From Agastya Maharishi to Anandha Vikatan...

Originally Posted by Sriniketan

Oviya,
Rightly said by your DH., do a Ph.D on Vikatan...
this is for your writing style...
true, the quality of all the 'old' magazines had changed a lot..

Keep writing, which makes us go nostalgic about those days..which in turn gives some satisfaction..

sriniketan

Thank you so much Sri....

Thank you for taking time to appreciate...Your consistent support and encouragement is a very nice gesture towards everybody here. Will try to continue writing..

Originally Posted by iyerviji

Dear Oviya

Wonderful write up. Enjoyed each sentence. I have also read
Chandamama, Vikatan, Kalki etc when we were in school only.
When my father used to bring Vikatan, he would be the first
one to read, I would wait when he will finsih to read the thodar
kadaigal. I also used to love Sujata's stories. Reading her stories
used to feel as if they are alive in real life. We had a library in
our Office for tamil magazines. I only used to run the library.
Used to buy all the tamil magazines. Then after 50 I had no
patience to read the books as many other things were in my mind.


with love

viji

Dear Viji Aunty,

Thanks so much for the detailed FB.

Nice to see another book lover. I love to hear people talking about books. You have taken me for a trip to your library.

Originally Posted by kashvya

Oviya,

Your writeup was wonderful. I really liked the way you have wrtten the post and clear thought process. Very well written

My Mom is a huge fan of AV and after reading ur post I thought of all the lost oppurtunuty I've head to read the book

Another fact I would echo with you about is being a Hard Core Tamilian underneath. On this, I agree so very much.

Thank you very mcuh, kashvya.

Good, I have a same pinch with both your Mam and you.

Dear Oviya,

I almost travelled few years experiencing similar things while reading your post.
Yes...The importance of "Vikatan" in those days could not be underestimated :) Our family had two of my cousins as reporters in Vikatan & Junior Vikatan....and yes, i can very well relate to the lines "You are not a writer if your story has not appeared in Anandha Vikatan. Your diction in Tamil is not current if you do not read it constantly".

I was also introduced to those names you have mentioned mostly through Vikatan....at least the writers like Sujata, characters like Sambu etc.

While I read your lines felt like I was having a conversation with my cousins on such topics.

Sadly, Vikatan seems to have lost the trait they carried those days!

Cheers
Jenz

Dear Jenz,

Thanks a lot for your feedback.

Nice to know that your family was associated with Vikatan and JuVi.

It is also nice to know that even though I am not your close cousin, I am close to being your cousin.....

Thanks.

Dearest Oviyum,

This was one wonderful piece. I thought I will just browse through first and reply later but was totally hooked, even read all the fbs. You should take writing seriously dear. You have got that gift.

Me and tamil literature are poles apart. We used to get all these magazines at home but I could not read. The best thing I could do was only read the title. Hence no knowledge of this world. Womans' Era is one magazine which has influenced me to a great extent and I used to feel the same way when you read Vikatan. WE only introduced me to Sripa and Sripa has introduced me to read Tamil. How is it? To keep up his name atleast I have promised him that I will read Tamil and have progressed too.

Now, I will wind up because i need to leave the office now. Got so hooked I forgot the time. Don't do this next time, I am warning you. ha ha ha

Dear Oviya,
This is a wonderful piece of writing. I dont know tamil but I can understand your feelings. I have not seen this magazine. But your writing made me search for it in net. Is it www.Vikatan.com? Looks very good (though I can't read it). Hats off for such a wonderful capture of feelings and facts.Now when I logon to IL I am always looking if you have posted anything.As Lalitha says you should take writing seriously.

Thanks.

Love,
Razia

My dearest Lalli,

What a wonderful and lovely feedback! Thanks much for the comments and your encouragement...

SriPa is a wonderful person. you would find his suggestion to read Tamil literature absolutely invaluable. Any language is only as good as its users. Tamil has had some marvelous thinkers. They would have done well in any language. It is our good fortune that they thought and expressed in a language we understand.

Appreciate your progress.

Sure, Lalli. I would post my threads in the midnight and wake you up. So, you don't have to run late for the office.

My Dear DD,

When did the hurricane metamorphosize into a breeze? It was a lovely piece of writing. Like the river gently going in its course your writing goes from Agasthiyar to Anandhavikatan in easy, soft steps.

I am really proud of you, DD. Whenever I happen to meet a young mother, the one question I ask her is "Does your child know Tamil?" The problem is that the mother's face glow with pride when they say, "No, he knows only English."

Anantha kodi namaskarams to your grand father who has instilled the taste of language and literature in you.

I too remember those "Vikatan days." There will be a lot of short stories, one or two serials and a lot of literary discussion. But today's Vikatan is more of a movie magazine. They are fruitlessly competing with the visual medium and it's a race they are bound to lose.

In 98, 99 my story will come at least once every month. The same day a copy of Vikatan will arrive by post. But our subscriber's copy would have come in the morning. There will be a competition among my Dad, Mom and my wife to tell me first about my story. The winner will get a Rs. 50 gift from me.

I am happy that at your young age you do remember Devan. He was a genius of a writer. In Justice Jegannathan he would discuss the intricacies of the Indian Evidence Act. Kothamangalam Subbu's Thillana Mohanambal came as a serial in Vikatan.

An excellent post, DD. You write really well. You have made me proud, for the second time.
Looking forward to see more of such posts from you.
love,
Your SriPa

My dear SriPa,

Thank you so much for your excellent words of encouragement.

True I also have across such Moms.

My grandpa had very diverse tastes. He was a Vedic scholar. But that did not stop him from enjoying "Crime Novels" and "Comics". He is no more. So, I would like to thank you for your Namaskarams to him.

You are right on the spot and speak for all of us about the Vikatan of these days. Dear Vikatan thatha has fallen a bit sick. How to be away from him? I read stuffs from my vikatan library (serials from old issues) which revives me. My bond is more of sentimental in his case. Trust me, SriPa, if I missed an issue I would get it from somewhere I could never imagine.

Your stories and Marudhu's art were a great combination.

Originally Posted by varalotti

I am happy that at your young age you do remember Devan. He was a genius of a writer. In Justice Jegannathan he would discuss the intricacies of the Indian Evidence Act. Kothamangalam Subbu's Thillana Mohanambal came as a serial in Vikatan.

Makes me very nostalgic...Among Devan's dialogues pat comes; 'adha vechindu oru achvamedha yaagame pannidalaam'. That's a good reminder about TM.

Receiving such a felicitation from you motivates me. Is there any DD who doesn't want butterscotch icecream from her Dad?.

Love,
Your dear DD.