October 28, 2005

It was a Rainy day indeed

What a day it was...
Starting from 26th afternoon, Rain was at its best till 27th night..A great performance indeed..
Chennai could always brave the relentlessly scorching sun but not a day of rain...
The roads bared their makeup & the ugly potholes sprung everywhere,,
Never before, we were in our house for 24hrs together...that too without electricity ..

Now, we know how it is to be in Blore ;-))

October 24, 2005

India's 1st e-literate district - Malappuram, Kerala

It was heartening to read the article in rediff.

- In November 2002, the state government of Kerala put into place a project, piloted in Malappuram, that aimed for one person in every family to be computer literate in that district.

- One year later, the scheme had already found success -- over 500 Akshaya centres (basically computer labs) had been built throughout the district, and a village, Chemaravattom, was already fully computer literate (perhaps the first of its kind in the world).

- The next step, to create a network so that the villagers and residents of Malappuram would be able to utilise this new computer literacy, and log on to the Internet was carried out thro Tulip, an IT services company

- Tulip came up with a cost-efficient way of ensuring that the entire district of Malappuram was connected -- entirely wirelessly. What they did was put up point-to-point and point-to-multipoint radio masts (they didn't even need to construct towers), using Versatile Intelligent Network and Wireless in Local Loop technology.

- Akshaya is also a scheme for more efficient governance, and not just for local government offices being hooked up, but Malappuram residents can also pay their electricity and telephone bills online. The Tulip network reaches sectors such as life insurance, housing loans, police stations, senior secondary schools and panchayats, making financial transactions much easier.

- Thanks to the success of this pilot, the government of India is now looking at expanding this model over 20 states.

Way to Go!!

October 20, 2005

Narayana Murthy Miffed

DevaGowda does it again!!

It is sad to observe how constructive development is simply impossible with politics having a say in all affairs..

Infosys boss Narayana Murthy today resigned as chairman of the project to build a new international airport in Bangalore.

Sify gives you the entire transcript of the resignation letter.
Deve Gowda, speaking to the press about the lack of contribution to the Bangalore International Airport Limited during the last five years, did it.

The incident reminds that all the hype & hoopla about being the next big thing could vapourize into thin air if our infrastructure does not stand up to a decent level.

October 14, 2005

Vijayamangalam - Lost Tamil Jain Heritage


Few years back, my parents happened to be in Erode for a marriage. On their way back to chennai, they visited the Vijayamangalam Temple. They had interesting stories to tell about the temple & its beauty.

Last sunday there was an article in the Hindu on the temple: Monumental neglect

"Once a flourishing place of worship for the Jains in Kongunadu and said to date back to the 6th Century, the temple is now a neglected stone monument that has suffered the ravages of time. The temple, built by King Konguvelir, is an art lover's delight. According to the inscriptions in Pali and Tamil found on the pillars, a few Jain munis had attained mukthi here by fasting till death. The birth of Mahavira and his life is carved on the top as a panel.A dance mandapam, dating back to the 13th Century, is another highlight."

The shocking part of the coverage was "Unfortunately, the idol of Chandraprabha Tirthankar was stolen some months ago. Now only an idol of goddess Kushmandala Devi and that of Mahavira remain. "

More from the article "There are similar shrines in disrepair at Thingalur and Seenapuram, 10 km away. The one at Thingalur is set in scenic surroundings but is a nightmare once you open the door, as it is now a haven for bats. The priest hurriedly clears up the bat droppings to reveal a temple that must have stood out for its architecture centuries ago. "

Writer Subha J Rao expresses her anguish "The beauty of this Jain temple complex leaves you feeling sad and awe-struck at the same time for it has no power supply, no guidebooks, no one, except the priest, to tell you more about it."

Jainsamaj.org gives some more information abt the temple:
Pullava, the younger sister of chamundaraya (978) the great minister of Ganga king rajamall-4, died performing this rite (salekana - fast until death) and a slab was set up within the chandranatha basti at Vijaymangalam. The dead sravika pullavva is shown on the upper niche seated in padmasana with folded hands.

The village is celebrated birthplace of Jain Monk Bhavanadi, he is the author of the tamil grammer book - Nannul.
Incidentaly, Tolkaapiyam , the oldest grammer book in any language was written by Tolkaapiyar, another Jain monk.

M. AROKIASWAMI, M.A., Ph.D. writes about Jain Vestiges in Coimbatore District.

How to reach : The temple complex is about 20 km from Erode. Driving down from Coimbatore, it is 27 km from Avanashi on the NH-47.

Other Blogs on Tamil Jain heritage
Samanar Malai - Madurai
Sittannavaasal

October 03, 2005

Ruins of India

Came across this interesting flickr group
http://www.flickr.com/groups/ruinsofindia

Feels good to see people sharing my anguish, in the way historical monuments are being treated !
Have a look at the collection of these photos.