Bee Keeping By Palani Hills Conservation Council

Monday, 20 February 2012 15:51 / Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 February 2012 13:57

On a Saturday morning when everyone takes a  break from their routine weekly jobs, a group of botanists, bio-dynamic experts, horticulturists and many such nature lovers gather for a meeting at a remote farmhouse in Kodaikanal . The topic is the rapid degeneration of Kodaikanal as a bio-diversity hotspot and the lack of funds to counter this degradation. And the organization is PHCC (Palani Hills Conservation Council), a non-profit that has been active for more than 25 years in the fight against deforestation and very vocal in building awareness for pollution control and disappearance of Kodai Flora/Fauna

As a strong affirmation of their efforts in preserving Kodaikanal natural resources we show you a short video of their Bee Keeping expertise . We will shortly be launching a section dedicated to PHCC's efforts by bringing to the forefront videos of very interesting work that the PHCC is involved in !!! Keep Watching !

Pasam Trust - The German Hospital

Wednesday, 15 February 2012 14:24 / Last Updated on Friday, 17 February 2012 03:59

There are many myths about Kodaikanal, one being that medical services in Kodaikanal are not as good as in the plains (Apollo etc). So when we talk about hospitals that provide free health services for the poor they have a huge negative perception to challenge, a perception about cleanliness, quality health services and skilled doctors .Located on MM Street and called the "German Aaspathri" or "German Hospital" by locals, this Non-Profit medical center headed by Dr Mascarenhas will break many myths for sure ! Check free Plastic surgery camp

Started as mobile camp, Pasam then became a hospital. One mini bus was donated by a swiss company. As a young man Dr Mascarenhas worked for WHO in India. While he was there, he decided to train as a doctor in Germany. in 1963, he moved to Munich where he eventually gained his doctorate qualifying as an eye specialist. After completing his state qualifications, he studied other areas of medicine including tropical medicine which he studied in USA. After that it never crossed his mind to pursue studies abroad he then shifted to Kodaikanal since he believed there were many villages here that needed medical facilities.

The german connection was born out of Dr Mascarenhas's vision and legacy attributed to his medical studies at Germany. He got back to India and brought with him highly skilled German doctors, nurses and equipment on a regular basis to Kodaikanal.Given the noble cause that Pasam health center is dedicated to, we will be covering them in many more articles . Finally, there are many people who come to Kodai for reasons other than tourism and that reason is PASAM !!!

The KIS Football Ground

Monday, 13 February 2012 10:55 / Last Updated on Monday, 13 February 2012 12:29

Who says that the Kodai lake is the most popular tourist spot in Kodaikanal. There are times when the Kodai lake itself forms a scenic backdrop to other events that take center stage. On a hot afternoon, if you are waiting to board an evening bus, you can head to the Seven Rd junction and walk onto the Carlton Rd. Just opposite the State Bank ATM is the KIS Football ground !

What makes the game unique is the international diversity of the students that The Kodaikanal International School is renowned for. As you seat yourself comfortably, you can witness students of the Kodaikanal International School from pretty much every part of the globe dribbling and passing the ball to one another playing as a team. Watch them play with intermittent glimpses of the silvery waters of the Kodaikanal Lake and ofcourse dont forget to keep a tab on the time. As you look up, you can see the mist setting onto the Kodai lake signalling the end of daylight and its ofcourse time to board your evening bus !

Organic Living in the Kodaikanal Jungles

Sunday, 05 February 2012 14:18 / Last Updated on Friday, 10 February 2012 12:22

Organic farming has been in vogue for quite a while and Kodai is well known for Organic produce ! Organic farming primarily being the process of cultivating crops without chemicals. But have we ever wondered about Organic living, the process of living without the necessary evils of life like electricity or gas or the bore well .

While we believe in eating vegetables prepared naturally how about living a natural life as well . In this video we show you a day in the life of a Kodaikanal native family and how they breathe the organic philosophy into their thinking , attitude and actions. With no TV, but solar powered bulbs, no water connection but a natural "oothu" (perennial water source from natural rock), no furniture but rustic hand made sit-outs , no gas stove but a brick/sand/rock/wood based fireplace ("aduppu") and finally a handmade mud house, the only hitech gadget that they had was a potato peeler to sell chips to street vendors. The embers in the fireplace keep burning thus acting as a heat source during winter. We realized how truly rich they were in spite of being what the world calls "poor" .This is what we call the Kodai Organic Lifestyle , no stress, no worries and no lifestyle diseases.

MySchool - Satya Surabhi

Wednesday, 01 February 2012 17:38 / Last Updated on Thursday, 16 February 2012 09:54

Most of us really look forward to a cushy and comfortable life post-retirement. We probably dream of that European vacation out of our life savings. This week we decided to visit a couple who ventured off the beaten path and in the process kickstarted young careers after their retirement.

Mr Ram and Mrs Padmini, well past their 60s, run a school in Attuvampatty called "My School Satya Surabhi" . The school which began with 20 children in a little garage has grown to about 170 students today. The school follows the NIOS board (National Institute Of Open Schooling) and provides free lunch as well in addition to free education. There are students attending from all surrounding villages such as Moonjikkal, Vilpatty, Naidupuram, Pallangi etd. Children are admitted based on the income of their family being less than a certain level.

Parents share the cost of transportation of students based on distance from school.The school is situated admist a beautiful 2 acre garden where children learn to nurture nature and vice versa. Children cultivate various crops like coffee and vegetables.Locals are trained to teach english and other subjects.