2024

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram.

According to an old Native American legend,
one day there was a big fire in the forest.
All the animals fled in terror in all directions, because it was a very violent fire.

Suddenly,
the jaguar saw a hummingbird pass over his head,
but in the opposite direction.
The hummingbird flew towards the fire!
Whatever happened,
he wouldn’t stop.

Moments later,
the jaguar saw him pass again,
this time in the same direction as the jaguar was walking.
He could observe this coming and going until he decided to ask the bird about it because it
seemed very bizarre behavior.

“What are you doing, hummingbird?”
he asked.

“I am going to the lake,” he answered,
“I drink water with my beak and throw it on the fire to extinguish it.”
The jaguar laughed.
‘Are you crazy?
Do you really think that you can put out that big fire on your own with your very small beak?’

‘No,’ said the hummingbird,
‘I know I can’t.
But the forest is my home.
It feeds me,
it shelters me and my family.
I am very grateful for that.
And I help the forest grow by pollinating its flowers.
I am part of her and the forest is part of me.
I know I can’t put out the fire,
but I must do my part.’
At that moment,
the forest spirits,
who listened to the hummingbird,
were moved by the birdie and its devotion to the forest.
And miraculously they sent a torrential downpour,
which put an end to the great fire.

The Native American grandmothers would occasionally tell this story to their grandchildren,
then conclude with,
“Do you want to attract miracles into your life?
Do your part.”

Listen to the story by clicking the following link:
https://youtu.be/CMrEJ4oT7gc?si=_a7wdrhfLiPMuWvI

We at Green Rameswaram also follow the above principle by reminding ourselves that our role is only of the squirrel and never get disheartened by our slow progress or failures with a hope that a miracle will happen.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Usual work carried out by Hand in Hand Inclusive Development Services in “Solid waste management”
• Dr. A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant – Betel Vine (Vetrilai)
• In Landscaping and Beautification, “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” – Special Plantation drive Programme
• Regular Teertha Poojas and Awareness programme
• In Livelihood – Eco-tourism and Tailoring classes
• In Social capital – Village level competitions, Students competitions, SHG competitions, Gita Jayanti, Palsuvai Nigalchi, Navy day celebration, Webinars and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram.

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Railway Feeder Road, Opp. To Hotel Vinayaka
Rameswaram – 623526
Ph: 04573 – 299496(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram.

Salim Ali (12 November 1896 – 20 June 1987) was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Sometimes referred to as the “Birdman of India”, Salim Ali was the first Indian to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and wrote several bird books that popularized ornithology in India.

Rameshwaram is best known for its beautiful beaches and temples. But many do not know that Rameshwaram is home to a thriving water bird sanctuary, making it a must-visit place for bird lovers.

The Water Bird Sanctuary is located on Rameshwaram Island and on the way to Dhanushkodi. The sanctuary covers an area of over 2 square kilometers and is home to a diverse range of bird species. Some of the most common birds in the sanctuary includes spot-billed pelican, painted stork, and Asian openbill stork. These birds are known to migrate to the area during winter, making it the perfect time to visit the sanctuary.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Shri.Rangarajan continues to translate a couple of shlokas from the rare book on Ramanathaswami Temple
• Usual work carried out by Hand in Hand Inclusive Development Services in “Solid waste management”
• Dr. A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant – Coriander (Dhanyak)
• In Landscaping and Beautification, we covered the establishment of Nandavanam – Sacred Groves in Sri Ramanathaswamy temple
• In Maintenance of Traditional water bodies covers – Teertha Pooja, Shramadanam and Awareness programme
• In Livelihood – Eco-tourism, AI and Tailoring classes etc.
• In Social capital – Green Rameswaram Varga, Webinars and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram.

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram – 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 – 299496(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram.

Nature teaches us what is good for our health. There are many Fruits and Vegetables that look like the Body Part. And surprisingly they are useful for the respective organ. This YouTube will enlighten you
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12rtUtZ72R4i10vYLSPYQWO6y2BqvxaG6/view?usp=sharing.

We at Rameswaram are promoting kitchen / terrace garden as a part of Livelihood project which helps the stakeholders in nutritional security and in turn helps in improving their health.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Shri.Rangarajan continues to translate a couple of shlokas from the rare book on Ramanathaswami Temple
• Usual work carried out by Hand in Hand Inclusive Development Services in “Solid waste management”
• Dr. A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant – Pudina (Marsh Mint)
• In Social capital – Teertha Poojas, Universal Brotherhood day celebrations, Awareness programme on Water Conservation, International Tourism day celebration, Receiving award, Eco-tourism, Webinars and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram.

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram – 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 – 222296(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram.

“The Sudden demise of Indian vultures killed thousands of people”. Writes the famous journal “The Economist” without “nature’s sanitation service” pathogens spread into the water supply. Every species on this earth play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance. When one species is removed, it causes serious disturbances to the ecological balance and it will have a profound negative effect on other organisms including humans. We, in our project – Green Resilient Rameswaram – always emphasise on preserving and maintaining the bio-diversity.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Dr.Sanjay Banerji writes on “Sustainable Living-3”
• Shri.Rangarajan continues to translate a couple of shlokas from the rare book on Ramanathaswami Temple
• Usual work carried out by Hand in Hand Inclusive Development Services in “Solid waste management”
• Dr. A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant –  Peppermint (Paparaminta)
• In Social capital – Teertha Poojas, Independence day celebrations, Krishna Jayanthi celebration, Webinars and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram.
• Shradhanjali to our close friend and well-wisher Shri.K.Shivakumar of Gandhigram Trust, Dindigul.

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram – 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 – 222296(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org

July 2024, Vol.9;  No.05

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram.

