Radio - a gadget loved in the past now remembered !

Radio – loved to listen in the past ! remembered now !

Radio , powered by vacuum tubes or otherwise called valves , is a 19^th century innovation. We all may know that MACRONI was the first scientist to achieve successful radio transmission in 1895. He built a wireless system capable of transmitting signals at long distance – 1.5 miles.

In 1900 , Brazilian priest Reberto Landell de Moura transmitted human voice by wireless. Radio was used to pass on orders and communications between armies  and  navies on both side in World War I.

Some more information on Radio : AM radio uses amplitude modulation , in which the sound amplitude captured by microphone, proportionately transmit the signal with a fixed frequency.  Medium Wave  (MW )  is the part of medium frequency radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting vary from 526.5 KHz to 1606.5 KHz in Europe and extends further in America.  Short Wave ( SW ) is the lowest frequency band in the range of 1.8 MHz and 2.0 MHz.

Let us move to the old time radio we enjoyed until the Black & White Television came to India, rather I say  , to my home.

 

  All India Radio station  is still too close to my old house where I lived for 48 years. My father was having a GE make Radio receiver set with MW & SW band It was  small and round edged cute electric radio works well with external antenna initially fixed in our terrace from end to end diagonally to the height of next door first floor terrace.  Many kites during the summer holidays get caught in the antenna and wee too found difficult for kite running. But I loved that set very much and listen many interesting programs. 

To name a few : Madras A for all music ,Radio drama , Concerts, children’s program like “ Paapa Malar “, sound track of films in the title of “ Oli Chitram “ for an hour of a full length movie  edited. Madras B station , I used to listen for western music  for two days in a week with an hour and half program. My love started towards western music is by listening in 1960s’ and ‘70s’ in AIR , Radio Ceylon , BBC ( British Broadcasting Corporation )and VOA ( Voice of America ) . The very clear transmission of VOA , Radio Ceylon and BBC made every radio listeners to fall in love with radio listening.  When Neil Armstraog landed on the moon  in July 1969 , I was fixed to the radio of VOA to listen the live commentary of the greatest moment . Some processions and live programs were also captured for running commentary.

Above all many were interested to listen running commentary of cricket , played anywhere in India.  The ball to ball comments of some famous commentators were still recalled by cricket lovers ( of course I am not a fan of cricket ). Vividhbarati is the next best station for listening Hindi songs almost many times repeated in different captions.  BBC ‘s Tamizh Oosai, Radio Ceylon ‘s Ilangai Vanoli Nilayam and VOA were broadcasting Tamil programs in a time slot and I never miss a day.

AIR ( All India Radio ) is India’s National Broadcaster and also Public Service provider in Information, Education  and  Entertainment  to the masses since its inception and now having 277 “ Akashvani “ radio stations across the country. In olden times a monthly radio program guide used to be published in many languages. In Tamil it is called “ Vaanoli “ and my  Mandavelli Thatha’s place I always look for it when I visit there. They were the subscriber for many  years.

My GE make radio is no longer with me but a PHILIPS Radio Receiver  is with me , in god condition but without a working valve. This I took it from my father-in-law on antique collection interest. It may look odd , but even last year I tried to make good of the valve from Ritchie street in vain.

I love the voice of Mrs.Saroj Narayana Swami when he clearly read Tamil news  and Mr.Sahul Ameed’s in Radio Ceylon.Mr.Koothapiran was loved by children in AIR. Mr.H.Ramakrishnan and Mr.Poornam Viswanathan were Tamil news readers in Chennai Vanoli Nilayam .

Sri.Koothapiran

Sri Poornam Viswanathan

Sri H.Ramakrishnan

I had been to All India Radio in Beach Road in 1980s’ on a technical tour visit with Indian Standards Institution . Later developments were Transistor Radio and then Tape Recorder replaced the gramophone. Compact Discs , DVDs’ also become obsolete in front of  i-pads

Today’s telecommunication technology has been advanced to many folds and the 21^st century inventions takes us to the other end of the world through a small chocolate size instrument call cell phone.

