Monthly Archive

Kochi: A great corporate get away is an ideal bet to chuck out the work pressures and to keep the team in good spirits. The team at Karma Kerala also took a cue from this popular holiday option when they charted out a great house boat cruise trip in the enchanting backwaters of Kumarakom.

Saturday, 26th April was the D-day and our team of 15 members set out by 9.30 am in a mini bus. The party mood was very much in the air as music and dance lend an air of celebration to the milieu as the vehicle hummed its way past the stunning coastal roads dotted with mangroves and backwaters. After over 2 hrs of drive, we disembarked at the Cheepunkal Jetty near Kumarakom.

We were excited to see our house boat laying in wait for us at the jetty. This full fledged single deck boat had all modern amenities including an air conditioned bedroom with an attached bath with all facilities like WC, shower bath, and high quality fittings like mirrors. The spacious living area in the front has comfortable sofas apart from the wooden sitting spaces that stretch all along the length of the boat in the model of the seating arrangements in a typical Kerala homestead.

The bedroom has beautiful wooden ceiling that gives the classic feel and richness. The glass windows were just right to steal a glance of the enchanting backwaters while traveling. The lighting in the living area of the houseboat is provided with dim bulbs fitted in hurricane lamps to add a retro twist and a romantic flair to the ambience. 

The owner of the houseboat took time off his busy schedule to explain the attractions on either side of the backwaters including the fabled Kumarakom bird sanctuary and many hotels and resorts of some of the big names of the industry such as Kumarakom Lake Resort, Coconut lagoon, Raddison Plaza, Taj Garden Retreat , Golden Waters and Abad group among others. The traditional fishermen were easily picking up pearl spot fishes from the mud after driving the fish using ropes and nets; the fresh catch was being used in the house boat in preparing the culinary delights to be served to us.

Soon after the cruise started, we were offered the traditional Kerala breakfast of boiled tapioca, fish curry and fried clams. The boys were more interested in savoring the freshly tapped coconut toddy, which would be sweet like milk. The boat was seamlessly cutting across the water currents to reach the wider and deeper backwaters. The wind swept interiors offered a cool respite from the scorching sun outside, as songs, photo sessions and animated banters gave the interiors a distinct party feel.

 The sumptuous lunch underscored by chicken dishes and the signature dish of pearl spot was well complemented by the vegetarian curries to make up a typical Kerala cuisine. After enjoying a breathtaking view of the sunset, we enjoyed a swim in the backwaters with most of us preferring to keep the swim suits on. The supper was rather heavy with chappathi and chicken after which an exciting game of rummy followed. The night was cool and pleasant and we enjoyed a sound sleep to the lullaby of nature.

At the crack of the dawn, we set out on fishing and we could even catch a few! By around 9am it was time for us to bid adieu to this enchanting place and the majestic floating abode, which offered some of the happiest moments in all our lives.

As they say all good things must come to an end; so did our wonderful trip; but, not before offering a relaxing weekend to enable us all to face the Monday Morning madness with enhanced vigor.

Apr 30: A latest archaeological excavation has added more value to the historical significance of kerala, even before 2000 years. The excavation is conducted as part of the Muzuis Heritage programme. The botanical remains were found near the water logged area of Pattanam.

Bollard, canoe, rope made from plant fibre, pepper, paddy, teak, coconut shell, frankincense and cardamom. They are believed to be 2000 years old. M.D.Kajale, Paleobotanist of Deccan College of Archaeology has collected the samples of these organic remains for further examination.

According to a statement released by the Kerala Council of Historical Research (KCHR), the samples will also be send to research laboratories in India and other countries for confirming the exact period the organic remains belongs to. The research work will get complete by April 30 and the trench is open to public on April 29 and April 30.

P.J.Cherian, director of the project said that the layer of clay covered the organic remains, prevented it from getting oxidised and allows it to withstand several years. The research led by KCHR is a joint effort of Southern Naval Command, State Department of Archaeology and Archaeological Survey of India. Under water excavation is also part of this research.

The excavation gives a clear indication that the area was inhibited continuously between 8th century BC and 10th century AD. Among the excavated findings are the pot shreds from Sassania and Parhia. Other things that are excavated were burnt bricks, glass beads, relics of wharf and clay utensils. Seven copper coins and a lead coin of the Chera period were also excavated.

Kalpetta: Chembra Peak, one of the highest peaks in Wayanad district is teeming with enthusiastic trekkers from all over Kerala and neighboring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is estimated that more than 150 travelers reach here daily to savour the brilliant natural spectacles and exciting outdoor activities.

Located at 2100 meters above the sea level, it falls within the Meppadi Forest Range and the visitors need to obtain a prior permission from the Forest Range Office at Meppadi for the trek, which does not involve any fees.

A 20-minutes drive along the lush green tea estates would take the visitors to the three-storied forest watch tower, where the motorable road ends. From this spot a long and arduous trek would take you to the peak.  At the top there is a heart shaped, crystal clear lake enriched by its natural springs, which is believed to have never gone dry even in peak summer season.. During the past, British planters had set up a golf course, a small rest house and a stable for their horses. Even today, the remains of the road that led to the rest house could be seen.

The peak offers breathtaking views of the snow clad Nilgiri ranges and the verdant teak forests of Nilambur, which in itself is an enchanting experience. The tourism department has ear marked Rs.30 lakh for promoting eco tourism projects in the district. As part of this, new trekking paths and other basic amenities such as nature friendly huts are planned, to cater to the growing number of tourists.

