Good morning, Chennai!
🌧️ Today’s weather: Cloudy weather with some rain.
🧐 Did you know? The Labour Statue in Marina Beach was sculpted by Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury and erected in 1959. It’s a focal point of May Day celebrations in the city and was an ode to the country’s first-ever May Day rally that happened in Chennai in 1923.
🎭 Ayyanar and Aadiperukku celebrations
Chennai will host celebrations of the festival this week at DakshinaChitra.
What’s it about? DakshinaChitra will host the celebration of the Ayyanar and Aadiperukku festivals as the monsoon season begins. The festivals will showcase traditional crafts, artists, and folk performances.
- The festivities will include a procession with terracotta offerings that’ll make its way to the Ayyanar shrine at DakshinaChitra. The village and water festival is celebrated every year.
- Aadiperukku, also known as Pathiinettam Perukku, marks the worship and welcoming of the cultivation season for farmers. On the 18th day of the Aadi month, people gather to express thanks for the life-giving properties of water.
What’s in store? Part of the festivities at DakshinaChitra will be three folk dances. Thanjavur-based Selvarani will perform on July 28, and on the 29th, Malathi Selvam from Puducherry will perform Kaaliattam.
🚇 Metro name prefix
IOC will prefix its name before the Thirumangalam Metro station to generate non-fare revenue for the Metro.
What’s it about? The Indan Oil Corporation (IOC) will have its name alongside the Thirumangalam Metro Station for the next three years. It’s part of a contract that helps the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) generate non-fare revenue.
- The contract not only allows IOC to use its name, but the company can also use unused space in and around the station to install banners and stickers. The station’s colour shade will also likely change.
- The renaming won’t change the announcements made at the station. CMRL officials said the companies are urged to change the station aesthetics following Tamil Nadu’s culture and heritage.
Generating non-fare revenue: Since 2019, the CMRL has semi-renamed 22 stations in phase 1, like Muthoot Finance at the Nandanam station. CMRL has earned ₹16 crore annually as non-fare revenue. This is important since they can’t rely only on tickets.
🧬 Can organs talk to each other?
IIT Madras researchers have developed a system to study inter-organ interactions.
What’s it about? The researchers have developed a computational approach called “MultiCens”. It’ll be used to understand interactions between genes responsible for inter-organ communication. This type of communication is important for living organisms to survive.
- MultiCens, or, Multilayer/Multi tissue network Centrality measure, tools were developed and applied to publically available gene activity measurements from tissue samples.
- The genes important for functions within the organ for communication between organs can be identified. The inter-organ communication network (ICN) helps organs adapt to changes in their environment.
What’s the science? Each human cell has 20,000 genes. The tool helps researchers find out which proteins are active by identifying the active genes. Some are responsible for sending signals to organs. Genome-wide screens for genes aren’t available.
🎨 Art and enterprise meet
The RMZ Foundation continues to foster upcoming artistic talents and spaces.
What’s it about? The RMZ Foundation’s latest art project is a collaboration with Vadodara-based urban artist Avinash Kumar. The canvas is the lobby of One Paramount – Campus 10, a commercial campus in the corporate hub of Porur.
- The mural at One Paramount combines three panels that capture the essence of Tamil Nadu’s culture. It includes depictions of Marina Beach, chess, and state handicrafts like the Thanjavur doll and the terracotta horse.
- Avinash’s previous work in Coimbatore and Sriperumbudur was the result of his engaging with locals to exchange ideas and gain insights. The murals should resonate with people and be a reflection of their lives.
Art community: RMZ Foundation is continuing to engage with up-and-coming talent and provide Chennai with accessible art spaces. The foundation believes art and creativity fuel innovation.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you think Chennai should have dedicated bike lanes?
- Chennai should have dedicated bike lanes.
- Chennai shouldn’t have dedicated bike lanes.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What can civic officials do to help promote the cleanliness of public spaces?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The Civil Aviation Ministry has sent the request for the first stage site clearance for Chennai’s new airport at Parandur.
- Inadequate toilets in government schools have affected girl students.
- A global circularity agenda will be launched at the 4th meeting of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG).
- Pegatron Corporation, the technology company, is looking to expand its Chennai plant.
- The Chennai Corporation has cleared over 2,000 km of dead cables over the past ten months.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I am open to trying plant-based meat products: 62.5% 🏆
- I’m not open to trying plant-based meat products: 37.5%
That’s it for today. Have a great day!