetic and stylish song I would go with following Aathadi. Thodu Vaanam is quite melody and does feel usual Harish music. But what surprises me in the album was his attempt on very local song or gana (Danga Maari) that he wasn’t familiar with. No matter what (though it make little embarrassing) the song was enjoyable at the moment of listening and a good change from being totally melody.  

Sunday Photo: Ice-cream vendor

Here’s a photo of an ice-cream vendor waiting for the customers at Marina Beach, Chennai. It was a common sight at beaches but viewing through the camera lens, I find something special with the light and darkness surrounding the ice-cream vendor.

Two weeks back and while coming back from my dad’s friend house in Chetput; we landed at Marina beach for sometime before head to home. Being Sunday it was crowded. But in front of the Vivekananda house, in Kamarajar Salai, where the rain water stagnant into the beach sand restricted people movement. Usually I used to check marina beach after rains to watch the fun happening with the stagnant water along the service road aside the beach sand. Vehicles wade thought the water make wonderful splashes and few times we too have made through it but never in a way of threatening others.

The darkness behind the ice-cream vendor is full of water, so I was glad to shoot the photo without any hindrance at background distracting the view. Though there were few kids playing in the water doesn't interfered in anyways. 

Attitudes and Nephew

Today is children’s day in India. The first Prime Minister of Independence India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was born on this day and his fond for children inspired to declare his birthday as children’s day. Chacha (uncle) Nehru is what children called him fondly; who also showed affection towards children and his love for rose often sees him comparing the both, “saying that children were like the buds in a garden. They should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they were the future of the nation and citizens of tomorrow”. He felt that children are the real strength of a country and very foundation of society.

I totally agree with his words above, as I strongly believe good children are gift to society. I like to share something here on the line of children’s day from my personal thought on children. I always admire children for their innocence and being true towards their feeling and attitude. I strongly condemn parents enforcing their personal perspective as the perfect way of viewing things in children. The truth could be only one and it is our duty to teach them irrespective of what we think personally and teach them how to write and let not decide what they have to write. Give way to their true feeling and freedom to let them scribble as their initial expression and respect their attitude if it was right from a common view and not from your personal angle. Everyone knows growing children is not easy task and only responsible parents could lead their children best in attitude.

Along with my nephew, wishing all Happy Children’s Day 

Coming to the actual post here: I had to spent another wonderful day with my nephew Barath at home and going out to beach, last week, after he kept calling me few time as he come back to his grandmother’s house. He thinks that visiting his grandmother house means coming to ours as well. He remembers my name well and the relation between us, as I am the only younger brother to his father (my cousin) whom he was close and share more time than the other younger brothers of his father. I was truly touched by his attitude towards me and I almost melt away when he called me to say bye before leaving his grandmother house to his own.

He exhibits great gasping power and good at memorise. His attitude towards relationship is enriched which I haven’t seen it in any other children who have been close with me latter. In next six months he will be left to school and I really wonder will I get to share time with him like now. But anyhow I am so happy for his love and attention toward me and I used to forget almost everything that bothers me when I am with him. Who won’t fall in love with someone holding innocent smile and share from his heart? 

Red Letter Box on Gate

From my childhood days I show interest on red letter boxes that hang from the gates of many houses in my neighbourhood and while coming back from school then, I truly wish to have one such box hung from our own gate. While residing in our native house in Adyar, we shared a common gate with uncle’s workshop so we hadn’t had a chance or truth to be said, we don’t had a necessary to place a letter box since almost our relatives and friends are from within Chennai and easily reachable. The only family that sent us letters/greeting cards was from our great aunt’s who stayed away from city.

Even after shifted to apartment in neighbourhood, we don’t have the chance or need to place a letter box because there was already a common box for every block and the watchman himself will distribute the letters to right home while he comes around. The letter boxes in eye-catching red, with words refer to what it was in white against black cap with a gap inside to drop the letter. I find interesting how post man drops the letter inside, and many boxes I have seen had locks to keep safe the letters from ill beings. A house that was opposite to ours in Adyar had the letterbox placed inside their compound wall with just a gap on wall to leave the letter.

