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| Sunday, 05 March 2006 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Ananda Coomaraswamy : Opened Western doors to Eastern art Ananda K. Coomaraswamy , who was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in England, taught the West, the way to approach and understand the arts of India. His whole life was dedicated to the study and dispersing (giving out)information to the world about Indian culture and arts. Born on August 22, 1877 in Sri Lanka, Coomarasw-amy's father was Mutthu Coomaraswamy, who had come to the then Ceylon, from far away Tamil Nadu and settled down here. He was a well-known advocate, and was the first Asian to receive a knighthood. Ananda's mother, Elizabeth Clay-Beevi was a Britisher. Ananda Coomaraswamy grew up in his mother's care, who devoted her life to her son's education. In 1889, he joined the Wycliffe College, where he studied for eight years.
Coomaraswamy joined the University of London in 1909. He elected to study Geology and Natural Sciences in college, but his soul was drawn towards India, and her culture and art. Even in his western clothes, he wanted to look Indian, and so he wore on his forehead sandal paste with a kumkum mark. His co-students found the dark-skinned and serious-looking Coomaraswamy strange, but they regarded him with respect. He was a brilliant student. In his 24th year, Coomaraswamy married Ethel Mary. The year after his marriage, he obtained his doctorate in Geology. From then, he was known as Doctor Ananda Coomaraswamy. The same year, he was appointed as a Mines Research Officer in Sri Lanka. He was glad to be able to go back to the land where he was born, and where his father had lived and achieved fame. He undertook a systematic study of the art of Ceylon, over a period of four or five years, with the help of his wife. In 1909, his extraordinary work, Medieval Sinhalese Art was published. This book opened the eyes of the West to the East, which the former believed was barbarian (uncivilized). With the study of Ceylonese art, Coomaraswamy was driven to take up the study of Indian art and culture. As his studies progressed, he found himself in a totally new world. He learnt French, German, Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, Pali and Hindi. He was already acquainted(familiar) with Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Persian and Sinhala. Besides his mother tongue, English, he attained scholarships in 12 languages. He resigned from his post of Director of Mineralogical Survey, so that he could pursue his studies. Even though he was totally involved in his studies, Coomaraswamy did not forget the world around him. He worked hard to eradicate the evils in society. He established the Ceylon Social Reform Society, and started a newspaper called Ceylon National Review. Coomaraswamy went on a tour of Europe and some of the countries of the East. He started a printing press in a place called Broad Campden, in England. His book Medieval Sinhalese Art was printed at this press. Coomaraswamy began writing, and published many articles on the tradition of Indian art. Art and Swadeshi was the first book to come out after his world tour. It was welcomed everywhere in the world of art. Scholars all over the world praised the book. Other books followed. Among them was The Arts and Crafts Of India and Ceylon, a 250 page book with illustrations. It dealt with Indian sculpture, painting and handicrafts. In 1917, Coomaraswamy was invited by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, U.S.A., to work as a research director of Indian, Persian and Moslem arts. This marked a turning point in his life. Coomaraswamy's life was devoted to the study of oriental arts. His last years were practically a single-minded dedication to this sector. Even though he lived in America, his soul was in India. His mind and heart were filled with India, Indian painting, dance, drama, music, scriptures, literature and culture. On September 8, 1947, he died suddenly. A fortnight earlier, he had completed his 80th year. Bill Gates: Head of a software empire Have you heard of Bill Gates? It's very unlikely that you haven't. William (Bill) H. Gates is the Chairman and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions.
Born on October 28, 1955, Gates grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. Their father, William H. Gates II, is a Seattle attorney. Their late mother, Mary Gates, was a schoolteacher, University of Washington head and chairwoman of United Way International. Gates attended public elementary school and the private Lakeside School. There, he discovered his interest in software, and began programming computers at the age of 13. In 1973, Gates entered Harvard University. There he lived close to the room of Steve Ballmer, now Microsoft's chief executive officer. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer - the MITS Altair. In his junior year, Gates left Harvard to devote his energies to Microsoft, a company he had begun in 1975, with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the computer would be a valuable tool on every office desktop, and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers. Gates' foresight and his vision for personal computing have been central to the success of Microsoft and the software industry, and to his becoming the richest man in the world. Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. In 1999, Gates wrote 'Business @ the Speed of Thought', a book that shows how computer technology can solve business problems in new ways. Gates has donated the proceeds of his books to non-profit organisations that support the use of technology in education and skills development. In addition to his love of computers and software, Gates founded Corbis, which is developing one of the world's largest resources of visual information - a comprehensive digital archive of art and photography from public and private collections around the globe. He is also a member of the board of directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which invests in companies engaged in diverse business activities. Gates was married on January 1, 1994, to Melinda French. They have three children. Gates is an avid reader, and enjoys playing golf and bridge.Philanthropy (benevolence and kindness) is also important to Gates. He and his wife, Melinda, have assisted a foundation with more than
28.8 billion US dollars (as of January 2005) to support philanthropic
initiatives in the areas of global health and learning, with the hope that
in the 21st century, advances in these critical areas will be available
for all people. |
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