ChennaiPlus

Chellam Gopalakrishnan, “Menu Rani” Chellam as popularly known, is a sure inspiration and multi-talented personality.

An evening chat with her revealed that she was a well-flavoured personality like the dishes she creates.

With over 36 years of expertise in the field and more than fifty thousands students all over the globe, Menu Rani is sure to walk miles capturing many hearts (appetite as well).
She has appeared in many cookery shows in most of the leading chennels like SUN TV, Vijay TV, Jaya TV, Doordarshan and NDTV.

Apart from being an exponent in cooking, Menu Rani is also an expert in fine arts. She takes classes in over 35 varities of fine arts like free hand painting on dhuppattas, bed sheets and sarees after basic course.

Adding to it is sketching & drawing, oil painting, nib painting, stained glass painting, Japanese arts like decopauge, porcelein dolls, artificial bonzai and real bonzai, kaminohana artificial flowers with materials and ikebana (fresh flower arrangement). Her expertise is also shared on batik tie and dye and block printing. (Fresh flower arrangement). Her expertise is also shared on batik tie and dye and block printing.
She also conducts workshops on craft courses like flower making, candle making, frame making, pot painting etc.

Menu Rani Chellam has travelled to China to attend the trade fair thereby sharing views and techniques of two different cultures.

She is also a recipient of many awards ”Menu Rani” title given to her by Anandha Vikatan, “Outstanding Woman of the Millenium Year” given to her by Canara Bank and letter of appreciation and OTG from Bajaj have all added to the long list of awards that she has earned along with the hearts of many.

Her books Samaikkalam (3 reprints) Tiffin Ready (2 reprints) and Dinasari Samaiyal and Cookery related articles featured in magazines are a sure to be preserved monument.

The Chennai Collectorate has announced that free dhotis and sarees would be distributed to around 5.7 lakh persons for Pongal in the city.

In a release, Chennai Collector Jaya has said free dhotis and sarees would be distributed to ration cardholders belonging to the monthly income group of Rs.2, 000 and below.
The free distribution would begin on Jan. 1. This would be carried out through ration shops. The public can approach their respective ration shop for the dhoti and sarees. The release also said posters containing the information regarding the dates and streets for the distribution would be put up at ration shops and in the streets as well.

However, those who fail to get it on the allotted dates can collect them in forthcoming days from the ration shops. Those who do not receive it from the ration shops can contact their taluk offices.

The public has been requested not to come for the distribution before 8 a.m.

Saturday, Dec. 23, 2006

· BJP president Rajnath Singh says the party would rebuild the Ram temple at Ayodhya.
· UN Security Council imposes sanctions on Iran, targeting its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
· Australian speedster Glenn McGrath says he will retire from all forms of cricket after the World Cup.

Sunday, Dec. 24, 2006
· Iranian President Ahmedinejad dismisses UN resolution imposing sanctions, saying “it is a piece of torn paper by which they aim to scare Iranians”. Russia says it will continue its nuclear ties with Iran.
· Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee’s fast against Singur car project land acquisition in West Bengal enters 21st day, rejecting PM’s call to call it off.
· AIADMK vows to form a third alternative at the national level as the “UPA regime is surrendering the country’s sovereignty”.

Monday, Dec. 25, 2006

· Pilgrims throng Bethlehem for Christmas mass amidst gloom over weeks of internal Palestinian violence and regular Israeli travel restrictions.
· K.G.Balakrishnan, Chief Justice of India-designate, says he does not mind including his post in the ambit of the Judicial Inquiry Bill now before Parliament.
· Out-of-form speedster Irfan Pathan is sent home from South Africa to play Ranji matches to hone his skills.

Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2006

· India and other Asian countries observe the second anniversary of the devastating tsunami that struck the shores of India and a few other countries, claiming thousands of lives, on Dec. 26, 2004.
· UP Minister Babu Lal quits over the Kavitha Rani murder case.
· At least 200 die in a vandalised gasoline pipeline explosion in Lagos, Nigeria. The toll could mount to 500.
· Iraq’s highest appeals court upholds the death sentence for Saddam Hussein and says it must be carried out within 30 days.
· Australia’s Shane Warne becomes the first in the world to take 700 wickets at the Melbourne Test against England when he scalps Andrew Strauss.
· South Africa is 257/8, (Prince 98 n-o., Sreesanth 3/74) at the 2nd Test against India at Durban.

Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006

· PM Manmohan Singh denies BJP’s charge of appeasing Muslims, saying his govt. was committed to removing “inequities” and “imbalances” faced by the community.
· The NDA plans to seek President Kalam’s help to save Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee on fast for 24 days protesting the Singur car project land acquisition.
· Former US President Gerald Ford dies aged 93.
· South Africa scores 328 (Prince 121, Sreesanth 4/104) against India (103/3, Tendulkar 43 n-o.) on day two of their 2nd Test at Durban.
· Former ICC and BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya quit as president of Cricket Association of Bengal.

