Newsletter - May 2016

Rameshwaram, The Anchor Of Indian Renaissance 3

By Shri. Narendra Joshi

Rameshwaram is famous for Sri Rama, his epic Ramayana and especially the episode of Ram setu. Ramayana is in fact ingrained in the mind and culture of India.

Swami Vivekananda has spoken with lot of pride about Ramayana and also about the episode of squirrel and setubandhan which happened in Rameshwaram. From his words the deep influence and role of Ramayana in moulding our national character will be more clear. Following are some of the quotes of Swamiji.:

'Rama the ancient idol of the heroic ages, the embodiment of truth, of morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, the ideal father and above all an ideal king. No language can purer, none chaster, none more beautiful and at the same time simpler than the language in which the great sage Valmiki depicted the life story of Rama. ..And what to speak of Sita? You may exhaust the literature of the whole world that is past, and I may assure you that you will have to exhaust the literature of the future, before finding another Sita. Sita is unique, she has gone into the very vitals of our race. She is there in the blood of every Hindu; we all are children of Sita.’ The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda by Swami Vivekananda Volume 3, Lectures from Colombo to Almora.

Hand in Hand India

Work in Rameswaram with ONGC Support

Hand in Hand has partnered with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), a public enterprise under Government of India, through a CSR initiative to implement solid waste management at four wards of Rameswaram at Ramanathapuram District. The project is jointly implemented by ONGC, Hand in Hand and Rameswaram municipality benefitting about 3000 residents.

ONGC has come forward to improve infrastructural facilities and recurring expenses at four wards of the town under CSR initiative. The project aims at reducing the quantum of waste that ends up in the dump yards through sustainable solid waste management practices. It will strive for maximum waste recovery through composting, recycling, and reuse, and aims at minimizing the waste being dumped in the dump yards. The project components also include sensitization on source segregation of waste among the residents of Rameswaram Island. The capacity of local government body, community and students will be built.

NAKSHATRA VANAM

Poison Nut Tree for Aswini Nakshatra

It is a deciduous evergreen medium sized tree grows upto 40 feet and is native to East India, Burma, Thailand, China, and Northern Australia. The leaves are oval in shape with glossy coat and arranged in opposite decussate. The leaves are about 3 – 4 inches long and 2 – 3 inches wide. The flowers are small and funnel shaped and pale green in colour. The fruit are orange in color and are the size of a small apple. Inside the fruit are five seeds surrounded by a jelly-like pulp.

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Renovation of Traditional Water Bodies (TWB)
in the Island of Rameshwaram

By Vivekananda Kendra - nardep

Rameshwaram is the South Indian island that has been center of pilgrimages from time immemorial. Though situated in the arid district of Ramanathapuram, the island has been endowed with 64 traditional water harvesting and management structure. Out of 64 TWB 41 are situated around the island well distributed in the community areas. The revival of these structures has ecological, economical and cultural significance for the people of the island as well as the floating population which is as large as 10 million per annum. The following benefits envisioned in the renovation of these water bodies which are today abandoned, polluted, ruined and in state of endangered extinction.

Ecological Potential of each TWB: Recharging of ground water and Rainwater harvesting; aquaculture as well as use for revival of an ‘infant forest’ (nandavanam) with a specific keystone species.

Social Engineering

By Vivekananda Kendra - nardep

We are utilizing the services of groups and institutions visiting Rameshwaram for carrying out ‘Mass Cleaning Campaigns’. This is part of Social engineering as it helps the communities involvement as well as the people participating in it carries the message to their own places and carry out such work after getting inspiration. In this month 65 students and 3 staff members from Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF), Thoothukkudi participated in the cleaning campaign.

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