Theme: the Old, the New and the Timeless அனஂறுமஂ, இனஂறுமஂ, எனஂறுமஂ

TEDx Pollachi is an independently organised TED event. Based in the beautiful town of Pollachi, through the power of ideas worth sharing, strives to be the platform that presents Pollachi to the world while also bringing the world closer to Pollachi. This is a mission that arises from a commitment to the distinct history, culture, people, ecology and aspirations of this town and its surroundings.

Societies frequently come to be defined by the strife between the old ways and the new, old ideas and new ideas, past traditions and new trends. But, some people, often extraordinary in their own right, stand as custodians of Timeless values – Excellence, Ingenuity, Passion, Perseverance, Grit and Empathy. Their works are living records of the foundational values of humanity. TEDx Pollachi, in its second edition, like a faithful keeper of those living records, aims to promulgate the works of some extraordinary people and contribute to keep those records alive, for posterity.

Avani Hall
Devi Nagar, Vadivu Nagar, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu
Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, 642003
India

Ashwin Sangamesh

Child-centric medial practitioner

Dr Ashwin Sangamesh is a child-centric medical practitioner and an innovator in child developmental practices. Babyama Paediatric Centre, an ‘experiential’ Health Care Centre for children and mothers that he founded, practises unique approaches to child care, design of the child care spaces, managing medical data as well as administering the centre. With keen insights into child development, his work is a forerunner and emerging innovation in the domain of child and mother care. Extending the application of his insights further, Dr Ashwin has also innovated resources for Early Childhood Care and Education, through his venture Braindemics. Conceptualised as a paediatrically formulated curriculum for Early Learners, is a progressive and holistic approach to educational development of early learners.

Bharathy Bhaskar

Orator

An experienced former banker and corporate diversity/inclusion champion, Bharathy Bhaskar is known for her appearance in televised debate shows in Tamil called 'Pattimandram' which has made her a household name across the Tamil-speaking world. Her active participation in televised Pattimandram, now at about 2000 appearances around the world, not only gained her fame, but also took the age-old tradition of Pattimandram to the everyday television audience. The art of Pattimandram, which emphasises rhetoric and humour is essential to her style. But her ability to add depth through contemporary ideas, philosophy and science makes her standout. She also draws inspirations from literature, mythology and everyday life. Proficient in both Tamil & English Oration, she has published over 6 books, including ‘Nee Nadhipola Oodikondiru’, ‘Mudal Kural’. She is also a regular writer with the Times of India, in her column ‘Thirukural with the Times’ is avidly read by the young and old.

Divya Mudappa

Scientist

Divya Mudappa is interested in the ecology, conservation, and restoration of tropical rainforest ecosystems, and in translating biological understanding to on-ground conservation action. She is presently a scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, based at the field research station in Valparai, Anamalai Hills. She is the author of Pillars of Life: Magnificent Trees of the Western Ghats, co-authored with T. R. Shankar Raman. With colleagues and students, she now leads a long-term conservation programme in the Western Ghats to restore degraded rainforests, reduce conflicts between people and wildlife, and foster conservation education and awareness.

Kali Prakash

Permaculture Designer

From engineer to educator to farmer, Kali Prakash is on a mission to create a sustainable world! He founded Panmayam Permaculture, where regenerative agriculture practices are embraced. Through his venture The Fruit Crew, nature's delicious and nutrient-packed fruits from the farm are delivered directly to people’s homes. He is also passionate about Educating minds, designing sustainable spaces, and growing deliciously nutrient-dense fruits. An advocate for soil biology, he loves exploring the hidden wonders beneath our feet with a microscope and is passionate about planting seeds of sustainability and fostering a love for the Earth in young minds. With a knack for entrepreneurship, he is striving to convert, quite successfully, all his passions into revenue streams through his ventures, becoming a demonstrable model for farmers, himself.

Raju Kandasamy

Gen AI expert

Raju Kandasamy is skilled in building and upscaling autonomous teams and setting up practices, in real-time high-transaction rate enterprise systems and managing development teams. He also specialises in setting up product teams from scratch and scaling them up. He has successfully helped an IT hardware brand design and develop software for their mixed reality glass product, resulting in 6 filed patents. In the last decade, he built a tech start-up from the ground up and successfully handled assignments in setting up new product development teams. With a passion for Tamil literature and language preservation, he has contributed greatly to the development of a specialised Tamil LLM, an attempt to make AI accessible in a vernacular language, while also evolving the Tamil language for an age of AI! He currently serves as the Principal Consultant at Thoughtworks.

Ranganathan M

Gandhian Social Worker

Founder of the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram in Anamalai, Pollachi, Ranganathan is a steadfast Gandhian. At the age of 17, along with a few friends founded the Ilaingnar Gandhi Mandram in 1968. Fifty-six years later, the organisation stands strong as Mahatma Gandhi Ashram. In all these years as its trustee, he has carried out advocacy and field action based on Gandhian principles. Trained in law, he offers pro bono legal aid to the underprivileged and the marginalised, through the Ashram. Apart from being a home for children of different kinds of marginalisation including orphanhood, neglect and difficult or broken homes, it is also a centre for model practices of Gandhian teachings. Ranganathan was instrumental in bringing about positive Social Change in the region through pacifist and non-violent resistance and advocacy. He was awarded the first Sri Ramachandra-Ikeda Award for excellence in Social Work in 1990, from the then Prime Minister I K Gujral.

Shankar Raman

Wildlife Scientist + Writer

T. R. Shankar Raman is a writer and wildlife scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, interested in the ecology and conservation of tropical forests and wildlife, especially in the Western Ghats. He is based at the field research station in Valparai in the Anamalai Hills. He is the author of The Wild Heart of India: Nature and Conservation in the City, the Country, and the Wild and co-author, with Divya Mudappa, of Pillars of Life: Magnificent Trees of the Western Ghats. He co-edited At the Feet of Living Things : Twenty-Five Years of Wildlife Research and Conservation in India with Aparajita Datta and Rohan Arthur.

Sri Isai Sangamam

Nadhaswaram troupe

Sri Isai Sangamam is a Nadaswaram-Thavizh troupe, led by Arul Mani. Arul is the Vidwan of the Zamin Samathur Temple where he has played the Nadaswaram for about thirty years now. Following in the footsteps of his Grandfather and Father, he carries the legacy and artform of Nadhaswaram for a third generation. Apart from performing at the temple, his troupe perform in various Utsavs and events around Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Thirty years on and he still continues to practise his art with the same energy and enthusiasm, because he considers it beyond mere duty. As he puts it, ‘It’s my identity. It’s what I hold dear to my heart. It’s what brings me happiness and it’s what I cherish the most – my God-given talent’. At TEDxPollachi, the Nadaswaram-Thavizh artists led by Arul Mani will demonstrate the art form by performing four pieces, a mix of ‘Classical Keerthanais’, ‘Bhakti Songs’, Patriotic & Film.