Varalotti Rengasamy

[Avial]

Varalotti Rengasamy is a younger, newer writer on the block. Writes on contemporary social issues.Style is natural, language is smooth.Prolific in Ananda Vikatan, has many publications in Tamil and English to his credit. Other fans-please put your views here.

[Sudhaama]

.

What is meant by... VARALOTTI.?..

... Origin of such a funny Name.!

http://forumhub.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=936757#936757
.

[varalotti]

Dear All,

I am Varalotti Rengasamy. Varalotti is the name of a village near Madurai, Tamilnadu. It is about 40 kms from Madurai.

Rengasamy is the name of my adoptive father. I have been writing in that name since 1998. 200 of my short stories and articles in Tamil and English have been published.

My real name is sridhar and I am a ca practising in Madurai.

I have also written 5 books.
1) Jannal (Collection of my short stories)
2) Visaranai ( ,, )
3) Manase Manase (A psychological thriller
4) Vetriyin Vidhaikal (A collection of self motivational essays)
5) Kalam Kanda Veerarhalin Kadhal Kadhaikal

All my books were published by M/s Kavitha Publications # 8, Masilamani Street, T.Nagar CHENNAI 600 017.

My writings are published in a site called www.indusladies.com
You may use this link to go there.
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/varalotti-rengasamys-short-serial-stories/

Seeing that you are discussing my work I joined this site.
I will be only too happy to answer your questions on my work

Varalotti

[Sudhaama]

Dear All,

I am Varalotti Rengasamy. Varalotti is the name of a village near Madurai, Tamilnadu. It is about 40 kms from Madurai.
.............

Varalotti

Dear Mr Varalotti,

Welcome. Glad to see you here. Please participate in our discussions here on the Various subjects of your interests and concern..

... such that we all can have the benefit of mutual pleasure of unique thoughts and rich knowledge...

... from different Brains and Hearts.

I have read your writings and I enjoy reading it...

... especially since it is in a your unique simple style of equal reach towards all the varied rungs of the Society..

... ensuring easy perception...

... equivocally for one and all the elite and the commonman as well...

... conspicuously on SOCIAL-ISSUES ... well-pertaining to the contemporary Society.

Alongside I used to wonder your naming your native-village WRONGLY...

... as VARALOTTI... instead of its Correct Name VARALAPATTI.

Colloqually Village-people may call it suiting their tongue-twisting convenience...

... irrespective of its Proper and Correct ORIGINAL FORM...

...similar to the commonflok's calling as CHEELTHOOR for my Native-place SRIVILLIPUTHUR.

If you justify your calling your Native-place as Varalotti...

... then will you please advise me whether I should call my Native place as CHEELTHOOR.?...

... Deviating from its Original Name... Srivilliputhur?

And I wonder your neglect of my rare information on YOUR NATIVE VILLAGE.. !!!!!!!!!!!

Since my Native place is closeby to yours near Madurai, I had some of my relatives at your village.. during my early days... who used to frequently visit my native town and stay with us as our guests.

So your native place is well known for Senior-citizens of Madurai region like me.

Your comments on my narration of the HISTORY OF YOUR VILLAGE...

http://forumhub.mayyam.com/hub/viewtopic.php?p=936757#936757

... is WELCOME... Am I WRONG.?
.

[varalotti]

Dear Sudhaama,

Thanks for your nice words of welcome. Actually the name of the village is Varalotti. It is not varalapatti as you have wanted to suppose. Varalotti is the official name given by the District and Taluk administration.

Varalotti is a god-forsaken dry village in the erstwhile Ramnad District and now Virudhunagar District.
I did not grow up in the village. Nor have I stayed for more than a day there. My ancestors lived there. My fathers mother was there. It is the native village of my adoptive father (I was adopted by my father's sister)

He was so proud of his village that he added Varalotti to his name. He was called VSR Varalotti Srinivasa Rengaswamy Iyengar.

The village in those days had a beautiful agraharam. But even by 80s the village had become deserted. People moved out as farming could not sustain them.

There is one temple (Perumal Koil) in the village. Recently in 2001 a few families joined together and we repaired the temple and did a Kumbabishekam.

I am glad to know that you are from Srivilluputhur. I am a devotee of Aandal and had the blessing of enjoying her Thiruppavai and Nachiaar Thirumozhi.

I will definitely read your information on this village. Should I have to download fonts in order to read that post. When I followed your link to the thread I found only junk characters.

