Venkatachala Nilayam - listen to Ghatam !!

December is the month of Margazhi Uthsavam – the thiruvizha of Carnatic music in Chennai. 

There are so many Sabhas and many great vidwans exhibit their prowess in Shastriya sangeetham – for the vocalist, the primary accompaniments would be : Tambura, Veenba, Violin, Mridungam, Harmonium, Flute, Kanjira, Morsing .. .. .. .. and Ghatam !

 

The ghaṭam (கடம்)  is a percussion instrument used in various repertoires across the Indian subcontinent, especially in Southern India . Its variant is played in Punjab and known as gharha as it is a part of Punjabi folk traditions. Its analogue in Rajasthan is known as the madga and pani mataqa ("water jug").  The name ghaṭam is etymologically derived from the Sanskrit term ghaṭa (pot) and the related term, kuṇḍa (pitcher). The cognate term for pot in Tamil is kuḍam (water pot). It is noteworthy that in Tamil the term ghaṭam specifically carries the meaning of a percussive musical instrument, although in Sanskrit it is a generic word for a pot of any kind. 

The ghatam is one of the most ancient percussion instruments. It primarily  is a clay pot with a narrow mouth. From the mouth, it slants outwards to form a ridge. Made mainly of clay baked with brass or copper filings with a small amount of iron filings, the pitch of the ghatam varies according to its size.  Although the ghatam is the same shape as an ordinary Indian domestic clay pot, it is made specifically to be played as an instrument. The tone of the pot must be good and the walls should be of even thickness to produce an even tone and nice sound. 

Understand that Ghatams are mostly manufactured in Manamadurai, a place near Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Though this instrument is manufactured in other places like Chennai and Bangalore, too, Manamadurai ghatams have special tonal quality. It is believed that the mud is of special quality. The Manamadurai ghaṭam is a heavy, thick pot with tiny shards of brass mixed into the clay. This type of ghaṭam is harder to play but produces a sharp metallic ringing sound which is favored by some players. 

One of the great exponents of Ghatam is a famous  son of Triplicane -

Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram (1942]  also known as Vikku Vinayakram is a Grammy award winning Indian percussionist.   He started playing Ghatam from his young age of  13  and has accompanied many famous vocalists in Carnatic music at the time, including Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, M. S. Subbulakshmi and Maharajapuram Santhanam.  He has been conferred many awards  including :  Hafiz Ali Khan Award for “unmatched contribution in the field of music” in the year 2000. 

Continuing family traditions, his son Uma Shankar is a renowned Ghatam artiste. He gave performances at the age of five at his grandfather’s school. When he was only 12 years old, Umashankar accompanied the celebrated T. V. Gopalakrishnan in Kanchipuram, which led to his role as a popular accompanist in classical Carnatic music. He has performed with T. M. Krishna, Vijay Siva, Sanjay Subramaniam, Unni Krishnan, Ganesh Kumaresh, Nithyashree Mahadevan, the Priya Sisters, and Sudha Raghunathan. 

Yesterday at Sri Peyalwar Thirukkovil Triplicane -  Margazhi Isai Kondattam – it was Rajesh Vaidya on Veena with Umashankar accompanying on Ghatam.  Here are couple of photos and a short video. :  https://youtube.com/shorts/TFxi7eB82E4

 

Away from this - Ghadam was a king (mepe) of Iberia (Kartli, modern eastern Georgia) whose three years of reign are scarcely recorded in the medieval Georgian chronicles. The king’s name is surmised by modern scholars to be a corrupted form of Rhadamistus, not an uncommon name in the ancient Caucasian royal and noble families. According to the Georgian annals, Ghadam was the son of P’arsman the Good,  who is the Pharasmanes, king of the Iberians, of Cassius Dio and some other Classical authors. He died after three years of reign, leaving the regency of his one-year-old son, P’arsman, in the hands of his mother Ghadana of Armenia.

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
31.12.2024 

Mesmerizing music Rajesh Vaidya !!

 

Mesmerizing music Rajesh Vaidya !!

 

Shades of Anniyan & Ambi in the two gentlemen on stage !!

Identify the hand / artist ! ? !

 

What an electrifying performance ! – audience were simply spell-bound !!

 

Easily identifiable ! ? !

