Coimbatore set for an adventurous summer

A host of special summer camps get ready to welcome children and youngsters this season, as they find more exciting ways to unwind after the exams

As exams come to an end and summer vacations get underway, the most common handbill that slips through your door would be on a variety of summer camps taking place in and around the city.

Many gyms, clubs and private academies vie against each other in a bid to offer more innovative and adventurous activities to make the summer month a lot more memorable for the youngsters. In addition to the traditional sports camps, new adventure sports are being introduced to improve the fitness levels of youngsters and older people alike. Physically active youngsters are taking to martial arts like kick-boxing and adventure activities like rock climbing to keep themselves busy this summer, while others use this time to get themselves with the basics of sports, art and craft, or theatre. "We have special 15-day summer camps for swimming, badminton, tennis, squash, aerobics, yoga, kick-boxing and even art and craft. There has been a steady increase in registrations for swimming and sports like tennis and badminton, as school-going youngsters are keen to use the summer break to either pick up a new sport, or hone their fitness levels," says Venkatesh, manager of a popular fitness centre in the city.

"Registrations for the summer camp have flown in thick and fast, and we have had over 500 children and youngsters enrolling themselves for the swimming coaching, which ends this month," he adds.

With martial arts also gaining in popularity, many fitness clubs and institutes in the city are now introducing crash courses to help people grasp the basic self-defence techniques. While there a huge number of centres teaching martial arts such as judo, taekwondo, karate and the likes, there are others who also teach the most ancient martial art forms, which have got participants from various walks of life.

"There have been more youngsters coming in to learn kick-boxing, as it is an excellent self-defense technique and also hones their reflexes. Youngsters also enroll themselves in these sessions to meet more like-minded people their age, apart from sparring with them, which helps improve their concentration levels as well," reveals Benedict John, director of another such health and wellness centre in the city.

"We hit the city much before treadmills, cross-trainers and exercycles became a familiar term in every household. With increasing awareness levels through cinema and television, more youngsters want that perfect look today," he adds excitedly. For those more inclined towards traditional martial arts, there is an academy offering the age-old Kerala martial art form of Kalaripayattu, which has participants from different walks of life.

"We have had over 100 registrations to learn Kalaripayattu, which combines the basics of many prominent martial arts like karate, judo, taekwondo and many others. Our youngest practitioner is a six year old kid, and we also have a 50 -year-old member who is a regular practitioner," says VC Sathish Sreedhar, co-trainer and director of a martial arts academy, which is situated in Kavundampalayam.

"Our 10-day crash course during the end of May will help those interested learn the basics and the art of Kalaripayattu. Interestingly, we also have two police personnel who are also regular practitioners of the martial art," he says exultantly.

So, as summer approaches, it looks like both the kids and adults in Coimbatore are looking forward to some adrenaline pumping adventure that will do more than just "provide a break"!

Coimbatore Airport to use Biodegradable bags

To mark Earth Day, the Coimbatore airport has decided to use biodegradable bags to ferry garbage at the premises instead of plastic bags from Sunday.

Airport director K Peter Abraham said the airport will become a plastic free zone as they had decided to use biodegradable bags instead of plastic bags.

"The airport uses around 110 bags a day to dispose the waste. This put together in a year will come to around one ton of plastic. We hope by introducing biodegradable bags, our premises will become plastic free zone," he said.

T S Shankker, director of 'Biotec Bags', which will supply biodegradable bags to the airport, said the bags are costlier than the plastic bags, but they will help ecology. "Our bags will cost around 50% more than the plastic ones. But this will be worth it, considering ecological matters," he said. He said the bags will degrade completely.

The airport officials said that plastics are used mostly in the airport to ferry garbage. They say that this could be a trend-setter. "We hope that the move would serve as an example for other airports," said an official, who was involved in the process. Shankker said that people have been showing interest in eco-friendly products.

