A SLICE OF PARADISE

When you enter this green heart you hear nature's strong beat. The world outside blissfully vanishes and the concrete jungle is a distant image.There is not even a hint of the traffic that rushes madly outside.The recently power point presentation by Dr.T.P.Alaganantham and Geetha jai kumar at the International headquarters of the theosophical society at the adyar estate showcased the changing seasons and the varied flora and fauna within these lush environs.

It took you to an enchanted environment straight out of james cameron's "Avatar" .The banyan tree with its enormous roots bears shades of the giant of many hues and shapes perch delicately on branches elsewhere.Daintly insects attired in trendy black and red repose on sparse twigs.Or cluster in fiery looking piles.Squirrels sip at flower stems holding them elegantly like straws.The ground is a sheet of blossoms sprinkled like confetti of pale pink and bright yellow.Close-ups of the spider's legs show such beautiful spots that Miss Muffet would have been tempted to consume her curds and whey.And above all there are the trees vast and invincible nurturing even in death with the fallen barks twigs and branches too sheltering life insects,worms and birds.A highlight of the estate is the Bodhi tree "grown from a sapling from the original under which Lord gautama attained enlightenment"

The presentation was organised by the Adyar logde of the Theosophical Society.While the doctor's photographs vividly captured

the life of the flying,crawling and creeping denizens of this patch of green ,geetha,through her script and comments,brought out the state of the ecology and the need to preserve it.

The most moving image of the sprit of survival is the hermit crab,geetha mentioned.Trying desperately to adapt itself to a changing environment,it curls up inside a bottle cap instead of the shell have all been taken off the seaside for being changed to lime powder or converted into tawdry ornament.

Not many are aware about the wealth of nature and biodiversity that is enclosed within the estate.But all is not all well in this precious path of green.Excessive use of pesticides and the destruction of natural vegetation have led to a decline of many species in this woodland and scrub jungle the duo tell you.Tree felling and poaching of small animals pose threats as do pollution and the intrusion of sea water.The number of migratory birds has decreased.And above all is the looming threat the propose delevated highway which if implemented will snake its way near this little Eden disturbing all that is rich and rare.