Obituary: A Photographer and a Swami

A recent obituary notice in The Hindu said Sreelasree Nachiappa Swamigal of the Koviloor Math had passed away. It was the end of a most unusual life—a successful professional in a number of disciplines connected with the premier art institution of Kalakshetra, who turned a religious head in seventies. His years as a sanyasi were no less eventful than his earlier life, as he took up several activities to promote and expand the religious order he headed, including the running of Vedic schools and opening several new pilgrim centres around the world, besides publications he brought out regularly.

Hailing from Chettinad, Nachi arrived in Kalakshetra as a youngster and came under the influence of Rukmini Devi Arundale. He soon became an understudy of Conrad Woldring, a well known Dutch photographer and in time became a reputed photographer himself. He also trained in printing, his expertise in letter press printing technology making him a much sought after printer in the West after offset printing swept the world, and the old method became almost extinct there. In the 1990s, international celebrities in the arts like Alan Ginsberg, Francesco Clemente and Raymond Foye sought him out to bring out the exotic series of Hanuman Books.

Earlier Nachiappan offered the first microfilming facility in Chennai and many organizations, including newspapers like The Hindu, utilized his services for quite a few years. His Kalakshetra press was also renowned for its reproductions of colour photography. He introduced to Madras the klischograph, an electronic engraving machine that produced letterpress-printing plates directly from an original without the use of any intermediate stages.

As a child, Nachiappan had the good fortune of learning from Maria Montessori during her years in Madras during World War II. He remained devoted to Montessori education all his life, not only running a Montessori school and teacher training centre, but also publishing a whole set of books on the great educationist and her work.

A much travelled man, Nachiappan was always keen to introduce to Kalakshetra and Madras the latest technology he had learnt abroad. He used his knowledge of stage lighting to advantage in Kalakshetra’s dance drama productions. He will probably be remembered best for his excellent work in photography as displayed in his exhibitions and books on Kalakshetra and Rukmini Devi.

Nachiappan was ninety when he passed away.

- V. Ramnarayan

Who's Who in Adyar: Annie Besant

“We are very different for we belong to different nations, yet we are just a happy family, the differences are forming a rich chord. To live in Adyar is as good as to visit many countries.”

These are a few lines from one of the books written by Annie Besant.

Annie Besant who was one of the most dynamic social reform activists of the 18th century and the first woman president of the Indian national Congress, lived in Adyar and called it the most homely place on earth.

Ms. Besant had already been working for the Fabian Society in Europe and was a British social reformer and campaigner for women’s rights.

Ms. Besant read a book named Secret Doctrine, written by H. P. Blavatsky (who was one of the founders of the theosophical society), which focused on the inner history of the world. She was impressed by Blavatsky and decided to work with her at the theosophical society in India. She mobilized people and participated in the Indian national movement.

Ms. Besant soon moved to India and gathered support throughout the country for the home rule movement. Ms. Besant always believed that we should get complete freedom to govern ourselves under the British monarchy. She believed that we should get what we could and then demand for complete freedom. Gandhiji disagreed with her as he wanted complete freedom but he later said that he had made a mistake opposing the home rule movement as she had made it a mantra and it had gained momentum all across the nation.

Sarojini Naidu had once said that Mahatma Gandhi was able to do his work in India because of the foundations laid by Ms. Besant all over India. Sarojini Naidu also mentioned to her that she entered politics because she was influenced by Ms. Besant.

Annie Besant founded a newspaper Commonweal in January 1914. She also purchased the Madras Standard and renamed it New India. She used her paper to convey her propaganda during the home rule movement.

According to G. Sundari, a theosophist, “Besant was one of the greatest orators of the century. People would walk miles just to listen to her under banyan tree at Adyar, where she spoke about India’s freedom.”

Ms. Sundari also added that she would speak exactly for an hour and the last five minutes she would stretch her arms and give gist of the speech so that people would retain the information.

Annie Besant had a huge influence on some of the most prominent people living in Adyar.