 

Answer by tomorrow morning

 

30.12.2024 @ 11.15 pm

PSLV C60/Spadex soars into sky !

 

By 9.45 pm, we were standing in the terrace at Triplicane, with eyes fixed to the sky !  - yes another successful ISRO launch.  Precisely at   10:00:15 PM, PSLV-C60 with SpaDeX and innovative payloads lifted off from Sriharikota and in a couple of minutes they were visible at Chennai.

 

PSLV C60/SPADEX Mission  - is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV. This technology is essential for India’s space ambitions such as Indian on Moon, sample return from the Moon, the building and operation of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), etc. In-space docking technology is essential when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve common mission objectives. Through this mission, India is marching towards becoming the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology.

 

Here are couple of photos clicked in the dark sky too !!

 

Well done ISRO – Jai Hind

 

Regards S Sampathkumar

30.12.2024 @ 10.10pm

learning Tamil alphabets !!

அகர முதல எழுத்தெல்லாம் அறிய வைத்தாய் தேவி

ஆதி பகவன் முதலென்றே உணர வைத்தாய் தேவி

இயல் இசை நாடக தீபம் ஏற்றி வைத்தாய் நீயே

ஈன்றவர் நெஞ்சை இன்று குளிரவைத்தாய் தாயே

 

எண்ணும் எழுத்தென்னும் கண் திறந்தாய்

ஏற்றம் தரும் புலமை ஆற்றல் தந்தாய்

ஐயம் தெளிய வைத்து அறிவு தந்தாய்

ஒலி தந்து மொழி தந்து குரல் தந்தாய்

ஓங்கார இசை தந்து உயர வைத்தாய் தேவி

 

படம்: சரஸ்வதி சபதம்

பாடியவர்: டி.எம்.எஸ்

இசை: கே.வி.மகாதேவன்

பாடலாசிரியர்: கவியரசர் கண்ணதாசன்

 

Tamil alphabets on pillar – Metro bridge near Tollgate on way to Thiruvotriyur. 

running after dream girl !! மயிலே மயிலே உன் தோகை இங்கே !!

தேவதையை கண்டேன் ! காதலில் விழுந்தேன் !! - அதுவும் ஸ்ரீரங்கத்து தேவதை !!

நீங்கள் 1970/80களில் மாணவரா !!  - உங்களுக்கு இந்த உணர்வுகள் புரியலாம்.  அப்போதெல்லாம் வெள்ளியன்று படங்கள் வெளிவர, மக்கள் தெரு மூலைகளில், போஸ்டர்களை நின்று படித்து, அது பற்றி விவாதிப்பார்கள். அப்படி ஒரு நாள் தேவி பாரடைஸில் பிரீமியம் Rs.2.90 டிக்கெட் வாங்கி சில பல விளம்பரங்களையும், டாக்குமெண்டரியும் பார்த்துவிட்டு வெள்ளித்திரையை கண் கொட்டாமல் பார்த்தால் .. ... ... 

SA ராஜ்கண்ணு அளிக்கும்,   என ஸ்ரீதேவி ஓடியாட, சப்பாணி, மயில், பரட்டை, குருவம்மா என பெயர்கள் ஓட இசைஞானி இளையராஜா தன் குரலில் 'சோளம் வெதைக்கையிலே .. ..' என மிரள வைக்க ரசிகர்கள்  ஆரவாரித்த படம் '16 வயதினிலே'

Peacock  - is something that is extremely attractive.   Gamperaliya is a  Sri Lankan drama film directed by Lester James Peries, with screenplay, dialogue and script by Reggie Siriwardena and Tissa Abeysekara – released in 1963; it was adapted from the novel Gamperaliya by Martin Wickramasinghe.  The film had an ensemble cast of several eras together !

Di Goldene Pave refers to a mythical golden peacock and is a common symbol in Yiddish poetry.  The golden peacock is a popular symbol in Yiddish culture. Yiddish poet Itzik Manger's golden peacock symbolized Jewish resilience and optimism. In one poem, Manger explains [like the stateless Jew], the golden peacock has no country but is alive wherever Yiddish is spoken. The golden peacock is a rare bird.

