Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

Need to bridge knowledge gaps stressed

Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

Varied events: The Deputy Director, British Council, South India, Kartar Singh, going round an art exhibition at Kannerimukku, near Kotagiri, on Saturday. —

Udhagamandalam: Efforts should be made to bridge knowledge gaps while seeking to preserve the environment and culture of the district, said the Deputy Director, British Council, Chennai, Kartar Singh.

He was inaugurating the 190th year celebrations of the historic Sullivan Bungalow (constructed by John Sullivan, the founder of Ooty), sponsored by the Development Promotion Group, Chennai and the Indian Overseas Bank and organised by the Nilgiri Documentation Centre (NDC) at Kannerimukku near Kotagiri on Saturday.

Adverting to the long association between the NDC and the British Council, Mr. Singh said that the Council would extend all possible help to the Centre to fill the knowledge gaps.

Stating that the focus of the Council was on climate change, Mr. Singh said, “art can be an effective medium to drive home the message of conservation and preservation.”

The Director, NDC, Dharmalingam Venugopal, said that the long term plan of the Centre was to make all the villages surrounding the Sullivan Bungalow part of a responsible tourism plan.

The NDC will organise programmes regularly to tap and nurture local talent, he added.

The president, Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association, C.K. Raju, and the headmaster, Riverside Public School, B.K. Alridge, also spoke.

Over 80 pieces of art created by local artists under the banner, Amateur Artists of Kotagiri were displayed. The artists trained by Artist Gokul were Master Gokul, Master Ganesh, Ashwatti, Abi, and home-makers Banu, Sumi, Nivedita and Sudha. The exhibits will be on display till the end of May.

The celebrations will conclude on Sunday with a native music show, Rhythms of the mountains, which will be a sequel to Music of the Mountains and Mountain Melodies organised by NDC during the last two years as part of its ongoing efforts to preserve the native music of Nilgiris. Apart from Todas and Kotas, teams representing three of four regions of the Badagas, Porangadu, Todanadu and Mekanadu will participate. The programme will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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