Nayaka Period (16th - 17th century)

 "The temple city of Madurai is situated at a distance of 307 miles south of Madras on the main railway line. This is decidedly the oldest city of South India, truly representing Dravidian culture. European scholars have compared it to Athens of Greece. It was in the past the seat of the Tamil Academy (the Tamil Sangam) .... It is estimated that there are 33 million carvings in the Madurai temple. The temple stands in the centre of the town and main roads run roughly parallel to the four sides. A writer has described the architecture as follows: "The architecture is almost purely Dravidian - its characteristics being the pyramidal towers of colossal height dominating the surrounding landscape for miles around; the rectangular enclosures one within the other like a China box; the use of the flat roof and the entire absence of the arch or dome; delicate sculpture worked in ponderous material, and finally a partiality for long galleries interspersed with sculptured pillars..." (R .K.Das in Temples of Tamil Nadu)

"Gopuram, in South Indian architecture, is the entrance gateway to the Hindu temple enclosure. Relatively small in the earlier period, the gopuras grew in size from the mid-12th century until the colossal gateways came to dominate the temple complex, quite surpassing the main sanctum for architectural elaboration.." (Gopurams - Encyclopaedia Britannica)

"...Tirumulla Nayak commenced a gopura, which, had he lived to complete it, would probably have been the finest edifice of its class in southern India. It measures 174 ft. from north to south, and 107 ft. in depth. The entrance through it is 21 ft. 9 in. wide; and if it be true that its gateposts are 6o ft. (Tripe says 57 ft.) in height, that would have been the height of the opening. It will thus be seen that it was designed on even a larger scale than that at Sri Rangam, and it certainly far surpasses that celebrated edifice in the beauty of its details. Its doorposts alone, whether 57 ft. or 6o ft. in height, are single blocks of granite, carved with the most exquisite scroll patterns of elaborate foliage, and all the other carvings are equally beautiful. Being unfinished, and consequently never consecrated, it has escaped whitewash, and alone, of all the buildings of Madura, its beauties can still be admired in their original perfection. The great temple at Madura ...possesses...all the characteristics of a first-class Dravidian temple, and, as its date is perfectly well known, it forms a landmark of the utmost value in enabling us to fix the relative date of other temples. The sanctuary is said to have been built by Viswanath, the first king of the Nayak dynasty, A.D. 1520, which may possibly be the case; but the temple itself certainly owes all its magnificence to Tirumulla Nayak, A.D. 1622-1657, or to his elder brother, Muttu Virappa, who preceded him, and who built a mantapa, said to be the oldest thing now existing here. The Kalyana mantapa is said to have been built A.D. 1707, and the Tatta Suddhi in 1770.These, however, are insignificant parts compared with those which certainly owe their origin to Tirumulla Nayak..." (Temple of Madura )

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Koranganatha Temple, Srinivasanallur Chola Period - 9th Century

The temple is situated on the banks of the river Cauvery at Srinivasanallur. It is not a 'living' temple. "..Early Chola temples were small with no walls around them. Koranganatha temple 50 km from Trichy is the garbhagriha-and-mandapa type with beautiful sculptures on every surface. The base of the wall has a row of sculpted mythical animals called yazhi that is a special feature of Chola architecture. The first floor is made of bricks which have been plastered. This temple is a prototype of south-style architecture..." Takeo Kamiya in Architecture of the Indian SubContinent

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The Disappeared Mandapam - Annakkulzi Mandapam of Madurai

