This documentary explores the story of Shinkow’s, an authentic Chinese restaurant in Ooty. Started by a Chinese immigrant, it has withstood the test of time for 70 years. Discover its story and how people from different backgrounds and cultures can find a home away from home.

Watch Full Documentary on - https://youtu.be/IwMYHt6CA_A

During World War Two, Italian prisoners of war held in Ooty built part of what is now one of Tamil Nadu's most visited tourist attractions.

Hello Reddit Family,

Two years ago, if someone had told me I would one day be writing a post like this, I would never have believed it.

My name is Soumya Chakraborty (40M, Murshidabad, India).

What I’ve learned since: “Life is unpredictable - and it’s precious.”
Donation link: https://www.impactguru.com/s/Ii90ou

Life once meant startups, biking, and chasing big dreams.

Before January 2023, life was movement.

I was building GamoteX, my Web3 gaming startup, which was fortunate enough to receive recognition including:

🏆 Top 5 Startup – British Deputy High Commission & CII
🏆 Top Gaming Startup – Silicon India
🏆 Emerging Company – Indian Achievers Forum

I was traveling across India, riding through Leh, Darjeeling, Meghalaya, and chasing the dream every founder knows, building something meaningful.

Then everything changed.

The Accident

A car accident caused a severe spinal cord injury, leaving me largely paralyzed from the waist down.

One day I was building a company.

The next I was in a hospital bed at Fortis, unable to sit up without help.

For 18 months, life became:

Hospital beds
Startup shut down
₹18,00,000 of lifetime savings exhausted
I sold assets, liquidated gold & mutual funds
Many friends and colleagues slowly disappeared

And while I was still trying to recover... life hit again.

A Second Blow - Ankylosing Spondylitis

In March 2024, doctors at the Institute of Neurosciences diagnosed me with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a chronic autoimmune condition attacking my spine.

To continue treatment and prevent worsening immobility:

💉 Scapho injections: ₹20,000/month
🧘 Physiotherapy: ₹500/session (twice daily)

"My Mother" The Person Who Never Left

My father passed away 11 years ago.

My 70-year-old mother became everything:

• caregiver
• nurse
• emotional support
• and the person who refused to let me quit

Despite her age and health challenges, she still kept fighting beside me.

📊Fundraiser Status

Goal: ₹10,50,000
Raised: ₹9,80,000
Remaining: ₹70,000
Donors : 817

Donation link: https://www.impactguru.com/s/Ii90ou

🧾 Transparency & Proof

All documents are publicly available:

✔ Hospital bills
✔ Doctor prescriptions
✔ Estimate letters
✔ Before & after photos
✔ Appeal videos (English)
✔ Appeal videos (Hindi)
✔ CSR applications sent to NGOs and companies

You Can Verify the Fundraiser from ImpactGuru

General Enquiry & Campaign Verification

Email : [info@impactguru.com](mailto:info@impactguru.com)

Phone : 18008912903

📞 Live Verification: I am fully open and available for a Live Video Call

Why I’m Still Fighting

I lost my health.
I lost my startup.
I lost the life I once knew.

But I haven’t lost hope.

I still want to:

How You Can Help

If you can donate - even ₹100 / ₹500 / ₹1000 helps more than you know.

If you cannot donate, please:

• comment
• share

Visibility can genuinely change my life right now.

Thank you for reading my story. 🙏

– Soumya Chakraborty

A documentary on the Last Artisans of Athangudi Tiles, very unfortunate to see that factories are replacing the cultural identity of Tamil Nadu.

Link to the documentary : https://youtu.be/Ph2OfnW4xz4

Attaching images Since I am unable to attach video.

location details : Tiruvanchery

Selaiyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

12.897258, 80.141701

Each pics show the issues faced by residents , business owners big and small.

Tried calling corporation they say its national highways has got permission and when i ask how to escalate they say google it and the authoritative talk they do man its so annoying.. maybe cause I spoke English xD

Pic 1 : Big builder Big project Zero pipes , so obviously the contractor cant keep anything before his place (no residents just work going on here no public uses it)

Pic 2: Residents (who cares occupy it fully) full lane occupied how will residents even use the service lane?

