Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 31 ℃ | Low: 25 ℃ | Clear skies for today.
🧐 Did you know? Professional boxing flourished in the working-class quarter of North Chennai from the 1940s till the 1990s. Prizefighting bouts attracted as many as 10,000 people at Nehru Stadium and Scouts Ground.
🎨 AR exhibition
French artist Aurélien Jeanney’s Augmented Reality (AR) exhibition showcases the intersection of art and technology.
What’s it about? An international celebration of art and technology, titled Novembre Numérique, comes to Chennai thanks to the French Institute in India and Alliance Française Network. Among the highlights is the Looki Look exhibition by Aurélien Jeanney.
- Looki Look is a look-and-find game using AR. The participant finds hidden objects in ten posters using a free AR app on their smartphone. There are 120 objects to discover.
- The principle behind the technology is adding digital content to the real world through a screen on a phone or tablet. It allows the viewer to become a part of the exhibition due to its interactive nature.
History: A decade ago, a Swiss science fiction museum invited Aurélien to create a collection of illustrations and posters on the books of Jules Verne. The idea was to create an immersive exhibition for kids to play with AR so they could be immersed in the stories.
💃 Contemporary Kathak
Kattan Katti from the Pagrav Dance Company blends traditional Kathak with modern elements.
What’s it about? Dancer Anita Ratnam’s 32-year-long career has helped showcase and champion over 250 artists. This month, she brings Kattam Katti by the UK-based Pagrav Dance Company, blending traditional Kathak with modern elements. The show premieres at the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall.
- The aim is to introduce audiences to a narrative inspired by the colourful and competitive kite-flying festival of Uttarayan in Gujarat. The kites are a symbol as they fly above man-made borders to be free.
- The 55-minute show features scenes and episodes that portray the highs and lows of kite-flying. The choreography is by Urja Desai Thakore, the artistic director of Pagrav Dance Company.
For Chennai audiences: The production had a successful run in the UK and earned praise for its artistic and emotional depth. Chennai audiences will now experience how it portrays contemporary issues with traditions.
🥊 Training budding boxers
The Chennai Corporation plans to open an indoor boxing ring in Old Washermenpet.
What’s it about? The Corporation has floated a tender to build the indoor boxing ring at Kanni Koil Street in Old Washermenpet. The new complex is being planned to promote sports development among youngsters in North Chennai.
- The court, spanning 187 square metres will be housed within a rectangular structure 15 metres long and 12.5 metres wide. The facility is expected to cost ₹31 lakh and have a boxing ring with amenities like punching bags and skipping ropes.
- According to the Councillor of Ward 48 V Vijayalakshmi Vijayakumar, about 50 students of different age groups practice at the Robinson playground in Royapuram. They requested an indoor facility since their practice gets affected during the rainy season.
Another boxing facility: The civic body is building an indoor boxing stadium in Perambur Agaram. It spans over 4,500 sq ft under the Singara Chennai 2.0 initiative.
🧹 Cleaning up post Fengal
The Chennai Corporation collected over 7,000 metric tonnes of garbage and debris since Cyclone Fengal’s landfall.
What’s it about? Following heavy rains due to the cyclone, the Chennai Corporation deployed additional workers and intensified cleaning activities throughout the city. Several fallen trees and branches were cleared using tree-cutting machines.
- Over 9,000 sanitation workers removed nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of waste and debris on Sunday. On Monday, over 3,600 metric tonnes of waste was cleared. The highest amount collected was 631 metric tonnes in Royapuram.
- Ahead of the cyclone, the civic body closed public parks as a precaution. Once the rains subsided, workers began cleaning 871 parks of the municipal corporation.
Cleaning the shores: Water hyacinth and vegetation from Cooum River near the Napier Bridge washed out to Marina Beach. The Corporation’s private contractor, Urbaser Sumeet, has been cleaning the shorelines.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Have you ever flown a kite?
- I have flown a kite.
- I haven’t flown a kite.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What do you think is the biggest misconception about Chennai?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Dr MGR Medical University will soon develop a user-friendly e-resource database.
- Avadi Corporation residents lamented over waterlogging and a blocked drainage system despite minimal cyclone impact.
- Anna University will train Madhya Pradesh farmers and women in using drone technology.
- The flooded Chennai-Trichy highway forced motorists to take 20-25 km detours.
- The Secretariat and DPI complex will soon get charging stations for electric vehicle users.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I would support a social media ban: 50.0% 🏆
- I wouldn’t support a social media ban: 50.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
How often do you buy a new phone?
Kavi: “Once in 4 years”
Rangarajan: “Once in 3 years”
Dinesh: “About every 3 years”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!