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From the Editorial Desk www.facebook.com/Life360Chennai
Chennai 足 you either love it or hate it! And there's plenty to love and hate about this city. Long, silver beaches, the searing heat, temples, fluffy white idlis, smiling flower sell足 ers, mosquitoes, strong coffee and bad roads.
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We, at Life360 present to you the first Chennai edition. Why did we choose this city to start our Indian adventure? Because underneath its layer of genteel old world charm, Chennai is a city full of quirks. And we wanted to showcase this in our magazine. In this issue, you can read about individuals who have added a unique dimension to our city, the lesser known but picturesque war memorial. With the IPL around the corner, rightfully finds a place in one of our pages. We also have ways to beat the heat and some fitness trends to get that adrenalin pumping. So sit back and flip through our first edition, with a strong cup of filter coffee.
Credits Editorial Team
Design Team
New Media Team
Blassy Boben JS Harikumar Poorvaja Sundar Sanjana Prakash Shrikkanth Dhasarathy Swathi Chatrapathy Vinaya Ashok Kurtkoti Blassy Boben Cinthya Anand DK Rituraj Jyotsna Raman Poorvaja Sundar Ushna Mohan Iyer Vinamrata Borwanker
Inside Contributors
Photographers
DK Rituraj JS Harikumar Jyotsna Raman Poorvaja Sundar Sanjana Prakash Shrikkanth Dhasarathy Swathi Chatrapathy Vinamrata Bowarnker Vinaya Ashok Kurtkoti Swathi Chatrapathy
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News Chennai routes
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Wellbeing Dance your way to fitness
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Beat the heat
9
5
News Community Radio
Wellbeing Hypnotherapy
10
Explore Madras War Cemetery
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Reviews
5
Chennai Super Kings facts
6
Cover story 足 Different strokes
Quiz
Finding your
routes
Lost in the city? Vinamrata Borwankar finds that help is just a phone call away! In the age of smart phones and pocket inter net, two young city entrepreneurs Ashwin Kumar and Bharat Somani, founded 'Routes' a helpline to find your way in the city with just a phone call. Routes will give you the information you need about bus routes, sub urban trains, and MRTS. "Even when everybody has a smart phone this was happening. That is when my busi ness brain started working," said Ashwin. With an initial investment of Rs. 15 lakh, they set up shop in a rented office in Nungambakkam. Ten call centre executives were trained to direct in English and Tamil. Ashwin said, "We plan to train the executives in other regional languages." The service uses the internet to collect information on the routes but does not completely depend upon it.
Ashwin and Bharat have created their own database by visiting bus terminuses, talking to drivers, putting the available information to test and updating it. They are confident that they can take on competition from dig ital competitors. Justifying the service, he said, "Currently around 90 percent of the information provided is accurate and we plan to achieve 100 percent. However, you cannot ignore the possibility of an element of human error." Today, they receive an average of 600 to 700 calls each day and up to 2000 on Sundays. For quick travel information dial 86 95 95 95 95.
in the Geeko
We dialed the 'Routes' helpline to see how well it worked. Our question? "How do you get from Indira Nagar to Chennai City Centre?" The executive answered immedi ately, suggesting we take the MRTS train from Indira Nagar station and alight at Mylapore. However, he couldn't find how to proceed from there on. (The best way to reach the destination is to get off at Lighthouse and walk for 5 minutes.) After prompting him and waiting for some three minutes, the executive corrected himself and asked us to walk from Lighthouse sta tion instead. Total time: 5 minutes, 40 seconds Time on Google Maps: Less than a minute The Verdict: Innovative, but needs catch ing up with online services.
