Author Archive: Admin Madras Day

By Kombai S Anwar.

Online. Facebook Live: http://www.facebook.com/QIAMSMEDIA/ 
At 7.00 p.m.

Organised by Quaide Milleth International Academy of Media Studies & Foundation for South Indian Studies

Towards the end of the 17th century, when Madras came under the Mughal domain, it soon had to contend with the Arcot Nawabs, the Mughal deputies in charge of the Carnatic region. Their connections to the city grew over the years, and by 1760’s when they made Madras their home, it became even stronger. Despite the Nawabs of Carnatic being the masters of the region, quickly they lost their dominance to the wily Company. However during their century-long rule and even thereafter, they made a lasting impression on the city and the region as a whole. This lecture tries take a holistic view of their political travails and rich contributions to the region.

Kombai S Anwar is a writer, photographer, documentary filmmaker and an avid History buff. He has directed a series of short films on the ‘Big Temple at Thanjavur’ built by Raja Raja Chola, a project commissioned by the ‘Archaeological Survey of India’ to commemorate the 1000th year celebrations of the Big Temple. His documentary film ‘Yaadhum’ (All), which traces the history and identity of the Tamil Muslim community has won many awards in India as well as abroad. He does Heritage walks and tours to sensitise people of their rich cultural past. He is the Director of Quaide Milleth International Academy of Media Studies, Chennai.

By Dr. Swapna Sathish (Faculty, Department of Fine Arts, Stella Maris College)

Online. Facebook Live: http://www.facebook.com/QIAMSMEDIA/
At 7.00 p.m.

Organised by Quaide Milleth International Academy of Media Studies & Foundation for South Indian Studies

From the 1780s, the allure of India lured travelling landscape and portrait painters from England who came in search of wealth and an exotic Orient. Until then there was practically no visual record of the Indian landscape and its people based on first-hand observation. European artists, mainly British, applied their talents to painting the varied landscape of India, its monuments, portraits of the ruling and local elite and historical events of imperial interest. Artistic patronage shifted and Indian artists in the local courts were pitted against Western competitors and their illusionistic style of art. In catering to the different visual preferences of the colonisers, ‘Company Painting’ was born.

Dr. Swapna Sathish is Assistant Professor of Fine Arts at Stella Maris College, Chennai, teaching art history and design for the past 18 years. A freelance art critic, she has authored catalogues, exhibition reviews and contributed chapters to books. She has also presented papers at international conferences and delivered invited lectures in India and abroad. Subsequent to a postgraduate research degree in Renaissance art history from the United Kingdom, Swapna received her doctorate from the University of Madras for her thesis titled ‘Piety and Popularity: Contemporary Temple Murals of Tamil Nadu.’ Her areas of interest are popular culture and 18th century colonial art. She received a Charles Wallace India Trust research grant to undertake post-doctoral research in the United Kingdom. She has served as Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the Association of British Scholars, Chennai chapter.

By Mr. Hamdan Abdul Majeed (Managing Director, Think City), in conversation with Dr. A Srivathsan, (Professor, CEPT University, Ahmedabad).

Online. Facebook Live: http://www.facebook.com/QIAMSMEDIA/
At 7.00 p.m.

Organised by Quaide Milleth International Academy of Media Studies & Foundation for South Indian Studies

Mr. Hamdan Abdul Majeed is the Managing Director of Think City, a social purpose organization with the mission of making cities more people-friendly, resilient and liveable. As a regional city making agency, Think City provides urban policy thinking and supports the management and implementation of urban solutions while advocating change in the way cities are planned, curated, developed, and celebrated. Think City’s work has reversed the decline of George Town, Penang, putting it on the international list of 10 Best Places to Visit. Hamdan has been actively involved in shaping urban policy and plans in Malaysia including more recently, Penang 2030, a state government initiative with the vision of a family-oriented, green and smart Penang.

Dr. A. Srivathsan is an architect and urban designer, and currently Director, Center for Research on Architecture and Urbanism, CEPT University Ahmedabad. He was previously the Academic Director of the University, and before that taught for a decade and worked as a senior journalist with The Hindu, the national newspaper. His research and writings include the themes of urban history, planning policies and contemporary architectural practices.

By Ms. Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin (Journalist)

Online. Facebook Live: http://www.facebook.com/QIAMSMEDIA/ 
At 7.00 p.m.

Organised by Organised by Quaide Milleth International Academy of Media Studies & Foundation for South Indian Studies

The Gujarathi speaking Bohra Muslim community is said to have arrived in Madras as early as 1800s. They have since then contributed actively to the city’s legacy. Most have settled in Georgetown and have been engaged in business and trading hardware. The community has its own mosques, has established school and community spaces and and they largely retain their lifestyle, food and dressing.

Ms. Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin has done her Masters in Journalism & Communication and has worked as a senior journalist, editor and columnist for leading publications like The Logical Indian, Deccan Chronicle, Worldwide Media Corporation, The Bridge and Provoke. She is currently contributing to Infano.care a women’s portal. Belonging to the Bohra community, her ancestors were the first Bohra Muslim settlers in Chennai and she has been documenting the history of the Bohra settlement in Chennai.

