Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under R.N.I 53640/91

Vol. XXXIV No. 20, February 1-15, 2025

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16349

The politicisation of heritage – a necessary evil in present times?

-- by Sriram V.

Last week saw the CM of Tamil Nadu laying the foundation stone for an open-air museum at the Keeladi archaeological site, another for a ­museum at Gangaikondacholapuram and launching a website on the Keeladi excavations. TN archaeology has never had it so good as far as Government support is concerned. But the heavy political overtones of the event coloured everything. That what should have been a matter of national rejoicing, especially the news on the Iron Age findings at Sivakalai, was reduced to a regional event, shows how much politics, at Centre and State levels have entered even matters such as archaeology.

That the Keeladi excavations, stunning though their findings are, having been the subject of much politics is well known. This is unfortunate but true. The excavations began in 2015 and when the second season ended there were ­accusations levelled against the Archaeological Survey of India for transferring the officer in charge chiefly with a view to scuttling the work done so far. This it was felt was essentially to deny Tamil Nadu its true historic legacy. The Central Government was quick to deny it and from then on the issue assumed political and regional colours. The matter went to court and since then, it is the TN State Department of Archaeology that is carrying on all investigation.

If indeed the accusations against the Central Govt. and the ASI are true, it is all most unfortunate. That what should have been seen as a matter of national pride should have been governed by petty regional insecurities is not edifying. On the rebound, Keeladi has benefitted, for the TN Government,

16347

Chennai mourns the loss of thousands of Olive Ridleys – Could this not have been prevented?

-- by Varsha V.

Recently, Chennai was left shaken by the mass deaths of Olive Ridley turtles whose remains were strewn along its coastline. News reports say that dozens of carcasses were found in Marina Beach, as well as at sites between Neelankarai and Besant Nagar, Neelankarai and Kovalam, and Napier Bridge and Foreshore Estate. The death toll is said to have crossed 1,000 with many more bodies reportedly floating in the open sea. The cause of death has been identified as drowning. Alarmingly, Andhra Pradesh has also reported similar mass deaths of Olive Ridleys.

Olive Ridleys are a critically endangered species that swim across the Pacific Ocean to nest on our shores and lay eggs on our beaches between January and April each year. In fact, Chennai’s coastline is among the few remaining nesting sites for these turtles. The reptiles must surface frequently

16357

Heritage Watch: A Bridge on the River Adyar

It was in 1728 that Coja Petrus Uscan built the first bridge across the Adyar. It was named the Marmalong Bridge after the village of Mambalam that was the closest settlement. In 1783, William Hodges executed a painting of the bridge, which is our OLD.

16328

Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival 2025

– Mylapore Times

The Mylapore Festival was held during January 9-12, 2025. It began with a kutcheri in the Navaratri mandapam inside Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple, moving out of Nageswara Rao Park. The concert was presented by the students of Meenakshi Srinivasan, Mandaveli. That evening, there were three events at the Main Stage arena – Sannidhi Street quadrangle – Nagaswaram, choral music and a dance drama themed on poet-writer-freedom fighter Subramania Bharathi, perfomed by members of the Rukminidevi Natyakshetra Foundation,

16325

Remembering Maniam

-- by Anantanarayanan Raman, anant@raman.id.au

Maniam 100 (1924-2024): Sarithiram Padaittha Sitthirangal by Maniam Selvan (Supra. Baalan, Writing Support), Poompuhar Pathippakam, Prakasam Salai, Chennai 600 108 2023, 192 pages, Rs. 960/-.

Sarithiram Padaittha Sitthirangal (hereafter, Maniam 100) was launched in Chennai on 22 October 2023, synchronising with the birth-centenary of Maniam (Thandarai Umapathy Subramaniam), a highly regarded fine artist of Madras.

The soft, velvety cover offered a rich feel. The

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