This is a story about a Mandapam - a stone pavilion; a mandapam which had found a place in history, heritage, religion, architecture, and mythology. It was a land-mark of a beautiful city and was also an integral part of a festival based on a beautiful legend. It was called 'annak kulzi mandapam'  Let me tell you that beautiful legend.
This legend is found in 'Thiru ViLaiyaiyaadal PuraaNam'. Siva Perumaan is purported to have done some sixty-four divine deeds, miracles, pranks, etc., in and around Madurai City. This particular legend is associated with the Divine Marriage of Minaatchi and SivaPerumaan who is known here as Sundaresvarar.
The ruling Pandyan king, Malayadhvajan did not have a child. So he performed a yaagam. Out of it came out a beautiful girl. She was an incarnation of Shakthi. She had one abnormality.
She had three breasts. On seeing this, everyone was perplexed. But a voice announced that, when the Girl met her proper suitor, the third breast will disappear. She was named as 'Thadaathagai Piraatti'. Because of Her fish-shaped eyes, She was also known as Miinaatchi. The Girl advanced in age, beauty, all the arts of statecraft including warfare.
When She was of age, She started on a Digviyjaya - war carried out in all directions. She fought and became victorious. Nobody could stop Her. Finally Siva Peruman came in front of Her. On seeing Him, Thadaathagai's third breast disappeared. She was overcome with shyness which She had never experienced before. Siva conquered Her without fighting. Thadaathagai, as was Her resolution, wanted to marry Siva. But the mother of Thadaathagai was sad because she had hoped that a handsome and accomplished prince would marry her. So she asked miinaatchi about Her decision; the words have been immortalised in a beautiful song.
 Because Siva was a dweller in the crematorial ground; adorned with erukku, uumaththai, and kondrai flowers, vilvam leaves, snakes, a cloak of elephant skin, a loin cloth of tiger skin, and with matted locks of hair. He also had garlands of bones, skulls, tortoise shell, wild boar's tusk. He was carrying a staff of bone and skull together with a thirisuulam trident. In addition to this, His body was smeared with ashes from the crematorial ground. But however Minnatchi was adamant.
The marrigae was fixed. Vishnu from AlzagarMalai - KaLLalzagar was supposed to have done the 'thaarai vaarththal' ceremony - 'kannika dhaanam'. But He was late. And so the Alzagar from Madurai - Kuudal Alzagar - officiated in the ceremony in His place.
Siva came to the marriage as the bridegroom. But He was totally transformed. He was adorned in the finest of ornaments and looked best and handsome in His form as Sundareswarar. The Bridegroom was accompanied by only one person. He was KundOdharan - one of the bhutha ganam of Siva. When He was asked whether He had other bridegroom's people, He answered "No, this is all".
The marriage took place. After it was over, the marriage banquet was laid out. The bride's people looked on quizzically. Sundarar told them, "Just feed him".
So they took him to the banquet hall. Siva transferred a tiny part of one of the Divine Fires that He had, into the stomach of Kundodharan. Immediately he started screaming with hunger and thirst. He ate all the food and drank all the water and asked for even more. Siva pressed a spot on the ground, and out came a river. KundOdharan was commanded to hold out his hand to catch the water to drink - ‘Vai Gai’ were the words. And the spouting water became a river bearing that name.
As the bride's people could not provide more food, Siva stopped KundOdhara's hunger. This event is held as a festival in Madurai. All the parts of the Marriage ceremony are enacted during the festival.
The feeding of KundOdhara was held in a special mandapam called 'annakkulzi mandapam'. Nobody knows how old the mandapam was. Just as many parts of the Miinaatchi Temple were destroyed by the Turko-Afgans, an older structure could have been destroyed as well. The hall that was in existence must have been built during Thirumalai Naayakkar's time. Annakkulzi Mandapam was situated in West Chiththirai Street in its southern half. It was just a few metres away from the West Gopuram.
The mandapam was fairly big and beautiful. It ran north to south, extending from West Chiththirai Street. There was a garden surrounding the mandapam. At the fron,t was a palisade of steps. On both sides there were two beautiful statues of elephants. They were ornately adorned with fineries. At the other end of the mandapam was a depression. This was a big depression and there were steps leading downwards. It was large receptacle for cooked rice. This was the famous 'annakkulzi' - the rice pit. Thus the mandapam earned its name - 'annakkulzi mandapam'.
During the Chiththirai festival, Miinaatchi ThiruKalyaanam is celebrated. After the Marriage ceremony is over, anna dhaanam - free food - is done in the annakulzi mandapam. Cooked rice is heaped into the depression and the side dishes are also there. Pandhi rows are put along the length of the mandapam and everybody is given banquet food. After that, the festival continued in the Vagai River.
During the rest of the year, the annakkulzi mandapam was used as a school. The school was known as the 'annakulzi mandapam school'. The mandapam had a very conducive atmosphere and environment for studying, teaching, learning, and playing. About thirty years ago, this historic, festive, legendary, and archeological monument was demolished. They built a multi storeyed travellers lodge in that place. There was a hue and a cry. But the authorities told that the mandapam will be reassembled at a different location. But that never took place. By and large, people forgot about the mandapam and annakkulzi mandapam passed into oblivion.
Not quite. Those two elephants of the palisade. I think these are the two elephants. Or what remains of them.
These remains are found in the Aadi Viidhi of the Miinaakshi Sundareswarar Temple.

