Sri Varadharajar Pavalakkal Vimanam 2020

Corals are sessile, which means that they permanently attach themselves to the ocean floor, essentially "taking root" like most plants do. We certainly cannot recognize them by their faces or other distinct body parts, as we can most other animals.  Corals actually comprise an ancient and unique partnership, called symbiosis, that benefits both animal and plant life in the ocean. Corals are animals, though, because they do not make their own food, as plants do. Corals have tiny, tentacle-like arms that they use to capture their food from the water and sweep into their inscrutable mouths.

                            

                       The number of recovered Covid 19 patients exceeded the total active cases in India by a margin of 1,573 for the first time on Wednesday, even as the country reported 9,985 coronavirus cases and 279 casualties in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data.   The total number of infections crossed the 2.7 lakh-mark to reach 2,76,583 on Wednesday, including 7,745 deaths. Several states have shown upward deviations from their trendlines in the last few days, indicating a surge in future tally as well. Maharashtra’s Covid-19 case load has surpassed 90,000 with 120 deaths recorded across the state — the highest so far in a single day, on Tuesday. Mumbai recorded 1,015 new cases with the totally tally reaching 51,100. On the other hand, Delhi has projected an exponential growth in the city’s numbers to 5.5 lakh by July end.  There were rumours of a street in Triplicane badly affected and so people are living under fear – but do not show that sense of understanding in their action, as they continue to roam on the street not caring to wear masks and observe social distance.

In troubled times, we pray to our Emperuman, Lord Devathirajan for grace – His uthsavam concludes this day !

பவளக்கால் நாரை  என்பது பெயர்ச்சொல்.  ஆறு, ஏரி, கடல் முதலியவற்றின் கரைகளிலும் வயல்களிலும் நாரைகளை நீங்கள் பார்த்திருக்கலாம். இது கொக்கு இனத்தைச் சேர்ந்தது.  இவற்றில் ஒரு வகை - பூநாரை அல்லது செங்கால் நாரை [பிளமிங்கோஸ்].  இதன் அலகு அகலமாகவும், வளைந்தும் காணப்படும். இதன் கால்கள் நீண்டு சிவந்து இருக்கும்.

The name "flamingo" comes from Portuguese or Spanish flamengo, "flame-colored", these are bright red coloured.  In his 1842 book, The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs, Charles Darwin remarked that coral reefs were like an "oasis in the desert" - they were flush with life despite being surrounded by nutrient-poor seawater. This is a mystery that scientists have continued to grapple with, ascribing the diversity of reefs to the close relationships between the sea life within the reefs. Essentially, all food and waste produced within reefs is rapidly taken up, leaving only a few remnants in the seawater. However, a new study shows that tiny “cryptobenthic” reef fish – so called because they easily camouflage with the seafloor – may help make up the nutrient gap in coral reefs.  Because cryptobenthic fish are incredibly small and reclusive, they can be difficult to study, so their role in ocean ecosystems is still being understood.

இன்று ஸ்ரீ வரதராஜர் உத்சவம் கடைசி நாள் - திருகச்சியிலும்  ஏனைய திவ்யதேசங்களிலும் உத்சவம் கொரோனவால் தடைபெறாது நடந்திருந்தால், இன்று உத்சவ நிறைவு நாள். திருவல்லிக்கேணியில் தேவாதிராஜர் பவளக்கால் விமானத்தில் புறப்பாடு கண்டருள்வார்.  பெரிய திருமடலில் ஒரு வரி : மன்னும் பவளக்கால் செம்பொன்செய் மண்டபத்துள் .. .. 'பவளத்தால் வேய்ந்த மண்டபம்  - : போகங்களின் எல்லையான பரம போகங்களை அநுபவித்துத் தீருகிறபடி சொல்லுகிறது. ஸ்வர்க்கலோகத்து அநுபவங்களின் சரமாவதியைச் சொல்லுகிறதாகையாலே இந்த வாக்கியத்தைச் சிறிது விரிவாகச் சொல்கிறார்.

Today,  11^th June 2020  is  10th day of  Sri Varadha Rajar Uthsavam..  it would have been ‘Sarrumurai’ purappadu in the beautiful “Pavalakkal Vimanam” at Thiruvallikkeni.    Not sure, why this is called ‘Pavalakkal’ – pavazham is ‘coral’.  There is one street in Parrys area known as ‘Pavalakkaran theru’ for traders in coral used to live and transact business here !

Coral reefs are large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of colonial marine invertebrates called coral. The coral species that build reefs are known as hermatypic, or "hard," corals because they extract calcium carbonate from seawater to create a hard, durable exoskeleton that protects their soft, sac-like bodies. Other species of corals that are not involved in reef building are known as “soft” corals. These types of corals are flexible organisms often resembling plants and trees and include species such as sea fans and sea whips, according to the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), a nonprofit environmental organization.

The world’s coral reefs do more for the planet than provide underwater beauty. They buffer shorelines from the effects of hurricanes. An estimated 500 million people earn their livelihoods from the fishing stocks and tourism opportunities reefs provide. The tiny animals that give rise to reefs are even offering hope for new drugs to treat cancer and other diseases. Despite their importance, warming waters, pollution, ocean acidification, overfishing, and physical destruction are killing coral reefs around the world. Schemes to save those reefs are as creative as they are varied; most recently, scientists released data showing that marine protected areas can help save reefs if they are placed in just the right spots. Genetics is also becoming a larger area of coral research, giving scientists hope they might one day restore reefs with more heat tolerant coral.

Commonwealth countries are to gain free access to satellite technology that will help them monitor and protect their endangered coral reefs from threats such as climate breakdown, overfishing and pollution. Commonwealth countries hold nearly half of the world’s remaining tropical coral reefs, with 47 out of the 54 member countries having a coastline. Nearly half of them are islands or groups of islands, which face particular threats from the climate crisis, and for whom coral reefs are often vital protections against storms as well as fish nurseries and tourist attractions.

“Whatever we do as a Commonwealth family will make a massive contribution to safeguarding the coral reefs that we are dependent on globally,” said Baroness Patricia Scotland, secretary general of the Commonwealth. “We feel this real responsibility around the world. The Commonwealth can change the trajectory of this crisis, if our members are willing to work together, and we will.”

Nearly all the reefs are at risk of extinction in the coming decades as the climate crisis takes hold, and nearly half of the world’s reefs have already been destroyed or badly damaged in the last 30 years owing to changes in the climate, overfishing, pollution and other exploitation. About 250 million people are directly dependent on coral reefs for their livelihoods.  The technology will use high-resolution satellite images and data analyses to allow marine scientists, government officials and policymakers to monitor the health of coral reefs and take the action needed to protect them. Software will be provided to countries free through the Commonwealth’s partnership with Vulcan Inc, a US-based group founded by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen, and a new interactive coral reef map will be hosted online at the Commonwealth Innovation Hub.

We are missing Emperuman darshan, His uthsavams and purappadus – reminiscing, here are some photos of Sri Varadharajar purappadu at Thiruvallikkeni  on 25.5.2019

adiyen Srinivasadhasan

Mamandur Srinivasan Sampathkumar

11.6.2020.