madras

Great Temples Of Tamilnadu….Chidambaram Nataraja Temple !!!

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Travel Tamil Nadu Temples

By some estimates Tamil Nadu has about 33,000 ancient temples, many of them over 600 to 800 years old. A majority of the great temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva and his fierce aspect of Bhairava, closely followed by temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. There are also a number of temples dedicated to Lord Murugan and Lord Hanuman, besides a number of Amman temples. Yahoo! reader CHANDRASEKARAN A (Flickr) shares this wonderful collection of photographs.

Chidambaram Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Chidambaram is one of the five Pancha Bootha Sthalas, each representing one of the five natural elements. Chidambaram represents akasha (ether). The other four temples in this category are Thiruvanaikaval Jambukeswara (water) in Trichy, Kanchi Ekambareswara (earth) in Kanchipuram, Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswara (fire) in Thiruvannamalai and Kalahasti Nathar (wind) in Kalahasti. The tandava represented in Chidambaram is Ananda tandava, the cosmic dance of Lord Nataraja (Shiva). Another important aspect in Chidambaram is of the Five Sabhas. Chidambaram represents Por Sabai or Ponnambalam. The other Sabhas are at Thiruvalangadu (Rathina Sabai – ruby), Madurai (Velliambalam – silver), Tirunelveli (Thamira Sabai – copper), Kutralam (Chitra Sabai – painting). All the main Saivite Nayanars — namely Thirugnana Sambandhar, Appar, Sundarar and Manicka Vasakar — visited this holy shrine and it is said that they entered this temple from all the four cardinal directions, i.e. through the South, West, North and East Gopurams, denoting the four different margas or pathways. The gold-plated gopuram is the one of the main attractions of this temple. Chidambaram is supposed to be the oldest of Saivite temples and all Thirumurai concerts conclude with the words “Thiruchitrambalam”.

source:::::yahoo news net

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Meet Sundar Pichai….Google Android”s New Spearhead !!!!!

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 Another name that India’s illustrious education brand – IIT Kharagpur can boast of is Sundar Pichai. In a much unexpected move that led Andy Rubin to step down from the executive in charge of Google’s Android operating system and Sundar Pichai to come in as the replacement, who was in charge of Google’s Chrome Web browser and operating system for lightweight laptop computers, has made Indians across the globe give a standing ovation.

 
The Rise of Sundar Pichai

 
Born in 1972, Pichai hails from the Southern state of Tamil Nadu. He studied metallurgical and materials engineering from IIT Kharagpur and graduated in the year 1993. Pichai was known to be one of the most obedient and enthusiastic students at the institution.

 
IIT Kharagpur is always famous for its prodigies that include Arun Sarin, the former chief executive of Vodafone Group, and Vinod Gupta, chairman of U.S.-based venture capital and private equity firm Everest Group LLC.

 

Masters in engineering and materials science at Stanford University in the U.S. Later on he also got a Masters in business administration from the Wharton School of Business, where he was named a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar.

 
After his graduation, Pichai started working with the engineering and product management divisions of semiconductor maker Applied Materials and as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co.

 
Pichai at the Helm of Google

 
It wasn’t long before Pichai’s name started coming up with Google. In 2004, Pichai joined Google as the vice president of product management, where his duties involved leading the innovation team for Google’s Chrome and Chrome OS.

 
Pichai’s growth at Google was uncompromisingly fast. Pichai spearheaded other Google search products, like Google Toolbar, Chrome, Desktop Search, Gadgets, Google Pack, Google Gears, Firefox extensions, apps such as Gmail and Google Maps and Mac products.

 

In September 2008, Pichai was promoted as the VP of product development and he was ready to introduce the Chrome browser to an impatient world. A few weeks after Google came up with another ground breaking announcement and this time it was the Android 1.0 SDK.

 
But Pichai wasn’t done yet, as less than a year later, in July 2009, Pichai surprised the whole world by announcing the new Chrome OS.

 
The launch of both Chrome and Chrome OS propelled the search giant to a whole new space and the prominence of Pichai and his visions powered into a new public-facing role at Google. Later on Pichai presided over Google’s major announcements like the first Chromebook prototype, the launch of Chrome for Android and iOS, the revelation of Google Drive, and the recent introduction of the Chromebook Pixel.

And now there is Android! Pichai’s additional responsibility comes in at a crucial time for Google and Android, as a stint of anxiety on Samsung’s dominance over Google’s OS flaunts over the company.