The golden jubilee of Theosophical Society, at Madras. Seated in the middle of the front row is Annie Besant and second to her right is J. Krishnamurthi

One person whom Ms. Besant mentored was J. Krishnamurti. He used to live in a poor household near the theosophical society in Adyar. Ms. Besant played the role of his surrogate mother and she proclaimed that Krishnamurthi was to be the World Teacher. An organisation called the Order of the star was formed in 1911 with Krishnamurthi as the head.

Besant had formed the Young Men’s India Association and established the Gokhale Hall. It was a place where people would hold meetings and debates.

Because of the demands made during the home rule movement, the British government arrested her and sent her to Ooty. Gandhiji said that he would march to Ooty as a mark of protest, if she was not released. So the British government released her and she made Home Rule movement a mantra in India.

H. S. Olcott, the founder of the theosophical society nominated her as his successor. She worked in Adyar, which was very close to her heart, and started movements there that spread far and wide. In one of her books she said, “The residents of Adyar form a single body and each person is a cell in that body.”

- Tanu Kulkarni

Images Courtesy:
Hindu Archives

Who's Who in Adyar: Kalki Krishnamurthy

The 9th of September 2011 marked the 112th birth anniversary of ‘Kalki’ R. Krishnamurthy, a freedom fighter, social crusader, novelist, short story writer, journalist, humorist, satirist, travel writer, script-writer, poet, critic and connoisseur of the arts. His writings include over 120 short stories, 10 novelettes, five novels, three historical romances, editorial and political writings and hundreds of film and music reviews. He is best known for his historical romances, which are immensely popular and are considered classics in Tamil literature.

R.Krishnamurthy was born on September 9, 1899 at Puttamangalam in a poor Brahmin family. After completing his primary education in the village, Krishnamurthy joined the National High School at Tiruchi. Mahatma Gandhi's speech at a public meeting in Tiruchi, as part of the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1921, inspired Krishnamurthy. He was one among the thousands of students who gave up their studies to participate in the movement. He left school and joined the Indian National Congress when his Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination was just three months away.

In 1922, he was imprisoned for a year for participating in the independence struggle. While in prison he met veteran Congress leader C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) and T. Sadasivam. In 1923 he joined as a sub-editor in Navasakthi, a Tamil periodical edited by Tamil scholar and freedom fighter V. Kalyanasundaram, popularly known as "ThiruViKa". He left Navasakthi in 1928, joined Rajaji at the Gandhi Ashram in Tiruchengode in Salem district and helped him edit Vimochanam, a Tamil journal devoted to propagating prohibition. In 1931, he was again imprisoned for six months. 

In 1929, Krishnamurthy joined Ananda Vikatan, a weekly edited and published by S.S. Vasan, as its de facto editor. He wrote under the pen names of "Kalki", "Ra. Ki", "Tamil Theni", "Karnatakam" and so on. Vikatan published many of his short stories and novels (as serials). In 1941 he left Ananda Vikatan and rejoined the freedom struggle and was incarcerated for three months. On his release he and Sadasivam started Kalki. He was its editor until his death on December 5, 1954. 

His historical novels, Parthiban Kanavu (Parthiban's Dream), Sivakamiyin Sapatham (Sivakami's Vow) and Ponniyin Selvan (Ponni's Son) were first serialised in Kalki, and later published as books between 1943 and 1951. These novels were re-published eight times between 1984 and 1999. His Tamil translation of Gandhi's autobiography, My Experiments with Truth, was published as Satya Sothanai. Kalki considered Alai Osai, which won him the Sahitya Akademi award posthumously in 1956, as his best. The novel was serialised in Kalki in 1948-49 and published as a book in 1963. His other social novels include Thyaga Bhoomi (The land of sacrifice) and Kalvanin Kadali (Bandit's sweetheart), both of which have been filmed. Thyaga Bhoomi, serialised in Ananda Vikatan, dealt with women's rights and untouchability. It was made into a film by veteran director, K. Subrahmanyam. But the film was banned, after a successful run for six weeks, by the colonial Government on the grounds that it indirectly aroused the people to fight for freedom. S. Krishnaswamy, film historian and son of Subrahmanyam, made a tele-serial of the story in Hindi. Parthiban Kanavu, Kalvanin Kadali and Poiman Karadu were also filmed. Kalki also made a significant contribution to the cause of Tamil music by leading a movement to convince Carnatic musicians to include more Tamil songs in their concerts.

