Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: High: 35 ℃ | Low: 26 ℃ | Cloudy weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? Muthulakshmi Reddy, the first Indian woman to obtain a university medical degree, graduated from Madras Medical College.
📷 Capturing Chandrayaan-3
City-based photographer Dheeraj Khandelwal presents his photo sequence of the Chandrayaan-3 launch.
What’s it about? Last July, India made history when ISRO launched the Chandrayaan-3, which touched down near the moon’s south pole for the first time. Dheeraj was at hand with his Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera and a 400mm lens to capture the launch. It’s presented in his “Footprints on the Moon” photo sequence.
- Preparations began a month before launch. Two weeks of research followed and three hours of waiting for the entry pass, followed by four hours of scouting near the launch view gallery for the best spot.
- He drew inspiration from shots of the SpaceX launches. To get the perfect shot, he used the lightning diverters around the rocket as a guide to determine its trajectory.
Learning for the next launch: For the PSLV-C56 launch last July, he was better prepared. Next up is ISRO’s launch of the Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2025.
🎭 Artists on campuses
Artist on Campus is an event curated to promote young independent artists across Chennai’s college campuses.
What’s it about? The initiative is by students of the Madras School of Social Work (MSSW) and the team from artist.chennai, where all proceeds will help young student artists through the Inner Wheel Club of Chennai Symphony organisation.
- The goal is to bring groups of artists together for a good cause. It involves music, comedy, dance, acting, and painting.
- The Backdoor is one of the plays that’s presented at the event. For the students participating in the various events, it’s a way of using different art forms to give back.
About Inner Wheel: The Inner Wheel Club of Chennai Symphony is 11 years old and has 42 members. Their projects focus on educating girls, women, and transgender persons.
🏞️ Kalaignar Park opening soon
The park, named after the former Chief Minister, will be opened to the public later this month.
What’s it about? India’s first supertree tower park at Cathedral Road will be inaugurated by Chief Minister MK Stalin later this month. The Kalaignar Centenary Park is named after the DMK supremo and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
- It has been developed by the state Horticulture Development Agency along the lines of London’s Royal Botanical Gardens and Dubai’s Miracle Garden.
- The park has an air-conditioned glass house and a 10-storey supertree tower with viewing decks. Exotic flowers and plants have been brought in from other countries.
Connecting parks: The Senganthal Park is to the north. The Semmozhi Park to the south will be connected to the Kalaignar Centenary Park by a footbridge.
🛣️ ECR expansion hurdles
Efforts to expand East Coast Road (ECR) have emerged with evidence of ecological violations.
What’s it about? Environmental activists and fishermen in the area presented evidence to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on alleged ecological violations by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
- Photos were presented that showed the NHAI illegally dumped soil and rubble in the sensitive tidal zones of Odaiyur Lake, between Kalpakkam and Marakkanam. This area falls within the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ).
- The NHAI’s actions went against its April status report, which stated water flow would be blocked on only one side of the lagoon. However, both sides were blocked which restricts nutrients and sediments carried by the tides.
Difficult history: Projects in this area have had a difficult completion history. The Mamallapuram-Puducherry section of the ECR expansion project faced delays and was only resolved in 2022.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Shop for arts & crafts at the Indian Artisan Bazaar this weekend onwards.
- Shopping, food, and fun await with over 30 brands at The Bazaar this Saturday.
- Catch the maestro himself at Ilaiyaraaja live in concert this Sunday.
- Travel to Babylon 500 BC in the unique Mathemagician this weekend.
- Experience music and theatre at The First Serve – A Concert Drama Fest this weekend.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I would live in a different country for a year: 66.7% 🏆
- I wouldn’t live in a different country for a year: 33.3%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
How many books do you read in a year?
Suchi: “7 to 8 books”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!