A Poet Interprets an Interpreter s Diary
This weekend s Verse Affairs is a review of Arjun Rajendran s new collection of poetry, that takes off from a meticulously kept 18th century diary.
Ananda Ranga Pillai, the 18th century interpreter. Photo: Public domain
In a diary entry on November 30, 1745, Ananda Ranga Pillai notes:
“This day, there was an event worthy of record. In the village⦠a church has been constructed by Kanakaraya Mudali⦠In honour of this, he invited, without distinction, all the Brahmans, Vellazhas, Komuttis, Chettis, goldsmiths, weavers, oil-mongers, and people of other castes; and all Europeans and Christians, and entertained them with a feast⦠Meals for Europeans were prepared at Pondichery [
Crux of Jean Deloche’s invaluable work on five French settlements on display
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French historian projected Pondicherry as crown jewel of the Coromandel coast
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French historian projected Pondicherry as crown jewel of the Coromandel coast
In his writings, French historian-researcher Jean Deloche has projected erstwhile Pondicherry as the crown jewel of the Coromandel coast, “a small Versailles” which evoked the admiration of visitors.
It was Deloche’s lifelong mission to delve into, and memorialise the shared Franco-Indian heritage of the settlement that were built by French merchants and local people, traders, fishermen and boatmen.
A crux of his invaluable work on the five French settlements Pondicherry, Chandernagore, Mahe, Karaikal and Yanam has been showcased at an ongoing exhibition at the French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP).
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Dated 1748 and set in the French colony of Pondicherry, Arjun Rajendran writes about the second hanging of a convict in the titular poem of his latest collection,
One man: Two executions. When the noose breaks during the unfortunate incident, the priest orders the executioner to disregard this holy sign and hang the man whom divinity had spared. Such and many other incidences of bizarre nature are to be found in the Pondicherry of Rajendran’s musings, conjured against the backdrop of a province embroiled in the Carnatic wars.
The Private Diaries of Ananda Ranga Pillai which chronicle the events of 18