The IFFI Best Film Award (officially known as the Golden Peacock for the Best Feature Film) is the main prize of the International Film Festival of India presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India.  It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with the Golden Peacock a representation of the Peacock, India’s national bird.  The award is announced for films produced in a year across the world. The award was instituted in 1965 from the 3rd IFFI competitive edition and Gamperaliya was the first to be awarded Golden Peacock.   The award carries a cash prize of ₹40 lakh  shared equally between the director and producer. The director will receive the Golden Peacock and a certificate in addition to the cash prize.

கிராமத்திலேயே மிக அதிகம் படித்தவளாக, 'பத்தாம் வகுப்பு தேர்ச்சி'யாகி விட்ட மயிலிடம் (ஸ்ரீதேவி) ஒரு தலைக் காதல் கொள்கிறான் கோவணம் கட்டும் சப்பாணி. அவளோ கிராமத்திற்கு வரும் மருத்துவ இளைஞனிடம் மனதை பறிகொடுத்திருக்கிறாள். ஒரு கட்டத்தில் அந்த மருத்துவன் காதலிப்பது தன்னையல்ல, தனது பதினாறு வயதையே என்று அவள் உணர்கையில், அவளது தாய் இறக்கிறாள். இடையில் கிராமத்து சண்டியர் பரட்டை வேறு பிரச்னைகள் செய்கிறான். அனாதையாக நிற்கும் மயிலுக்கு ஆதரவாக சப்பாணி துணை நிற்கிறான்.  சப்பாணி பரட்டையை கொலை செய்து ஜெயிலுக்கு செல்கிறான் !!! 

16 Vayathinile touted as  a cult film and a landmark in Tamil cinema, diverging from traditional Tamil films of that time.  With Annakili (1976), the film was a trendsetter for realistic portrayals of rural life  A film by SA Rajkannu, with Bharathiraja making directorial debut starring Kamal Hasan, Sridevi, Rajnikanth, Sathyajith (who ! – debut), Goundanmani, Gandhimathi -  16 Vayathinile (transl. At Age 16)  portrayed the drama of Mayilu (Sridevi), a 16-year-old schoolgirl, and the challenges she faces and overcomes.  

For the youth of 1970s / 1980s – Mayilu was the dream girl !!  ~  have you heard this song !!  SPB  “மயிலே மயிலே உன் தோகை எங்கே ?” என்று ஆரம்பிக்க மிருதங்கம் தொடங்கிவிடும். ஜென்சி பாடும் பல்லவி சிறிது வித்தியாசமாக இருக்கும்.  படம்:கடவுள் அமைத்த மேடை - வரிகள் - வாலி; இசைஞானி இளையராஜாவின் இன்னிசையில்   எஸ்.பி.பி, ஜென்சி பாடிய பாடல்.  கர்நாடக ஹம்சத்வனி ராகத்தில் அமைந்துள்ளது.

 

மயிலே மயிலே உன் தோகை இங்கே; ஒயிலே ஒயிலே உன் ஊஞ்சல் இங்கே

குளிர் காலமல்லவோ தனிமையில் விடலாமோ

தளிர் உடல் தொடலாமோ; மயிலே மயிலே…மயிலே மயிலே

இரட்டை வேடங்களில் ஹீரோ நடித்த படங்கள் ஏராளம்ஆனால், நாயகி இரட்டை வேடமிட்டு நடித்த படங்கள்  குறைவு.   ‘கடவுள் அமைத்த மேடை’  திரைப்படத்தில் சுமித்ரா இரட்டை வேடங்களில் நடித்திருந்தார்.

Here is the Mayilu, my dream girl, I have been chasing – pictured at Thiruvarangam Periya Kovil – in fact a day later, as Tejas passed by Srirangam Station, could see two peacocks on the Railway station.

Regards – S Sampathkumar
29.12.2024 

some history of Maruti Cars ! - Osamu Suzuki, is no more !!

 

In mid 1970s, there were handful cars in Triplicane – couple of Ambassadors and Fiats.  Even two-wheeled motor-cycles were rare – some owned Jawa with pride, some Rajdoots and very few Enfield Bullets; there were of course Lambretta, Bajaj & Vijay scooters. 

Ambassaddor was the standard car (ran as Taxis); there were Standard 10s, Fiat had vanished to become Premier Padmini, Chevrolet and Morris Minor ran as janvasam vehicles.   