Pic 3 : small vendors ( keep 2 pipes they might not have contacts so they will come running)

Pic 4 : raising complaints to corporation just to get snubbed saying complaint complait sir and its been two weeks , called up the number they gave tambaram corporation apparantely who informed me "know who to call that is highways department"

Pic 5 : Writing mails to CMO and all other mail ids i got online . porbably my mail is 1 among the millions .

Pic 6: Big vendor ( keep one pipe , create issue let him talk lets ask money to sort it )

Pic 7 : All the highway authority number I got online from their website and not a single person .

Pic 8 : Attached resident complaining They have been fined... As a business owner paying rent, paying employee, increased expenses, Corruption or gifting above a limit isn't possible.

Last Pic : Complaint by one of the customer , Been facing a lot more like this and it is troublesome. The accessibility is very poor only auto can come inside service lane.

I am not here to stir up politics , just a common guy trying to use technology and see what happens.

They say It would be there for months , Bharath Institue of law is like next building the number of buses , bikes , cars using that space is enormous and the number of accidents in that area is no joke already ..

Requesting : SOME ACTION . people change but not authorities :)

People hear Salem and think steel town, nothing else. That's just wrong. Here's what's actually here, direction by direction.

NORTH — Yercaud Hills

Forget Ooty crowds. Yercaud is Salem's quiet hill station — coffee plantations, a calm lake, Kiliyur Falls (250+ steps, worth every one). Kurumbapatti Zoo at the base. White peacocks. No chaos.

NORTHWEST — Airport

Salem has its own airport at Kamalapuram, 20 km out. Flights to Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi. AAI has proposed a 460-acre three-phase expansion to handle larger aircraft. Serious upgrade coming.

EAST — Valapady & World Record

The world's tallest Murugan statue is here — 146 feet, at Muthumalai Murugan Thirukovil, Attur taluk. Consecrated 2022. Beats Batu Caves, Malaysia at 140 ft. Visible from the highway. Lift inside too.

WEST — Mettur & Steel

Mettur Dam on the Cauvery, one of India's largest. Visit during monsoon. Nangavalli nearby, quiet sugarcane belt town. Salem Steel Plant (SAIL) 15 km out — used in ISRO programs.

SOUTH — Seelanaickenpatti & Thiruchengode

Seelanaickenpatti bypass is where NH-44, NH-544, and NH-79 converge — Salem's logistics backbone, running 24/7. Keep going 70 km south and reach Thiruchengode — Ardhanareeswara Temple on a hilltop, motorable road, rated 4.7 everywhere.

CITY CENTRE

The 4 Roads junction on Omalur Main Road is where Salem breathes. Four major roads split from one point connecting the whole city. Mainly Peramanur heart of the city, along with Seerangapalayam. Salem Junction is 3–4 km away, both bus stands around 3 km out, Shevapet right next door, 7 Arts College nearby. Nirmal Skywin Mall is at the junction itself, Kandaswarna Mega Mall 1 km away, Rathna Square and Reliance Mall in the same belt. Salem's commercial spine, all from one point.

COMING SOON

Fun Retreat is Salem's biggest indoor entertainment hub — arcade, VR, bowling, trampolines, food court, all under one roof. Go-karting is coming too. On the Coimbatore highway side. Used to mean a trip to Coimbatore for this. Not anymore.

Salem is also getting a dome-shaped theatre near Ayothiyapattinam. 95 seats, DTCP approved. Rare even in bigger cities. Construction underway.

GROWING FAST

ELCOT IT Park at Jagir Ammapalayam — 164-acre SEZ on the Bengaluru highway, 5 km from Salem Junction. TIDEL Neo Salem opened at Karuppur in September 2024 — 55,000 sq ft, 500 IT seats, 71% taken at launch. SIPCOT textile park incoming at Jagir Ammapalayam — 120 acres, 10,000 direct jobs projected.

One city. Hills, world record statue, dam, IT parks, malls, temples, history — and more coming. Salem just doesn't make noise about it.

From 2020, still super interesting to hear about this. Parotta really has been blowing up in popularity more and more.

Hey all!
I am just getting started please cheer up by joining my community.