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The Hindu
03-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
A silken touch to the landscape
Silk cotton (Ceiba pendantra) trees are having a productive spell now in Chennai, and they better make the most of it, as they would soon slip into obscurity and that would be their lot when they are not sporting the eye-catching seed pods. From lining avenues in Chennai, they have been reduced to scattered insignificance. On Anderson Road, one will come across a stand of three silk cotton trees, pointing to their preferred status in the past as avenue trees. Now, they live unseen and are usually ignored except when they put out their seed pods. The seed pods, elongated and oval-shaped, are green in the flush of youth, and turn brownish and open up exposing bright-white, extremely fibres when mature. Silk cotton trees can now be seen giving up their fibres, the brown-coloured pods breaking open. There are some trees that have a mix of mature and immature pods; and some, such as the one at a gated community on Santhome High Road, displays a profusion of still-young seed pods (they did on April 25, 2025). But they could have matured since the last time they were seen, the natural process being accelerated naturally. T.D. Babu, tree conservationist and a member of the Chennai District Green Council, notes an unfounded argument placed against the tree led to its unpopularity. 'Word spread without any basis that the fluffy fibres would aggravate respiratory problems,' says Babu, suggesting that it was a case of giving a dog a bad name and hanging him. And some Ceiba pendantra trees have been lost on account of infrastructure work. 'We lost five trees along Royapettah High Road, near the Luz Church Road-Kutchery Road junction, due to Metro rail project,' says Babu. He says the loss of Ceiba pendantra is not just loss of green cover, but a loss to sustainability. Silk cotton trees (also known as kapok trees) were intricately and inextricably tied to a mundane, everyday of life — sleep and rest. Before the proliferation of foam-based mattresses and pillows, those made with ilavam panju (silk cotton) were ubiquitous. 'We are living in times when we hear of how mattresses, foam-based mattresses are among the major pollutants of marine waters, and we cannot help thinking of how easy the silk cotton mattresses were on the environment. A silk cotton mattress would never leave a home. When the silk cotton in a mattress has grown old, lost its suppleness and therefore its cushioning effect, it would be removed and dried and it would then go into making pillows. The mattress would be filled with fresh silk cotton. When a mattress has become irredeemable, the cloth would be stitched into pillow covers. Nothing ever left a home,' recalls Babu. On Besant Avenue Road, at Rajaji Bhavan, maintained by Central Public Works Department and housing government offices, one finds tall Ceiba pendantra trees. The trees are reportedly around from the time the facility was established, which was in the late 1990s. According to someone who has seen these trees grow, they give up their branches in cyclone-induced gusty conditions. And he believes that this quality makes them an unfavourable choice as avenue trees.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- General
- USA Today
Bishop T.D. Jakes: Look back at one of most prominent faces of American faith
Bishop T.D. Jakes: Look back at one of most prominent faces of American faith 15 PHOTOS
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bishop T.D. Jakes steps down from megachurch, hands leadership to daughter and son-in-law
Bishop T.D. Jakes announced he will be stepping down and handing leadership of the Potter's House Church, a nondenominational Christian church, to his daughter and her husband. On Sunday, Jakes, 67, announced that his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and son-in-law, Touré Roberts, will take over the church, which he founded in 1996. He made the announcement during an emotional sermon, where he asked the congregation to welcome their new pastors with open arms. "This is legacy," Jakes said. "Not because they're kin, but because they're the kind. They've immersed themselves into the DNA of this church for years." The pastor said that while he is stepping down from his current role, he wants to continue doing work with the community. As you [co-pastor elect,] I'm grateful, I'm honored," Jakes daughter said as she was called on to the stage. "As your daughter, I'm so happy you're going to get some rest." The change comes after Jakes suffered from a heart attack on stage in November. In a video posted online, Jakes is seen pausing during his hour-long sermon, before shaking suddenly as other church members gathered around him, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting. He was then rushed to an intensive care unit. A week after the "slight health incident," he spoke to his congregation remotely and told them that they were "looking at a miracle." More news: What to expect from the conclave that will choose Pope Francis' successor Jakes has been in ministry for 47 years, and has advised many high-profile individuals, including the "last three presidents," according to the bio on his website. The bio does not specifically name which presidents, but says Jakes was a featured speaker at Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. Jakes is also a best-selling author and award-winning filmmaker. With "minimal resources," he founded the Potter's House in 1996, according to the bio. His wife is Serita Jakes, and the couple has been married for over 40 years. They have five children together. The bishop has made headlines after being a longtime spiritual mentor to Sean "Diddy" Combs, the record executive who was indicted for sex trafficking and other federal charges. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@ Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bishop T.D. Jakes steps down from megachurch Potter's House
USA Today
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Bishop T.D. Jakes steps down from megachurch, hands leadership to daughter and son-in-law
Bishop T.D. Jakes steps down from megachurch, hands leadership to daughter and son-in-law Bishop T.D. Jakes announced he will be stepping down and handing leadership of the Potter's House Church, a nondenominational Christian church, to his daughter and her husband. On Sunday, Jakes, 67, announced that his daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and son-in-law, Touré Roberts, will take over the church, which he founded in 1996. He made the announcement during an emotional sermon, where he asked the congregation to welcome their new pastors with open arms. "This is legacy," Jakes said. "Not because they're kin, but because they're the kind. They've immersed themselves into the DNA of this church for years." The pastor said that while he is stepping down from his current role, he wants to continue doing work with the community. As you [co-pastor elect,] I'm grateful, I'm honored," Jakes daughter said as she was called on to the stage. "As your daughter, I'm so happy you're going to get some rest." Jakes suffered heart attack on stage The change comes after Jakes suffered from a heart attack on stage in November. In a video posted online, Jakes is seen pausing during his hour-long sermon, before shaking suddenly as other church members gathered around him, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting. He was then rushed to an intensive care unit. A week after the "slight health incident," he spoke to his congregation remotely and told them that they were "looking at a miracle." More news: What to expect from the conclave that will choose Pope Francis' successor Who is Bishop T.D. Jakes? Jakes has been in ministry for 47 years, and has advised many high-profile individuals, including the "last three presidents," according to the bio on his website. The bio does not specifically name which presidents, but says Jakes was a featured speaker at Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. Jakes is also a best-selling author and award-winning filmmaker. With "minimal resources," he founded the Potter's House in 1996, according to the bio. His wife is Serita Jakes, and the couple has been married for over 40 years. They have five children together. The bishop has made headlines after being a longtime spiritual mentor to Sean "Diddy" Combs, the record executive who was indicted for sex trafficking and other federal charges. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@ Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@