Radio jockeys and housewives. Seems like an odd combination? Srikkanth Dhasarathy Rajendranspeaks to Jamila of India’s first campus-commun ty radio on Anna FM, where housewives rule! "You know these sex workers... I spoke to them, they had lots to say and over time we even became friends," Jamila told me in a hushed voice, clearly anxious of discussing something taboo. She was talking about her next show about HIV awareness on Anna FM. Talking to sexworkers meant stepping beyond boundaries for a conservative housewife like her. Like Jamila, most of the women who work for the community radio are fulltime housewives and parttime radio professionals. Prior to Anna FM, Jamila had been cooped
Summers in Chennai can be unforgiving. D.K Riturajshares six ways to cool off this summer.
1. Juice up Walk over to the closest juice stall you can see..Choose from water melon, coconut, gooseberry, lime, cucumber whatever catches your fancy. Gulp down a refreshing drink and the summer won’t seem so hot anymore..
5. Massage your nerves Visit the many spas in the city if you refuse to engage with the sum mer at all. Opt for the ayurvedic massages and lie back as the herbs and aromatherapy oils work their magic to detoxify, destress your summer self.
2. Ice skating Not a fan of the heat, no problem. March over to Ampa Skywalk mall in Nungambakkam and spend your time skating in the newly devel oped ice rinks. The rink also has a video game arcade, a mocktail pub and a dance bar. Skate, boogie and drink away!
5. Fiction For an enriching, pocket friendly experience this season, march over to the Anna Centenary Library at Kotturpuram. The mammoth public library has an entire floor for fiction novels, short stories, poetry, classics, drama, letters everything! Sit in the airconditioned halls and immerse yourself in a world far, far away.
3. Beach time Lie low till the sun sets and then go out for a rejuvenating dip in the sea. Spare yourself the misery of Marina and explore the beaches at Besant Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur and Covelong. The waves and the quiet are guaranteed to quell your heatwrangled nerves.
6. Shots and shorts Sleep through the day and wake up to low calorie shots in Chennai's pubs for a relaxed summer. These highend, lowkey bars in Chennai offer nirvana on the rocks. The list of mocktails runs just as long as cocktails, supplying solace aplenty to those keeping their palate alco holfree in summer.
which is famous for its bourgeoisie crowd; a network of by lanes that would be easily ignored amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Gracie is one of the producers in the ANNA Community Radio. She was visibly happy about the changes she has witnessed in her lifestyle after becoming part of the commu nity radio. "I used to be shy and never used to talk, now it will be difficult for you to stop me when I get started," she told with a wry smile. One thing that is common among volun teers is that they are happy about learning new things and being able to share their
Hear Our Voices! up in her house despite having a postgrad uate degree in English Literature. Anna FM was her key to freedom even as she over came all resistance from her husband and family. Anna FM was the first campus com munity radio, established in February 2004 by Anna University, Chennai, at its
Six Ways to Beat the Heat Arc
Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMMRC). The radio channel engages volun teers from the nearby communities to pro duce radio shows. Jamila has been associat ed with the programme from day one. Nine years down the line, she feels that the expe rience has transformed her into a confident woman. To this day, Jamila has done more than 1200 shows and is confident that she can produce a show on any topic. However, there are still issues when it comes to work ing with other women in the community, many of whom are illiterate. For Jamila, pulling them out of their comfort zones and
Things You Didn t Know About The
Chennai Super kings is the only team to have participated in the Champion’s League T20 twice with the same captain
making them produce radio shows is a great achievement in itself. That is exactly what Jamila has been doing and a visit to their community; Kannigapuram got us face to face with other 'Jamilas'. Located a few kilometers from the Anna University campus, Kannigapuram is the odd man out in the GuindyVelachery belt,
knowledge. Almost every woman I met was a housewife who lived in a shell until Anna Community Radio happened. Jamila is confi dent that she can inspire more and more women to join the community and has great hopes for the future. Arc
A cricket crazy city, everyone here is immensely proud their successful home team - The Chennai Super Kings. While everyone knows that CSK has won the IPL twice an the Champions League, we present a few lesser known fa Chennai Super Kings is the only team to win the Indian pemier league and the Champions league in the same year
Chennai Super Kings is the only IPL team to have its own comic series!
