A stargazing occasion by Starvoirs.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Musician Siennor is evident about his plans for the weekend. He goes to be all the manner in Chidambaram, six hours away from the gentle air pollution that Chennai abundantly dispenses, to be certain that he will get the good view of the highly anticipated Perseid meteor shower between August 12 and 14.
“If all goes well, we will be able to spot 70 meteors per hour at 4am from the place we are at,” says the singer behind the Tamil indie hit ‘Ponnira Malai’.
Under this sky filled with stars, he will likely be performing songs — new and outdated — in their acoustic type as a result of he loves singing for small, intimate crowds. “When I sing in such spaces, the music is raw. There are no amplifiers. Mukkavasi kaathu satham dhan (It is mostly the sound of air. It is overwhelming,” he says.
Siennor acting at a musical night organised by Starvoirs.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
This is Siennor’s second such tie-up with Starvoirs, a Chennai-based startup which organises stargazing journeys throughout the world. During his first outing with the group based by Bhavandhi Babulal, he carried out on a boat at nightfall in Andaman as 1000’s of parrots flew over his head.
“We saw meteors which lasted between six and eight seconds. While coming back, we also encountered bioluminescence. The waves turned blue when we touched it. It was magical and helped us unwind in a world that is essentially fast-paced,” he says.
Look up
Bhavanandi who misplaced himself to the stars again in 2015 was a banker who inhabited this hasty world that Siennor references. Today, he curates journeys to Masai Mara, Nagaland and Kodanad in Tamil Nadu, amongst different areas to assist others catch glimpses of Jupiter and Mars amongst different celestial our bodies.
To him, stargazing is now a lifestyle. He stop his job in 2018 and is on a mission to be certain that the individuals round him get to see the vastness of the evening sky past the limitations of the pale blue dot. He has telescopes weighing between 80 and 90 kilograms in all the above areas, as he says it’s laborious to lug round.
From their campsites.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“The 2020 pandemic was a tough time as it caused a dent in the tourism industry. A friend asked me to manage his campsite in Kodanad and I was happy to head there. I bought a telescope and would take it along with me to show my friends in the village the sky after dark. By the end of my stint, they could identify when the moon rises and could even tell some planets apart,” he says.
When he started Starvoirs in 2022, he knew that he had to take the effort to showcase the galaxies past, in locations with little to no gentle interference. “It is why we choose locations like Mangrove Bay Eco Camp in Chidambaram to organise our camps,” he says. In the previous, they’ve organised guide studying occasions beneath the evening sky and folks studying out their favorite quotes. “It is romantic,” he says.
This time round, Bhavanandi says that they’ll have musical evening but in addition the house for dialogue. “This is besides a view of the meteor shower which will peak on August 12, 13 and 14. This year, there will not be any moon interference so the stars will be more visible. It is the ideal time to spot meteors. Imagine fireflies, Siennor’s music and the occasional kayaking lessons by trained professionals at the camp,” he says.
Kayaking at the campsite in Chidambaram.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Bhavanandi says that he now works with a group of physics graduates who can clarify the names of constellations, their historical past and the way they had been shaped. All this amidst lovely landscapes.
If that’s not sufficient of a takeaway, there may be all the time stardust.
This occasion Perseid meteor shower occasion is going down between August 12 and 14 at Mangrove Bay Eco Camp in Chidambaram. Tickets to the occasion value ₹5,000 for a evening and two days. Contact @starvoirs on their instagram or Bhavanandi at 9677242120.
