செக்கு

Sekku traditional wooden oil extractor in Tamil Nadu (until 1985)

Striped Dewflower

Striped Dewflower is found in northern Sri Lanka and southern India, in abandoned paddies, ditches, vicinity of waterholes, moist, seasonally swampy places. Flowering: November-March. Ref:
http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Striped%20Dewflower.html

Murdannia striatipetala Striped Dewflower Family: Commelinaceae (Dayflower family)

Wildlife Art

The Pitchandikulam art studio produces distinctive, high quality wildlife art. Examples of our kadapa stone outdoor commissions can be found at the Adyar Poonga and Marina Beach in Chennai, at the Nilgiri Bioshphere Reserve Park in Anaikatti near Coimbatore, as well as in Nadukuppam, Alamparai and Pitchandikulam Forest itself.

Eco Restoration

Created water body at Adayar Poonga

Adyar Poonga is another restoration story. Once Joss had the contract (“no one else applied!”), his team (Pitchandikulam Forest Consultants) removed 60,000 tons of garbage and rubble from the site.
Through all the hard work of greening Auroville and the arid Pitchandikulam where he lives, he was guided by Pondicherry's Mother, he says. 
He says proudly, “Here's a wild space in the middle of the metropolis, giving a bit of Chennai back to Mother Nature.”
Courtesy : Geeta Padmanabhan

Indigenous Forest

Pitchandikulam Village- Before ecological restoration (1978)

Kuilapalayam to Auroville Road side plantation (1980)

After Ecological restoration (1990)

Pitchandikulam is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the indigenous Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest of Tamil Nadu.

It was established in 1973 as one of the pioneering Auroville green belt communities engaged in the initial reforestation work that was necessary on the bare eroded township site. Since then the 70 acre site has been transformed into a complete ecosystem with more than 800 species of plants.

The forest comprises six vegetative elements: trees, shrubs, lianas, epiphytes, herbs and tuberous species