For business enquiries visit www.biotecbags.com

Rain, hailstorm cool down simmering city

COIMBATORE: Heavy showers accompanied by strong winds lashed across the city and outskirts on Tuesday evening. At least 10 trees were uprooted in various areas and some of them had fallen on electric poles and cable disrupting power supply in the respective areas. Traffic movement was disrupted on arterial roads especially in RS Puram, Gandhipuram and near TNAU campus. Some localities near Thudiyalur had seen a hailstorm that lasted a few minutes accompanied by strong winds that flattened plantain fields in the area.

"So far we don't have any reports of any major injury due to rains in the outskirts of the city," said ES Uma, Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore Rural.

The city has been simmering under a prolonged spell of summer heat until the sky opened up on Tuesday evening. However normal life was thrown out of gear as many office goers were stuck in the rain on their way back home. Minor panic prevailed on Chetti Street near Big Bazaar after a tree fell on top of the roof of a petrol station. Power supply was disrupted in various parts due to trees falling on power cables in addition to the supply being suspended as a precautionary measure. Electric poles were uprooted at various places in Kavundampalayam and Annur.

Traffic movement was completely disrupted in RS Puram and near Cross Cut Road because of trees falling on to the main streets. Three trees were uprooted near RS Puram alone, one each at Shastri Road, Cowli Brown Road and another one near Sidhi Vinayagar Temple. A jeep, auto-rickshaw and a car came under a fallen tree near Crosscut Road.

The showers began at around 6 pm and lasted for over 4 hours with varied intensity in and around the city.COIMBATORE: Heavy showers accompanied by strong winds lashed across the city and outskirts on Tuesday evening. At least 10 trees were uprooted in various areas and some of them had fallen on electric poles and cable disrupting power supply in the respective areas. Traffic movement was disrupted on arterial roads especially in RS Puram, Gandhipuram and near TNAU campus. Some localities near Thudiyalur had seen a hailstorm that lasted a few minutes accompanied by strong winds that flattened plantain fields in the area.

"So far we don't have any reports of any major injury due to rains in the outskirts of the city," said ES Uma, Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore Rural.

The city has been simmering under a prolonged spell of summer heat until the sky opened up on Tuesday evening. However normal life was thrown out of gear as many office goers were stuck in the rain on their way back home. Minor panic prevailed on Chetti Street near Big Bazaar after a tree fell on top of the roof of a petrol station. Power supply was disrupted in various parts due to trees falling on power cables in addition to the supply being suspended as a precautionary measure. Electric poles were uprooted at various places in Kavundampalayam and Annur.

Traffic movement was completely disrupted in RS Puram and near Cross Cut Road because of trees falling on to the main streets. Three trees were uprooted near RS Puram alone, one each at Shastri Road, Cowli Brown Road and another one near Sidhi Vinayagar Temple. A jeep, auto-rickshaw and a car came under a fallen tree near Crosscut Road.

The showers began at around 6 pm and lasted for over 4 hours with varied intensity in and around the city.

Regional Science Park inauguration in May

Coimbatore: The National Council of Science Museum and Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre are all set to inaugurate the Rs. 8.5-crore Regional Science Park on a sprawling campus spread over 6.71 acre established on a cost sharing basis by the State and Centre in the first or second week of May. The Park would come up on the road leading to CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex from Avinashi Road.

Executive Director of Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre P. Iyamperumal told The Hindu that the Park would have a textile gallery to give an exposure to the children on textile technology.

The 5,000 sq.ft. textile gallery would have exhibits relating to the textile industry's evolution from the conventional models to the modern technology.

The Fun Science Gallery on 5,000 sq ft would have exhibits to impart knowledge on basic science.

The exhibits displayed would explain the basic principles of science.

The gallery would have construction models of gadgets such as TV sets, refrigerator and air conditioners used every day at home to enable the children to have a feel of the theories used in their functioning.

A 3D theatre on the campus would accommodate 70 persons which would help children learn through the infotainment module. Using Polaroid glass they would be taught on cloning and stem cell. The theatre would also be used for conducting lectures on science as well. The Park was designed in such a way that children could go through participatory learning process.