In this month, we witnessed the worst manmade disaster at Wayanad, Kerala. Kerala forms a part of the Western Ghats that is considered the ‘protector’ of the Indian peninsula. Its rich biodiversity is nourished by moderate tropical temperatures along the coast of Arabian Sea, and a good amount of rainfall.

But in recent years, the Arabian Sea often deviated from its calm nature under the influence of increasing cyclones. Since 2019, the region has experienced four major storms and the frequency of intense tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea is expected to increase in the coming years. In addition, the unplanned and uncontrolled development took the heavy toll. Hope, the authorities at every level from Panchayat onwards will learn the lessons and will opt for real sustainable development. We on our part are trying to create “Green Resilient Rameswaram” since the year 2013.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Dr.Sanjay Banerji writes on “Sustainable Living-2”
• Shri.Rangarajan continues to translate a few shlokas from the rare book on Ramanathaswami Temple
• Usual work carried out by Hand in Hand Inclusive Development Services in “Solid waste management”
• Dr. A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant –  Bramhadhandi (Swarnakshiri)
• In Social capital – Teertha Poojas, Guru Poornima celebrations, Mangrove Forest plantation, Jagadguru Sri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal’s visit, Green transport, Webinars and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram.

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram – 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 – 222296(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org

Dear Friends,

Namaskaram.

5th June is celebrated as World Environment Day. This year the focus is on land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience under the slogan “Our land. Our future.

According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40 per cent of the planet’s land is degraded, directly affecting half of the world’s population. The number and duration of droughts have increased by 29 per cent since 2000 – without urgent action, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.

We at Green Rameswaram are trying our best to reduce the soil degradation by planting trees every month in some or the other areas of Rameswaram.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Dr.Sanjay Banerji started a new blog on “Sustainable Living”
• Shri.Rangarajan continues to translate a few shlokas from the rare book on Ramanathaswami Temple
• Usual work carried out by Hand in Hand Inclusive Development Services in “Solid waste management”
• Dr. A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant –  Kandankathiri (Kantkari)
• In Social capital – Teertha  Poojas, International Yoga day and Environment day celebrations, Cleaning campaigns, Miyawaki Forest plantation, Green transport, Webinars and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram.

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram – 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 – 222296(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org

Dear Friends,

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by Earthday.Org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics.” 2025 will be the 55th anniversary of Earth Day. Incidentally, last year, Green Rameswaram team prepared a detailed project report  (DPR) on plastic pollution in the “Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve” along with our partner Hand in Hand India.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Dr.Sanjay Banerji in his blog updates us about ‘Novel Entities’ with reference to Planetary Boundaries framework
• Shri.Rangarajan continues to translate a few shlokas from the rare book on Ramanathaswami Temple
• Usual work carried out by Hand in Hand Inclusive Development Services in “Solid waste management
• Dr. A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant –  Musumusukkai (Paripushkara)
• In Social capital – Teertha Poojas, Deepa pooja, Green transport, Webinars, Shrandhanjali Sabha and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram – 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 – 222296(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org

Dear Friends,

We are working to create “Green Resilient Rameswaram” since 2014. After working for 10 years, we have brought out a prestigious coffee table book – “Rameswaram – A Congregation of Tides and Blessings”. It covers the multi-dimensional facets of this holy city apart from Ramanathaswami temple. You can see the promo by clicking the link.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Dr.Sanjay Banerji in his blog updates us about ‘Novel Entities’ with reference to Planetary Boundaries framework
• Shri.Rangarajan continues to translate a few shlokas from the rare book on Ramanathaswami Temple
• Dr. A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant –  Stone Breaker  (Bhumyamalaki)
• In Social capital – Teertha Poojas, State level Island Development Committee meeting, Webinars, Homage to Shri.Hegdeji and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram – 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 – 222296(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org

Dear Friends,

Recently, we came across a very educative audio visual with a title – “Nature, earth and life on earth are based on principles of alliances, partnership and collaborations”. We at Rameswaram are trying to have such alliances and partnership with the local community as well as with the flora and fauna of Rameswaram Island which in turn will help in creating “Green Resilient Rameswaram”.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Dr.Sanjay Banerji in his blog writes the final article on “Financial Accounting”
• Shri.Rangarajan, translates a few shlokas from the rare book on Ramanathaswami Temple
• Dr.A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant –  Anantamool  (Nannari)
• In Social capital – Teertha Poojas, Celebration of Anna pooja, Deepa pooja, Yoga competition, Webinars and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram – 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 – 222296(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org

Dear Friends,

During G20 summit, Govt. of India screened a very heart touching documentary Meet My Mom. https://youtu.be/AE8zjQiwanI Indirectly, India showcased its wild life to the entire world. We at Rameswaram too in a small way like a Rama’s squirrel contribute by showcasing the beauty of migratory birds and marine bio-diversity of the Gulf of Mannar.

This month’s newsletter has the following highlights:

• Dr.Sanjay Banerji in his blog writes on Financial Statement preparation
• Shri.Rangarajan, translates a few shlokas from the rare book on Ramanathaswami Temple
• Dr.A.Abirami, Programme Officer of the C.P.R. Environmental Educational Center, Chennai writes on the herbal plant –  Guduchi  (Seenthil kodi)
• Revival and Renovation of Teerthams – we are covering awareness programmes
• In Social capital – Teertha Poojas, Celebration of Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi, Celebration  10th Foundation day of Green Rameswaram Trust, Webinars and finally newsletter by the students and for the students of Rameswaram

With best wishes,

Editorial Team
Green Rameswaram Project
Mahabeer Dharmasala
Rameswaram – 623526
Tamilnadu.
Ph: 04573 – 222296(office)
E-mail: greenrameswaram@gmail.com
Web:  www.greenrameswaram.org