Gayathri's terrace garden has lots of medicinal plants

 

               By Aparna Natarajan / Class of 2024

School View Road resident Gayathri has been maintaining a terrace garden for almost 15 years. 

She grows mostly medicinal herbal plants. 

Gayathri is keen to take guests on a tour of the garden and explain the medicinal properties of the various  plants, such as ranagalli ( which helps break down kidney stones), keezhanelli (used to treat jaundice), sorgamaram (which provides a rich supply of oxygen and whose bark is used to treat early stages of cancer).

Gayathri said she had at one time close to 300 plants but lost several to the extreme heat and to intense rain during the monsoon.

She resides in R. A. Puram.

During holidays, these children play, go to the Marina, do some craftwork.

 

               By V. Elavarasi / Class of 2024

     So what do children enjoying their summer holidays do in a place like Annai Sathya Nagar, a nagar where mostly middle class families reside in R. A. Puram?

    Sarvesh said he spends his holiday attending a football camp, twice daily. He then plays with his friends in his colony.

Magizhini and her brother Pavithran said they have been making crafts from waste material. They also visit the local park in the evenings everyday.They reside in S. K. Puram.

        Oviya and her sisters Nisha and Keerthi have invited their relatives from their native village to spend the holidays with them. They have plans to visit Marina beach and an amusement park.

Desserts shop's special offer for students. In R. A. Puram

                 

             By Kanika Sriram / Class of 2024

Brownie Heaven is a shop for desserts and is in R. A. Puram. It has a special ongoing offer for students.

Students can claim a discount equal to their Board exam percentage.

This offer is valid only for dine-in customers, only on the sizzling Brownies here and is available till June 30.

This shop is located on 3rd Cross Street (near Sangeetha restaurant ) in R. A. Puram.

The physical mark-sheet must be shown at the shop to claim the offer. 

Mandaveli instructor offers yoga course online

 

                          By Aparna Natarajan / Class of 2024

Sukanya Ramanathan, who resides at Norton Street, Mandaveli, takes online yoga classes from her home. 

She says she introduces various different styles of yoga (such as Vinyasa and Hatha) in her classes and also includes sessions using props. 

She handles two online batches in the morning - a beginner’s level course and an intermediate level batch thrice a week and later, an advanced level batch thrice a week. 

She has several certifications, including E-RYT 500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher), RPYT (Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher), RCYT (Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher) which she says she got under the Yoga Alliance (USA). 

To join her course, call 9940678160. 

Toppers in Std.10 exams at Rani Meyyammai Girls School

 

             By V. Elavarasi / Class of 2024

    The toppers of Rani Meyyammai Girls Higher Secondary School in R A Puram scored high marks in the St.10 exams, results for which were announced last week.

 

      The following are the toppers of the school: S. Divya -484 marks; V. Monica - 464 marks and M. Kalaiselvi - 458 marks.

      

      The school’s pass percentage is 81%

     

Headmistress Amutha said,"I'm happy about the show by the toppers but the overall pass percentage of the school has disappointed me. We will work hard to ensure we get 100% next year.”

Colony temple renovated; re-opens

 

             By Kanika Sriram / Class of 2024

A Sri Vinayakar temple in a R. A. Puram colony has been recently re-opened after renovation.

The temple is located adjacent to Ragamalika Apartments on Second Main Road. This festival will continue till the second week of June.

Fallen tree on R. H. Road not cleared immediately

By V. Elavarasi / Class of 2024

   A roadside tree outside Luz Bazzar on R. K. Mutt Road, Mylapore which was seen lying on the ground was not cleared by civic staff for a long time. It was not clear if the tree crashed down or was chopped.

Large-scale work on Chennai Metro is going on in this area.

Auto-driver Revathi is based in R. A. Puram

 

By Kanika Sriram / Class of 2024

Revathi is one of the few female auto-rickshaw drivers from R.A.Puram. She said she first learnt how to drive the vehicle from her husband and has been driving an auto for about a year now. 

She said she enjoys this job and loves taking people rides.

Open-air gym in GCC park in R. K. Nagar draws many people

 

               By Aparna Natarajan / Class of 2024

The Chennai Corporation park located at R. K. Nagar, 2nd Main Road,  has more than just the standard swings, slides, monkey-bars and merry-go-rounds one usually sees at local parks. 

This large park has a badminton court. In the evenings, neighbourhood children gather here and team up to train and play matches. 

The park also has several fitness equipment used by the regulars here, including the elderly who are here for their morning or evening walk.

One equipment is similar to a steering wheel in both looks and application that helps strengthen the wrists and arms.

One other allows a person to sit on the chair and uses the arms’ strength to pull themselves up using the bars provided on the sides. 

Another piece of equipment works like an offline treadmill.

