By Francis P. Barclay
Forty-four-year-old Rukmani, who has a definite reason to rejoice, is glum. She has been selected for the international power lifting championship to be held in the US this year, but she is not sure whether she can make it. For she needs Rs 1,30,000 and she does not have it.
Living in Sundarapuram on the outskirts of Coimbatore city with her husband and two children, Rukmini got silver in the 60-kilo category at the national-level power lifting championship held at Orissa in 2004. She had
also got second prize in the national championship held in Udaipur in Rajasthan last February. State-level gold is already there in her profile.
Reckoning her ability, the Indian Power Lifting Federation has sorted out her for the international power lifting event to be held in Texas from October 4 to 8, 2006. But she lacks financial assistance.
Hailing from an economically poor family, Rukmani, right from her childhood had a passion for weightlifting. That prompted her to spend six hours a day for practice session, despite all difficulties.Her trainer is M A Velusamy, a stalwart power lifter and the vice-president of the Coimbatore District Power Lifting Association.
``In 2003,'' he recalls, ``I was selected to attend the international power lifting championship at Kajakisthan and I had nobody to help me go there. At last, determinedly, I sold my house and attended the event. And now I can
call myself an Asian champion.''
``I have dedicated my life to train people in power lifting, particularly women, whose talents should be showcased in the world arena,'' he says with a fervent smile.
Inspired by her trainer, Rukmani is eager to attend the international event and trying all possible ways to get financial help.
``The one-lakh-and-odd is a big sum for me. Already I am finding it hard to run the family with the minimal salary of my husband who is working as a fitter in a cotton mill,'' she says with a tinge of sorrow.
Her deadline to arrange the money was March 31, but she had suscessfully applied for extension.
``My only carnal desire is to fetch a gold medal for India,'' she says even as her face asserts the worry as to how she is going to attend the event.
Will any sports buffs or philanthropists help her?
December 09, 2006
Feelings and emotions
Intro: The simplicity and chastity of Indian culture is a recurrence in Raviraj's paintings
By Francis P Barclay
Artistry has been in him right from his childhood. But giving in to the pressure of his parents, he studied science and business management. And he got a clerical job, which soon proved itself to be a barrier to his creative mind. At last, with confidence, he called it quits. S Raviraj, the neo-realistic painter, was thus born.
Revelling in the pool of art, he also took up the job of teaching art. He worked for about 10 years at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) as an art instructor and then went to Saudi Arabia for a two-year assignment as art director in a print publication.
Proving himself to be a versatile genius, he learnt dance and guitar in his leisure time.
Now, Raviraj, recipient of National Award for Best Artist in 1985 and winner of several State-level awards for painting and writing, is the director of the 13-year-old Lalit Kalakshetra, an art school which is teaching over 700 students.
Art buffs had much to relish inside the Jayams Hall this Pongal. They had in front of them 25 assorted odds of serene emotions and feelings captured by Raviraj, director, Lalit Kalakshetra, from the culture and locale of today.
In his neo-realistic way of expressing things, he recreated the scenes that he had come across in real life. He altered them in his own metaphysical style and its values and displayed them for the public at his maiden
exhibition.
Sparking off the aesthetic spirit in a set of styles, the acrylic and oil on the canvases catogorise the mild expressions of Mahatma and Swami Vivekananda.
The artist is accurate in portraying an expressive smile on the broad lips of a gypsy playing the drums, supported by a whistling kid with a doleful heart.
His skill to tickle the emotional aspect of life comes to the fore in the depressed face of the slender and nervous parrot vendor. He finds it easy to butt in on the temperamental prospect, transpiring the scene in a way that
is almost real.
The simplicity and chastity of Indian culture is a recurrence in his paintings. He records people's life in the rural background and the rituals and customs performed by them.
In his paintings, from the tranquil scene of women bathing in a pond and the rituals performed when a girl attains puberty to the curious eyes of stony-broke children posing for a photograph, he is skillful in bringing out
emotions.
The highlights of the exhibition were the paintings on the famous Tamil movie songs Poovirkul olinthirukkum kanikuttam adhisayam (Jeans) and Ovvoru pookalume solkirathae (Autograph).
In a set of other styles with jagged edges and random cluster of lines, he limns people tussling for flood relief. He opens to view his dexterity in handling the hues and organising the space on the canvases and devolves the
collection of reminiscences, for he believes it's the job of an artist.
By Francis P Barclay
Artistry has been in him right from his childhood. But giving in to the pressure of his parents, he studied science and business management. And he got a clerical job, which soon proved itself to be a barrier to his creative mind. At last, with confidence, he called it quits. S Raviraj, the neo-realistic painter, was thus born.
Revelling in the pool of art, he also took up the job of teaching art. He worked for about 10 years at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) as an art instructor and then went to Saudi Arabia for a two-year assignment as art director in a print publication.
Proving himself to be a versatile genius, he learnt dance and guitar in his leisure time.
Now, Raviraj, recipient of National Award for Best Artist in 1985 and winner of several State-level awards for painting and writing, is the director of the 13-year-old Lalit Kalakshetra, an art school which is teaching over 700 students.
Art buffs had much to relish inside the Jayams Hall this Pongal. They had in front of them 25 assorted odds of serene emotions and feelings captured by Raviraj, director, Lalit Kalakshetra, from the culture and locale of today.
In his neo-realistic way of expressing things, he recreated the scenes that he had come across in real life. He altered them in his own metaphysical style and its values and displayed them for the public at his maiden
exhibition.
Sparking off the aesthetic spirit in a set of styles, the acrylic and oil on the canvases catogorise the mild expressions of Mahatma and Swami Vivekananda.
The artist is accurate in portraying an expressive smile on the broad lips of a gypsy playing the drums, supported by a whistling kid with a doleful heart.