The end of Radio Receiver listening habit  is some what sad  for  oldies like me. In San Thome Beach  after getting down the long steps in the lane next to San Thome  Basilica, there was a Round Building with Cone Speakers fixed and put on in the evenings and mornings for the beach visitors . Love of listening  in the beach sands while playing around the building  was  a great experience which cannot be erased from memories.

Good Bye Radio!

An Evening in Parry's !

An Evening in Parry’s !!!

I  picked  this title  after a recent visit to the FaceBook site of my nephew who lives in London and saw  a picture  posted by him with a  caption “ Good morning Paris “ , probably he would have been there !

My thought travelled back to an oldie movie “ An Evening with Paris “ , a Hindi film with star cast – Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore in dual role. As usual Pran was the villain. The enchanting song vibrates in my mind.  In search of true love the heroine  goes to  Paris , FRANCE  and after some initial resistance gives in to the hero’s charms . Let us leave the story with this. Only the title inspired  me to take the  thread for  my  blog on old Madras.

We are celebrating the 373^rd  Birthday of Madras  and it struck me to caption my  blog  as “ An Evening in Parry’s “ , a place called Parry’s corner in Madras , INDIA . I was very much associated with that Parry’s  for many years and my dad  had spent his entire service for 35 long years near parry’s Corner.

No resident , whether a native or a migrant , would not  have missed to visit Parry’s. Though the place is called  Parry’s Corner  , it is referred by many as Parry’s, which is one of the central business  district in  old Madras as well as present Chennai. It is in the intersection of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Road and North Beach Road ( First Line Beach ).



Dare House - Parry Building



The corner building is the Head Quarters of EID Parry Company established in 1787 by a Welsh merchant , Thomas Parry and so it is named after him. No need to mention here about Parry’s   Chocolates .

An evening in Parry’s  must be a pleasant  experience to all those who worked nearer  by experiencing the cool sea breeze set in the afternoon itself. Many company employees working in and around that famous building ,  take a break near the corner after lunch with betal leaf , pea nuts or a cigar between their fingers. The wind speed is very high and you will love to stand and wish to experience it daily after noon and in the evenings.

Old North Beach Road with Tramway

Once upon a time Electric Tram ran in those roads and now busy and congested with heavy traffic. North beach road / First  Line Beach is famous for old monumental British buildings , like the State Bank of India , General Post Office , Magistrate Court and the Beach Station. To go further there are many more such buildings. But many were demolished for new high rise business centres’  like Standard Chattered Bank , TIAM House and Richardson & Cruddas Building now became Pachaiyappa’s Trust Building ,   and many others.



State Bank Of India

General Post Office




NSC Bose Road



 TIAM House (old building )



               

Magistrate Court( adjacent to R&C Building)

Busy NSC Bose Road and High Court

 Burma bazaar is a place to visit for any kind of imported stuff from perfume to Electronic goods.  Seiko and Citizen watches were in much demand when we do not have any other than HMT watches and that too we need to wait and pay premium  in 1970s’. Umbrellas , children’s toys , VCP , VCR and Two-in-One Tape Recorders of Sony and other brands , foreign cigarettes , Parker pens and what not ! You  name it and You get it !  I too had a friend in the Bazaar and purchased  a wrist watch for my dad’s 60^th birthday and a Hitachi VCR .

Burma Bazaar

 Since harbor is nearby , lot of truck movements were also there. Beach station is a destination for all those who lives in southern Madras and having business or office in Parry’s Corner and nearby.  An afternoon lunch at Hari Nivas and relaxing in the corner for the cool breeze was a pleasant memory for me and for many who worked there. Later Cosmo cafeteria came for hot samosa  and tea.  The road side shopping and window shopping I cannot forget soon after my wedding with my wife and even after my daughter’s birth.



Chennai Port Entrance




Beach Station

Glimpses of  the old Parry’s Corner is still behind my eyes  and I cherish the   visit to the landmark destination of Madras and now Chennai. I still wait a chance to visit Parry’s and not Paris , which I cannot afford ( to be frank ) !

