Col. MA Kaleem, a veteran motorcyclist, young at 68 years, begins a solo ride around India, riding a total distance of 35,000 km. He is attempting to break the existing world record for longest distance traveled within a country without retracting on same route. He’ll be travelling to all the states in the country touching their capital cities. Some of the cities he will be visiting are Chennai, Trivandrum, Kochi, Mangalore, Panaji, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Jaipur, Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Agra, Gwalior, Siliguri, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Indore, Guwahati. He intends to travel this Distance in a time of 90 days.
He has done innumerable solo rides in India and is affectionately called Moonchwala in Biker circles. He was part of the Hyderabad – Kashmir – Hyderabad ride done last year. He was flagged off in Hyderabad By the Joint Transport Commisioner and Secretary, RTA, HYDERABAD Mr T. Raghunath.
Mr. Kaleem Planted a tree at the RTA Khairatabad in Hyderabad to commemorate the occasion. Speaking on the occasion he thanked his Sponsors HP for the Petrol, CEAT Tires for 2 Sets of Brand new tires, ViaTerra for the Claw and GT customized luggage systems, HV Kumar & Forum for Live Online Support, Xbhp members for support and MapMyIndia for the GPS Device. He also mentioned that he is dedicated to protect environment and plants trees whenever he sets out for a ride. He wanted everyone in the society to pledge for their own as well as others safety while on the road.
Mr.T. Raghunath explained all the innovative ways they are using to make life of citizens on the roads in Hyderabad better. The safety measures and implementations of different policies were explained to the gathering.
Members from the online community will also be greeting and supporting him at every major town. We wish the young-at-heart colonel all the best in his record attempt.
source: http://www.motoroids.com / Motoroids.com / Home> Features / 2014
The bird has been described from northeastern India
Twenty-nine years after the demise Dr. Salim Ali, the birdman of India, an international group of ornithologists named a newly discovered species after him, thus paying homage to the man who shaped generations of ornithologists and also contributed to the better understanding of birds.
Himalayan Forest Thrush, Zoothera salimalii, thus goes the name of the species, which has been described from northeastern India and adjacent parts. The research team that identified the species included scientists from Sweden, India, China, the U.S., and Russia.
Earlier, a bat species — Salim Ali’s fruit bat — that was first collected from Western Ghats region of Theni district, Tamil Nadu, was named after the legendary ornithologist.
The present study was initiated in June 2009 by Per Alström of Uppsala University, Sweden and Shashank Dalvi of the Alumnus of the Post Graduate Program, Wildlife Conservation Society- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, while studying birds at high elevations of Western Arunachal Pradesh. The researchers had discovered that there were two species of Plain-backed Thrush breeding in sympathy in Arunachal Pradesh, India. These were completely “segregated by elevation and habitat, one occurring in mostly coniferous forest up to the upper tree limit and the other in alpine habitats above the tree limit. Their songs were strikingly different, although no definite morphological differences were detected in the field.”
The research findings were published in Avian Research.
According to the researchers, “it was realised that what was considered as a single species, the Plain-backed Thrush Zoothera mollissima, was in fact two different species in northeastern India. While the Plain-backed Thrush in the coniferous and mixed forest had a rather musical song, those individuals found in the same region, but on bare rocky habitats above the tree-line had a much harsher, scratchier, unmusical song.”
The studies of “specimens from 15 museums in seven countries revealed consistent differences in plumage and structure between birds from these two populations. It was confirmed that the species breeding in the forests of the eastern Himalayas had no scientific name. Later, the new species was named as Himalayan Forest Thrush Zoothera salimalii. The high-elevation Plain-backed Thrush is now renamed as Alpine Thrush while it retains the scientific name of Zoothera mollissima,” said a communication.
