Destination Infinity's Blog, page 63

March 9, 2015

Sristi Village: Inclusive & Sustainable Living for Disabled People

Sristi village is a laudable initiative where socially conscious people are building an inclusive, self-sustaining, and eco-friendly village for people with intellectual disabilities, especially.

I went to the UnLtd. Tamil Nadu event held recently, hosted in conjunction with Auroville in Chennai festival, where Karthikeyan, the Managing Trustee of Sristi Foundation spoke with a lot of passion about his social project – Sristi Village, near Pondicherry, South India.

Karthikeyan told us that he spent 15 years in an orphanage where he grew up alongside many intellectually disabled kids. While normal kids were able to go to school, college, work, and eventually integrate into the mainstream society, intellectually disabled kids didn’t get such opportunities. Besides, even if they learned some skills, employers were reluctant to hire them.

Sristi Village seeks to provide a dignified life for disadvantaged people.

In 2014, they acquired 8.39 acres of cultivable land (thanks to donations) in Kunamangalam village, 30 KM from Pondy, where inmates undertake organic/traditional farming.
They have setup Sristi Special School, a school for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities where 10 kids from nearby villages have enrolled. It seems Karthikeyan has also setup a similar school in the orphanage he grew up.
They have setup a Sristi Vocational Training Center where inmates learn and make doormats, paper products, candles, incense sticks, greeting cards, etc.
They have built an eco-friendly hut using bamboo and mud within the farm where community members are currently living.
They have constructed an open well, and three farm ponds for rain water harvesting. A donor from US has donated a Solar Water pump which fetches water throughout the year without power lines/grid connection.
Among their future plans, they want to setup a Sristi Farm Academy to provide agri/farm-based training to disabled people, want to start a diary farm, exploring mushroom cultivation, etc. as it is possible for disabled persons to get involved in these revenue generating activities.

How We Can Help:

While they are trying to become self-sustainable by selling their products, etc. that may take some time. In the meanwhile, people can donate money (bank account details) or visit the community to volunteer by teaching skills like craft making, gardening, etc. People can also make videos & information brochures about their project. An eco-tourism initiative may begin shortly. More…

At the least, all of us can spread the word through word-of-mouth and social media, if you think this initiative is worth spreading.

Here’s their website: Sristi Village.

Destination Infinity

Disclaimer: I have not visited Sristi Village yet. All info here is based on the presentation on that day and what is mentioned on their website.

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Published on March 09, 2015 09:00

Tsunamika Doll: Hope & Help for Victims of Tsunami

Tsunamika doll is a cute little doll made of discarded textile material, conceptualized by Upasana (Auroville). It is being made mostly by the victims of the 2004 Tsunami, near Pondicherry. The doll cannot be bought or sold by anyone, it can only be gifted to others.

I attended a presentation by Uma Prajapati of Upasana who conceptualized this idea, and has been executing it successfully. It seems Tsunamika doll has traveled to 120 countries and touched more than 5,00,000 lives.

Anyone can request Tsunamika dolls and the organization will send it to you, if they have as many. Donations have been sustaining this project for more than ten years, and if people continue to be large-hearted, perhaps it will continue for many more years!

Basically, the doll is made using rag/left-over cloth material and made by women in Tsunami affected regions. These women are paid for their effort, and the effort has been sustained by donations all this while.

So if you are going to an orphanage to celebrate your kid’s birthday, instead of buying plastic dolls for the kids there, you can request Tsunamika dolls and make a contribution to the project, if you wish. This will help people affected by the Tsunami, keep this project going, and reduce unwanted plastic waste.

While Tsunamika dolls themselves cannot be bought, one can buy other items like pencils, clothes, bands, etc. embedded with Tsunamika dolls. Hop over here to have a look at the Tsunamika merchandise.

Project Website: Tsunamika.org.

Destination Infinity

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Published on March 09, 2015 08:52

#Song of the Week: Sooraj Dooba Hain Yaaron (Roy)

Sooraj Dooba Hain Yaaron is a Hindi song from the Bollywood movie Roy. This song has been sung by Arjit Singh and Aditi Singh Sharma. The music has been composed by Amaal Mallik. This is a relatively faster/peppy song that didn’t allow me to go to the next song when I listened to it for the first time – sure shot indicator that it’s good! I love the beats and the tempo set by this song.

