A regal affair by the Duchess in Chennai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Leaders

The Duchess Utsav is a platform for budding entrepreneurs, especially women to showcase an eclectic mix of fashion accessories, organic weaves, fabrics etc.

The event will be conducted in association with Calonge
The event will be conducted in association with Calonge

Chennai :

From bespoke clothing, an eclectic mix of fashion accessories, organic weaves, fabrics and blends to home and lifestyle products, eco-friendly gifting options, gourmet food and other healthy munchies — get ready to be spoilt for choice at the Duchess Utsav.

The Duchess Club was founded by the joint managing director of Savera Hotel, Nina Reddy, Sujata Mundhra, Anu Sachdev, Anu Agarwal and Rathi Neelakandan. The annual fiesta is a platform for budding entrepreneurs, especially women. As it gears up for its 18th edition, co-founder of Duchess Club, Sujata tells us what’s in store.

“When we started the Utsav 17 years ago, it was simple. We promoted few homepreneurs of which several have their own stores, boutiques and even conduct solo exhibitions. The aim is to provide a platform for budding female entrepreneurs. This has been our USP” she shares.

A freewheeling session on skincare by Dr Shraddha of Helios Skin & Hair clinic will be conducted on the first day. “On the second day, we will curate a fashion show where the brands will walk the ramp and display their products,” she says, adding that brands from other cities will also be exhibiting their products.

The two-day event will also feature one-of-a-kind silver and Swarovski jewellery brand Kreshya; an array of classic and contemporary silhouette for women from Sharath Sundar’s ‘Linen Collection’; handloom fabrics fused with modern techniques from Looms & More; traditional and contemporary saris and dupattas for the festive season by Safetypinz; georgettes, organzas, linens, raw silks, and tussar saris from the house of Vallika; lifestyle elements from BOLD; table and kitchen linen by Bottega Perreira; Indian crafts from Santushtee, and kids clothing by Whims n Fancies.

With people turning to a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle, the Utsav is also playing host to several eco-friendly brands like Nammaboomi for all your sustainable disposable needs, Sorrel Gardens for garden accessories and artefacts, Fat Cow Dairy for organic milk and ghee, and Zwende for personalised eco-friendly gifting solutions.

No carnival is complete without the yummies. The souk will feature a plethora of food stalls — healthy munchies by Hungrezi, cheese from JK Cheese, homemade jams from 101 Strawberries, sweet treats from Pinch of Love and marinades from Cook Town.

Award-winning jewellery brand AVR Swarnamahal will also be launched in Chennai as part of the Utsav. “The brand has created designs exclusively for the Utsav and we will be launching them too,” says Sujata. The 18th edition of Duchess Utsav will be inaugurated on August 29, 10 am at Hotel Savera. The exhibition will conclude on August 30 at 8 pm

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / August 27th, 2019

The record-breaking rider

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Sports

Injuries and family committments did not stop Kalaivani J from riding 2,000 km, without a break, to enter the India Book of Records.

Photos: D Sampathkumar
Photos: D Sampathkumar

Chennai  :

Zipping through the highway, firmly seated on her motorbike, Kalaivani J is the embodiment of determination. The 42-year-old, mother of one, recently set the record for the longest ride in a single sitting, covering 2,300 km from Chennai to Pune on her trusty vehicle.

Kickstarting her passion
Her first brush with riding was in her village Cheyyar near Kancheepuram, when she was 12 years old. Jumping onto her father’s motorcycle, she used to zoom through the streets, completing errands for her mother. “I was a tomboy when I was younger. I loved motorbikes and biking. My father was supportive. The joke around the house was that friends came to see me after school, only to find that the motorcycle and I were missing,” said Kalaivani.

It was only three years ago when Kalaivani decided to take up riding seriously. After her marriage, her husband always supported her passions. Kalaivani was stirred to join The Bajaj Avenger Club in the city. She then bought herself a Bajaj Avenger 220CC Groove. With the assistance of fellow club members, she learned maintenance and upkeep of the bike.

Setting a record
Upon hearing her love for motorbikes, her colleague at the law firm suggested that she try to set a record for the longest bike ride by a woman. “I saw that the record set for the longest bike ride by a woman was only 1,600 km. I had never done any long-distance riding before. My longest ride was only 700 km. But I was intrigued to do it. Well, I’m the type of person who cannot sit around waiting once I get an idea,” she laughed.