Enjoy living in  Madras and dream  to explore the present Chennai  . The photographs are for the viewing pleasure of people who loves Parry’s.

 I had been to an Indo German Urban Mela organized by Indo German Chamber , yesterday and the theme stressed there is , how we can make  our  urban green and live our life healthy. Let us join our hands to take care for a better  urban living.

Let us join our hands to take care for a better  urban living.

Madras is 373 today ! Why not we celebrate it ?



Noth Mada Street - Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple, Old Mylapore



Madras is 373 today ! Why not we celebrate it ?

I was born in Madras and my entire family for generations  were  native of Madras . So I too wish to join in the Birthday celebrations of  Madras . Immediately  I started to write a blog and drafted a page . But my limitations are to South Madras only and that too most of our life time were spent in Mylapore , one of the oldest village of Chennapatnam. Saint Thiruvalluvar was born in Mylapore and a temple is there in the street named after him.

 I happened to read an article today  on Madras 373, in the oldest news paper of Madras , THE HINDU ,  and it inspired me very much to share the same to all the readers than my own writing. Mr.Bishwanath Gosh’s views matches mine too . The last touching  line of his article is true to me and I do agree that it is in my mind also so long and ashamed for that. I will change now.

“you will have to bridge the north-south divide, which exists mostly in our minds.”

So with the courtesy of THE HINDU , I reproduce the article for the readers of my blog.

“Madras’ birthday today. South Chennai is partying  - An article by Bishwanath Gosh in

“ THE HINDU “  dated 22 August 2012

Funny that a city known to the outside world as conservative and orthodox should be founded by a hardened drinker and womaniser — an enterprising and emotional employee of the East India Company called Francis Day.

For the benefit of those who remain unaware of the origins of this great city, it was on this day — August 22 — in 1639 that Francis Day signed the lease for the tiny strip of beach he had obtained from the local chieftain of the disintegrating Vijayanagara Empire to build a permanent trading post of the East Coast.

And why did he choose that particular spot, three miles north of the erstwhile Portuguese settlement of San Thome? Because, during his previous expeditions to scout for land to build the post, Day happened to visit San Thome where he found a local lover. He wanted to stay close to her, and therefore he chose the spot where Fort St. George stands today.

San Thome Church

 Fort St. George, whose construction began in early 1640 under the supervision of Day and his boss Andrew Cogan, marked the birth of the city of Madras.

Fort St.George

And since the agreement was signed on August 22, the year before, the day is now widely considered to be the birthday of Madras — that explains why the city, of late, celebrates Madras Week this time of the year.

So, today is Madras’ 373rd birthday. That makes it the oldest modern city in India. But look who is celebrating. It is the affluent south Madras that has been raising the toast to the city on its birthday each year whereas north Madras, where the city originated, remains largely indifferent to the occasion.



NSC Bose Road - Noth Madras





Vivekanand House ,Near Ice House - South Madras

The reason being north Madras has larger preoccupations — crime and congestion being just two of them. The area is almost always overlooked whenever large-scale developmental projects are announced by the government of the day, as a result of which it continues to live, in terms of infrastructure, in the era of Francis Day.

At the time, north Madras — or Black Town — was the poor cousin of White Town, located inside Fort St. George. Today, it is the poor cousin of south Chennai, where the rich and the famous live. In terms of travel time, the two Chennais may be just 20 minutes away from each other but they live 200 years apart

A very large population of south Chennai has never set foot in the north even though they’ve lived in the city all their lives; and when people from there eventually come to the north to attend heritage walks that are held during this time of the year, they walk gingerly, their mouths wide open and their cameras ready, as if they are tourists in a remote village.

To appreciate the present and dream of the future, you must understand the past; and Chennai’s past lies in the north, beyond Central station. Wall Tax Road, Elephant Gate, Seven Wells, Esplanade — these are just some of the names you come across in newspapers whenever a murder or robbery takes place in such neighbourhoods, but ever wondered about the story behind such names?