Destination Infinity

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Published on March 09, 2015 08:47

March 2, 2015

An Artist’s Love for her Creation (Short Story)

Word count: 7 1 5 words.

Kayal was six when she built a sand castle for the first time on the beach. She dug into the mug around a small circular area and accumulated the soft mud in the center with her hands. She stopped when the heap was one-and-a-half feet high and stepped back to admire her creation. Tarun, eight, her cousin brother, who was observing her activity suddenly jumped on the sand castle and destroyed it within a few seconds.

Once he was finished, he looked at her eagerly. She was in tears. He laughed. She turned and ran into their house which was opposite to the beach. She lied down on her bed, cried for sometime, and slept.

When she woke up, she got an idea.

The next day she went back to the beach in the evening and made the sand castle once again. This time she added roads in concentric circles starting from the bottom and ending on the top. Just as she finished, Tarun jumped on the heap and stamped on the mud repeatedly.

Tears flowed from her eyes. He broke into laughter once he saw her crying. She ran home, fell down on her bed, cried for some time, and slept.

When she woke up, she got another idea.

The next day, she made the castle and the road all over once again. She brought some water and wet soil from near the ocean and made small structures resembling cars and buses. She also gave a rocky finish to the mountain and smiled at her creation. This time too Tarun promptly destroyed it. She looked at him desperately with tears in her eyes. He laughed.

She ran home, cried, and slept. Next morning, she got another idea.

In the evening, she recreated everything once again, and created one more mud castle next to it. She created a narrow pathway on the top of both the hills that widened as it came down and joined the clearance below, representing a river, in between the hills. She was building a boat with a sail on the river when he came back and stamped all over the place.

Once his frantic activity came to an end, and the earth was almost flat, he looked at her with a small smile on his lips that was about to burst into laughter. This time, she did not cry. She smiled looking straight into his eyes. His eyes widened and his expression became serious.

“I will destroy each sand castle you create,” he said, raising his voice. She was still smiling. He looked at her disbelievingly, turned back, and walked home perplexed.

25 Years Later . . .

“And the award for this year’s design excellence goes to . . . Shivani,” the excited speaker announced to the standing ovation of hundreds of people assembled for the design awards ceremony. Kayal’s design was also in contention for the award, but as with the last three years, this year too she didn’t win.

Kayal’s colleague came up to her during the dinner party just after the ceremony. “Kayal, your design got the biggest applause when it was introduced. You know how the winners of these award ceremonies are decided. You know you’ll not win the award. Why do you still participate each year, with a variation of the same design?” he asked.

Kayal was about to say something when her eyes met Shivani’s, who was standing with the shining crystal award, just ten feet on her right. Kayal smiled. Shivani walked up to talk to her.

“Hi, I am Shivani,” She said as Kayal nodded in affirmation. Shivani suddenly lowered her voice and said, “You know what, I think your design was the best. But you are familiar with how these award ceremonies work, right?”

Kayal shook her head to imply ‘No’.

Shivani paused for a second but continued, “Well, the judges are under obligation to pick up a winner representing the company sponsoring the -”

“Oh, not that,” Kayal interrupted in mid-sentence. “I said ‘no‘ to your assertion that my design was the best.”

“Isn’t it?” Shivani asked.

“No,” Kayal said. She smiled while her eyes twinkled. “I think it can be even better. I’ve got an idea.”

Destination Infinity

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Published on March 02, 2015 07:31

#Song of the Week: Danga Maari Oodhari (Anegan)

‘Danga Maari Oodhari’ is a Tamil “Kuthu” Song from the movie Anegan. The music has been composed by Harris Jeyaraj, and the song has been sung by Dhanush, Marana Gaana Viji and Naveen Madhav. Tamil Kuthu pattu is a famous genre both inside and outside TN. This one is slower but very catchy You need to try hard not to dance for these songs!

Destination Infinity

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Published on March 02, 2015 07:30

Insightful #Quote of the Week – John Lennon

“When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down, ‘Happy!’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment. I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon.