Kochi, April 29

It was unpredicted rains in most places of Kerala and isolated parts of Lakshadweep in the past two days. This sudden rain forced the mercury to dip giving some respite after the scorching heat which made them restless for the past few weeks. These sudden rains came to be a surprise for people which they enjoyed.

According to the met department Kottayam, Minicoy and Punalur recorded the highest rainfall in the state. Meanwhile Konny, Kochi, Kozhikode, Nilampur, Varkala and Alappuzha too experienced decent amount of rainfall. There are predictions of more rains during the next 48 hours in the state.

It was cool breeze everywhere in the city which made people to step out of their homes and enjoy this pleasant atmosphere. The different parks in the city and marine drive witnessed some decent crowd who turned out to enjoy the drizzle. Many love-birds (couples) were also seen enjoying the sudden transformation of weather; romance was in the air which made the day for these young couples.

Kattapana: Scores of visitors including pilgrims and tourists from both Tamil Nadu and Kerala visited the ancient Mangaladevi temple located within the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary on the occasion of Chitrapournami day, for which the temple opens only once a year in the month of April  .

Elaborate arrangements were made by the forest departments of the two States for the smooth conduct of the festival. Priests from both the states conducted separate pujas at the temple, which remained open till 5Pm. This temple is located along the jungles bordering Tamil Nadu and the festival is carried out jointly as both the States have made claims over it.

The forest path to the temple would be cleared by the forest department to facilitate the pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who reach the temple on foot. Pilgrims from Kerala reach the temple in jeeps through the Kumily-Mangaladevi route.

Kochi: It is expected that with the development of boating facilities, the Kottayil Kovilakom tourism project, will get a major boost.  Located at Chennamangalam in Ernakulam District, this palace was the erstwhile seat of Kshatriya chieftains of Villarvattom. Kottayil Kovilakom was a coveted center of learning during the Chola reign and it has a larger than life role in the history of Kochi. It is situated at a distance of 39 km from Ernakulam and is about 14 km from Cherai enroute to Kodungallur. Chennamangalam is world famous for handloom weaving and coir manufacturing.

According to the legend, the fort of Paliyam kotta was built by the Dutch as a gesture of goodwill to the Paliyathachans and within which a palace (kovilakam) exclusively for women was built, which gave it the name Kottayil Kovilakam.

It is also a centre for religious integration as a Shri Krishna Temple, an old Syrian Catholic Church, a mosque and a Jewish Synagogue are located very close to each other, bearing testimony of the enviable cultural harmony of Kerala.

Kottayil Kovilakam is blessed with the choicest of natural bounties. It falls in the confluence of three rivers including the Periyar and the Chalakudy Rivers, seven inlets, hillocks and vast stretches of rolling green plains. The Paliam Palace, the erstwhile royal homes of the Paliath Achans, hereditary Prime Ministers to the erstwhile Maharajas of Kochi testifies the marvel of the traditional Kerala architectural style at its best. The palace is a rich repository of ancient documents and relics.

The remnants of the Vypeenkotta Seminary dating back to the 16th century, built by the Portuguese, the ancient Kunnathali temple and the imposing Malavana Para, standing tall amidst the fast flowing waters are some other attractions nearby.

In the second phase of the Kottayil Kovilakom tourism project, road connectivity will be improved apart from introducing boating facilities.

 Kochi:  The islanders who depend on the mainland of Kochi for almost all their needs, are in a difficult situation as the repair works of m.v. Tipu Sultan in not yet completed. It was taken off from the service in September to address some urgent repair works, which is being carried out at Kochi shipyard.

A delegation of people’s representatives from Lakshadweep has conveyed their anxiety to the concerned authorities that the transportation to Lakshadweep would be seriously hampered during the upcoming monsoon if the ship was not delivered without further delay.

The ship, m .v Tipu Sultan, which plies between Kochi and Lakshadweep, is one of the only two ships that ferry the passengers from the island to the mainland and vice versa. This 658-seat ship operates with the other ship in operation m.v. Bharat Seema. The ships undertake five voyages a month covering five to six islands each time. The shortage of ships might set off an unprecedented rush of passengers with the onset of the monsoon season, the island administration has decided to extend the school reopening by a fortnight.

The shipyard authorities assured that the ship would roll out of its repair yard by May 15, which should bring back the smiles on the islanders.
.

Kochi, April 24

Kerala the heavenly abode has fascinated all with its varied attraction from its past. This spiritual land showcases an array of rich traditions and customs in its variety of temple festivals. These temple festivities have kept this cultural state always buzzing with festivity and celebrations. One can’t even think of a temple festival without the inclusion of elephants, these jumbos have always been a part of all the celebration in Kerala. But its also fair to say that these elephants have also claimed many lives and loss of property in many occasions in recent past.

In one of such gruesome event three people lost their lives when an elephant ran amok during the annual temple festival of Irinjalakkuda Koodalmanikyam temple in Thrissur district of Kerala. This horrifying incident occurred on the fifth day of the festivity while the tusker Tiruvalla Unnikrishnan was taken out after the ‘siveli’. The reason for the elephant turning violent has not been yet confirmed but rumours are that, someone tried to grab the trunk of the jumbo which made the tusker turn violent.