Sir Ravindra Jadeja has the best bowling figures in IPL for an all rounder at 5 wickets for 16 runs
In a 2008 match vs the Deccan Chargers, Albie Morkel hit the biggest sixer in IPL history. At 124 metres, the ball landed outside the stadium
Suresh Raina is the only cricketer to have played in all the matches for a team in the IPL
Use the back cover to create your very own cube craft version of the Chennai Super Kings. Collect all eleven to make your own team!
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hink 'Chennai autos' and the first thing that comes to mind is the unending bargaining drivers subject commuters to. But Annadurai seems far from the usual bunch. For the past 4 years., Annadurai has been operating a share auto down Old Mahabalipuram road and ferries passengers, most of whom work in the software companies. Peep inside his share auto and you will find an assortment of 40 magazines, six newspapers, a music system and a small video player. "According to me, my customer is God. I wanted to do something differ ent for them and make sure they have a pleasant journey" says Annadurai. He regularly hosts lucky draw contests and gives away gift vouchers as prizes. Annadurai's ambition however is to educate a young boy. "I want to choose a boy from a corporation school and educate him in a good school. I hope to do this next year," he says. The steely resolve in his eyes doesn't waver. "Many people have come for ward to help me with donations, but I want to do this with my money," he asserts. The share auto driver treats his customers with special offers from time to time. He charges 50 percent of the fare on former president Abdul Kalam's birthday and exempts couples from the regular fare on Valentine's Day. He doesn't charge teachers who travel by his share auto and deems teaching the 'noblest' profession. A few more people like Annadurai on the busy, congested roads of the city can certainly make a difference!
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scrawny old man won't make heads turn. But Traffic Ramaswamy's confident walk, PIL forms stuffed front pockets, large framed glasses, and crimson tilak smeared forehead makes onlookers stop in their tracks The hefty policeman following him makes Ramaswamy look like a troublemaker being escorted by an officer. The policeman is, in fact, stateprovided protection for the self appointed traffic crusader. The 79yearold former mill worker and governmentendorsed traffic consultant, who founded Tamil Nadu's Home Guard in 1963, complained that citizens were too scared to voice their woes to government authorities. "Talk to them (government authorities) about your problems. They are willing to help," he said. Born as K. Ramaswamy, he says the epithet 'Traffic Ramaswamy' was awarded to him by the media. He claimed the politicians and corrupt officials, even those from the ruling party are afraid of him. "They don't know my face, but they know my name," he declared proud ly. "One doesn't have to be a politician to serve the nation, just a willing citizen." Traffic Ramaswamy facilitated the demolition of many illegal constructions and initiated road reforms that helped in the decongestion of traffic in Chennai. He is also called 'Anti Alcohol Ramaswamy' for his crusade to ban alcohol throughout the state. Talking about the threats and attacks he faces given his work, Traffic Ramaswamy said he doesn't fear death. "Death is a predefined event. It is destined to happen. You can't escape it," he said. Working without expecting any rewards apart from a positive and helpful outcome is what keeps him going.
Four individuals who add a quirky twist to the city's ever‐ evolving fabric. Poorvaja Sundar, Swathi Chatrapathy, Jyotsna Raman and Ushna Mohan Iyer find out how they bring in the extraordinary to an otherwise mundane existence.
Photo: Ravichandran Ranganathan
Cover Story
Different Strokes O
ne of the most intriguing sights you'll see on the busy streets of Mylapore is Mary, a bookseller, who can't read. She seats herself atop a gopuram of books dishing out novels, biographies, CAT and GRE books hurriedly to her customers. She can't read or speak English, but can dig out exactly the book you ask for. Mary practically lives in this withering library, bathing in the whiff of old books. She even receives couriers and phone calls in the middle of the muddled temple street of Mylapore. As she hands me a set of five books the likes of Wodehouse and Archer for Rs.300, she inserts the money in a miniscule pouch at her waist, tucked in her sari. “Not one rupee less than 300. How am I supposed to marry my third daughter off if you all bargain?” she asks. Mary is incredibly streetsmart knows exactly which string to pull when it comes to customers who bargain.
