HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: joseph@c2a.crd.ge.com (joseph)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
Subject: Malayalam Books in the U.S.
Keywords: books, malayalam, library
Date: 26 Sep 92 13:20:46 GMT
Reply-To: joseph@c2a.crd.ge.com (joseph)
Followup-To: alt.culture.kerala
Organization: GE Research



If you are at a university in the U.S., check out your university
library for Malayalam books.  You may be surprised.

When I was at the University of Illinois, the University library
had an impressive collection of Malayalam books.   They
had more books than the Vaayana shaala in Chenappady had.   That
is not saying much, but it was impressive nonetheless. Especially
so, since the university did not offer any Malayalam courses. The
UI library boasts that it is the largest public university library
in the world.  So I guess it is not surprising that they had many
Malayalam books.

I used to borrow those Malayalam books from the library frequently.
It was interesting to note that many books had never been borrowed by
anybody else, and the last time many others were borrowed was almost
twenty or twentyfive years ago.  Felt kinda funny looking at cards
which said something like:

         RETURN ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW
            9-SEPT-1968

and wondering about the person who borrowed the book back then.
Must have been a lonely Malayali, just like me.
Feeling nostalgic about home, just like me.
Longing to walk out of that building and find himself/herself to
have been magically transported back to Chenappady Kavala.
Where everybody knows you and likes you.
Where you can just walk into Chemmaakka's maadakkada and buy a
soda-naaranga vellam and browse thru the latest issue of mathrubhoomi weekly.
Sigh....   Enikkippo veettipponeae....
Sigh....   What am I doing here in New York..... ?
Sigh....   Right now, I should be sitting in Chemmaakka's maadakkada and
           reading today's manorama, or listening to the praadeshika
           vaarthakal on Chemmaakka's transistor radio.

Back to reality....

I haven't visited many other university libraries.  University
of Mississippi did not have any Malayalam books in their collection.
I think UT Austin must have a good collection, since they offer Malayalam
courses.

The library that I visit most often these days - General Electric Corporate
R&D library - has a pretty good collection of technical books, but no
Malayalam books...   They have not heeded my requests for technically perfect
works by Kaakkanaadan, Pamman, M. Mukundan, and many others.  Ditto, when
I asked them to subscribe to Kumkumam, Mathrubhoomi, or Kalakaumudi.
They have no trouble subscribing to IEEE Transactions on Underwater Basket
Weaving, or the Journal of Refrigerator Cleaning, but they don't want to
subscribe to even a pynkili weekly if it is in Malayalam.  What a shame...

james joseph            joseph@c2a.crd.ge.com

ps:  Whatever happened to the Bharanippattus  that ACK was supposed to be
     full of ? Wasn't that one of the charter objectives of ACK ?
From: mchundat@midway.ecn.uoknor.edu (Mathai Chundattu)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
Subject: Re: A short story
Keywords: story
Date: 2 Oct 92 18:16:57 GMT
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

In article <14811@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au> s910700@yallara.cs.rmit.OZ.AU (Mareena Joseph) writes:
>Hi netters,
>
>  I remember reading a short story in Vanitha magazine 3 years back, written
>by one of my friend's father, Habeeb Valapad. Its theme was as follows:

Looks like it had a traumatic effect on you.

>
>  The boy's father and other relatives came along with the boy to the girl's
>house for the "pennukanal". After the pennukanal, they started talking the
>so called 'dowry' business. The boy's father demanded for 10 lakhs cash, then
>Maruti car (that's the fashion now), double storey building, etc. as the boy
>is a professionalist. The girl's father agreed for all their demands without
>uttering a single word. The boy's father and relatives were so happy. At the
>end, it was time for the boy's party to leave. When they were about to get into
>the car, the girl's father told them, 'you people didn't forget to demand so 
>many things and I agreed. But you forgot to ask for the most valuable one, 
                                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Really!

>even if you ask, I'm not going to give you anyway.' The boy's party were stunned
>
>Peace and be cool. Thanks.
>
>MJN (Bindu).
>
Uh...

Mathai

-- 


Mathai Chundatt            mchundat@midway.ecn.uoknor.edu
==================================================================
From: rajeshkr@usc.edu (Rajesh Krishnan)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
Subject: ***BOOKS***
Date: 29 Sep 1992 18:00:47 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

Hi,

If any of you are intersted in books about Indian culture,religion,music,dance,
philosophy etc, the best place to contact is South Asia Books which is in 
Missouri. 

