( This is an incomplete set of pictures. Delegates are welcome to send me more to add to this page.
Send via email to english@kingston.net or  mail to Alex English 553 Maple Rd. Odessa, Ontario, Canada, K0H2H0)

The early dawn trip from the airport in Mumbai (Bombay) took us by  smoky suburban shanties,

modern expressway construction,

and religious processions.

The conference was hosted at the BAIF facility on the outer edge of the city of Pune.

Sparse dry hills over looked the site.

Dr. Priyadarshini Karve started the conference with a keynote address outlining the challenges associated with cooking in less developed countries.
 

Dr. Ronal Larson was the first of dozens to present to the conference. He reviewed the internet origins of this conference.

There was an exhibition of improved Chulahs,

 larger scale gasifier systems
 

for commercial establishments,
 

and innovative wood gas and

briquette stoves.
 

A bus trip through more varied landscapes took us to ARTI's field research station near Phaltan which  highlighted the various technologies they are developing for commercialization in rural areas of Maharashtra state.

Dr. A.D. Karve (dressed in blue on the right) gives the delegates an overview of ARTI's work.

Dr. Priya Karve discusses with Paul Hait of Pyromid, the ideal briquette he just formed from carbonized sugarcane trash.

The sugarcane trash (leaves which are commonly burned in the fields after harvesting the stalks) was carbonized in this mud and brick retort kiln.

Metal cans with a hole on top are filled with the "trash" and are placed upside down on a grate.

The chimney is lowered into place.

A fire is lit below and burns with the pyrolysis gasses exiting the cans.

Some of the  ideas for this method came from our new friend, the  Russian scientist
Dr. Yury Yudkevitch, via the Stoves Mailing list.

That afternoon we were treated to a lunch at the home of Dr. A.D. Karve where this art work with coloured sand
was on display.

The following day we visited a village

where improved Chulahs had been installed along side traditional ones without chimneys.

After that we took a boat ride over to newly constructed camp where urban kids can be exposed to ideas
about renewable energy and agriculture while having fun.