His skill to tickle the emotional aspect of life comes to the fore in the depressed face of the slender and nervous parrot vendor. He finds it easy to butt in on the temperamental prospect, transpiring the scene in a way that
is almost real.
The simplicity and chastity of Indian culture is a recurrence in his paintings. He records people's life in the rural background and the rituals and customs performed by them.
In his paintings, from the tranquil scene of women bathing in a pond and the rituals performed when a girl attains puberty to the curious eyes of stony-broke children posing for a photograph, he is skillful in bringing out
emotions.
The highlights of the exhibition were the paintings on the famous Tamil movie songs Poovirkul olinthirukkum kanikuttam adhisayam (Jeans) and Ovvoru pookalume solkirathae (Autograph).
In a set of other styles with jagged edges and random cluster of lines, he limns people tussling for flood relief. He opens to view his dexterity in handling the hues and organising the space on the canvases and devolves the
collection of reminiscences, for he believes it's the job of an artist.
In communion with nature
By Francis P. Barclay
Born in 1971 in Mettukkundu, a small and beautiful village near Virudhunagar, a humble K Subburaja was never conscious of his fervour for nature. For it was a hidden feeling in him, and it was not until he wrapped up his school studies he felt it awakening in him. In 1992, advised by his friends, he went to Chennai to do the drawing instructor course. After completing the course he joined the TI Cycles where his brother was a manager. But it took only a couple of months for him to realise that at TI Cycles he was a square peg in a round hole. He listened to his instincts and then took the brush. Starting with portraits of people, he graduated to recreating nature on canvas. The landscape artist KAS Rajaa was thus born. With 1,200-odd paintings and 200-odd exhibitions in his graph, Rajaa is all set to scale new heights in the world of colours.
A blithe Raaja presented the eighth mega series exhibition of paintings on `The Nature' at Kasthuri Srinivasan Trust Art Gallery in Coimbatore for five days from March 23 and the visitors relished an assorted set of serene
landscapes.
The Ayyanar river gushing through the rocky banks, the darkly menacing forests of Assam, the evening silhouette of MAC Cricket Stadium in Chennai had something more to transpire than beauty. It was the landscape artiste's
adulation for Nature. When man has forgotten that he is a part of Nature, Rajaa just spoke the language of Nature.
A shy person outwardly and an intellect within, he said, ``Normally, people don't specialise in drawing scenery. But I decided to go the road less travelled by, for Nature and her beauty have always been alluring me. In
fact, I am charmed with my own works on Nature.''
No doubt all the 38-odd paintings displayed are all about Nature. It takes one for a blithesome errand to the crimson Sri Lankan ocean, Kodaikanal forest range and the second avenue of Besant Nagar, to experience the bleak faces of earth.
His brush bends to portray the browbeaten dark walls and the sky dressed in orange, with the beamy trunk of trees and lush green leaf bunches glittering in sunlight. Though his paintings are all about greenery, none looked like another.
He told Weekend, ``I work a lot in a scrap chart before starting on the canvas. I prepare shades and shades of green and practise each stroke till I am appeased. Even a random stroke has a particular form and meaning.''
His works are soothing to the eyes of those who are in a drift from Nature, living in city. It is impelling to see in his paintings the freezed frame of the fast flowing water or the motionless coconut grooves. His Nature is calm and graceful.
Apart from garnishing hues of green, his realistic portrayals include the beach of Kozhikode, Mancholai tea estate and Courtrallam waterfalls. In all of them his obligation to artistry and his amity towards Nature are overt.
Born in 1971 in Mettukkundu, a small and beautiful village near Virudhunagar, a humble K Subburaja was never conscious of his fervour for nature. For it was a hidden feeling in him, and it was not until he wrapped up his school studies he felt it awakening in him. In 1992, advised by his friends, he went to Chennai to do the drawing instructor course. After completing the course he joined the TI Cycles where his brother was a manager. But it took only a couple of months for him to realise that at TI Cycles he was a square peg in a round hole. He listened to his instincts and then took the brush. Starting with portraits of people, he graduated to recreating nature on canvas. The landscape artist KAS Rajaa was thus born. With 1,200-odd paintings and 200-odd exhibitions in his graph, Rajaa is all set to scale new heights in the world of colours.
A blithe Raaja presented the eighth mega series exhibition of paintings on `The Nature' at Kasthuri Srinivasan Trust Art Gallery in Coimbatore for five days from March 23 and the visitors relished an assorted set of serene
landscapes.
The Ayyanar river gushing through the rocky banks, the darkly menacing forests of Assam, the evening silhouette of MAC Cricket Stadium in Chennai had something more to transpire than beauty. It was the landscape artiste's
adulation for Nature. When man has forgotten that he is a part of Nature, Rajaa just spoke the language of Nature.
A shy person outwardly and an intellect within, he said, ``Normally, people don't specialise in drawing scenery. But I decided to go the road less travelled by, for Nature and her beauty have always been alluring me. In
fact, I am charmed with my own works on Nature.''
No doubt all the 38-odd paintings displayed are all about Nature. It takes one for a blithesome errand to the crimson Sri Lankan ocean, Kodaikanal forest range and the second avenue of Besant Nagar, to experience the bleak faces of earth.
His brush bends to portray the browbeaten dark walls and the sky dressed in orange, with the beamy trunk of trees and lush green leaf bunches glittering in sunlight. Though his paintings are all about greenery, none looked like another.
He told Weekend, ``I work a lot in a scrap chart before starting on the canvas. I prepare shades and shades of green and practise each stroke till I am appeased. Even a random stroke has a particular form and meaning.''
His works are soothing to the eyes of those who are in a drift from Nature, living in city. It is impelling to see in his paintings the freezed frame of the fast flowing water or the motionless coconut grooves. His Nature is calm and graceful.
