On September 1st and 2nd, 2018 the Kongu Association of DC held a wonderful Family Reunion in Manassas, Virginia. This non-profit group consists of people now living in the US who trace their family roots to the Kongu region of Tamilnadu, India. Brenda and Eric were there to host a large exhibition of visual panels

During the month of July 2018, Brenda spoke about her new iPad app a conference on Tamil and the Internet in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu. She also spent nearly three weeks in Sri Lanka. In the latter location, she served as a Keynote Speaker at a conference on “Mainstreaming Local Knowledge Systems” that was held in Batticaloa between July

On March 22, 2018, a celebratory event was held at the University of Toronto, Scarborough, to mark my recent monetary gift. That donation grew directly from my wish to advance local engagement in the Tamil Worlds study program already established on this particular UofT campus. On a personal level this legacy bequest is intended to

Questions:  I enjoyed the 26 episodes of the Ponnivala family story from Kongunaadu. (mp4 files in a USB drive). The animation and color is phenomenal. I have the following thoughts and questions. I think the story is further justification that one has to pay for their sins – mistakes either in this life or in coming

This final blog of the first series (which has discussed episode one of the larger story only) actually draws on material more appropriately discussed in episode two. But because it has been added, in the video animation, as a “teaser” to what lies ahead, it deserves some commentary here as well. In this clip we

In the last clip, and its associated blog, we saw seven poor cows die cruelly on a staked fence. Although my comments interpret this as a sacrificial event, the cows themselves are innocent of this larger picture. Yes, they jump deliberately, but with the hope that they will sail over that fence rather than land

As this Legend of Ponnivala clip opens we see the group of “sacred” and wandering cows, all hungry, emerging from the forest again on a second night. They remember that lush sugarcane field where they dined in secret yesterday and are planning to repeat the same adventure once again. But as they approach the field

This new clip is quite straight forward but has been included as a possible teaching point for younger students. The scene starts with several good views of the fence being built followed by a wider vista of the artisans’ finished work. Clearly this fence is a vicious obstacle. It has been designed to severely harm

In the last clip (blog post 1.25) we saw the Chola’s cows eating their fill in Kolatta’s fine sugarcane field. They then leave, as a group. They are still able to move undetected in the darkness of the night. But then the sun rises and the farmer-hero-pioneer sets out to check on his ripening cane