Thursday, Dec. 28, 2006

· Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee ends her 25-day fast following West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s letter inviting her for talks on the Singur car project issue. PM sends her a message too. President Kalam talks to Buddhadev.
· TN CM M.Karunanidhi announces Pongal bonus for govt. staff which was discontinued after 2001.
· Vatican condemns the death verdict on Saddam Hussein. An Iraqi militant group loyal to Saddam vows to strike US interests worldwide if their leader is executed while he asks Iraqis not to hate the invaders.
· South Africa (328 & 64/0) leads India (240) by 152 runs as bad light stops play on the third day of their second Test at Durban.

Friday, Dec. 29, 2006

· Deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s execution is feared to be imminent, with a judge saying that all arrangements were ready and there was no reason for any delays, even as people worldwide rally in protest against the death sentence.
· US President Bush who ordered invasion of Iraq is voted the villain of the year in an American opinion poll.
· Skeletons of 15 children, killed by a man, are recovered from a drain in Noida, near Delhi.

Electriciy Minister Mr.Arcot Veerasamy inaugurated the new attractions at the Anna Nagar Tower Park on Dec. 26. The Rs.5-6 lakh facilities include a fountain, children’s playground, fences around the park and renovated toilets. Chennai Mayor Mr.M.Subramanian presided over the function. The additions keep attracting more visitors to the park.

A meeting was held at Chennai Corporation on 29.12.2006 and after meeting the worshipful Mayor M.Subramaniam at press conference said, to ease traffic congestion in the city the corporation has proposed to construct twelve overhead bridges at a cost of Rs.175 crores.

The proposed overhead bridges will be constructed at North Usman Road and M.G.R Road junction at T.Nagar, Usman Road and Duraisamy Road junction at T.Nagar, G.N.Chetty Road and Thirumalia Pillai Road Junction at T.Nagar, Chamiers Road and Turnbulls Road junction at Nandanam, and eight more places. It has been also proposed to lay cement roads in 822 places in slum areas of the city at a cost of Rs.87 crores and another Rs.55 crores will be spent on rainwater conservation projects in various places of the city.

He further said that there are about 3700 hoardings in the city out of which 2500 hoardings are either in dispute or seeking stay orders, balance or unauthorised out of which 500 had been already removed.

Chief Minister Mr.M.Karunanidhi announced Pongal bonus for the employees of the state government. The move would cost the exchequer around Rs.250 crore and benefit 12.43 lakh employees, pensioners and family pensioners numbering around 5.10 lakh.
Pongal bonus was given to government employees till 2001.

The C and D category employees will get 30 days salary as bonus, with a ceiling of Rs.2, 500 on the salary calculable for bonus. The employees of A and B categories would be paid a special bonus of Rs.825 while the pensioners and family pensioners would get an ex-gratia of Rs.150.

Though rules do not permit payment of bonus to the road gang mazdoors who had been reinstated this year, the Chief Minister had decided to give an ex-gratia of Rs.825, the official release said. Employees and teachers of government-aided educational institutions and local bodies would also get bonus on the basis of other categories.Part-time and full-time workers working under the head, ‘contingency expenditure’, employees getting consolidated payment and noon-meal workers, assistants working on temporary basis, daily-wage workers and all those workers who have worked for 240 days or above will get the special bonus.

On behalf of Karunakaran Ninaivu Thirukural Noolakam, Thirukural classes are conducted every morning at 7.27 in Anna Nagar Tower Park.

Prof. Thirukural G.Baskasan, former joint director of collegiate education, explains everyday one Thirukural.

After completing talk on 1330 couplets, the second cycle will be continued up to 130 chapters and would complete the chapters shortly. All are welcome.

Prof Baskaran started the class in July 1992 with the support of morning walkers to the park.

Thirukural Noolakam functions every Saturday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Noolakam sells books on Thirukural. Using the library, many teachers undertook research on Thirukural and submitted thesis for M.Phil and Ph.D. Degrees.

The 14th international conference of the Forum of Interdisciplinary Mathematics on Computational, Mathematical and Statistical methods will be held from Jan. 6 to 8. The departments of Mathematics of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Stella Maris College are jointly organizing the conference.

It aims at promoting exchange of information on various techniques used in the investigation of the problems in the fields of mathematics, statistics and computer science among mathematicians, scientists and engineers working in universities and institutions in India and abroad. Around 300 delegates would participate in the conference, which would be inaugurated at IIT Madras.

Rahnu Cartoon Research & Educational Trust, Mylapore, conducted a creativity camp for children in the age group of 6 to 14 years at P.S.Hr.Sec.School, Mylapore, from Dec.24 to 28. It aimed at motivating and tuning up creativity through drawing and cartooning. The syllabus covered basic drawings, sceneries, landscape, human faces, caricature, animals etc.

The founder-president of the Trust, Mr.Rahnu, (S.K.Ramanujam), renowned cartoonist, has conducted about 2000 programmes on various TV (Tamil) channels in India, Malaysia, Australia, and France.

The Property Show organised by the Builders Association of India at Raja Muthiah Hall, Egmore, from Dec. 23 to 25 attracted more than 20,000 people out of whom 5000 registered their names to purchase houses or flats to the value of approximately Rs.500 crores.

Most of the buyers opted to purchase houses or flats in the suburbs.

The sponsor of the show, UTI Bank, assisted the prospective buyers in all their needs.