Is it Madras or Chennai?

In the year 1600, British established the East India company in India and in 1611, they setup their first industry in Machilipatnam and started their business. They first tried to setup an industry in Surat where captain Hawkins was in charge but he was expelled due to the strong presence of Portuguese. 

     Due to competition they decided to shift their industry from Machilipatnam. To identify the new place, East India company appointed two agents namely Andrew Cogan and Francis Day, they both made an voyage along Coromandel coast and finally met the local chief(nayak) of Vandavasi, Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak and his brother Ayyappa Nayak. They asked for a sand dump area near the sea to set up their industry, housing and administration network. The acquisition agreement was signed on 22 August 1639, which we celebrate as Madras Day every year.

                      

But how do that place got the name Madras?

British decided to setup their industry in a banana grove owned by a Roman catholic guard from a fishermen community, called Madrasan. Damarla brothers wanted the industrial area to be named after their father Damarla Chennapa Nayak, but to get the land for the british, nayak's agent Thimappa assured Madrasan that the industrial area will be named after his name as Madrasapattanam. British then established a fort and the hamlet around the fort were also called as Madras.

Chennai: a pre-colonial era name

Researchers say there was a Chenna Kesava Perumal temple near the place where the St.George fort was built; British demolished the temple to build the fort and that place was called as Chennapattanam. It is also to be noted that area belonged to Chennapa Nayak, father of Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak and Ayyappa Nayakand hence it is called Chennapattanam.

     In 1996, the Government of Tamilnadu officially changed the name of the city from Madras to Chennai, citing Madras was a colonial era name. The name Chennai was derived form Chennapattnam, an area where the St.George fort was built.

     Whether it is Madras or Chennai both reflects the essence of this city which gives life and opportunity to many. It was Madras city yesterday and Cosmopolitan Greater Chennai today, but the love and affection from the people, the safety for women and children, communal harmony remains the same and it will remain the same.

Note: There is a delusion that government changed the name from Madras to Chennai because Madras is not a Tamil name, for your information both Madras and Chennai are not Tamil names.

Read: https://purushothamanramachandran.blogspot.com/2016/11/origin-of-names-for-some-of-important.html

Purushothaman Ramachandran

Healthy Fascial System

Healthy Fascial system is vital for healthy life

In our human body we have systems like respiratory system, musculoskeletal system, excretory system, nervous system, reproductive system... et cetera and all these systems are interconnected. In that sequence, there is one more system called Fascial system that connects everything of the body together covering and interpenetrating to every nook and corner of the body and provides a stable infrastructure.
     This unified structure is very sensitive but they are adjustable too. Our emotions, life style and physical activity impacts this structure and it plays an important role in the support and function of our body. Fascia system needs to be healthy to keep our other systems healthy.
     When we are full of confidence and happy we breathe deep and work with energy which expands the fascia structure in a way it expands every cell of the body, eventually it rejuvenates the entire system. When we are stressed, occupied with negative thoughts and sad we don't breath deeply we walk with our heads down which shrinks the fascia structure and it shrinks everything including other systems. Our modern sedentary life style, poor eating habits, lack of good sleep and most importantly stress can seriously affect your fascia health.

How do I make my fascia healthy?
Accept whatever life throws at you and face it with vigor, don't get stressed, do things which makes you happy, try to be positive even during negative times. Ancient tamil poet-savant Thiruvalluvar guides us how to face grief and overcome troublous times in his world famous tamil classic Thirukkural, a comprehensive manual of ethics, polity and love.

Couplet 621:
Smile, with patient, hopeful heart, in troublous hour;
Meet and so vanquish grief; nothing hath equal power.
Explanation: If troubles come, laugh; there is nothing like that, to press upon and drive away sorrow.

Couplet 623:
Who griefs confront with meek, ungrieving heart,
From them griefs, put to grief, depart.
Explanation: They give sorrow to sorrow, who in sorrow do not suffer sorrow.

For the people who ask for one stop solution for fascia health? the answer is MOVEMENT. Be active, move forward, move backward, jump, twist and turn, just move...
     When we stand, the ground reaction forces are 0.5 times more than our body; when we jog, it is 3 times more; when we run it is 5 times more; when we jump, it is 7 times more.. Increase your physical activity and make physical activity a part of your day-to-day life. Whichever part of your body feels hard to pick up it means that part of fascia is weak, try to use that part of your body often, but avoid focusing on one part alone, your work out should be inclusive. Choose any form of exercise go to gym lift some weight and get some pain, yoga, martial arts.
     All our tissues need hydration, to hydrate all our tissues we need circulation, circulation comes from active body and mind, circulation keeps our fascia system healthy and healthy fascia provides sound body and mind.

Remember the key word: "MOVEMENT", you stop moving only when your dead.
Keep Moving...


Purushothaman Ramachandran