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Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, the Pitamaha of Carnatic music

He is the Pitamaha of Carnatic music. Nine decades of living by, because of and for music has earned Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer this respectful and affectionate accolade. Slightly bent and looking frail - but not in speech or convictions - Semmangudi, the uncompromising traditionalist, remains the ultimate authority in the theory and practice of Carnatic music.
In his 90 years, Semmangudi has seen Carnatic music emerge from temples onto sabha stages and to the farthest shores. He has also seen the music, or rather its practice, metamorphose - from being the preserve of professional families to being a shared cultural experience of common people.
For Semmangudi, the journey began in 1908. His cousin Narayanaswamy Iyer nurtured Semmangudi's talent initially and then it was taken up by Sakharama Rao and Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer. Semmangudi developed a style of his own in which the nasality, which bothered him in his youth, became a distinguished hallmark.


Although a traditionalist, he introduced many novelties in the works of composers ranging from Swati Tirunal to Ambujam Krishna. He also popularised rare ragas such as Bhavapriya, Salaghabhairavi and Narayanagowla.
Semmangudi's technical competence and analytical proficiency make him a natural teacher. His patience and personalised attention has produced many an excellent musician and instructor. The teacher in him emerged the best when he was Principal of the Swati Tirunal Music College, Thiruvananthapuram, for almost a quarter century. During his tenure he did much to popularise Carnatic music in Kerala. Among his rare distinctions is the great qualitative contribution he has made to the development of M.S. Subbulakshmi's transporting music, and the fact that she acknowledges him as her guru.
Semmangudi has been showered with awards including the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan (by the Government of India), Isai Perarignar (Tamil Nadu Government), the Kalidas Samman (Madhya Pradesh Government) and the most prestigious in the Carnatic music world, the Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy, Chennai.
In a tour de force lasting four hours, Semmangudi spoke to chitravina (gotuvadyam) prodigy N. Ravikiran, and Frontline Special Correspondent Asha Krishnakumar, tracing his long journey in the world of music, analysing the changing nature of the art, and its enduring strength. His eyes glistened as he relived treasured experiences and moments, and spoke of music and musicians then and now.

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TAMIL Mathematics

Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) was one of the greatest mathematicians of India. He was born in a poor Tamil Brahmin family. Tamils are proud of his achievements. Viswanathan Anand is a World Chess champion. He is from Tamil Nadu and Tamils are proud of his success year after year. Tamil Nadu supplies a large number of computer software personnel in the world. All these prove that Tamils are good at anything where maths is used. But the history of Tamil mathematics began at least two thousand years ago.

Kapilan, the Brahmin poet who contributed highest number of poems in the Sangam literature was good at maths. He made a passing remark about numbers. He says that Pari’s Parambu hills had 300 towns (Pura Nanuru verse 110). This is the first statistics we get about Sangam period towns. If Pari’s Parambu Hills (a small area) had 300 towns, how many villages and towns Tamil Nadu would have had 2000 years ago! No wonder India, at present, has over 600,000 villages and 4000 towns.

In another poem, Kapilan gives a talk in bullet points like company executives. “Hey, Three Tamil kings, Listen to me. If you want Pari’s Parambu hills, don’t attack him. Do this. He gives three suggestions. In another verse (Puram 201) he talks about 49 generations of Irungovel, another Tamil chieftain like Pari. Kapilan was the poet who gave 99 plants names at one go. He beat all the ancient botanist. Just one poet gives us so many numbers and so much information.