Apart from garnishing hues of green, his realistic portrayals include the beach of Kozhikode, Mancholai tea estate and Courtrallam waterfalls. In all of them his obligation to artistry and his amity towards Nature are overt.
Colouring culture in easy strokes
By Francis P Barclay
The artistic and esoteric V Rajagopal radiates his resilient reverence to the traditional aspects of the devout Indian culture through a plethora of art works.
From abstract and contemporary art portraying the rustic pillars of temples and animals in fortuitous postures to the ones with the touch of cubism, oil, acrylics and realistic pastels and the tiny clay faces, the 80-odd art
works on display at the Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery speak volumes of the lost and divine tradition.
Rajagopal, who had conducted many one-man shows and participated in the All-India Artists Kala Mela held at New Delhi, is the seventh man to exhibit paintings under the series `Meet Coimbatore Artists'.
This artiste's most numb and brusque painting titled `Ganesha', which visitors would hardly accept it as a painting at the outset for its simplicity, well would explain Rajagopal. He blots out the message in the sumptuous spread of colours.
The lucid painting has a couple of blunt broad strokes of deep brown with its edges off figuring the Ganesha idol. To be critical, he never missed out to add the tiny stone figures that usually accompany the Ganesha idol under
a pepal tree, which shows his fervour for religious folkfore. One can maneuver and master the style with ease and he intends to propagate this message to the viewers, especially children.
An art teacher at the government high school in Devarayapuram, Rajagopal took inspirations from his father who owned a printing press. Winner of a national award for art teacher, he learnt it from trial-and-error. He had
participated in the Noyyal river project awareness campaign also and used his knack to serve.
He is more a contemprory artiste and handles the abstract style, albeit he works out on other stlyes like the Tanjore style and realism.
His creased elephants are limned of knife. He uses realistic and contemporary abstract styles in a single painting.
His temples are the old clapped-out ones which have a relic touch. He gives life to the rugged temple art of the olden days and inds the contemporary style serving.
He says, ``Painting is not an arduous job to perform. Simplicity in style is recurrent in my paintings, for I intend to say people that anyone can do it but with knowledge about the basic elements of perspective and colours.''
Complexity is, however, hidden behind the simplicity in his paintings. He comes readily to translate the language of art. In one of his paintings, which has a touch of cubism, he hides the image of a woman. A deer and an ox
are mixed up with the stature of the woman. He says our scriptures visualise the abdomen of a woman like the head of an ox and associate the character of women with that of the animals.
His Nataraja is painted with a circle like the `Vitruvian Male' of Da Vinci, but with an array of hues. When each colour is considered separately, Nataraja is seen gesturing different meanings. He says, the principles of Da
Vinci, the proportions of human body and the way it is portrayed within the circle, is also there in our ancient scriptures.
The exhibition will be on till April 30, from 10 am to 7 pm. For further details contact 0422-2574110.
The artistic and esoteric V Rajagopal radiates his resilient reverence to the traditional aspects of the devout Indian culture through a plethora of art works.
From abstract and contemporary art portraying the rustic pillars of temples and animals in fortuitous postures to the ones with the touch of cubism, oil, acrylics and realistic pastels and the tiny clay faces, the 80-odd art
works on display at the Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery speak volumes of the lost and divine tradition.
Rajagopal, who had conducted many one-man shows and participated in the All-India Artists Kala Mela held at New Delhi, is the seventh man to exhibit paintings under the series `Meet Coimbatore Artists'.
This artiste's most numb and brusque painting titled `Ganesha', which visitors would hardly accept it as a painting at the outset for its simplicity, well would explain Rajagopal. He blots out the message in the sumptuous spread of colours.
The lucid painting has a couple of blunt broad strokes of deep brown with its edges off figuring the Ganesha idol. To be critical, he never missed out to add the tiny stone figures that usually accompany the Ganesha idol under
a pepal tree, which shows his fervour for religious folkfore. One can maneuver and master the style with ease and he intends to propagate this message to the viewers, especially children.
An art teacher at the government high school in Devarayapuram, Rajagopal took inspirations from his father who owned a printing press. Winner of a national award for art teacher, he learnt it from trial-and-error. He had
participated in the Noyyal river project awareness campaign also and used his knack to serve.
He is more a contemprory artiste and handles the abstract style, albeit he works out on other stlyes like the Tanjore style and realism.
His creased elephants are limned of knife. He uses realistic and contemporary abstract styles in a single painting.
His temples are the old clapped-out ones which have a relic touch. He gives life to the rugged temple art of the olden days and inds the contemporary style serving.
He says, ``Painting is not an arduous job to perform. Simplicity in style is recurrent in my paintings, for I intend to say people that anyone can do it but with knowledge about the basic elements of perspective and colours.''
Complexity is, however, hidden behind the simplicity in his paintings. He comes readily to translate the language of art. In one of his paintings, which has a touch of cubism, he hides the image of a woman. A deer and an ox
are mixed up with the stature of the woman. He says our scriptures visualise the abdomen of a woman like the head of an ox and associate the character of women with that of the animals.
His Nataraja is painted with a circle like the `Vitruvian Male' of Da Vinci, but with an array of hues. When each colour is considered separately, Nataraja is seen gesturing different meanings. He says, the principles of Da
Vinci, the proportions of human body and the way it is portrayed within the circle, is also there in our ancient scriptures.
The exhibition will be on till April 30, from 10 am to 7 pm. For further details contact 0422-2574110.
Breeding goodness in young minds
By Francis P. Barclay
Got any doubt about credit or debit cards? Contact 16-year-old Prathyusha. She will explain to you all about the credit and debit cards. Ask Abhay (15) about jurisprudence. He will explain it including the difference between the civil and criminal cases. Thirteen-year-old Hariram can narrate how prayers are administered in a church. Vivekanand (13) will tell you one has to remove the slippers, wash hands and dip the legs in water before entering a Gurudwara. He will also talk about `Adi Granth,' the holy Scripture of the Sikhism.
