Mani Ratnam

Mani Ratnam (Tamil: மணி ரத்னம்) (born 2 June 1956 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. His directorial debut was the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi starring Anil Kapoor in 1983. Directing landmark films such as Mouna Raagam (1986), Nayagan (1987), Anjali (1990), Thalapathi (1991), Iruvar (1997), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Yuva (2004), Guru (2007), and his "terrorism trilogy" consisting of Roja (1992), Bombay (1995) and Dil Se (1998), Ratnam is widely credited with having revolutionised the Tamil film industry and altering the profile of Indian cinema. Ratnam has won five Filmfare Awards (South), four Filmfare Awards (Hindi), and twelve international film festival awards. His Tamil movie Nayagan, Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy and Guru Dutt's Pyaasa are the only Indian films that have appeared in TIME Magazine's All-Time 100 Greatest Movies. His film Roja was the only Indian film to feature in TIME Magazine's "10 Best Soundtracks" of all time.

Personal life and education

Mani Ratnam was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India to Tamil brahmin parents. His actual name is Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam. He did his schooling at Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School. After graduating with a degree in Commerce from Vivekananda College, University of Madras and an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, he embarked on a career as a management consultant before becoming a filmmaker. He got into film direction with the help of his late brother, film producer G. Venkateswaran. Ratnam married actress Suhasini in 1988. They have a son named Nandhan Mani Ratnam.
Ratnam lives in Alwarpet, Chennai, where he runs his production company Madras Talkies.

Career

Ratnam is particularly known for his eye for technical detail in the art of film making, having worked with and also introduced some of the best music directors, cinematographers, art directors, dialogue writers and editors in India. Several international papers and books have been published on his critically acclaimed movies. He has worked with many of India's superstars, including Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor,Akkineni Nagarjuna, Mammootty, Mohanlal as well as up-coming superstars Surya and Vikram.

1980s

Mani Ratnam's directorial debut was in 1983, through the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi, starring Anil Kapoor. Mani Ratnam managed to persuade acclaimed director and cinematographer Balu Mahendra to serve as his cinematographer. The film boldly explored the nature of a relationship between a young man and an older woman. The film did not perform well at the box office. His following efforts were the Malayalam film Unaru (1984), which starred Mohanlal, and then two Tamil films, Pagal Nilavu and Idaya Kovil.
In 1986, Mani finally attained commercial success in Tamil Nadu through the Tamil language romantic drama Mouna Ragam with Revathi and Mohan. The film told the story of the friction between a newly-wed couple, and remains famous to date as a relevant and realistic portrayal of romance among urban Tamils. Its score by Ilaiyaraaja became a huge success upon release.It was subsequently dubbed into Telugu under the same title and went to become a hit in Andhra Pradesh as well. Mani's status was elevated further a year later writing Nayagan, directing the versatile Tamil actor Kamal Hassan for the film, which went on to become a legendary success in the industry.Many Indian critics dubbed it as India's answer to the cult The Godfather. The film, which tells the story of an orphaned slum dweller and his rise to top of the Mumbai underworld hierarchy, was included in TIME Magazine's All-Time 100 Greatest Movies. The story was inspired by the real life story of underworld king Varadarajan Mudaliar.

Late 1980s and early 1990s

With commercial success coming back to back, Ratnam wrote and directed Agni Natchathiram. The film was notable for use of new techniques in terms of camera framework, especially during the shoot of songs in the film. The film had a successful run in the box office. Mani later returned to familiar territory of winning critical acclaim through his next film made in Telugu, named Geethanjali. The film which starred Nagarjuna in the lead role told the story of an ill-fated couple who are both suffering from terminal diseases. Ratnam maintained a momentum of making emotional stories of undeserved people through the Raghuvaran starring Chennai release Anjali in 1990. The film told the story of an autistic child and how she changed the lives of people in colony. Mani later made another underworld-themed Tamil film with Thalapathi in 1991 starring Rajnikanth and Mammooty. With a theme of friendship between a local don and a slum king, Thalapathi earned both critical acclaim and commercial success upon release. Thalapathi , based on the legend of Mahabharata, ran into trouble when news leaked that the character of Karna, portrayed by Rajinikanth, would die in the end. The climax was altered to appease the fan base of the superstar.
With Thalapathi, Mani ended his association with music director Ilaiyaraaja, bringing in debutant music director A. R. Rahman to score his Tamil epic Roja. It turned out to be Mani's greatest find, as Rahman would go on to become a musical legend on his own right in the annals of Indian cinema. Roja, a romantic film, tackled themes of terrorism in the regions of Kashmir. The film – starring Arvind Swamy and Madhoo – was released in 1992 and nominated for the Golden St. George Award at the Moscow International Film Festival; it became so popular that it was dubbed into other languages and met similar success in other regions. Mani then took a more light-hearted approach with his next film – Thiruda Thiruda. Scripted by Ram Gopal Varma, the film saw the exploration of comedy action, a departure from the norm for Ratnam, and fared less well at the box office. In 1994, a retrospective of his Tamil films was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 1995, Ratnam returned to Tamil language drama. Bombay starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala told the story of a Hindu-Muslim couple in the midst of the 1993 religious Bombay riots and bombings. The film was met with controversy and censorship upon release. However Bombay was financially very successful and well appreciated by the critics. It won the Special Award from the Political Film Society, the Wim Van Leer In Spirit of Freedom Award at the Jerusalem International Film Festival and the Gala Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Late 1990s