Destination Infinity

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Published on March 02, 2015 07:28

February 23, 2015

My Hyderabad Chronicles

I went to Hyderabad over the last weekend to attend the HYREX 2015 Renewable Energy expo and write about some interesting solar/renewable energy-based products/companies I found there in my renewable energy blog. I completed my work in one day, and had one and a half days left! So I thought why not meet some blog/author friends? That’s what I did

First, I met the popular author Rasana Atreya. She is perhaps the most popular Indie-published fiction writer in India. In spite of having a busy schedule, she spoke to me for 1.5 hours! We spoke a lot about fiction writing, publishing tools, book marketing, etc. Did you know her daughter is already an author of a children’s book and her son is the illustrator/cover designer for the same? Literary talent runs across the family, I guess!

Then I met the aspiring author and a fellow blogger, Manogna. While there, I ate the special Gajar Halwa prepared by her mom and loved it! For some reason, the interaction turned out to be very humorous and I am sure all of us had a lot of fun

Then I met the “Knowledge Powerhouse” Ushasri. This was the right opposite of the previous meet and we had serious discussion on diverse topics ranging from literature & life to solar energy. Usha can just talk about any topic under the sun and you know what – she can speak many languages.

Here are photos from two popular restaurants I visited while in Hyderabad:

Chutneys, Hyderabad: (Excellent food, Decent ambiance Good value for money)

Basera, Secunderabad: (Good food, Excellent ambiance, Expensive)

I used Airbnb.co.in to book a home stay. It was a good experience as I was able to live with a family in Hyderabad who, for a little extra cost, even provided me with healthy home cooked meals. In fact, a neighbor brought in food cooked at his home one night and all of us ate food together in the dining table. I spoke for a long time with each member of the family, and we spoke about various things. Uncle even suggested how I could save money by using buses on some routes, instead of auto.

There were two small issues I faced – this particular house/accommodation was my third choice. Before that, one person did not respond, and another said he was unable to accommodate me on the days I was there. So one needs to book in advance anticipating these delays.

Another minor issue was, I had to wait for 30 minutes outside the house as the family had gone out when I had come back. But since there was a park and a tea shop nearby, I went there and chilled out Not a big deal, really.

I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of home stays during travel. So based on my experience (only one though) I think you too can give it a try.

Destination Infinity

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Published on February 23, 2015 21:27

My Name mentioned again @ The Hindu!!

The Hindu newspaper has recently published my quote (and my name) in their Health & Wellness supplement. It reads:

‘Rajesh K, a resident of Anna Nagar for the last two decades has early memories of the health amenities in the area. “From an early age, I remember visiting Vishnu Eye Clinic and Senthil Nursing Home in Anna Nagar,” he says. “Nowadays we go to Sundaram Medical Foundation, mostly.” Rajesh also recalls of the time when the Madras Medical Mission Hospital was found. “In our school days, I remember standing on our apartment and watching the car of the then Chief Minister Dr. J. Jayalalitha who had come for both the foundation stone laying ceremony and the opening ceremony of Madras Medical Mission Hospital.”

At a time when healthcare is of utmost significance to the populace, Anna Nagar has done well and put itself on the map. With many well-known and reputed hospitals, and specialty clinics setting up in the area, the locale is fast becoming the epicenter of health amenities in the city. “I would also like to see the development of alternative/natural medicine systems like Siddha, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Naturopathy in Anna Nagar,” Opines Rajesh. “Anna Nagar was one of the pioneers in alternative medicine with the establishment of the Siddha Central Research Institute in the Arignar Anna Government Hospital campus near Anna Arch. I hope people will have more credible options for alternative health care in the future in this area.”

Wooohooooo

Destination Infinity

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Published on February 23, 2015 21:20

Insightful #Quote of the Week

“Haters are Confused Lovers.”

Destination Infinity

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Published on February 23, 2015 21:17

#Song of the Week: Zehnaseeb (Hase to Phase)

Zehnaseeb is an incredibly melodious and incredibly romantic song from the Bollywood movie Hase To Phase. This song has been composed by Vishal-Shekhar and has been sung by Chinmayee Sripada and Shekar Ravjiani. Enjoy

Destination Infinity

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Published on February 23, 2015 21:16

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