I link this post, with the red letter box hanging along the gate from one of our neighbours, to the Run a Round Ranch’s Good fences. The photos on the letter box was shot from the mobile camera (2 mega pixel), while being out one evening in wheelchair to a nearest park. So pls bear with the quality. I also added a photo from the park, above, where kids play sliding. I find this particular side very colorful and fun sliding down.

A falls near Coonoor

Driving down from Coonoor on the Mettupalaiyam road and at the Kattari Junction I find a small waterfall on the roadside after taking right at the junction towards Kundha. It is one of an important junction that led to the western sides of Nilgiri.

It seems like a small freshwater spring come falls, continue to flow as I read a board there warning not to wash vehicles there. Being midsummer month then water flow has been least.

Vedaranyam – Renowned for salt and struggle

During my visit to Point Calimere (Kodiyakarai) we landed at Vedaranyam for temple visit and to time pass while waiting for the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary to be open by afternoon to enter. Vedaranyam is a coastal town, about 50 km southeast of Nagapattiman in Tamil Nadu along the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. The town Vedaranyam derive its name from the temple here called Vedaranyeswarar Temple, with Vedaranyeswarar as presiding deity, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The 7^th century Saiva canonical work, Tevaram (written by Tamil saint poets known as the Nayanars) mentions this place as Tirumaraikadu, meaning the place where Vedas, the oldest scripture of Hinduism, originated.

Vedaranyeswarar Temple Tower (click photos for enlargement)

Vedaranyam is also a historical town and according to the inscriptions found in Vedaranyeswarar Temple, Vedaranyam has been a part of the Chola Empire under various reigns (from 871-1120 CE) until before it falls during 13^th century CE while under a power struggle between Pandyas and Hoysalas. The Cholas had been profuse throughout their reign granting to the temple, which continued even during the rules of the Nayaks of Thanjavur. The Vedaranyeswarar Temple is a part of the series of temples built by Aditya Chola (871-907 CE) along the banks of river Cauvery to commemorate his victory in the Tirupurambiyam batter. The temple has a five-tiered gateway tower and a central shrine, holding the image of Shiva in the form of lingam.

Salt Pans of Vedaranyam

Being under French and British regime, like many other places in pre-independence era and a part of Nagapattinam region, Vedaranyam is renowned for salt and struggle! Producing around 500,000 tonnes of salt every year, Vedaranyam stands next to Tuticorin in quantum of salt produced in Tamil Nadu. Thanks to the advantage of Great Vedaranyam Swamp with total area of about 349 sq.-km stretching parallel to the Palk Strait and Point Calimere wildlife sanctuary to extreme east; Vedaranyam has five fresh water channels from river Cauvery draining into the swamp, that obtain continuous source of fresh, saline or brackish water during the southwest monsoon and dries up in summer, contributes to salt extraction.

Salt Pans along the way to Point Calimere from Vedaranyam

The swamp is also filled by two periodical high tides that occur during the full moon days of summer. The saltpans spread over 11,000 acres between Vedaranyam and Kodiyakarai has small, medium and large salt manufactures that employ around 20,000 people. Aside salt manufacturing, fishing and salt water prawn cultivation is also primary activities of Vedaranyam. During the British period, salt from Vedaranyam has been transported to Nagapattinam port though a 52 km long canal since road transportation has been limited between these two towns then. Vedaranyam is a place that earned name for supporting Dandi March, one of the prime protest lead my Mahatma Gandhi against sales tax levied on salt extraction.  

Vedaranyam Beach

While Gandhi launched the Dandi March along India’s west coast to protest against the tax imposed by British Raj for salt extraction, his close associate and later India’s first Governor-General C. Rajagopalachari carried out a salt march in parallel, to the event on the east coast starting from Tiruchi to Vedaranyam. His group led by 100 volunteers was arrested by the British for collecting salt directly from the sea on the coast of Vedaranyam on 30 April 1930. There is a Salt Sathyagraga Memorial Stupe on the way to the Vedaranyam beach, built in memory of the salt march that sent Rajaji and others to six months imprisonment. Equivalent to Raameshwaram, taking bath in Vedaranyam beach is also believed to drive away sins! 

Courage is what it takes to stand up....