It was nothing new for the keralites as such scenes have become frequent sights for people of Kerala during these festivals. Prior to this tragic incident many a times such incidents have occurred in which people were killed by the tuskers. In order to provide some relief to the victims family the temple devaswom announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the dependants of the deceased.

Guruvayur: The famous Guruvayur Sreekrishna Temple Lord Krishna at Guruvayur, located in Trichur district in Kerala, witnessed a rather unusual offering by a devotee- a thulabharam offering with paracetamol tablets. It took 72 kg of tablets to match the body weight of the devotee.

‘Thulabharam’ is one of the important rituals of this temple where people make offerings to God for favours received. On a weighing balance, the devotee is weighed against the offerings that he has promised from gold to fruits according to his financial capability. However, in rare cases, bizarre items like tablets or coconut husks are also offered by devotees.

Satyan of Kadamparambil House in Kuttur made the tablet offering to fulfill the promise made by his father. Normally the thulabharam articles like sugar, banana or rice are used up in the temple or auctioned off publicly. Now as the offering has come in the shape of tablets, the temple officials are planning to use it at the Devaswom hospital.

Thrissur: The cultural capital of Thrissur is all set become 100% e -literate soon, with the akshaya project gaining momentum through the various centres operating all across the state. People from all walks of life and social strata are included in its fold. The second phase of the project would include MS office package and Intel learn programme for school students.

In the year 2007, Annamanada Grama Panchayat became the first e-literate panchayat and Kunnamkulam the first e-literate municipality. Another feather was added to the Cap of Thrissur when Chettichal was named the first e-literate village devoid of any  alcoholics in the whole of Asia. The e-literacy drive is targeted to cover almost all sections of the society from policemen to jail inmates, fishermen and head load workers.

Tribals living in remote hamlets such as Anappantham, Kadikadavu and Erappanpara among others will be covered in this literacy drive. The best part is that people have endorsed this programme by ensuring mass participation to help this district bag the coveted title of the first e-literate district in Kerala.

This people friendly programme has cut across all barriers including physical impairments and handicaps, to make it one of the most popular drives in the history of Thrissur. A 102 year old woman, Ponnara became the oldest e-literate person while enthusiastic students like Vinod, who cannot speak nor hear has become e-literate through sign language, with the assistance of his wife.

It shows the sheer determination of the participants and the mass appeal of this programme which has percolated right into the grass root levels of the society. Akshaya e centres have been started in tea estates and deep interiors to cater to tea estate workers of Malakappara in Athirappilly panchayat and tribal families living there.

Akshaya project is fast grabbing international attention as well. Recently a 25-member strong Srilankan delegation visited the Akshaya centre here to know more about this project. Kerala is all set to become a 100% e-literate State- another milestone for this progressive State.

Kochi, April 22

As we all know that plastic is one of the main pollutants to our ecology and we are battling out with this plastic menace from a long time. It has been a long time since the battle is going on to over throw plastic from Kerala. Coming up with a decisive step the Kerala government had finally decided to ban the use of all varieties of plastic materials which are below 50 microns in thickness.

This positive step will help a lot to protect the ecology of Kerala from the harmful effects of this growing plastic menace. The main thing to look out is to how effective this ban will be in the state, as it was known that the earlier ban on 30 micron failed to be effective. The government this time has come up with a hefty fine of Rs. one lakh and one-year imprisonment for those who violates this ban. Now it has to be looked for as to how this new ban will pan out in the state.

Kannur: Central Government might consider approving an integrated textile park in Kannur district if sufficient land is made available. Union Minister of Textiles Shankersinh Vaghela who was in Kannur to inaugurate the ninth centre of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) near here, said. The minister was speaking at the development seminar, Kannur Vision 2020, organized by the district committee of the Congress party here.

About 100 acres might be required for the project and the minister said that if the textile industry can forward a proposal through the ministry’s consultant for textile parks, Leasing and Financial Services Ltd, it would be given top most priority.

Kannur district is a major handloom textile centre in Kerala and with the opening of NIFT, a major spurt in the export of handloom textile products is expected. Though the classes will begin here in June, the permanent set up will be ready on in 3 years time in a 12 acre plot near the Kannur University campus.

The Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation is the nodal agency for setting up the NIFT centre at Kannur.

Kochi: The 15-billion Smart City project proposed at Edachira in Kochi has had its maiden marketing promotion at Outsource World London, a prestigious global business trade platform. The exhibitors came face to face with entrepreneurs and business men who are interested to outsource their business activities to India. The expo held in London on Wednesday and Thursday is expected to give an impetus to the IT dreams of Kochi. During the occasion, Fareed Abdulrahman, CEO of Smart City made a presentation.

The participation succeeded in enhancing the awareness about the coveted Smart City project among not just the local and regional niche but also in the international arena as well. It has stirred up interests among the stake holders, which will notch up the credibility and the good will factor of this project.

To be modeled on the lines of prestigious Dubai Internet city, Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village, the Smart city project to be started in October would promote the development of  IT as well as knowledge based companies. It envisages to set up a global network to assist its companies to exploit the various international markets and opportunities.

 
Smart City Kochi will have an array of business support services apart from residential, hospitality and recreational facilities, making it a mini township. The project would generate over 90,000 jobs. When completed the project would have 8.8 million square feet of space, of which the major chunk would be occupied by IT and ITeS companies.