Iam sorry that I donot have their Phone number or mailing address right now.
They are prompt and accept visa/MC/AMEX.

peace

-rajesh
From: mece21x@rosie.uh.edu (Yesudas, Michael)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
Subject: Re: Dowry system
Summary: dowry
Keywords: dowry
Date: 27 Sep 92 16:55:00 GMT
Organization: University of Houston
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Sep27.032358.17613@cc.uow.edu.au>, annie@cc.uow.edu.au (annie george) writes...
>In mordern times the traditional custom of 'sreedhanam' (which
> I think was good and fair) has been completely corrupted 
>and evolved into what is refered to as 'dowry'.

One of the oldest pro-dowry arguments is this: In the case of there being
no dowry the guys will look for the good looking girls. And the not so
good looking girls will be left destitute!!!

> 
>Do all communities in Kerala have this dowry system? 
>Or is it only the protestant/catholic guys, who are willing to sell

I admit that the guys are all guilty of the crude practice and in many
instances go to the extent of murdering the better half. But are they
the only ones to blame?? How about the so called elders (whose wisdom
is still in the 18-th century.) who stand by the atrocious practice?
How many girls will say that their brothers  should marry without dowry??
Aren't the temptors equally guilty of the crime? 


>themselves to the highest bidder?

Is it true that in most cases the church also encourages this system
by taking up 10% of the amount??? I know of three or four communities
where this is true! 

> 
>Annie.

I also happen to be one of those in the group that you mentioned above
But that is not the motivation for writing this.
> 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Michael Yesudas         |  The control of the means of production   |
|  Mechanical Engineering  |  of wealth is the absolute control of     |
|  University of Houston   |  human life itself                        |
|  mece21x@jetson.uh.edu   |                    --   Hilaire Belloc    |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: manu@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (K. S. Manu)
Subject: Re: dowry
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 22:27:17 GMT

In article <1OCT199210322650@jane.uh.edu> mece21x@jane.uh.edu (Yesudas, Michael) writes:
>
>A friend of mine had this nice excuse. He said, in his family 4 of his brothers
>were shot dead... so it's his duty to kill someone back...
>
>You can't argue with logic like that either, can you?

Of course not!

>|  Michael Yesudas         |  The control of the means of production   |

Njan
From: s910700@yallara.cs.rmit.OZ.AU (Mareena Joseph)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
Subject: Miscellaneous :-)
Summary: jokes.
Keywords: joke, facts, etc.
Date: 1 Oct 92 06:56:53 GMT

I.  Most of the malayalees here are famous for 2 main things : (i) gossip,
and (ii) competition with other Indian, esp. Malayali families to buy all 
the show pieces and arrange parties to show their so called "profits" of life.
(Perhaps in NSW and other states of Australia, the Malayalees might be different
from that of here as they are not strange ! Peace !!) :-)

II. The main programmes of the 'mahilasamajams' in the big cities of Kerala
are flowershow, dog show, fashion parade, hair design show, etc.,and above all, 
gossipping, the most 'unsahickable' thing.

III. One of our family friends in Trichur has a daughter and a son; the father
is working in Malaysia and the mother is a teacher. The daughter finished her
M.A., and the parents started finding a boy for her. BTW, the girl is very
beautiful and parents are very rich; they are Nairs. And one proposal, the
boy's family demanded for 5 lakhs, and her father replied, 'I'd thought about
giving more than that to my daughter as half of my wealth goes to her, and as
now you need only 5 lakhs, what will I do with the rest that I thought about
giving her ?!' :-)

IV. I know a Malayali family here, where both the husband and wife are working,
and has 2 children. There, the husband does most of the household jobs, like
cooking, washing, cleaning, cutting fish, even packing wife's lunch, and the
worst is that he washes his wife's socks too, while she spent her time for 
her make up ! What definition should be given to that husband ?; henpecked ?
or in our Malayalam style, "Konthan" ? And the fact is that both are born and
brought up in Kerala, where else ?! (Womenslib followers please note : I dont
mean that a wife should be a slave; but the saying 'Bharatha sthree than Bhava
sudhi' is changing, and it's better to change it to 'Bharathanarante nirbhagya
vidhi'!) Maybe he might have got a lot of 'sthreedhanam' from her parents, as
if his parents had "sold" him to her and her parents !!! (PEACE !! COOL !)

Enjoy.
Peace.
Be cool.
Thanks.

MJN (Bindu).
 