The analysis of plumage, structure, song, DNA and ecology from throughout the range of the Plain-backed Thrush revealed that a third species was present in central China, which was already known. This was treated as a subspecies of Plain-backed Thrush and was called as Sichuan Forest Thrush. The song of the Sichuan Forest Thrush was found to be even more musical than the song of the Himalayan Forest Thrush, the communication said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech / by K. S. Sudhi / January 24th, 2016
Saidullah has won many trophies (Pictures: Prashant Ravi)
Mohammed Saidullah, a resident of Motihari in the Indian state of Bihar, has received many awards and trophies in the last few years for his innovation.
In 1975, when his Jatwa-Janerwa village was swamped under flood waters – an annual monsoon menace – he pleaded with a local boatman to take him to safety.
When the boatman refused to give him space unless he paid for it, the young Saidullah looked for other ways to tackle the floodwater.
Necessity met creativity and in just three days, he made an amphibious bicycle which could easily negotiate the floodwaters.
He modified the conventional bicycle by adding four rectangular air floats to support it while it moved on water. Two fan blades were attached to the spokes of the rear wheel which enabled it to run on both water and land.
The blades were arranged in such a fashion that the cycle could be driven in reverse direction too.
Shining moment
Later, Mr Saidullah demonstrated the prowess of his vehicle before a stunned crowd, which included the then state governor, AR Kidwai, when he crossed the river Ganges in Patna city.
His big shining moment came in January 2005 when the then Indian President, APJ Abdul Kalam, presented him with the National Innovation Foundation’s (NIF) lifetime achievement award.
In the same year, he was selected as one of the 12 finalists for the prestigious Wall Street Journal Asian Innovation Awards.
Saidullah takes his grandchildren for a joy ride in his cycle-rickshaw
He was also profiled for the Discovery Channel’s “Beyond Tomorrow” programme.
In fact, he has won so many awards that he has lost count of them all.
An impressed NIF took away his bicycle and offered to get it patented.
But three years later, Mr Saidullah has neither got the patent nor the bicycle.
Today, he lives in penury.
Everyday, he pedals about 30 kms on his bicycle to sell honey so that he can feed his family of 16.
But the work brings him a paltry 1,500 rupees ($37) a month.
Grinding poverty
Unable to make the ends meet, he has now put up his roadside half-thatched, half-concrete house and the small plot of land – in Mathia Dih locality of Motihari in East Champaran district – on sale.
His disillusionment is such that Mr Saidullah wants to return all his awards and trophies.
“If you want to destroy someone, give him an award,” he says.
After the bicycle, Mr Saidullah also invented an amphibious cycle-rickshaw which he demonstrated before the BBC team in a nearby pond.
“On this, I can take my grandchildren for a joy ride in the water,” Mr Saidullah told the BBC.
The workshop is his favourite place
“But I feel hurt by what the NIF has done to me. They used us for their promotion,” he says.
“May I know how many innovators like me have been benefited and how many of us have been destroyed by them?” asks Mr Saidullah, with pain creasing his face.
NIF executive chairman, Anil Gupta, is sympathetic to Mr Saidullah’s plight: “We tried a lot, are still trying and will keep trying to explore things being done for Mr Saidullah’s amphibious bicycle. But yes his frustration is completely understandable.
“Despite our best efforts, for some reasons we failed to generate any entrepreneurship for his bicycle. We’ve given him the innovation fellowship of a fixed amount and we are ready to support him in future too,” Mr Gupta said.
There is still a chance that things may look up for him.
A senior official in Bihar state’s science and technology department, Ajay Kumar, told the BBC he would do all he could to help Mohammed Saidullah.
“Though there is no structured schemes for commercialisation of such innovations in my department but we would certainly help him in getting his product patented after talking with the NIF,” Mr Kumar said.
According to Mohammed Saidullah’s son, Mohammed Shakilurrahman, the family was not always poor. Mr Saidullah inherited acres of land, orchards, elephants and a big house from his father.
But, the rural scientist sold all his property to pursue his innovations, his son says.
New things
He blames his father’s “sheer madness” for the family’s poverty.
He too sells honey in the state capital.
However, Mr Saidullah’s bitter past experience has not stopped him from moving on to new things.
