CM Naidu announces 300-acre Circular Economy Industrial Park near Tirupati
Highlighting the importance of a circular economy, Naidu urged citizens to adopt this change at their homes by producing compost from kitchen waste. Citing global models like Singapore, where water is extensively recycled, he laid out plans to convert wet waste into biogas and compost, and dry waste into plastic granules.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister offered prayers at the TTD Kapileswara Swamy temple in Kapilatheertham for the State's prosperity and inspected the integrated waste processing centre at Thukivakam.
Addressing youth, he called them the 'torchbearers of the future,' urging them to lead with innovation and uphold the intellectual legacy of the Telugu people. Naidu also stressed the significance of the 'Swachhandhra' programme, conducted on the third Saturday of every month, aimed at statewide cleanliness. He encouraged students to keep their surroundings clean and emphasised that homes and public spaces should be maintained with the sanctity of temples. He also promoted tree plantations to create greener, healthier communities.
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The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
How villages in Telangana are uncovering 10,000-year-old rock art and forgotten histories
A quiet revolution in historical storytelling is underway in Telangana. Over the past few years, a treasure trove of archaeological finds and cultural narratives has surfaced, courtesy the grassroots initiative Kotha Telangana Charithra Brundam (KTCB). Literally translating to 'New History Group of Telangana,' the 125-member collective is made up of farmers, professionals, students, and teachers — everyday history enthusiasts who are unearthing remnants of the region's past, often hidden in plain sight. 'This is my office,' quips 68-year-old Sriramoju Hargopal, gesturing to his laptop at his home in Tellapur, Hyderabad. Surrounded by stacks of books, the retired Telugu teacher and KTCB convener spends his days poring over photos and field reports sent in by volunteers. His passion for the past began with a story told by his grandfather. 'He once explained how our village, Alair in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana, got its name,' Mr. Hargopal recalls. 'The village had cows (aavulu) fierce enough to drive away tigers, and was surrounded by a large water body (eru). That's why it was named Alair.' That tale stayed with him, igniting a lifelong curiosity about local histories and the invisible threads that connect memory, myth, and place. In 1999, while working as a government school teacher, Mr. Hargopal found an unlikely kindred spirit in his colleague Viruvanti Gopalakrishna, the senior-most teacher at the school and a noted historian, now 90 years old. The two began travelling together across Telangana's villages, mapping old temples, prehistoric sites, and long-forgotten inscriptions. Sometimes, they were joined by a former student or a fellow teacher. Their discoveries found their way into around 20 self-published books — quiet testaments to their relentless curiosity. The journey did not stop even after Mr. Hargopal's retirement in 2013. Over the last decade, what began as an individual passion evolved into a collective movement. Around 125 volunteers — ordinary people from across professions — have come together under the informal banner of the KTCB to explore the histories embedded in their own villages. Though not formally registered, the group has grown steadily, powered by single and repeated contributions from its members, each adding a thread to Telangana's rich historical tapestry. How the group works Once a villager spots something unique — a centuries-old sculpture, an unusual inscription, or remnants of a buried structure — he or she sends photos or videos to a WhatsApp group. Back in Tellapur, Mr. Hargopal, who is also an iconographer, begins decoding the visuals, often referencing historical texts or consulting experts like archaeologists Emani Sivanagi Reddy and Damaraju Surya Kumar. If the find is promising, the KTCB team gets to work: drawing up a plan of action and reaching out to collaborators like the Rock Art Society of India (RASI) or even numismatists depending on the site's nature. They carry mapping paper, colour scales, and other essentials, setting out only after securing the necessary permissions. 'We try to connect with a local guide, not just to find the way but also to stay safe from wild animals,' says Katta Srinivas Rao, a Khammam-based government teacher who serves as co-convener of the KTCB. 'By exploring one region, we uncover many stories,' he says. Mr. Rao believes social media has played a pivotal role in creating grassroots historical awareness. 'Earlier, people didn't care much about rock art or inscriptions. Today, they engage with the posts and help us spread the word,' he says. But there is a downside too. 'The real threat isn't misinformation, it's erasure,' he warns. 'We're losing historical buildings to unchecked real estate development. Even rock engravings that date back 10,000 years are being vandalised with graffiti. These artworks are windows into the mind of primitive man. Local communities must come forward to protect what remains, so that the next generation inherits more than just stories, they inherit evidence.' Compelling stories The volunteers of the KTCB are not just history buffs, they are also invested storytellers. Take Kolipaka Srinivas, a farmer and contract employee with the Telangana electricity department. He accidentally discovered the historical significance of his land five years ago. A native of Nanganoor near Siddipet, Mr. Srinivas recalls being just five when he unearthed terracotta pots, Neolithic beads, and statues on his two-acre farm. 