Talk by Venkatesh Ramakrishnan

Online event. At 5 p.m.
Zoom Id: 893 5732 3868
No password required.

Organised by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Chennai Chapter

By Dr. Chithra Madhavan

Online event.
At 5.30 p.m.
Zoom Id: 854 7453 5191
No password required.

Organised by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Chennai Chapter

By V.R. Devika

Online event.
At 4.30 p.m.
Zoom Id: 816 6988 9882
No password required.

Organised by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Chennai Chapter

By Thirupurasundari Sevvel.

Online event.
At 5 p.m.
Zoom Id: 811 1979 4858
No password required.

Organised by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Chennai Chapter

Talk by Karthik Nachiappan, Architect, Urbanist, Globetrotter, Academician
Facilitated by KeyTerns, the thematic travel team.

Between 11 AM and 12:30 PM IST.

Facebook live – https://www.facebook.com/KeyTerns/

For Whom: Must watch for any proud Chennaite, People in Educational, Tourism and Architecture Sectors

Topics covered

1. Linking practical Learning with ecology – will be useful for teachers, parents and students
2. Exploring the travel potentiality of the public spaces in Chennai – Are we rightly using the chennai urban open spaces for travellers to its optimum in comparison with some Cities in the world?
3. Creating the Chennai Identity – What more can we be proud of showing to our friends / relatives / guests coming to Chennai?

Register:
https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=917550042234&text=Share%20your%20Name%20and%20Occupation%20

Contact +917550042234 for any queries.

~ Karthik Nachiappan (https://www.facebook.com/karthik.nachiappan) and KeyTerns (www.keyterns.com), +917550042234

C. P. Krishnapriya in conversation with Bhooma Padmanabhan

6.30 p.m. | Online Lecture (In English)
Zoom ID : 833 2017 1132

Facebook live – https://facebook.com/rmrl.in

Organised by Roja Muthiah Research Library & Foundation for South Indian Studies

Bhooma Padmanabhan is a Chennai-based curator, researcher and art program manager. She completed her BA in Fine Arts from Stella Maris College, Chennai, and her MFA in Art History from the M.S. University of Baroda. She started her career in the arts as a curator at Dakshinachitra, following which she moved to Delhi to work at the newly established Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA). In a decade with this young and rapidly growing grant-making foundation she worked with some of India’s most exciting young artists, supporting critical public art projects and growing FICA’s public programming and educational outreach. She has since curated numerous contemporary art exhibitions, both solos and group shows, experimenting with the curatorial space as platforms for learning, resource sharing, and collaboration. In 2018 she was a researcher with the Kochi Biennale’s Students Biennale programme which focused on studying the material and pedagogic environments of India’s vast network of art colleges. Bhooma is now the co-curator of the 3rd edition of the Chennai Photo Biennale.

CP Krishnapriya is a practising visual artist based in Chennai. She completed her Masters from the Govt. College of Fine Arts, Chennai. Her work is multidisciplinary in nature; she uses paintings, drawings, collage, found objects and sculptural installations to engage with her concerns. The works primarily deal with the self and its relationship with its environment. History and local political discourses are also woven into the imagery that she creates.

She is interested in understanding the process of art pedagogy. Her other interests are contemporary art practices, history, theatre and environmental studies. She has been part of numerous art exhibitions and art camps. She is also part of art collectives and groups based in Chennai. She was one of the curators of the two editions of the Students’ Biennale, Kochi (2016-17 and 2018-19). She was a resident artist at University of Pennsylvania in the fall of 2017 and summer 2019, supported by the South Asia Centre, Upenn.

By Dr. Amanda Weidman
6.30 p.m. | Online Lecture (In English)

Zoom ID : 857 7692 7793

Facebook live – https://www.facebook.com/rmrl.in

Organised by Roja Muthiah Research Library & Foundation for South Indian Studies

Dr. Amanda Weidman is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Bryn Mawr College, USA. She is the author of the book, Singing the Classical, Voicing the Modern: The Postcolonial Politics of Music in South India (2006). Her new book on playback singing in the Tamil film industry, entitled Brought to Life by the Voice, will be published in 2021 by University of California Press.

By S. Theodore Bakskaran
6.30 p.m. | Online Lecture (In Tamil)

Zoom ID : 895 7535 4784

Facebook live – https://www.facebook.com/rmrl.in

Organised by Roja Muthiah Research Library & Foundation for South Indian Studies

S. Theodore Baskaran started his career as Researcher in Tamil Nadu State Archives before he joined the Indian Postal Service in 1964. He retired as the Chief Postmaster General, Tamilnadu Circle. Baskaran has been for writing for more than 45 years. His book, The Message Bearers is a pioneering work on Theatre and Cinema. His second book, The Eye of the Serpent (1996) won the Golden Lotus (Best Book on Cinema) Award in 1997. He has also written several books and articles on film history in Tamil. He has lectured on cinema in many universities including Princeton University, The Australian National University and the University of Chicago.[3] In 2000, he won the Ki Va Ja prize awarded by the Kamban Kazhagam. He was a Hughes Visiting Scholar at the University of Michigan in 2001 and taught a course on Film Studies. He was a jury member at the 2003 National Film Awards. During 1998–2001, he was the Director of the Roja Muthiah Research Library. He is a member of the library’s Board of Trustees. He has also acted in a supporting role in the 2010 Tamil film Aval Peyar Thamizharasi.