 
This is what CEO Larry Page said about Pichai’s new role:

 
“Sundar has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use — and he loves a big bet. Take Chrome, for example. In 2008, people asked whether the world really needed another browser. Today Chrome has hundreds of millions of happy users and is growing fast thanks to its speed, simplicity and security.”

 
“So while Andy’s a really hard act to follow, I know Sundar will do a tremendous job doubling down on Android as we work to push the ecosystem forward,” Page said in a company blog post.

source:::::siliconindianet

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Famous Indians In Silicon Valley…Part 2… Sundar Pichai….An Indian To Head Google”s Android Division !!!

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In continuation of my earlier blog post on the ” Famous Indians In Silicon valley ”  published on Dec 12 2012 wherein Mr. Sundar Pichai “s profile appeared,  i  am delighted to publish Part 2 of that Blog covering Mr. Sundar Pichai”s  yet another successful milestone in his career . We are all very proud of you Mr. Sundar Pichai…

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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Andy Rubin, the architect of Android, the world’s top-selling mobile operating system, has decided to step down as Google Inc combines mobile software divisions under one roof, the company said on Wednesday.

 

Sundar Pichai speaks during Google I/O Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, California June 28, 2012.Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Google Chrome, speaks during Google I/O Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, California June 28, 2012. REUTERS/Stephen Lam                                        

 

Google appointed Sundar Pichai, the executive overseeing its Chrome web browser and applications like Google Drive and Gmail, to take over Rubin’s responsibilities, hinting at how the company with the dominant Internet search engine intends to address the rise of mobile devices.

In a blog post, Larry Page, Google’s chief executive and co-founder, credited Rubin for evangelizing Android several years ago and building it into a free, open-source platform that runs on nearly three-quarters of the world’s smartphones and is used by the world’s largest handset manufacturers, from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to HTC Corp .

“Having exceeded even the crazy ambitious goals we dreamed of for Android – and with a really strong leadership team in place – Andy’s decided it’s time to hand over the reins and start a new chapter at Google,” Page wrote. “Andy, more moonshots please!

The merger of the Chrome and Android divisions helps resolve a longstanding tension in the Mountain View, California-based company’s corporate strategy, and reflects a convergence of mobile and desktop software.

When Google poured resources into launching the Chrome web browser five years ago, the company laid out a vision of the Internet and an ecosystem of Google apps based on the Web. But the Android operating system, acquired by Google in 2005, has also been a runaway success, enabling third-party handset makers like Samsung to overtake Apple Inc while also spawning a massive economy of third-party apps that are only loosely affiliated with Google.

Under Pichai’s direction, Google has released several netbook computers using the Chrome operating system. Last month, when Pichai unveiled the Chromebook Pixel, the first Chrome-based laptop with a touch-screen interface, analysts noted that Chrome and Android appeared to be on converging paths.

“You had this Chrome OS and this Android Group that were building in many overlapping products,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Gartner.

Gartenberg argued that despite Android’s overwhelming popularity, it is Chrome that remains at the core of Google’s strategy.

“For Google, it’s not about the platform, but the ecosystem,” Gartenberg said. “They’re more concerned long-term about Google Docs, Google Voice, Google Books, and less about helping Samsung sell more phones.”

Chrome, Gartenberg added, “is the purest expression of Google’s philosophy.”

“Sundar has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use – and he loves a big bet,” Page wrote. “So while Andy’s a really hard act to follow, I know Sundar will do a tremendous job doubling down on Android as we work to push the ecosystem forward.”

Android is now installed on roughly two-thirds of the world’s smartphones, supplanting Apple Inc at the pinnacle of the fast-moving mobile arena.

Android tablets are also expected to overtake Apple’s iPad in terms of shipments in 2013, IT research house IDC predicted on Tuesday.

But Android’s explosive growth – and the companies it has boosted – have also concerned Google’s leadership. Rubin himself has warned other Google executives that Samsung could use its heft to renegotiate its ad revenue-sharing deals with Google, the Wall Street Journal reported last month.

LEADING VOICE

The re-shuffle reinforces Pichai, a senior vice president, as one of the leading voices within Google.

Trained as an engineer at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, before moving to the United States, Pichai holds degrees from Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He joined Google in 2004.

In 2008, Pichai aggressively pushed Google’s Chrome browser, when Microsoft Corp’s Explorer lorded over the market. Chrome now commands a roughly 35 percent market share according to Web traffic analyzers StatCounter.

He is also credited with the development of some of the company’s most successful cloud-based apps, such as Calendar and Gmail, and has also steered Google Drive.

“Today we’re living in a new computing environment,” Page wrote. “People are really excited about technology and spending a lot of money on devices.”

source:::: yahoo news

With Samsung Galaxy S4 launching, it wouldnt have been a better time for Sundar Pichai to take the reins of Android.

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Thiruneermalai….A Temple Which Witnessed the Wedding of MS and Kalki Sadasivam!!!!

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The temple at Tiruneermalai - Photo: Special Arrangement

The temple at Tiruneermalai – Photo: THE HINDU
Column By V.Sriram  in The Hindu….

Last week, I went in the company of friends to the hill temple of Tiruneermalai just off Chromepet. It is one of the historic shrines around the city that I had been meaning to visit for years. Picturesque beyond description, it comprises as can be seen in the picture, a large tank, a hill and two temples, one at the base and another at the top. Rather uniquely, Vishnu is in four postures, standing, sitting, reclining and walking.

Considering that Bhoothathalwar (7 century CE) sang in praise of the Lord here, the temple must be of Pallava vintage. However, there is nothing of that period left to see for then, it probably was an edifice of brick and wood that perished over time. The Cholas rebuilt it with stone in the 9 century and the rulers of Vijayanagar extended it in the 14 and 15 centuries. The work of the last named period is evident in abundance here though the sanctum is probably Chola.

Inscriptions are in plenty all around the two temples, making them an epigraphist’s delight. These pertain to Chola, Pandya and Vijayanagar times. When you also consider that this is also a site of megalithic importance, you can see that Tiruneermalai has been a continuing witness to historic development over ages.

When Tirumangai Alwar of the 8 century came here and sang his 19 verses, the hill was completely surrounded by water. This must have been a frequent phenomenon, giving the place its name. Several historic accounts note the presence of water and lush green groves. And it is not so surprising considering that Chennai and its environs were once noted for their water-bodies. Even now, Tiruneermalai has plenty of water in its vicinity — apart from its own tank there is the Pallavaram Periya Eri, the Kadapperi and the Pallikaranai Marsh.

In the 19 century, the temple came to be governed by Venkatachala, a rich dubash. The Sanskrit work Sarvadeva Vilasa, (translated by Dr V Raghavan) notes that Venkatachala rebuilt the temple tower and car. The latter now stands outside the lower temple, shrouded in plastic sheets. The book has a fascinating description of a soiree conducted by Venkatachala in a large grove near the temple. Performing in it were the courtesans of the patron and Sonti Venkataramanayya, the guru of the noted Carnatic music composer Tyagaraja.

The British appear to have not considered the temple of importance though there are unverified stories that Clive camped here during the Arcot wars. In the 20 century, Tiruneermalai became the venue for unostentatious weddings, the most famous being that of MS Subbulakshmi and T Sadasivam in July 1940, with Kasturi Srinivasan of The Hindu being witness. The place also became notorious as the venue where lovers, fearing parental wrath, got surreptitiously married, earning it the sobriquet of ‘Thiruttuthali Malai’. But that is another story.

IIT Madras Alumni Named as The President of Carnegie Melon University….

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sur

Subra Suresh, an IITianhas been named as the next president of Carnegie Mellon University, which is one among the top 25 universities in America.

 

Subra, director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), under the Obama administration left the post, so as to be a part of this prestigious university. He will take charge on July 1.

 

“Dr Suresh possesses the strategic vision, international expertise and commitment to technology research and education that will continue to build CMU’s (Carnegie Mellon University’s) reputation as a world leader in higher education,” said Raymond J Lane, Hewlett-Packard chairman and head of Carnegie Mellon’s board of trustees, as reported by Hindustan Times.

 

“The extraordinary ability of the CMU faculty and students in bringing together cutting-edge research and education across multiple disciplines positions CMU uniquely to address global challenges,” said Suresh.

 

In the year 2011 Suresh was honoured with the Padma Shri award and he has also been selected to receive the 2013 Asian-American Engineer of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award

 

Suresh holds an engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and received ScD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

source:::::siliconindianet..

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Say ‘Cheese’….Your Face is Now on A Stamp!!!!!

