It's handy

www.ayyappa.com

NEWS OF a website dedicated to the Lord must have come as a welcome shower to Ayyapa devotees. Yes, www.ayyappa.com is here.

For those who undertake the annual pilgrimage, this has come at a time when the computer world has changed thinking and lifestyle. And scores of them would like to dip into the site before they undertake the arduous yet spiritually lifting trip to the hills.

The website is of the Royal family of Pandalam, which plays a dominant role in the affairs of Sabarimala. There are the legends and history of the role of the Royal family, stories of the Lord and more information about Sabarimala.

However, what one will not find is practical information on how to undertake the pilgrimage, travel guidance with updated information. This seems to be a serious lapse.

But there are sites that provide such details. Perhaps the most comprehensive is www.saranamayyappa.com. The Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham hosts this site. Travel information, routes with maps, and accommodation details have been presented with great care.

It gives the best periods to visit and provides the latest news and an events calendar with even pooja timings. One bit of information is that the elderly are advised to rest frequently while negotiating steep slopes.

And one can listen to Ayyappa songs on MP3, book for a pooja, or even order a book. For greetings cards, however, log in to www.ayyappan.com, a Canada-based site promoted by a devotee.

www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/

Just what are the basics to begin to the net, how to get the maximum out of the web and other nagging questions are answered in an easy-to-understand language that is the hallmark of any BBC site.

Information on MP3 files and the way to download them, how does one go about surfing the net ... such issues are neatly analysed and presented. Experts will answer queries regarding the Internet.

In the guides and features sections, topical issues are discussed and there is also a section where case studies are featured. The participants representing various professions offer links to various sites.

www.dmiactive.com/mns/

Given the fact that modern life is lived on the fast lane, there is little time to enjoy Nature. Our getaways are an experience different in degree but not in kind. There is a kind of relaxation, but not an enriching freedom for the body and soul. Out of the desire to break out of such a lifestyle came the Madras Naturalists' Society. You can visit them at http://www.dmiactive.com/mns/ on the web. The Society creates awareness among the public about the necessity of conservation and the imperative of a lifestyle which provides space for Nature to work its miracles - physical and spiritual.

Apart from awareness programmes, the society organises camps, outings, lectures, slide-shows, seminars, and also publishes books.

In the last twenty years, they have been bringing out a regular monthly bulletin and since 1985, a quarterly journal, Blackbuck, available online, which contains articles and features on all aspects of natural history and conservation. A monthly meeting is held on the second Sunday of every month at 8-30 a.m. at the Children's Park, Guindy, where members exchange news and views.

The latest addition is a regular feature on plants found in and around Chennai.

(Compiled by K. Kirubanidhi and Prince Frederick)

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