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
From: pcjg7045@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Pramod C. John)
Subject: Dowry
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 17:59:25 GMT

 	After reading the initial posting, I have the distinct feeling that the
 guy who wrote the original posting is out of the dark ages. Just kidding.
 	I think his opinion is that echoed by a large percentage of the people
 in Kerala.  By and large I don't think that it is limited to the men, I see it
 as characteristic of the women also.  To most, at least initially, marriage is
 more of a social contract-arrangement.  It doesn't seem that the wife is taken
 on as a friend, equal, partner, but rather as a "wife."  I believe if men had 
 more the notion of the wife as the former, these problems with dowry etc would 
 be less of a problem.  What is unfortunate is that horse (wife) trading is so
 prevalent in the state with the highest literacy rate in India. But alas, what
 good has the high literacy rate done for us with respect to this issue.
 	Especially as a Christian, based on the principles taught by Jesus, I 
 find the practice and the mindset to be even more disturbing.  In the Christian
 viewpoint (although all who call themselves Christians do not practice this) 
 both the male and the female are equal, contrary to Kerala where men are more
 equal than others.  :)
 
 Pramod John
 
 



-- 
Pramod John, Dept. of ECE at UIUC 
email: Pramod@uiuc.edu
"Blessed are the peacemakers"- Jesus Christ
From: s910700@yallara.cs.rmit.OZ.AU (Mareena Joseph)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
Subject: Lyrics (Vikara.....)
Summary: lyrics
Keywords: lyrics
Date: 1 Oct 92 23:20:16 GMT


     Chithram : AMARAM
     Padiyathu : Yesudas

   vikara nowkayumayi - thiramalakal aadiulanju -
   kanneeruppu kalarnnoru manalil -
   velippudava virinju -
   rakkili ponmakale - nin poovili -
   yathramozhiyano - nin maunam -
   pin viliyano - -  

   _ ven nura vannu thalodumbol ..
   thadasila aliyukayayirunnu .. _ (2)
   poomeen thediya - chembilarayan -
   doore thuzhayeriyumbol -
   theeravum pookkalum kaanaakkarayil marayukayayirunnu  - -
   rakkili ponmakale - nin poovili -
   yathramozhiyano - nin maunam -
   pinviliyano - - 

   _ njanariyathe nin poomizhithumbil ..
   kawthukamunarukayayirunnu .. _ (2) 
   ennilam kombil nee - padathirunnengil -
   janmam pazhmaramayene -
   ilakalum kanikalum marathakavarnnavum -
   veruthe maranjene - -
   rakkili ponmakale - nin poovili -
   yathramozhiyano - nin maunam -
   pin viliyano - - 

MJ Neyyarappally (Bindu),
RMIT, Melbourne.
From: joseph@c2a.crd.ge.com (joseph)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
Subject: Re: Chala or Mathi (Re: Kerala, delicates:)
Date: 27 Sep 92 15:01:19 GMT
Reply-To: joseph@c2a.crd.ge.com (joseph)
Followup-To: alt.culture.kerala
Organization: GE Research


In article <1992Sep27.062045.11151@colorado.edu>, paulchem@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (Atharvan) writes:
>  
>   Can anyone tell me if such fish can be bought anywhere near d.c. ?
>   E-mail please, because may not read a.c.k.

   There is a guy in New York city who imports fish from Kerala.
He operates the business together with a few of his relatives.  They import
shrimp, ayala, karimeen, and pomphrets from Kerala. (The malayalam word for
pomphrets escapes me at the moment).

   He comes up to Albany area once every three months or so, and we buy
fish a case at a time - which is 40 or 50 pounds.  It is very nice, very
fresh and much less expensive than the fish that you can buy from
supermarkets.  The larger fish like karimeen and pomphrets are processed
using some instant-freeze technique, so the freshness is preserved. And
they are individually packed.

   He mentioned to me that Albany is the only place that he personally brings
the fish, primarily because he has relatives here.  He said he
sends fish to other locations in the U.S. via trucking companies to be
sold in local oriental/indian stores.  If there is sufficient interest
and, if he is willing to divulge his client list, I can post a list of
stores that he sells the fish to.

  james joseph                       joseph@c2a.crd.ge.com

ps: no, I am not related to him, and I don't stand to profit from it
    in anyway if I do post the list.
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
From: manu@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (K. S. Manu)
Subject: Re: Kerala, delicates:
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 23:13:05 GMT

In article <1992Sep19.095941.7625@ac.dal.ca> indran@ac.dal.ca writes:
>
>You must be reffering to Tapioca/ Cassava (Manihot esculenta!) 
>In the south (old Travancoor) it is called Kappa, in the central kerale 
>from Cochi to Trissur it is called Maracheeni  and in the Malabar region 
>it is called Poola. Many southies visiting the nort for the first 
>time find this transformation very difficult. 

