Deepavali 2024 - Joy of giving - Jewels of Triplicane

joy of giving ! ~ celebrating Deepavali - SYMA Growth 2024 

Jewels of Thiruvallikkeni

                                                 Deepavali ‘the festival of lights’ is always enchanting –  it is a festival of happiness - the festival is all about happiness .. .. the way to celebrate is a simple routine.  Have Ganga snanam, wear new clothes, burst crackers gleefully, eat sweets unlimited, respect thy elders, be kind and courteous to all around, be happy and make others happy by sharing – sweets, food, crackers and more – simply spread the happiness.  – the festival would be grandly celebrated all over the country on   Thursday 31^st Oct 2024..    

Thiruvallikkeni aka Triplicane is a famed land…   It is a place where religion, nationalistic fervour, patriotism, sports, education and the individual dignity have interspersed for the benefit of the State and the larger interests of the Nation.  Triplicane houses some best historic educational institutions driving home the point of scholastic excellence for decades.   Triplicane was the seat of freedom struggle  Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharathi lived in Triplicane and from this place freedom struggle germinated.  

Today it is about another jewel of Triplicane – ‘Dr PT Srinivasan ’ – a renowned scholar, philanthropist, great human being living at TP Koil Street,  opp to Raghavendra Mutt and closer to NKT Boys High School. 

At SYMA, we are feeling very elated ~ Deepavali celebrations have already started. This evening  we ensured  happiness to  our 100+ students at SYMA Growth by providing all of them new clothes; also clothes to their parents .. .. 

சந்தோஷத்தை தரும் பண்டிகைகளில் மிக சிறப்பு வாய்ந்தது *தீபாவளி திருநாள்*.  பண்டிகைகளின் நோக்கமே, நாம் சிறப்புற கொண்டாடி, மற்றவர்களையும் மகிழ்விப்பதுதானே !  கடந்த 16 ஆண்டுகளாக 'சைமா கிரௌத்" [SYMA  Growth] கல்விமையம் வாயிலாக ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்டும் நூறுக்கு மேற்பட்ட மாணவ மாணவியர்களுக்கு தரமான கல்வி - வழங்கி வருகிறோம். தீபாவளி பண்டிகையை நாமும் கொண்டாடி, நம் மாணவமணிகளும், அவர்தம் குடும்பங்களும்  ஆனந்தமுற - கடந்த ஆண்டைப்போலவே, இவ்வாண்டு     இன்று  - நம் மாணவ மாணவியர்களுக்கும், அவர்தம் குடும்பங்களுக்கும்   புத்தாடைகள் வழங்கி,    கொண்டாடினோம்.  

Deepavali,  festivity could be felt in the air even before a fortnight, when one walks either in T Nagar area, where every shop be it selling Gold, silver or clothes – are overcrowded – the entire area would be flowing with people jostling to buy more and more.  In our childhood, a small sum of rupees spent would provide a bagful of crackers which would be our pride possession of exhibit to friends and neighbours.   

At our fulltime tuition Centre – SYMA Growth, we are now providing quality Educational support to  100+ students [X –English medium; +2 Commerce & Science Groups English] in our  Seventeenth   year of operation [2024-25].  We talk to them, nurture them, guide them, make them understand the good and bad and realize the need for studying well. We strain ourselves to make them feel happy – with Deepavali around the corner, if the students are to be asked, what would make them happy – there would be a list [no our students will not say ‘holidays’ !!]  

~ this evening   too proved to be different to them.   We arranged for a speech by renowned PTS which was an enthusing gift for getting better in life and together, we  distributed new clothes to all our students and their parents also.  The glee on the faces of our students was a clear reflection of the happiness and our joy knows no bounds – by the pleasure of giving and sharing our happiness with those children from the economically weaker sections of the Society.

Long ago before reorganization and renumbering – House no. 111 Thulasinga Perumal Koil Street was a landmark.  A century old house, it was the residence Dr Raghavachari, a very famous physician (grand father of the Chief Guest). 

The Madras Corporation is the oldest municipal body of the Commonwealth of Nations outside the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1688 to control the powers of the Governor of Madras, Elihu Yale.  The corporation was created by a Royal Charter issued on 30 December 1687 by King James II.   The charter constituted the existing town of Fort St. George and all the territories belonging to the town, not exceeding a distance of ten miles from the Fort, into a Corporation.  Nathaniel Higginson was the first Mayor of Madras.

Mr Pakshi Rajagopalan, a famous Advocate was a Public Prosecutor who later turned a Corporator.  He was the Municipal Councillor of 95 (Triplicane those days) and in 1950s won the best managed council award too.  His son was the Chief Guest of the day.

University of Madras is  the paramount Educational institution.  In 1800s,  demand for higher education in Madras Presidency was given in a public address to Lord John Elphinstone, Governor of Madras, signed by 70,000 residents when the Governor-in-Council was contemplating "some effective and liberal measures for the establishment of an improved system of national education." This public petition, which was presented by the Advocate General Mr George Norton on 11 November 1839, pressed the need for an English college in the city of Madras. Pursuant to this, Lord Elphinstone evolved a plan for the establishment of a central collegiate institution or a ‘university.’ The University Board was constituted in 1840 and was the precursor of the present Presidency College, Chennai. University of Madras, organised on the model of the University of London, was incorporated on 5 September 1857 by an act of the Legislative Council of India.  Madras University is the mother of almost all the old Universities of south India.   The University of Madras has a historical monument – Senate House – which is one of the landmarks of the city of Chennai.  

Dr. PT Srinivasan is the ultimate role model every student can aspire.  Brilliant in studies, rising to serve Educational field in a meritorious manner, providing quality educational support to many. 

He had his schooling in Red Building – The Hindu High School, Big Street, passed out of AC Tech College with gold medal in Chemical Engineering, studied MBA in prestigious Madras University, briefly worked in Royal Enfield, before becoming a lecturer in the famed Madras University.  He became the Head of Management Studies in the University.  He was again a medalist in doing his PhD in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Madras).  Under him more than 30 students completed doctorate at Madras University. 

Those in Triplicane know him to be a soft, humble, genial person – kind to us all and most respected by us all.  Having seen him in close quarters right from my elementary school days, it was indeed a great occasion for me to introduce him and speak in front of him.  

His mother Mrs Jayalakshmi was a graduate in pre-independence days – hailed from Madanapalle (the place where Rabindranath Tagore stayed in 1919 and compiled our National Anthem).  His wife Mrs Harini Srinivasan, is B.Com, B.Ed and is involved in kainkaryam to Emperuman.

Dr. PT Srinivasan was the Chief Guest;  Mr RS Ramesh, LIC and Ms Kalavathi, HM NKT Boys High School were the other guests.  We thank all our donors, the NKT management, Chief Guests, our volunteers and parents for making this event a grand success.  Dr PTS provided practical advice to students and guided the parents on controlling the habits of children, providing anecdotes, short stories and bytes of wisdom laced with humour.  It was very well received by students, parents and those who had gathered there.

Deepavali pervades happiness ~ and at SYMA we are feeling happy. It indeed was a very memorable evening listening to Dr. PTS.

 
சமுதாயப்பணியில் என்றென்றும் சைமா
அன்புடன் ஸ்ரீ சம்பத்குமார்,  துணைத்தலைவர்
23.10.2024