Common men relied on public transport and some had bicycles at home.  There would be Taxi stands with Fiats & Ambassadors who would charge so high for a drop at  Railway station.   It was at this juncture, advertisements about a small car affordable to common man came !! The market response was somewhat predictable. First, disbelief — it just cannot be done. It’s impossible. It’s out of the question. It’s technically not possible.   

In the early 80s when Sanjay Gandhi conceptualized Maruti, perhaps it was an attempt exploring ‘the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid’, i.e., that there is purchasing power and demand at the lowest income levels of society and this is a fortune to be made if products are designed creatively at low cost and sold at low prices.  The need for cars grew rapidly in the 80s and Maruti Suzuki cashed on this opportunity by launching the company around the same time.  

 

Maruti Suzuki India Limited is a publicly listed Indian subsidiary of Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation.  Maruti opened its first production facility in Gurugram, Haryana, in 1982. Initially, Maruti was majority owned by the Indian government, with Suzuki only taking a 26% stake during its establishment in 1982. The Indian government gradually reduced its stake, partially departed the business in 2003 by making it a public company and then sold all of its remaining shares to Suzuki Motor Corporation in 2007, is history ! 

Launched as Maruti Udyog Ltd., Suzuki  business model changed a year later in Oct 1982, when Maruti Udyog signed the license and a joint venture agreement with Suzuki Motor Corporation.  Soon after the agreement, Maruti Suzuki cars started its production in 1983. The first car that Maruti Suzuki launched and created history with was the Maruti 800. The car was so affordable that it instantly became popular. Even now, after so many years, you might spot this car on the Indian roads. 

1986 was a milestone year for the company. Its service across the country was increasing and the company had successfully manufactured its 100,000th vehicle in the same year as well. They also launched the new and powerful Suzuki Alto (SS80), a 796 cc hatchback, replacing the former Maruti 800 model. It also began its foreign export and shipped a lot of 500 cars to Hungary.

 

The news is - Osamu Suzuki, the man who took a risk and bet on India when no one else believed in having a viable automobile company in the country, has died at the age of 94, according to information shared by Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation.  He passed away on December 25 due to malignant lymphoma, the company said. Suzuki, who took the risk of partnering with the then Indian government to form a joint venture — Maruti Udyog Ltd in 1981, at a time when India was still a closed economy under a license regime, is widely regarded as the man who spurred the automotive industry in the country.

 

“Without his vision and foresight, his willingness to take a risk that no one else was willing to take, his deep and abiding love for India, and his immense capabilities as a teacher, I believe the Indian automobile industry could not have become the powerhouse that it has become,” Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) Chairman, R C Bhargava said on the passing of Suzuki.  Noting Suzuki’s contribution to India, he said, “Millions of us in this country are living better lives because of Osamu San.” He further said, “Osamu San’s contribution to the Indian economy, and for building bridges between India and Japan was acknowledged by the conferment of the Padma Bhushan on him.” 

In a separate statement, MSIL said, “O Suzuki was a visionary leader whose remarkable contributions shaped the global automobile industry.” With his vision, O Suzuki played the pivotal role in realising the dream of putting India on wheels by empowering millions of Indian families with affordable, reliable, efficient and good quality vehicles.” 

Born on January 30, 1930, Suzuki graduated from the Faculty of Law, Chuo University and joined the then Suzuki Motor Co Ltd in April 1958. He was appointed as Director in November 1963 and in December 1967 became Director and Managing Director. He became Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation in June 2000. In June 2021, he was appointed as Senior Advisor with his eldest son Toshihiro Suzuki taking over the reins.

 

Homage to the automobile doyen Osamu Suzuki
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
28.12.2024

dancing waves !!

 

மோகம் என்னும் தீயில் என் மனம் வெந்து வெந்து உறுகும்

வானம் எங்கும் அந்த பிம்பம் வந்து வந்து விலகும்

 

மோகம் என்னும் மாயப் பேயை நானும் கொன்று போட வேண்டும்

இல்லை என்ற போது எந்தன் மூச்சு நின்று போக வேண்டும்

 

~ waves of the sea lashing on the rocks !!

Propelling a boat !! ~ கடலோரம் கடலோரம் அலைகள் ஓடி விளையாடும்

 

The greatest attraction of living near Marina beach is – Bay of Bengal.  Seas offer so much of knowledge, solace, mental peace and more ! stand near the shore, enjoy the waves coming again and again to your feet or just sit and observe the sound of music !! – you see fishing boats nearer and  some ships at a long long distance.

