ANANTHI NATARAJAN
“Challenges what I seek ; Passion is what I put : Success is what I deliver !”
-by R.Chithra
“ You are the Master Piece , a rare and exquisite design , what inner turmoil holds you back for allowing your brightness to shine ?”……… “We are all great works of Art, for that matter, Living Art and our worth is beyond measure ….” – words of TAMMIE-MARIA ALLEN , a multifaceted business-woman. A passionate artist , writer & musician.
Probably , these words have gone deep into Mrs.Ananthi Natarajan , who , today , stands as a testimony to Empowerment of women in society ! She can be described as an epitome of strength ,an avalanche of abundant self-confidence and an edifice of earnest efforts.
“Born to win” – the saying goes ! “ believe in youself , success will reach you” says , Ananthi Natarajan. Today, her self-confidence has taken her to new heights as history making and path-breaking business woman !
She says, the seeds were sown by her mother Leela Sundar , who imbibed & instilled confidence as a culture ! To know this fully, let us travel down her memory lane !
Right from her early ages in school, till her Post-graduation in M.A.(Economics) at the esteemed Pachaiappa’s college in Chennai , she had reserved her place in her own right ! The fire in her has motivated her to do always more, since, more is less for her .
As she got used to getting prizes in music, dance competitions as a way of life, she made the whole Spic Nagar colony , where they lived then ,to turn to her daughter Aarthi in her age of 6 years with a single dance performance ! ( She continued to excel on stage with her scintillating dances like..” Yeh Cheez badi hai musth,musth..” in Kuwait too).
Not only that, she always won the FIRST PRIZE for house-keeping , gardening competitions in Spic Nagar Township for years ,till she was there ! To her, “being second to none” is life’s philosophy !
Ananthi Natarajan’s married life started in Spic Nagar (Tuticorin) . Those days, Spic Nagar Township was a star-colony by itself !( Nowhere, you could see an individual house-for certain grades-for about 3 grounds including a garden of one ground !)
With her straight-forward views on issues, carrying along with friends always and ability to stay-at-the center ,within 2-3 years,became popular as Secretary of Spic Nagar Ladies Association , which is a coveted position by itself then.
During the year, with a courageous decision taken ,she became a “super-hit” among ladies – that was, with member Ladies , for the first time to go outside the colony,on tour to Kodaikkanal , for 2 days! We need not say, the Ladies were exquisitely and inexplicably enjoying ! ( To stay away peacefully (!) from the domestic chores for 2 days-who can refuse the pleasure to themselves ?!)
By then, she started focusing on welfare of needy and town drodden – with this ulterior motive, she joined Spic Nagar Lioness Club( Ladies wing of Lions Club) , became Secretary , then President and finally became, as the first Lady Associate Chair Person for (all) Lioness Clubs in Lions District 324-B ! ( If continued, would have become the first woman Lions International President too !)
In those 8-10 years , not only her voice was heard in every Regional/District Lions conferences as Master Of Ceremony , but also, served innumerable less-fortunate community organizations -like, Blind school /Deaf& Dumb School ,Little sisters’ Home for aged in Tuticorin, Orphanage in Adaikkalapuram and all the way to, with every Diwali visit –spending the whole day with them, a novel scheme by Ananthi Natarajan -Ghandi Ashram in Dindugul ! ( Anybody would shed tears , when those orphanage girls ask, while Lionesses leaving in the night, “ Ananthi Akka, when you will come next time ? )
On coming to Kuwait , without much to do on social services (then), got associated with Bharathi Kalai Mandram to provide cultural programs to Tamils .As vice-President of BKM for 2 years and then, as President of Kuwait Tamil Sangam for 2 years, Ananthi Natarajan brought out many cultural talents of Artists from Chennai –many Drama Artists had their first-ever abroad performances in Kuwait during her tenure. She provided many enchanting programs, including the day-long – starting from Carnival ending with entertainment – Women’s day ! KTS Pongal Vizha programs got new dimensions like .. T.V.Varadharajan’s emotion-filled – with our local fine Artists in-drama “ Plastic Kadavul ..!
“ You are created to soar to success !”- Ananthi’s Mantra for success !
While being in Chennai for some time , to show-case her business acumen , Ananthi Natarajan started “MAGNA SUPER MARKET”- a Departmental Store in Kodambakkam,Chennai. She had run this for 5 years popularly known as a shop wholly-managed by a Lady in the area !( Not all women have the courage to leave a shop every day at 11 PM in the night after closing the day’s accounts ?) For lack of time, she has now given this on lease arrangement .
To add another (business) feather on her cap, even now, she is running a CAFETERIA attached to her brother Dr.Balasubramanian’s - recently awarded Best Doctor in City -two hospitals , almost remotely , thanks to SKYPE ! ( The in-patients of around 50 rooms and the Staff of these Hospitals are thanking her for the fine food !)
At this juncture, it may not be out of place to mention that, with the same entrepreneurial spirit inculcated by her mother, her daughter, Aarthi Siddharth, has now taken a business initiative with starting of a web-portal on fashion, food , Life style etc called “www.glamcurry.com” also covering any “happening” event in Chennai ! ( Click today itself joining thousands of visitors to the site!)
“GOD DOESN”T CALL QUALIFIED ; HE QUALIFIES”-this is true ! Ananthi Natarajan’s Mission in life is – To Change Milestones, since, she crosses her own Milestones fast ! This needs a dare-dream attitude too !
As another Milestone she set for herself was – to associate with a global business brand and establish same in Kuwait to the wants & delights of Indians in Kuwait ! Her dream project , at least for the past 2-3 years, was to open , what is now being anxiously expected by staunch vegetarians in Kuwait , Hotel Saravana Bhavan , world’s Number one Vegetarian Restaurant . This is indeed, admirably ,an over-whelming achievement on her part and needs appreciation by every Indian in Kuwait.
No doubt ,Saravana Bhavan ,always delivering the finest vegetarian food all over the world , will meet all the expectations of not only south but all Indians in Kuwait , with its imprint of excellence !
It is needless to add here that, all her initiatives are ably supported by Mr.Natarajan ! Mr.A.N.Natarajan, basically hailing from SPIC family ,had held senior posts in various companies in Kuwait and also associated himself with many professional & social organizations. He is the founder-President of TEF (Tamilnadu Engineers Forum), served as President of FrontLiners and extends his support to many Tamil Associations in Kuwait.
Front Liners wishes Ananthi Natarajan all the best for success as a continuous story in years to come !
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