These students are well aware of the things happening around them and up-to-date in general knowledge, thanks to the 10-day camp `Empowering adolescents and leadership training' organised by the Divyodaya, an
inter-religious centre.
The camp was aimed at creating a positive attitude and religious harmony in the minds of the children apart from identifying their talents and honing them.
Twelve children in the age group 13 to 16, who were strangers to each other, entered Divyodaya on May 1. For 10 days, from 9 am to 4.30 pm they spent their time singing, meditating and learning Yoga, besides discussing
self-awareness, positive thinking, problem solving, goal setting etc.
The Divyodaya staff who took care of them were Brother Linson, Joseph and psychology graduates Usha Rani and Vanitha.
The children were taken on an inter-religious pilgrimage during which they visited places of worship of all religions. Basic knowledge about religions were imbibed in them by the clerics there. They received the sacred
sandalwood paste from the temple with the same fervour they showed while taking holy water from the church.
Vanitha, who led them to the places of worship, said, ``This is the age when children are most receptive and apt to imbibe divine thoughts in them. I could realise a phenomenal change in their attitude during the camp.''
They visited a bank where the staff explained to them about the functioning of banks. Then they visited the court and learnt about the proceedings there. Judge Mohandas, who interacted with them, underscored the need to
teach them about the functioning of court.
The best part of the camp was that it was successful enough to bring about an attitudinal change in the children. They came as strangers and developed a bond, forgetting all about their cast, creed and religion.
The name Divyodaya stands for divine awakening. Through a plethora of activities, Divyodaya seeks to realise the vision enshrined in its motto `The bonds that unite us are stronger than the barriers that separate us'.
Prabakar, a kid who was among the 12, said, ``There are no barriers between us here.''
Got any doubt about credit or debit cards? Contact 16-year-old Prathyusha. She will explain to you all about the credit and debit cards. Ask Abhay (15) about jurisprudence. He will explain it including the difference between the civil and criminal cases. Thirteen-year-old Hariram can narrate how prayers are administered in a church. Vivekanand (13) will tell you one has to remove the slippers, wash hands and dip the legs in water before entering a Gurudwara. He will also talk about `Adi Granth,' the holy Scripture of the Sikhism.
These students are well aware of the things happening around them and up-to-date in general knowledge, thanks to the 10-day camp `Empowering adolescents and leadership training' organised by the Divyodaya, an
inter-religious centre.
The camp was aimed at creating a positive attitude and religious harmony in the minds of the children apart from identifying their talents and honing them.
Twelve children in the age group 13 to 16, who were strangers to each other, entered Divyodaya on May 1. For 10 days, from 9 am to 4.30 pm they spent their time singing, meditating and learning Yoga, besides discussing
self-awareness, positive thinking, problem solving, goal setting etc.
The Divyodaya staff who took care of them were Brother Linson, Joseph and psychology graduates Usha Rani and Vanitha.
The children were taken on an inter-religious pilgrimage during which they visited places of worship of all religions. Basic knowledge about religions were imbibed in them by the clerics there. They received the sacred
sandalwood paste from the temple with the same fervour they showed while taking holy water from the church.
Vanitha, who led them to the places of worship, said, ``This is the age when children are most receptive and apt to imbibe divine thoughts in them. I could realise a phenomenal change in their attitude during the camp.''
They visited a bank where the staff explained to them about the functioning of banks. Then they visited the court and learnt about the proceedings there. Judge Mohandas, who interacted with them, underscored the need to
teach them about the functioning of court.
The best part of the camp was that it was successful enough to bring about an attitudinal change in the children. They came as strangers and developed a bond, forgetting all about their cast, creed and religion.
The name Divyodaya stands for divine awakening. Through a plethora of activities, Divyodaya seeks to realise the vision enshrined in its motto `The bonds that unite us are stronger than the barriers that separate us'.
Prabakar, a kid who was among the 12, said, ``There are no barriers between us here.''
Eat wheatgrass to keep docs away
By Francis P Barclay
Fed up with trying high-scheduled and high-priced drugs? Return to nature and eat grass. Yes, eat grass, with a rethinking that it is meant for you also.
In the 1940s, Yoshihide Hagiwara, a Japanese and owner of a pharmaceutical company, had personally formulated many medications. But, working with drugs made him ill. He thought, ``If drugs made of chemicals could make one sick, then how could they make a person well?''
He began to study the Chinese way of healing, and found what the father of Chinese medicine said ``It's the diet that maintains true health and it's the best drug''.
But the food value of what we eat is almost lost in the way we deal with it. Cooking and processing. Here comes wheatgrass, which can satisfy most of the nutritional demands of human body.
Wheatgrass (Agropyron Elongatum) is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll. It can cure a wide range of ailments - from simple anaemia to leukaemia; from an ordinary skin rash to skin cancer and from worms to
ulcers.
Apart from chlorophyll, wheatgrass has over 100 elements, essential for man. If grown in organic soil, it will absorb 92 out of the 102 known minerals from the soil.
A doctor says, 15 kg of wheatgrass is equivalent to 350 kg of carrot and lettuce. It can bring down sugar level in blood.
People are however unfamiliar with wheatgrass and its benefits. In Coimbatore, it is being sold in the form of juice at a few places. In Chennai, the grass is sold in 20 gram packets at a few food stores.
According to Dr N S Shanmuga Vel, Director, Sri Gayathri Nature Cure, doctors in Coimbatore prescribe wheatgrass for anaemia, ulcer, skin alergy, diabetes, piles. ``Acidity increases due to infelicitous food habits, and it can cause cancer, rheumatic ailments apart from inflammation in heart and kidney. The clorophyll in wheatgrass helps cleaning the blood and restores alkalinity in the blood.''