Again in 1995, Ratnam co-wrote and co-produced his wife Suhasini Mani Ratnam's directorial debut, Indira. The film is a woman-centered story, with Suhasini's cousin Anu Haasan playing the lead role. It performed poorly at the box office. Ratnam returned to direction the following year with Iruvar, starring Mohanlal and Prakash Raj, a film that Ratnam himself considers to be his finest effort to date. Inspired by the true story of iconic Tamil film star and politician MG Ramachandran and current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, it was hailed critically as a fine effort in film-making, winning Best Film at the Festival of the Auteur Films in Belgrade.
Ratnam decided to charter new territories in with his next film, making his debut in Hindi language films with Dil Se. The film had Hindi superstar Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala in the lead. Preity Zinta made her debut in the movie. Ratnam used the conflict in the north-eastern states as a backdrop to tell a love story between an Indian journalist and a north-eastern woman. The film was particularly famous for the song "Chaiyya Chaiyya", which was shot atop a moving train. Ratnam returned to Tamil films after that and directed the romance drama Alaipayuthey (which has been remade in Hindi as Saathiya) in 2000, starring R. Madhavan and Shalini. Alaipayuthey was a huge success both commercially and critically; it explored post-marital problems between a young Chennai couple who married beyond their parents' consent, and also returned Ratnam's position as a box office factor.

2000–present

Ratnam's following effort, Kannathil Muthamittal saw him tackling adoption through the eyes of a Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka searching for her biological mother. The film was a critically lauded commercial success, winning six National Film Awards, Ratnam's second Filmfare Award South for directing, his second In Spirit for Freedom Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival and an award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. In 2004, Mani made his second Hindi language effort with Yuva. The film, which tells the story of three different youths and how one incident sends their three lives on a collision course, received positive reviews and was a hit in the box office. Ratnam also made the film simultaneously in Tamil as Aayutha Ezhuthu, starring Surya Sivakumar, R. Madhavan and Siddharth replacing Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan and Vivek Oberoi respectively. The film was an average at the Tamil box office, but critics favored the Tamil version over the Hindi version. Ratnam also had his first heart attack during shooting for Yuva.
2007 saw Ratnam direct the Madras Talkies production Guru starring Abhishek Bachchan. It became one of 2007's biggest hits. In 2010 Ratnam worked on a big-budget bilingual being made in Tamil and Hindi. The films are titled Raavanan in Tamil and Raavan in Hindi. The Tamil version was dubbed into Telugu as Villain. The film released worldwide on June 18, 2010.
The film is loosely based on the Hindu epic "Ramayana" and happened over a period of 14 days where the character Veeriah kidnaps the wife of a cop to avenge his sister's death. The Tamil version received better reviews than the Hindi version, based mainly on the lead's performance. The former was a box office hit whilst the latter was average at the box office. Despite the box office performance, some reviewers (National Award Winning Baradwaj Rangan) found this to be Mani's best work thus far.

Filmography

The following is the list of films directed by Mani Ratnam. Many of his films have been dubbed or remade in several languages. For many of his films, Mani Ratnam is also credited for the story, screenplay and producing:

Mani's father Gopal Ratnam Iyer was a film producer.
Mani's brother, the late G. Venkateswaran, popularly known as G.V., was a noted film producer.
Mani is married to actress Suhasini, niece of Kamal Haasan and daughter of Charuhasan; they have a 17-year-old son.
Mani co-founded and co-runs the independent production company Madras Talkies along with his other brother G. Srinivasan. Srinivasan passed away in Manali on 27 May 2007 when he slipped into a gorge.

