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News Round UpSeptember 29, 2007
Remembering Sankara Menon
 
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Affectionately called 'Sir' by the students who passed through Kalakshetra, or The Besant Theosophical High School, in Chennai, Sankara Menon was an inspiring teacher.

Sankara Menon, an outstanding researcher in marine biology, was the first headmaster of The Besant Memorial School (now The Besant Theosophical High School).
This teacher who did not believe in imposing discipline on his students, chose to draw it from within the students. 'Education without fear', one of the mottos of Kalakshetra was achieved practically in the school, where he was teaching.

When Sankara Menon became close to Rukmini Devi Arundale, the founder of Kalakshetra and inspired by her dreams for education and arts, he was drawn automatically to Kalakshetra. He was with the institution from the day it started with a single student and later became the secretary and went on to be its director.

The students of music and dance at Kalakshetra also had the opportunity to meet a teacher, who can inspire them, imbibe discipline in a nice way and make the education a happy experience.

He was instrumental in keeping the Kalakshetra in tact, after the death of Rukmini Devi, till it was taken over by the Government.

This guru and long time head of the institution, was remembered on his birth centenary, recently by its students, teachers, alumni and his friends, over the two days on a weekend. On Sep. 22 and 23.

On Saturday morning, students of Kalakshetra performed a group singing of Bhajans. A concert by the Carnatic vocalist Vijay Siva followed.
In the evening, Sankara Menon Birth Centenary Committee, released a book - Sankara Menon 'Purushothaman' at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mylapore, Chennai. Senior flutist N. Ramani's concert followed the function.

On Sunday, a procession with Sankara Menon's portrait was held inside Kalakshetra campus. All the students, teachers, alumni and friends of Kalakshetra gathered under the banyan tree to remember their guru. The memories, took the dance gurus C. V. Chandrasekhar, the Dhananjayans and Adyar Lakshman back to the years of their association with Sankara Menon.

To continue to remember the guru for ever, over a hundred avenue tree saplings were planted along the western wall of Kalakshetra on that day.

The common thread that united all the participants was Sankara Menon's simplicity, love for his students and the commitment he showed towards the institution.

<< If you were a student of Kalakshetra or have memories of Sankara Menon, we welcome you to share them here. Mail to editor@kutcheribuzz.com >>



Readers share...

What a coincidence!!

Just yesterday myself and my classmate Navtej Singh, in Kalakshetra, met each other after a long gap of 23 years. While reminiscenscing our good olden days of Kalakshetra in 1980, we were talking in detail about Shankar Menon Sir's Religion class and his lectures under the Banyan tree. Both of us felt that if we had gone to Kalakshetra to listen to his valuable lectures now, we could have imbibed more.

Today I am seeing an article dedicated to Sir Shankara Menon.

Dr. Alakananda, Toronto.
by E-mail


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