The world came to know about nuclear power and atom bomb only around1945. But the concept of atom bomb was sung by Idaikkadar 1500 years ago. When she wanted to praise Tirukkural, the Veda of the Tamils, what she said was this:

It is like cramping seven seas in to a single mustard seed. The meaning of Kural is vast. But poet Tiruvalluvar put seven seas in to one mustard seed was the message given by Idaikkadar. Why should he sing about putting seven seas into one tiny seed? Will the Tamil world understand such a simile without some knowledge of huge power in tiny things?

The story did not stop there. Actually Tamils knew more than what Idaikkadar said. Because the earlier Upanishads praise god as smaller than the smallest particle, larger than the largest (Anooar aneeyaam, mahator maheeyaam). They knew that if one tiny seed is split into,  energy equal to seven seas will be generated.

Some readers may think that I am interpreting it in un scientific way. But if you read the following , all their doubts will be cleared. An old Tamil poem says that one mustard seed has 2,62,144 anu (anu=atom). Though their atom is very different from what we read in Today’s Physics book about Atoms, my point is that they knew smallest measurements which others did not at that time in the history

 The verse goes as follows:

8 Anus= one Ther Tugal ( Chariot dust particle)

8 Ther Tugal= one cotton thread

8 cotton thread = one hair

8 hair = one sand particle

8 sand particles= one mustard seed

8 mustard seeds= one paddy seed

8 paddies = one finger length

12 fingers= I saan

2 saan= 1 muzam

4 muzam= 1 kol

500 kol= 1 kuuppidu

4 kuuppidu= 1 Katham

(Source: Senthamiz Volume 12, page 127)

When the first nuclear device was exploded the scientist behind it Oppenheimer quoted a Bhagavd Gita sloka about the Viswarupa darsanam of Lord Krishna (Please read my post A to Z of Bhagavad Gita to get full details.)

Tirumular’s brilliant calculation

Tirumular was one of the 18 Tamil Siddhars ( saints who have attained magical powers). He sings about splitting a cow’s hair in to 10000 million hairs. He takes the readers step by step. He asks one to take one hair from the tail of a cow. Then ask us to split it in to 100. Then in to 1000……….. on and on 100X1000X100 000= 100 000 00 000.(Tirumanthiram 1974).

One may wonder whether there was any practical use for such minute numbers. But these saints have seen such things through their third eye or intuition. When the western world was still struggling with their complicated Roman numerals Indians were far advanced in mathematics. Look at the table below that existed 2500 years ago.

World Tamil Conference Souvenir (1968) gives another interesting measurement:

How many grains are there in one measure?

One measure contains (measure is bigger than a litre)

1800 beans or

12,800 black peppers or

14,400 paddies or

14,800 green grams or

38,000 rice grains or

1,15,200 sesame  seeds (gingili seeds).

Tamils must be a patient race to count grains this way!

Tamils very often use a word called “IMMI” in their day today conversation. Like English phrase not even one iota, they used to say not even an Immi. This is an interesting word.

Sculptor V Ganapathy explains Immi quoting a book called Manasaram. It is as follows:

8 anu=1 ther thugal (Chariot dust particle)

8 ther thugal= 1 immi

8 immi= 1 sesame seed (Ellu)

8 Ellu= 1 paddy

8 paddies= 1 finger length

Mr V Ganapathy also added the book Manasaram says one inch= 190650 anus.

He says that different books give slightly different measurements for the same word in the Silpa Shastra( Science of Sculpting)

Another table giving the lowest Tamil number Munthiri:

I/8 is Araikaal

1/16 = maakaani

1/32= arai veesam

1/64=kaal veesam

1/80=kaani

1/320=munthiri

The other numbers very often attributed to Tamil are actually Sanskrit words. Moreover they have no secondary evidence to support those big numbers. They were not used by the Sangam poets. At least immi is used by Tamils till today like Iota ( Iota is a Greek letter).