Themes

Mani Ratnam oftens makes movies inspired by real-life events & famous epics: Nayagan is loosely based on Varadarajan Mudaliar, an underworld Don in Mumbai at that time; Bombay is based on the ethnic war between Hindus and Muslims in Mumbai; Iruvar is based on Tamil Nadu political and cinematic icons M.G. Ramachandran and Karunanidhi; Kannathil Muthamittal is based on the Sri Lankan Civil War and Aayutha Ezhuthu on student politics. Guru is loosely based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani. Thalapathi is based on the Hindu-epic Mahabaratha and Raavanan is said to be inspired by another Hindu epic, Ramayana and Forest brigand Veerappan.
His movies often portray strong friendship. Examples are seen from Rajni-Mammooty in Thalapathi, Surya-Siddarth in Aayutha Ezhuthu, Prasanth-Anand in Thiruda Thiruda, Mohanlal-Prakash Raj in Iruvar and Kamal-Janakaraj in Nayagan.
He also revels in creating onscreen relationship tangles like Rajni-Shobhana-Arvind Swamy in Thalapathi, Karthik-Revathi-Mohan in Mouna Ragam and Prabhu-Karthik in Agni Natchathiram and Simran-Keerthana in Kannathil Muthamittalwith the latest being that of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan- Abhishek Bachchan- Vikram in Raavan.

Read More

Kavadi

Kavadi Attam is a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship of Murugan, the Tamil God of War. It is often performed during the festival of Thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan.
Origin
Ethnic Chinese partaking in the celebration (Vel Kavadi).
The kavadi itself is steeped in mythology. At Mount Kailas, Lord Shiva entrusted the dwarf saint sage Agastya with two hillocks, with instructions to carry and install them in South India. But the sage left them in a forest and later asked his disciple, Idumban to get them. Idumban found the two hillocks, but could not initially lift them, until he obtained divine help. Near Palani in South India – where to this day there is a famous shrine of Murugan — Idumban put the hillocks down to rest awhile. When he attempted to continue with his journey, he found that the hillocks were immovable.
Idumban sought the help of a scantily dressed youth, but the youth claimed the hillocks belonged to him. In the ensuing scuffle, Idumban was defeated. Idumban then realised that the youth was Lord Murugan. Idumban pleaded to be pardoned and asked that anyone who comes to the hills to worship Murugan with an object similar to the two hillocks suspended by a rod, may be granted his heart’s desire. Idumban’s wish was granted. And so the kavadi came to play its role in Hindu festivals.

Description of Kavadi

The Kavadi consists of two semicircular pieces of wood or steel which are bent and attached to a cross structure that can be balanced on the shoulders of the devotee. It is often decorated with flowers, peacock fathers (the vehicle of God Murugan) among other things. Some of the Kavadis can weigh up to 30 kg.

Preparation
The preparations start 48 days prior to the two day Thaipusam festival. The devotees purge themselves of all mental and physical impurities. They take only one vegetarian meal per day and 24 hours prior to Thaipusam, they must maintain a complete fast. The devotees prepare themselves by following strict purification austerities that include:
Transcendence of desire
Shaving of the head
Following a vegetarian diet and refraining from alcohol
Sexual abstinence
Bathing in cold water
Sleeping on the floor
Regular prayers

Types

Vel Kavadi
The most spectacular practice is the vel kavadi, essentially a portable altar up to two meters tall, decorated with peacock feathers and attached to the devotee through 108 vels pierced into the skin on the chest and back. Fire walking and flagellation may also be practiced. It is claimed that devotees are able to enter a trance, feel no pain, do not bleed from their wounds and have no scars left behind.
However, some of the more extreme masochistic practices have been criticized as dangerous and contrary to the spirit and intention of Hinduism.[citation needed]
Other types of Kavadi
Not all Kavadi involve extreme physical endurance. Some devotees also carry a brass jug of milk on their heads while others carry small pots with offerings for their deity

Read More

mudumalai wildlife sanctuary

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Mudumalai wildlife reserve is a continuation of the Bandipur National Park. The river Moyar that flows along the border or Tamil Nadu and Karnataka separates the two. The Mysore - Ooty highway runs through the park. The 321 sq. km. reserve is situated in Tamil Nadu.
Mudumalai wildlife reserve was the first sanctuary in south India. The terrain is extremely varied with hills, valleys, ravines, watercourses and swamps. The vegetation comprises of tropical moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests and scrub forests. Compared to the nearby reserves, the climate is warmer in Mudumalai.



Animals found in Mudumalai....