Baskaran is a keen bird watcher and a naturalist. He is a former honorary wildlife warden and the South India Representative of the International Primate Protection League. He is a trustee of WWF-India. His collection of essays on nature and wildlife conservation has been published as The Dance of the Sarus (Oxford University Press) in 1999. He edited a book of articles on nature titled “The Sprint of The Black Buck” ; Penguin (2009). He has authored a number of books in Tamil on Cinema and environment.

By Prof. V. Arasu
6.30 p.m. | Online Lecture (In Tamil)

Zoom ID : 892 9827 3935

Facebook live – https://www.facebook.com/rmrl.in

Organised by Roja Muthiah Research Library & Foundation for South Indian Studies

Prof. V. Arasu was till recently the Professor and Head of the department of the Tamil Department at the University of Madras. His researches have been multidisciplinary encompassing literature, history and culture. He engages Tamil pedagogy with epigraphy, archaeology and sociology. He has guided several researchers who are well placed. He has unearthed several hidden rare material that is relevant to Tamil society and its understanding. He has edited and published more than 45 monographs and collection of articles which are important for understanding of Tamil Studies.

By Prof. Shanti Pappu & Dr. Kumar Akhilesh

6.30 p.m. | Online Lecture (In English)
Zoom ID : 885 8499 7905

Organised by Roja Muthiah Research Library & Foundation for South Indian Studies

Prof. Shanti Pappu, is the founder/secretary, Sharma Centre for Heritage Education (SCHE), India. She obtained her Ph.D. from the Deccan College, researching the prehistoric archaeology of northern Tamil Nadu, and is a former Homi Bhabha and Charles Wallace Fellow, and served as Professor of Prehistory at the Deccan College, Pune. She has over 20 years of experience in prehistoric archaeology, directing (along with Dr. Kumar Akhilesh) multidisciplinary research projects at Attirampakkam, Sendrayanpalayam and other prehistoric sites in Tamil Nadu, under the project, Prehistory and Palaeoenvironments in SE India. She has recruited and coordinated international teams from Spain, France, the USA and Sri Lanka to work in India, and has established collaborations with key research institutions in India. She is researching the life and work of R.B.Foote and is interested in the issues related to the history of archaeology in India. She has published 2 books and over 30 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, including Nature (2018) and Science (2011). She is on the advisory board, INQUA-HaBCom and executive committee, IPPA, and is Joint-Secretary, ISPQS, Board of Studies Members of Institute of Epigraphy and Archaeology, Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology. She has organized and participated in conferences/workshops in India and abroad, and along with K.Akhilesh has organized workshops on prehistory under the R.B.Foote Memorial series in India, and currently the Down Ancient Trails, online lecture forum. She is responsible for developing the public archaeology and outreach programs at the SCHE and in developing the children’s museum. Her interests lie in prehistory and Quaternary studies, history of archaeology, ethno-and experimental archaeology.

Dr. Kumar Akhilesh, is the Director, Sharma Centre for Heritage Education. He received his Ph.D. from the Deccan College, Pune, under the guidance of the late Prof. V.N. Misra, researching the prehistory of the Damin industries, Jharkhand. He is also a Homi Bhabha Fellow (2016-2018), and worked on a project of experimental archaeology and implications for hominin cognition. He is joint-director of the research program at Attirampakkam and is directing the project Prehistory and Palaeoenvironments in SE India, including research at the site of Sendrayanpalayam and prehistoric sites of southern Tamil Nadu. He is an expert knapper and currently directing a program on experimental knapping to replicate lithic technologies documented at Attirampakkam and other prehistoric sites in south India and elsewhere, and is currently expanding into the field of lithic microwear studies. He has extensive field experience in southern and eastern India and has published in Nature (2018), Science (2011) and other peer-reviewed journals. He has also worked in the field of satellite remote sensing applications for prehistoric research in this region, utilizing GIS and other techniques for both research, culture resource management and predictive modelling to locate new sites. He has organized several workshops on South Asian prehistory and lithic technology, running the R.B.Foote Memorial series for several years now. In addition, he has presented his research at conferences and workshops in India and abroad. He is secretary, INQUA-HaBCom. He has been conducting programs in public archaeology and outreach for children, teachers, ECRs, local stakeholders and the like in the field of archaeology and is involved in developing the children’s museum at the Sharma Centre for Heritage Education.