Dayanidhi Maran

When we were gripped in our seats hearing awe-inspiring stories from incredible people at TedxChennai, we couldn’t wait to hear the talk from the only person who was to deliver his speech in Tamil among various speakers present that evening, Dayanidhi Maran. He walked to the spotlight seeming to be a simple man.

 Dayanidhi Maran whose father died when he was young, recalled with such sadness how his father was an able man who provided his family with everything in his ability. Dayanidhi also reflected on how he was not able to send off his father with dignity due to lack of money.

At that time, he thought about the vagabonds, the unknowns, the orphans and the untouchables.

What would they do? 

Where would their bodies go?

With this thought in his mind, he started the Life Trust NGO to cremate and bury the unidentified and unclaimed bodies with regard and reverence. He was there on stage among thousands of attendees not without his own share of struggles, while looking for funds most people would shoo him away saying it was bad luck to talk about death. In this 21st century, superstitions do have a role to play in our lives or maybe ironically deaths.

 He has also broken numerous superstitions and busted many myths surrounding ‘death’. 

 And such incident is his employment of women to bury the dead against the popular belief that women must not go to the cremation ground.

 His talk ended with resounding applause and a standing ovation.

 Dayanidhi Maran is doing something very few people would care for. When I heard his introduction, I cared a little less too but what stands out is his determination and passion at what his true calling is for.

 If you would like to help Dayanidhi Maran, contact him at, 9486518190.

Self Portrait

Books to read if you are not a bookworm YET!

Dear readers,

Here are a few suggestions about what to read if you want to start reading but cannot figure out where to start.

 Indian Authors

 Starting to read with Indian author's books makes it a lot more relatable while reading and the English is a lot more understandable compared to the Foreign authors which makes it a best place to start. Some of the authors to consider reading are Nikita Singh, her writing is in easy English and her protagonists are mostly girl-next-door types, Chetan Bhagat, as much as everyone trashes him for writing Bollywood type stories, his books are indeed good if you are new to the world of books, Preeti Shenoy, she is one of the best story tellers in India who writes stories with great detail and excellent narration.

Young adult fiction 

 Now by this time you would have been allured into the world of books, wanting to read more good books(if you are not, then you would be by now). Unless you have been living under a rock, you would have heard of The Fault in our Stars, the story revolves around two teenagers falling in love while battling with cancer. In my opinion it is one of John Green's best books and a must read. As cliché as it might sound, if you are not a Potterhead, then you must get ready to be one because there is nothing like the Harry Potter series, you literally live the life of the boy who lived all through the seven books.

Choose books of your favourite movie genre

 Everyone likes to watch movies, so if you are a movie buff but can't hold a book for more than half an hour then choose books of your favourite movie genre, for example, if your movie genre is thriller then choose books of the same genre, it might interest you to read more. And moreover, most of the bestselling books are made into movies and so if you had missed out on a movie then try to read the book of that movie, soon enough you would become those people who say, 'Books are better than movies', because you would get to know more about the story than the people who watched the movie.
 Experiment with various genres
  Once you get comfortable reading books, it's time to experiment with genres. For instance, try to read English Classics like The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice or self help books like Big Magic, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The Subtle Art Of Not Giving a Fuck and so on.  Try to come out of your comfort zone and read books of various different genres, maybe to your surprise, you might even like it.

A story on The Banyan

It was a usual day for Vandana, until she came across a deranged half naked woman on the way back from college. A mob of people stood around the woman, but not one helping her. Somehow for some reason even the women in the crowd hesitated to extend help. This incident stuck with Vandana as well as her best friend, Vaishnavi. The fact that they were not able to help that woman kept playing on their heads which Vaishnavi later described as ‘similar to a computer loop’. This encounter sowed the seeds for The Banyan. 

 Although initially the idea of starting a home for the mentally ill women seemed like a mountain too high to climb, Vandana and Vaishnavi started the expedition rather fearlessly. It just took one night for Vaishnavi to give up on her MBA plans and hold hands with Vandana because for Vandana it has always been Medical and social psychiatry unlike Vaishnavi. They gifted the inmates a freedom within the walls of The Banyan brewed with music and dance. They were also taught to knit and block paint further setting the roots of The Banyan firmly to the ground by aiding the survival of  the individuals outside the shelter of The Banyan. 

 From people who would rather die than ask for help, they reminisce how they had to sacrifice their pride to ask for help from other people. Vandana once opened up how she regrets not being able to earn money and even if she did earn, she always felt obliged to give it back to The Banyan and so, she sometimes felt weak that she is not economically self sufficient. 

 Vandana and Vaishnavi with their spirit and passion stood their grounds on extremities of criticism and self doubt. Now The Banyan stands tall with over 3000 homeless individuals rescued, 400 children in youth clubs, 233 in aftercare, over 60% clients in the working sector and many more and also now extended to Trichy, Kerala and Maharashtra. 