A research officer in botany at the Central Research Institute for Siddha, Dr Sasikala Ethirajulu, says, ``People here have profound belief in `Arugam pullu', denoted as `Durva' in Ayurveda. Numerous researches have proved the efficacy of it. However, on wheatgrass, it's quite a nought. The 2,000-year-old `Chakra's Samhita' tells about the benefits of wheatgerm oil, which is used in cosmetics. But it doesn't tell anything about wheatgrass.''
Dr T Thiru Narayanan, physician at the Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research, says, ``Wheatgrass of seven-day-old in juice form is good for health, for it contains a lot of enzymes and vitamins.''
Boxes
HOW TO TAKE
One can take a mouthful of it in the morning and chew it till the cud becomes white. The cud can also be eaten for roughage. In juice form, a healthy person can take 1/4 to 1/3 of a glass everyday. But, it must be taken immediately after juicing. For a patient, 1/4 to 1/2 glass is needed to start with. This can be increased to two to three times during the day.
Wheatgrass can be applied externally on the spot of cancer or ulcer as a poultice. Its juice can also be used as a rectal implant for cleaning, using an enema syringe.
HOW TO GROW
Growing wheatgrass is quite simple. Soak unpolished wheatgrains for a night in water. The next day, it can be sown in the ground or in a pot or container. Keep it covered with a newspaper till green blades appear. When
the grass is about eight inches long (usually happens around the seventh day from the day of sowing), it's ready for harvest.
Fed up with trying high-scheduled and high-priced drugs? Return to nature and eat grass. Yes, eat grass, with a rethinking that it is meant for you also.
In the 1940s, Yoshihide Hagiwara, a Japanese and owner of a pharmaceutical company, had personally formulated many medications. But, working with drugs made him ill. He thought, ``If drugs made of chemicals could make one sick, then how could they make a person well?''
He began to study the Chinese way of healing, and found what the father of Chinese medicine said ``It's the diet that maintains true health and it's the best drug''.
But the food value of what we eat is almost lost in the way we deal with it. Cooking and processing. Here comes wheatgrass, which can satisfy most of the nutritional demands of human body.
Wheatgrass (Agropyron Elongatum) is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll. It can cure a wide range of ailments - from simple anaemia to leukaemia; from an ordinary skin rash to skin cancer and from worms to
ulcers.
Apart from chlorophyll, wheatgrass has over 100 elements, essential for man. If grown in organic soil, it will absorb 92 out of the 102 known minerals from the soil.
A doctor says, 15 kg of wheatgrass is equivalent to 350 kg of carrot and lettuce. It can bring down sugar level in blood.
People are however unfamiliar with wheatgrass and its benefits. In Coimbatore, it is being sold in the form of juice at a few places. In Chennai, the grass is sold in 20 gram packets at a few food stores.
According to Dr N S Shanmuga Vel, Director, Sri Gayathri Nature Cure, doctors in Coimbatore prescribe wheatgrass for anaemia, ulcer, skin alergy, diabetes, piles. ``Acidity increases due to infelicitous food habits, and it can cause cancer, rheumatic ailments apart from inflammation in heart and kidney. The clorophyll in wheatgrass helps cleaning the blood and restores alkalinity in the blood.''
A research officer in botany at the Central Research Institute for Siddha, Dr Sasikala Ethirajulu, says, ``People here have profound belief in `Arugam pullu', denoted as `Durva' in Ayurveda. Numerous researches have proved the efficacy of it. However, on wheatgrass, it's quite a nought. The 2,000-year-old `Chakra's Samhita' tells about the benefits of wheatgerm oil, which is used in cosmetics. But it doesn't tell anything about wheatgrass.''
Dr T Thiru Narayanan, physician at the Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research, says, ``Wheatgrass of seven-day-old in juice form is good for health, for it contains a lot of enzymes and vitamins.''
Boxes
HOW TO TAKE
One can take a mouthful of it in the morning and chew it till the cud becomes white. The cud can also be eaten for roughage. In juice form, a healthy person can take 1/4 to 1/3 of a glass everyday. But, it must be taken immediately after juicing. For a patient, 1/4 to 1/2 glass is needed to start with. This can be increased to two to three times during the day.
Wheatgrass can be applied externally on the spot of cancer or ulcer as a poultice. Its juice can also be used as a rectal implant for cleaning, using an enema syringe.
HOW TO GROW
Growing wheatgrass is quite simple. Soak unpolished wheatgrains for a night in water. The next day, it can be sown in the ground or in a pot or container. Keep it covered with a newspaper till green blades appear. When
the grass is about eight inches long (usually happens around the seventh day from the day of sowing), it's ready for harvest.
To gain mastery over mind
By Francis P Barclay
Are you worried about oppressive assaults of life? Are you into addiction which you want to but cannot come out of? Are you smote with depression or insomnia? Or suffer the losses of possessions, or disheartened in personal
relations? Don't worry, there's a way out. Do `Vipassana'.
A recent international conference of doctors noted that almost 95 percent of diseases are mind-related and no medication can cure them.
But there is a way to control all mind-related problems, and it is meditation.
`Vipassana', a Pali word meaning `insight,' was one of the two principal meditation techniques used by Gautama the Buddha to conquer his mind. It is a simple and practical way to achieve peace of mind.
`Vipassana' originated in India and spread to the neighbouring countries like Burma (now Myanmar), Sri Lanka, Thailand and some other eastern countries. Five centuries after the Buddha, it disappeared from India. In
other countries also, this technique has lost its purity. In Myanmar, however, it is still preserved by a chain of devoted teachers.
In India, it was reintroduced by S N Goenka, who is basically a Rajasthani doing business in Myanmar. Now, people who call themselves `sevaks' are spreading the technique through `Vipassana' meditation centres all over the country, with the head office at Igatpur in Maharastra.
