_by A.X. Alexander_
It is a year since we hit the space. Yes, it is on the first of December 2011 that we appeared in the space. Let me thank Our Lord for having sustained us throughout this year. Let me also thank all those who took lively interest and wrote in this site. Let me also thank all those who commented favorably on the articles and kept up our occasional sagging spirits.
The end of one year is an occasion to make a stock taking. When I consider how we have fared in the year that rolled by I can unhesitatingly say that we have done very well. Behind this success is midnight oil, toil, co operation of volunteering people etc.
We have uploaded 80 articles in the last one year, and have commanded readers from different parts of the Globe.
Britto who looks after the maintenance of the website has brought out a brilliant analysis of readership as given by the web offerer. According to him,–
We had
3489 visits,
1920-unique visits, and
13185 page views.
He has further furnished to me an analysis of how many had visited our site from different states in India.
Tamilnadu 1459;
Karnataka 869;
Maharashtra 198;
Kerala 60;
Delhi 36;
Rajasthan 26;
Andhra Pradesh 13;
Haryana 11;
Gujarat 7;
West Bengal 7;
Pondicherry 6;
Uttar Pradesh 9;
Madhya Pradesh 6;
His further analysis reveals visitor’s country wise.
India 2739;
Other countries 226;
United States 176;
United Arab Emirates 79;
United Kingdom 54;
Srilanka 52;
Canada 19;
Singapore 18;
France16;
Australia15;
Switzerland11;
Netherlands10;
italy9;
Kuwait 8;
Brazil 7;
Nigeria7;
Russia6;
Germany6;
Total 3489.
He has explained the other countries mentioned above as Malaysia, Quatar, Denmark, Indonesia, Hongkong, Slovokia, Lebanan , Bulgaria, Thailand, Vietnam, Baharin, Romania ,Angola, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Colombia, Equdor, Turkey, Taiwan, Tanzania, South Africa, Lithuania, Maldives, Peru, Phlipines, Macedonia, Kazaksthan, Ethiopia .
Have we not turned Global as we wished on the day we started?
A year end is the time also to record why we started and how we started this website.
It was largely the suggestion of Raja Vaiz of Mumbai which sowed the seeds for the website. It is he who went on pressuring me that we must have a record of our past, our history, our eminent men, our literature, our art, our language our culture, our churches, our clothes, our cuisine etc.
I once told him that I would be willing to host a meet in Loyola Chennai and desired him to suggest names for a brain storming session. He came up with a list that contained the names of Prof. Valan arasu; Prof Joseph Irudaya Xavier; Mr.Betz from Bangalore, Mr. Rex Vaiz from Chennai, Dr. Bruno Mascarenhas from Chennai, Mr. Cyril Alex from Chennai, Mr. Ivarius from Chennai and Mr.Sornam from Chennai. They were invited.
A meeting was held in LIBA in November 2011 and Raja requested me to initiate the discussion. I underlined the paucity of records to speak about our past except Thurston’s Castes and tribes in south India, Hornell’s Note on pearl fishing, Caldwell’s History of Tinnevely, the gazetteers of the government on Tuticorin and Tinnevely district and Simon cassie chettys note .I also brought out the absence of records on our eminent men and the absence of systematic research in our professions, in life etc. Despite so many scholars among us. All agreed that there was a need to do something about this and it was at this time Raja mooted the idea of the website . Cyril Alex agreed to design it with the help of Britto and dr. Mascarenhas joined in the venture. That is how it all began.
Prof Valan Arasu spoke about the references in literature to paravas and eulogized Valampury John. Prof Joseph Irudaya Xavier agreed to send articles and he did send an article on the inland paravas. Mr. Betz promised to send articles from Bangalore and he sent one written by Mary Pasanga on the paravas in Bangalore. Mr. Ivarius wanted the website to have Tamil articles too and it was agreed.
Mr.Sornam has been of great support to me by sending regularly articles for up loading or books which I may have to read and disseminate. So has been Prof Reghu Antony who has never failed to make his observations on the articles uploaded. His article on Thony in collaboration with PROF. Sivasubramaniyam is a technical piece of great merit. The four pieces written by Dr.Prof. Christine Gomez are well received commemorative pieces. Britto would report that the article by Prof . Christine on Mrs. Therese Lobo had the maximum number of comments.
There had been light pieces too like the Vanishing tonsure and a piece on parava cooking.
We had taken copies extracts from the thesis of Sr. Decla Principal St. Mary’s Tuticorin and had used them to embellish our website. We have utilized the materials furnished by Neidhal Anto for some of our essays.
The most important contribution of the website, in my view ,is the unearthing of the hitherto unpublished Pathigam on Madha and re circulating M.A. Peries’ passionate prose on the theft of the throne of our lady and the onomatopoeic and sonorous poem he composed on the occasion of her re- crowning.
Occasionally, I have heard people muttering what is the use of all these without writing on the present sufferings and struggles.
I am of the firm view that the future is always built on the foundations of the past and if one ignores the past he runs the risk of losing the present and the future. And we have enough still to write about our past and we shall do this in the year before us.
I solicit more and more from professors and scholars.
Like the famous Brooke of Lord Tennyson” GLOBAL PARAVAR goes on for Ever’’.