A giant size globe measuring 3 m in diameter has been set up using anamorphic drawing to help children see the image of Sir C.V. Raman from a distance.

With the help of the Forest Department, more than 150 saplings of various species have been planted to ensure green cover on the campus.

For those Young Entrepreneur!

 Ramakanth Dorai (22) a techie and a fresher based out of Coimbatore declined an offer from an IT company to follow his dreams. Ashok Varma (23) and Karthik Vatlapatla (23) from Hyderabad joined The Startup Centre to get more focus on their existing start-up. Anup Nair (25) and Shailesh Jain (25) from Mumbai resigned their jobs in the U.S. to start an e-commerce portal.

“Share your success and help others succeed,” said Dave Thomas, founder of the Wendy's chain of restaurants in the U.S. This is the mantra that defines The Startup Centre.

Full of ideas

It was founded by Vijay Anand, a start-up enthusiast. Vijay says: “There are many people who have brilliant ideas for technology businesses but need guidance and support to foster it and tackle the competitive world. We provide the mentoring and connection that they need to become successful.”

The Centre currently has a six-month resident programme. Vijay says: “Within that time frame, they should build their web product and get a few customers.” Working at The Startup Centre costs Rs. 7,500 a month for a single founder, Rs. 10,000 for a team of two, and Rs. 12,000 for a three-member team. Founders get working space, interaction with peers from various technology fields, and access to mentors and investors. The Centre also organises workshops with experts from the industry.

Vijay who spends a few hours at the centre every day says: “As part of our training skills sessions, we also guide them on how to present themselves and make a pitch to angel investors, who drop by at our centre often. We have conducted workshops on general marketing, digital marketing, coding, and rapid prototyping ideas, and plan to hold one on social media marketing soon.”

What kind of companies do they accept at the centre? “We work with start-ups in online technology and web space. Their idea should be novel. Ideally, a team of two or three is preferred to single-founder start-ups, but we also accept single founders. It is important that at least one of the founders has a strong technology background.”

As much as 30 per cent of the individuals at The Startup Centre have come from outside Chennai. For instance, Ramakanth Dorai moved from Coimbatore two months ago to join The Centre. He says: “I was in a cocoon, clueless about starting-up. But after working here, I have a road map and I'm confident about my idea.”

Learning experience

Working amongst a cross section of individuals with their respective expertise was a great learning experience for Mumbai-based duo Anup and Shailesh. They say: “There was a time when we got stuck while coding. During an informal conversation, an experienced coder helped us out with a solution. Successful entrepreneurs who dropped by gave us a basic framework for our marketing approach.”

Considering there is a lot of demand, Vijay has some expansion plans. “We plan to have more start-ups. We will be shortly starting an accelerator programme where a start-up that has already launched its product will operate from the centre, and will be partially funded. We will help them set up their board of directors, increase customer base and give them cash-flow insights.”

Applications for the fourth batch of the resident programme are currently invited. Application is followed by a selection process and an interview by the centre's stakeholders. Vijay says: “We had about 120 applicants, and we accepted seven for the third batch.”

Successfully starting-up a technology business requires hard work, knowledge and contacts. While hard work is in your hands, for the other two, The Startup Centre could the place to go to.

(For details, mail info@thestartupcentre.com)

Coimbatore teens take up Clickty Click challenge

 Schools in Coimbatore are paying serious attention to extra-curricular activities such as photography, after realising the talents and skills of their students.

Last week, a local organisation that helps orphans, hosted a photography competition called “Clickty Click” that had over 26 city schools participating.

One of the participants, who has even competed internationally, displayed talent and skill beyond his young years.

It was Varun B. from Yuva Bharathi School who stood first in the competition, for his long exposure click around a U-turn that captured streaks of light from passing vehicles. Premier Vidyaa Vikash School had the most number of participants; they took home the 2nd and 3rd prizes.