Kochi, April 19

Kerala is battling hard these days with a growing trend called communal clashes which is soaring at the same rate like that of our inflation. These clashes on communal grounds have shattered the tranquillity of this heavenly abode. This growing menace of violence and killings has made the life of common man restless. If we look into the core of the issue we can find that in recent months several such cases of communal clashes has come into light.

In one of such latest incident a person was brutally stabbed to death in Kasargod district of Kerala. The deceased named C.A.Mohammed, 60 president of the Bilal Masjid committee, was knifed to death while he was coming out of the local mosque at around 12noon on Friday. This case is just one of the recent incidents of communal violence. On April 14 one more such deadly incident occurred in which a BJP activist was stabbed to death. All these tragic incidents show how easily people are playing with the law and order these days.

There are many cases of brutal acts in which several innocent lives were lost due to the so called communal tensions. These incidents also hint towards a change in the society of Kerala where taking law on hand has become a play these days. Now the time has come when some concrete measures are needed to restrict such menace from our society, or Kerala will soon be known as God’s Disowned Country.

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam matinee idol Mohanlal is all set to perform a daredevil stunt named ‘Burning Illusion’ on April 27 at Chandrsekharan Nair stadium to convey the message that if there is a will there is a way. Aimed at motivating the younger generation to dream big, this magical show would be the curtain raiser for ‘Vismayam 2008’, slated for May 1-14, where over one thousand magicians from all over the world will participate.

Mohanlal has been undergoing training for the act for over 1 year under the guidance of magician Gopinath Muthukad, who runs the famous Magic Academy in Trivandrum.
The Kerala Sate Youth Welfare Board went ahead with the plan of organizing this four-day international magic festival, ‘Vismayam 2008’ encouraged by the incredible response received earlier for the national integration magical voyage headed by Mr. Muthukad.

The 30-minute escape stunt to be performed by Mr. Mohanlal would be a beautiful expression of the message to the youth that if they have the grit and determination they can overcome any problems in life with ease. Mohanlal decided to relate to this great message by participating in this stunt act to the delight of millions of die hard fans of this great actor.

Kochi: In case you happen to live or work in Kochi, you might have already seen the many blue hazard signs that blare out ‘Climate change zone ahead,’ at the many vantage points of the city including Marine Drive, Kochi. Prying pedestrians and inquisitive passers-by could not make out what they meant till the uniformed Greenpeace activists explained the underlying message of doom and danger of these messages.

Greenpeace rates Kochi as a high risk coastal city that would be badly hit by the climatic changes induced by global warming. The international environmental NGO is doing a yeomen’s service by spreading awareness about the climate change campaign in six different cities in the country, including Kochi.

It is never too late to take effective steps to counter the climate change threat caused by global warming opines the activists. Coastal cities would bear a major brunt of global warming due to the alarming rise in the sea level. Even a slight surge in the sea levels in Arabian Sea would lead to the flooding and erosion of land areas, which could wipe out a major chunk of the foreshore areas in the city.

Greenpeace activists, as part of their ‘Blue Alert’ climate change campaign has also put up the danger signs at three more places including Vasco Da Gama Square at Fort Kochi; Jews Street and Mattancherry.

Greenpeace officials said that they also plan to put up ‘eviction 2050’ notices at buildings that are located on the Kochi foreshore to remind the residents that these buildings would not survive beyond the year 2050, if adequate measures are not taken to tackle global warming. This campaign is undertaken to educate people on the drastic consequences that happen to each and everyone’s life as a result of the dangerous fallouts of climate change and to encourage them to take necessary steps to counter this universal threat that can spell doom to all living beings on planet earth!

Kochi, April 17

The biggest temple festival of Kerala ‘Thrissur Pooram’ started off with a bang yesterday. The city was brimming with festivity and huge numbers of spectators congregated to witness this traditional fest. It all began with the procession from various temples which has its own traditional importance.

The main attraction in the procession was the brigade of caparisoned tuskers heading the procession from the front. The traditional ceremony like Madathil Varau and Kudamattom were much liked by the spectators. As the colourful umbrellas unfurled the spectators started waving and shouting with joy. This traditional ceremony of Kudamattom is one of the most attractive and essential part of Thrissur Pooram. Umbrellas of different shapes and sizes are unfurled in this ritual which is a great sight to watch.

Earlier the Panchavadyam and Ilanjithara Melam started at 11:30am which filled the atmosphere with the rhythm of chenda and clarinets. The pooram ground was filled to its maximum with huge number of spectators assembling from all over the country. Along with the locals many foreign tourists also have come to witness this grand festivity.

Like every year the main attraction of the festival remained with the highly decorated elephants, but after the directive of the high court this year these tuskers were made to stand on wet jute bags at the venues. It was also known that to make sure tight security arrangements at the venue about 2400 policemen were deployed keeping a check on the crowd.

The much hyped firework display began at 3am today with variety of sparkling and noisy fireworks, taking the crowd on their feet. This massive firework showcased a variety of colourful and dazzling display of fireworks lighting sky with sparkles. The pooram will wind up today afternoon with the traditional Pakal Pooram.

Kochi: It’s official! It is going to be an all women team at the helm of affairs of Kochi. The highest power portals including that of the Collector, City Mayor, the district Panchayat president, the GCDA Chairperson and Kochi Corporation Secretary are all being held by women. Kochi should be one of the few cities to have so many women at the at the pinnacle of power that too at the same period.

