Aquarium in San Thome open to public

Reported by Praveshika kumar

This summer you may want to check out the aquarium at the Zoological Survey of India campus at San Thome High Road.
This place displays a variety of fish found along the coast of India and some got from the coast off Rameswaram.

Staffer Govindarajan said that they have sea life exhbited here under categories like fish crustaceans and reptiles.

Govindarajan also told me that this centre has been here for the past 20 years.

The fish in the aquarium are fed with live fish from time to time.
 
The rare aquatic life that I found here were the ocean eel and the sea cucumber which is supposed to be an  Echinoderms or boneless fishes.

This place is open from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm on all days. This place is at No 130, San Thome High Road, Foreshore Estate, Chennai - 600028.
Phone - 24643255 or 24643378

Centre for art, cookery courses

Reported by Praveshika Kumar

Shrishti the School of Culinary Arts and Crafts which is owned by Latha Mani Rajkumar teaches arts and crafts for both children and adults.
She has been awarded the Mother Teresa Excellence Award 2010 and Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal Award 2011.
She told me that she always liked to draw and did so from her second standard.
Latha did a diploma in arts and later studied catering. She has specialized in Tanjore painting. She said that she wanted to teach art because she was inspired by her teachers.
In her institute, she takes children who are 3/12 years and above to seniors.
She teaches basic drawing and the different styles of painting like glass painting, mural art and Tanjore painting, etc.
She said that even doctors learn from her as art is a stress buster for people who really enjoy doing it.

Latha also teaches cake making, cosmetology and tailoring.

The centre is open from 9:00 am till 7:00 pm
At New no 17, Second Link street C.I.T Colony, Mylapore. Contact – 044-24992586 /             +91-9884415279    

Janaki runs a library in Mandaveli that is 27 years old

Reported by Praveshika kumar

Leo Library is run by a senior lady called Janaki Neelamani. It is a lending library in Mandaveli and it has been there for the past 27 years but the library is very small.

Janaki Neelamani is an author for more than 20 Tamil books. In the library they have old Tamil novels and childrens comics too.
Though small, this place have over 2000 members.

The membership fee is rupees 100 to register and. the fee to lend each book is starts from rupees two and goes up to 10. The lending period for each book is 10 days and extension is also available accordingly.

She told me that the former chief minister M. Karunanidi has awarded her and given her 5 lakhs.

This library is located at 37, Mandaveli Street, Chennai 600028.
Contact: Jananki Neelamani-             +91-9444542733    

Skating Classes in Mandaveli

Reported by Praveshika Kumar

Skating classes are held at V-Excel, a special school in Mandaveli.

They teach skating for children as well as for autistic children.

These classes have been on for the past 6 years.

Children who are 31/2 years and above can sign up and the monthly fee is Rs.1000. Classes are held thrice a week.
Vijay is the instructor here.
This school is located at: # 1, Norton 2nd Street, Mandaveli.
Contact: 24956373 / 24620243 / 24613525