 The Trichy chapter is run by two sisters, in which one of the sisters experienced mental illness herself and was rescued by The Banyan. The impact created by The Banyan on their lives made them to start one in their hometown Kovandakurichi(Trichy).

 While juggling multiple daily tasks and evolving into a more self centred community where the word ‘Women Empowerment’ and ‘Feminism’ has almost become part of our daily lexicon, it is   sometimes essential to peek outside the curtains of luxury and comfort to have a view of the potholes in the society like how these two women did.

Not poor at heart

I recently attended a book launch and there was something that didn't leave my mind ever since I attended the event.
 As soon as you get your book signed  a lady worker wearing a dark blue shirt over her saree stood by the steps that led down the stage distributing butter cookies to the readers who got their books signed.
 She offered me the cookies and I took half a cookie,she insisted me to take more and I did. There was another girl who was offered the cookies by the lady too but she made a disgusting face and pushed past the lady.
 I was watching all this from a distance, especially the lady's face, her face was that of a scolded puppy.  She was not angry at the girl nor did she make a face, she just had a genuine concern because the girl refused the cookies.
 I wondered what must be going on the lady's mind. Maybe she thought of her kids back home who would yearn for a cookie like that or maybe how insensible of the people to refuse food while she had to work so hard for it...

(Just couldn't take this incident off my mind)

Reminiscing school days

I vaguely remember how my first interview went in my school when I was 4years old,my school principal then, Mrs. Leonara James was accompanied with our vice principal Mrs.Benjamin, my mom had prepared me with a Psalm memorised but on my interview day I didnt recite the psalm but got admitted and also got a small magazine-like book as a prize which had Bible stories which I have even now. Little did I know that this school would give me the best years of my life.
     ***
Summer vacation always started with Mrs. Leonara James wanting us to learn five new words each day, writing one page of handwriting and reading newspaper everyday which I did dutifully every first week of every summer holidays.
Returning to school after summer vacation is a whole new thing. Promoted to "__ 'section'" on the corner of our report card was important than the marks we scored on our Annual exam. There was always excitement when our best friend was put in our class and disappointment when our friend gets to another class.
 During July or August, we have our sports day and annual prize day which is the most exciting part of the school year except of course, Children's day and Teacher's day. The days before sports and annual prize day were spent mostly sweating in the ground, dancing to Chimpanzee's songs or if you were you a choir student, singing till your throats went dry in the auditorium or chapel or hostel. The whole of annual prize day is only about the choir and the prizes,sometimes the dance. Our choir starts the Annual prize day, has another singing session in the middle and another closing session so it's all about 'Here comes our Senior choir' and 'Here comes our junior choir'.
The goosebumps moment is when the house championship is announced on the Sports day and the three cheers, how can we forget that? For a brief moment between the march past, the school song and the national anthem we realise how proud we were to be part of our school.
 And there was as usual midterms and class tests but again the fun begins on our Teacher's day. Students perform for the teachers in the General assembly in front of the whole school and nothing really happens on that day except for the Teacher's day celebration. The teacher's ramp walk is the best thing that will happen on that day and the worst thing that will happen to us is our throats going dry from all the cheering.
Children's day and dramatics is another whole lot of entertainment. Watching choreos the whole year we salivate to watch a good dance with movie songs and this happens on Children's day. And then it is followed by the ramp walk crowning 'Miss.Bains', 'Miss. Smile'..etc etc.
And then there is the Christmas day which is very much like the Annual Prize day but without the prizes and with the choir singing carols dressed in red and green.
 Apart from this, our lunch prayer was conducted with one mike and a CD player where the mike was used to talk as well as amplify the music from the CD player.
 Our school experience being this good was mostly because of the teachers. Ms.Asha Abraham, our music teacher taught us how to pronounce 'bright' and 'what', a thousand times, David miss, our crafts teacher was the reason why we like packet gums, we can never forget our Ravi master, our art teacher(the only male teaching staff) and the fifth standard boys and how he made us stand outside the class with our lunch bags to remind us that we had brought our lunch and  forgot our drawing book. Ms.Preethimala and her red alto car was famous like Mr.Bean and his green car. Any red alto car we see was Ms. Preethimala's. She was the reason we were scared as fuck in our high school. One look from her and we were DEAD. I never really knew Mrs. Rathna but knew she was the one to ace the ramp walks and low back blouses.
Staying in school after 3.00pm in the name of sports practice, choir practice and second trips were the best memories.
As if the days weren't already good enough, there was The Scripture union ! Milk, Jesus like em Algetta, lean forward lean backward and many more action songs was the reason our morning class prayers were so much fun. That was the only time when everyone would sing with no trace of shame or hesitation.
 Our school trips were always to Birla planetarium. Each year we finish a part of the planetarium and during our fifth standard we get the privilege of watching the 3D show and the planet show(where we all sleep).
My days in this school were the best but I remember thinking that this school was not good enough but no, they were more than enough it was just the 'Grass is always greener on the other side' moment.
Kudos to the school which is founded on rock!