The new District Collector, M. Beena, who took over the baton from Muhammed Hanish would  have to set the house in order urgently as there are many issues hanging fire such as eviction of residents for the much hyped Vallarpadom road. She will be ably assisted by the Corporation Secretary, Mini Antony, belonging yet again to the XX genre!

The GCDA, with M.C. Josephine as the Chairperson too would have a significant role in curbing the activities of land sharks and to ensure common man’s welfare. District panchayat president P.S. Shyla will have a major role in ensuring the overall development of the infrastructure of the business capital of Kerala to brace it up to its emerging Metro status.

Thrissur: The month long preparations and the anxious anticipation is over as the 30-hour extravaganza of Pooram festivities began on April 16 at dawn, which will be concluded on April 17 at noon.

Enthusiastic revellers have invaded all the prime spots to get a glimpse of the ceremonies, including ‘Kudamattom’ that would be staged at the Thekke Gopura Nada of the Sree Vadakkunnatha Temple. Thiruvambadi Devaswom will present 33 sets of ornamental umbrellas, including three specially-designed ones while the Paramekkavu Devaswom will show off 36 sets, including three specially-designed ones, the designs  of which would remain a top secret till they make their appearance.

All arrangements for ‘Madathil Varavu’ ceremony, and. Ilanjithara Melam, one of the main attractions of musical ensembles of Pooram, that takes place under the fabled Ilanji tree in the Vadakkunatha Temple, are completed.

The whole town wears a festive look where the shops have been brightly lit and the streets decorated. The main thoroughfares are packed with vendors selling nitty gritty such as budget garments and cotton candy among others.

Adequate police personnel have been deployed to take care of the law and order situation. The Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devaswoms said that the High Court’s directive on elephant care would be fully complied with.

Thousands of tourists from India and abroad have reached the cultural capital of Kerala- Trissur to savour the flavour and flair of one of the biggest celebrations in Kerala. 
 

Malappuram: The Malappuram municipality has set a standard by being the first municipal body to have set up an amusement park for the benefit of its citizens. This amusement park at Kottakunnu will be the first amusement park in Malappuram. The website of Kottakunnu Amusement Park also will also be inaugurated on this occasion. A cultural feast in the form of a musical evening will be held at the Kottakunnu open-air auditorium to add flair to the whole celebration.

The amusement park at a cost of Rs.5 crore has come up on 2.02 hectares of land provided by the District Tourism Promotion Council. The park was set up on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis with many user friendly rules and regulations including that the operator should not levy more than Rs.200 a person, excluding tax. The entrance fee for children will be Rs.175 and users below 90 cm in height need not pay any fees. The entrance fee for persons aged above 55 years would be only Rs.100.

This amusement park, the first of its type in Malappuram district was constructed in less than a year.  The park will have over twenty four rides that would appeal to children and elders alike. The hot spots of this park would be rides like ball pool, water shooter, water MGR, family slider and multilane ride among others.

The park is expected to boost the revenue of the municipality, which would come handy in completing various ongoing development projects and also to initiate new projects.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has set up a role model yet again when it became the first state in the country, where the tribal farmers would directly export organic pepper to Germany. As per the innovative scheme, patronized by the state government, the three tribal communities at Vanchivayil village nestled deep in the Thekkady forests will export their first consignment of over four tones of organic pepper on April 12.

It was only after relentless persuasion of over eighteen months that the tribals could be coaxed to become exporters. The tribals get the full returns for their effort as this system operates sans middlemen.

Periyar Foundation, an apex body of 76 eco-development committees, the Forests Department and the state government has jointly organized the pilot project.

 There were a lot of formalities involved in getting the organic certification ready from Lacon International, a company based in Germany apart from the Spices Board of India. At the outset, the German firm operated by the farmers’ society of ”Ecoland Herbs and Spices”, would be the main buyer to procure organic pepper. The best part is that the tribals would be getting over 33 per cent more than what they used to get before for their products as no middlemen are involved in the deal.

Kochi, April 11

Vishu the festival signifying the beginning of a New Year for Malayalees is all set to add its colours to the city. With only two days to go the city has geared up to embrace this festival with fervour. As it is well known that Vishu has is a unique festival for all malayalees not only in Kerala but also through out the globe. The most customary ritual on the occasion of Vishu is the Vishukani (first sight) it is believed that good things seen on the New Year day brings good luck for the whole year.

Amidst all this festivity the city streets are running busy with people shopping for the festival. It is tradition that people use to wear new clothes welcoming the new year and elders use to buys gifts for family members. One more essential feature of Vishu is the traditional Vishu Kaineetam, its generally given in the form of small cash or gifts which elders give to the children as blessing.

This year the soaring price rise has broken the back bone of common man, but still the city shops are running busy with shoppers buying for the special day. From jewellery shops to garment shops and cracker shops all are having a great business this festival season.

Radha Krishnan a house wife says, Vishu is one of the festivals which all Keralites awaits for the whole year. During this festival the whole family unites and marks the new year with joy and warmth. On being asked whether the growing inflation would have an effect to this year’s Vishu, she replied “With such a rise of prices of necessary commodities like vegetables and household stocks it will be a bit tough to manage the budget for house wives like us. But still it won’t affect the festivity and people will celebrate Vishu in the same way they use to before. Radha further said the not miss part of this festivity is the grand sadya (feast) which the whole family enjoys together.