Once you set out to find the story, you’ll find yourself piecing together the rich history of the city you’ve been living in; but before you set out, you will have to bridge the north-south divide, which exists mostly in our minds. “

Letter from a Daughter to Her Father !

Letter from a Daughter to Her Father

I took the title of this blog  from a book and modified to suite my subject. The book  was written by Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter Indira , when she was 10 years old , in the year 1928 titled “ Letters from a Father to His Daughter “. It consists  of 30 letters,  teaching about natural history and story of civilizations .

In my case it is vice versa .  It is “ Letter from a Daughter to Her Father “ . Yes ! I was profoundly happy to receive my first hand written  letter from my  only daughter  , who lives with her husband on the other side of the world.

Time zone separates us by (-)10.30 Hrs.

We live 8609.3 miles apart.

I have to travel approximately 17 hrs. 53 min. to reach her by air. ( But I can’t without a passport and VISA to that alien country ).

And above all we last met each other  at Chennai airport , about 7 years before  ,when she took the flight along with her newly wedded  husband , very few days after her wedding.

Occasional calls from her gives life to me and my wife.  Facts of life explained by her for this long separation is acceptable to us but it is matter of concern  for others !

Coming to the letter  of her to me , I am an old fashioned person  cherishing the old custom  of communication by hand written letters . So , the first letter from my daughter is so precious to me to preserve , read , read and read again and again, which gives me a kind of pleasure and satisfaction .The  love and affection expressed  in words  is more than the  phone conversation of  her. Me and my wife are proud of our daughter .

A few lines  of that to share my happiness….

“Dear Dad ,

I got you a sketch book / journal ….you can write your thoughts & such , for time to come & to stay past the time beyond you…. I also got a book which is very close to me. It is written by a Poet … mostly about life and living. … Unlike the gadgets & computer stuff which makes life so stressful at times ,my gift will give you a break and make you reflect on the precious moment of now.  … “

Her words “ your writing will stay past the time beyond you “ has a meaning to me . 

For someone it may look silly on my writing . But I wish to wite because … it will stay past the time beyond me ….

My son-in-law keeps writing on Krishna Consciousness and that will enlighten the readers and attracts  them towards KC.

Me and my wife pray for the happiness of both my daughter and son-in-law for ever , with the blessings of Sri Krishna and  continue their services more towards Krishna Consciousness.

Parent's 65th Wedding Anniversary Remembered

Wedding Anniversary of my parents remembered

15^th August 1947 – no  one  can forget the importance of the date,  our Independence day.

 21^st August 1947 – neither me nor my siblings   can forget the date . Yes, it was my parents wedding day, within a week after Independence.

21^st August 2012 – My parent’s  65^th wedding anniversary day.

Today both of them are not with us. But the lingering memories of their wedding day celebration , when we were young, is still in my memory. Nothing in a big way ! Of course we were a middle class happy family . My parents  used to go to the nearest  Sri Mundagakanni  Amman temple, in Mylapore, where we lived for generations, for an archanai to the deity. They have donated some money to that temple to perform pooja every year for my father’s birthday, which also falls in the month of August , (14^th)

There is something special to say here. They got married in our ancestor’s house ( old no. 86, Mundagakanni Amman Koil Street , Mylapore , Madras ) , continued to live there, and me & my brother Gopinath were born in that same house .

About 46 years both of them lived together  along with us . My father ‘s demise was in 1994 and my mother left us in 2002. We perform pooja on their wedding day every year and we strongly believe that their souls would have attained the lotus feet of Sri Krishna.

 As a husband  and wife their names also coincides with the divine couple’s names. My father’s name  was  DEVARAJAN - which is the name of Sri Varadharaja Perumal of Kancheepuram. My mother’s  was JANAKI DEVI – which is the name of Sri Rama’s  ( another avathar of Perumal )wife.

