Thoongathe Thambi Thoongathe: Thulasi Aiya Vandayar’s tease

During our first encounter, Thulasi Aiya Vandayar (whose family founded the Poondi Pushpam college) asked me about my most memorable college experience.  I told him I had always slept in the first morning period throughout my four years in Poondi College. In the mornings, before going to college, I had to work in the agricultural fields and cut and collect grass for the cattle. After this, I had to walk to the college four kilometers against the sun towards the east, along the river from the village to the college campus. It was not a leisurely walk. I had to run most of the times since there was very little time between the end of the work and the first class in the college. As soon as I sat and settled in the class room, the cool air from the ceiling fan would make me fall asleep. I had developed a special sleeping technique pretending as though I was deeply absorbed in the lectures. My sympathetic friends understood my problem and were kind enough to share their notes after the class.  They applauded me for my audacity to sleep even in the physics class of Prof MS Govindaswamy, who was the principal of the college at that time. My friends were obviously nervous when the Principal himself came to give lectures. Sure, I was also nervous but that was not enough to stop my tired eyes from closing. 

I could not sleep during the class of a soft-spoken and timid Tamil lecturer. The backbenchers would create ruckus and constant disturbance through pranks and noise during the class. So I had no option but to listen to the Tamil lectures. My classmates teased me saying that  I was the only one who took these Tamil classes so seriously. This endeared me to the lecturer who used to call me to meet him after the lectures to inspire me with poems and literary reflections. He instilled in me a passion for Tamil literature so much so that I had occasional dreams of becoming a Tamil poet. 

There was another class in which I had to stay awake. It was during the class of a Chemistry lecturer. When I got first mark in one of the exams, he became curious and asked me about my background. He noted my  inferiority complex and insecurity in front of the Thanjavur students who were well dressed and spoke fluent English. He started calling me as “ Mr First Mark” loudly in every class after that. Obviously, I never slept in his class thereafter.  He also took personal interest and pushed me to go in for post graduation and guided me to get admission. 

Thulasi Aiya Vanadayar ( called affectionately and respectfully as Aiya) could not contain his laugh at my sleep stories and started singing the the famous film song.. தூங்காதே தம்பி தூங்காதே ( do not sleep, brother, do not sleep)... He complimented me for becoming an exception to the line "உயர்பள்ளியில் தூங்கியவன் கல்வி இழந்தான்” (one who slept in the school lost his education). In all our subsequent meetings, he would always tease me with that song.

I compensated for the loss of learning in the first period with extra work during my return walk home from the college. I would walk very very slowly and  review the lecture notes thoroughly. I would stop at many places and sometimes sit down under the trees along the riverside with my eyes devouring the notes and books. By the time I reached home I had alreay mastered what was taught in the classes each day. I needed to do this because of another challenge. I had studied in Tamil medium in the school. So I had to cope with the English medium in the college. I had to work doubly hard to understand English before understanding the subject. 

My first encounter with Aiya was in the sports day celebrations ceremony  at the village school in Raramuthiraikottai in 1994. I had come on home leave from my posting in New York. The school had invited me to the prize distribution ceremony in which Aiya was the chief guest. The head master introduced me to Aiya as the village lad who made it to New York as an officer of the Indian Foreign Service. Aiya was impressed and asked where did I do my college studies. I told him it was in his own Poondi college. He was excited and started asking more details of my journey from Raramuthiraikottai to New York. I told him the journey to diplomacy started with the 4 km walk to the college from my village. 
When I finished SSLC in Mariammankovil high school, my illiterate uncle (who had adopted me since he had no kids) told me that eleven years of schooling was more than enough. He wanted me to stop further education and start working the land and looking after the cattle. He said he could not afford to pay for college education, in any case. I told him that Poondi College was just walking distance from the village, the same distance as the Mariammankovil school. I assured him that I would work during weekends and before and after the college hours in the morning and evening. As for funds, I told him I would get scholarship (to which I was entitled with my high SSLC marks) which would be more than enough to pay the tuition fees. He accepted the deal and let me go to the Poondi college. 

After the first meeting, I had met Aiya several times during my home leave from foreign postings. I visited him in his houses in Poondi and Chennai as well as in his parliamentary residence in New Delhi. He wanted me to share my story with the Poondi college students. He was in the front row of the audience during my two lectures in the college. 

Aiya took interest in India’s foreign policy and global affairs. He had acute intellectual hunger and thirst for knowledge . He was surprised when I told him that Pakistan was one of my most exciting and enjoyable postings professionally and personally. I had to get over my inherited Indian prejudice about Pakistan and make friends with Pakistanis and deal with their country to advance the diplomatic interests of India. Later, he was more suprised when I told him about my Latin America specialization. He admitted that he himself did not know the region well. He asked me how I got interested in the distant and lesser known Latin America. I told him that it was inspired by my literary journey from Malgudi to Macondo.  In the novels of R K Narayan, Malgudi is the fictional small town inhabited by typical traditional Indian folk known for simplicity, austerity and spiritualism. On the other hand, Macondo, the fictional town in the novels of the Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is filled with Magical Realism. I fell in love with this genre of Latin American Literature. After the novels, I started to read and understand Latin American politics, history and economies. But the region was mired in military dictatorships and economic crises in the last century. This was the reason for India not taking the region seriously. But Latin America had undergone a paradigmatic transformation in the twenty first century with democratic stability and economic prosperity. This had opened business opportunities and political partnership for India. Among the Indian diplomats, I had taken the initiative and lead to promote relations with Latin America with lectures, books, articles and through social media. I continue to do this even after my retirement in 2012.

