A July afternoon..

 It is the month of July. The year is 2023.

It just turned 12 noon a few minutes ago. After a spell of summer rains, the weather is a bit cool, some respite from the hot June. 

Pondy is buzzing with the coming of some political figures from Delhi. Though we dont have decent roads, the TAC ground is being beautified for the VIP's visit. That's politics. While we have money for such functions, we don't have enough for creating basic facilities.. 

A few kilometers - in Krishna Nagar, adjacent to the East Coast Road a new police station is being built in a water body. Absolutely no problems with that for Pondy govt. In fact, the govt thinks that it has the "right" to encroach on water bodies. Because they have already done it many times.  Same Krishna Nagar, crores of rupees are being spent to "pump" out rainwater to the Bay of Bengal because the water spaces have all been encroached upon. We have plenty of money for pumping out rainwater, but not to harvest them in Ponds or Eris (lakes).  Interestingly a whole racket of public servants including former Directors/Registrar, politicians/MLA - the list goes on and on - all are involved in a huge land-grab - to the tune of some 60,000 sq.ft of common lands. This is Pondy. The same Pondy which is known for spirit-ual tourism.  

Where time takes a break. 

Yes, it is somewhat a cool afternoon. We Pondicherrians are used to all these. Be cool. Give all your concerns a break. 

On a rainday in November...

 

This is November and it is supposed to rain sometime this month in Puducherry. When I say it is "supposed" to rain, I mean that as for rains in Puducherry, nobody can be certain when the rain will start on will end. Rainy season in Puducherry - or for that matter- along the east coast, it all depends on formation of a low depression in the Bay of Bengal. One can say, it might rain in Oct-Nov. 

And so it rained .. quite nice, heavy rainfall.. Beautiful climate, all wet and cool. One has to learn to enjoy these rains. Because, it is these rains that bring water to us. Beautiful monsoon. 

The humble hibiscus

I have always looked at the hibiscus flower as a humble one, though I don't know why so. It is quite an attractive flower, does not require any extra inputs for flowering so liberally, and the flowers, the leaves are super beneficial for us - be it as a natural shampoo, for making hair oils, or making super tasty hibiscus flower juices.

I remember my childhood when we kids used to collect the flowers and feed them to the calf which relished and would consume them and would allow us to caress it.  Even cows love hibiscus flowers very much.

Collecting these flowers for the Onam (one of the key festivals of Kerala -India) floral circles called Pookkalam was a craze as these flowers are available in plenty and would make multiple circles with hibiscus flowers of different colours. Sometimes, when flowers are scarce, we even collect the leaves and make a green circle though it was considered among children as cheating.

So I still don't know why I consider this being a "humble" flower.

But look at it again, don't you also feel like it is a humble flower?

Another hot year?

It was a cloudy day to start with... but as the day progressed, the clouds departed and the sun came out quite harshly.

But being under lockdown, you don't feel the heat much... at least for fortunate people like me. But for the ordinary people working in the fields, it is quite a harsh day. This year is going to be another "hottest" year, no doubt.

The evening was anyhow cool and breezy...

Hues of beauty...

The Moon Science...

The Moon - Earth's only natural satellite has always fascinated the human being. The mythical stories that we have been hearing from our childhood where Moon has been thought of as an Uncle, (Male) or as a beauty (various goddesses in various cultures across the world), or even as some big delicious food items like a Pappadam (or Papad) or a dosa or other popular items. In India, moon has always helped mothers to feed their reluctant children with stories and songs and lullabies around moon and its charm. 

One of the beautiful celestial events that have always fascinated us has been the lunar eclipse. Again, there are several stories and mythical events built around how a lunar eclipse happens and ancient cultures thought that the lunar eclipse - or for that matter any eclipse - also solar eclipse - was a bad omen. Cultures around the world have strange traditions built around the eclipses.