  

There were ups and downs in their life  and they struggled a lot to up bring all the five children ( we brothers and sisters ) . They have aimed at, all of us to become a graduate  and we fulfilled their ambition.  They hung  a single  photo frame with  all the five of our convocation picture,  in the hall  of our Mylapore house .  But we only know their  economic  sufferings to make us to stand independently in the society.They have taken care of my Periappa's ( Dhoppa )welfare also as he had no kith and kin. What we are today is all because of them in yesteryears. Our humble  obeisance to our parents on this day of their wedding anniversary  and pray their blessings on all their children and grand children and entire family.

On 21^st August 1947 , they two were  united by the grace of God. Now their generation counts 27 including , children, sons-in-law , daughters-in-law  , grand children and great grand children . A happy  big family living ever after them.

A family tree of Sri Devarajan and Smt Janakidevi  is under construction !

Memoirs of our Silver Jubilee Indepedence Day in 1972

 Memoirs of our Independence Day  in the year 1972

India celebrates Independence Day every year on August 15^th.

What do people do ?

People of India pay homage to the freedom fighters and leaders. We watch movies about freedom fighters on television and many spend good time with family and friends. Schools and colleges celebrate by hoisting national flag in their premises and distribute flags and sweets as a mark of respect to the freedom fighters. Many government and private companies too celebrate Independence Day in the office premises by falg hoisting and an inspirational speech.

What I did in 1972 , Silver Jubilee  Independence Day in Madras ?

It is always a pleasure to recall the past for me and share those happy moments to all. Some or many may be interested to know more about past like me.

I was a student member of Madras Student’s Gandhi Forum at that time and the Convener , Shri.V.R.Radhakrishnan has organized a “pada yatra “ for the student members for a big celebration on 14^th and 15^th August 1972,being a special silver jubilee. He was a freedom fighter and a “Tamara Patra “holder, honoured by Government of India for his services to the nation. He was a true Gandhian and had a conviction to change the student community towards Gandhian principles and philosophy. I am proud to say that I am  a beneficiary since being very closely associated with him.

So the Pada Yatra started with all students members , including my brother Gopi, Suresh, gathered at Gandhi statue in Marina and our destination is a place called Nazerathpet, near Poonamalle. We started walking from Marina lead by VRR and en-route the first halt was at Governor’s Bungalow for a tea in the lawn for all of us sponsored by then Governor Shri.K.K.Shah ( if my memory is correct ). No ordinary person will get a chance to have tea with Governor. But we were  honored  for our movement to take Gandhian thoughts and deeds to public  as students.

To name another student member , I wish to share about  a person , Chandrasekaran , a close  friend of mine  and a family member of VRR , guided me towards the Gandhian movement and he joined with me in all activities of the Forum and was a strong support to VRR. We had been on a Gandhian pilgrimage in Sept.-Oct. 1971 to many places associated with Gandhiji all over India including his birth place on Oct.2nd at Porbunder. The membership certificate and the pilgrimage certificate is attached for the benefit of my old associates , believing, someone will read and renew contact with me.

The entire route of the Pada Yatra  was in a celebration mood and we reached Nazerathprt via Guindy at the stroke of 10 p.m.on 14th August. The reception by the local villagers cannot be forgotten. “ Tharai and Thambattam –South  Indian village drum beats in  high pitch “  received us at midnight on 14^th August and lot of crackers were burst  to mark the 25 years of  Indian Independence. We were provided a grand dinner late night and slept few hours to continue our social service activity in that village. Today  the same Nazarethpet village gives a much developed look with  S.K.R.Engineering college , good schools  and a big township  for a gated community living is coming  up.

All the student members of Madras Students Gandhi Forum cannot forget the silver jubilee Independence Day celebration. I wish  and request, if any one of my old student member reads this , may please contact me to share our lingering past pleasant good times in the Forum. We were very grateful to Shri.VRR  for  showing the right path at the young age of 19 and now I am 60 looking back the festive mood of Independence Day of that time. In next two days we are going to celebrate our 66^th Independence Day , but with a difference…

Shri V.R.Radhakrishnan

Shri.V.R.R's Family

To show my gratitude to Shri.VRR, I salute his family members here on this happy day and wish to share their photo. Smt.V.R.Radhakrishnan is sitting in the chair ( second from right ).Happy Independence Day to all.