Kalki, however, did not remain free from criticism and controversies. He was accused of being a propagandist and a supporter of royalty. He was embroiled in controversy when he did not subscribe to an observation by a respectable writer that Subramanya Bharati was a "mahakavi". The writers of his time also accused Kalki of plagiarism. Later, Kalki admitted that the themes of some six or seven were adaptations.

Notwithstanding the accusations, Kalki has gone down in history as a renaissance man whose main concern was to arouse people's consciousness against colonial rule, to remind the people of their cultural heritage, and to instill pride in the greatness of Tamil language, literature, art, and culture.

On 9 September 1999, a postage stamp in honour of Kalki was released as part of his birth centenary celebrations. Semmalar, the monthly organ of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers Association, also brought out a special number to commemorate Kalki's centenary. The celebrations were also marked by the publication of a number of new books, which included Kalki: Selected Stories by Penguin Books and Kalki Kalanjiyam by Vanathi Pathippagam. The book was an English translation of 12 selected short stories of Kalki by his grand-daughter Gowri Ramnarayan. On 6 December 2007 playwright ‘Crazy’ Mohan released two books, “Paalatril Oru Pagarkanavu” and “Kalki Valartha Kalaigal,” which included a collection of music and drama criticism by ‘Kalki’ R. Krishnamurthy.

On 9 September 1996, the Kalki Krishnamurth Memorial Trust Award was instituted by the Krishnamurthy Memorial Trust managed by Kalki Krishnamurthy’s son, K.Rajendran. Vijay Siva, one of the foremost vocalists in classical Carnatic Music, was the first recipient of the award. In 2000, flute artist, Sikkil Mala Chandrashekhar was honoured with the Kalki Centenary Award. In 2005, Carnatic vocalist, Sikkil Gurucahran became the youngest to receive the award.

In 2000 the Kalki Sadasivam Memorial Trust Award was instituted to recognize excellence in advertising in Tamil with equal emphasis on social purpose and creativity. The Trust also gives scholarships to top students of advertising, public relations and mass communication. This year the16th Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Award was presented to two talented young artists, violinist Nagai Sriram and Carnatic vocalist Saketharaman. The Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Trust also increased the total quantum of scholarships to be distributed to brilliant students from economically poor background to 2.85 lakhs this year.

Although, December 5th this year will mark 57 years since Kalki was laid to rest, he will continue to live through his indelible works. He will be remembered forever for his efforts in propagating Khadi, promoting the Swadeshi movement, encouraging the arts and crafts of Tamil Nadu, abolishing untouchability and championing women’s education.

- Vishal Matthew

Who's Who in Adyar: Rukmini Devi Arundale

Rukmini Devi Arundale, A Theosophist best known for her contributions towards the revival of Indian Classical Dance form ‘Bharatanatyam’, was born in Madurai on 29th February 1904 to Neelakanta Sastri, an engineer at the Public Works Department and Seshammal, a music enthusiast. Her father was deeply influenced by the teachings of the Theosophical movement. After retirement, he chose to settle in Adyar and built his home close to the headquarters of the Theosophical Society. It was during this period that she was introduced to ideas on music, culture, arts and dance in addition to Theosophical thought. With this started her tryst with Adyar. 

She met British Theosophist Dr. George Arundale, a close associate of Annie Besant, at the society. A close bond between the two culminated in marriage in 1920. The marriage created ripples in the conservative society of Madras as it was a taboo in those days for a girl from Brahmin community to marry a foreigner. After marriage she started touring all over the world interacting with fellow Theosophists. She became the president of the All India Federation of Young Theosophists and also held the mantle at the Federation of Young Theosophists. It was at this time that she developed friendly relations with Maria Montessori, who was to be later invited by her husband to start Montessori classes at the Besant Memorial School.