Koozh sold near Greenways Road rail station

                 

               By V. Elavarasi / Class of 2024

A senior hawker sells bajra koozh (kambu koozh) on the road opposite the MRTS Greenways Road station in R. A. Puram. The cost of one glass of koozh in Rs.25.

Koozh is very cooling and a good drink in summer.

The hawker is here as long as the koozh lasts.

Durga Devi's snacks stall on mada street does well

               

          By Chara Shree Katare / Class of 2024

Durga Devi sells traditional home-made snacks like sambar vada, sundal, boli, kolukattai and gulab jamun at a roadside stall set up on East Mada Street.

She also sells a variety of appalams and ghee. 

She said set up the stall during the Panguni Utsavam of Sri Kapalin Temple, Mylapore. It still runs strong today. She also uses eco-friendly thonnais to pack the food.

The snacks are priced around Rs. 20. 

The stall is adjacent to Vadaamalar and is open from 4 pm to about 7:30 pm

.

Community on Dr Ranga Road makes, shares buttermilk to pedestrians, workers

By Vihaan Venkateswaran / Class of 2024

As the sun beats down, passersby near Sabari Book House on Dr.Ranga Road, Mylapore, can stop at a stall on the roadside and have a cup of buttermilk.

This service is provided by local residents.

Kamala, the head of this service, says this gesture is for people who work in this heat. 

Kamala and her group of seven, make around 50-70 liters of buttermilk everyday and give it out.  They provide this service everyday from 11 am to 1 pm at this spot.

Lok Sabha polling: at Mylapore school

              By Chara Shree Katare / Class of 2024

On April 19, polling day, only a few people who were in the queue that evening at booths at Lady Sivaswamy Ayyar Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Mylapore. 

Many had cast their votes in the morning. 

It did not take these voters much time to cast the ballot.

Lok Sabha polling; at Mandaveli

                 

           By Laya Subramanian/ Class of 2024

On polling day, April 19, long queues formed outside the voting booth in Chennai Primary School at Sringeri Mutt Road, as early as 7:30 am. 

Many voters said they wanted to beat the heat and so came here early.

Polling was brisk here.

Polling at booth at St.Francis Xavier Matric School, Alwarpet.

By Vihaan Venkateswaran / Class of 2024

On April 19, polling day, around 4:15 p.m., the final stages of polling was on at the booths at St. Francis Xavier Matriculation School, in TTK Road, Alwarpet.

With only a few people coming in to vote, the police officers and polling officers, slowly wrapped things up.  Voters then took less than two minutes o cast the ballot.

Polling closed at 6 p.m.

There were three polling stations here.

Lok Sabha polling day; at R A Puram

                By Laya Subramanian/ Class of 2024

On April 19, polling day, around 4 pm, there were many first-time voters at Chettinad Sigapi Ramaswamy Primary School in R A Puram

Some of them said they were nervous. Others said their parents told them how to vote with EVMs.

A few elders were seen being helped to the booths by their families. 

Lok Sabha Polling Day; at Perambur booth

               By Yuvaraj G. / Class of 2024

On April 19, polling day, at about 8 a.m. at Chennai High School in Ganeshapuram in Perambur, the voting booth was bustling with activity.

A large number of people stood in queues to cast their votes. 

The voting booth campus also had a counter with medical staff to provide assistance and treat individuals in need.

Sri Ramnavami at Saibaba Temple

                 By Laya Subramanian/ Class of 2024

Saibaba Temple in Venkatesa Agraharam Road celebrated Sri Ramnavami along with Sri Sai Jayanthi, on 17th April, with a series of alangaram of the gods and arathi and this was followed by annadhanam. 

The main procession took place at 7:15 pm and was taken through the Mada Streets of Mylapore. Crackers were burst outside the temple for about an hour at the time of the procession. 

Sri Ramanavami Celebration at Alwarpet's Sri Anjaneyar Temple

By Vihaan Venkateswaran / Class of 2024

Alwarpet-based Sri Anjaneyar Temple celebrated Sri Ramnavami; the deity was adorned with a fruits alangaram and there was abhishekem for lord Rama. 

The fruit alangaram for lord Rama was made with a variety of seasonal fruits. 

The celebrations began on April 15 and ended on the 18th. 

This temple is located right next to M CT M school.

Summer camp of Chinmaya Vidyalaya in Anna Nagar

                By Mahima Sridhar/ Class of 2024

Chinmaya Vidyalaya is celebrating 20 years of its summer cool camp series.

The camp is from 1st - 8th May. It will be held at 506 3A, Chinmaya Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School, Anna Nagar Road, Anna Nagar from 9 am to 5 pm for tweens in the 8 and 13 years of age group.

The camp is Ramayana-themed. It includes exciting games, activities, artwork, and hands-on festival celebrations.  

Registration requires a donation of Rs. 2000. For further details, contact 9551977515 or 9176958866.