Icon that inspired Big temple now in a shambles

Icon that inspired Big temple now in a shambles

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

26.05.2021

The Kailasanathar temple is fading away into the sands of time — or at least it’s murals are. A walk around the 1,300-year-old temple shows figures etched on to the temple walls with disfigured faces and missing embellishments of the thrones that form miniature scenes in alcoves.

Realising that the temple, which is on the tentative list of Unesco’s world heritage sites, is in dire need of attention, the Archaeological Survey of India is planning to rope in experts from the IITs to help preserve one of the oldest temples in TN.

The sandstone and lime mortar structure has been ravaged by time though conservation efforts are made every year.

According to official sources, chemical conservation is not arresting the deterioration. “It is a completely lime plastered structure built using sandstone. Now, it is time to use traditional methods so that the issue is addressed permanently,” said an ASI official. At present, in the Pallava-era temple chemical conservation is done annually at the sanctum sanctorum. On the walls outside, certain sculptures have been destroyed beyond recognition.

Former archaeology officer and secretary of the Madurai-based Pandya Nadu Centre for Historical Research C Santhalingam says Rajaraja Chola was inspired by the Kailasanathar temple to build the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur. “The reason being Kailasanathar temple had all the aspects and features of a Shiva temple.”

Built by Pallava king Rajasimha I (700-728CE) as an edifice to adorn his capital of Kancheepuram, the temple is said to have survived the rivalry between the Pallavas and the Chalukyas of Vatapi. Though the victorious Vikaramaditya destroyed the capital, he was overwhelmed by the lavish beauty of the temple and left the city untouched.

FADED: Many murals on the walls of the Kailashnathar temple are eroded beyond recognition

Kancheepuram waits to get back on global tourism map

11 Temples From District On Unesco’s Tentative List Of World Heritage Sites Shows Region’s Potential

Kancheepuram waits to get back on global tourism map

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

26.05.2021

Till a decade ago, a visit to Chennai meant a oneday tour package through the temple town of Kancheepuram and a pit-stop at Mamallapuram to soak in the architecture and culture of the region. But over the years, the lack of promotion and infrastructure to draw tourists pushed Kancheepuram behind as the Shore Temple and Brihadeeshwarar temple at Thanjavur began to be considered more accessible.

Today the district remains famous as a pilgrimage site but largely in the southern part of the country. Navigating through the town’s narrow bylanes full of colour and flavours need patience and determination as most temples do not have an approach road. Many of the temples are not maintained properly and hardly provide information to tourists unfamiliar with Tamil culture. The recent announcement of 11 ancient temples in Kancheepuram making it to the Unesco’s tentative list of world heritage sites opens an avenue for the region to be back on the tourism map. This will ensure better care of the structures as the final honour brings with it international recognition.

Built by the Pallavas and Cholas between AD700 and AD1200 the 11 temples that were submitted by the Union culture ministry to Unesco on April 13 are: Kailasanathar, Piravatneswara, Iravathanesvara, Parameswara Vinnagaram Vaikunta Perumal, Muktesvara, Arulala or Varadharaja Perumal, Ekambaresvara (Thirukachiekambam), Jvaraharesvara, Pandava Dootha Perumal, Yathothkari Perumal and Ulagalanda Perumal.

After inclusion on the tentative list, the final declaration as a world heritage site can take years as Unesco’s World Heritage Committee studies the dossiers presented on the sites and makes detailed inspections before taking a decision. But being on the list puts focus on the potential of the site. Approved Tour Guides Association president P Asoka says the world heritage tag for temples can help Kancheepuram regain its tourism momentum. “Many international travellers explore world heritage sites of every country. The move will mean more visibility, better upkeep and cleanliness around the world heritage sites. It will also help in creating infrastructure such as parking lots and toilets, facilities that are essential to tourists,” he says.

While six of the 11 temples on the list are maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), five are under the state’s Hindu religious and charitable endowments department. According to ASI sources, ASI will play a key in conservation and renovation of world heritage sites. “Restoration works cannot take place without the consent of the high level committee or ASI at world heritage sites,” an official said.