That's ok, but think about northies visiting south! I had a friend from
Calicut who went to the market in Kazhakootam (near Trivandrum) and asked the
woman selling tapioka "chechee, poolakkentha vila"?!!

>Ravi

Njan
From: mchundat@kittyhawk.ecn.uoknor.edu (Mathai Chundattu)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
Subject: Sweet & Old Malayalaganangal
Date: 5 Oct 92 21:37:51 GMT
Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

Title:	mOham
Film: chill~
Sung by: Yesudas
	also Janaki


	oruvattam koodiyennORmmakaL mEyunna
	thirumuttatthetthuvaan mOham
	thirumuttatthorukONil nilkkunnoraanelli
	maramonnulutthuvaan mOham
	maramonnulutthuvaan mOham

	adarunna kaaymaNikaL pozhiyunbOL chennedutth
	athilonnu thinnuvaan mOham
	sukhamezhum kaippum puLippum madhuravum
	nukaruvaanippOzhum mOham
	thodiyile kiNaRveLLam kOrikkudicchenthu
	madhuramennOthuvaan mOham

	oruvattam koodiyaa puzhayude theeratth
	veRuthe-yirikkuvaan mOham
	veRutheyirunna kuyilinte pattukEtt-
	ethiR paattu paaduvaan mOham
	ethiR paattu paaduvaan mOham
	athukELkke ucchatthil paadum kuyilinte
	Sruthi pinthudaruvaan mOham
	oduvil piNanGi paRannupOkum pakshiyOd
	aruthEyennOthuvaan mOham
	aruthEyennOthuvaan mOham
	
	oruvattam koodiyennORmmakaL mEyunna
	thirumuttatthetthuvaan mOham...

Enjoy,

Mathai
-- 


Mathai Chundatt            mchundat@midway.ecn.uoknor.edu
==================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
From: jagadish@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Parameswaran Iyer)
Subject: re:dowry
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 03:06:13 GMT


Hi,

I remember asking a friend of mine about his opinion on this issue. His
explanation was interesting. He said in his religion, women don't inherit the
property of their parents. Therefore dowry system was used to ensure that they
get their share. So he felt that vindicates that practice.

Maybe, it will be the women folks who is going to cry the most if the dowry
system is stopped and the other customs like, not letting the girls inherit the
parents property, is followed to the fullest.

stay cool
j
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
From: madanga@hobo.ECE.ORST.EDU (Arun Madangarli)
Subject: Re: Kerala, delicates:
Organization: ECE Dept.,OSU,Corvallis
Distribution: alt.culture.kerala
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 19:54:14 GMT

In article <1992Sep27.231305.8740@colorado.edu> manu@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (K. S. Manu) writes:
>
>That's ok, but think about northies visiting south! I had a friend from
>Calicut who went to the market in Kazhakootam (near Trivandrum) and asked the
>woman selling tapioka "chechee, poolakkentha vila"?!!
>
>
Et tu Brutus ?!......

>Njan

Arun.P.Madangarli
Newsgroups: alt.culture.tuva,sci.physics
From: yackob@eeserv.ee.umanitoba.ca (Kerry Yackoboski)
Subject: New book on Feynman available
Followup-To:  alt.culture.tuva
Organization: Elect. & Comp. Eng., U of Manitoba - Tuvan Instruments Corp.
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 23:21:11 GMT


James Gleick's new tome, "Genius: The Life and Science of Richard
Feynman" is now in a bookstore near you.  Weighing in at a whopping 532
pages, the work includes an extensive bibliography and end notes.
Published by Pantheon Books (Random House), ISBN 0-679-40836-3, $27.50
in the USA and $34.50 in Canada.

How does the book stack up?  Ask me again in a week, but I tend to give
it a low mark coming out of the gate simply because the index makes no
mention of Tuva. :-)
--
<yackob@ee.umanitoba.ca>     Tuvan at lunch.
From: yackob@eeserv.ee.umanitoba.ca (Kerry Yackoboski)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.tuva
Subject: Rose Bowl Parade
Date: 27 Sep 92 18:20:12 GMT
Organization: Elect. & Comp. Eng., U of Manitoba - Tuvan Instruments Corp.