After the amphibious bicycle, he developed a key-operated table fan which can run non-stop for two hours, a mini-water pump that needs no fuel and a mini-tractor which can run for two hours on just five litres of diesel.
Saidullah names all his innovations after his wife, Noor
Now, he claims he’s making a helicopter which would cost the equivalent of $62,500 and a car that would be powered by air energy.
His dark, dingy workshop is crammed with a hand-made lathe machines and countless corroded nut-bolts littered on long rusty iron racks.
But it’s his favourite place. “I love to be here all the time,” he says.
Where would he go once his house and land is sold off?
“I’ll make a three-storey moving car with folding cots, pack my family in and park it on an open government land by the roadside anywhere,” he says.
The maverick innovator says he draws inspiration for his innovations from his everyday experiences. He has named all his creations after his loving wife, Noor Jahan.
“Noor means light and Inshallah a day would come when there would be light in our life too,” says Saidullah.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk / BBC News / Home> South Asia / by Amarnath Tewary / Motihari – Bihar / March 03rd, 2008
Sadiq Ali’s fascination for animals began in childhood and became his life’s mission. Ali, who was born in 1966 near Chennai, belonged to a family in the leather business. As a result, he often saw taxidermists and tanners visiting his house to meet his grandfather. He also had the opportunity to interact with Irulas (a local tribe) who lived nearby.
Photo Courtesy: WNCT.
From them, he learnt to handle snakes at a very young age. Not surprisingly, he graduated as a leather technology professional, and moved to Ooty in 1991 after which he began taking more interest in conservation-related activities. In 2012, he decided to dedicate his life to the conservation and protection of wildlife and founded the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT).
WNCT’s mission statement is, “We have not inherited the earth and her wild heritage from our forefathers, but borrowed it from our future generations. Hence it is the duty of all citizens to protect the last few remaining forests of this country.”
The Ooty-based NGO works in the Western Ghats, one of the largest forest areas in south India. With several rivers and streams originating from the Nilgiris, this is a vital watershed for south India. The region is also home to around 6,000 elephants and many other critically-endangered species of flora and fauna.
As in other parts of the country, these forests face direct and indirect threats from humans. Encroachment of forest land by the land mafia is on the rise. So is pollution caused by garbage dumped into rivers and forest land. Poaching of wildlife has severely affected the populations of many species. Sand and granite mining and other construction activities continue unabated. The forest is becoming increasingly fragmented leading to man-animal conflict. WNCT is actively addressing all of these issues.
Though WNCT is a young organisation, its founder Ali has been involved in rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife in the Nilgiri biosphere for over a decade. WNCT helps bridge the divide among stakeholders like the Forest Department, local communities and the general public. It also supports the Forest Department through capacity-building initiatives such as camps and seminars. WNCT runs a round-the-clock rescue team, which helps concerned authorities mitigate conflict scenarios. They have carried out scores of successful rescue and rehabilitation missions.
“We have an effective team of members that quickly responds to calls regarding wild animals entering human habitations or in distress. They are well trained to handle such situations and there are many instances when government authorities and local communities take help from us to resolve conflict situations,” says Ali.
WNCT believes in an inclusive working style, actively engaging with stakeholders and enforcement authorities. They have a network of informers and volunteers who watch for illegal wildlife activities. They are also actively involved in seizing wild animals in illegal possession and highlighting such cases. These animals are released into their natural habitats after requisite medical treatment.
WNCT understands that investing in conservation-awareness drives for the younger generation and local communities are vital for a secure future. They impart conservation awareness to students and local communities whenever an opportunity arises. They feel that more people should be empowered in conservation activities.
“We work extensively with colleges and educational institutions to make young minds understand the importance of protecting nature. Conservation requires a lot of passion, love, experience and resources and we would like to work with like-minded NGOs to further the cause,” says Ali.
WNCT needs a SUV which will help their rescue team reach inaccessible locations faster. Contact them if you know someone planning to sell their SUV or would like to donate one. If anyone wishes to volunteer or share information about the illegal trade or captivity of wildlife, they can email WNCT on info@wnct.in.
Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust
No. 97, 2nd Floor (Ooty Coffee House Building), Commercial Road
Ooty – 643001, Tamil Nadu, India.
Tel.: +91 96550 23288
For more information, visit: www.wnct.in
Author: Anirudh C. Nair
First appeared in: Sanctuary Asia, Vol. XXXIII No. 5, October 2013.
source: http://www.sanctuaryasia.in / Sanctuary Asia / Home> Resources/ NGO Profies / by Anirudh C Nair / Volume XXXIII No.5, October 2013
A female snow leopard photographed by Ismail Shariff
Hyderabad-based wildlife photographer Ismail Shariff on how the lens-totting tribe can exercise restraint in wilderness
The photograph of a snow leopard occupies a pride of place in Ismail Shariff’s edgily-designed studio. The Hyderabad-based wildlife photographer says he was blessed, not plain lucky, to have been able to capture the leopard from barely 15 feet distance in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, this year.
Shariff has been a part of three snow leopard expeditions. Earlier, he had to be content with images where the leopard was a speck in the frame. “Animals in regions like Spiti or Leh are shy. They sense human presence a mile away,” he says.
A cartload of patience helps photographers get the right shot. They wait for minutes or hours, anticipating the animal’s next move. Shariff’s experience was no different, “From where we were staying, we could spot the leopard sleeping and ran out with our cameras. The villagers were also keen to have a glimpse. We felt that when the leopard wakes up, it will walk away from the noise and make its way to a clearing. We positioned ourselves such that we can get images but not be in its line of sight.”
He’s elated to have captured these images, but he mulls over and says, “If the snow leopards could come this close to humans, either they were short of food or they’ve gotten used to human presence.”
Shariff has been an avid wildlife photographer since 2008 and has observed the rise in numbers in his tribe. “There were fewer people exploring wildlife photography back then since not everyone could afford the flamboyant lenses,” he says.
In July, Shariff plans to visit Ladakh to photograph the Pallas’ cat (named after German naturalist Pyotr Simon Pallas). Besides these niche expeditions, he’s also frequented Tadoba National Park (92 times), Kabini and Jim Corbett National Park that are popular among tourists.
The observations while on these trips make him wonder if aspiring photographers compromise on the ethics of wildlife photography for instant gratification on social media.
It isn’t a case of sour grapes or a cry for exclusivity, Shariff clarifies, “There isn’t much money to be made out of photography in India. A few established photographers work with forest departments and voluntary organisations. Their work helps in documentation and conservation activities. For most others, it’s a hobby. There’s nothing wrong with more people exploring this line. The trouble begins when ego kicks in and you want to bend rules.”
There have been instances of photographers getting too close for the comfort of animals and birds — from attempting to veer off course during safaris to getting closer to bird nests. This isn’t limited to India, says Shariff, sharing instances where he spotted photographers getting off a safari vehicle in Yellowstone National Park in the US or crowding to take shots of a Broadbill’s nest in Malaysia.
Dos and don’ts
* The enthusiasm for a great shot needs to be tempered with restraint and respect for wildlife habitats. While on safaris in places like Tadoba, Kabini or Corbett, drive slowly, don’t talk loudly and never get off the vehicle. By irritating or threatening the animal, you also put yourself at danger. “I’ve seen people trying to bribe guides and drivers to take a different route or allow them to get off the vehicle, setting a wrong precedence to others,” Shariff points out.
* Don’t underestimate nature. Respect weather conditions. Shariff recalls being blown five feet high when a gust of wind changed director in Chopta, Uttarakhand.
* Steer clear of mothers with cubs. “Mothers, be it a tigress, lioness, deer, peafowl or a bear, will do anything to safeguard its offspring.”
* Don’t try to film animals in nocturnal situations unless permitted by forest department. Animal movement is pronounced and unpredictable at night. There have been cases of road-kills where vehicles have knocked down animals.