Times have changed. Now we have sent several probes and even human beings to our nearest celestial body. Now we know a lot more about the moon than our ancestors did. Now we know that moon is just another tiny planet which goes around our earth and that it gets its lights and shades from our own light source which is the Sun. The Sun along with its other planets, their moons, even smaller celestial bodies called exp-planets make what we now call as the Solar System. A tiny family of planets and their moons revolving round the little star which is the Sun.

Interestingly, even in this 21st century, a lot of people are still reluctant to shred their belief systems that revolve around the eclipses. Many still are comfortable in believing that the eclipses have much severe negative impacts on our health, the food, the life forms etc. Many people still think, one could not observe the eclipses or travel or eat or drink anything during an eclipse. Anyway, it may still take more time for people to come out of their safe comfort zones and as religion and its strong linkages loosen further with more education, scientific information being reached to the common man, before such superstitions are done away with.

Anyhow, another lunar eclipse is coming. A super moon which would be about 14% bigger than the normal moon we see (since the moon is a bit closer to the earth due to its elliptical orbit) and a red moon (some times also called copper moon or blood moon -see the different terms used - though it has nothing to do with either copper or blood) on the 31st January 2018. Some also call it as a Blue moon as it is the second full moon day in the same month of January 2018 which is again some what rare and hence called as a blue moon - as used in the literary sense where we say once in a blue moon - meaning happens only once in a while. But this is also not very correct.  Two full moons in a single month happens quite often - something like once in every 2.5 years or so, but may be because all such moons we may not see..

Anyway, dont miss out the opportunity to watch the lunar eclipse of 31st January 2018 as it would be a beautiful event with the red coloured moon rising just after about 6 pm that day. Do watch it and continue to wonder about the beauty of the universe, being part of an infinite universe, how each of us are not even a dust particle size compared to the vastness of the universe. How short lived we are, and how we due to our ignorance and arrogance, are destroying our own home, the Earth.. Keep appreciating and wondering and start respecting our infinitesimally tiny life spans and how we can come together and cultivate peace, love, friendship and all good things..

World Forests Day & World Water Day at Raj Nivas with a difference

This year, Pondicherry Science Forum and CERD had celebrated the World Forests Day and the World Water Day with a difference.

More than 200 children including special children, 40 teachers and PSF activists gathered at the Raj Niwas, Pondicherry along with the Hon'ble Lt. Governor of Pondicherry, Dr.Kiran Bedi IPS and her team including LG's Secretary, Mr.Deva Neethi Das IAS, Mr.Devaraj, IFS, OSD Mrs. Amrita Bahl, Controller Mrs.Asha Gupta - all gathered at the Raj Nivas Lawns on the 21st March (World Forests Day) and eve of World Water Day.

After a brief introduction by Mrs.Asha Gupta, an Introductory Speech by LG's Secretary, Mr.Deva Neethi Das IAS, the first programme was a Mass Theatre on Forests, its intricate roles and how a forest supports all kinds of life forms and hence the future of human kind.


The theatre had all the children as participants and including the Hon'ble LG, Dr.Kiran Bedi IPS who acted as a beautiful bird of the forests.


The programme ended with a beautiful mass rendering of Hum Honge Kaamyaab. Dr.Kiran Bedij danced and ran and played with the children and she also paused for a photo session with all the children running around the lawns.

The Forests' Theatre had special sound effects, various species of trees, birds, animals, a live stream of water performed by girls with their blue duppattas, waves of rain and wind by special children of Ananda Ranga Pillai Special School and Satya Special School.



PSF had also conducted a photography contest for school children on the themes of Forests & Energy and Why waste water? . More than 200 children had send their entries out of which the best 25 were shortlisted and there was an exhibition of these photos. From these 25 entries, the best three in Junior and Senior categories were honoured with certificates and prizes by Dr.Kiran Bedi.

There was also an interesting demonstration of children as to how to save water while bathing and washing of kitchen utensils. The children demonstrated how to take bath with a mug of water!. This was followed by Activity corners on water where children tried out several water based activities.