 

At Oriental Insurance, in Kakinada, we insured lots of fishing boats – have seen various sizes of Trawlers at Kakinada near Jagnaickpur and have travelled a few times in them too !!!  

கடலோரம் கடலோரம்    அலைகள் ஓடி விளையாடும்

வலை வீசு வலை வீசு  வாட்டம் பார்த்து வலை வீசு

………….          ………..    ……

நிலத்துக்கு சொந்தக்காரன் பல பேரு உண்டு

கடலுக்கு சொந்தம் பேச; உலகத்தில் யாரு

உழைச்சாக்க கைமேலே பொன்னாக தருவாயே

இருப்பதையெல்லாம் கொடுப்பாயே என் அம்மா

இல்லேன்னு சொன்னதில்ல!  எங்க கடலம்மா

 

இந்த அருமையான பாடலை கேட்டு இருப்பீர்கள் ? - படத்தின் பெயர் - ?  - 'கடல்மீன்கள்' அல்ல

 

Propulsion is the subject matter of this post.  Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived from two Latin words: pro, meaning before or forward; and pellere, meaning to drive.  A propulsion system consists of a source of mechanical power, and a propulsor (means of converting this power into propulsive force). 

A general derivation of the thrust equation shows that the amount of thrust generated depends on the mass flow through the engine and the exit velocity of the gas. Different propulsion systems generate thrust in slightly different ways.  

For the forty years following the first flight of the Wright brothers, airplanes used internal combustion engines to turn propellers to generate thrust. Today, most general aviation or private airplanes are still powered by propellers and internal combustion engines, much like our automobile engine. The engine takes air from the surroundings, mixes it with fuel, burns the fuel to release the energy in the fuel, and uses the heated gas exhaust to move a piston which is attached to a crankshaft. In the automobile, the shaft is used to turn the wheels of the car. In an airplane, the shaft is connected to a propeller. 

                      If we think about Newton's first law of motion, we realize that an airplane propulsion system must serve two purposes. First, the thrust from the propulsion system must balance the drag of the airplane when the airplane is cruising. And second, the thrust from the propulsion system must exceed the drag of the airplane for the airplane to accelerate. 

Marine propulsion is the mechanism or system used to generate thrust to move a ship or boat across water. While paddles and sails are still used on some smaller boats, most modern ships are propelled by mechanical systems consisting of a motor or engine turning a propeller. Marine engineering is the discipline concerned with the design of marine propulsion systems. The three most common types of boat propulsion systems are sterndrive (inboard/outboard drive or I/O), inboard motors, and outboard motors.   

To non-Mariners, there are lot of things incomprehensible.  The Marine connotation here has nothing to do with Insurance but a reference to person who sails, navigates in water-borne vessels – be it a ship or some smaller vessel. A learned person once told me that me there are many similarities of a ship and hence lot can be understood by knowing about Fishing trawler. 

For many of us who have not seen ship in close quarters, the fishing boats offer a good chance.. the trawlers are commonly seen in most coastal areas. They are fishing vessels – slightly bigger boats used to catch fish in sea, or even in lakes and rivers.  Depending on the purpose, the length of voyage and other factors, the vessels vary in size and in their power and capacity.  There appears not much of standardization of fishing boats.. there are some which go for fishing and return in hours, some go early in the morning and return mid-day or evening; then there are others which go for 3 / 5 / 7 or more days of voyage.  Smaller boats are made up of fibre glass; bigger ones are of  wood and steel too.   

 

Smaller fishing vessels like one seen here or some katamarans (Kattumaram) use Outboard motors.  An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats and is one of the most common motorized methods for propelling watercraft. Unlike inboard motors, this type of motor is designed to be installed outside the boat on the transom—which leaves more room in the interior of the boat.  Here is a small vessel making its way into the sea!  : https://youtu.be/L672m7qyIJs

 

முதலில் கண்ட பாடலின் வரிகள் பஞ்சு அருணாச்சலம் எழுத இசைஞானி இளையராஜாவின் இன்னிசையில் ஜேசுதாஸ் குரலில் -    ஆனந்த ராகம் படத்தில் ஒலித்தது.  'தாமரை செந்தூர்பாண்டி' எழுதிய 'அலைகள் ஓய்வதில்லை' என்ற நாவலை தழுவி இத்திரைப்படம் எடுக்கப்பட்டது.