School coordinator N. Raja Lakshmi shared the need to inculcate this form of creativity in children. “It paves the way for better growth, so we always encourage our students with talents apart from academics to pursue them. It motivates them, so when we come across such talents like Narendran A. and Prakash K., we encourage them.”

Also present at the event was a class 12 student from Chinamaya International residential school in Coimbatore who stood out the most.

Akash Ghai has won several accolades even internationally. “My mother's a social worker and landscape photographer, so I grew up seeing her work and accompanying her to various photography and art exhibitions.

She was the one who encouraged me to hold a solo photography exhibition at the Alliance Francaise gallery in Chandigarh when I was 17,” said Akash. On his style of photography, he said, “I am different from other photographers, I possess a unique perspective. A photographer's strength is how his style differs from others.”

Akash further shared his interests, “I like art photography, photojournalism, portraiture and a bit of wildlife.

I enjoy photographing people the most. International exposure at a young age for any photographer is essential as it boosts confidence and acquaints him with the quality of photographs he should be making.

I've been part of exhibitions in India, Australia, Russia, Senegal and New York, and it feels great to be part of a global photographic community.”

World queues up to learn ayurveda in Coimbatore

For the last few weeks, Cinzia Catalfamo Akbaraly has been learning about and researching the different herbs used in ayurveda. The founder and president of Madagascar's Akbaraly Foundation is hoping to take ayurveda to the Indian Ocean island nation.

"I am exploring the possibility of this traditional Indian system being a viable alternative to modern expensive medicines. People there use herbal medicines. ayurveda will not be an alien concept to them," says Akbaraly, who has been studying ayurveda at Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (AVP) in R S Puram in the city.

Like her, a number of foreigners are coming to Coimbatore to do short-term courses in ayurveda and take the system back to their country. Most of them come to know about ayurveda after reading about it or visiting centres in their countries, and see the scope for a career in the field.

Holger Sehramm from Hawaii in the US says he is thinking of setting up a centre in his hometown once he completes his course here. He is doing a three-month course at AVP. "Many Americans and Japanese come to Hawaii to learn yoga. I learnt yoga there for 10 years but wanted to deepen my knowledge and get an introduction to ayurveda," he says.

An introduction is what these students get during the courses that run from three to 12 months. "In the given period, we may not be able to teach ayurveda in a comprehensive manner, but we are able to educate them and generate an interest," says Dr A Rajendra Prasad, assistant director, AVP. "Many of them return to learn more."

Though they get students from across the world, most are from the US, UK, South America and, more recently, Latvia. They also run an ayurveda college that trains people to be fully qualified ayurveda doctors.

Though many countries' laws may not allow doctors to practice ayurveda, a number of dieticians and nutritionists incorporate ayurvedic practices into their prescriptions. "ayurveda helps allopathic doctors see another perspective in treating patients.

For instance, a western doctor who thinks of conducting a knee replacement surgery may reflect on other options," he says giving the example of Simone Hunziker, a doctor from Switzerland, who came to the centre to learn about ayurveda. "He is now the president of the Swiss ayurveda Medical Academy (SAMA)," Prasad says.

Dr U Indulal, deputy director at AVP, says most students have already done courses in other countries. "They come here when those centres are unable to help them further," he says.

That's the reason why Deema Koval has come to Coimbatore all the way from Ukraine to learn ayurveda. "I went to some training centres there, but they what they taught seemed confusing and contradictory. So, I came to India to five years back to learn more about the subject," says Koval who plans to make a career of it.

Oliver Mulliez who was working in the hospitality industry now wants to start a yoga and ayurveda centre in Paris. He heard about yoga from his wife. "But my wife is a bad teacher," he smiles. "I am doing a six-month course here," he says.

Dorian Millich, an architect from Brussels, who is learning ayurveda for eight months, says yoga helped him overcome depression. "Since yoga helped me so much, I wanted to learn more about Indian systems and spread the good I received," he says.