Aiya believed in simple living and high thinking. He was a Gandhian in his personal life, eschewing luxury and embracing simplicity, although he had so much wealth.  He was an avid reader. We used to exchange reviews of the books we had read.  While he wrote books and pamphlets on education, social issues, personality development and spiritual upliftment, my writings were focussed on Latin America. He was a powerful speaker in conversations and in front of the mike. His articulation of ideas flowed from his creative mind and kind heart. During our meetings, I had seen him offering help, advice and financial assistance to underprivileged students and others generously and readily. He wanted to maintain the college fees low and affordable to the students from the poor rural families.

I guess Aiya was the one who dedicated the most time  and energy to continuous improvement and expansion of  the college. He used to tell me about his commitment and vision to making Poondi college as a premier institution.  During the time of his management, he ensured the introduction of new courses, opening of the college to women and building of impressive infrastructure and facilities. Thousands of boys and girls from the rural areas  of Thanjavur have benefitted from Aiya’s work and vision. The village boys and girls going to Poondi college these days are luckier than me. Since the college provides transport, they do not have to walk, get tired and fall asleep in the first period.

The Tamils: a portrait of a community - book by Nirmala Lakshman

This book, published in January 2025, brings out the fundamental fact that Tamil is more than just a language. It is part of the identity and pride. The ancient Sangam poetry, Thirukkural and poems of Avvaiyar and Bharathiyar have constantly reinforced this distinct and unique linguistic pride. This is the reason why all the official and cultural programmes in Tamilnadu always start with the singing of Thamiz Thai Vazhthu (invocation of Mother Tamil).

The book starts with the unique way of description of different parts of Tamilnadu named after flowers indigenous to each region: the kurinchi, a rare mountain bloom; mullai, the fragrant jasmine flourishing in the forests; the blue water lily of neytal, representative of the seashore; the desert flower of palai, emblematic of the arid lands; and marudam, also known as the queen’s flower, of the lowlands. Beyond representing physical attributes, these descriptions encapsulated themes of life and death, as well as the continual flow of generations. This landscape, etched into collective memory and interwoven with life, is luminously reflected in Sangam poetry—compositions that are over 2,500 years old, yet hold relevance today.

There is a comprehensive overview of the Tamils covering history, literature, politics, films, temples, Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam, art, culture, jallikattu, Kancheepuram silk saree and filter coffee. She has avoided the usual Tamil tendency of glorification and hyperboles. She has described events and personalities factually letting the readers to draw conclusions. She has highlighted the contribution of Muslim and Christian scholars to Tamil literature and the communal harmony. At the same time the author has pointed out the peculiarities, contradictions and problems in the Tamil society including worship of film heroes and caste conflicts.

The author says, “This book is largely subjective; it is a portrait rather than an academic study. It strives to provide an accessible account of the Tamils and their history for those interested in the subject but not necessarily familiar with it".

Nirmala Lakshman, is well qualified academically and as a cosmopolitan member of the historical and respected newspaper group The Hindu. She has travelled across Tamilnadu interviewing and interacting with common people besides sociologists, historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, actors, politicians and businessmen. She has quoted extensively from many books and authors. She is objective and unbiased when commenting on Periyar and DMK even though her community has been at the receiving end of the anti-Brahmin movement spearheaded by the Dravidian leaders.

This book, published in January 2025, is a useful read to understand Tamils for some of those beyond the Vindhyas who are often ignorant and prejudiced. This includes the Hindi chauvinists who are surprised by the Tamil resistance to the insensitive attempts for imposition of Hindi and my globe-trotting golf buddies in DLF Golf Club, Gurgaon who do not know the difference between Tamil and Malayalam or Swaminathan and Viswanathan.

Carnatic music flows into Cauvery river in Thyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru

I went to the annual Thyagaraja Aradhana music festival at Thiruvaiyaru, 25 kms from my village in Tamilnadu.

This year is the 178th year of Aradhana Festival and it is being held from 14 to 18 January on the anniversary of the death (1847) of the famous 18th century Carnatic music composer Thyagaraja.

This music festival is unique in many respects:

Nearly 250 musicians participate in the five-day festival every year. In this year's Aradhana, there are a total of 241 concerts from 14 to 18 January. The festival opened on 14th evening with 13 concerts from 5 to 11 pm. On 15th, 16th and 17th there are 61 concerts every day from 9 am to 11 pm. On the 18th there are 41 concerts besides the Pancharatna Keerthanas Koshtigaanam, which is sung by dozens of artistes as well as the audience together from 9 to 10 am.