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Say cheese: Your face is now on a stamp
This is the latest in a series of measures India Post has taken to survive in a world of instant messaging, where a letter by post is a thing of the past.

CHENNAI: Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru are among the greats whose portraits are used as stamps by India Post. Now, your picture could also be a stamp on the letter you send to your dear one. India Post will introduce “the facility of converting personal photographs as legally valid stamps” in Chennai in a couple of weeks.

The personalised stamp will have two parts – the currency part and the photograph – detachable from each other. You can choose these backgrounds: zodiac signs, flowers, Taj Mahal, Panchatantra tales, trains, wildlife and aeroplanes. You may submit your photograph or get photographed at the post office for no extra cost. You get a set of 12 stamps of 5 denomination for 300, but only after police verification that may take one week.

This is the latest in a series of measures India Post has taken to survive in a world of instant messaging, where a letter by post is a thing of the past. This scheme, called ‘My stamp’, allows photographs to be printed on a five-rupee stamp.

The concept, which has been popular in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, was launched in the country during the World Philatelic Exhibition in 2011 in Delhi. ‘My stamp’ was introduced in Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, but not many know about it. In Chennai, select post offices will offer the facility in a fortnight.

While the idea of one’s own photograph as stamp has excited many, some feel it would take away the sanctity of a postal stamp.

“A stamp is something like legal tender. I think this move may take away that identity,” said S Ulaganathan, a shopkeeper who sends money orders to his home in Tirunelveli every month.

But the younger lot is happy. “It would be fun having my stamp on the cover of my birthday invite,” said 16-year-old R Vinay, who has never posted “snail mail”.

It is people like Vinay that India Post is targeting.

“The internet has taken away from people the habit of writing letters. We hope ‘My stamp’ will bring youngsters back to us,” said an India Post official.

“I would like to send a love letter with my stamp on the cover,” said a college student. His friend cautioned him: “But what if her dad receives the letter?”

In a land of political cut-outs and graffiti, ‘My stamp’ may find takers in political parties to send party communique with the leader’s stamp on the cover. Those planning to gain commercial mileage, however, may be put off as India Post has clarified that only individuals, not businesses can make use of the ‘My stamp’ scheme.

 

 source::: Times Of India..
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Class 7 Student…A Tech Whiz…

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S. Arjun

S. Arjun

School boy S. Arjun whose school bus locator app has won him the MIT App Inventor award

By inventing a school bus locator app (Ez School Bus Locator), S. Arjun, a class VII student of Velammal Vidyashram, Surapet, has done his school and family proud. Winner of the MIT App Inventor contest in the K-8 division, Arjun’s app was considered “one of the most creative and well thought out app of any age group.”

Arjun began dabbling with technology at the age of two. “Back then, I had been using programming software meant for kids. Later on, when I wanted to make more powerful applications, I started looking out for other tools. After mastering Logo and Scratch sometime back, I tried exploring Visual Basic on my own and started on a few basic applications,” he says.

His father suggested MIT App Inventor as a place to learn programming when he stumbled upon the contest. “It was two weeks before the submission date and I put in extra effort to finish it in time to submit. My parents helped me in the technical and design aspects of creating the app,” he adds, “I decided on a school bus locator because my parents were so worried when my school bus was late one day. This disturbed me and I wanted to find a solution that would make things easier for them. I hope to come up with more solutions to help keep our world safe.”

The Ez School Bus Locator is a two-app solution that uses a bar code scanning to check in and out from the bus and GPS to track the vehicle. There are even SMS alerts to keep parents informed. “This will help parents track their children on bus rides and it supports both Android phones and those that have no Internet facility,” Arjun explains.

He has already approached his school, which has agreed to run it as a pilot programme. “I had presented this app to my school management and they have been very supportive. They have agreed to run it this academic year and then, implement it as a full-fledged service the next academic year onwards.”

Ez School Bus Locator was also featured as the Mashup of the Day on Programmable Web, the world’s largest API and Mashup directory. “My first priority is to make this app available on the Google Play Store. I’m also getting ready for the pilot implementation in school. I also just started working on my dream project — starting my own company (on a small scale right now),” Arjun adds.

With his interests spanning robotics, electronics and badminton, Arjun dreams of becoming a Robotics engineer someday. “I practice robotics programming using my robotics kit when I find time.”

source::::Anusha Parthasarathy in  THE HINDU…

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Periavaa”s Question and His Yardstick for a Decision….