 
Interesting !!
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
28.12.2024

ఊ అంటావా మావా ! ~ the demand paradox of Red Sanders

 

ఊ అంటావా మావా  !  ఊ ఊ అంటావా మావా

 

Sure you have heard the song - "Oo Antava Mama  Oo Oo Antava" ( Will you say yes or will you say no?)  Back in early 1990s stayed overnight  in a guesthouse deep inside Rampachodavaram forests – visiting a location where few lakhs worth cut trees had been burnt, in an alleged accident !!  - understood that some variety of trees are grown and cut after many years.  The felled trees are then auctioned by the Govt !

 

Pterocarpus santalinus is a species of Pterocarpus native to India better known as ‘Read sanders’ is one main and lucrative market for smugglers as a high price is paid for this wood in China. 

The holy Tirumala,   contain seven peaks namely, Anjanadri, Garudadri, Narayanadri, Neeladri, Seshadri, Venkatadri and Vrishabhadri, the highest at about 1000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level. The seven peaks represent the seven hoods of Shesha, the king of the serpents in Hindu religion.   Seshachalam Hills are hilly ranges part of the Eastern Ghats in southern Andhra Pradesh state, in southeastern India. The Seshachalam hill ranges are predominantly present in Annamayya and Tirupati districts of the Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh. The ranges were formed during the Precambrian supereon (3.8 billion to 539 million years ago). Minerals contained in these hills include sandstone and shale interbedded with limestone.   

Seshachalam Hills, one of India’s richest biospheres  is considered a floristic hotspot as it houses many endemic and rare species including five gecko species, 12 species of lizards and 22 species of snakes. However, it is red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus), the tall trees which give one of the world’s finest and rarest woods, growing in these hills makes Seshachalam a hotspot of crime and a hub of mafia. 

The price of red sandalwood significantly varies depending upon its quality, rarity, and demand. The average price of red sandalwood is in the range of ₹50,000 to ₹1,00,000 per kilogram. Premium quality red sandalwood, however, can fetch a price as high as ₹2,00,000 per kilogram. This is due to its scarcity and the difficulty involved in the harvesting and processing of the wood. Red sandalwood has been valued for ages in traditional medicine, because of its rich content of beneficial compounds such as santalol. This is a well-known agent with anti-inflammatory properties and is used in the treatment of diseases like arthritis and skin infections. Its antiseptic property helps in the healing of wounds and prevents infections. Red sandalwood is also an astringent and is used in skincare to tighten and tone the skin, reduce pores, and fine lines. It helps in digestion and even reduces problems such as bloating and indigestion. It is also popular for improving the texture of skin, treating acne and eczema, and improving overall skin health.

 

In the 1990s, Pushpa Raj, a labourer, decides to smuggle red sandalwood, a rare wood in high demand that only grows in the Seshachalam Hills of the Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh with his friend sidekick Keshava. When DSP Govindappa and his team raid the forest for apprehending the coolies and seize the stock, Pushpa hides it, gets arrested and brutally beaten for revealing the location of wood. Pushpa's employer, smuggler Konda Reddy and his brothers bail Pushpa out for the stock's location and he eventually rises through the ranks by suggesting novel ideas to smuggle the stock earning Konda Reddy's trust and becoming his 5% partner, while also simultaneously receiving hatred from Konda Reddy's youngest brother Jolly Reddy   !!!!  - the plot of  hit movie Pushpa ! 

Pushpa: The Rise – Part 01  released in 2021 was a mega hit Telegu film  written and directed by Sukumar, starring Super Star Allu Arjun as the titular character.  Allu Arjun’s   acting, swag, dialogues and dance moves took the internet by storm and gave birth to several viral memes. 