Can you please tell me what fonts to download and what else to do to be able to read the Tamil postings?

Nice knowing you Sudhaama.
sridhar

Thanks Sudhaama.

[Sudhaama]

Dear Sudhaama,

Thanks for your nice words of welcome. Actually the name of the village is Varalotti. It is not varalapatti as you have wanted to suppose. Varalotti is the official name given by the District and Taluk administration.

Varalotti is a god-forsaken dry village in the erstwhile Ramnad District and now Virudhunagar District.

I did not grow up in the village. Nor have I stayed for more than a day there. My ancestors lived there. My fathers mother was there. It is the native village of my adoptive father (I was adopted by my father's sister)

He was so proud of his village that he added Varalotti to his name. He was called VSR Varalotti Srinivasa Rengaswamy Iyengar.

The village in those days had a beautiful agraharam. But even by 80s the village had become deserted. People moved out as farming could not sustain them.

There is one temple (Perumal Koil) in the village. Recently in 2001 a few families joined together and we repaired the temple and did a Kumbabishekam.

I am glad to know that you are from Srivilluputhur. I am a devotee of Aandal and had the blessing of enjoying her Thiruppavai and Nachiaar Thirumozhi.

I will definitely read your information on this village. Should I have to download fonts in order to read that post. When I followed your link to the thread I found only junk characters.

Can you please tell me what fonts to download and what else to do to be able to read the Tamil postings?

Nice knowing you Sudhaama.
sridhar

Thanks Sudhaama.

Dear Sridhar,

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I know your village Varalotti, since I have visited it about 60 years back during my early days to attend one of my relatives marriage...as also keeping in touch through my other relatives there... until the past 30 years.

I have received several Marriage invitations from your Village in those days... name printed as VARALA-PATTI Ramasami Iyengar, Varala-patti Krishna Iyengar and so on.

So I am sure that the Correct name of your Village as VARALA-PATTI is not my SUPPOSITION.!!!... Nor my concoction.!!!

If you verify the old records of your Village from the Taluk office as well as District office prior to 60 years...

... you will find the full name as... VENKATA - VARALA- PATTI... subsequently abreviated as VARALA-PATTI.

...Gifted by the Emperor Krishna-deva raya to one Telugu poet of Srivilliputhur... named Venkata-kavi...

... when that Ruler visited Andal temple for Arangaetram of his Telugu-Thiruppaavai... AAMUKTHA-MAALYADHA composed by that Emperor devoted to Andal.

VENKATA- VARALA-PATTI... means the Village gifted by the boons of Lord Venkateswara.

The Tamil-font I have used is MURASU-ANJAL., which you have to download, for enabling you to read that Tamil version on the History of your village.

What I have narrated is the True History... and authentic information... I reiterate it is correct. You can verify with the Old records of the Govt. and then tell me.

Taking it as granted that I am wrong to say as VARALA-PATTI...

... please let me know what is meant by VARALOTTI?..

( You know that the names of every village and other places have some meaning.)

My point is that VARALA-PATTI has taken a different shape now as VARALOTTI...

... because of wrong-pronunciation by the commonfolks suiting to their convenience...similar to several other places too...

For example KAALATH-PET... founded by the then Collector named KAALATH...

... is presently called as KAALAADI-PET .. a part of Chennai city.

AMBTON BRIDGE (opened by the then Collector AMBTON)... was pronounced as AMBATTAN BRIDGE...

... subsequently took the funny shape as BARBERS' BRIDGE at Chennai.!!

... Thus Mr.Ambton was made a Barber.!!!
.

[varalotti]

Dear Sudhaama,

You made my day with your highly informative post. Honestly sir, I don't know that much of the history of my native village. I have heard an old aunt say that the village used to be called as Muthuvenkadasamudram.

Now after reading your post, many things fall in place. I have been wondering the connection of Venkata in connection with the village. The presiding deity's name is Venkatesa Perumal.

Varala patti looks more like a Tamil name than Varalotti. Varalotti sounds more like Telgu name. A fan once asked me 'Do you write your stories first in your mother tongue Telugu and then render it in Tamil?'

Sudhaamaji, when I said Varalotti is the name referenced in the records I mentioned only the current records. I do not know about ancient records. My knowledge of history is not as vast as yours.

You have filled some gaps in my education. Thanks.

Will read your post soon.
regards,
sridhar

[littlemaster1982]

Hi Varalotti,

I had read most of your stories published in Ananda Vikatan. And I like your narrating style very much. It's like telling the story personally to me (most of your stories in first person might be the reason behind it).

