January 2, 2016

Garden Nursery, Tiruvannamalai



Considering Tiruvannamalai is situated surrounded by countryside, there are not many Garden Nurseries located in this area. Fortunately several years ago a very nice Nursery i.e. "Sesha Nursery Garden", opened up next to NH66, about 4 kms from the Town Centre. The Nursery sells; Flowering Plants, Fruit Trees, Creepers and a large selection of Green Plants.

Yesterday I visited the Nursery to pick up some Rangoon Creepers, Ferns and a selection of bits and pieces. The plants at the Nursery are in excellent condition and everything is kept in good order.

Probably like most people, I find life easier when prices are clearly labelled and didn't appreciate having to haggle for every leaf and branch purchased at the Nursery . . . particularly as I succumbed to "haggling fatigue" early on, and probably ended up paying extra. Certainly when I return, will bring good backup to ensure a better deal!














October 29, 2014

57 Cent Parcel near Vediappanur road



The pictures below are of a 57 cent parcel of land near Kottangal village (Vediappanur road) just off the Girivalam Roadway. Arunachala darshan is beautiful from this place. 

The owner is willing to sell the whole parcel to one purchaser or part thereof. Water supply in this area is good. The perimeter of the land is marked by granite posts. 

For more information please email at the contact information top left margin of this page. 









October 22, 2014

Beautiful parcel of land at Devanandal


This is a posting of a very beautiful parcel of land, previously agricultural, located in the peaceful, idyllic area of Devanandal. The land is approximately 1.75 acres in size and is gated. The perimeter of the land is protected by granite stones with barbed wire. The cost includes well which has a plentiful supply of sweet water. 

For more information as to conditions and cost please email via the contact icon located top left of this page.



Bund to left of land


To the left of the above photograph is a bund the other side of which has a large expanse of poramboke land which is used for grazing in the dry season and in the case of heavy rain, gets filled with water. The poramboke land can never get built on as it is a seasonal reservoir so provides a very nice buffer to this land parcel.


Arunachala darshan from land

Well on land with plentiful, sweet water

The 1.75 acre Land Parcel

Peaceful, idyllic area

Many trees including Coconut on the Land

Steps in Buying Property


For those planning on purchasing a plot/property I am posting a short extract from a very excellent narrative which appears on the Indian Real Estate Forum. To read the full narrative go to this link here. The article is lengthy and in-depth and in particular applies to Real Estate in Chennai, however most of is applicable in relation to the by-laws and regulations at Tiruvannamalai. 

This narrative is one of the most comprehensive and best I have come across. Do read. A short extract from the narrative follows: 



Guidelines Before Buying A Plot or Property 


"Check the original documents from the mother document to the current document, never be satisfied with the Xerox copies, apply a copy of document at register office and compare with the original, insure that the document belongs to the property and they are not fabricated (how to find out a fabricated document explained below). 

Be sure that the seller is the absolute and only owner of the property, in case of Power of Attorney is obtained check that the power is live (explained in detail below). Check that the property is purchased from a third party or a ancestors property, check the legal heirs of the owner, if the owner has legal heirs then you need a NOC from the legal heirs whether they are minor/major, married/unmarried that doesn’t matter. If it is a ancestor’s property check how the settlement deed was made, check the legal heirs of the ancestor’s family, death certificate if necessary. In the case of ancestor’s property you need to make a deep investigation (according to Indian property law) “grandfathers asserts belongs to grandson” and there is a lot of problem in ancestor’s property . . .

To read the narrative in full go to this link here


September 3, 2014

Zoning regulations for Tiruvannamalai apartments


A number of readers have been in touch requesting information about purchasing apartments at Tiruvannamalai. The fact is due to Municipal regulations it is not possible for individuals to purchase apartments in a building which shares a common plot. In many other places in Tamil Nadu this anomaly has been eliminated and in cities such as Chennai, apartment purchasing is safe and uncomplicated.

Until regulations change, the only alternative is to get together with an organisation such as a Trust or Ashram which builds and owns the apartment complex in the name of their Trust. Thereupon that Trust issues a Deed of ownership to the purchaser.

As an example I am posting an apartment block currently under construction by the Siva Sannidhi Trust. All the apartments in the block have already been purchased. This particular complex is located a 2 minute walk from Ramana Nagar Post Office and Ashram. 

From what I understand if an investor wants to sell their allocated apartment, they are legally required to sell the apartment Deed to the Siva Sannidhi Trust -- not to an independent purchaser. In addition in the case of apartments built by Siva Sannidhi,  if a purchaser is not in permanent occupation, the Trust retains the right to let the apartment out to others. 

Siva Sannidhi will be building another two apartment complexes once the current project is completed later this year. At that time, it will be possible to meet with that organisation and discuss the possibility of purchasing an apartment unit. Both sites allocated for future development are within walking distance of Ramana Ashram. 