Langur, bonnet macaque, tiger, leopard, wild dog, hyena, jackal, sloth bear, elephants, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, Indian muntjac, mouse deer, wild boar, rodent and flying squirrel are part of the wildlife in Mudumalai. It has a rich bird life that includes Malabar trogan, Grey hornbill, crested hawk eagle, crested serpent eagle, etc.

The best time to visit the reserve is from February to June. The sanctuary can be reached by road. The nearest railway station is Udakamandalam. The nearest airport is Coimbatore. Accommodation can be arranged at forest rest house, guesthouses at Masinagudi, Kargudi, Abhayaranyam and Theppakkadu.

Flora(Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary)
The vegetation is quite varied in this region. The hilly terrain of the Western Ghats, clothed in dense mixed and moist deciduous forests, make Mudumalai (the ancient hills) a most attractive wildlife reserve. Bamboos (Bambusa Arundinacea) Natural teak (Tectona Grandis), Anogeissus latifolia, Terminalia, Crenulata/Terminalia Tomontosa, Grewia, and blooming trees like Indian Labumusum, Aredesia, Solanancea are some of the flora.

Fauna(Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary)
The fauna include Elephants, Gaur, Banner, Macaque, Common Langur, Tigers, Leopards, Chital, Panther, Sloth Bear, Python, Barking Deer, Four Horned Antelope, Otter, Crocodiles (Mugger), Giant Flying Squirrel, Sambar, Hyena, Wild Dog, Wild Boar, Mouse Deer, Spotted Deer, Jackal, Hare, Porcupine and Mongoose.

The birds listed in this sanctuary are Peacock-our National bird, Grey Jungle Fowl, Red Spur Fowl, Grey Partridge Quails, Goggle Eyed Plower, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Large Racket-Tailed Dronge, The Magpie-robin, Spotted Babbler, Small Green Barbet, Green Pigeons, Brown Dove, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Bulbuls, Mynahs, etc. Among birds of prey, Eagles, Hawks, Buzzards, Harriers, Falcons and King Vulture are predominant, besides some migratory water birds.

Tourist Information Centre(Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary)
Facilities: Vehicles on hire and Elephant safari

The drive from Bangalore to Mudumalai runs over wellmaintained State highways. The first stretch between Bangalore and Mysore is a reasonably smooth run. Once you cross the towns of Ramanagaram and Chennapatna, the drive gose through avenues of bougainvillaea which form natural archways. If you are thirsty, you can stop at any of the coconut vendors lininig the road.

Passing through Mysore is a honk - and - crawl affair till the city limits. Beyond Nanjangud, for about 20 km, the road is a narrow concrete strip with shoulders of tar. You need to be very careful on this road as the tar has eroded, leaving huge potholes. There may be times when you will be forced to go onto the tar shoulders to avoid oncoming traffic. Remember, utmost care should be taken then to avoid damage to the underbody.

Once the road enters the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary limit, it is almost straight with dense forest on both sides. Seven - and - a half kilometers after the Bandipur reception centre, the road crosses over into Tamil Nadu and the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary.

The scenery along the road is varied with a clutter of small towns on the outskrits of Bangalore. These give way to light forest and fields till Mysore. If you have time with you, a stop at the fantastic Mysore Palace is worth the extra hour to get to Mudumalai.

The accomodation and hotels for Mudumalai are on the road that runs from the reception centre to Masinagudi. Though there is a sign warning that the road is very steep and that you have to strain your car much with the kind of cars that we have today, it is redundant.

There is actually more to do at the places to stay than in the park itself. Consider yourself lucky if you see bison and deer. Should you happen to see a tiger, take a quick look around for the saint who performed the miracle to make it appear.

Read More

SIM’s Park, Coonoor, India

SIM’s Park, Coonoor. This park is famous for Old Trees from different parts part of our world. I felt difficul to see the top of most of the trees. I never seen such a single stem tree grew more than 100 feet.

Paper tree SIM's Park, Coonoor, India
Both the sides of the pavement (Walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway) there was a veriety of flowers planted in different shaps and rows.
We saw a 100 years old paper tree. Most of the visitors touched the paper tree. some of them scratched it to check weather in bears paper directely.
SIM’s park is a natural garden. The terrace was completely covered with colorful flower beds, lawns and rockeries (A garden featuring rocks; usually alpine plants). It was an initiative by Government of Tamilnadu, Department of Horticulture.

