Chennai-based Manikandan calls bees his best friend! Fondly known among the apiarists (beekeepers) as Honey Mani, this apiarist maintains almost 25 modern beehives (artificial beehives) in and around the city and says that he does it for.

Until 2008, Mani, like most people, was terrified of bees, because of all the reported fatalities. It was Swami Nathan, another beekeeper from the city who changed his attitude towards apiculture, he narrates, “In 2008, I visited Swami’s house. He worked at the airport and I was also recruited there to work in duty-free shops." 

"I saw several weird looking boxes and when I went to take a look, a bee flew out!” After a week of observing his mentor interacting with and behaving around the bees, Mani decided to learn the art...................Read more

Source: The New Indian Express