Dear sir, We are all greatly delighted to have your blessed participation our group. Immediately after reading your mail - I thought of asking you about Vijayalaya choleeswaram - but was wondering whether narthamalai was within your territory (I's not sure). I's greatly delighted when I found that it was the cover page of your informative and well laid out website ! Also, I'm very much excited that you have done intensive study on Ajanta paintings... May I request you, sir - to write a series on the same - detailing points of interest that are generally missed by a casual observer ? It will very much be within the realm of this group - as Ajantha has special place in Kalki's Sivakamiyin Sabadham. Like pavi and many others, I once again welcome you to this group. I look forward to know more about sudarshanam and your work.
After my retirement I am busier. So you should excuse me if i am rather brief. Don't get offended.
May i request you all to vist the website www.pudukkottai.org fully and give me your comments. We are three involved in the project full time: Vasudeva Kiran and Murugapandian. The website is the handy work of Murugapandian with assistance from Kiran. There are a number of people helping us.
Kodumbalur is associated with Rajaraja Chola. The temple Muvar Koil is one among the greatest temples of India. The other is Vijayalaya Choliswaram in Narthamalai. Both of these are covered in the site. Please look up. So is Sittannavasal, considered to be second in importance to Ajanta in the history of Indian paintings. The site has covered Sittannavasal.
Gokul has suggested to write a serial on Ajanta. it is good idea. There are a lot of things a casual observer would miss. If fact, with the subdued lighting you will miss most of it unless some knowledgeable person is your guide.
I would also like to keep you informed of the activities of my project, which is unique in its concept. I am hoping that you would find interesting. This may result in your helping us by offering ideas and in the execution.
I am first giving you a brief introdusction to Sudharsanam our project of setting up centre for arts and culture in Pudukkottai.
Let me have your comments and suggestions for improvement. Those who find time please visit us.
With best wishes Swaminathan
====================== Sudharsanam – A Centre for Arts and Culture; Pudukkottai
We the Tamils are the inheritors of a great culture spanning a few millennia. This culture has enriched itself further by assimilating from other cultures. Owing to compulsions of modern life, the present generation gets fewer opportunities for exposure to aspects of our culture. This is particularly true for the people living in towns and cities. Also, due to economic and other reasons large numbers of Tamils have migrated to places outside Tamilnadu and also abroad. The result is that they have lost day-to-day contact with the elements of our culture.
The migrant Tamils who sincerely love their culture may also be concerned that their offspring are deprived of contact with their own culture since they grow in a different environment, but at the same time are not able to assimilate themselves completely in the said environment. This is owing to the fact they are brought up in a different ambience at home, especially when their parents are first-generation migrants. The result is that the younger generation leads a life, which has lost its old roots and has not grown new ones. We have only to see the people of India/Tamil origin now living in Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, etc to understand what happens when a people is cut off for long periods of time from their original roots.
There are many people who may like to have a broad idea of our arts and literature. Also
there are many socially conscious people who would like to know more about the historical and artistic significance of their neighbourhood.
Our land is rich in a variety of folk-art, folklore and rural crafts. Many of them are languishing owing to lack of awareness of their importance and want of patronage for the artists and craftsman. Many of these arts and crafts will soon die if no remedial action is taken. It is commented that we Indians lack a sense of history. We have very little information about the people who have contributed to our rich heritage. We have also allowed our heritage sites decay and disappear.
At present there does not appear to be any organisation to offer exposure to our cultural
traditions though there is no dearth of institutions in Tamilnadu specialising in different branches of art and literature. It is, hence, felt desirable to start an institution which would in a small way to engage itself in making available to the interested people a basic introduction to our art and culture through well designed awareness-courses consisting of lectures and workshops by scholars, master-artists and craftsmen in the relevant fields. Further, through this institution, it is aimed to contribute in a small way in the documentation of the surviving legacy.
Since the proponents of this venture belong to or are in some way associated with the Pudukkottai area the contemplated organisation will at the initial stage pay special attention to the matters associated with Pudukkottai and its environs. It is hoped that the success of this venture will provide impetus for the founding of similar venture in other parts of the country.
Sudharsanam is being set up by Mr. V.K. Sundaram, an industrialist and educationalist. The team that will be running the centre includes Prof. S. Swaminathan, who, during his career as teacher at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi spanning over three decades, had been attempting integrating arts with technology. The centre is located on a thickly wooded 7-acre land near Pudukkottai.
Sudharsanam
LOCATION : 15 km from Pudukkottai on the Tiruchy Road
INFRASTRUCTURE (To be creeated in the Future. A plot of 7 acres has been acquired and harticultural work is on):
Boarding and lodging for participants and researchers
Halls for lectures, seminars, exhibitions and other activities
Well-stocked library with Internet Connection
Heritage grove
ACTIVITY : One-month intensive programme in summer for different age groups, contents of which would include,
Appreciation of classical music and dance, painting and sculpture and folk arts
Introduction to Tamil and Sanskrit literatures
Practice sessions on traditional skills and recitation of devotional hymns, specially for children
Heritage tours
Exposure to traditional art forms like harikatha, puppet theatre, ashtavadhanam, etc
CONTACT ADDRESSES
Mr. V.K. SUNDARAM
Chairman, SUDHARSANAM, 2/2, Rams Building, New No. 40, Vijayaraghava Road, T Nagar, Chennai