Well it seems kochites are all set to celebrate Vishu with a bang, and the city is buzzing with the Vishu fever these days.

Payyannur: The mass drill of the students of Pattiyamma Aided U.P. School at Karivellur has an ethnic flavour because here the mass drill is performed to the beats of the ‘chenda’, instead of the conventional band. 

The school ground reverberates with the electrifying beats of chenda under the watchful eyes of their talented physical training teacher K.S. Harimohanan, who has introduced this innovative and bold initiative. 

The students do their mass drill to the beats of traditional percussion instruments like ‘maddalam’ and ‘chenda.’ Introduced by the physical training teacher, who himself is a famous mridangam artist hailing from here; this innovation has already created quite a lot of interest in the academic circles. Normally mass drills in schools are based on the full beat band, however here the students are trained to do the drill to the half beat to the local percussion instruments like ‘maddalam’ and ‘chenda.’

This ingenious mass drill was crafted by bringing together the physical movements of the students with the thirteen-and-a-half beats. It is based on the exceptional ‘Shivapala thalam,’ based on thirteen-and-a-half beats, which was created by him in memory of his late father, Nadanam Shivapalam, an acclaimed Kathakali and Bharatanatyam artiste.

Mr. Harimohanan says that this innovative ‘thala’ he created has already received won laurels and endorsements from some of the leading names in the percussion field bothin within and outside the State.

Kollam: This is a race of a different genre altogether exclusively for the brave hearted amongst you! Devotees of Sri Bala Subrahmanya Swamy Temple at Umayanallur scurry after an elephant to catch its tail at the ‘aanavaal pidi’ ritual. It is an exceptional Hindu ritual where the participants who have been fasting for seven days, run after the tusker trying to catch its tail. The participants opine that they experience a spiritual delight by participating in this ritual and believe that it will fulfill their wishes.

Devotees chase the elephant for about one hundred metres and try to catch its tail and the astonishing fact is that till date, no elephant has lost its cool in spite of being chased and bullied by scores of people who vie to have a hold at its tail. This fact deserves special mention as these days it has become quite common for the elephants to run amok thereby creating chaos and confusion in temple festivals.

  
This ritual held every year in the Malayalam month of Meenam as part of the ten-day annual festival, which falls during the months of March-April at the Umayanallur Sri Bala Subrahmanya Swamy Temple in Kollam recreates the childhood high jinks of the presiding deity of Lord Bala Subramanyam and his younger brother Lord Ganesh. The ritual aptly named as ‘catching the elephant’s tail’ (aanavaal pidi) traces its origin to over 1500 years.

Thousands of devotees participate in this ritual with frenzy and fervor where the caparisoned elephant will be chased by men. The ritual also attracts tourists from far and wide who are awestruck by this exceptional spectacle.

Kochi, April, 9

Keralities are facing tough times to savour their veggies these days with the soaring prices of vegetables in the markets. The situation is so grim that the common man is feeling helpless. It was seen that from the past few days the prices of vegetables have touched a record high and people are facing a real big ask to meet their needs.

With such a sudden surge in prices of vegetables the Kerala civil supplies Minister C Divakaran has assured that the government will take necessary steps to check the soaring price levels. He also said that, there are plans to get vegetables from Tamil Nadu in order to stabilize the situation and bring the rising price syndrome to rest.

The minister also said that a joint conference with agriculture, civil supplies and horticulture departments will figure out a plan to control this growing trend of price rise within two days. Right now Idukki is the place producing the major share of veggies in the state, but the produce gets collected by retail giants making the problem more adverse. Now it is thought that the government will buy the vegetables directly from the farmers to get the prices to slide to a fair level.

Kochi: Orkut has a contender now in the form VKoot, a piping hot social networking site operated from Kerala. True to the adage ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, Vkoot was a chance discovery of Twenty-six-year-old Vinu Mohan from Thriprayar. Vinu was an Orkut aficionado and he created a site of his own when the site was banned in Dubai where he worked for Dubai Media City.

The rest is as they say history. Today, Vkoot boasts of an impressive membership of 17,000 members. VKoot is the short form of “Vinuvinte Koottukar,” which translates into Vinu’s Friends. He is not new to online networking concepts and has been operating the successful online greeting site of Vgreets since 2004. A multi-media engineer by profession, Vinu mobilized funds from Vgreets and his friends also pitched in their might to make his dream come true.

Some of the hands that steer the activities of VKoot include Shajahan, who co-ordinates all the activities of this social networking site and Shaji of Thiruvananthapuram who is its main programmer. The promoters of VKoot based both in home turf and abroad including Ireland, and the US leave no stone unturned in roping in new members by briefing them about the merits and advantages of this simple and straightforward networking site of VKoot.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is making its presence felt in the animation field like never before. Toonz Animation, headquartered in Technopark in Trivandrum has inked an agreement with Sony USA for two DVD projects and to add to the jubilation, this training institution has bagged a distinction of being the only affiliated academy of the world famous European Carolus Magnus (ECM) University Brussels, which in turn is sponsored by the European Economic Chamber of Trade, Commerce and Industry.

The two DVD projects on the anvil are Playmobile and Santaclaus. Playmobile, which will be an interesting combination of games and animation, is expected to hit the markets this year itself while Santaclaus will be released in 2009.

