Tag Chennai

Vaali Poet Lyricist No More

Rangarajan of Srirangam , popularly known as Vaalii was not known to me personally though I like his songs next to Kannadasan.
Another Rangarajan, also from Sri Rangam, is Sujatha the trend setter in modern Tamil Story writing was my friend..

Once when I was talking to Sujatha, I told him that though I like Vaali's songs i Prefer Kannadasan for Kannadasan's Tamil flowed naturally; in the case of Valli though they are excellent , to me, the word s seemed to be forced and researched, like Milton's as compared to Shakespeare.

Sujatha seems to have told Vaali of this and Vaali had replied,

' I would like to meet him, many times I felt that way'

Such was his down to earth attitude and large hardheartedness that he was a man who recognized and nurtured young poets and lyricists.

In fact towards the closing years of his Life these young poets used to visit him regularly.

I have been meaning to write on valli for quite some time, as I have done for Kannadasan.

It seems that I tend to write Obituaries, much to my regret, thanks to my laziness.

Poet, Lyricist, Actor,.Litterateur , Theist, Atheist,Humane,Orthodox, Ultra modern , that is Vaali.

Even a die hard fan of Kannadasan would(Like me) would at times find it difficult to identify the songs, whether they are Kannadasa's or vaali's.

Example'madhavi Ponmayilaal Thohai Virithaal'

I have been under the impression that it was penned by Kannadasan.

I came to know much later it was by Vaali.

It seeems that Kannadasan was preoccupied and as the the song was urgently needed, it was decide to use Vaali.

It is a known fact that Sivaji Ganesan preferred Kannadasan for his films.

It seems, that after the recording was over the cassette was sent to Sivaji for his comments.

StoreHomes Sea-Moss Drink Pavement Eateries

Madurai, Tamil Nadu is famed for its Meenakshi Amman Temple.

Madurai of Date is different from the Madurai mentioned in Tamil Literature of The Sangam period.(Madurai of the present is mentioned in the last Sangam Era-Kadai Sangam)

The first Madurai, it is recorded was in the Lemuria Continent along with Kapadapuaram, both were washed away by ,possibly Tsunami.

We Madurai pf the present was known, in the earlier times as , Vada Madurai.

We do have a Vada Madurai and Mana Madurai in Siva Ganga District of Tamil Nadu.

While the former's etymology is not known, Mana Madurai seems to have derived its name from.,Maru Madurai-the other Madurai(the starting letter being M).

Madurai is known not only for Meenakshi Amman Temple, Vandiyur Mariamman .Tirumalai Naicker Mahal and Jasmine Buds.

Less known , but unique features are 'Stores", S'eaMoss Drink'

It was and is common to have families of India living in a big House separated by walls into many small portions to Live.

These Homes are called 'Nestling Homes" Ondik Kudiththanam'.

Triplicane area of Chennai is very famous.

These were / are located near the Big Street and the Parthasarathy Temple, where ,hold your breath, even 10 to 15 families Live in a small House.

Madurai had ( does it have now Homes of this nature some 50 years back.

They were called 'Stores'

It is generally a long corridor of a construction, where minimum 15 families lived.

The Store had a Common Hand Pump,located outside the house , on the platform(kerb) and eater had to be taken from here, including for Drinking.

There used to be a maximum of one Toilet for the entire 15 families.

The area of each House (?) was about 125 to 150 square feet.

People never used to lock their Houses in the night even!