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The very first time I heard of Periyaval was in 1943, when I was in the sixth standard. One of my friends stopped our game in the evening because he was going with his uncle to have darshan of “Swamigal” who was camping at Thiruvanaikoil. A few days later my father the late Dr. V.Subramaniam known all over Tiruchirapalli and especially in the Mattam as he was a general practitioner and dental surgeon took my mother, sister and me to have darshanam too. It was late evening and he performed a pada poja in the presence of His Holiness in a small hut in the garden of the Thiruvanaikoil Mattam. I still remember the serene appearance and blissful smile of Maha Periyaval as he sat through the pada pooja for nearly half an hour. Sixty years have passed and when I close my eyes I can recall the scene to my mind.

One of my most vivid memories which changed the entire course of my life was the granting of permission by Maha Periyaval for me to go abroad. It was around April or May 1960. The first batches of students for the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarships were to be selected. The scholarship scheme was a unique decision from the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ Conference at Colombo a few weeks earlier.

I appeared for the interview at Delhi and a few days later I received intimation of being selected for neurosurgical training at Edinburgh for two years. I informed my father who was at Trichy. In those days I knew that Maha Periyaval did not favour the idea of young boys from orthodox families going abroad for a long period of time. My father told me that I could go abroad only if Maha Periyaval gave me permission. So all of us went to Sri Mattam to seek Maha Periyaval’s blessings. The conversation went like this approximately.

My father: Raman has got a foreign scholarship to go to Scotland for training in brain surgery. He desires to go for the same.

His Holiness: What is the use of that?

My father: Now he has only got a MS degree General Surgery. If he goes abroad and qualifies in neuro surgery he can earn a lot of money.

His Holiness: What is the use of his going?

My father: He can go to England and get FRCS degree and also do research and get a PhD degree.

His Holiness: It is not that. What is the use to the public because of his going?

Then only my father understood His Holiness’s question and ideas.

He replied: Now there is only Dr. Ramamurthi who is doing brain operations. Many patients are not able to get treatment because there is only one person. Very many patients cannot afford to go abroad to get treatment. If Raman goes abroad and trains in neurosurgery and returns, he can operate on many patients. What is even more important is that he can train many doctors in India who can then in turn do brain operations for Indian patients So it will be of great benefit to the public.

His Holiness: If so, let him go.

This is a typical example of how His Holiness judged a certain situation. What mattered was not whether a Brahmin boy would be going abroad leaving his nityakarmanushtanam or a devotee would be able to get high qualifications or a devotee would be able to earn more money.

The real point at the heart of the issue was whether the common man in India would be benefited or not. That was the yardstick by which a decision was taken.

Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara!
source:::: Dr. prof. Kalyanaraman .Neurosurgeon , chennai”s  experience with Perivaa..  as reflected in kanchi perivaa forum.

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Mahaperivaa…..A Dheergadarisi !!!!

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An episode as narrated by Dr.S.Kalyanaraman.Neuro Surgeon of Chennai……

With namaskarams to His Holy Feet I wish to record some interesting events that took place during the darshan of His Holiness Sri Sri Chandrasekara Saraswathi Swamigal.

I was a neighbour of “Pradosam Venkatarama Iyer” and because of his association I was drawn towards Maha Periyaval and from that moment the joy and happiness my family members and I have received is beyond words.

Regular darshan and interaction between 1978 and 1984 has made me gain knowledge about many religious activities. I am able to chant many verses and also assist my gurukul at Selaiyur in homas. This is all due to kindness and blessings I have got from Maha Periyaval.

I would like to share some events.

Sri Pradosam Venkatarama Iyer celebrated the Platinum Jubilee Peetarohanam of Maha Periyaval in a very religious manner and a procession was arranged with the Periaval’s photo in a well decorated chariot. The elephant and horse were sent from Mahalakshmi temple at Adyar by Sri Mukkur Srinivasachari. The procession went round “Gangadeeswarar temple” in Egmore and returned.

“Pradosam Uncle” gave me the photo album taken during the occasion and asked me to show it to Maha Periaval who was on his padayatra. As I was fortunate I took it and showed to Maha Periyaval during my darshan. After going through all the photos He returned the album to me and asked me whether the elephant had “Namam” and I replied to His Holiness that Namam was there. He further asked me whether the horse had Namam. I told him that I did not remember this. He asked me to check the album and reply. To everyone’s surprise the horse too had Namam. This revealed the keenness of His Holiness even while glancing through a photo album.