FLowers in SIM's park, Coonoor - India
Eestablished : 1874
Average rain fall : 150 cm
Area : 12 Ha
Maximum temperature : 30 degree C
Minumum temperature : 5 degree C
Species : more than 1000
Generas : 255
Some of the tree names as mestioned
Camphora Lauraceae, 1890, China and Jappan
Cupressus Lindleyna Confiferae, 1929, Taxas U.S.A.
Supressus Obtusa Coniferae, 1926, Jappan
Pinus Cribaea Coniferae, Ganary Island, 1923

Read More

Chidambaram Natarajar Temple

Significance: Chidambaram is one of the most ancient and most celebrated of shrines in India. It is of great religious as well as historic and cultural significance. Chidambaram is associated with Nataraja, or Shiva in his Ananda Tandava pose (the Cosmic Dance of bliss) in the cosmic golden hall and the hall of consciousness (Chit Sabha). Shiva is also worshipped in the "formless form" of the Chidambara Rahasyam, while the temple is known for its Akasa Lingam, an embodiment of Shiva as the formless Space. The word "Koyil" or temple in the Tamil Saivite tradition refers to none other than the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.

Antiquity: The origins of this vast temple are buried in antiquity. Literature talks of a tradition of Shiva (Nataraja) worship in existence even as early as the Sangam period (very early on in the Christian era), and the Tamil Saints have sung its fame when an established worship tradition was in place. The later Chola Kings (Aditya I and Parantaka I) adorned the roof of the shrine with gold, and the other Chola Kings treated Nataraja as their guardian deity and made several endowments to the temple as temple inscriptions testify. The Pandya Kings who followed them, and the later Vijayanagar rulers made several endowments to the temple. There is a stone image of Krishnadevaraya in the North Gopura which he is said to have erected. In the wars of the 18th century, this temple was used as a fort, especially when the British General Sir Eyre Coote unsuccesfully tried to capture it from the Mysore Kings. During this period, the images of Nataraja and Sivakamasundari were housed in the Tiruvarur Tyagaraja temple for safety.

Muthuswamy Deekshitar, one of the foremost composers in the Karnatic Music tradition sings the glory of this temple in his kriti 'Ananda Natana Prakasam'. The Alwar Poems of the Naalayira Divya Prabandam sing the glory of Vishnu, whose image is also housed in this temple, and his shrine is referred to as 'Tiruchitrakootam'. Adi Sankara is said to have presented a Spatika Lingam which is still under worship in this temple. Sekkizhaar's Periya Puranam, describing poetically the life of the Saivite Saints (63 in number) was composed in the 1000 pillared hall, and was expounded by the author himself in the presence of the Chola emperor Kulottunga II, who had comissioned the work, amidts great festivity and fanfare.

Each of the four most revered Saivite Saints (Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manikkavacakar) has worshipped at Chidambaram, and the bulk of Manikkavacakar's work is in praise of Shiva at Chidambaram. Accordingly, their images are placed in the temple entrances corresponding to their points of entry into the temple. (Sambandar - South, Appar - West, Sundarar - North and Manikkavacakar - East).

Legends associated with this temple: Aadi Sesha, the serpent (couch) of Vishnu, heard from Vishnu the grandeur of Shiva's cosmic dance. Filled with irrepressable desire to witness this dance in person at Chidambaram, Seshan descended to the earth as Patanjali (the one who descended). Vyagrapaadar, another devotee of Shiva prayed to obtain the tiger's claws so that he could obtain with ease the sacred Vilva leaves meant for Shiva's worship at Chidambaram. At the appointed hour, Shiva (with Sivakami) granted to Patanjali and Vyagrapaadar, a visual treat in the form of his Cosmic Dance of Bliss, to the accompaniments of music played by several divine personalities in the Hindu pantheon. This Dance of Bliss is said to have been witnessed by Vishnu, and there is a Govindaraja shrine in the Natarajar temple commemorating this. The dance of bliss of Shiva, is also said to have been enacted upon Shiva's (Bhikshatana) victory over the married ascetics of Daruka Vanam.

Yet another legend, commemorating the dance duel between the doyens of dance Shiva and Kali is associated with Chidambaram. Shiva is said to have lifted his left foot towards the sky in the Urdhuva Tandava posture, a definite male gesture, which out of adherence to protocol, Kaali could not reciprocate, thereby causing Shiva to emerge victorious, delegating Kaali to the status of a primary deity in another temple in the outskirts of Chidambaram. This legend is portrayed in the Nritta Sabha, one of the halls within the Chidambaram temple.

There is another recent legend associated with this temple. The sacred Tamil works of the Nayanmaars had been missing for several years, and it was during the period of Raja Raja Chola (the builder of the Grand temple at Tanjavur) that formal research was initiated to trace these fine works of devotional literature. These works of the Saivite Saints - rich in musical content were recovered in a dilapidated state in one of the chambers in this vast temple, after the monarch brought images of the Saint trinity in procession to the temple.