'I was thrilled to later learn these belonged to the Satavahana period,' he says. Since then, he has explored nearly 170 villages, dedicating weekends to documenting hidden heritage. Now an active advocate for preservation, he often brings college students along to spark curiosity and awareness. But he is also realistic. 'When I speak to villagers about saving historical sites, they often ask, 'What do we get out of it?' Unless the people living in these places take interest, how much can we really achieve?' he says. From academic papers and books to short videos on their YouTube channel, the KTCB's mission is rooted in community engagement. Every month, the team hosts a live virtual meet on YouTube, drawing 30 to 90 people who tune in to share and listen to stories of cultural conservation — sometimes discoveries made in their very own backyard. The KTCB has been part of national seminars organised by the RASI and published its research papers in their journals. 'Telangana has 5,000 villages, each with its own history,' says Mr. Hargopal. 'But these stories will only come to light if the people who live there help uncover them.' Once the team ascertains the artefacts, the age and type of stone, only a couple of rock tools are brought from the spot. he adds, 'We believe in in situ, an archaeological term in Latin meaning 'in place.' We feel it is our responsibility to let antiquities stay where they are.'
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Weaving wonder with words: Deepa Kiran's 30-year journey reviving storytelling in education across India and beyond
In a galaxy of Indian storytellers, Ms. Deepa Kiran stands out as a teacher trainer in the art of narration. Her training aims to enhance learning of the English language and diverse subjects. The one lesson she has learnt from a journey spanning almost three decades is, 'Love and togetherness are what education should achieve'. The Story Arts Foundation, a registered trust set up by Ms. Deepa, works with Central and State government schools and NGOs. It believes in learning, sharing, and growing through the oral tradition of storytelling. Speaking Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and a smattering of regional languages, Ms. Deepa communicates effectively with simple expressions and musical instruments, without having to use any technological gadgets. She enters the classroom, shaking her wrists to produce a metallic medley emanating from alendus ~ Telugu for ringlets, worn by her to draw attention, much like the traditional storytellers. She introduces teachers to the art of storytelling and how to use it to impart knowledge to students. 'I don't offer only one single class of training model. I give three-day-long initial training followed by hand-holding across the next few months for implementation in the actual classroom,' she said. Training is supposed to be practical, filled with activities, and help teachers arrive at new learnings experientially. It helps them embody performative elements, and build competency and confidence. Stories are like frames As a resource person of the Union Culture Ministry, her larger mission is to preserve the cultural heritage in various parts of the country through the mechanism of storytelling. There is a deeper dimension to her storytelling skills. 'As an educator and parent, I am deeply interested in asking myself and other minds to question the stories around us. Who is making these stories, why, and who is going to serve and benefit, what benefit do they get?' she explains, adding, 'Once we begin to ask these questions, we are in a beautiful space'. With the ingress of social media and even before that, multiple stories have existed and will continue to, of the same event or issue, she notes. 'But we have to be watchful of which ones to follow while being open to other stories. Stories are like frames capturing some things while leaving out others,' she reasons. Her nation trotting has taken her to tribal areas including Santhal Paraganas in West Bengal, and Dharmashala in Himachal Pradesh, the home away from home of Tibetans in exile. She communicates with the teachers and students there in English and Hindi using interpreters arranged by the Central Tibetan administration. 'Conceptualising in the context of the situation and context of the learner is very important to make learning more effective,' she explained in a chat with The Hindu. Critical thinking and cognitive development According to Ms. Deepa, oral storytelling not only serves the purpose of learning language but also serves three domains in education of cognitive learning, which are developing the skill of thinking, the adaptive domain of socio-emotional intelligence, and the psycho motor domain, which is related to the body and its movement. In the context of storytelling for young children, knowledge of concepts relating to size, shape, and colour is imparted. Teaching Mathematics and Science to older children entails developing critical thinking skills. It is a holistic approach to language, not a separate vocabulary and pronunciation, and grammar. Not only the verbal aspect of language, but also the non-verbal aspect is integrated. Ms. Deepa's journey Ms. Deepa says informally, she has always been a storyteller in the sense that she was the one who would be asked to narrate a movie if someone missed it in the theatre. She also worked with All India Radio part-time for a couple of years. She was the program executive selected to do an audio telling of Alice in Wonderland for the Radio. That was her earliest formal project back in 1997-98. 