In June this year, she conducted her first test ride to Vijayawada. The trip revealed a lot to her about long-distance riding. “As a woman, you need to be extra careful when you take bio-breaks, that is, bathroom breaks. I had to make sure I was safe. You cannot stop for anything, and you have to maintain a certain speed limit always,” she said. Later that month, she decided to take a test ride to Nagpur. “My club members were incredibly helpful.

They organised with the club members from other cities that I would be stopping by, so that my trip would be smooth. They also took care of my son while I was away,” she said. This test run failed as her motorbike began to run into some technical difficulties in between. She returned to Chennai, not defeated, but with the knowledge to succeed the next time.

She also decided to make some adjustments to her initial route. Finally, on the morning of her record-breaking ride, she went to a temple and prayed to Saibaba. Renewed with confidence, she embarked on her 2,000-km ride to Pune at 4 am. Halfway through the ride, she fell off the bike, injuring her foot. She ignored the pain and got back on. She completed the ride at 10 pm the next day and set the record.

Women and vehicles
Upon reaching home, the realisation did not sink in until she received the email from the India Book of Records, which she then excitedly showed her family and friends from the club. Thrilled, she has her sights set on the next ride.

But the record is not the only thing Kalaivani has broken – gender roles too, lay smashed on the floor. “There is nothing a woman cannot do. We can do anything a man can. People may say we are not supposed to do certain things, but let them say it. You decide what you want to do, not someone else,” she said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Rochana Mohan / Express News Service/ August 26th, 2019

The long road to St Petersburgh

Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

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Meenakshi Sai Arvind and her team plan to cover 20, 000 km in two vehicles while spreading awareness about cervical cancer

In 2017, Meenakshi Sai undertook a road trip from Coimbatore to London. “That trip changed my life. I learnt so much from the different people I met on my way. My confidence increased manifold. I decided I wanted to do another road trip; so I researched for a year, set up route maps, marked the stop points, and so on. My brother Sanjay Subbian was the first to join me and four close friends, Sharath Madhav, Pradeep Yuvaraj, Sheila Verghis and Jomet Mani joined later. The only two people that I did not know from earlier are Madhuri Sapru and Anjana Kaul. They came forward seeing a post I had put up on Facebook inviting people to join.”

The eight of them are driving 20,000 km across four countries in two Tata Hexas upto St Petersburgh. It is not just a long drive, it has a purpose. XPD Trans-Siberian 2019: Beyond Asia, as the expedition is called, will spread awareness about cervical cancer.

“Cervical cancer is common among Indian women. It is also the only cancer that has preventive vaccines. We hope that the visibility that we receive will turn people’s attention towards this issue and bring in more sponsors to buy these vaccines for women from underprivileged background,” explains Meenakshi, who is also the managing trustee of RR Trust that organised the expedition.

The team was flagged off recently by social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham, athlete Gomathi Marimuthu, and and Indian Navy veteran Rajiv Choudhry. The journey will take them through Nepal, China and Russia. “We will drive through the day and rest at night. We plan to cover an average of 600 km a day. The highway between Vladivostok and Saint Petersburg, known as the Trans-Siberian highway, is the longest in the world. It is also dangerous as the place is sparingly populated and secluded. It stretches for a distance of 11,000 km.” The expedition is also taking along spare parts for the vehicle and fireproof jerry cans filled with fuel. They will come in handy especially in the long desolate stretches, especially in Siberia, that may not have fuel stations.

The only thing Meenakshi is worried about is Acute Mountain Sickness when they reach the Everest Base Camp. “The air will be thin there. We are carrying apparatus to keep a check on our oxygen levels, besides oxygen cylinders.

The team will also carry dehydrated vegetable biryani and tamarind rice. “We will eat it when we crave local food. I do not eat meat and finding vegetarian food in Russia can also be challenging. We are just being cautious.”

They plan to reach Saint Petersburg on September 27. “We will be flying back on October 1 and the cars will be shipped home.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Susan Joe Philip / August 23rd, 2019

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar: A shining star of astrophysics

Amazing Feats, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technologies, World Opinion

This great astrophysicist strongly influenced our understanding of stellar objects, black holes, white dwarfs and conducted remarkable work on Newton’s seminal work titled Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica.