A consignment of red sandalwood arrives at the Yokohama port in Japan, where workers are shocked to find Pushpa hidden inside one of the containers. He attacks them, demanding payment for the load but is shot and falls into the sea, triggering a flashback. After humiliating SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat,[a] Pushpa rises to power as a respected smuggler, while Shekhawat goes into hiding. Shekhawat secretly masquerades as a labourer and intercepts a massive sandalwood consignment. Meanwhile, Pushpa meets the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Narasimha Reddy, but is denied a photograph with him to avoid political backlash. Offended, Pushpa vows to topple the government by making Siddappa the Chief Minister, raising ₹500 crores through sandalwood smuggling.  the plot of  Pushpa 2   directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, in association with Sukumar Writings. The film stars Allu Arjun in the title role, alongside Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagapathi Babu, Dhananjaya, Rao Ramesh, Sunil and Anasuya Bharadwaj.

 

The red sanders smuggling racket, as portrayed in Pushpa, operates from forest villages to international markets. Orders placed from abroad are communicated through middlemen or agents to local operators, who contact foremen supplying woodcutters from Tamil Nadu. Men, who need money are brought in on trains or buses and, in the dark of the night, walk long distances deep into the Seshachalam forests. In some instances, corrupt lower-level forest officials guide them to the right patches. The logs are chipped, cured, carried out of thick forests, loaded onto vehicles, and transported, concealed among materials like rice husks, watermelons, oil tankers and even ambulances. As the movie further depicted, red sanders smuggling involves various independent gangs. It is often turf wars that result in the leak of information to law enforcement who then bust the network. 

That made us think Red Sanders is Gold in wood but a recent report in media portrays a newer dimension !!!! 

As the makers of the Pushpa film franchise, based on the infamous red sandalwood, or red sanders, smuggling from Andhra Pradesh, mint money, the Chandrababu Naidu government is seeking to earn some additional revenue from the sale of the precious logs that were illegally felled and smuggled out of the debt-ridden state.  The forest department has proposed to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) that only Andhra Pradesh be allowed to sell the smuggled logs in a single-window global auction, regardless of which state they were seized in by law enforcement agencies. 

Recently, this month, AP Police, acting on a tip-off, seized red sanders logs worth Rs 3.5 crore on the Chennai-Kolkata national highway, near Guntur, and arrested two smugglers from Tamil Nadu. The logs were concealed under bundles of A4 white paper sheets in a truck. According to the forest officials, the department has a stock of 5,400 tonnes of red sander logs seized from smugglers, whereas another around 5,000 tonnes is in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, operating under the Ministry of Finance’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. In addition, over 1,000 tonnes of the smuggled logs are in other states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka, seized by their police. Even far off Haryana has 120 tonnes. 

Allu Arjun-starrer Pushpa - centered around red sanders smugglers - laughed all the way to the bank earning (Part 1 & 2) over Rs 2,000 crore, while the AP govt's attempts to auction red sanders logs have hit a roadblock, with the international market showing no interest.  It is stated that despite  multiple attempts to auction the prized logs, known for their demand in certain traditional medicinal and luxury goods industries, there have been no takers. AP govt, the only authorised seller of red sandalwood, is struggling to sell even a tonne of this valuable in the international market. 

The report adds that since Covid-19 pandemic began, no red sandalwood has been sold in international auctions, with China being the primary market. Since the 1990s, AP has held nearly 24 rounds of international auctions, but the govt has only garnered around Rs 1,800 crore - less than the earnings from Pushpa. Lack of a robust market, coupled with stringent regulations, has left the govt grappling to sell these valuable resources, sources say. The AP govt faced a setback in Nov-Dec this year when it tried to auction 905 tonnes of red sandalwood, failing to sell a single tonne. 

"China remains the primary market, but demand has fallen since 2020 due to the pandemic," sources explained, attributing the decline to the global economic slowdown. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade granted AP permission to auction 11,000 tonnes, but there are currently about 4,000 tonnes stored in a high-security depot in the temple town of Tirupati. AP uses MSTC, the central govt's e-auction platform, for international sales.

The logs are graded into three categories: A, B, and C, with A being the highest quality. A-grade wood once fetched Rs 1 crore-Rs 1.5 crore a tonne during the previous TDP govt's tenure (2014-2019). Today, A-grade wood is valued at around Rs 75 lakh a tonne. 

While smugglers illegally harvest and export the timber, many have been caught by law enforcement. Despite the market slump, govt sources said that there are no plans to lower the price. "We expect demand to return, and we do not want to give smugglers a chance to manipulate the market and form cartels," said a senior govt official. This paradox - Pushpa fuelling interest in the illegal trade while the govt struggling to sell the timber legally - highlights the growing challenges of regulating red sandalwood's trade amidst fluctuating market conditions, a market expert reasoned. 

