Medical Traditions to Metamorphosis

This month in our newsletter you can see how the local traditions can be revived for the protection of the bio-diversity and social coherence. What we have presented are excerpts from our publication, published as part of 'Green Rameshwaram' and the UNICEF WaSH initiative. They are also part of the panels in the awareness creation…

Green Energy to Green Economics

Dear friend, This month newsletter brings you an excerpt from our newly published book on renewable energy. It shows graphically the renewable energy scenario and also the way we can tackle the energy problem through innovative and creative solutions. Apart from the renewable energy statistics of the nation we also present in the excerpt decentralized…

Local Food to Eco-Food

Dear friend, Local food culture and traditions have evolved over millenniums in tune with the local natural resources as well as the energy-nutrient needs of local communities. Culinary delights have also evolved to stimulate the taste buds differently. Diversity is the spice of life. Rameshwaram being a nodal point in the web of Gulf of Mannar…

Saving the Fishes to Being the Fish

Dear friends, Warm regards from VK NARDEP. This month newsletter starts with the importance of coral reefs for fishing in the Rameshwaram island. If coral reefs disappear then fish populations are affected. If fish populations dwindle then fishing communities are affected. Fishing communities being an integral part of the socio-ecological fabric of the island the adverse impact on their…

Solar Smiles to the Pond of Nectar

As part of the 'Green Rameshwaram' project we have been able to bring smiles and light into the hamlets of Danushkodi with solar power installations. Sponsored by BrahMos Aerospace the project has not only lighted up the individual houses of the hamlet but also the community commons including the panchayat school and street lights in…

Hide and Seek with Teertham

Dear friend, Warm regards from VK NARDEP. This month we have exciting report on Dharmar Teertham. After identifying the Teertham area which was a plain sand dune and after the initial ceremonies, we started digging. And we discovered a huge beautiful traditional water body emerging as the sand dune got cleared. The centuries old structure made with…

Lost and Found: Water body at Rameshwaram

Dear friend, It is almost like a detective story. The traditional water bodies of Rameshwaram are finding a new life. Already VK NARDEP has renovated the Sahadeva and Nakula teerthams. We have renovated vitally the Arjuna and Bhima teertham. But the remaining one Pandava prince and eldest of them all -Dharma : teertham in his name has…

Forgotten History Resurfaces by the Ponds

Dear friend, We hope you have had a great summer... In this Newsletter we provide you a further glimpse of how the 'Green Rameshwaram' project is taking off. We present the discussions that took place around various sub-committees' presentation and the deliverable targets fixed for each of the sub-committees. The sub-committees we cover in this newsletter…

All Nature is kith and kin

Dear Reader, A very happy and prosperous new year. This is the first newsletter of 2014 and carries the activities of the last month of 2013. Here in continuation with the 150th year celebrations we present the views of Swami Vivekananda that form the philosophical basis of VK NARDEP activities. Here Swami Vivekananda speaks about the organic unity of…