* If one is truly interested in turning their passion for wildlife photography into something meaningful, collaborate with forest departments or organisations that document wildlife and living conditions of people living close to these zones. A niche category that’s emerging, called conservation photography, helps initiate a dialogue.
Factoid: Collaborate for conservation
Dharmendra Khandal is a conservation biologist, researcher, botanist and photographer associated with Tiger Watch in Ranthambore. His efforts have led to capture of several poachers in Rajasthan. Khandal also helped identify several species of spiders.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> LifeStyle> World Environment Day / by Sangeetha Devi Dundoo / June 03rd, 2017
Yogi mango is latest product from the laboratory of UP’s Mango Man. Three years after Haji Kalimullah christened a mango after PM Narendra Modi he has now named another after UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The 74-year old Padmashri recipient, Haji Kalimullah is excited about the new variety in his orchard in Malihabad, about 30kms from Lucknow.
It’s the first time the variety named by him has not been developed by the man himself, rather, has grown naturally in his orchard. In all likelihood, it appears to be a cross of another naturally developed variety, ‘Karela’ and Dussehri.
“The Yogi mango is slender, elongated and beautiful and you won’t stop marvelling when you see it,” said Kalimullah. But the hybrid’s parent is not know even to him. “Some people visited my orchard recently and while they were looking around they asked about these four five different-looking mangoes on a tree. I said the variety might have developed naturally and they suggested to name it after Yogiji and I did,” he said.
This time, however, Kalimullah has named the variety a little earlier than usual. On all other occasions on which he developed a new variety, he waited for the fruit to ripen to know its taste and smell.
“I am still not sure how this mango is going to taste as it is green and the same can be said about how it would smell. But I hope it will taste good as it is a hybrid of Dussehri,” he said, adding that it will take about a month for the fruit to ripen.
Meanwhile, the tree bearing Modi mango has some fruits on it this year too. “Modi mango is exceptional in taste and very nice to look at,” said Kalimullah. It’s a hybrid of Kolkata’s Husn-e-Aara and Lucknow’s Dussehri. No wonder, the fruit has acquired distinct streaks of crimson like Husn-e-ara and elongation of Dussehri.
Kalimullah’s technique is different when it comes to developing a new variety. “I cross flowers, develop a fruit and then sow its seeds because every seed is different and that is how the best variety develops,” he said.
It’s anything but easy. About 99% experiments have gone waste. The few that survived brought the man recognition. He has named the hybrid of Khasul Khaas and Chausa weighing up to 1 kg after Sachin Tendulkar. He has also named one variety named after Aishwarya.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / TNN / May 07th, 2017
The battery-operated kiosk, Sunny Splendor, is a boon to persons with disabilities. —Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P. | Photo Credit: G_P_Sampath Kumar
Three years ago, Umesh, a lorry driver, lost his legs in a road accident. To make ends meet, he decided to sell tea on a two-wheeler, but the new venture threw up many challenges.
Dejected but not defeated, he approached an automobile firm for help. The firm, along with a wheelchair manufacturer, came up with a design for a disabled-friendly mobile kiosk to help people with disabilities earn a livelihood as part of a CSR initiative. The company approached the Association of People with Disabilities (APD), which funded the project. By 2015-end, Umesh had a prototype of the mobile kiosk.
APD rolled out three such mobile kiosks in the city in December last year to enable people with locomotive impairment and cerebral palsy start a business. The kiosk or electric vehicle named Sunny Splendor can also be charged on solar power.
Calling it ‘office on wheels’, C.N. Gopinath, executive board member of APD, said: “It plays a pivotal role in creating a perfect livelihood option for the physically challenged, who at times are constrained by financial circumstances and lack of qualification.”
Mansoor Ahmed, one of the fund raisers of the project, said the kiosk is environment and disabled-friendly. “We replaced the steering wheel with a joystick and the tires have increased brake efficiency”.