Photo: Swati Chatrapathy
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Photo: Bing
Cover Story
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he urban din of Chennai Central fades away as you walk back half a century in history, at Nagamma's stall in Moore Market, where she tries to sell an 1892 Wehrle musicalalarm clock.. "Every morning, I go around big houses in Nungambakkam, Mylapore, Alwarpet and R.A.Puram and rummage through their garbage. Everything that you see here is from the rich men's garbage," says Nagamma. This is her twentyfifth year on the Moore Market pavement. "I got this from a house on Harrington Road," she says, pointing at the Wehrle, "I hope to get Rs 500 from it." An 1896 antique clock fetches anywhere between Rs. 15000 and Rs. 25000 at an auction house. When you inform Nagamma about the real value of her ware, she shrugs and says, "Don't fool me, amma. Why would they throw it away if it were that valuable?" she asks. Her stall is abundant with many such wonders. You fish under a fading white Kibler's typewriter and find a stack of gramophone records from the golden fifties. Sinatra croons "Come fly with me" in your ear as your hands inch towards Buddy Holly's "Maybe baby". Nagamma sits by, amused at your almost frenzied interest in her mundane life. A slow progression of music awaits, from vinyl records to the reel tapes encasing the golden hits of ABBA, to a small heap of mangled CDs on the side, hiding Whitney Houston's magic voice, you lose yourself in an era gone by till the shriek of the passing train brings you back to the new millennia.
Photos: Rituparna Bannerjee
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estern dance forms and outdoor bootcamps seem to outrun the traditional indoor gymnasi ums in the city. Chennaites are putting on their dancing shoes as a way of blending fitness with fun. "Homemakers interested in losing weight attend the morning sessions after sending their kids to school. And IT pro fessionals who spend all day in front of computers come here to socialize and unwind," says Vinu John, founder and director of The Verb, a popular dance studio in Adyar. The Verb is one of the many dance studios that have mush roomed in the city over the past few years. The Swingers, Miss.Fit, Shuffle Dance and Fitness, Step N Tap Dance studio and Aerobics are some of the other popular haunts. "You can burn 500 to 900 calo ries in an hour with the Zumba dance form. You don't need to know dancing to do it well. You just need to enjoy music and dance at your own pace," says Nandini Hande, instructor at Miss.Fit.
Wellbeing
Dance me to Fitness A little zumba, some quad & a slither of salsa to tuck thosepongal bellies in. Harikumar J.S and Vinaya Kurtkoti take you through the new-age workouts . to ere h W
go?
Zumba, a Colombian improvisational dance form, combines peppy dance movements with intensive aer obics and is designed for fitness enthusiasts of all ages. Zumbatomic is a subvariety that is specially designed for children as young as four. Salsa, meringue, hiphop, jazz, jive, cha cha, waltz, foxtrot, rock 'n' roll, line dancing are some of the other popular dance forms in Chennai. "The focus is on social dancing. But hardcore dance forms really burn calories minus any dietary restrictions without you even realising it," says John. The growing influence of Western dance forms in Chennai has led to a waning interest from the ethnic dance forms. "10 years ago, there were no other options and people would send their children only to Bharatnatyam classes. Salsa was not heard of at all. Now, children themselves hate going to classical dance classes," he adds.
Lose your calories Trainers from US with eccentric work Jive, salsa, hip hop, bellydancing les outs at THE QUAD, take you through Walk in any time of sons at Shuffle Bamboola Play zumba & group the year for eight Dance & Fitness School, RA Puram. dancing at sessions of dance fit Studio, Nandanam. Prepare to sweat MISS.FIT,Choolaime ness at The VERB, through ropes, tyres, Call 9884113689 du. Ladies only. Indra Nagar, Adyar. walls. Call 9790787813 Call 9840063454 Call 9600096575
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SOU TAL L K
New psy chic in town Pendulums, dreams, past lives, reiki rule the Purple room. Sanjana Prakash takes you for an exclusive peek into the psychic s cham ber.
Karma, not a BITCH
Wellbeing
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My
he fascinating realm of past life was could not evaluate the problem as her husband brought to the fore by Brian Weiss had various other friends he was even closer to. was in his book 'Many Lives Many My client also firmly believed that the friend was jealous. Masters.' It dealt with a case of past also feeling the same jealousy and hatred for I life therapy that changed both Brian Weiss her; and was deliberately manipulating her hus regressed her and his patients’ life. Kiran Relangi, a full time band to make my client more jealous and miser into past life to heal her.” therapist, believes that before the book, the able. Though that seemed more like imagination concept of past life was a taboo. "It wasn't my on the part of my client, as a therapist I could not first choice as a career, but like most people find it, it was attrac disregard that possibility. tive". He has recently moved to Chennai and started a therapeutic "On the third session we had a surprising turn of events. I setup that he calls 'The Purple Room' ("No particular reason for regressed her into deep hypnosis and she started talking about her the name," he tells us sheepishly). past life. She saw herself as an obese, darkskinned, middleaged But if anything, past life talks are a touchy and taboo topic in India woman of a lowerincome group. Her husband in her current life because of different belief systems in religions. Kiran says, "India is time was also her husband in that lifetime. She was a meat vendor just opening up to the idea that going back to your past is thera and her husband did some menial job. One day her husband took peutic, however, if the patient is unwilling and does not believe in in a second wife who was slimmer and prettier. My client identified reincarnation, then the process is wasted on them." this woman as her husband's friend in her current lifetime. Once Relangi says, "A client comes to me with a 'presenting problem' of she realized the root cause of her jealousy, the intensity of her an emotion. Some emotions are hard to let go of, like anger, emotions reduced considerably." resentment, jealousy, heartbreaks. But therapy works only if the "Past life therapy," says Relangi, "is based on the theory of karma." client is willing to move on." Pastlife therapy and hypnosis is Karma or having skeletons in the past life closet, all of it is brought known to cure emotional problems, psychosomatic diseases, out by therapists like Relangi. While most want to try this for the addictions and phobias. In Chennai, Relangi's clientele has seen a thrill of it, Relangi cautions that it is not for the fainthearted. rise in "people who are going through relationship issues, but also Unless there is an issue to solve, it could be dangerous. Relangi people with addictions and phobias." operates on all days of the week from Besant Nagar and goes by Recently a housewife came to The Purple Room with an unusual Weiss’ motto: 'For truly we are all angels temporarily hiding as problem. "She came to me with a lot of angst and jealously against humans.' her husband's male best friend. After two sessions of hypnosis, I For booking a therapy session with Relangi call +919500117031 client
April , 2013 | 9
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SANJANA PRAKASH
Photo: Sanjana Prakash
5 kms from the airport 1 km from St. Thomas Mount
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Publisher - Tranquebar (2012) Price = 295
D.K.Rituraj
Photo: Google
Bill Double Decker Grilled Cheese Sandwich Rs.49 Oreo Shake Rs. 50 Total Rs. 99
Tamarind City Where Modern India Began by Biswanath Ghosh is the newest addition to the "IloveChennai" collection. What puts a star on the 315 page affair, is that Ghosh brings his reporting skills and a breezy 'outsider's' perspective to scratch the traditiontough sur face of Madras and debunk it to its gooey core. A mélange of stories spanning history, religion, beaches, trains, people, cuisine, and cinema usher the reader to a predrawn conclusion that Chennai is the ultimate mix of tradition and modernity. The flow changes briefly, but isn't noticeable to a nonfussy reader. Written in a chirpy, casu al style with a bucketful of catchy oneliners and trivia, the book is a treat for Chennaites and a musthave for those lost in the Tamil land.
M. Ramakrishnan
1 . M.J.Gopalan was a cricketer who played for the Madras Presidency from the time the sport started taking shape here. He got the honour of delivering the first ball for his side of which tournament that began in 1934? 2 . This place gets its name from the Tamil for “Place of coconut trees” due to the coconut groves that once existed there. Which area/locality in Chennai? 3 . There was a memorial for Lord Cornwallis situated at the junction of Mount Road and this road, which is named after the English word for “a monument erected in honour of a dead person whose remains lie elsewhere”. Name the road. 4 . Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, daughter in law of Stalin has started a magazine called Inbox 1305. What is the significance
O
ne of the lesserknown havens of peace in Chennai is the Madras War Cemetery. Located in Nandambakkam, the cemetery is host to graves of soldiers who lost their lives in the Second World War. Managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the garden transports one back to the colonial times, with its luscious arches and plush bougainvillas. AngloIndian soldiers who fought from the South and East of India have been laid to rest here. The Madras War Memorial is situated at the rear of the cemetery. The memorial is modelled on the lines of a lawn cemetery. It has plaques with the names of many British soldiers who died in both the World Wars, with the inscription “Their name liveth for evermore”. Draped in lush green, the lawn cemetery, with its deli cate white tombstones, awaits to be dis covered amidst the hustlebustle of the city.
Sanjana Prakash
Tamarind city
Photo: Sanjana Prakash
of the number 1305? 5 . There was a significant change in the credits of Dasavatharam when it was released in the US becasue the producer ran into trouble from a local lawsuit. What was it all about? 6 . What statue on Marina beach is reminiscent of a famous WWII photograph of the American Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima? 7 . In Tamil, this delicacy literally means ‘pepper water’. It is also a favourite in England. What dish? 8 . Which pub in Chennai would makeU.K. Prime Minister David Cameron ‘feel at home’? 9 . What honour did TIME magazine bestow upon music composer A.R.Rahman? 10 . This educational institute in Chennai has its own pincode - 600036. Which one?
11 . If you asked your autorickshaw to take you to ‘Soundarapandian Angadi’, what is its anglicized name with which he and most of us would be familiar with? 12 . Chennai’s IPL team, the Super Kings, during the inaugural season in 2008 had the distinction of having played two bowlers who took hat tricks. If one was L.Balaji who was the other?
Answers
Right: Summary arches give the place a colonial look
GETTING THERE: Open on all days between 8am till 6pm.
Situated in KK Nagar's busiest corner, Snack Shack decorated with rustic bamboo, replicates a Caribbean theme that its name suggests. The Shack as regulars call it, is managed by polite and efficient staff, who deliver a clever menu which is a precise mix of crowd pleasers. The word 'snacks' makes one think of a light stomach quencher. But Snack Shack's wholesome chilli cheese toast, sandwiches, burgers, thirst busters and desi snacks are unpretentious, delec table and reasonably priced.
Their most popular snacks are the gor geous and generous double decker grilled cheese sand wich, filled with two types of cheese, which goes perfectly well with the choco laty oreo shake. Snack Shack's hearty food, speedy bites and excellent service, beats other cafés in its vicinity hands down.
1. Ranji Trophy (Madras vs Mysore) 2. Teynampet 3. Cenotaph Road 4. Latitude of Chennai 5. Oscar Films was changed to Aascar Films due to a law suit by Oscars –Academy Awards of USA, 6.The Triumph of Labour 7. Mulligawtany (Milagu Thanni) Soup, 8. 10 Downing Street 9. The Mozart of Madras 10. IIT Madras 11. Pondy Bazaar, 12. Makhaya Ntini
Top: Soldiers of the 2nd World War rest under white tombstones
Photo: Flickr
Beauty in ruins
Snack shack