Mattu Pongal (மாட்டுப்பொங்கல்) is a great festival in Tamil Nadu where we honour our livestock with Pongal. Here we have all sorts of Pongal (White Pongal - வெண் பொங்கல், Sweet Pongal சர்க்கரை பொங்கல் and Turmeric Pongal மஞ்சள் பொங்கல்) prepared for our cows and bulls and calves and they are fed sugarcane and bananas and pongals. You can see Sri. Balakrishnanji, Sri. Vasudeoji , Er. Ramakrishnan, Sri. Govindan and sister Saraswathi. We wish you all a happy Mattu Pongal.

Our Newsletter each month brings you not just our monthly activities but also many aspects of Environmental philosophy behind our work. This month also the newsletter gives you, along with our work this month, some key concepts of Ecological thinking.

Vladimir Vernadsky (1863-1945) is one of the pioneering scientists of Environmental movement. He was a Russian geo-chemist who for the first time emphasized the importance of life as a geological force in shaping the planet. He coined the word 'bio-geo coenosis' and showed how biosphere is dynamically linked to earth's rocks and oceans and atmospheres. Lynn Margulis considers Vernadsky as the first visionary scientist to have uncovered the fundamental principles of Gaia hypothesis. In this newsletter we have some excerpts from his magnum opus: Biosphere.

Arne Dekke Eide Næss (1912 – 2009) was a philosopher and the founder of deep ecology. The usual western model of inner development proceeds from ego-I to social-I to metaphysical-I. But Arne Næss expanded this to include ecological self. So what is ecological self? It is the identity one feels with all life which creates a strong sense of empathy. He narrates it with a personal incident that gave him this vision. Read all about it in our extract from one of his articles on ecological self.

What is all thoughts worth if they are not matched by actions? Read what Vivekananda Kendra-NARDEP achieved at the ground level in spreading environmental awareness and disseminating green technology. It involves motivation camp, technology adapatation workshops and popularizing and commissioning Shakthi Surabhi - the bio-methanation plant and much more. Read all about that in the newsletter.

We all know earth is scared. How to make scared earth sacred again? To know that we should know what earth is and also what makes the earth scared. Here is a book that explains what wounds the planet and what it takes to heal it. From our book shelf and publication division we share the review of a wonderful little book that will make you understand what role you can play to heal the planet.

Also share the wisdom of some of the best minds of the human species. We have Freeman Dyson the theoretical physicist discussing the approaches to nature. We have Abdul Kalam discussing the need to conserve bio-diversity and Arne Naess on the implications of non-violence and non-duality (Ahimsa and Advaita) as keystone concepts for ecological movement.

You can read them all in our December newsletter available for download here

At the Kanyakumari Carnival-2010 organized by District administration, Vivekananda Kendra -nardep had a stall and the Shakti-Surabhi Bio-Methanation plant was displayed as a live model. Many people visited the stall and showed interest.

Sri G. Vasudeo, Secretary Vivekananda Kendra - NARDEP, was awarded the award for lifetime contribution in the field of Sustainable development at the Vivekananda Yoga University (SVYAS) during the second international conference on krishi yoga, cow and sustainable rural development. His contribution to the dissemination of eco-technologie s as well as the publication of various volumes on the concepts and philosophy of sustainable development was also recognized. The award was presented on the first day of the international conference on 13-Dec-2010 at SVYAS auditorium.

This book provides in Tamil all the panels of the Gramodaya Park exhibits in Kanyakumari Vivekananda Kendra Campus. The technologies exhibited here include construction technology, water harevsting, holistic and indigenous medicine and also sustainable technology. The panels are presented in the book in Tamil.

கிராமப்புறங்களின் நீடித்த வளர்ச்சிக்கான தொழில்நுட்பங்களுக்கான பூங்கா ஒன்று விவேகானந்த கேந்திராவில் செயல்பட்டுவருகிறது. இங்கு நிறுவப்பட்டுள்ள சுற்றுப்புற சூழலுக்கு உகந்த தொழில்நுட்பங்கள் கட்டிடத் தொழில்நுட்பம், மருத்துவ தொழில்நுட்பம், நீர் மேலாண்மை, இயற்கை விவசாயம் ஆகியவை தொடர்பானவையாக அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. இங்கு காட்டப்பட்டுள்ள தொழில்நுட்பங்களின் நூல் வடிவமே இந்த நூல். இதில் ஒவ்வொரு தலைப்பிலும் உள்ள காட்சிகள் தரப்பட்டுள்ளன. பல வண்ண வடிவமைப்பில் இந்த நூல் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

For the book contact:

Secretary

Vivekananda Kendra-NARDEP, Vivekananda Puram, Kanyakumari-629702

Phone:91-4652-246296