Some Tamil blogs give incredible lowest and highest numbers without any proof. At a glance anyone can find Sanskrit words in the list! They are not Tamil words.

( Sanskrit has words for biggest numbers. But I couldn’t find words for smallest number like Tamil).

Numbers in Sanskrit:

From Wikipedia: A few large numbers used in India by about 5th century BCE (See Georges Ifrah: A Universal History of Numbers, pp 422–423):

§  lakṣá (लक्ष) —10⁵

§  kōṭi (कोटि) —10⁷

§  ayuta (अयुता) —10⁹

§  niyuta (नियुता) —10¹³

§  pakoti (पकोटि) —10¹⁴

§  vivara (विवारा) —10¹⁵

§  kshobhya (क्षोभ्या) —10¹⁷

§  vivaha (विवाहा) —10¹⁹

§  kotippakoti (कोटिपकोटी) —10²¹

§  bahula (बहूला) —10²³

§  nagabala (नागाबाला) —10²⁵

§  nahuta (नाहूटा) —10²⁸

§  titlambha (तीतलम्भा) —10²⁹

§  vyavasthanapajnapati (व्यवस्थानापज्नापति) —10³¹

§  hetuhila (हेतुहीला) —10³³

§  ninnahuta (निन्नाहुता) —10³⁵

§  hetvindriya (हेत्विन्द्रिया) —10³⁷

§  samaptalambha (समाप्तलम्भा) —10³⁹

§  gananagati (गनानागती) —10⁴¹

§  akkhobini (अक्खोबिनि) —10⁴²

§  niravadya (निरावाद्य) —10⁴³

§  mudrabala (मुद्राबाला) —10⁴⁵

§  sarvabala (सर्वबाला) —10⁴⁷

§  bindu (बिंदु or बिन्दु) —10⁴⁹

§  sarvajna (सर्वज्ञ) —10⁵¹

§  vibhutangama (विभुतन्गमा) —10⁵³

§  abbuda (अब्बुदा) —10⁵⁶

§  nirabbuda (निर्बुद्धा) —10⁶³

§  ahaha (अहाहा) —10⁷⁰

§  ababa (अबाबा). —10⁷⁷

§  atata (अटाटा) —10⁸⁴

§  soganghika (सोगान्घीका) —10⁹¹

§  uppala (उप्पाला) —10⁹⁸

§  kumuda (कुमुदा) —10¹⁰⁵

§  pundarika (पुन्डरीका) —10¹¹²

§  paduma (पद्मा) —10¹¹⁹

§  kathana (कथाना) —10¹²⁶

§  mahakathana (महाकथाना) —10¹³³

§  asaṃkhyeya (असंख्येय) —10¹⁴⁰

§  dhvajagranishamani (ध्वजाग्रनिशमनी) —10⁴²¹

§  bodhisattva (बोधिसत्व or बोधिसत्त) —10^{37218383881977644441306597687849648128}