All this was planned and executed with in 4-5 days, by a handful of PSF volunteers along with a dedicated team of teachers and students which is the strength of PSF. The novelty of the mass theatre, the excitement of the children and teachers while planning the programme was refreshing and when the programme actually unraveled at the lawns of Raj Nivas on the evening of Raj Nivas, the entire place exploded with laughter, cheers and happiness.

Science communication does need new forms of reaching out to the children, the public. And this is most refreshing when they themselves become part of the process, rather than just receivers of communication! .

Thanks to the entire team of PSF and the dedicated Raj Nivas team who rose to the occasion and made it to a grand success. And of course, special thanks to Dr.Kiran Bedi, the Hon'ble Lt. Governor, and her team!

March 9, 2016: A partial solar eclipse fully eclipsed by the clouds..

March 9, 2016 had a partial solar eclipse which was partially visible from the east coast of India and we at Pondicherry Science Forum had hoped to catch a glimpse this which was supposed to have 24% obscuration from 6.20 to 6.47 am. We had informed the Science Centre attached to the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of Puducherry and Mr.Sathish and Sivakumar had also come to the Puducherry beach by about 6AM in the morning. We could see that the Thanthi TV had already set up their camera for uplinking to their channel.

The Gandhi Statue was a beautiful spot for all those who have visited Puducherry and against the morning sky, the silhouette of the statue was a beautiful site.






We could see thick clouds at the horizon but we hoped that by the sunrise time, they would move away or at least as the sun rises, we will be able to get at least a partial glimpse of the partial eclipse.  Though there were only about 20 minutes left for the sun to rise, the wait seemed to so long. The clouds stayed still thick at the horizon.








People seeing the TV camera, the telescope and the PSF team which included Aravindraja, Dakshinamurthy, Meena, Sengodethevan, Hemavathi, Maran etc started gathering near the beach front.


Looking at the sea and the clouds, I took a couple of shots which was interesting patterns of clouds.

I could also see a couple of catamarans which has started their fishing activity early in the morning totally oblivious of the eclipse going to happen. For most people, there are not much superstitions around the eclipse. Interestingly it is the religious middle class who give too much importance to these eclipses and the superstitions around them. For ordinary labourers, I dont think, they have the luxury of keeping themselves closed in their homes, or deciding to cook only after the eclipse is over etc. For them, even a day's wages lost is a huge loss.

It was already 6.20 am, then 6.21 am..and still there was no sign of the Sun emerging from the clouds. The eclipse was already on and was its maximum of 24% but the clouds would not oblige. Finally by 6.45 am, the top portion of the Sun emerges from the clouds but we knew that the moon would be blocking only the bottom hemisphere of the Sun's disc. THere was just 2 minutes left for the eclipse to get over and the chances were very meagre to catch a glimpse.

Anyhow, there was already a long que at  telescope to view the emerging sun and with a solar filter fitted, it was of course an amazing visual to watch the sun through the telescope which everybody do not get a chance...

And there, at 6.48 am just when the eclipse was completed and the moon would have moved out of the earth-sun line, the Sun emerged out of the clouds and here is the photo on the left side.

Anyhow, solar eclipses are still going to occur many more times, and I may still get chances to view them and even photograph them.. IT was a good day, to interact with lots of people, public and explain to them that it was the moon just crossing in between the sun and the earth and there was nothing to worry as proclaimed by the temple authorities all over India. IT is indeed an occasion to be cautious since viewing the eclipse with naked eyes could take away your precious eye sight..

A memorable day, though the clouds did the eclipsing , the one hour spent on the Puducherry beach road was satisfying and a couple of photos made my day too..

Victor Simonel St, White Town Puducherry

Victor Simonel Street, White Town, Puducherry: This is a beautiful as well as important street which has major structures and institutions. The Pondicherry Assembly building, General Hospital, the St.John's Church, the Lycee Francais, the old MLA Hostel, the Office of the Chief Engineer, PWD all are located on this street. It starts from the Bussy Street on the South and extends and joins the Rangapillai Street with the Bharathi Park on the eastern side.