When the famous Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova visited Chennai, Rukmini went to watch her performance. When she was travelling to Australia, even Anna happened to travel by the same ship. Their friendship grew, and soon Rukmini started learning Ballet Dancing from Cleo Nordi, one of Anna Pavlova’s foremost associates. Later Anna advised her to take up traditional Indian dance forms and Rukmini dedicated her entire life to their revival. 

In 1933 at the Madras Music Academy she encountered for the first time, a dance form called ‘Sadhir’. She learnt this art initially form Mylapore Gowri Amma and later from E.Krishna Iyer. She gave her first performance in 1935 at the Theosophical Society. The art was until then considered a Devadasi art and a Brahmin girl performing the art was unheard of. Sadhir was later re-christened as Bharathanatyam by removing those elements that were thought to be influenced by the Devadasi legacy. Rukmini Devi and Krishna Iyer were the people behind this transformation of Sadhir into Bharatanatyam.

In 1936, Along with her husband, Rukmini Devi established Kalakshetra, a school for dance and music at Adyar based on the ancient Gurukul system. All along Dr. Arundale wanted Kalakshetra to be built with its own identity and it should not be influenced by Theosophical teachings and its works. The initial set of students and disciples were all related to the society. Later on Rukmini carefully drew up a curriculum in which a student would learn dance, music, painting and other arts. 

In the same year, the Besant Memorial School established in 1934 by Dr. Arundale soon after he became the president of the Theosophical Society, came close to being shut down due to lack of funds. Arundale was unhappy that, the school started in the name of Annie Besant was folding up. It was then that at a meeting he declared “Rukmini Devi will take over the reins at the school and she will be given a free hand to manage it.” She was more than willing to take up the responsibility as she had great respect for Annie Besant and felt that school should not be shut down. Rukmini Devi now had the dual responsibility of heading the school as well as Kalakshetra.

For the first thirteen years since its inception, Kalakshetra was located on Theosophical Society’s land. Kalakshetra evolved gradually and Adyar had the right ambience for it. But in 1948, they received an unceremonious eviction notice. The reason given was that the dance and music activities were alien to the tenets and teachings of the Theosophical Society. By the middle of 1953, Kalakshetra was moved to a 60 acre campus in Tiruvanmiyur. Thatched roofs sheltered the classrooms in an area surrounded groves of banyan. Teachers were recruited to teach dance and music and some of them who served Kalakshetra included the doyens of Carnatic Classical Music like Tiger Varadachar, M D Ramanathan and Papanasam Sivan. Kathkali masters too were brought in to teach at the school.

Rukmini Devi quit dancing after two decades and apart from running Kalakshetra, she became involved in various activities of public life. She worked with various humanitarian organizations and was instrumental in setting up of the Animal Welfare Board of India. A Kalamkari Center was also set up within the Kalakshetra campus to revive the ancient Indian art of textile printing. Even in the last years she worked tirelessly for the organization. She died on 24th February 1986 at Chennai.

Rukmini Devi will forever be remembered for changing the very face of Bharatanatyam and bringing it to the global attention. She raised it to the status of a puritan art form. A motivator par excellence and a great teacher, Rukmini Devi’s legacy in the world of Indian performing arts might forever remain unsurpassed.

- Sudarshan N

Who's Who in Adyar: Jiddu Krishnamurti

J. Krishnamurti (1895–1986) is acknowledged the world over as one of the most outstanding teachers of the modern age. His vision of life transcends all sectarian boundaries and his message has relevance for all.

Krishnamurti lived next to the Theosophical Society Headquarters at Adyar in Madras in his early adolescence. At Adyar, he encountered prominent Theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater who saw in him “the most wonderful aura he had ever seen, without a particle of selfishness in it.” To the outside world, his appearance was unimpressive and his physical condition unconvincing. But Leadbeater on his part was of the firm belief that Krishnamurti would one day become a great spiritual teacher. Following this he was taken under the wing of the leadership of the Theosophical Society in Adyar.