“I want to start a cosmetics and beverages business and my target audience comprises those working in tech parks. With this vehicle, I can commute to different tech parks,” said Basheer Ahmed, who is affected by polio. For Mahesh, who has been repairing mobile phones from home, the vehicle will help him broaden his customer base. “I want to run the business outside a government office. I am also planning to buy a typewriter, so I can help officials in their work”.
Four kiosks in Bengaluru
There are four such kiosks in Bengaluru. Beneficiaries can approach APD if they wish to become entrepreneurs, and have to go through a selection process before they can get their own mobile kiosk.
APD charges 10 per cent of the ₹1 lakh that costs to make a unit. “We believe they have the right to stake a claim in our ventures. This would not be possible if we operated on a charity model, which is is why we accept 10 per cent monetary contribution from them, though we do not insist this from those who cannot afford,” Mr. Mansoor Ahmed added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Shilpa Ramaswamy / Bengaluru – January 03rd, 2016
The largest beach clean-up in the world would be a reward in itself. But for spearheading it, Mumbai-based lawyer Afroz Shah has been named as one of winners of the top environmental honour of the United Nations. Shah will be among those bestowed with the Champions of the Earth award for leading the clean-up of Mumbai’s Versova Beach.
Shah will receive the award under the ‘Action and Inspiration’ category for kick-starting a volunteer campaign to pick up, by hand, all the plastic bags, cement sacks, glass bottles, pieces of clothing, and shoes, that covered the entire 2.5-km stretch of the Versova Beach, even rising many feet high in some places.
The movement grew and grew over the past year and picked up a whopping 4,000 tons of garbage.
“Shah’s efforts, and the hundreds of volunteers he’s inspired, is a wonderful example of citizen action and reminds the rest of the world that even the most ambitious, global agreements are only as good as the individual action and determination that brings them to life. His outstanding leadership is drawing global attention to the devastating impacts of marine litter,” said United Nations Environment Project (UNEP) chief Erik Solheim, who had joined Shah in the clean-up for a day in October.
Lewis Pugh, the United Nations Patron of the Oceans, too, congratulated Shah in a twitter. “So delighted that Afroz Shah has won the UN’s highest award for his incredible efforts to clean Mumbai’s beaches!!” he tweeted.
Pugh has for long hailed the Versova clean-up as the ‘largest beach clean-up in history’. He had made it a point to visit Mumbai and take part in the clean-up in July.
“This award is in honour of the hundreds of volunteers who have joined me over the past year to clean up our beach and ocean. I am an ocean lover and feel that we owe a duty to our ocean to make it free of plastic,” said Shah as part of the announcement on the UNEP website.
“I just hope this is the beginning for coastal communities across India and the world – we have to win the fight against marine dumping and that involves getting our hands dirty. We humans need to reignite our bond with the ocean and we don’t have to wait for anybody else to help us do that,” he added.
Shah and his 84-year-old neighbour, Harbansh Mathur, had started picking up garbage off the beach in July 2015. This grew into a movement, with a rising number of volunteers, outliving Mathur.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> India News / TNN / December 03rd, 2016
For any hardcore Harry Potter fan, the Sorting Hat, and the medieval wizard Godric Gryffindor is basic knowledge. Three entomologists, who stumbled upon a new species of spider have decided to pay tribute to the character by naming it after him. Though the arachnid bears resemblance to the ‘Sorting Hat’ of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it would be hard to spot it if you are trekking in the Western Ghats.
Eriovixia gryffindori, is the new spider species discovered, details of which was published in the recent edition of Indian Journal of Arachnology.
The discovery of the arachnid was made at ‘Kans’ forestland of Central Western Ghats at Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district, by Javed Ahmed, Rajashree Khalap and Sumukha J N.
While Javed and Rajashree hail from Mumbai, Sumukha is from Shivamogga.
Describing the etymology of the spider, the scientists write that naming it after Gryffindor – after whom one of the four houses in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is named and who once owned the Sorting Hat – was, “An ode from the authors, for magic lost, and found, in an effort to draw attention to the fascinating, but oft overlooked world of invertebrates, and their secret lives.”