Google Map of Vicor Simonel Street

Puducherry: Playing with the future of students

This is a reflection of a recent news item in the Puducherry newspapers that the Department of School Education is planning to stop the pure science stream in the Higher Secondary stream. Now what is this pure science? Interesting though, it simply means students can take Botany, Zoology, Physics and Chemistry as their elective when they seek to do their higher secondary education (or +2 as it is commonly called). Let us set aside whether these are pure science or what the other streams like Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics are "pure" science or not.

It seems the private schools in Puducherry have already done away with this pure science stream. Only a few government schools have this stream now and that too, the government is planning to close. What are the implications for this on the students?

Obviously, this "pure" science stream does not have mathematics. That makes a lot of sense to students who are scared of maths as a subject, though, it is one of the most interesting of the sciences, it is seen, firstly not as science and secondly as very dry and abstract. Let us again avoid the issues as to why lot of children see maths as a scary subject as also science to lot of other children.

Now the students who had the option of taking the pure science has a lot of opportunities which the other streams do not have. One even average or below average students can get into this stream very easily as the most competitors would like a Medical or an Engineering career and for them pure science is not a good choice, because scoring in this is not that easy. Secondly, those students who could opt for Nursing, Paramedical science courses find this as an attractive choice. In Puducherry, this was always the choice of rural and poor students who can get an fairly easy admission to one of the rural government schools or even a couple of urban schools. Now the government stopping this, the future and dreams of a lot of low income students and their parents would be shattered.

Another matter which also is worry is the complete neglect of the social sciences at the higher secondary level. Studying History or Economics is seens a high profile career in leading universities like the Delhi University etc, here in Puducherry these are being wiped out ..

We should definitely start worrying...

Overflowing Irrigation Tank: Manapet, Bahour, Puducherry, INDIA

This is part of a system of Irrigation tanks  in the Bahour Commune of Puducherry, INDIA. This is the Manapet Tank..With a just a couple of days's of rainfall, the tank is full and overflowing... Most of the tanks in Bahour are full now. These tanks are of great value to the ground water  recharging as well as to the local agriculture.  Many of the tank systems are under threat from encroachments, pollution, neglect from the people as well as the state..but thanks to the active Tank Associations in Bahour, they are exist today...

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The Make Science Programme

For the last eight years, I have been involved in a unique programme on Science Education front. This is called the faites de la science (in French) which the French translate as "Make Science Programme", but which I think is more appropriate to be translated as "Let's do/celebrate science".

The Programme is unique in many means. First of all, it is limited to students of Government schools of Pondicherry district alone. Affluent private school children can not participate and thus can not out-smart the poor, rural children who study in the government schools. Secondly, it is about exploring science around the school and have lot of scope for the school children. Thirdly, it is run by the University of Paris, South 11, Orsay, France where the project are evaluated and certified by an Expert Jury of the University and where certificates are issued to them, which itself is a very prestigious educational institution with a number of Nobel laureates and Field Medalists to claim.  Fourth, every project done by the Indian student are video-documented in Puducherry and sent to France with sub-titles in English (for Tamil voice), and later the Jury members interact with the School kids through a live video conferencing before they announce the prizes.

We, from Pondicherry Science Forum started this programme eight years ago with help from Dr.Santhroubane who is a Pondicherrian settled in France and along with his friend Prof.Pierre Fontes who himself is an accomplished Science Communicator and who has the habit of conducting science experiments in street corners and shopping malls etc. A number of people have been involved in this programme.

This year's video editing was completed just now and the films have been despatched to France. Eight years - indeed a long time ... and a large number of children have been benefited already, a large number of school teachers have been trained in project research methodology... and for Pondicherry Science Forum, it has been a great programme. But the entire exercise of videography, editing, sub-titling, DVD authoring is becoming a huge task for me...and I wonder how long I can continue to do this ....Another year? Let us hope ...