Nataraja: The dance of bliss, or the Ananda Tandavam of Shiva is said to symbolize the five divine acts (pancha krityas) of creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and bestowment of grace. The dance of Shiva has been frozen in metal and held in worships in Nataraja Sabhas, in virtually all of the Saivite temples in Tamilnadu. Five of the foremost Sabhas (Pancha Sabhai) are at Chidmbaram (Kanaka Sabhai the hall of gold), Madurai (Rajata Sabhai the hall of Silver), Tiruvalangadu near Chennai (Ratnasabhai the hall of rubies), Tirunelveli (Tamrasabhai the hall of copper) and Kutralam near Tirunelveli (Chitrasabhai the hall of pictures). Other dance halls of significance are Adri Sabhai (the Himalayas), Aadi Chitsabhai (Tiruvenkaadu near Chidambaram) and Perur Kanakasabhai (Patteeswarar temple at Perur near Coimbatore).

Architecture: The Chidambaram Natarajar temple is a specimen of the assimilation of several architectural styles. The innermost sanctum of the temple, houses the grand images of Shiva (Nataraja) and Parvati (Sivakami) in the ChitSabha or the hall of consciousness, adjoining which is the KanakaSabha or the Golden Hall, both these structures resting on a raised platform. The innermost prakaram surrounds this holiest of shrines, and to the South West of Nataraja, is the shrine of Govindaraja Perumaal facing the East.

The Chitsabha, the holiest shrine in the temple, is a wooden structure supported with wooden pillars, with a hut shaped roof. It is in this hall, that the images of Nataraja and Sivakami are housed, in front of a set of two curtains, the inner (invisible) one being red in color, the outer one being black in color. To the right of Shiva, is the revered Chidambara rahasyam - or a representation of emptiness garlanded with golden vilva leaves. The curtain in front of the Chidambara Rahasyam, representing Shiva (and Parvati) in the formless form (Aroopam) is lifted ceremoniously during worship services, with offerings of lamps. Also in the Chitsabha are images of Ratnasabhapati (Nataraja of Ruby), the Spatika Lingam of Chandramauleeswara, Swarnakarshana Bhairavar, Mukhalingam etc.

The Golden Hall, or KanakaSabha is immediately in front of the ChitSabha, both being on an elevated platform as mentioned before, with silver panelled doors in front. The ChitSabha itself is a meter or so higher than the Kanakasabha and is reached by a flight of 5 silver plated steps, marking the five aksharas (or syllables) of the Panchakshara Mantram (the five syllabled Namasivaya).

Across from the Nataraja shrine in he second prakaram is the Nritta Sabha or the hall of dance with some fine pillars, housing an image of Shiva in the Urdhva tandava posture, winning over Kaali in a dance duel, and an image of Sarabheswara, another form of Shiva. The Nritta Sabha with fine pillars is in the form of a chariot drawn by horses. The Deva Sabha or the house of Gods is also in the second prakaram, housing festival images of the Pancha Murtis (Somaskandar, Parvati, Vinayaka, Subramanya and Chandikeswara) and other deities. Mulanathar, or the representation of Shiva as a Lingam is housed in the second prakaram.

The outermost prakaram is home to the grand Sivakami Amman temple, the Sivaganga tank and the 1000 pillared hall or the Raja Sabha, where Nataraja is brought during two annual festivals. The vast Sivakami Amman shrine is a temple in its own right. Ceilings on the mukhamandapam of this temple have paintings from the Nayaka period. There are friezes of dancers, drummers and musicians all along the enclosing walls of this temple. The thousand pillared hall has witnessed several grand events in history. This hall is also designed in the form of a chariot. Its entrance features two elephants, and on the basement there is a frieze of dancing figures. The 100 pillared hall, also in the outermost prakaram is also of artistic value, as is the shrine of Subramanya, which dates back to the Pandya period. The Subramanya shrine is also in the form of a chariot, and is referred to as the 'Pandya Nayakam'.

Perhaps the most magnificient structures in the temple are the four lofty gopurams or towers in the four cardinal directions, piercing the walls of the outermost prakaram. Each is a gigantic masterpiece in itself - about 250 feet in height, with seven tiers. The Western tower is the oldest one. In the towers, on either side of the gateways there are representations of the 108 poses of the classical Bharata Natyam Tradition as enunciated in the Classic Natya Sastra. The towers are embellished with images from Hindu mythology. From the second tier onward, on each of the Gopuram, are seen images of various manifestations of Shiva such as Bhikshatana, Kankala (both being ascetic forms), Kalyanasundarar, Somaskandar etc. (bestowers of prosperity). There are no representations of Nataraja on the temple towers, as this image is reserved for the innermost shrine alone.