Prior to it, they express their fondness of J K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series as a ‘wordsmith extraordinaire’.
“This uniquely shaped spider derives its name from the fabulous, sentient magical artifact, the sorting hat, owned by the (fictitious) medieval wizard Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and stemming from the powerful imagination of Ms. J K Rowling….” they wrote.
While the team found a female specimen of the Gryffindor spider, they are yet to describe the holotype of a typical male of the species. The paper notes that the particular species of spider is known to be distributed only from Shivamogga district, as of now.
The spider mimics dry foliage, making it ideal for it to reside almost undetected on the forest floor.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / December 13th, 2016
Ornamental garden is the dream of plant-loving urban dwellers. Plants, foliage and flowering of different hues in various combination can express the beauty of nature around the living area. It is not the size that matters as one can landscape even a small home ground in the same way as done for larger estates or public parks. When done in the best form it is the pride of the house.
An ‘ornamental garden’ developed by a woman falls into this category. The owner, gardener and executor is none other than the winner of the first prize in the Annual Dasara Flower Show under ornamental garden category: Ms. Hashmath Fathima. It is an artistic outdoor garden developed around her little dwelling place in a plot of land in Kalyanagiri, all on her own. The garden has all the ingredients of a modern ornamental garden with display of choicest flowering and foliage plants in the form of annuals and perennials (herbs, shrubs, climbers, trees, ornamental grasses, bulbs etc.) embellished with various design elements.
The special feature is most part of the garden is developed using containers of various size, shape and hues. The entrance gate opens up into a path leading to the garage, beautifully paved with lawn grass in the crevices which makes up for the absence of a lawn (due to lack of space). On entry into the garden you can notice the potted plants stacked up in multiple rows in various colour combination of foliage and flowers & height along side the wooden wall. The half wall of the verandah has been decked up with colourful overhanging Lantanas, besides the hanging pots at the entrance of the house.
For embellishment valuable objects of artefacts in the form of figurines of various objects, birds nests etc., are placed at vantage points. The northern wall of the house is fully green, a breathing wall completely covered with creeping fig (Ficus repens). The perennial climbers (Allamanda, Quisqualis, Bougainvillea etc.) with their foothold on the northern edge ramble on the wooden barricade. The garlic vine (Mansoa alliacea) overarching the garage makes spectacular display with purple coloured blooms and attracts the onlookers. A small pond is also designed in the backyard with water lily (Nymphae sps) in it. In addition to being pleasant to look at, this ornamental garden is also enjoyable to use with a recreation area to sit and enjoy reading etc., in the form of a bench decorated with an arch covered with a climber in the front yard and an aviary with plenty of beautiful birds in the backyard.
Another eye-catching addition is the bottle garden (hanging) created using soft drink bottles planted with variegated Alternantheras. This impressed me a lot. In general the display of plants is such that as soon as one enters one can experience the burst of flowers of all hues amidst the colourful foliage. Above all, with innumerable flowering and foliage plants (Acalypha, Althea rosea, Asparagus, Aglonema, Alternanthera, Anthuriums, Asters, Coleus, Catharanthus, Chrysanthemums, Cocks comb, Begonias, Cosmos, Calendulas, Chlorophytum, Duranta, Euphorbia milii, Gamphrena, Gazania, Gerberas, Day lily, Ferns, Marigolds, Pentas, Petunias, Zinnias etc., etc.) this little paradise looked like a “mini flower show.”
Ms. Hashmath is into gardening for more than a decade and has won several first prizes in the past too. I understand that she herself carries out most of her gardening work and uses only organic manure. Most of her earnings are spent on maintaining the garden. A dress designer by profession, she has put her heart and soul in designing the beautiful and attractive garden as well! Furthermore, she has shown the ability and imagination of the gardener in her in the best form besides the woman power.
Text & photographs by Dr. Mahadeswara Swamy, Scientist, Mob: 97429-91057, e-mail: swamy_clri@hotmail.com
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / November 06th, 2016
