Centenarian readers honoured on Dinamalars Platinum Jubilee

for some, the day begins with tea; for these readers, it begins with dinamalar. on its 75th year, the newspaper honors readers who have made it a daily ritual—even past the age of 100.whether it is the fragrance of jasmine or the enduring scent of a newspaper, some companions stay with us for life. for these centenarians, dinamalar has been that constant.across all sections of society—children, women, youth, homemakers, middle-aged and elderly—dinamalar has found devoted readers. many, even over ninety, line up to share their stories of engagement with the newspaper.r. seeniammal, 101, annanagar, maduraihailing from silukkuvarpatti in dindigul district, seeniammal has lived in madurai with her daughter's family for over 35 years. despite her age, she actively helps in household chores and maintains her reading habits. “i have been reading dinamalar since my daughter married. my son-in-law introduced me to it. i read it first every day—news, horoscopes, spirituality, politics, cinema, market updates. it's like my morning tea,” she says. she also enjoys the magazine's supplements, sharing them with her grandchildren.n.k. kalyanaraman, 102, korattur, chennaia retired police officer, kalyanaraman has read dinamalar for 15 years, following local, national, and international news. he believes students should engage with dinamalar at school to cultivate awareness, manners, and good habits.sundarajan, 103, thiruppalai, maduraia former railway booking clerk and newspaper editor, sundarajan has read dinamalar for 30 years. even at 103, he reads without glasses, following the newspaper from cover to cover. “i prefer dinamalar because it gives me all the information i need, from temples and spirituality to share markets and sports,” he says.m. rukmani ammal, 102, ddk nagar, chennairukmani ammal discovered dinamalar 25 years ago on a train journey. she quickly became a subscriber and cherishes the spiritual sections of the paper. “when dinamalar doesn't arrive during festivals, i feel like i've missed a part of my day,” she says.meenakshi krishnamurthy, 100, thiruvanmiyur, chennaia retired hindi teacher, krishnamurthy taught multiple subjects and continues her passion for learning and teaching. she has read dinamalar for 23 years, appreciating the newspaper's persistence in following public issues until resolved.a. vaithyanathan, 101, chromepet, chennaiinitially an english newspaper reader, vaithyanathan switched to dinamalar on his wife's recommendation and has read it faithfully for 25 years. crossword puzzles, sports, and letters from children are his favorites.seshadri iyengar, 101, srirangam, trichya retired history teacher, iyengar emphasizes the value of reading newspapers to broaden knowledge and create history. he has read dinamalar for a decade, focusing on political news and encouraging his grandchildren to do the same.meenakshi subramaniam, 100, ganapathy, coimbatorewalking with dignity, sometimes with crutches, subramaniam begins her day with prayers and an hour of dinamalar. she teaches tamil to her grandchildren using the newspaper, valuing its detailed analysis over television news.celebrating lifelong readingfor these centenarian readers, dinamalar is more than a newspaper—it is a lifelong companion, a source of information, and a link between generations. as the coral festival marks 75 years of journalism, these stories remind us that reading is timeless, connecting the past, present, and future.