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Look who’s flying!

Do you know some snakes can fly? And why are bats the best flyers? Read on to find out more…

All our lives we have grown up knowing that birds are the only creatures who can move up in the air. But there are a host of other animal species in the world who are efficient fliers. Here are three animals who can fly…

Flying with their hands

Bats do something unique — they fly not with their arms but with their hands. A bat’s wing is a miracle of flight engineering, complete with thumb and four fingers and self-tensioning skin in between. No other type of wing gives this level of control. Their innovative wing design allows bats to cover huge distances to feed, fly fast to evade predators and manoeuvre tightly in their crowded caves where hundreds of thousands of baby bats huddle together for warmth.

Snakes up in the air

How scary does that sound? But it’s true that the paradise tree snakes can remain suspended in air. The tropical rainforests of Borneo are home to these reptiles. Even though a snake cannot actually fly, it does something very different. It glides using the speed of the free fall and contorts its bodies to generate lift. By holding on with their tail, these tree snakes can cross a gap with 90% of their body unsupported. Remarkably, just after launch, the snakes throw their ribs forward, flattening their body into a very special shape called an ‘aerofoil’. Only about a metre in length, these snakes are known to cover a distance as long as 100 metres.

The flying cats

In South Africa, the caracal is a cat has the unique ability to catch birds in flight. You could forgive a bird for believing it is safely out of reach but the caracal is perfectly designed to catch it. Its front is smaller and lightweight but its back legs are built like a booster rocket, 30% longer and with twice the muscle mass. This design maximises the caracal’s speed on take-off and, as it leaves the earth, the speed gradually increases.

World on the city’s plate

Chennai is home to some unique dishes thanks to the influence of communities from around the world. Sample them here.

Chennai’s cuisine is influenced by communities from around the world that call it home. Discover some of them…

Burma

Large-scale emigration of Tamils from Burma (now Myanmar) in the 1960s saw many settle down in Chennai, forming a colony close to the beach in the North of the city. One of the many things they brought with them was Burmese cuisine. To this day, there are street stall and restaurants that serve Burmese food; the most popular being atho (athok or thouk in Burma). It is a salad-like dish with grated vegetables and fried onions tossed in garlic oil, chilli powder, salt, masala powder and lime juice. It is topped with orange noodles and crushed crispy bejo and coriander. Bejo is another Burmese specialty — a fried snack made of rice flour and groundnuts. Other popular Burmese food served in Chennai are mohinga — maida noodles served in a bowl of soup, masala eggs and plantain soup.

Anglo-Indian

Chennai’s vibrant Anglo-Indian community has ensured that dishes like Pork devil fry, Devil’s Chutney and Chicken Ding Ding continue to tease the locals’ taste buds. The cuisine is typically the Indian version of British food made with local ingredients, spices and cooking techniques. In fact, this could very well be the first fusion food ever in the country’s history. Chicken Ding Ding is made with sun-dried meat — probably originated when excess meat was sun-dried and preserved for rainy days. Devil’s Chutney is a sharp-tasting paste of onions, salt, sugar, vinegar and a bit of red chilli powder. Peekingkoy — the Anglicised name of the Peerkangai, (ridge gourd) — served with beef; Bobo Curry, an Anglo-Indian version of the chicken curry; Mulligatawny Soup — a rasam and soup hybrid — are some of the popular dishes.

China

The thriving Chinese community at Kolkata was the first to set up Chinese food stalls over 200 years ago. Eventually, they adapted the food to suit the Indian palate — with the inclusion of Indian vegetables and spices. Thus, Indo-Chinese cuisine was born in its many versions. And the city of Chennai was only happy to add this cuisine to its multicultural culinary offering. Today, popular dishes like the Manchurian and Schezwan — which bears no resemblance to the dishes from China’s Sichuan Province — are served in every restaurant and street food stall in the city.

With innovations like Schezwan dosa, spring roll dosa and chilli idli, even local dishes have not escaped the Chinese influence.