Everyone is aware that devotees throng to have Periyaval’s darshan wherever He stayed. One lady devotee from Mumbai was very regular to have His darshan. On one occasion when the lady devotee came to have His darshan His Holiness called her and asked the following questions.

His Holiness: What is the distance of your husband’s office from your house?

Lady devotee: It is about two Kilometers.

His Holiness:Do you have a telephone in your house?

Lady devotee: No, but my neighbour has a phone and he will call us in case of any emergency.

His Holiness:Then you should at once go back to Mumbai.

Lady devotee: I have come here with an idea of staying 3 or 4 days to have your darshan.

His Holiness: Now you had my darshan. So please go back to your place.

With much hesitation the lady devotee returned home.

After a period of six months the lady devotee came once again to have His darshan and His Holiness enquired about the health condition of the lady’s husband.

Actually what happened is this – the husband of the lady devotee had an accident in his office and the phone intimation was given to lady’s neighbour. His Holiness knew about this and asked the lady devotee to go back. Now, the lady devotee asked His Holiness that as he knew all these things, she said that He could have stopped the incident! His Holiness gently replied saying that things which were going to happen could not be stopped but being a devotee of Kamakshi Amman the repercussions would be small, and that consoled her.

Such kind of acts are innumerable and only one instance has been given here.

Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara!

source:::::perivaa forum
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Bashyam Basheer Ahamad Street !!!

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A road straddling two religions

SRIRAM V……in THE HINDU…

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In an inspired moment, the street in Alwarpet , Chennai  was named after two giants of the legal field, K. Bhashyam Iyengar and Basheer Ahmed Sayeed

Fellow heritage enthusiast and writer, Dr G. Sundaram, wondered as to the origins of Bashyam Basheer Ahmed Street in Alwarpet. Have the signboard painters got it wrong he wondered. But for once they had it right. It is indeed Bashyam Basheer Ahmed Street. And as for its Vaishnavite-Muslim name combination, the explanation is simple — it commemorates two men — K. Bhashyam Iyengar and Basheer Ahmed Sayeed. Both were giants of the legal field.

Bhashyam enrolled as an advocate in 1906. He apprenticed under his father-in-law, the legendary Sir VC Desikachariar, and later worked with leaders such as VV Srinivasa Iyengar and S. Srinivasa Iyengar. He was greatly successful in independent practice as well. He wrote a classic commentary on the Negotiable Instruments Act, while still in the early days of his career and is even now referred to at times as NI Act Bhashyam to distinguish him from the other, Sir V Bhashyam Iyengar.

But it is his services to social causes that earned him immortality. Active in the freedom struggle he was beaten by the police and also sentenced. He took to representing in court, people charged for participating in the independence movement. He was to be a member of the Syndicates of the Madras and Annamalai Universities, a councillor, a member of the Legislature and a minister in the Prakasam Ministry of 1946-47. He died in 1959.

Basheer Ahmed enrolled in the High Court in 1925. An expert in languages and also Islamic law, he rose quickly in practice and was later made a judge of the Madras High Court. He was confirmed as a judge in 1950. Like Bhashyam, he too was actively involved in social causes, one of the prime beneficiaries being the Music Academy, of which he was a member of the executive committee.

It was at his prompting that the Academy purchased its present property. Justice Basheer Ahmed, in 1951, set up the Southern India Education Trust along with a few other prominent Muslims of Madras.

Sixteen acres of land were purchased in the Teynampet area and in 1955, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, who greatly admired Basheer Ahmed’s legal acumen and learning, laid the foundation stone of the SIET College, the first of the many SIET institutions. Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed died in 1984.

K. Bhashyam lived in Champaka Vilas, at the intersection of Luz Church Road and Mowbrays (now TTK) Road. That property is a rabbit’s warren of flats now. The other side of Mowbray’s Road, was mainly paddy fields, with the vast Sudder Court (native courts of the 18 century) in the distance. The main court building, Sadr Gardens, was Basheer Ahmed Sayeed’s residence. It still exists, a magnificent pile.

When the surrounding area was developed in the 1940s, roads were laid and one connected Sadr Gardens to Mowbrays Road. In an inspired moment, it was decided to name it after both men and so we have it, Bashyam Basheer Ahmed Street.

Happily, it remains so.