`Vipassana' enables the meditators to gain mastery over the mind and develop experiential wisdom to eradicate all the defilements of `craving' and `aversion'.
``Thousands of prisoners do `Vipassana' and a phenomenal change has been noticed in them. They avow their faults with tears rolling down their cheeks, instead of resentment festering in thoughts of vengeance,'' says a
teacher of `Vipassana'.
The specialty of `Vipassana' is that it does not give any false hope. It is a practical method which helps to understand the impermanence of sensations and thereby helps to get out of craving and aversion, he adds.
``The meditator discovers for himself, that every time he generates hatred or animosity against anyone, at that very moment he becomes agitated and loses peace of mind. And he wishes to be free from animosity, hatred and
anger,'' Goenkaji says and adds: ``Anger is harmful as it tries to control one from time to time. To solve the problem, one has to seek a deeper reason for the anger within oneself. Simply diverting the mind to some other
activity is only a temporary solution. One must go to the root of the problem and learn to observe anger.''
He explains how `Vipassana', which involves equanimous observation of sensations with the understanding of their impermanent nature, helps one to overcome anger.
``Unwanted things happen quite often. It is impossible for all our desires to be fulfilled in spite of the abundance and the extent of resources at our command. We may possess this wisdom but when time comes we give in to our emotions and lose the balance of our mind. We surrender ourselves to our desires and become the slaves of our mind. `Vipassana' helps in conquering emotions and helps us to be the master of our mind,'' Goenkaji explains.
The Vipassana Meditation Centre has been organising 10-day residential course since 1997. The participants would have to meditate for about 10 hours a day. For the first three days the participants would observe their
natural breath in `Ana pana'.
``It is to prepare the base of the mind and remove the surface-level agitations in them. And they would observe the sensations of the body and realise their impermanence,'' he says.
This year, the free course would commence on May 22 and end on June 1. There would also be a two-day course for children from May 30. For registration and further details contact Bharat N. Shah - 98423 47244,
0422-2472441, 2470949 or Mahesh Agarwal - 98434 51153.
Are you worried about oppressive assaults of life? Are you into addiction which you want to but cannot come out of? Are you smote with depression or insomnia? Or suffer the losses of possessions, or disheartened in personal
relations? Don't worry, there's a way out. Do `Vipassana'.
A recent international conference of doctors noted that almost 95 percent of diseases are mind-related and no medication can cure them.
But there is a way to control all mind-related problems, and it is meditation.
`Vipassana', a Pali word meaning `insight,' was one of the two principal meditation techniques used by Gautama the Buddha to conquer his mind. It is a simple and practical way to achieve peace of mind.
`Vipassana' originated in India and spread to the neighbouring countries like Burma (now Myanmar), Sri Lanka, Thailand and some other eastern countries. Five centuries after the Buddha, it disappeared from India. In
other countries also, this technique has lost its purity. In Myanmar, however, it is still preserved by a chain of devoted teachers.
In India, it was reintroduced by S N Goenka, who is basically a Rajasthani doing business in Myanmar. Now, people who call themselves `sevaks' are spreading the technique through `Vipassana' meditation centres all over the country, with the head office at Igatpur in Maharastra.
`Vipassana' enables the meditators to gain mastery over the mind and develop experiential wisdom to eradicate all the defilements of `craving' and `aversion'.
``Thousands of prisoners do `Vipassana' and a phenomenal change has been noticed in them. They avow their faults with tears rolling down their cheeks, instead of resentment festering in thoughts of vengeance,'' says a
teacher of `Vipassana'.
The specialty of `Vipassana' is that it does not give any false hope. It is a practical method which helps to understand the impermanence of sensations and thereby helps to get out of craving and aversion, he adds.
``The meditator discovers for himself, that every time he generates hatred or animosity against anyone, at that very moment he becomes agitated and loses peace of mind. And he wishes to be free from animosity, hatred and
anger,'' Goenkaji says and adds: ``Anger is harmful as it tries to control one from time to time. To solve the problem, one has to seek a deeper reason for the anger within oneself. Simply diverting the mind to some other
activity is only a temporary solution. One must go to the root of the problem and learn to observe anger.''
He explains how `Vipassana', which involves equanimous observation of sensations with the understanding of their impermanent nature, helps one to overcome anger.
``Unwanted things happen quite often. It is impossible for all our desires to be fulfilled in spite of the abundance and the extent of resources at our command. We may possess this wisdom but when time comes we give in to our emotions and lose the balance of our mind. We surrender ourselves to our desires and become the slaves of our mind. `Vipassana' helps in conquering emotions and helps us to be the master of our mind,'' Goenkaji explains.
The Vipassana Meditation Centre has been organising 10-day residential course since 1997. The participants would have to meditate for about 10 hours a day. For the first three days the participants would observe their
natural breath in `Ana pana'.
``It is to prepare the base of the mind and remove the surface-level agitations in them. And they would observe the sensations of the body and realise their impermanence,'' he says.
This year, the free course would commence on May 22 and end on June 1. There would also be a two-day course for children from May 30. For registration and further details contact Bharat N. Shah - 98423 47244,
0422-2472441, 2470949 or Mahesh Agarwal - 98434 51153.
Feelings in colours
By Francis P Barclay
Indian mythology is an art of its own and sculptures are an inherent part of it. Sorcerous postures, whirlwind romance and lustrous colours mark this otherworldly art, which, unfortunately is not in vogue now. If anything of
it is available, it's there at Ajanta and Ellora caves and also on the walls of a few temples across the country.
Elanchezian, who calls himself a carrier of this art, displayed a plethora of mythical art works along with his classmate Siva Kumar at the Kasthuri Sreenivasan Trust Art Gallery in a five-day exhibition last week.
Although Elanchezian's paintings have a strong influence of Ajanta, Ellora frescoes, he prods his imagination to give out a set of peerless art works.
