EarthSky friends capture the night sky’s 2 brightest objects, the moon and Jupiter, on Monday night, March 21.
Moon and Jupiter – March 21 2016 – photographed in Tucson, Arizona by Eliot Herman.
Jupiter and moon on March 21, 2016 from Jacob Zimmer in Louisville, Kentucky.
Moon and Jupiter on March 21, 2016 from Karl Diefenderfer in Pennsylvania.
Source…….www.earthsky.org
Natarajan
do not understand his work, but just know he has grown to spend a lot of time with computers now.
Museum is not exactly the word that comes to mind when you step into this little square of open land near the Kumbharwada (Potters’s Colony) signal in Dharavi, Mumbai’s much coveted real estate that sprawls over nearly 600 acres, houses families cheek-by-jowl in tiny one-room homes that lean into each other, accessed by everything from roads to very, very, very narrow lanes bisected by vein-like gutters though which flows sludge-like, smelly dark liquid… the amalgamated refuse of the thousands of people who inhabit this patch of land once infamously known as Asia’s largest slum and then made famous by Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.
In front of you is a bright white 8 feet by 4 feet cart, a little like the one you see pushed vegetable vendors all over Mumbai. Only, it is larger, made of metal, brightly lit, with brick-coloured panels that open welcomingly to 24 feet, can bear the weight of almost 1,000 kgs and looks quite out-of-place.
It is this dichotomy that, hope Amsterdam-based artists Jorge Mañes Rubio and Amanda Pinatih, will draw the people of Mumbai in. And inspire the people of Dharavi, many of whom stand around stoically, wondering what was happening.
“Museum,” say best friends Akansha, Ayesha and Riya, bright eyed 10-year-old Class 6 students who stay nearby. They explain that museums normally “carry things about the past” but this one is different. This one, they proudly say, showcases “Dharavi ki kala (the creativity of Dharavi).”
That, says 31-year-old Rubio, is the museum’s very purpose. Both Rubio and Pinaith admire the way the denizens of Dharavi have found ways to earn a living. “You can bring a purse here,” says Rubio, “or a jacket, or hand over a design for shoes, and they will replicate it for you.”
What they hope this museum will do is help the citizens of Dharavi tap into their creativity.
Looking around him, says Rubio, is motivation enough, as he recalls his first visit to Dharavi four years ago. Crammed into tiny spaces, where you would believe a nuclear family could live, hundreds of cottage industries flourish, making everything from earthen lamps to designer rip-off to food products to even soaps.
With a dash of creativity, they hope these entrepreneurs — from those who maintain their generations old family trade to those who are using the latest technology to set up new business — will be able to expand the scope of what they do, reach wider audiences and make more money.
To break the communication barrier, and earn the trust of the residents of Dharavi, they turned to URBZ, an experimental urban research and action collective. It was here that they met Shyam Kanle, who lives in Dharavi and has been working to improve the condition of its residents. Kanle, who belongs to a family of basket weavers and broom makers, stepped in as facilitator.
On February 18, the museum launched in Kumbharwada with exhibits made by the potters, given a design and colour spin by Rubio and his team, whose effort is being supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL and The Art of Impact.
The museum, says Rubio, who has bundled up his hair in a bun to beat the heat, is interactive and will include workshops and, like a few days ago, even a cricket match. Each of the items in the museum, emphasises Rubio, is made by local talent.
Yes, those are bats and you are supposed to play with them. To add some more change, Design Museum Dharavi offers modified gloves and stumps too.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Design Museum Dharavi
Twenty-seven hand-crafted bats, made from recycled wood in different shapes, sizes and designs, are tested by four teams from across Dharavi. Each has a brightly coloured grip. The leather gloves, too, are handcrafted and features different styles. Each team had its own uniquely designed tee shirt.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Design Museum Dharavi
Now that the bats and gloves had been designed, it was time for some intense concentration and a game of cricket. Even the pink stumps did not distract the players.
While some of the bats worked, others shattered in a matter of minutes.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Design Museum Dharavi
But the teams had a good time, and slipper-clad team Purple won the Golden Stumps 🙂
Photograph: Kind courtesy Design Museum Dharavi
The launch exhibit celebrated matkas (pots used to store water and keep it cool), brooms and tea cups.
Pots, that were generally stacked one top the other to save space, were given an exotic design spin.
Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
Why should a cup look like a cup? “Why indeed?” asks Rubio as he spotlights the exotic shapes of the cups, with handles shaped like the human ear, triangles or even rectangles, all inspired, he solemnly assures, from the varied ways in which he has watched the Dharavi residents pick up a hot cup of chai.
Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
Resting on a pristine white block placed on a brightly coloured reed mat are still more exotic tea cups even more exotic handles. A couple look like diyas and we wonder how useful they would be while sipping a hot beverage.
Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
Experiment is everything, seems to be the motto. So there are more cup; some with saucers. “Sharing a cup of tea or sipping it from a saucer,” says Rubio is something he has noticed as he watched endless cups of chai make their way down thirsty throats.
Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
Rubio and Pinatih share a moment with Shyam Kanle, who has helped them with the project, as they celebrate the launch of what has been called the first ever moving slum museum in the world.
Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
Best friends Akansha, Ayesha and Riya, who stay nearby, pose in front of the three-sided broom (in the corner) which they have made themselves and of which they are very, very proud.
You might thing that broom is good for dusting…
Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
…But Rubio has other ideas. “Why not look at it as hand-held fan,” he asks with a smile.
Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
These exhibits grabbed a lot of attention. Not only were they bright and colourful, nobody seemed to know what they actually were.
“Diaries?” somebody ventured. Touching them put paid to that idea.
“Tiles?”
“Door-stoppers?”
“Coasters?”
“Design samples,” says Rubio, “that the potters can offer as options to their clients.”
Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
And these, ladies and gentlemen, were the most excited visitors to the museum.
Photograph: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
Savera R Someshwar / Rediff.com
Source…….www.rediff.com
Natarajan
Human life by itself is very sacred. But it becomes good or bad according to the company with which it is associated. When you keep iron in dust, it gets rusted. But when the same iron is put in fire, it gets rid of its rust, becomes soft, and starts shining. Particles of dust rise up in the sky in the company of wind but fall down into gutter when they are associated with rainwater. The dust particles do not have wings to fly up in the sky, nor have they feet to jump down. Both, their rise and their fall happen by the effect of the company. Your good or bad depends upon the type of company you join. Good company makes you sacred and divine. Bad company gives rise to bad feelings and bad thoughts, which prompt you to perform bad deeds. Therefore, it is essential for you to join good company and develop your humanness.
I had spent an hour in the bank with my Uncle, as he had to transfer some money.
I couldn’t resist myself & asked…
”Uncle, why don’t we activate your internet banking?”
”Why would I do that?” He asked…
”Well, then you won’t have to spend an hour here for things like transfer.
You can even do your shopping online. Everything will be so easy!”
I was so excited about initiating him into the world of Net banking.
He asked ”If I do that, I wont have to step out of the house?”
”Yes, yes”! I said. I told him how even grocery can be delivered at door now and how amazon delivers everything!
His answer left me tongue-tied.
He said ”Since I entered this bank today, I have met four of my friends, I have chatted a while with the staff who know me very well by now.
You know I am alone… this is the company that I need. I like to get ready and come to the bank. I have enough time, it is the physical touch that I crave.
Two years back I got sick, The store owner from whom I buy fruits, came to see me and sat by my bedside and cried.
My wife fell down few days back while on her morning walk. My local grocer saw her and immediately got his car to rush her home as he knows where I live.
Would I have that ‘human’ touch if everything became online?
Why would I want everything delivered to me and force me to interact with just my computer?
I like to know the person that I’m dealing with and not just the ‘seller’ . It creates bonds. Relationships.
Does Amazon or Ebay deliver all this as well?”’
Source…input from a friend of mine…
Natarajan
At the time when many parts of Tamil Nadu were flooded due to incessant rains last year, and thousands of people were struggling to live through every passing day, there were a few localities in Chennai that remained unaffected. A. Vicky Kumar is the resident of one such area – there were no roadblocks, no power cuts, no loss to life and property. But he was deeply moved on seeing the plight of the rest of the city and his fellow citizens. With the view of helping as much as he could, he gathered about 12 volunteers including his wife Vishakha, and they set out to help in rescue operations. They called themselves ‘The C Team’. Closing their businesses for the entire month of December, the team started visiting slums, relief camps and individual homes to deliver rescue materials like food, clothing and medicines to people in need.
One of the most special volunteers of The C Team was Vicky’s 2-year-old daughter, Jiya. The student of a preschool named Developing Roots in Chennai, Jiya was a part of every field operation the team conducted.
