Malayalee Club joins in... and how!

The Malayalee Club in Chennai is 110 years old. It has a great history and we will go into that some other time, but for the present I must mention the leadership qualities and enthusiasm displayed by its president M Nanda Govind in participating in Madras Week celebrations. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I had broached the subject of the Malayalee Club being a part of the heritage celebrations in the city. Nandu, as he is better known, wished to know more about it and once I explained he was keen to get started.

Today afternoon, I received a letter from him, addressed to the Club’s members. And may be I should quote some sentences in it to bring out the flavour:

“…Very few modern cities can boast of this type of antiquity (of being 370 years old)… many have contributed to making Chennai what it is – a cosmopolitan, tranquil cradle of tradition and culture, blending seamlessly with an unobtrusive modernity. From the days when it was the capital of the composite state of Madras, including large parts of present-day Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, to its current position as the gateway to south India, the growth of Chennai has been influenced and nurtured by people of various linguistic denominations. And not the least among these have been the Malayalees…”

So, what has Nandu managed to organise in such a short span? Well, he and his team have decided to honour some of the Malayalees who have enriched the heritage of Chennai with their invaluable contributions – stalwarts from varied fields such as politics, literature, cinema, music, education, medicine, business, civil service, social service and theatre.

On Madras Day, Saturday, August 22, at 6pm at the Malayalee Club auditorium in Chetpet, the Club will honour the following:


Politics
MG Ramachandran, represented by his nephew MGC Prabhakaran
Kozhippurath Madhava Menon, represented by his daughter Meenakshi Menon

Civil service
PC Mathew
TV Antony
Hari Bhaskar

Education
AK Gopalan
TP Imbichammed

Law
P Govinda Menon, represented by his son
M Sankaranarayanan
MK Nambiar

Medical science
Sarada Menon

Accountancy
M Ramachanra Varier

Literature
Chelanat Achuta Menon, represented by his grandson KP Sunil
Prabhakara Warrier

Music
V Dakshinamoorthy
MS Viswanathan
KJ Yesudas

Cinema
Sasikumar
MO Joseph
KS Sethumadhavan
Navodaya Appachan
Sukumari
TR Omana
Jayabharathy

Social service
TG Menon
V Ravunni Menon

Business
KM Mammen Mappila, represented by his son Vinu Mammen

Art
KCS Panicker, represented by his son Nandagopal

Theatre
VP Sidhan

There are bound to be trips down memory lane and it is a programme not to be missed by Malayalees in Chennai.

Chennai Food Trail anybody?

Surprising.

Nobody has thought of hosting a Chennai Food Walk.

Street Food Walk would be easy to handle.

T. Nagar to Marina to Zam Bazaar to Sowcarpet and Mint. This is one route I'd suggest.

You could also think of 5 vintage food joints of the city to explore. Buharis on Mount Road, Ratna Cafe in Triplicane and a Gujarati Mess in Broadway is on top of my list. Would you like to add on and coax a foodie and diehard citizen to lead the tour?

Roll on, it is still not late foodies.

Network! If you still have not planned an Event. . .

If you still have not planned an event for Madras Day 2009 . . . if you are in the middle of a plan . . well, I'd suggest you network with people and groups which already have and get going!

The Exnora umbrella is Anna Nagar is strong and active organisation. It is keen to host its own programme. . I have suggested to that community that it could perhaps take part in the Kilpauk Heritage Walk that is firmed up now.

Writer-journo Charukesi speed-read the book ' Chennaikku Vandein' , published by Kalachuvadu last year ( essays written by famed writers and literrateurs) and coaxed the Kalanilayam Troupe ( theatre) to present a dramatised reading of at least four essays.

We requested Hamsadhwani sabha in Adyar to host the event and thats fixed. Thanks Charukesi. Some one in Mylapore also wants to invite the troupe. Networking works . .

You may go through the Calendar of Events - choose events you may want to have in your region and make the contact!

If you still need help, email - madrasday@yahoo.com

An anthem for Chennai

Every year, it is during the days leading to Madras Week and during the week itself that you bump into people you have never known before but with whom you instantly strike a chord.

One such person is Malini Visweswaran. I haven’t met her as yet but we have been talking on the phone the past couple of weeks and she strikes me as somebody who can play a useful part in the days ahead in efforts to preserve the city’s heritage.

Malini first called to speak about her son who had composed music, at least most of it, for a song about the city; it was a song he had composed as a sort of Chennai anthem during an earlier programme. She found Madras Week the ideal platform to highlight the efforts of her son and to complete what he had left unfinished.

Malini has spoken to members of the music band, Oxygen, who were known to her son. The group will now complete the composition and present it at Hotel Green Park on Madras Day (August 22) at 6.45pm. And as Oxygen plays, pictures of parts of Chennai mentioned in the lyrics will unfold on a screen in the hall. The performance may not last more than 15 minutes, but it will bring to public view for the first time a certain facet of the city from the eyes of a youngster and also bring to fruition a small part of his dream.

Malini has also volunteered to help out during Madras Week. Thank you, Malini, for your wonderful gesture.

Special Postal Cover! Grab it . . .

D H Rao has done it again. For Madras.

This passionate philatelist will be bringing out yet another special Postal Cover dedicated to Madras that is Chennai in connection with Madras Day 2009.

The theme - Old Bridges of Our City.

Rao spent close to a year going around to photograph these bridges -"they look stunning when you look at them from the other side", he says. The best will be on the postal cover.

The cover will be released on Aug 22, 10 a m at P S School auditorium in Mylapore

They will be on sale Aug 22 to 24, 10.30 am to 7 p m at the campus where a show will take place.

This is a cover you must have. Buy it.

P. S. : If you are a retired person living in the Mylapore region and can spare 2/3 hrs to be at Rao's show, please volunteer. Rao's cell no is - 98408 70172.