Three singing Tuvan horsemen have been confirmed as participants in the
next Rose Bowl Parade, January 1st in Pasadena.  See you there!
--
<yackob@ee.umanitoba.ca>     Tuvan at lunch.
Newsgroups: alt.culture.tuva
From: ftit@engin.umich.edu (Sergej Roytman)
Subject: Book Review
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 01:13:01 EDT
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor

I've just come across an interesting book called _In Search of Genghis
Khan_ by Tim Severin.  It's about a trip the author took through Mon-
golia.  Describes ancient and modern Monglia, with an historical inte-
rest in Genghis Khan of course.  Very unpleasant guy, by the way.

The book also tells a bit about Tuvan life (very similar to the
Mongolian variety) and some of the difficulties of getting around while
weighed down by a strictly top-down system of government, which was
actually cooperative in this case.  I'm afraid Dr. Feynman didn't stand
a chance.

Anyway, it's an interesting book.  Check it out if you get the chance.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|  ftit@engin.umich.edu   |   "... a stainless steel rat in the       |
|    (Sergej Roytman)     |  ferroconcrete wainscoting of Internet"   |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Say no to four-line .sigs.
Newsgroups: alt.culture.karnataka
From: arao@engr.latech.edu (Amit D. Rao)
Subject: Re: Anyone from Manipal?
Reply-To: arao@engr.latech.edu
Organization: Louisiana Tech University
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 17:29:00 GMT

yea sure am from manipal, though not originally
but studied there 85-89 batch in chem eng dept.
well there are a bunch i know if you are interested in knowing a few just email me at arao@engr.latech.edu
we might have afew friends in common who knows!


Newsgroups: alt.culture.karnataka
From: sgs@ucs.usl.edu (Sudhindranath SG)
Subject: Re: Power hungry Karnataka
Organization: Univ. of Southwestern La., Lafayette
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 23:33:50 GMT

When compared to its _politicians_, Karnataka's hunger for
power is really nothing...

Regards,

--Sudhi.

-- 
*********************************************************************
Sira Gopinath Sudhindranath. 
email : sudhi@usl.edu, sgs@ucs.usl.edu
*********************************************************************
Newsgroups: alt.culture.karnataka
From: shankar@CS.ColoState.EDU (Bhanu Shankar)
Subject: Re : Power hungry Karnataka
Originator: shankar@CS.ColoState.EDU
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 01:28:03 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Colorado State University


In article <1992Sep26.205213.17715@seas.smu.edu>, krishna@seas.smu.edu (Sanjay Krishna) writes:
|> From: shankar@CS.ColoState.EDU (Bhanu Shankar)
|> 
|> >   A thought about the states share from Kalpakkam.  If i remember right it is only
|> >   40MW, and this too is not always available.  Ranagundam, again the states share is not
|>    
|> >   much, don't remember the exact amount.  The southern grid is not really a reality.
|> >   Power from Kalpakkam is sent via the Andhra route.  AP gives Karnataka its share of
|> >   kalpakkam from Ramagundam and takes it from TN (unless this has changed since i last
|> >   read about it).
|> 
|> I do not understand this posting from a technical stand point. You cannot 
|> allocate 40 MW to any state. It is installed capacity. The allocation to 
|> states is of course the output - which is in units of power - millions at 
|> least. Anyway, the article that you read probably referred to power that 
|> comes out of a 40 MW plant -but this is also confusing, since a lower 
|> capacity plant cannot yield all the ranges of voltage - all right ! I'll 
|> probably let Bhanu Shankar clarify it.        

  ok....i shall try to clarify.....of the installed capacity a certain percemtage of it
  is allocated to different states.....since kalpakkam is supposed to be a central
  project.....i guess that this means that when the plant is operating at full capacity
  the state gets as much as a unit that generates 40MW......this is the inference i drew...
  i believe this to be true...however i have not clarified this with any knowledgeable
  people.....(should do so, i guess, before i open my big mouth....:-)..)

|> 
......< some other stuff deleted>......
|> 
|> 
|> >    Now you are dreaming......As long as the people of Karantaka elect the Cong(I)
|>     Maybe I am :-) I am also dreaming that Dallas beats Phili next Mon :-) 

  well.....i for one don't think that to be a dream.....although many would crucify 
  me for saying so.....:-)... 

|> 
|> Regards, 
|> 
|> Sanjay 

regards

bhanu
Newsgroups: alt.culture.karnataka
From: st1s0@elroy.uh.edu (Hans, Samir)
Subject: Anyone from Manipal?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 19:16:00 GMT

Newsgroups: alt.culture.karnataka