So far the state has four temple complexes that are Unesco world heritage sites — the monuments at Mamallapuram, the Brihadeeshwara temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Brihadeeshwara temple at Jayankondam, and the Airavatheeswara temple at Darasuram. Outside the temple too regulations are put in place. R Komagan, chairman of Gangaikondacholapuram Development Council, said areas around the 11 Kancheepuram temples will come under the regulations that apply to ASI and state government’s monuments, after they are declared world heritage sites. There will be no threat to the existing buildings, but construction of new structures will be regulated. “This is to maintain the ambience and environment around the sites. Priority would be given for funding as well, as they attract foreign tourists,” he says.

Tamil Nadu Tour Travel and Hospitality Association president V K T Balan says such a distinction comes as a boon for the local economy, particularly to the hospitality sector, as more hotels come up to cater to visitors. The Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam, the Chettinad village clusters and the Padmanabhapuram palace in Kanyakumari are on the tentative list since 2014.

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Can’t ignore proof because witness is victim’s relative, observes high court

DISMISSES PLEA

Can’t ignore proof because witness is victim’s relative, observes high court

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:

Dismissing a man’s revision petition challenging his conviction in an accident case, Madras high court has observed that merely because the witnesses are related to the victim or complainant, their evidence cannot be ignored.

The prosecution case is that a person named Ramar took his daughter Munidurgadevi to Malli Bazaar at Srivilliputhur on April 18, 2009. When they were waiting to cross the road, a van driven by petitioner Balamurugan ran over Munidurgadevi killing her on the spot. Malli police registered a case against Balamurugan.

Srivilliputhur JM II court in 2010 convicted and sentenced the petitioner to oneyear simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 3,000. Balamurugan appealed against the verdict in Virudhunagar district and sessions court which dismissed it and confirmed the JM’s order. He filed the present petition, challenging the trial and appellate court orders.

Justice K Murali Shankar said that it is the contention of the petitioner that the two witnesses in the case are relatives of first witness Ramar, father of the deceased. "It is settled law that the evidence of witnesses cannot be discarded merely on the ground that he is a relative or interested witness. A witness may be called ‘interested’ only when he derives some benefits from the result of a litigations or in seeing the accused person punished and a witness cannot be said to be an ‘interested’ witness merely by virtue of being a relative of the victim," observed the judge.

The judge further said that if the evidence of the relative witnesses are cogent, credible and trustworthy, the same can be relied on. In this case, both the witnesses have deposed the manner in which the accident occurred by reiterating the witness of Ramar.

The judge said that all the witnesses had stated that the van was driven at high speed by the petitioner in a rash and negligent manner. The appellate court has re-assessed the entire evidence and given its finding concurring with the JM court. The courts have rightly appreciated the evidence and arrived at correct findings. Hence, the judge dismissed the revision petition.

Supriya Sahu is forests secy in major reshuffle

Supriya Sahu is forests secy in major reshuffle

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:26.05.2021 

In a major reshuffle in the bureaucracy, the state government on Tuesday posted Supriya Sahu as principal secretary of environment and forests department. She was principal secretary/chief executive officer of Tamil Nadu small tea growers’ industrial cooperative tea factories’ federation limited (Indcoserve).

TN industrial development corporation chairperson and managing director Kakarla Usha has been posted as secretary in school education department, while Dheeraj Kumar has become principal secretary in higher education department.

Sandeep Saxeena has been posted as additional chief secretary in the public works department and additional chief secretary Dayanand Kataria in transport department. Kumar Jayant is principal secretary of revenue and disaster management and K Gopal is principal secretary of rural development and panchayat raj department.

Hitesh Kumar S Makwana has been posted as principal secretary of housing and urban development vice D Karthikeyan, who has been posted as principal secretary, highways and minor ports.

B Chandra Mohan has been posted as principal secretary, tourism, culture and religious endowments department. Transport secretary C Samayamoorthy has been shifted as agricultural production commissioner and secretary, agriculture and farmers’ welfare department.

Selvi Apoorva has been posted as principal secretary, handlooms, handicrafts, textiles and khadi department.

K Manivasan has been posted as principal secretary of adi-dravidar and tribal welfare department. A Karthik is principal secretary, backward classes, most backward classes and minorities welfare department. Shambhu Kallolikar is the new principal secretary of social welfare and nutritious meal programme.

Lab technician mowed down by SUV was to get married next year

Lab technician mowed down by SUV was to get married next year

Sindhu.Kannan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:26.05.2021

Twenty-one-yearold lab technician A Yamuna, who was mowed down by a car driven by a drunk man near KMCH on May 21, was all set to get married in January 2022, with a software engineer based in Saudi Arabia.

The family was happily preparing for her wedding after her engagement in April and it was the last wedding in the family. After finishing her lab technician course, Yamuna was working in the Corona ward in KMCH. She asked her family members to schedule the wedding in January next year as she said cases might come down then.

Though this was Yamuna’s first job she was never scared treating Covid patients. She was in fact one among those who raised their voice demanding safety for staff in the Corona ward and staged a protest a couple of months ago.

On May 21, Yamuna was unwell and had requested for leave when she was asked to come for a while to attend a few patients. While returning home on her scooty a SUV driven by Abdul Qayyum under the influence of alcohol mowed her down.

Yamuna was the youngest daughter of Arumugham and Uma Rani. The family is shattered as they lost the sole breadwinner. His father Arumugham who has a small cycle repair shop is now jobless due to the lockdown. Yamuna was not only meeting her family expenses but also taking care of her elderly parents as her brother and two sisters are married and settled elsewhere.

“She was specific that the engagement shouldn’t be a grand one as people are dying of Covid 19. But she had dreams of her own for her wedding,” said Kamalesh, Yamuna’s uncle. "Nothing can bring her back. Drunken driving is something which has to be dealt with seriously," says Kamalesh.

Uma Rani who remained inconsolable, has been hospitalized twice as her health condition deteriorated. The groom who is yet to recover from the shock of losing his fiancée is shattered as he was unable to land in India for her funeral.

‘Professional Courses May Start Only In November’

UG admissions may be pushed to Sept

‘Professional Courses May Start Only In November’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:26.05.2021 

If Class XII board exams are held in July-end or in August, depending on the pandemic situation, career consultants say admissions to undergraduate courses will be pushed to September like last year.

Admissions to professional courses such as MBBS and BE, BTech are likely only by October as the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET) scheduled for August 1 is likely to be postponed.

The school education department held a meeting with officials on conducting Class XII board exams and entrance exams on Tuesday. "We have drafted suggestions on conducting Class XII board exams. After discussing with the chief minister M K Stalin, we will forward it to the Centre," school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told reporters after the meeting.

Asked if there would be changes to the board exam pattern in view of the pandemic, the minister said no state governments wanted any changes.

Career consultant Jayaprakash Gandhi said professional courses may start only in November. “Conducting board exams online is ruled out. If board exams are conducted in August, then the NEET exam will be postponed to September. The admission process will take place in October and academic year will start only in November for professional courses," he said. As a result, there may not be a gap between two semesters, which may impact students learning additional skills and going for internship, he added.

.For arts and science courses, the classes for UG students will only start in September, said Thomas Amirtham, principal of Loyola College. "We may need to have a separate academic calendar for first year students. Colleges may have to extend the academic year and scrap the summer holidays," he added.

Consultants said delay in starting the academic year also would affect the students planning to go abroad for higher studies.

"Foreign universities have only one intake in September or October for medicine. If NEET is delayed, the counselling process may go on till January next year. Last year, many students have to change their plans to go abroad after delay in medical counselling," said R Sureshkumar, managing director, Truematics Overseas Education Consultancy in Chennai.

A majority of students travel abroad to study engineering, management and arts courses only at the postgraduate level. Since the universities are planning to wind up the online exams by July, there will not be a problem for these students, he added.

The school education department held a meeting with officials on conducting Class XII board exams and entrance exams on Tuesday.

High Courts Weekly Round-Up [May 17, 2020 To May 23, 2020]

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