In 1911, the leadership of the Theosophical Society at Adyar established a new organization, the Order of the Star in the East (OSE), to prepare the world for the appearance of the World Teacher. Krishnamurti was named as its head. Krishnamurti and his brother Nityananda, with whom he shared a close bond, were tutored at the Theosophical Society under the supervision of Leadbeater. He was imparted lessons in Theosophy, Sports, Hygiene, Yoga, Meditation and others. In 1911, Krishnamurti gave his first lecture in England and his first writings started to appear. Between 1911 and the start of the First World War, he embarked on a tour of several European countries accompanied by senior Theosophists. Post war he visited countries around world lecturing and writing extensively. His works revolved around the Order and they reflected Theosophical teachings and concepts.

Two life changing experiences shaped Krishnamurti’s future vision and consciousness. In 1922, Krishnamurti and Nityananda travelled to California enroute to Switzerland. They were put up at a place called Ojai Valley. They found the place agreeable and felt that it would be beneficial to Nityananda who was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Later in his life, this place was to become his residence. It was here that he experienced a condition, which later came to be known as “process”, when he developed a ball-like swelling at the back of his neck accompanied by extraordinary pain. This involved discomfort, varying degrees of pain and occasional loss of consciousness. Also during this period, Nityananda’s health problems resurfaced and he died in 1925. Krishnamurti had received assurances about his brother’s health and was all along made to believe by his Theosophy tutors that Nityananda was essential for his life mission and that he would not be allowed to die. Krishnamurti was shattered and it was hard for him to believe that his best friend, companion and the only person to whom he could talk openly was no more.

These two events shook his fundamental belief in Theosophy and its leaders. New concepts appeared in his talks and discussions that were progressively free of Theosophical teachings. Krishnamurti dissolved the Order during the Annual Star Camp at Ommen, the Netherlands, on 3 August 1929 in front of Annie Besant and three thousand other members. Following the dissolution prominent Theosophists openly or under various guises turned against Krishnamurti, including Leadbeater who stated, "The Coming had gone wrong". He soon disassociated himself from the Theosophical Society and its teachings and practices.

After the dissolution Krishnamurti completely denounced the teacher-follower relationship and proclaimed the notion of guru as false. Through his lectures he proclaimed that his intention was to set people “unconditionally free” unperturbed by illusions. This view of his was evident when he called his works as “The teachings” instead of “My teachings”. From 1930 through 1944 Krishnamurti engaged in speaking tours and in the issue of publications.

The exchanges that Krishnamurti had with English author Aldous Huxley in the late 1930s brought out their common concerns about the conflict in Europe. Both viewed the conflicts as an outcome of the influence of an extreme sense of nationalism.

Krishnamurti continued lecturing and speaking to people around the world. His first book “Education and the significance of life” was published in 1953. In the 1960’s Krishnamurti’s philosophy underwent another significant change. With changing audience and their outlook, his evolving philosophy was aimed more at the younger generation. He acquainted himself with physicist David Bohm, whose essence of the physical world and the psychological state of humankind found parallels in Krishnamurti’s philosophy.

In 1973, Krishnamurti established the educational institution “The school” in a campus in Adyar that was allotted by the Theosophical society. It is one of the 5 educational institutions across India run by the Krishnamurti Foundation India (KFI) that is located at Vasant Vihar on Greenways road.

When Mrs Radha Burnier became president of the Theosophical Society in 1980, Krishnamurti began to visit Adyar, where he had spent many memorable years. Four and a half decades had passed before that day on 3 November 1980 when he again visited the Headquarters of the Theosophical Society, where he was warmly welcomed.

Krishnamurti neither belonged to any religious organisation nor subscribed to any ideological or political thought. He was of the view that these are the very factors that lead to conflict and war. For close to 60 years, until his death in 1986, he travelled around the globe talking to people about the need to bring about a radical change in mankind.

Krishnamurti took his last walk in Adyar on 10 January 1986. He requested those who had accompanied him to go ahead and wait for him at the gate. He then turned to all the four directions and paused for a minute in a reverential farewell. That day he left India for California, and breathed his last on 17 February 1986 aged ninety years, at his home, Pine Cottage, in Ojai.

- Sudarshan N