Good morning, Chennai!
☀️ Today’s weather: High: 34 ℃ | Low: 23 ℃ | Warm and sunny for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and Government Ophthalmic Hospital (RIO GOH) in Egmore is Asia’s first ophthalmology hospital and the second oldest in the world.
🚌 Mahabalipuram bus stand
The CMDA has begun building a new bus stand at Mahabalipuram.
What’s it about? The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has begun work on the new bus stand, which is expected to be complete by next September. So far, a small ground has been the bus stand opposite the Perumal temple.
- The new modern bus stand will be spread across 6.9 acres. Mahabalipuram’s first two-storey bus stand will have 48 bus bays.
- The first floor will have bus bays, retail shops and other passenger amenities. The second floor will have a restaurant, a control room, and dorms for drivers and passengers.
Necessity: The existing bus stand can accommodate only 10 buses at a time. Mahabalipuram gets a large number of visitors on the weekends and holidays with a floating population of 25,000 to 1 lakh.
🎨 Showcasing students’ creativity
A new art exhibition at The Pupil Saveetha Eco School showcased artworks and creative creations.
What’s it about? The three-day exhibition’s theme is ‘Unveiling the creative trilogy of story, dream, and art’. Students acted as guides for the visitors as guests walked through the halls and spoke of their year-long commitment to their art forms.
- The exhibition showcased 3,000 framed artworks, 250 ceramic pieces, over 100 carpentry creations, recycled shoes, and textile displays. All the artworks were on sale, and the tools used were also on display.
- Some students made ceramic objects from scratch, while others weaved colourful threads. In the photography sections, students could see their photos printed and displayed.
Encouraging the younger generation: Artist and production designer Thota Tharrini visited the exhibition and had an interactive session with some of the students. He appreciated their talents and the importance of nurturing art from a young age.
🤝 A social meet-up
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The Oopar Panchayat brings together people from different backgrounds for stimulating conversations.
What’s it about? The Oopar Club was founded as a platform for people to break free from their day-to-day work commitments and facilitate connections with people from different backgrounds.
- The Oopar Club isn’t a dating community or a professional network. It’s a social community that fosters genuine friendships among adults. The club’s mobile app is a virtual hub for members to stay connected.
- The club organises offline events in cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru. They’re set to host a unique event called Oopar Panchayat in Chennai.
Something different: The goal is for an experience different from watching a movie or a standup show, according to one of the club’s founders, Sagar Agarwal. The prompts and tools provided ensure it’s easy to break the ice among the participants.
🗺️ Vending zones issue
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Street vendors want the Corporation to revise the list of vending zones.
What’s the story so far? Last April, after the town vending commission election, the Chennai Corporation held a meeting with the zonal chairman and vendors’ association. The list of vending and non-vending zones was finalised with no discussion among the committee’s members.
- Two vending committee members said the list contained commercial hubs as non-vending zones. This would affect their business.
- Commercial areas like Besant Nagar and NSC Bose Road weren’t listed, and no alternates were provided. This left hundreds of vendors in limbo.
What’s being done? The committee members and the association will submit a petition to the Corporation Commissioner to revise the list in all 15 zones.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Catch “Hold the Mushrooms”, an English play centred around a middle-aged couple, this Saturday.
- Maestros of music come together for Splendor of Masters this Saturday.
- Music lovers can catch Darshan Raval live in concert this Sunday.
- An interactive art experience awaits in The Last Universe this Sunday.
- For Women’s Day, share music and stories at a special open mic this Sunday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have had a tooth filled: 25.0%
- I haven’t had a tooth filled: 75.0% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
If you could be one animal for a day, which would it be?
Suchi: “A Puppy”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!