§  lalitavistarautra (ललितातुलनातारासूत्र) —10²⁰⁰infinities

§  matsya (मत्स्य) —10⁶⁰⁰infinities

§  kurma (कुरमा) —10²⁰⁰⁰infinities

§  varaha (वरहा) —10³⁶⁰⁰infinities

§  narasimha (नरसिम्हा) —10⁴⁸⁰⁰infinities

§  vamana (वामन) —10⁵⁸⁰⁰infinities

§  parashurama (परशुराम) —10⁶⁰⁰⁰infinities

§  rama (राम) —10⁶⁸⁰⁰infinities

§  khrishnaraja (कृष्णराज) —10infinities

§  kaiki (काईकी or काइकी) —10⁸⁰⁰⁰infinities

§  balarama (बलराम) —10⁹⁸⁰⁰infinities

§  dasavatara (दशावतारा) —10¹⁰⁰⁰⁰infinities

§  bhagavatapurana (भागवतपुराण) —10¹⁸⁰⁰⁰infinities

§  avatamsakasutra (अवताम्सकासुत्रा) —10³⁰⁰⁰⁰infinities

§  mahadeva (महादेव) —10⁵⁰⁰⁰⁰infinities

§  prajapati (प्रजापति) —10⁶⁰⁰⁰⁰infinities

§  jyotiba (ज्योतिबा) —10⁸⁰⁰⁰⁰infinities

Tamil Numerals

1 =௧ ,2 =௨ ,3=௩ ,4 =௪ ,5=௫ ,6=௬ ,7 =௭ ,8 =௮ ,9=௯ ,10=௰ ,100=௱ ,1000=௲

Padmabushan Dr.Alagappa Chettiar

Padmabushan Dr.Alagappa Chettiar  was a great Philanthropist, eminent educationist and a multi faced versatile personality. Born in 6th April of 1909 as second son of Shri K.V.AL.Ramanathan Chettiar and Umayal Achi at Kottaiyur of Sivagangai District, In Tamilnadu

EARLY LIFE & EDUCATION

Dr. RM. Alagappa Chettiar had his primary education at the SMS Vidyasala in Karaikudi and went on to obtain his M.A. from the Presidency College in Madras. He obtained postgraduate (M.A.) Degree in English literature in 1930 from Presidency College, Madras at the age of 21. He had the fortune of befriending Dr.S.Radhakrishnan, a model teacher who later on became the President of India. At the age of 21, he became the first Indian trainee at the Chartered bank in London. Thereafter he qualified for the bar at Middle Temple in England and became a ' bar-at-law ' to be cherished by the people of Chettinad. He was conferred a doctoral degree (D.Litt) by Annamalai University in 1943 and by the Madras University (LL.D.) in 1944. The British Government knighted him in 1945. He was conferred the distinction of Padma Bhushan by the President of India on January 26, 1957. His stellar record as a business entrepreneur was acknowledged by the British government when he was knighted in 1945 at the age of 37. He renounced the prestigious knighthood when India attained independence. The distinction of Padma Bushan was conferred by the president of India on January 26, 1956.

BUSINESS ACUMEN

His stellar record as a business entrepreneur was acknowledged by the British Government when he was knighted in 1945 at the age of 37. He renounced the prestigious knighthood when India attained independence. The distinction of Padmabushan was conferred by the President of India on January 26, 1957. Within a span of 2 decades he demonstrated his versatility as a successful business tycoon, an intrepid academician with a vision to change the mere scrub jungle of Karaikudi to an educational Mecca. When he passed away prematurely at the age of 48, Dr. Alagappa Chettiar had redefined philanthropy and contributed more to the betterment of education in Tamil Nadu than any other person of eminence had done until then.

 

He launched his career by pioneering in textiles. As a business savvy and a model employer he practiced then, what the Harvard Business School preaches today - diversification of portfolios with rubber plantations in Malaya, Tin mines in Burma, Textile Mills in Kerala, Insurance companies in Calcutta, Hotels in Bombay, Theatres in Madras, a flourishing stock broking company and a private airline and has been referred to as the unsung business maharaja of South India in the thirties and forties. His business interests were however short lived as he changed his focus to education.

Dr. Alagappa in 1937 Started Cochin textiles at Pudhukaddu near Thirucheur in Kerala. Cochin textiles were converted as Alagappa Textiles. The Township of Cochin textile's staff was named Alagappa Nagar. Alagappa Nagar is the first and only township named of a Nagarathar in other state. He took charge the Managing responsibilities of "Jupiter general insurance company", "East and west insurance company' and "Rich Hotels". He also functioned as Air Transport Company known as "Jupiter Airways"

SERVICE TO EDUCATION

He harboured a firm conviction that education is an absolute must for a human being to become productive, wholesome and humane. In 1947 at the Dr. Annie Besant centenary celebrations the Vice-Chancellor of Madras University called industrialists to start colleges to educate India. Spontaneously Dr.Chettiar answered the call in the same function and within three days Alagappa Arts College started functioning at Gandhi Maleghai in Karaikudi. His generous donations led to the establishment of a string of educational institution, which formed the basis for the establishment of the Alagappa University in 1985 by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

The Alagappa University was established in 1985 fulfilling the dream of Dr.Alagappa. Alagappa Educational instituitions is providing a continuum in education for children of the community to start from kindergarten and pursue studies right up to post doctoral studies in a wide array of subjects.

