Newsletter - September 2020
Read Coverting Letter
Dear Friends,
Daripalli Ramaiah known as Chetla (trees) Ramaiah born in 1937 is a social worker known for his social forestry initiatives. He is the recipient of the Padma Shri award for the year 2017, for his invaluable contribution to extending tree cover. On a mission to bring back the green cover, he is estimated to have planted more than 100 thousand saplings in and around Khammam district with a thrust on trees that provide shade, fruit-bearing plants, and Biodiesel plants with assured benefit to future generations.
He was born in Reddypally village in Khammam district, of Telangana. He had schooling till 10th standard. As a relentless campaigner of social forestry for more than 5 decades, Ramaiah himself cannot recall when it all exactly started. He remembers vaguely that as a child he often saw his mother saving the seeds of vegetable plants for the next Growing season. Ever since he was a child, he has been collecting seeds of native trees and many more in his mission to cover every barren land with trees.
Ramaiah transformed the famous quote "Plant a tree and save a life" into action rather than lecturing the benefits. Locals know him as a man with pockets full of seeds and who pedals miles together with an overload of saplings on his bicycle. He truly recognises the need to plant trees to save our environment and desperately plants saplings in each and every barren land he passes by. Sometimes he is accompanied by his wife and children from local schools. Though he never had any formal education, Ramaiah in his pursuit has read umpteen number of books on trees and the process of planting trees. He is considered as a walking encyclopedia on plants.
Stakeholders of Green Rameswaram project are also dreaming of making the entire island green by planting thousands of trees. Hope, they will get inspiration from Chetla Ramaiah.
This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:
- Dr. Sanjay Banerji in his blog writes about Sustainable Development Goal – 9 (Infrastructure, industrialization and innovation)
- Shri.Rangarajan, Chennai has started a new series on Thevaram related with Rameswaram.
- Shri.Paranthamam and Premkumar, REACH Foundation continues his blog on Archaeology of Rameswaram in Tamil
- Solid waste management work by Hand in Hand Inclusive Development Services, Chennai.
- Dr.A.Abirami, Programme Officer of C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center writes about the herbal plant – Engelmann Prickly Pear (Chapathi kalli)
- Revival and Renovation of Traditional water bodies – Arjuna Teertham
- Regular events for building Social capital such as cleaning of Traditional water bodies with the help of stakeholders, webinars etc. and finally
- ‘Green Rameswaram newsletter’ by the students and for the students of Rameswaram.
With best wishes,
Editorial TeamGreen Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram - 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 - 222296(office)
E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.greenrameswaram.org
Sustainable Development Goal - 9
By
Dr.Sanjay Banerji
Founder Director/Dean of Amrita School of Business
Dear Friends,
This month we shall discuss the 9th Sustainable Development Goal: Infrastructure, industrialization and innovation. In this blog, we shall try to explain:
In this blog, we shall try to explain:
- What it is and why is this relevant
- What are its indicators and targets?
- Where do we stand in India
- What can we do to support the goal
Thirumurai/Thevaram songs on Rameswaram
By
C.Rangarajan, Chennai
Saivite saint-poet Sri Gnanasambanda Perumaan has composed some beautiful hymns on Rameswaram. This comes as part of 3rd canto of “Thirumurai”, a compendium of devotional songs on Lord Siva.
அலைவளர் தண்மதி யோடய லேஅடக் கிஉமை
முலைவளர் பாகமு யங்கவல் லமுதல் வன்முனி
இலைவளர் தாழைகள் விம்முகா னலிரா மேச்சுரம்
தலைவளர் கோலநன் மாலையன் தானிருந் தாட்சியே.
இராமேஸ்வர சத்திரங்கள்
வே.பரந்தாமன் மற்றும்அ.பிரேம்குமார்
ரீச் பவுண்டேஷன், சென்னை
கொண்டேஸ்வர மடம்
இச்சத்திரம் கோயிலின் மேற்கு நுழைவாயிலின் இடதுபுறம் சுமார் 1 கி.மீ தொலைவில் உள்ளது. இங்குள்ள மருத்துவ குலத்தவர்கள் (முடி திருத்துவோர்) சுமார் 100 வருடங்களாக பயன்படுத்தி வருகின்றனர். இம்மண்டபம் சுமார் 200 ஆண்டுகள் பழமை வாய்ந்ததாகும் என்பதை இங்குள்ள கட்டிட அமைப்புகள் காட்டுகின்றன. மடத்தினுள் பளிங்குக் கற்களாலான காந்தியின் நின்ற சிற்பம் உள்ளது.
Solid Waste Management
By
Hand in Hand Inclusive Development and Services, Chennai
Training Programme for Green Friends
A training programme for Green Friends was conducted on 09th September at the Agnitheertham Office. The programme covered COVID-19 and awareness topic, wherein 93 Green Friends participated, in the presence of Sanitary Inspector and Medical Health Officer of Rameswaram.
Herbal Garden (Muligai Vanam)
Engelmann Prickly Pear
By Dr.A.Abirami
C.P.R. Environmental Education Center, Chennai
Distribution and Habitat
Prickly pears are members of the Cactacceae or cactus family, which includes about 130 genera and 1,500 species. The plant have originated in Mexico and distributed in arid and semi arid regions of the world, such as Australia, Africa, USA, Mediterranean basin and South East Asia. It prefers hillsides, desert basins, and canyon bottoms, growing often in juniper-oak woodlands, grasslands, and dry deserts. Opuntia engelmannii is a succulent branched shrub that grows up to 1.5 m tall.
Revival and Renovation of Water Bodies
Arjuna Teertham
By
Vivekananda Kendra – Nardep
Location
It is located on the main road leading to Ramar Padam
Form
It is in the form of a Pond
Mythological Story and Merit of this Teertham
Arjuna has done an intense Tapas using this Teertham along with his brothers to regain wealth. It is also said that this Teertham is good in terms of cleansing Sins and regaining power. Doing Dharma in the banks of this Teertha gives multifold punya.
Social Capital
By
Green Rameswaram Trust
Green Rameswaram Trust
Naga Teertham
On September 6, 2020 Naga Teertham was cleaned with the support of volunteers. Even though it is in the prime location in front of main temple it is not visited by locals as well as Pilgrims.
Nakula Teertham
On September 11, 2020, Nakula Teertham was cleaned by volunteers from Purohit association along with Green Rameswaram team.
Green Rameswaram newsletter (Tamil)
For students….
From students ..
1st issue – September 2020
From students ..
1st issue – September 2020
