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Why You Should Choose Rice Powder Kolam Over Stone Powders Sold in Markets
Every morning, I would wake up and open the door to observe my mother’s kolam of the day. Some days, the kolam would be big, some days small. Some days the designs were extremely complex, and on some,...
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Potter Crafts Portable Clay Fridge To Keep Veggies, Curd Fresh Without...
Clay or earthen pots have been used to keep water cool since time immemorial. When the pot can keep water cool, surely it can do the same for other things? This thought struck M Sivasamy, a potter from...
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Mother-Son Duo’s ‘Humanity’ Stall Lets You Pay What You Can, Feeds the Poor...
As I begin my conversation with Sekar Poovarasan, I’m awestruck by his first question. It’s not ‘How are you?’ but ‘Saaptingala (Have you eaten)?’ Serving food in a ‘pay what you can’ model,...
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At 89 & 71, ‘Golden Girls’ of Tamil Nadu Run Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Farm Stay
For Laxmi Ammal and Kasthuri Sivaraman from Tamil Nadu, owning and running a business was a distant dream. But in 2021, they faced their fears and decided to set up Pico Farmstay on their 185-year-old...
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Now Turn Your Grandmother’s Kitchen Hacks Into a ‘Petti’-Full of Illustrated...
Growing up, lunchtime for Shuruti Vengatesh meant storytime. As her maternal paati (grandmother) Devatha would feed her, she would hear mesmerising stories with valuable lessons — like how to save...
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IT Professional Spent 10 Years in TN Helping Skater & Surfer Kids Get Global...
This article is part of #MakingSportWork, a series launched by The Better India and Sports and Society Accelerator. The series celebrates India’s independence with stories of heroes who have spent...
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Iconic Family-Run Eatery’s ‘Border Parotta’ Was Once Loved by APJ Abdul Kalam
Back in 1956, when the two states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu were recognised, multiple small food stalls popped up on the border where a toll booth used to exist. They all sold similar dishes and were...
View ArticleUsed in Luxurious French Perfumes, What Makes Madurai’s Jasmine Oil So...
The ancient temple town of Tamil Nadu’s Madurai is known as India’s Jasmine city. Madurai’s jasmine oil is one of the most expensive scents in the world, and just 1 kg of this essential oil can cost...
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I Grew 90% of my Veggies on my Roof During Lockdown. Here’s How
Every time she walks on to her terrace, Muthu Nagappan, a homemaker from Tiruchi, takes a deep breath and is transported to her childhood. It is the scent of wet mud and greenery that she experienced...
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Can You Start A Business During A Pandemic? Coimbatore Transgenders Find a Way
In July, The Better India spoke to Sangeetha, a 60-year-old Coimbatore-based transwoman, who has been successfully running The Sangeetha Catering Service, one of the most popular catering services in...
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Padma Shree Artist’s Terracotta Marvels Have Global Fans, Command Prices in...
The entrance to artist V K Munusamy’s house in Villianur, about seven kilometres from Puducherry city, looks like a scene straight out of an art film. And rightly so. After all, the Padma Shree awardee...
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Tamil Nadu Man Quits Corporate Job, Helps 3000 Farmers Double Their Yield...
Farming is a science that involves elements of chemistry, geography, weather and timing. Reaping the best yield out of farms requires a perfect blend of these elements with high precision and timing....
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Led By IAS Officer, Citizens are Restoring 8 Dying Lakes & Ponds in Tamil Nadu
Once known for their religious significance and beauty, ponds and lakes in the ancient town of Chidambaram in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu have been now reduced to polluted bodies. From mounting...
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This Tamil Nadu Shop Has Been Packing Sweets In Bamboo Baskets For a 100 Years
Located amongst the bustling shops of Bazaar Street in Trichy, Tamilnadu, is a 105-year-old sweet shop named – Yaanai Mark Nei Mittai Kadai. In Tamil, the word Yaanai means elephant, so the name of the...
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Kodaikanal Women Turn Icons Like Kalpana Chawla, Savitribai Phule Into Rag Dolls
“Born out of necessity and the pandemic,” is how Smriti Lamech (41), a former journalist, describes her new ‘business’ of making rag dolls of feminist icons, from her home in the hills of Kodaikanal....
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How India’s First & Only Radio Channel For Fishermen Is Changing Lives Every Day
Yedimar, a fisherman living on Tamil Nadu’s Pambam island located between peninsular India and Sri Lanka, was alarmed one recent summer day to find that his favourite radio show had gone “missing.”...
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105-YO Grandma Runs Her Own Organic Farm, Shows That Age Is No Barrier!
It’s not every day that you get to speak to a grandma who is 105 years old. So I suppose it was natural of me to make some assumptions about her routine and quality of life. Which is why when I first...
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Tamil Nadu Students’ Magnetic Solution Turns Hard Water Soft, Increases Crop...
Farmers in India mainly depend on rainwater, and sometimes purely on groundwater, for their agriculture activities. Sadly, this essential resource is becoming scarce. Not only are the rains erratic,...
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Biryani to Samosas, Chennai Sisters Use Grandma’s Secret Recipes to Script...
Located halfway between Chennai and Bengaluru is a small city named Ambur. While this city is famous for its temples, mosques and jasmine flowers, for those in the know, it is also an important pitstop...
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This College Lecturer Has Given Jobs To 572 beggars, Rehabilitated Over 5,000
All of us have encountered beggars in public places, asking for money. Many times the request comes with an added story about getting lost or robbed or abandoned by the family members. Those with a...
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