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Vol. 1 No. 40 Pages 16 PUNE, SUNDAY JUNE 3, 2012 Rs.4
WEATHER Sunrise .....................05:57 Sunset ......................19:08 Moonrise .................17:00 Moonset ..................04:35 Temperature Min ...........................24 0c Max ...........................36 0c
MY FAVOURITE SEASON!
SOME SWEET GOODNESS
BROWSER ROW WARS
What kids love so dearly about the monsoon >> P6
The squishy sweet potato holds a world of healthiness >> P8
Featuring the mega web space wrangle >>P12
Let the Sun fuel
Will the Green Economy rally, to be held on June 5 the occasion of the World Environment Day, include you? On the occasion of the 3rd World Environment Day on June 5, the Pune Pedal Power Foundation has organised a cycle rally on Sunday, June 3
your ride
Rally details
Date: Sunday June 3, 2012 Starting point: SP College Grounds at 7am Rally route: S P College–Guru Nanak Nagar—NIBM— Undri Corner—The Corinthians Boutique Hotel Distance to be covered: 13 kilometres End point: The Corinthians Boutique Hotel, NIBM annexe Contact: Raju Jadhav +91 9665020449 For online registration, log on to: www.
The single-seat solararpowered scooter designed by Subhav av av Sinha, a 24-year-old ld electrical engineer, r, might well prove to bee ob a mobility solution n ffor orr o several industries
DHEERAJ BENGRUT
I
magine the dread of running out of an essential kitchen ingredient in the middle of a scorching Pune summer afternoon. The mere thought of stepping out is a repulsive one—and if you’re vehicles away for maintenance or otherwise, the hike becomes an arduous task. With not many options at hand, you might have to brave it out, or just settle for a bowl of noodles without sauce! Lest the rising fuel costs force you to contemplate taking that old bicycle out of the attic, here’s one option you might want to consider—a single-seat solar scooter. The vehicle is the brainchild of Subhav Sinha, an electrical engineer from Delhi. 24-yearold Subhav completed his electrical engineering degree from Delhi Technological University in 2010 and is currently working in a private company.
The inspiration Where did the inspiration arrive from? “The idea came
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pedalpowerfoundation. com
Celebrate environment day, join rally z To mark the World Environment Day (WED) on June 5, a cycle rally has been organised by TERRE NGO (Technology, Education, Research and Rehabilitation for the Environment) Theme: Green Economy: Does that include you? z Star attraction: Solar Personal Mover z Time: 7.30am z Venue: Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in Kothrud z Rally to culminate at the University of Pune
to me during my college days. Our campus spread over 157 acres and classrooms were scattered far apart from each other. This inspired me to devise a bike capable of covering short distances, and doing so without adding to the appalling air and sound pollution,” reveals Subhav.
Initial stage The vehicle, lighter in weight as compared to an average on-road two-wheeler, was operating on batteries, powered by four batteries and two motors. “After completing my graduation, I began working on the bike in the real sense—I made three ‘evolution’ models of the bike, all back when it was still a
battery-operated vehicle,” says Subhav. Then in October 2011, he realised that the vehicle could also be fuelled by solar energy too. With newfound vigour and direction, he started working on the bike, and within a couple of months, his solar-powered personal mover vehicle was all set to hit the roads. Subhav was ably helped by his elder brother in the manufacturing process.
I hated walking for miles to reach the far-flung classrooms of our 157acre college campus; so I hit upon this solution of making this solar-powered bike! — Subhav Sinha
About the low-carbon transporter Subhav christened his invention as the ‘Personal Mover – Mitra’. Boasting of features such as an almost zero-radius turn, >> Continued on page 5
Life 365 is more than just a daily that packages `life’ in its 16 pages. It is a platform to understand your city better in terms of the good work silently being done by hundreds of good samaritans. Their stories of
how they lend an extending hand could propel you to contribute your bit to the society. In this progressive city of Pune, the desire to the serve the society is very strong, as we learnt from interaction with citizens.
DID YOU KNOW?
Aihole temple inspired Parliament Parliamentarians recently celebrated the 60th year of the working of the Parliament. Let’s see what inspired the design of the magnificent building VINITA DESHMUKH
T
he circular structure of the Parliament of India building with its many circular pillars, is a common visual that most Indians have deeply entrenched in their mind, even if they have not visited it in Delhi. If you surf through the Internet, you will be told that the Parliament house was designed by two famous Western architects – Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. The official website of the www. parliamentofindia.nic.in states that, “Apart from the fact that the building was built with indigenous material and by Indian labour, the architecture of the building bears a close imprint of the Indian tradition. Layout of fountains both inside and outside the building, the use of Indian symbols the ‘chhajjas’ which shade the walls and varied forms of "jali" in marble.” However, it is only when you visit the town of Aihole in North Karnataka, which you
would if you do the HampiHospet-Aihole tourist circuit that you will be told about what inspired the design of our Parliament House. The Durga Gudi Temple in Aihole is the star attraction amongst 125 odd temples. The guide proudly tells you that the Parliament of India design has been inspired by the Durga Gudi Temple. You cannot help but believe him. The circular pillars seem so similar and as you walk through the sculptured circular corridor, you do feel it is a miniature of the Parliament. Aihole was earlier the Capital of Chalukya kings and it is about 20km from Pattadakal, another grand town of temples. Aihole is the school of architecture of the Chalukya kingdom, wherein students learnt the art and science of construction here. The environment is breathtaking with well-spread lawns that are neatly manicured. One wonders though why officially, Durga Gudi Temple of Aihole has not been given due credit. Any answers?
(Above): Durga Gudi Temple of Aihole which purportedly inspired the design of the Parliament building (below)
EXTRAA (Aihole is a temple complex in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It is a very popular tourist spot in north Karnataka. It lies to the east of Pattadakal, along the Malaprabha river, while Badami is to the west of both. By road it is 510km from Bangalore and 26km from Hungund. (source: Wikipedia).
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