Guess the origin

Based on your reading of the article, can you guess which foreign cuisine these dishes are from or inspired from? Burmese, Sri Lankan, Chinese or Anglo-Indian

Redefining the coastline

10 superlative facts about the second longest coast coming your way. Watch this video to know more

Redefining the coastlineFeatured Video Play Icon

It’s fit o’clock!

Give yourself some fun fitness challenges and understand more about your body in the process. Read on to find out how.

You must have heard a lot about how important it is to stay fit and healthy, especially during a pandemic when you might be spending a lot of time in front of a screen. Have you ever wondered how fit you really are?

These simple tests could help you understand your levels of physical fitness better. What’s more, they might even be fun to try. You could even make it a group activity by involving your family.


The information given in this article is only for educational purposes and is not meant to be diagnostic in nature.

Madras minute

Can you find all five differences between these nearly identical images of Madras? Challenge yourself now.

August 22 is Madras Day, which is why this fun puzzle is themed around the enchanting and bustling city of Chennai. You don’t need to know the city in and out to solve this puzzle correctly. All you need is an eye for detail. Are you up for the task?

Quiz Whizz August – 19, 2021

This city on the Coromandel Coast has a rich and interesting history. Find out more about Madras that is now Chennai with this quickfire round of questions.

It’s Madras Week, folks! How much do you know about one of India’s most prominent cities? Find out with this quiz.

Chennai’s tucked-away treasures

Beyond Chennai’s obvious attractions such as beaches and temples lie several less-explored yet fascinating places.

Madras is believed to have been founded on August 22, 1639, when the English East India company bought the sliver of land where Fort St. George now stands. Since then, the city has grown into a bustling metropolis. While everyone thinks of temples and beaches when they think of Madras or Chennai as it is now known, there are many quieter and less-known landmarks. Read on to know more about some of them and then solve the picture puzzle.

In touch with history: Armenian church

In Chennai’s bustling George Town stands an old structure that is a reminder of the city’s historical connect with the faraway land of Armenia. The Armenian church is located on Armenian Street, where merchants from the country once settled. It was built 1712, demolished, and subsequently rebuilt in 1772. It has a bell tower with six of the heaviest bells in the city, weighing around 150 kg each. Around 350 Armenians are also been buried in the church’s yard. Once a thriving business community in the region, the number of Armenians settled here has dwindled over the years. Today, the bells in the church toll every Sunday morning, as if reminding people of an almost-forgotten link to a memorable chapter in the past.

Tales of erstwhile grandeur: Chepauk Palace

Today, the name ‘Chepauk’ may be synonymous with Chennai’s magnificent cricket stadium, but did you know that a stone’s throw from there is an iconic structure that is steeped in history? Built in 1768, the Chepauk Palace is said to be one of India’s first structures to be built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. It has two blocks – Kalas Mahal and Humayun Mahal. The majestic palace served as the official residence of the Nawabs of Carnatic/Arcot from 1768 to 1855. Today, the complex is undergoing renovation to restore the structures to their former glory.

Chugging along: Rail Museum

Located near the Furnishing division of the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the Rail Museum takes you on a journey through the rich history and heritage of the Indian Railways. It was opened in 2002 with a host of exhibits that promise to enthrall children and adults alike. With galleries, miniatures, photographs, vintage models, paintings and more, there’s much to explore and experience. Word is that the toy train ride is a must-try!

Treasure trove of biodiversity: Pallikaranai Marsh

The last remaining natural habitat in the city and one of the most diverse natural habitats in the country, the Pallikaranai Marsh is supremely significant for conservation efforts. It is home to a wide array of birds, plants and animals, and is known to be a ‘birdwatchers’ paradise’. Thousands of migratory birds are known to flock to the wetland. Flanked by the Buckingham Canal and the Old Mahabalipuram Road and surrounded by dense human activity, the wetland has shrunk over time.