Aside, the hero of Pushpa  Allu Arjun was arrested from his residence on December 13 in relation to the death of a 35-year-old woman from a stampede that occurred at the premiere show of the actor's film at Sandhya Theatre. The actor was sent to 14-day judicial custody by the Nampally Court. Even though the Telangana High Court granted an interim 4-week bail to the Pushpa 2 star, the primary case against him is still active in the local court. Owing to this, Allu Arjun will appear in court today, the end of the 14-day period. 

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
27.12.2024

“நரை கூடிக் கிழப்பருவ மெய்தி-" ~ Sea Gulls !!!

There is a scene in a Dhanush movie – where he describes his routine as getting up late, going up to his boss, do errands as ordered, eat, comeback, sleep and then .. .. get up again next day !!  

For many of us life is a drudgery – we educate, try to get into good jobs, earlier, people used to retire in the same company, now they fear losing jobs or imagine getting better emoluments, hit the block, sometimes are sent out unceremoniously, some retire peacefully and then live a dull life not knowing what to do.  Get up in the morning – read some WA messages, forward some in WA, post something on FB, eat, sleep, eat, hit the bed late – get up in the morning – see phone for any returned favours on WA .. ..  “நரை கூடிக் கிழப்பருவ மெய்தி-" 

வாழ்க்கை இப்படியே போய் விடுகிறது. நரை கூடி, கிழப் பருவம் வந்து சேர்கிறது. சோறு தின்பதற்காக,  படித்தோம். வேலைக்குப் போனோம். சம்பாதித்து உணவு உண்கிறோம்.. வீடு, கார்!!  திருமணம், குழந்தைகள், உடல் உபாதைகள், தேவையற்ற ஒப்பீடுகள், மனக்கிலேசங்கள், அப்புறம் என்ன   Whatsapp , faceboook , என்று  .. .. 

Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar was clearly ahead of his times – his life was short, life presented only problems to him, oppressive British arrested him, physically abused him, made him starve in jail – yet his thinking was crystal clear.  He dreamt freedom, of the Nation becoming Independent and stronger and he himself proclaimed that he was no ordinary person !   

 

தேடிச் சோறுநிதந் தின்று

பல சின்னஞ் சிறுகதைகள் பேசி

மனம் வாடித் துன்பமிக உழன்று

பிறர் வாடப் பலசெயல்கள் செய்து

நரை கூடிக் கிழப்பருவ மெய்தி

கொடுங் கூற்றுக் கிரையெனப்பின் மாயும்

பல வேடிக்கை மனிதரைப் போலே

நான் வீழ்வேனென்று நினைத் தாயோ?

 

For those of us living near the Sea, it offers so much happiness and valuable lessons.  The vast expanse of water, the jumping waves, the roar it makes and the occasional birds – reverberate in mind – yesterday pictured this Sea Gull.  They are not native birds !!

 

Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to terns and skimmers, distantly related to auks, and even more distantly related to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus, but that arrangement is now considered polyphyletic, leading to the resurrection of several genera.  An older name for gulls is mews; this still exists in certain regional English dialects and is cognate with German Möwe, Danish måge, Swedish mås, Dutch meeuw, Norwegian måke/måse, and French mouette. 

There lived a famous Sea gull ‘though in an allegorical fable – nay it was not simply a bird.  Jonathan Livingston Seagull is an independent thinker frustrated with the daily squabbles over meager food and sheer survival within his flock of seagulls who have no deeper sense of purpose. Unlike his peers, he is seized with a passion for flight of all kinds, and his soul soars as he aerially experiments and learns more about the nature of his own body and the environment in achieving faster and faster flights. 

.. ..   but,  but -  when Jonathan returns to his own flock he is greeted with anything but applause. The Elders of the flock shame Jonathan for doing things the other seagulls never dare to do. Jonathan pleads to stay and claims that he wants to share his newfound discovery with everybody, but the Elders dismiss him as an outcast, and he is banished from the flock. 

To most life is dull drudgery, explore new avenues, find happiness, others may or may not accept – but at some point of life, you understand that life is not convincing others and not proving anything to anybody !!

 
Good morning thoughts from ‘aasami sirippu sinthanaiyan’
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
27.12.2024