“Many friends and well-wishers told us not to take her along for field work as she may fall sick stepping in to the dirty waters but we never bothered regarding what could happen because the need of the hour was to help the needy,” says Vishakha.
The entire team, including Jiya, were also recognized among thousands of other volunteers who put in their hearts and souls to work for Chennai, and she received a plant sapling and a certificate of appreciation from the music industry maestro Illayaraja, on December 17, 2015.
Jiya will be three years old this March. Kudos to her parents who were not scared of uncertain situations and ensured that their daughter got a glimpse of what such social activities look like, to make her understand the importance of helping others in need.
Source….Tanaya Singh in http://www.the betterindia.com
Natarajan
Memphis Meats Inc., a San Francisco-based company founded by three scientists, has developed a new technique to produce meat from stem cells of animals. Uma S Valeti, an Indian-American cardiologist, is the CEO and one of the co-founders of Memphis Meats.
According Uma Valeti, the meat is sustainable, healthier, safer, and cruelty free. It does not lead to any side effects like bacterial contamination or high saturated fat. Additionally, the technique produces 90 percent less greenhouse emissions and does not require antibiotics as used in traditional meat production.
For the production, the team identifies cells that are capable of renewing themselves, from a targeted animal. These cells are then provided with oxygen and nutrients like sugar, minerals, etc. while they develop inside bio-reactor tanks into skeletal muscle and can be harvested in nine to 21 days. The team is currently working on beef, chicken and pork cells, and have already conducted test runs on beef meat.
“Our goal is to be in restaurants in three years and retail in five years. In 2021, we want to be in retail or even earlier,” Uma Valeti told PTI.
The first manufacturing base will be set up in the US and he added that they are also exploring ideas about setting centres in India and China very soon.
Cardiologist Uma Valeti is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota and president of the Twin Cities American Heart Association. Other members of the team include Nicholas Genovese, a stem cell biologist, and Will Clem, a biomedical engineer who owns a chain of barbeque restaurants in Memphis, Tennessee.
Currently, even though the source cells can be collected without killing the animals, the process starts with the help of fetal bovine serum that is drawn from the blood of unborn calves. Memphis Meats is working on replacing the serum with a plant-based alternative very soon, to completely end the practice of extracting it from animals.
“Our concept is simple. Instead of farming animals to obtain their meat, why not farm the meat directly? To that end, we’re combining decades of experience in both the culinary and scientific fields to farm real meat cells—without the animals—in a process that is healthier, safer, and more sustainable than conventional animal agriculture,” says their website.
Source…Tanaya Singh in http://www.the betterindia.com
Natarajan
Visitors of the Golden Temple in Amritsar are soon to be served healthy, freshly produced organic food at the community kitchen. The management committee has made a landmark decision to adopt organic farming to grow its own grains, fruits and vegetables, free of chemicals.
A new mission undertaken by The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), they also aim to inspire farmers to take up organic farming and cut down on the use of chemical products.
The Golden Temple, Amritsar. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
In the first phase of its experimental model, carrots, cabbages, spinach, and fenugreek or methi seeds from this farm have been successfully grown. About 10 quintals of organic produce are sent to the gurudwara every one or two days, according to SGPC officials.
The Punjab Agro Industries Corportation Limited (PAIC) was instrumental in helping the SGPC to test its soil and suggest options for organic farming. The experts at PAIC also advise them on how to replace pesticides and the use of organic fertilisers. They’ve suggested the use of neem patta, lassi and cow urine, among others.
The langar, or community kitchen, at the Golden Temple is the world’s largest free kitchen. It is popular for serving food to everyone irrespective of caste, religion or background. The gurudwara’s community kitchen, Guru Ramdas Langar Hall, receives nearly 100,000 people. It serves 200,000 roti made of 7000 kilograms of wheat flour, 1200 kilograms of rice, and 1300 kilograms of daal. The kitchen is manned by 450 dedicated people and many volunteers.
The SGPC is the apex organisation of Sikhs that manages all the gurudwaras in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. After its success at the Golden Temple, the move would be replicated to other gurudwaras in the country.
Source….Neeti Vijaykumar in http://www.the betterindia.com
Natarajan
The dismal and decrepit state of most Indian museums is no secret. But architect and designer Abhishek Ray and his team are trying to change the experience of museum visits by creating spaces with appropriate exhibition displays, good lighting and graphics, and interactive audio visual systems that keep visitors engaged.