However, when I found some of your stories were based on the email forwards (kind of jokes or inspirational ones), I was shocked.

Ex. A guy (char name:Raghu) with a compulsive habit of checking his car locked or not, later passes a test by his would-be and his father because of that habit. And another one featuring an elderly gentleman is abused by a rich woman in a flight.

If you avoid this minor glitch, I would be happy. Hope I didn't offend you.

Thanks

[varalotti]

Dear Little Master,

Thanks for your kind words. I am not at all offended by your remarks on the mails/forward stories.

The plot for a story comes from many sources. Once a news item that a muslim man is in charge of this "piercing nerchai" that is using steel rods to pierce through the cheeks in a Hindu temple near Melur (30 kms from Madurai) became a short story in my hands. I let the story go in its usual details till the very end, when the religion of the man involved is revealed.

At times I use forwards also. The forwards are in English and I try to convert them into Tamil. That is an exercise for practising style. In the story you have mentioned I had added a lot of other details.

But as you said using a forward as a base for a story is not fair to the reader.

But, Little Master, I also think like this. Many Tamil readers especially the localites who buy the hard copy of Anandavikatan may not know about the existence of such forwards. It is my way to take the message across to them.

Thanks once again,
sridhar
Varalotti

[nalabaagam]

Hello Varalotti,

Good to see you hear. I have enjoyed lots of your writings. They convey a strong message in a simple manner. Especially those focussed on the happenings in the society and women were the best.

Dear all,

Varalotti has recently started writing a series of articles on Sunday's in Dinamalar's varamalar.

Here is the link to his 1st article - http://dinamalar.com/2007mar04varamalar/ThodarKatturai.asp

It is about thanambikai (self-confidence). Isn't it a must for anyone?

Read on.

[varalotti]

Dear Nalabaagam,

thanks a ton for those kind words. Actually it is the happenings in the society which has made me a writer.

Being in a profession which deals directly with man's relationship with money (I am a chartered account in practice) has given me lot of themes to write about.

This Dinamalar articles is a new attempt. I have vowed not to preach anything directly. That will not be effective. I will be just talking about some events, some incidents. I add my own words at the end. And while presenting the story I normally add to its strength by choosing strong and appealing words.

Dinamalar Editor read my book Vetriyin Vidhaigal and wanted a similar material for his paper. Hence this series of essays.

Thanks Nalabaagam. I love your user ID. Even today if some lady has cooked really well we congratulate her saying "nalabaagama irukku" That way it shows there are no stereotyped roles.

Nice to read your post and thank you once again,
sridhar

[Sudhaama]

.
Dear Nalabaagam,

Welcome...I am shocked to note YOUR AWATHAR IMAGE...

... the same which I am using for the past more than FIVE YEARS...

... as the SENIOR HUBBER.

Should there be a DUPLICACY?... Will it not mar the purpose?..

... CONFUSING to the Viewers?

Will you please change it to something else?

Thanking You With Best Wishes,

Affectionately,
Sudhaama
.

[Avial]

I am amazed that we have wasted so much time squabbling over the way Varalotti chooses to spell the name of his village/pseudonym. Of course, you are all free to talk about anything you like. Surely, a meaningful discussion on the man's works, his style and plots would be equally interesting. Anyway, good to hear about the origin og the word Varalotti.

BTW, Varalotti had a famous serial novel on Bollywood? Anyone read that? It is excellent.

[littlemaster1982]

Thanks for the reply, Varalotti. And I agree you have added a lot of details to turn those half page forwards to 3 page short stories.

Couldn't see much of your works in AV nowadays. writing in any other magazines?

[varalotti]

Dear Avial,

I owe my existence in this forum to you. I was googling my name on the net and came to this forum because of your thread.

I would also love to hear from the members about what they think of my writings. I would love to listen to criticisms, and answer questions from the members.

Thanks Avial once again.

Varalotti

[varalotti]

Dear Littlemaster,

Nowadays AV has cut down heavily on its short stories. When I started to write almost 10 years back there used to be at least 5 or 6 good short stories per issue.

Now they have only one story. And a host of one-minute stories. I wrote some one-minute stories too. But after a while I thought I would take a break from Vikatan.

Of course they published my short story in AV Deepavali Malar 2006.

I am now into writing some books. And I am writing motivational essays for Dinamalar.

I also write for www.indusladies.com in English on a lot of issues.

Thanks for asking,
Varalotti