... and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. – Winston Churchill

Nephew Barath, during his initial steps or stand up, holding our entrance gate while we reside in apartment. I link this post to Run aRound Ranch’s Good fences.

Foraging Squirrel

Here’s a short video I shot on Indian palm squirrel foraging amid plants at my previous residence in Kottivakkam, Chennai. We had enough open space there to grow plants and naturally the ground was incline to grow grasses, invite squirrels to forage on the scattered weeds. I truly miss the space now, but squirrels are everywhere and I see them often on palm trees here since they belong to the specimen, I couldn't reach them easily like before to shoot. Even while composing this post (5.30pm), I hear squirrel shrilling outside.

Experience with Aavin, AVMs and Price Hike

Milk is an essential of life and feeds no difference!  Coming out of mother’s feeding, milk has been the best source of nutrition for kids and also easily digestible, it treats everyone (with no age difference) being a special ingredient as beverage is open to varied flavours. For many, a day does not begin without coffee or tea and to make it possible milk is the prominent. Though they can be prepared using hot water, only milk seems to provide the real essence of taste.  I also don’t drink coffee/tea without added to milk and we use about 1.5 litre of milk everyday at home to make drink and curd and to feed our dog Maya.

A scene in front of AVM  (pic: the hindu)

Things being like that, the Aavin (the trademark of Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited, a Tamil Nadu-based milk producer’s union) have raised the price of milk up to 40 percent per litre which is ever so high in a single hike. It wouldn't have been a matter of huge difference if the price was increased step by step (which could be the right progress), but this couldn't be an easy task for people to follow with low income. Being a consumer of Aavin since late 90s (when we stopped getting raw milk from my grandfather's house as they themselves wasn't sufficient with milk for their tea shop, because of the reduction of bulls they reared, as their demand was also fulfilled by Aavin) we adapted to their quality and quantity which has been content so far and suppose to be hopefully. Though the hike doesn't seems to bother us much, will truly play a crucial role on low income families. Just because we are affordable, can’t accept such huge step that’s very difficult for others to come across and if the govt. itself makes such a leap, there won’t be wonder if Pvt. overtakes them.

The price has risen within weeks the Aavin stopped selling loose milk supplied through automatic vending machines (AVMs) in Aavin booths. But the reality was the AVMs aren’t in operation for long time and it’s only the staffs take the control of selling loose milk using measures.  The change in the mode of supply is being done as a quality control measure as there have been complaints of adulteration of the milk sold through these machines. The organisation has chosen to do away with this mode which will cost them an additional ₹1.25 crore per annum. Introduced by Aavin in late 1970s, AVMs has been big hit among Chennaities as they provided an interesting experience, which I too enjoyed once, as I find it fun dropping coins into the AVMs (after making line to the Aavin booth to collect coins by paying at the counter) and fill our utensil with milk flow through a pipe. Each coin let us hold half a litre of milk which was their standard practice.

While back in Adyar, there’s an Aavin booth near our house and we usually visit the booth in afternoon and sometime wait in queue until the milk van come refilling the booth. Many of our neighbours also join the queue and sometime I accompany my aunt on behalf our family to buy milk. Mostly I like to go there to hold milk from the AVMs; even I can't drop the coin at that height since I wasn't even a teen then, but sometimes I have the chance to operate the automated machine if someone lifts me up. Locally called as Button Paal (milk), because of the size of the coin which used to drop into the AVM resembles the size of a button or 25 paisa coin, can be brought either through Milk Cards or instant paying according to our comfort.  If milk has been in demand, a person could buy only a litre of milk from the booth, so sometime parents take us along with them to get additional coins or litres.

After shifted to neighbourhood area, dad took the task of buying milk completely since there isn’t an Aavin booth close to our house; so he used to buy milk while he drives back from office.  He also stopped using utensil, as it is not possible while he was working he shifted to buy milk loosely in instant pack. We don’t buy packet or sachet milk unless we couldn’t able to visit the booth and now again back in Adyar and close to Aavin booth we had been buying milk loosely in utensil but now things come to an end hence Aavin stopped selling milk in loose and through AVMs from  Oct 15. So we are quite depended on packet milk, but my only hope and wish was Aavin sustains the existing quality and quantity.