Now when the European art style has subdued the traditional Indian art forms, he gives life to sculptural art on canvass. He, as a researcher of Indian sculpture art, has visited many temples like the not-so-famous one
built by Narashima Varma Pallavan II, who was also known as Rajasimhan.
``The temples and the mythical art forms have a lot to offer to art connoisseurs, but they are not adored,'' he said.
His paintings, limned out of bright colour schemes, take one to tranquility. His themes are from famous sculptures like Somaskandha and Mahishasuramardhini as he finds association with the sculpture art and paintings. In his paintings he equates the curved features of gods and goddesses and their half nudity to the sculptural art. And in all his mythical subjects, with their eyes half closed, appear the moon, peacock and lotus.
He says ``I don't believe in the rules about colours and so does the Indian art.''
He seems to be not bothered about the association of feelings with colours and uses colours to give a neat sketch. His paintings are more of imaginations and creativity. To say Indian mythology is more yoked with nature, he combines the blest forms with flowers and birds.
On the other hand, the down-to-earth artist Siva Kumar sees canvasses as records of history. His paintings, from a group of girls sitting and chatting to a girl combing the hair of her sister to a traditionally dressed woman with a round `pottu' and neatly combed hair remind us of a scene seen somewhere earlier. He captures images from everyday life, of simple people posing with all probity.
``For people tomorrow, this would be a guide to show how people lived with innocence and modesty,'' Siva Kumar says. His themes are either verbose nor overbearing. He simply records the lowborn life of the locality with a realistic touch.
In all, both want to preserve the naiveness and endowment of Indian culture for the future.
Indian mythology is an art of its own and sculptures are an inherent part of it. Sorcerous postures, whirlwind romance and lustrous colours mark this otherworldly art, which, unfortunately is not in vogue now. If anything of
it is available, it's there at Ajanta and Ellora caves and also on the walls of a few temples across the country.
Elanchezian, who calls himself a carrier of this art, displayed a plethora of mythical art works along with his classmate Siva Kumar at the Kasthuri Sreenivasan Trust Art Gallery in a five-day exhibition last week.
Although Elanchezian's paintings have a strong influence of Ajanta, Ellora frescoes, he prods his imagination to give out a set of peerless art works.
Now when the European art style has subdued the traditional Indian art forms, he gives life to sculptural art on canvass. He, as a researcher of Indian sculpture art, has visited many temples like the not-so-famous one
built by Narashima Varma Pallavan II, who was also known as Rajasimhan.
``The temples and the mythical art forms have a lot to offer to art connoisseurs, but they are not adored,'' he said.
His paintings, limned out of bright colour schemes, take one to tranquility. His themes are from famous sculptures like Somaskandha and Mahishasuramardhini as he finds association with the sculpture art and paintings. In his paintings he equates the curved features of gods and goddesses and their half nudity to the sculptural art. And in all his mythical subjects, with their eyes half closed, appear the moon, peacock and lotus.
He says ``I don't believe in the rules about colours and so does the Indian art.''
He seems to be not bothered about the association of feelings with colours and uses colours to give a neat sketch. His paintings are more of imaginations and creativity. To say Indian mythology is more yoked with nature, he combines the blest forms with flowers and birds.
On the other hand, the down-to-earth artist Siva Kumar sees canvasses as records of history. His paintings, from a group of girls sitting and chatting to a girl combing the hair of her sister to a traditionally dressed woman with a round `pottu' and neatly combed hair remind us of a scene seen somewhere earlier. He captures images from everyday life, of simple people posing with all probity.
``For people tomorrow, this would be a guide to show how people lived with innocence and modesty,'' Siva Kumar says. His themes are either verbose nor overbearing. He simply records the lowborn life of the locality with a realistic touch.
In all, both want to preserve the naiveness and endowment of Indian culture for the future.
Bantering on big screen
By Francis P Barclay
Coimbatore, Sept 22: Discrimination, oppression, injustice... endless is the list of the woes of the transsexuals, who cry for a fair deal from others. But their lot continues, as the band of their tormentors include the men
from the tinsel world, too, who tease them on the big screen for a giggle.
From Tamil classics like `Paalabishekam' and `Oru Thalai Raagam' to the latest `Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu' and `Sillunu Oru Kadhal', which are in the theatres, the comedy is at the expense of the transsexuals, who, in local parlance, are called `aravanis' or `thirunangais'.
In `Sillunu Oru Kadhal', Vadivel goes to a bordello, expecting some cute girls, but comes out in a hurry seeing an `aravani' there. Scared, he cries, ``Everything is double.'' Then, a group of transsexuals surround him and
harass him for money.
Interestingly, they have `used' real `aravanis' in this movie. Which, in fact, is an instance of exploiting the poverty or destitution of a hapless section of the society.
In the movie `Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu', a transsexual is used as a tool to torture prisoners.
Taking exception to this kind of ill-treatment of transsexuals, Asha Bharati of Tamil Nadu Aravaanigal Association said: ``I was shocked to see `Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu'. I had high regards for Kamal Haasan. How can he allow such nonsense in that film? I thought he is one among the thinking actors and filmmakers we have got, but he has proved himself to be an ordinanry filmmaker with money grubbing spirit. I will never see his films
again.''
She also questioned the ethos of the film makers in using the poverty and ignorance of the `aravanis' in their films.
There is a huge list of films which portray `aravanis' as comical characters, including the hits like `Tirupaachi', `Thiruda Thirudi' and `Jayam'. They either dress up junior artistes as `aravanis' or use real `aravanis' for comedy scenes.
Kalki, a theater artist, writer and media specialist, who is also a transgender, said ``I wish all these film makers knew how to respect every individual in spite of their gender and sexuality. They should understand that transgendered people, too, want to lead a dignified life in the society. We have moral values which on and all should follow. Look at the Western media. Ask these film makers to see `Transamerica' and `Soldier's
girl'.''