The musicians are given slots of 10 minutes, 15 minutes and 20 minutes, according to their seniority. Here is a sample page of the program sheet with 36 pages

The organisers are very strict about the time limit. Five minutes before the ending of the performance, they make the next musician's group to get on to the second stage on the side and be ready. As soon as one concert finishes, there is a brief announcement of the names of the outgoing and incoming performers after which the next concert starts immediately.

Besides vocal music, there are also instrumental concerts with veena, violin, flute and Nadhaswaram.

Nadhaswaram, the wind instrument played during auspicious occasions such as weddings and temple festivals gets a special place of pride in the festival. In the 2025 Festival, there are 67 Nadhaswaram concerts, spread over the five days. In fact, the Festival starts and ends with Nadhaswaram concerts.

The Festival is held every year in January at the Thyagaraja Samadhi (memorial), on the banks of Cauvery river. The music is not performed in a covered air-conditioned auditorium. It is held under a Pandal (temporary roof covered inside with cloth like a shamiana) open on all sides. There are no chairs. The audience sits on the sandy floor, enjoying the cool breeze from the river and the aroma of the hot filter coffee served on the other side of the pandal.

To listen to the music, one does not even have to go to the pandal. One can listen while shopping on the roadside shops or walking in the streets through the loud speakers fixed on lamp posts for a couple of kms outside the festival venue. The soulful classical music is heard in the middle of blaring honking sound of cars, buses and the noise of the autos and motorcycles. But Nadhaswaram, with its high pitched loud piercing music, overcomes the street noises and is heard clearly.

There are no tickets for the concerts which are open to the public. The hall becomes full and overflowing for the Pancharathna event and when celebrities come to sing.

The musicians consider it a privilege to perform in the Aradhana and come here paying themselves for their travel and accomodation. They do not get any performance fees either. Some of them come regularly every year.Those learning Carnatic music worship Thyagaraja as a saint and perform pujas at his temple.

Thiruvaiyaru is a quiet small town with a population of around 20,000. It does not have proper restaurants or hotels for the visiting artistes and public. They have to stay in Thanjavur, 12 km away. 

Thiruvaiyaru is known as the land of five rivers (Iyaru means five rivers) namely Cauvery, Vennar, Vettar, Vadavar, and Kudamurutti rivers. The deity in the famous temple in the town is Aiyarappan /Panchandeeswarar which mean Lord of five rivers.

There is belief that those who die in Thiruvaiyaru, considered as the sacred equivalent of Benares, will go to heaven. Some old people come to stay in the Chattirams (charity accommodation) at their terminal stage waiting to die there. Sixteenth day Ceremonies as well as anniversary rites for the dead are done on the bank of the Cauvery river in the town. There are over fifty Brahmin families which live on the income of performing the rites for the dead. Cauvery is to Tamilnadu what Ganges is to Northern India in terms of giving material and spiritual prosperity.

Here is the photo of the Cauvery river next to the event venue.

The region around Thirvaiyaru has been historically prosperous, thanks to flourishing agriculture with the waters of the five rivers and the fertile soil. Rice, sugarcane and banana are the main crops. This material prosperity had given more time for the people of the region to pursue music, dance and other forms of arts and culture. Thygaraja and the other two famous composers (Trinity of Carnatic Music) Shyama Shastri and Muthusamy Dikshidar were born in Thiruvarur, another town in the same delta region, seventy km away from Thiruvaiyaru. Many of the Carnatic musicians come from the Cauvery delta region. Proud of this lineage, artistes use the name of the place as the prefix to their names. Examples: Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Sikkil Gurucharan, Papanasam Ramani, Thanjavur Raju, Kumbakonam Aravind, Mayavaram Pandian, Andankovil Sivakumar, Seerkazhi Sivachidambaram, Ayyanpettai Haridoss, Thruvaiyaru Murugan, Thirukkattuppalli Raja and Saliyamangalam Ramadass,

The region of Thiruvaiyaru and Thiruvarur was part of the Chola dynasty of Thanjavur which had patronised arts and culture and built historic temples. The Chola dynasty has a distinct place in Indian history. Cholas were the only Indian rulers who ventured outside India conquering overseas territories and colonising parts of South East Asia. After the decline of Cholas in the 15th century, Thanjavur came under the Telugu speaking Governors appointed by Vijayanagara empire. In 1675 the Marathas took over Thanjavur and ruled till they lost to the British in the ninteenth century. There is still a Maratha dynasty prince living in the Thanjavur palace surrounded by a small Marathi community. The Maratha kings promoted Sanskrit and before them the Nayaks patronised Telugu language. So this explains the Telugu and Sanskrit compositions of Thyagaraja although he had lived his whole life in the heart of Tamilnadu.

The legend of Thyagaraja, the history and culture of the region and the serene rural setting enrich the listening of Carnatic music on the Cauvery river side as a unique cultural experience