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The Rendaam Kaappu past mid-night is one of the difficult and but quiet and beautiful event of the utsavam. For what is called the second vow, Varada leaves his aasthanam at 1.30 in the night goes back to the hastigiri. The quiet lonely walk in the middle of the night is a beautiful sight. I stepped out of the sannidhi while the thiruvaradhanam is on to catch some air under one of the giant fans in the prakaram. I don't generally get a chance to chat with and get into the local gossip - but this time there was one known face and we got talking. I asked him if he would help me identify the Bhattachar's or the hereditary priests who figure in  Iyengar's book and to show me if any of their descendants are around this year. What a coincidence - Rangarajan knew of "DR" well as Dindigul Ramaswamy Iyengar was fondly referred and also about the book. He was thrilled to know I had a copy of the book. We quickly got into a plan to republish the book even befor...

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The Perarulalan, Kanchi Varadarajan ’s Brahmotsavam has begun. I missed the early morning walk to the temple and up into hill of Athigiri, the elephant hill to see that Lord leave the Moolasthanam, sanctum sanctorum to come down and preside over the Dwajarohanam. There were years when we would walk a km or two in the early hours to cross the Toll Gate, which is considered the boundary of the town to escape being caught in the “kodi”. It is a custom that once you are there when the Dwaja or kodi is hoisted that you should stay in the town till the Dwaraavarohnam which happens after the 10 day festival is over. Some of us who wouldn’t stay for all the ten days will go and stand outside the Toll Gate, till we heard the loud single cracker go up. For every single step of the Lord is announced by bursting the loud cracker. The first sound tells you the Lord has left the Moolasthanam. The second when he enters the Vaahana Mandapam – Where the vehicle of the day or vahana is kept ready....

Malaccan moment The perfect ‘Discovery’ moment arrived soon after I landed in Melaka. The beautiful little, post-colonial city dotted with Churches, museum, an old city street with temples of all kind and Mosques, is a real delight. Having just few hours in hand to go around and explore the city, I found the cycle rickshaws, with a cover, floral decoration and even a Bhaja (music system) an ideal way to get my orientation. It is a bit steep at MR 40 for an hour – but I was lured in by the offer to play Hindi songs. From ‘kuch kuch hota hai’ to ‘sapney’ I did get a taste of Indian music and the rickshaw puller’s love of Bollywood and his favourite star Shah Rukh Khan. There I go on the streets of Melaka humming ‘vennilave vennilave…’. The Portuguese fort, l’amosa stands in ruins, amidst well manicured lawns and witnessing the retail revolution spring up in front – the local store of global chain Carrefour stands tall in front of the amosa. A few furlongs away from amosa stands...

I had no intention of following up on Gayatri Devi's death, for I had known very little about her apart from the constant reference being made to her as one of the world's most beautiful woman and a maharani. When I saw television channels following up on that for a second day, just commented "see because she was royalty and a beautiful woman that channels are still airing the news of her death". That is when my father brought up the subject of her having been a founder member of Rajaji's Swatantara Party. Exactly at that time NDTV announced that it is going to repeat Shekhar Gupta's, Walk the Talk with Maharani Gayatri Devi. "See, it is Shekhar Gupta's interview and she would definitely talk about Swatantra Party and Rajaji," my father said. "She hated Nehru's democratic socialism, was its critic and supported Rajaji." I found it interesting, for I knew not the keen interest Gayatri Devi had in politics, political thought. So, I sa...

For an uninitiated listener, her music was a simple tutorial. For someone whose knowledge of swaras were limited, her crystal clear rendering of sahityas was an entry point into the world of carnatic music. To begin with, it was not her music that drew me to D.K.Pattammal. The D in her initials was fascinating and brought me to close to her. Damal was her native village and it was the village my maternal grand father hailed. And her face and the underlying innocence and simplicity was just as my maternal grand mother. But once I was drawn into her music, the rest of the identities that drew me to her became irrelevant. Like so many Tamilians, my first introduction to D.K.Pattammal was through her famous songs in the movie 'Naam Iruvar'. “Aaduvome pally paaduvome” and “Vetri yettu thikkum yetta kottu murase” – the relationship with the writer (Bharatiyar) and the singer were made the day I heard them. From that day, somewhere in early seventies to date, I have continued to ...

“You’re the only writer in English, after RK Narayan and Mulk Raj Anand, to be Sahitya Akademi’s Fellows. What will you do with it? I don’t know, yet. Translations from bhasha into English. Could you influence a quality improvement there? I really wonder why those translations are done and who reads them. I don’t know if there is room for me to do anything. They have a board.” This is an excerpt from an interview with Anita Desai published in December last year. As a creator, Desai may not be happy with the level of translations available. Or maybe even with the idea of translation itself. Or with the quality of translations Sahitya Akademi publishes. Whatever may be her view, I still look for Sahitya Akademi translations. The little I know of writers like Masti, Basheer and a few other writers in regional languages has been through Akademi books I had bought at very low cost from at the annual book fairs in Chennai. One may never really be able to enjoy the beauty of a particular lang...