Complex currently under construction

Area around the development

View of Arunachala from Apartment Complex

July 20, 2014

Ring Road, Pictorial History July 2014



Yesterday, Sunday July 20, on my way home from the Rangammal Hospital and my appointment with Dr. Ratna Vel a visiting dermatologist from Apollo Hospital, Chennai, decided to walk back via the Ring Road which is currently under construction. 

The almost 2 km section of the Ring Road I was walking on, cuts through virgin countryside at the back of the Samudram Eri south of Arunachala. The area is very familiar to me as I often walked my doggies through the hitherto unspoilt countryside at the back of the Samudram. 

I recently talked with an Engineer involved in the Ring Road construction and he mentioned that this section of the road is expected to be fully completed and open within 2 years. 




The road is being built to eventually accommodate 4 traffic lanes

Perumbakkam road bisecting the Ring Road at junction

Road although unoffically opened is already being used by local traffic

View of farmland from the Ring Road

One of the many culverts that will be run under the Road carrying water to the Samudram Eri

Large country house, its 10 acre land has been bisected by the encroaching Ring Road
Lorries and even local buses already using this section of the Ring Road


Another Farm which has been bisected by the ring Road

Small community of Samudram Village

View of Samudram Eri with Arunachala Hill in the background

Another Culvert being incorporated under the Ring Road
Closer view of the same culvert, water will be channelled onto the Samudram underneath the bridge

Some house nearby is going to be getting a nice thatched roof!
View of the beautiful hills surrounding this part of Tiruvannamalai

Bund on the side of the Samudram Eri, nearly at my destination


July 18, 2014

The Mountain of Medicine July 2014


Yesterday I visited the Mountain of Medicine for the first time in a long while. Was amazed at the development of the facility -- it is has grown to be a lush oasis right in the heart of Ramana Nagar. 

The Mountain of Medicine is located less than a five minute walk from Ramana Ashram, and is comprised of a nursery where young saplings are grown for planting on Arunachala, beautiful gardens with ample seating and an increasing popular Childrens' Park which is inundated with up to 1,000 kids (and not so young kids) in the evenings and weekends. 

Currently The Mountain of Medicine is completing the preparation of 10,000 young saplings that will be planted on the Hill at the start of the rains (in around a month). 90% of the trees and shrubs at The Mountain of Medicine are for Hill planting purposes, but the Trust does invite walk-ins to purchase plants for their own use. 









Govinda, Founder of The Mountain of Medicine

May 10, 2014

Sugarcane Cultivation at Tiruvannamalai



Cultivation of sugarcane in India dates back to the Vedic period. The earliest mention of sugarcane cultivation is found in Indian writings of the period 1400 to 1000 B.C. Cultivated canes belong to two main groups: (a) thin, hardy north Indian types S.Barberi and S.Sinense and (b) thick, juicy noble canes Saccharum Officinarum. Highly prized cane is S.Officinarum. 


Local sugarcane cultivation


Sugarcane belongs to the grass family (Poaceae), a seed plant family that includes maize, wheat, rice, and sorghum. The main product of sugarcane is sucrose, which accumulates in the stalk internodes. Sucrose, extracted and purified in specialized mill factories, is used in the food industry, fermented to produce ethanol and also used as livestock fodder. 


Cane is planted in furrows


Sugarcane is the world's largest crop by production quantity with India the second largest (after Brazil) sugarcane producer. Sugarcane cultivation requires a tropical climate, and is a highly efficient photosynthesiser. Sugar is actually made in the leaves of the sugarcane plant and then the sugar is stored as sweet juice in its stalks. 


Sugarcane crop ready for mill

Sugarcane is cultivated in the tropics and subtropics in areas with plentiful supply of water, for a continuous period of more than six to seven months each year, either from natural rainfall or through irrigation. 


Cutting the Sugarcane

  
It is planted in furrows at either horizontal or at 45-degree angles and it takes anywhere between 12,000 and 25,000 stems to plant 2.5 acres of land. After they are planted, they are covered with a light layer of soil. When they begin to grow and start sprouting, the furrow is turned inwards and the crops mature over the span of 9 to 24 months. 


Sugarcane harvesting done in the old fashioned way


Sugarcane needs strong sunlight, fertile soil and lots of water (at least 1.5 metres of rain each year or access to irrigation) to grow. 


Sugarcane being transported to the Mill

Once sugarcane has been harvested, it must be transported to a sugar mill as soon as possible. The longer it takes, the more sugarcane juice stored in the stalks will evaporate - so it is important that it arrives within 16 hours of being cut, to minimise deterioration. 


Waste burnt off, preparation of field for different crop


If the sugarcane is cut in the proper manner, it will regrow naturally without any further planting. But in the case of this narrative, after the cutting of the cane, the waste was set on fire in order to prepare the fields for a different crop.