'When I started using it in a structured manner in different Kendriya Vidyalayas from 2000, I would get contractual appointments for teaching English as a PGD course where I found students were either afraid of English or not inclined to learn it as a subject, I found story telling very helpful in narrating a chapter to pull them back to the text', she said. In the 2007-2008 period, she began to experience a kidney malfunction. 'This continued for more than six months without any improvement in my condition. I used to take 80 tablets of steroids every day. After six months and no improvement, there was this moment of giving in and saying to divinity: Please take care, I don't know the solution. Then I got this answer through an inner voice that I have to do what I love, and I realised that what I love is being with children, singing, dancing and telling them stories'. She organised a three-week summer camp of three weeks in a small town of Maharashtra. Subsequently, she recovered. 'From 2008, it was a conscious pursuit, a beautiful bonding to connect with those around me whether it was children or teachers or prison inmates or judges of the high court or research scholars at IIT', she says. What began in a small town in Maharashtra continued after she came to the city of Hyderabad, and slowly people got to know about it. I started getting more work in Hyderabad, and within a couple of years, there were some queries from other parts of the country. Story Arts Foundation The approach of keeping up despite hurdles led her to set up the Story Arts Foundation in 2017, and she worked with various government institutions and educational institutions, and traditional storytellers in reviving storytelling. 'This has taken me across the country to literature festivals and cultural festivals like the Kala Ghoda in Mumbai, the Hyderabad Lit fest, and also to many international events, storytelling fests, and workshops like the Scottish International Fest, performing in the Edinburgh National Library, getting a standing ovation. She also worked with municipal school children in Pretoria, South Africa; narrated stories of Mirabai in Iran; performed in seven cities across Austria, telling stories of Devi Mahatmyam in a church where the Mayor was present. Her early influencers were her father, who told her stories and encouraged her to read books, and her mother, who introduced her to Bharatanatyam, which gave her knowledge of how to use the body to communicate non-verbally using mudras (gestures), expressions and movements synchronising with music. Over the past year, she has also taught a course in storytelling and children's literature at Delhi University as a visiting faculty. She has also written the first chapter in a book on Children's literature from India, on oral traditions. She has shot a documentary in Ladakh to capture the simple and contended life of people there away from the hustle, bustle and madding crowds in cities, besides acting in Hindi and Telugu short films on social issues.
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- The Hindu
Sarasvati Mahal Library in Thanjavur declared a ‘library of historical and cultural importance'
The Tamil Nadu government has declared the Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji's Sarasvati Mahal Library and Research Centre as a library of historical and cultural importance. It has also classified it as an aided library of the Tamil Nadu Public Libraries Rules, 1950. The grants for the library would have to be used for research and publications, conservation of manuscripts, library/museum upkeep and maintenance, preservation of manuscripts, digitisation of manuscripts and administration, according to a notification by the School Education Department. Also Read: Sarasvati Mahal Library in Thanjavur to undergo major restoration Tucked away inside the historic Thanjavur Palace, the Sarasvati Mahal Library is a repository of palm leaf/ paper manuscripts and books in Tamil, Sanskrit, Marathi, Telugu, Hindi, English, French, German and Italian languages. It is regarded as one of the greatest Oriental manuscript libraries in the world and among the oldest libraries in Asia. It is believed the collections of the palace library began in the 16th century under the Nayak rulers of Thanjavur (1535–1675 CE) and expanded by the Marathas. Although successive Maratha kings had maintained the library, Raja Serfoji II (1798-1832), a bibliophile, was chiefly responsible for shaping it. He is credited with having acquired several books and manuscripts. Today, it is a veritable treasure trove, with a collection of over 81,400 books and 47,500 palm leaf and paper manuscripts. The Rajah's impressive personal collection of 4,530 books also forms part of the library. The scripts used in the palm leaves are Grantha, Devanagari, Nandinagari and a few in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Odiya. The Tamil manuscripts include rare commentaries on the Sangam works, unpublished portions of classics, Saiva, Vaishnavaite and Jain works and medicinal works of exceptional value.