To bring prominence to the educational institutions he had the vision to convince Prime Minister Nehru to house one of the Government's National Research Institutes in the heart of the Alagappa campus.

Dr. Radhakrishnan, the Vice President of India surmised at the opening of the Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI) on 14 Jan 1953. " The magnificent gift of 300 acres of land 1.5 million of Rupees by Dr. Alagappa Chettiar helped the Government of India to select Karaikudi as the seat of Electro Chemical Research Institute. Being a businessman himself, Dr. Alagappa Chettiar is aware of the industrial possibilities of our country and the need for scientific, technical and technological education in his lifetime he has built a monument for himself you have only to look around. "

At the tender age of 48, in the midst of single handedly revolutionizing his native place and changing the course of history he succumbed to his illness. Perhaps his crowning piece of philanthropy was giving away his own palatial residence in Kottaiyur to found the Women's college. Rajaji has remarked, "Dr. Alagappa Chettiar had given away freely. Students should develop that quality namely giving money earned for charity. Dr.Alagappa is one how can give to good cause, cultivate courage and emulate the spirit".

The Trusts that have been established by the Founder viz. the Asoka Charitable Trust and the Dr.Alagappa Chettiar Educational Trust are managing the Schools and have aggressive plans for expanding, to upgrade the quality of education and provide an opportunity for the youth of the country, to fulfill their dreams.

Dr. RM. ALAGAPPA CHETTIAR's PHILANTHROPHY

1. In 1943 Dr donated Rupees One Lakh for the installation & development of Tamil Department of Travancore University.

2. Rupees Eleven thousand for instituting higher secondary school at his birth place Kottaiyur, Tamilnadu.

3. Rupees Seventy five Thousand to build a Ladies hostel at Vepery, Chennai.

4. Rupees One hundred thousand for the development of the township infrastructure of Kottaiyur, Tamilnadu.

5. Rupees Thirty Thousand for Meenakshi club at Kandanur, Tamilnadu

6. Rupees Ten thousand for H.M.I.S Fund.

7. Rupees Five hundred thousand to establish an Engineering College at Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamilnadu.

8. Rupees Five hundred thousand to establish a College of Technology at Madras University, To acknowledge this donation the Madras University named the institution "Alagappa Chettiar College of Technology" Gundy, Chennai.

9. He was instrumental in persuading the Central Government to establish the one and only Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI), one of the premier Research Organisations under CSIR, at Karaikudi. He donated 300 acres of land Rupees 1.5 million . This gesture, earned for him the title of 'Socialistic Capitalist' from Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

10. Rupees Five hundred thousand to establish Higher studies at Malaysia.

11. Rupees Twenty Thousand to establish the South Indian Educational Society at New Delhi in 1948.

12.Rupees Twenty Five thousand to the Lady Deck College at Madurai.

13. Rupees One hundred  and Seventeen Thousand for Constructing "Alagappa Mandapam" at Thakkar Baba Vidyalaya in 1946, The Foundation Stone was laid by  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Father of the Nation).

14. Rupees ten thousand and Five for publishing "TAMIL KALANGIYAM".

15. Rupees ten thousand and one for Cochin Cyclone Relief fund.

16. Rupees Twenty thousand for Geological research by Travancore government.

17. Rupees One Lack for establishing maternity Hospital and Child care Center in Cochin.

18. Rupees Thirty thousand for the Indigenous medicine Research by Ernakulam Maharaja College.

19. Rupees One hundred thousand to fund Students of Cochin to study abroad

20. Rupees One hundred and fifty thousand for the Morning food scheme of Cochin Children

21. Rupees One hundred thousand to establish South Indian chamber of commerce in Cochin

Dr. Chettiar was full of compassion and gave whatever he had at the moment to the various causes. So the above list is just a small sampling of his generosity. His donation to this society is immeasurable.

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