Toonz, which is part of the global business conglomerate, Comcraft in Geneva had won accolades from far and wide for successfully completing the movie Dragonlance, which was released in the US.
Toonz Academy is one of the best known names in animation training industry and at present has centres in Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur and Hyderabad. The ECM affiliation will give a cutting edge for its students and an international mileage who wish to pursue foreign jobs.

The animation industry is showing an impressive annual growth of over 30 percent and around 98% of the students who pass out from Toonz are absorbed readily as there is a huge supply-demand deficit in this industry with over 35000 vacancies at present.

 
The company proposes to plan additional centres in Ahmedabad, Indore, Chennai and Bangalore shortly, which will throw open wider vistas for animators on the look out for an interesting and fulfilling career.

Palakkad: Though the district administration had clamped restrictions on the repairs and alterations of the houses in the Kalpathy Agraharam to protect its heritage value, it has become a bane and not a boon for its residents.

The reason for the new draft of building rules was a fall out of the flat boom that was marring the beauty of its serene milieu with tasteless concrete constructions.

Most of the houses were built many years ago and are in urgent need of repairs; however the Palakkad municipality is keeping the applications of the residents pending citing the reason that permission from the Art Heritage Commission in Thiruvananthapuram is essential before giving the go ahead signal.

However, the bad news is that the new rules have failed to deter the realtors all the while putting the original inhabitants of this village into untold miseries. The construction of flats is continuing unabated and at present there are over a dozen flats in and around the Kalpathy Agraharam. The funniest part is that these flats are being promoted by flaunting the heritage label of Kalpathi, famous for its car festival and an impressive line up of the Brahmin homesteads of agraharams among others.
The tiled houses and wooden structures of the houses are costly and difficult to maintain and most residents prefer to change their structures into RCC, which is not allowed now as Kalpathy was recently included in section 383 of the Kerala Municipality Act 1994, notifying it as a heritage area.

The regulatory measures clearly stipulates that no development, demolition, additions, repairs or renovations of any type in part or whole shall be allowed without the prior permission of the Art and Heritage Commission under Rule 154 of the Kerala Municipality Building Rules 1999 in order to conserve the heritage character of the Kalpathy area and its environs.

The Tourism department is implementing the Kalpathy Heritage Project at an estimated cost of Rs 1.5 crore through Kitco. Some of the schemes under this project include the covering of the drains in the Kalpathy Agraharam and construction of public toilets to keep the Kalpathy River clean. In addition special bathing ghats and drinking water taps were also constructed. 

Though over Rs 2 crore has already been spent on the village, it has not done any good to the local populace as they are left high and dry with ramshackle houses that are in need of urgent repairs to bear the onslaught of time and to make these enchanting abodes habitable.

Kochi: The Volvo fever is in the air and festivity mood is palpable in the tourist industry as the count down for Volvo has already begun. The Cochin port would be one of the pit stops for upcoming Volvo Ocean Race and Kerala is leaving no stone unturned in flaunting its tourism potential. Countless foreigners are expected to touch down at Kochi to see the race, commonly called `Everest of Sailing’, as it is one of the world’s most challenging team events.
2008-09 Volvo will have nine teams, seven inshore races and eleven ocean legs apart from many short stopovers. Cochin port is the only Indian destination chosen and also holds the distinction of being the first port in the country that has been chosen as a whistle stop for this prestigious yacht race. It is exciting to note that the arrival of race teams on Dec 3- Dec13 complements the peak tourist season in Kerala. The other ports of call include Singapore, Qingdao, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Gothenborg and Stockholm.
A sprawling race village spread over 2.5 acres of land will come up at Willingdon Island with 10,000 sq metres of covered space and over 200,000 sq metres of open space. The Kerala tourism department and Cochin Port Trust will shell out a staggering Rs.300 million for organizing this mega event and a major part of this amount is likely to be mobilized through sponsorships. More than that, Kerala would be paraded at its best among the tourists who would throng to enjoy this event.
Kerala tourism is sure to benefit from this highly acclaimed event. The mood in the hotel industry is upbeat as organizers will be earmarking over 1,500 premium rooms along with 3,500 other rooms for the guests who arrive from various parts of the world to experience the thrills and spills of this event. In addition over 150 houseboats will be arranged near the race village to cater to the accommodation needs. Volvo race will be flagged off in Alicante, Spain on Oct 4 and will traverse a total of 39,325 nautical miles in a period of nine months before ending at St. Petersburg, Russia in July 2009.

Kochi, April 4

The week long Metro International Film Festival will begin with the official inauguration by noted film actor Sreenivasan at the Sridar theatre here today. This festival is organised by Metro Film Society in association with the Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development of Kochi Corporation. The week long festival will get on with the traditional lighting of lamps by the gorgeous actress Kavya Madhavan.

This festival would screen many movies from different languages and countries. The inaugural film screened will be ‘Gandhi My Father’ directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. The screening of movies has been categorized into World Cinema, Indian Cinema, New Malayalam Cinema, Antonioni Retrospective, Keislowski Retrospective and Retrospective- Ingmar Bergman and also Homage to Bharat Gopi. All these movies will give the festival a great mood.

