The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Host of events at port anniversary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Host of events at port anniversary

Special Correspondent

Sand sculpture contest for students

CHENNAI: A host of programmes, including a display of fireworks and works of sand sculptor Sudarshan Patnaik on the Marina beach, have been lined up for the 125th year celebrations of the Chennai port.

The sand artist has been invited by the Chennai Port Trust to exhibit his work and conduct a sand sculpture competition for schoolchildren for a few days from the Pongal day, according to Port Trust chairman K. Suresh.

Addressing a function got up in the port on Friday to re-commission and rename (in Tamil) two wharf cranes, he said the programmes such as the fireworks display scheduled for Wednesday on the Marina and the sand sculptures were meant to draw large crowd. Sponsors had been found for the fireworks display and the port was obtaining permission for the programme.

Work at the programme site inside the port for the formal inauguration of the celebrations on Wednesday by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was under way.

All the Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu were expected to take part in the function, in which Mr. Karunanidhi would also lay the foundation for the second container terminal in the port.

An international maritime conference on Thursday and a maritime exhibition on Friday also form part of the celebrations.

Mr. Suresh said another attraction would be the call of a Swedish ship Gotheborg on January 30. It had been built on the lines of an 18th century vessel by the same name that made three voyages to China before sinking.

The new Gotheborg would be in Chennai in for 10 days. School children would be permitted to visit the vessel, which, like the original ship, had been built with the extensive use of traditional materials, including wood, oak and pine.

The Port Trust would also allow schoolchildren to visit its facilities and board ships, including those of the Indian Navy and submarines and a passenger vessel of the Shipping Corporation of India.

Mr. Suresh appreciated the employees for good maintenance of the wharf cranes and helping the port set record in wheat handling (18,000 tonnes in a day).

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