She went on saying: ``The pity is that no politician raises his voice in favor of us. No one notices the community's suffering and discrimination.'' Priya Babu, a transgender activist and writer, said ``We are planning to
take legal action against such portrayal of us in films. We can no more tolerate this nonsense. Even the members of the Censor Board seem to be indifferent in this matter. The stereotyping of our community in the films
has to be stopped.''
Said Apsara, a caterer member of the community: ``Youths harass me more than ever before, perhaps after seeing the movies. I fear, they seem to show hatred against me after watching `Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu'. I just don't know how to explain the truth...''
Monal, a transgender and theater artist, said ``We are fighting for our rights in the society, but all our efforts will go in vain if this kind of portrayal of us in films continues. So, this should be stopped by all means.''
Coimbatore, Sept 22: Discrimination, oppression, injustice... endless is the list of the woes of the transsexuals, who cry for a fair deal from others. But their lot continues, as the band of their tormentors include the men
from the tinsel world, too, who tease them on the big screen for a giggle.
From Tamil classics like `Paalabishekam' and `Oru Thalai Raagam' to the latest `Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu' and `Sillunu Oru Kadhal', which are in the theatres, the comedy is at the expense of the transsexuals, who, in local parlance, are called `aravanis' or `thirunangais'.
In `Sillunu Oru Kadhal', Vadivel goes to a bordello, expecting some cute girls, but comes out in a hurry seeing an `aravani' there. Scared, he cries, ``Everything is double.'' Then, a group of transsexuals surround him and
harass him for money.
Interestingly, they have `used' real `aravanis' in this movie. Which, in fact, is an instance of exploiting the poverty or destitution of a hapless section of the society.
In the movie `Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu', a transsexual is used as a tool to torture prisoners.
Taking exception to this kind of ill-treatment of transsexuals, Asha Bharati of Tamil Nadu Aravaanigal Association said: ``I was shocked to see `Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu'. I had high regards for Kamal Haasan. How can he allow such nonsense in that film? I thought he is one among the thinking actors and filmmakers we have got, but he has proved himself to be an ordinanry filmmaker with money grubbing spirit. I will never see his films
again.''
She also questioned the ethos of the film makers in using the poverty and ignorance of the `aravanis' in their films.
There is a huge list of films which portray `aravanis' as comical characters, including the hits like `Tirupaachi', `Thiruda Thirudi' and `Jayam'. They either dress up junior artistes as `aravanis' or use real `aravanis' for comedy scenes.
Kalki, a theater artist, writer and media specialist, who is also a transgender, said ``I wish all these film makers knew how to respect every individual in spite of their gender and sexuality. They should understand that transgendered people, too, want to lead a dignified life in the society. We have moral values which on and all should follow. Look at the Western media. Ask these film makers to see `Transamerica' and `Soldier's
girl'.''
She went on saying: ``The pity is that no politician raises his voice in favor of us. No one notices the community's suffering and discrimination.'' Priya Babu, a transgender activist and writer, said ``We are planning to
take legal action against such portrayal of us in films. We can no more tolerate this nonsense. Even the members of the Censor Board seem to be indifferent in this matter. The stereotyping of our community in the films
has to be stopped.''
Said Apsara, a caterer member of the community: ``Youths harass me more than ever before, perhaps after seeing the movies. I fear, they seem to show hatred against me after watching `Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu'. I just don't know how to explain the truth...''
Monal, a transgender and theater artist, said ``We are fighting for our rights in the society, but all our efforts will go in vain if this kind of portrayal of us in films continues. So, this should be stopped by all means.''
Their cup of woe overflows
By Francis P Barclay
Clad in saree or churidar, they stroll in the streets clapping their hands and also singing in their hoarse voice. Sometimes these blithe beings pick quarrel with others who refuse to part with a buck or two for them; but more often than not, these quarrels end with another bout of clapping and a hoarse song! Are these cheery lot called transsexuals really happy?
Says Priya Babu, a transgender activist: ``People try to sexually harass and mock us. This tempts some to commit even suicide.'' Born with a male physique, each of these star-crossed lot is really a woman within. The urge in them to become women begins at the time of puberty, and
there starts their life of humiliation and misery. Priya says, ``This is a crucial stage in the life of a transsexual.
Ashamed, many try to conceal the fact and lead a painful life.'' What if revealed? Again pain. For the revelation comes as a shock to the parents who have been taking care of them so long. At last, the fret and displeasure of the parents make them leave home. And on the streets, they
are forced to begging and prostitution.
``This is the greatest misery in our lives - leaving the home and parents forever. This happens to every transsexual as the society is not in a position to understand us,'' Priya says.
On the streets, they get united to lead a life of their own in a strange world where relationship is limited to `sisters' and `daughters'. Now, to shed the last of their male identity, they subject themselves to emasculation and enter the fold of `aravanis', a community which has not
been provided with a separate gender category.
``Even the Anglo Indians, who are less in number when compared to us, have reservation in education and employment,'' rues Sabeena Francis. Sabeena, who is an M.Phil degree holder and the first transsexual to get a passport as woman, is working with the Chennai-based voluntary health association.
Kalki, another transsexual working in an MNC, says that a small change is now visible in the lifestyle of the transsexuals. ``There are many transsexuals working as caterers and beauticians. We have our own magazine `Sahodari', which is circulated among our community. The government is also trying to uplift us by providing loans.''
Priya and her theatre troupe present cultural programmes and street plays to educate the transsexuals about their lives and suffering. Despite all these, the transsexuals feel something missing in their lives.
Is it their urge to live as dignified women in society? Or, is it the warmth of family life? Priya, Sabeena and Kalki are silent, but their eyes belie their silence and say ``We miss both.''
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