As a young boy, astrophysicist and mathematician Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar had a deep desire to be like Isaac Newton. Often, he used to go to the beach alone, and pray: ‘Oh God, may I be like Newton!’(Illustration: Rushikesh Tulshiram Gophane)
As a young boy, astrophysicist and mathematician Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar had a deep desire to be like Isaac Newton. Often, he used to go to the beach alone, and pray: ‘Oh God, may I be like Newton!’(Illustration: Rushikesh Tulshiram Gophane)

Chandra, as he was widely known, was born on October 19, 1910, in Lahore, to Tamil parents Sitalakshmi Balakrishnan and Chandrasekhara Subrahmanya Ayyar. His father was the deputy auditor general of the Northwestern Railway. The family moved to Allahabad in 1916 and settled in Madras in 1918.

Early life and education

Chandrasekhar was homeschooled till the age of 12. He then attended the Hindu High School at Triplicane, Madras and studied at Presidency College, Madras from 1925 to 1930. During this stint, he met Lalitha Doraiswamy and they got married in 1936.

A highlight of his college years was the publication of his paper, The Compton Scattering and the New Statistics. Successes such as this strengthened his determination to pursue a career in scientific research despite his father’s wish for him to join Indian Civil Service.

In 1930, Chandrasekhar was awarded a government scholarship to pursue graduation at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom and he joined Trinity College. During this time, Chandra became enamoured with the subject of white dwarf stars. He explained how when stars run out of hydrogen, they become unstable and collapse in on themselves. But the most massive stars explode into a supernova and then collapse down into neutron stars, or black holes. He earned a PhD in 1933 and was elected to Prize Fellowship.

Career

In 1937, Chandrasekhar was appointed assistant professor in the University of Chicago – a position he continued in for his entire career spanning six decades. In 1947, he was appointed the distinguished service professor of theoretical astrophysics and, in 1985, became the professor emeritus.

As the editor of The Astrophysical Journal (1952-1971), he transformed the private publication into the National Journal of the American Astronomical Society. Apart from his work at the University, he also conducted research at NASA’s Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research.

In 1990, he began working on the detailed geometric arguments in Sir Isaac Newton’s famous work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, which is considered a significant work in the history of science. He died on August 21, 1995 of a heart attack.

Chandrasekhar Limit

He is best known for the discovery of the Chandrasekhar Limit, which he came up with as a student. Using this, he proved that there is a maximum mass which can be supported against gravity by the pressure made up of electrons and nuclei.

Awards, achievements

Chandra was honoured with the Padma Vibushan in 1968. In 1983, he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics along with William A Fowler for work on the structure and evolution of stars. He was, however, upset that the citation mentioned only his earliest work and not his later ones. Chandrasekhar was awarded the Gold Medal of Royal Astronomical Society (1953), the Royal Medal (1962), and the Copley Medal (1984).

He has authored several books including – An Introduction to the Study of Stellar Structure (1939), Principles of Stellar Dynamics (1942), and Newton’s Principia for the Common Reader (1995).

Interesting Facts

1. He was the nephew of Sir CV Raman, who was a Nobel Prize recipient. Chandrasekhar became a US citizen in 1953, retired from the University of Chicago in 1980, and continued to be a researcher.

2. In 1979, NASA named the third of its four Great Observatories after Chandrasekhar. The Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched and deployed by Space Shuttle Columbia on July 23, 1999.

3. The Chandrasekhar number, a vital dimensionless number of magneto hydrodynamics, was named after him as were the asteroid 1958 Chandra and the Himalayan Chandra Telescope.

4. The Chandra Astrophysics Institute runs an initiative for high school students interested in astrophysics. They are mentored by scientists from MIT and sponsored by the Chandra Observatory.

5. His brother, S Balakrishnan, revealed that as a boy, Chandra had a deep desire to be like Isaac Newton. He used to go to the beach alone, and pray: ‘Oh God, may I be like Newton!’

Source: famouspeople.com; notablebiographies.com;Wikipedia

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India> Inspiring Lives / by HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, New Delhi / August 21st, 2019