Antiques trafficking, damage from seepage and other maintenance issues, lack of qualified staff – Indian museums suffer from many woes. A 2011 UNESCO report on Indian museums was also scathing in pointing out a long list of deficiencies, among them poor lighting and maintenance, incorrect signage and lax security. In 2012, a parliamentary committee report said, “Our museums are in a bad shape. Only 10% of the acquisitions are put on display and those are not even rotated regularly. Museum stores and galleries are in poor condition.”
Meet the man who is trying to address at least some of these issues. Abhishek Ray, an architect and designer, wants to make Indian museums more fun, interactive and inclusive.
“I want to change the way museums are perceived today. Museums tell a story and it should be an interesting one,” he says.
Abhishek Ray
Abhishek is the principal architect at Matrika Design Collaborative. Over the last decade, Abhishek and his team have been working on museum development projects from their inception to their execution. With comprehensive services – ranging from historical and art research to creating spaces using appropriate exhibition displays, lighting and graphics accentuated with interactive audio visual systems to keep visitors engaged in learning about our cultural heritage of India – the team has been changing the experience of a museum visit.
The team works on providing better lighting and displays
“We noticed that museums have not changed at all since decades in India. I have no living memory of visiting museums in my childhood and today we need to engage children with our museums and cultural spaces at a very early age. We work with the government and non governmental organisations to redesign existing cultural spaces and to develop new ones in order to conserve our heritage,” he says.
Matrika Design Collaborative is now developing one of the first dedicated textile museums that showcases the history and conservation of embroidery from the western region of Kutch, Gujarat at Bhuj.
The museum is a part of the Living and Learning Design Centre for local embroiderers and craftspeople, where visitors will gain extensive understanding of the rich heritage of embroidery from the communities themselves.
Innovation, says Abhishek, comes through engaging the community in the development of the museum or cultural space.
“If we intend to showcase their culture and traditions it is imperative for us to involve them at various stages of inception. A classic example is how the LLDC museum in Kutch has been developing around documenting the lives of embroiderers by recording their oral histories, their art and lifestyles,” he says.
Abhishek and his team convert a museum from a static space to an interactive one.
They also recently commissioned a small exhibition for Godrej Industries, wherein they designed a humble exhibition focused on the pioneering work carried out by Shri Ardershir Godrej in developing India’s first safe, which, till today, is one of the mainstays of the products rolled out by the industrial giant. Coupled with a trivia based display on the events around the year 1914 (the year when the first safe was fabricated in India), they put together a host of rare documents that profiled the story of safe-making at Godrej.
Overall, by using presentations, online art guides, mobile apps, and making the places more comfortable for people with special needs, Abhishek and his team are making museums both physically and intellectually inclusive.
Their USP lies in museum design
They are currently developing a unique outreach programme, a Museum on Wheels for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai (formerly Prince of Wales Museum), where the self contained museum bus would travel to urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Maharashtra to spread education by means of an interactive mobile museum.
The bus is fitted with exhibition cases, audio video hardware, etc. It will cater to municipal schools, adult education camps and artists’ conclaves in rural districts of India.
From improving existing museums to coming up with new ones, the team has been preserving Indian heritage in amazing ways.
The development of the Shastra Museum (Museum on Arms and Armory of the Sikhs) in Amritsar, alongside the Toshakhana (Royal Treasury), is a project that Abhishek and his team are proud of. It holds some of the most exquisite weapons used by the Sikh armies under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The narrative here builds around the development of traditional weapons and their transition to mechanised weapons and modern artillery in the late 19th Century.
“We have designed unique solutions where children are given an understanding of the science behind weapons and fortification systems, categorically ruling out their association with violence and war,” says Abhishek.
Innovation has found a new meaning through inclusion of children and people with special needs at the New Shri Pratap Singh Musuem in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
The team has dedicated a complete gallery to children’s activities. The 100,000 square feet museum is also completely accessible to people with special needs.
Abhishek and his team are now working on more innovative ideas.
The challenge for the future, says Abhishek, lies in demystifying the realm of heritage and culture for people at large. Implementation of unique ideas and changing mindsets of people who sit at the helm of affairs is going to be a big challenge.
“We need to redefine the experience of the cultural space by reinventing the narrative and this can be achieved when policy makers, curators, archivists, designers, and users come together in a collaborative format to work out the best ways to tell the story of our culture and heritage through tangible and intangible ways,” he concludes.
To know more about the team’s work check out their website – www.matrika.in
Source…..Shreya Pareek in http://www.the betterindia.com
Natarajan
Take off with Natarajan 