Worship protocol: Six worship services are offered in this temple each day at the shrine of Nataraja - the last of which is the ArdhaJaama Puja (the most special one), where the padukas (footwear) of Nataraja are ceremoniously taken to the Palliarai (night chamber) of Shiva and Parvati after elaborate rituals. It is believed that the entire pantheon of divine figures in the Hindu system of beliefs is present during this occasion. The first puja in the morning involves the waking up of Shiva, and a transport of the padukas back to the main shrine, followed by fire rituals and ablutions to the crystal Shivalingam. The worship services that follow at about 9:30, and then at noon, and at 5 in the evening and at 7 pm involve a combination of rituals involving ablutions to the Crystal Lingam and the ceremonial show of lamps to Nataraja and Sivakami amidst the chanting of Vedic and Tamil hymns. The Shiva Agama system of temple rituals followed in almost all of the Saivite temples in Tamilnadu, is not followed at Chidambaram. It is a unique worship protocol said to have been prescribed by Patanjali that is followed at this temple.

Festivals: Two annual Bhrammotsavams at Chidambaram are of great significance, as they involve colorful processions of festival deities in the car streets. The grandest of these occurs in the month of Margazhi (Dec 15 - Jan 15), concluding on the full moon day corresponding to the Arudra Darisanam festival (Arudra Darisanam is celebrated in Saivite temples all over Tamilnadu). This ten day festival at Chidambaram involves a grand scheme of traditional observances commencing with the hoisting of the temple flag on the first day, followed by colorful procesions of the five deities (Pancha Murthys) on the first eight days on various mounts. The fifth day features Mount Kailasam, while the sixth day features the elephant mount. It is only on the ninth day that Nataraja leaves his sanctum, and is taken in a procession through the car streets, in the grand temple car. This is a special occasion and crowds throng to see it. Local fishermen communities traditionally offer gifts to Nataraja during this procession. Nataraja then returns to the Raja Sabha of the temple, where in the pre-dawn hours of the next day, while the moon is full, special abhishekams are performed to Nataraja, in the presence of thousands of devotees, and this ritual is followed by the royal audience of Nataraja in the Raja Sabha. In the afternoon, Nataraja returns to the shrine ceremoniously from the Raja Sabha, amidst an enactment of the Ananda Tandavam or the Dance of Bliss.

The second of the Bhrammotsavams happens in the month of Aani, and it concludes with Aani Tirumanjanam on the tenth day, in a manner similar to Arudra Darisanam in Margazhi. It is interesting that these annual Bhrammotsavams or festivals happen in the months immediately preceding the summer and winter solstices (ie. Gemini and Sagittarius).

Live dance performances have been introduced to the temple recently, in the form of annual dance festivals.

Access and Accomodation: The temple town of Chidambaram is home to the Annamalai University, and it has several modern lodging facilities. The Tamilnadu Tourist Development Corporation operates one of its hotels at Chidambaram. Chidambaram is on the Chennai Tiruchirappalli Main line, between Villuppuram and Thanjavur. It is well connected with Chennai by a host of train and bus services. By road it is only 235 kilometers South of Chennai. Thanjavur is only about 100 kilometers away from Chidambaram. Chidambaram is literally the Northern gateway to the temple trough of Tamilnadu - the Thanjavur - Tiruvarur - Nagapattinam districts featuring hundreds and hundreds of ancient temples, which can be easily accessed from the towns of Mayiladuturai, Kumbhakonam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam.

Read More

Chettiar Mansion

Chettiar Mansion at Kanadukathan in Chettinad region is a historic home and architectural extravaganza, presently converted into a heritage hotel. This mansion is the living example of the elegance and beauty of the architectural brilliance of the Chettinad populaces in the forgone years.

