Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Reporter's Dairy

Mobile phones across the city were flooded with SMS messages since Sunday afternoon. The message read that Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple had been chosen one of the "new wonders of the world" and that it was "announced in the British Broadcasting Corporation."

Though it was hard to believe, many were overjoyed at the prospect, in the context of an ongoing poll by a private web site to choose the new seven wonders of the world.

Ultimately, it turned out to be one of those mass circulated SMS pranks.

Opinion over the prospect of the historic temple occupying world stage has been divided in the past few months.

While the majority feels that in the absence of an official status (from a United Nations body) being a wonder will not work wonders, those supporting the Internet poll look at it as an opportunity to circulate the fame of the temple around the globe, albeit a private organisation accumulating huge amounts of money through the mass voting.

For almost one year the Dean's chamber at Government Rajaji Hospital was not open for presspersons.

There was almost a news `blackout' as the hospital chief was unwilling to talk to the media though she gave occasional bits of information.

After becoming used to the `blackout,' mediapersons had a pleasant surprise last week after the new Dean assumed charge. From the word go, M. Vasantha, who was forthcoming, sought a weekly interaction with the press. For photographers, it was a long time since they shot a picture of the Dean of the hospital.

"Why should we turn away the media when we are doing only right things. Naturally, information has to be given to them," the Dean said. This could be a cue for other senior government officials who are still media shy.

The mention of Madurai brings to one's mind the ancient Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and come Chithirai it is festive time here.

The entire temple is rife with decoration and the majestic gopurams are illuminated with serial lights. But, the broken board denoting the East Tower seems to be a moat in the eye. The board which has its message written in two languages, English and Tamil, is broken and both domestic and foreign tourists visiting the temple on their maiden visit may not be able to discern their location from looking at the board.

Moreover, with measures being taken to include the temple as one of new Seven Wonders of the World, it is high time the authorities ensured that the board is mended at the earliest.

If the unpleasant scene depicted in the photo is any indication, there is growing indifference to the statues of intellectuals. Perhaps, public memory is short or the purport of installing statues of luminaries is not being clear.

Some overenthusiastic individuals among the team of organisers of the police - public relationships used a bust statue in front of Sri Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Temple to tie a banner for a game of kabbadi.

Little did they realise that it was the statue of Tamil scholar and litterateur U.V. Swaminatha Iyer (1855 - 1942), popularly known as `thamizh thaththaa' (grand old man of Tamil).

At least in future, one hopes that people would refrain from abusing the statue.

Any visitor to Gandhi Museum last week would have wondered why its library was filled with grey-haired people.

The answer lay in the topic of the ongoing debate `whether we are following Gandhian ideals or not.'

Soon, 50 schoolchildren in the age group of 13-15 trooped in to prove that `Gandhian ideals' is not a remote topic for the younger generation.

The person who introduced the topic said slavery was like hepatitis-B and Gandhi was the doctor and that he prescribed a medicine called Gandhianism. He said whether we were really following his principles is the million-dollar question.

The students were prompt in acknowledging that the society did not follow Gandhian ideals.

(Contributions from

S. Annamalai, Shastry V Mallady, J.V. Siva Prasanna Kumar and S.S. Kavitha

in Madurai.)

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

In aid of HIV positive patients
Bench issues notice to Railway Board on revised tatkal system
Dravidian parties have ignored Muslims: INL
Thieves damage solar panels at MKU
Around the City
In Madurai Today
Reporter's Dairy

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu