Bharathy(S)'s Ambalam

Once upon a Jaffna! Ghost Stories! >> Enchanting world of Gods demons and mythological beasts!>> On the trail of god silks and spices ! Adi Thadi piddi @ PLaza! First day first night show Nadodi Mannan ! Gallatta Ghost stories ( Real and reel)! many more!! >> BEWARE: This marquee falls face down with Netscape!! ! Beware ! always there is darkness just under a lamp! As if nothing had happened, The crow, And the willow tree

Welcome to a leisurely world in the Minambalam !

Vannakkam! Pull that reclining chair (Saivu Natkali) or lounge leaning on those stone pillars. Who ever you are, be our guest (a Virundhali, an Adhti). Once upon a time there was space in the mind without pressures of modern living crowding the brain. Articles try to bridge the gap between contemporary world, and interior landscape of my ancestors, with a smooth transit into the real world. Most photos are thumb nailed. click on them. Some are by professionals. If the enlarged image fills screen CLICK ON BROWSER "BACK" BUTTON TO GET BACK TO TEXT. SOME PHOTOS OPEN NEW SCREEN.

If these themes do not interest you, rest for a while and pass on,that is as it should be. Though we may speak in different tongues,and appear to have diverse themes but our underlying untold stories are similar.

Excerpt from "about the author..": "These pages are destined to roam in the cyberspace, till some programmer by accident, by design or in a fit of temporary insanity pulls the plug out and mixes all the carefully arranged 0 and 1 resulting in a merciful release. Therefore make haste before the Ambalam moves into oblivion. In the mean time while my random thoughts haunts the nooks and caverns of cyber space, your comments would be encouraging. If you are a (long lost) friend or a potential new one contact me". bharathy@paradise.net.nz

A panel to navigate is at the bottom but you can go to an article by clicking on its summary listed below to go..... Please report navigation problems!. Comments can be noted in text boxes. It will be welcome. Reposting 17th July 99.

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Note: Tamil articles are in Mylai Font which can be down loaded from the homepage of Dr.K.Kalyanasundaram (of the Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology at Lausanne, Switzerland). He is the developer of the Mylai font. Inspite of development of other fonts, Mylai remains an important tool. The significant original works of e-library are in Mylai and are unlikely to be superceded by other fonts.

	About the writings and the author...." ....It has been destined to roam in the cyberspace, till some programmer by accident, by design or in a fit of temporary insanity pulls the plug out and mixes all the carefully arranged 0 and 1 resulting in a merciful release. Therefore while my careful thoughts haunts the cyber your comments would be encouraging.If you are a (long lost) friend or a potential new one contact me".
	Allied websites - Sign Posts on the Cyber pass© !. Dop into these Links. Time you leave you are an INTERESTING and informed person. Join the quest by TAMIL NATION for ONE HUNDRED TAMILS of millenium! COSMIC LINK ! VITAL LINK TO PLANET! Please give your favourite site for inclusion
	SELECTED POETRY: RED EARTH AND POURING RAIN WATERS ....Translations. Starting this feature with Sangam Literature translated by Noted poet A K Ramanujan. Rare insight into the everyday lives of common people, dated more than a thousand years. Poetry with these themes and milleu are found only very occasionaly in any language and that too not so profusely.
	GRAFFITTI - WRITINGS ON THE WALL...!: A new feature to be updated periodically. A forum for young people's thoughts. This time a poem from Radthisha High School Student in London, which I came acros in "post card poets".
	Trip to Tamil Nadu 1999 - some photos
	Ramblings on Fashions and Fads (lang English) Wearing ear rings and nose wear. Changing fashion scene among Tamils. Ornaments in Tamil classics. pics rare CV Raman, Shankarachariyar, Madurai Meendshi, Gandhi & Crippen, Aswariya (Lang: English)

Breeze in the Lotus Pond (Lang English)
Essay on a Jaffna pastoral scene. Reference to creativity, Sangam poetry, Ther festival. Pics Steve Hoffmans nature photos, Chidambaram, etc(Language: English)

Of music Saints and temple towns (lang English) Travel of a sort. Ref to Thiyagaraja aradhana, kutcheries, Thevaram pics Thiyagarajar, Saraswathy, Tanjore big temple and many more ( this is also in Tamil Nation site) (Lang english)

	Postings in Tamil Nation (Lang English) Quest for one hundred Tamils, an interesting project of Tamil Nation to identify 100 prominent Tamils of this century, which you too can participate.(Lang: english)
	Tamil Nation 2 Postings (Lang English) Deals with issues on expatriate living in a new migrant community. The forum in Tamil Nation provides interesting views (Lang: english)
	Ramblings on culture (Lang English) Soc.Culture Tamil postings also in Tamil Nation on pages "feature articles and poetry" forum)(lang: english)
	An encounter with pillaiyar in time zone (Lang: Tamil) Pillaiyar with mouse and lap top! Drinks milk too! pics of pillaiyar Vyasar dinosaur eruption of mount Rupehu (Lang Tamil)
	An encounter with Irrigation ghost and others of the kind ( Lang Tamil) once upon a Jaffna ghost story. Stealthily it has found its way around the world through Radio and society magazines. Also published in Tamil Nation.
	On the trail of gods silk and spices (Lang Tamil) A south Indian travelogue with ref to ancient silk route, Bhodidharma.How I nearly became a Samiyar! pics cinema poster, Kanthans fine drawing of Thirupoovanam, photos Sirgazhi thirukadavoor and many more. Available also in Tamil Nation ( Lang Tamil)

	The Sources of Culture / Kalachcharathin Utrukkal (Lang Tamil) A birds eye view of cultural changes of Jaffna Tamils over last five decades. Ref to Yoga Swamy, Navaly Somasundarapulavar, Pandhithamani Kanapathyppillai, Dr P Subramaniam. The rise of clerical culture and inward changes in attitudes. Pics Yogar, J Krishnamurti and Ramana Maha Rishi. Poems by Tagore and Bharathy. (Language: Tamil)
	Sources of culture 2 continuation of 1(lang Tamil) Creativity and cliche. Thirumoolar and Sanagam lit.
	Once Upon a Jaffna Fence (lang Tamil) Reminiscences of Jaffna life style. Fences as a cultural symbol. The pleasures and pain of fences.
	Car festival Evokes the atmosphere (Lang Tamil) of festivals seen through a boys eyes pics Nallur temple gram sellers
	Once upon a Jaffna -Saloon Hair cuts (Lang Tamil) under a tree and in saloons. A mind adjusts to changes.
	Vasikasalai -Library Village libraries (Lang Tamil) is loungers haven. Savoring leisurely times of bygone era where young men hang around here "waiting for a telegram to get into clerical service" amidst Nadhaswaram (oomai kuzhal) vidhwan, local Sangam store manager and the master of a station where the trains dont stop.
	Moving to Madras 85 Migration following 83 (lang Tamil) Tamil Nadu seen by a typical Jaffna migrant during MGR. times. Pic Anna Flyover, Chidambaram (Lang: Tamil)
	First Film in Plaza A university student (Lang Tamil) sees his first ever Tamil Film Nadodi Mannan. Thrilled to be in a midnight Q along with Sinhala fans of MGR. "those who were thrashed (1958) and those who thrashed them were in the same Q vying each other to see a Tamil hero"
	World of gods Demons and Beasts (Lang Tamil) An enchanting world of gods demons and mystical beasts. Pics Arjunas tapas (Mamamllapuram) Kanchi Ganges
	Trekking through the Jungles of Burma (Lang Tamil) retold: Trek through jungles of a Jaffna boy refugee during world war II after the fall of Rangoon.Social history of Jaffna
	General Stores and some other matter (Lang TamiL) Living in a shop where things happen.During rainy days Vikramatithan stories are read to pass time.The names of Gandhi and Nehrus begin to surface in street junctions. So are SJV and GG's.Modern role models start to coexist with traditional religous stero types. Heard of Yanai Pahilvan Siddu kuruvi Lehiam?
	Once upon a Jaffna two short pieces (lang Tamil)