There are breathtaking intricate carvings on the door of this attractive mansion. The design of the mansion is in traditional south Indian architectural style with an open courtyard in the middle allowing natural light to fill the whole house. The courtyard is imposing with beautifully stone-carved pillars. The various parts of the mansion were demarcated by the colorful handmade floor tiles called Athungudi. On top of it, antique furniture, wooden vessels from neighboring countries and enamel add the beauty of this heritage home.The Chettinad houses are built on a rectangular, traversal plot that stretches across two streets,with the front door opening into the first street and the back into the second. Looking in from the main threshold, your eye travels in a straight line across a series of inner counrtyards,each a diminishing rectangle of light, leading out to the back door.
Most of the Chettiyar’s house in Chettinad consists of thousands of windows, hundreds of wooden pillars, door frames with Gajalakshmi who symbolize Goddess of wealth and a Kumbam(brass pot) with sprouting leaves engraved on them to symbolize wealth. Some buildings has a scene-by-scene narration of Mahabharatha and Ramayana in its wooden panels and walls. Some mansions are filled up with pillars of different materials such as wood, stone, plaster and metal. These pillars are coated with egg white stand tall in marvelously big dinner hall called Kalyana Kottahai. These houses may also contain raised platform known as ‘Thinnai’ used to protect from sun and rain.

First comes an outer thinai - Large raised platforms on either side of the central corridor, where the host would entertain male guests. The platforms lead off on one side into store rooms and massive granaries and on the other, into the ( Kanakupillai ) or Accountant's room.This area also usually leads off to the men's well. From here, the huge elaborately carved teak front door, with image of Lakshmi carved over the head and navaratna or nine precious gems buried under the ( Vasapadi) threshold.

The door leads into the first open air courtyard, with pillared corridors running on each side that lead into individual rooms, each meant for a married son, each with a triangular slot cut into the wall for the evening lamp. Then comes the second counrtyard with large dining spaces on either side. The third courtyard was for the women folk to rest and gossip, while the fourth, or nalankattai comprised the kitchens, leading out to the backyard with its women's well and grinding stones. The wealthier the merchants the larger the house, often spreading out to a second floor.
The walls are of baked bricks, plastered over by a secret recipe of roots, yolk and lime that leaves them silken smooth and washable; the tiles are Spanish; the floors of Italian marble or locally - crafted Athangudi tiles; and the pillars of Burmese teak, many houses have small turrets and elaborate guard houses on the terrace. The carvings and friezes are not just Hindu pantheon but include British soldiers, Victorian women, and scenes from the Raj.

The chettiar's main intent was to make his house a statement of his social success and he put everything into it, but the pastiche of styles - Kerala Woodwork, neo-classical, Victorian, Anglo-Indian - is Strangely not Vulgar. The airy courtyards seem somehow to absorb and mute everything down inside. The outside are not always so lucky - colours, curves, domes and arches often clash painfully but the message of splendour is not lost.

The display of wealth extended to other areas. At the chettinad railway station, exactly opposite where the Raja of chettinad's first - class coach would halt, a paved path leads through an arched gate to his private waiting room, where he went directly without having to mix with the rabble at the station. The waiting room and attached toilets are still furnished, with superb divans, recliners bidets and washbasins, all in various stages of disrepair. There are three smaller such buildings around, for lesser personages and family guests.

The practical detail inside the houses are rich: the courtyards supply ample light and air ( pickles and papads were dried there ) but leaving the rest of the house in deep and cool shadow. The courtyards have tiles placed exactly under the strom-water drain run right through the house, with stone stoppers carved exactly for their mouths. Large stone vats for water and wooden bins for firewood line the inner courtyards.
Walking through ghostly corridors looming with huge portraits and Belgian mirrors, feet crunching on years of bat droppings that cover exquisite floor tiles.... it's easy to imagine these houses asleep in some sort of time capsule. But it's unlikely they will stay that way. Already an immense portion of the chettiar families belongings - pewter, brass porcelain, glass Burmese bamboo - is in the local antique shops and being shipped across the world. Houses are being dismantled and sold piece-meal, with carved doors, pillars and friezes in high demand in India and abroad.

Some Chettiars have stepped in to start the process of conservation. The Meyyappans have converted the family clubhouse into The bangala, preserving its past graciously while the S.A.R. Muthiah family has opened up some rooms in its vast family mansion to tourists for a home-living experience. Muthiah Chettiar, the Raja of Chettinad, has opened his house in Kanadukathan for public viewing, while his brother's house next door has a floor converted to a museum that displays everything associated with the Chettiars - masala dabbas and Rukmini ( choppers), coconut scrapers and travelling spice boxes. The Tamil Nadu government is making noises about converting this into a tourist zone, revitalising the lost art of Chettinad plastering, converting the bungalows into bed-and breakfast outlets. We can only wait with trepidation to see the outcome of these plans.

Walking though the mansions, we find many rooms tightly locked with the individual owner's names carved on door sills. The caretakers tell that the rooms are still full of vessels, artefacts, Kitchen tools and furniture waiting for their owners to claim them. Some families do return occasionally, for weddings and big days, but the occasions become fewer with time.

Read More