These movies will be screened in different theatres, the feature films will be screened at Sreedar, meanwhile documentaries will be screened at EMS Memorial Town Hall and at the Café@Sridar. It is expected that huge numbers of movie buffs would turn up to watch these mix of movies. The film festival will also attract many film personalities and artists to witness such a great selection of flicks at one place.

Thiruvananthapuram:  The proposal to set up an elephant rehabilitation centre at Kottur near Agastyavanam at Thiruvananthapuram has been well lauded by all animal lovers. These majestic and lovable giants would have a chain-free life at the orphanage, according to forest officials.
The orphanage with a budget outlay of Rs.5-crore is envisaged as a retirement home for the aged and incapacitated elephants.

The centre would be able to house a minimum of 30 animals at a time and each enclosure would have an area of at least one acre. The decision was taken after a comprehensive case study on the behavioral patterns of two six-year-old calves which were housed at the enclosure. This is the first endeavor ever in the State where the animals can roam around freely just like in their natural habitat.

This centre would be a haven for sick and old animals which would be a looked after by a committed team of experts. Wild elephant calves that cannot be turned back to their natural habitat would also be housed here.

While some elephant shelters in the State such as Muthanga in Wayanad and Kodanad in Ernakulam District focus on the tourism aspects, the Kottur sanctuary would emphasize exclusively on the animal welfare. The centre will be functioning as a semi autonomous society and will receive contributions from animal lovers. It is indeed an elephantine thought for the welfare these magnificent animals, which is one of the most stunning  and unique hallmarks of the State of Kerala.
 

Apr, 3: Kerala with its diverse topography boasts tremendous scope for nature friendly tourism. Kerala flaunts several impressive landmarks including the Silent Valley, Munnar and Wayanad. As an initiative to promote eco-tourism in the state the Plantation Corporation of Kerala has put forth a new project named Nature Village to promote nature friendly tourism projects all over the state.

The enchanting eco-tourism spot that is located on the banks of Chalakudy River, nearThrissur, will definitely woo those adventure buffs. The Plantation Corporation expects the impressive Vadaamuri Lagoon that is created by the famous king Tipu Sultan as a defence against the enemies will be a centre of attraction. The water passage to this site is flanked by dense forest; it will offer an inimitable experience to both local and international tourists to an equal extent.

Owing to its location near the well known Athirapally water falls the visit to Vadaamuri Lagoon will offer the tourists a wonderful experience. The water falls is just 600 meters away from Vadaamuri lagoon. There are adequate numbers of ferry services available in the area to fulfil the requirement of the visitors. Earlier the District Tourism Promotion Council has allotted 55 lakhs for the beautification work of the Thumpoormuzhi dam and the surrounding areas; they also named it as Nature Village.

The second phase of the project includes constructing cottages and hanging bridges for the convenience of the tourists. The work has already begun as the state government is providing whole hearted support for the completion of this prestigious project. After completion this project will sure add a new gem in the cap of God’s own country.

Kalpetta: The fabled Edakkal caves in Wayanad were reopened for tourists after remaining closed since March 25 for a clean–up operation undertaken by the Archeology department. 

Scores of new wall engravings were unraveled on the cave walls when semi metal residues and grime  of over 90 cm thickness were removed. Excavations around the cave have also unearthed some pieces of pottery and a dainty stone chisel apart from some Brahmi script engravings, which are being analyzed in detail to trace its age and relevance.

A fund of Rs.50 lakhs from the Heritage Preservation Fund was proposed by the 12th Finance Commission for the maintenance and renovation of these pre- historic caves. 

Kochi, April 2

If you are a daily commuter in Kerala buses, then get ready for a new passenger information service provided in over 20,000 private buses operating in the state. This modern transport system is said to benefit travellers by providing them with instant information on location, arrival and departure timings of these buses on their finger tip.

It was informed that a Chennai based technology company ‘Dhanus’ has come up with this proposal which will be a landmark in the field of state transportation system. It will be the first of its kind initiative of connecting all buses with this new communication mode. In this initiative the consortium partners are the Chennai based Sobha Applied DSP Pvt Lmt, along with kochi based Kiran technologies. As per this new system commuters can assess all the information of these buses via internet and through SMS.

The passenger information system is said will include over 20,000 private buses across the state. It will be a great help to people to have a clear picture of the bus they wish to catch and will also help to save their time. Another key factor this new system would have is the information of vehicle breakdown or any untoward accidents and would also help to keep a check on the vehicle speed. This web interface will be available in Malayalam, Hindi and English languages which will give people a clear picture of the information they need.

Along with a useful feature for thousands of bus travellers this new system would also prove to be a great support for many tourists who find really hard to travel around the state. But through this mode they can get all information on their finger tip, that too without any hassles. 

So next time you board a bus you would be feeling more relaxed, carefree and satisfied. Now the real test is to when this new initiative is put into action and what effect it would have towards our traditional transport system.

Kollam:  The garbage littered sandy stretches of kollam beaches would be a thing of the past once this amazing beach cleaning machine hits its shores in a couple of months. The Civic body has set aside a budget of Rs.20 lakh to import a beach cleaning machine as part of its beach beautification programme to complement the fabled tourist destination of Ashtamudi Lake. Kollam beach will be the first in Kerala to have a beach cleaning machine. Marina beach in Chennai is currently using an imported beach cleaning machine.

Beach cleaning machines can move along the beach easily and is built with a dual action mode for digging and sifting, which would help to dry and aerate the soil. It has a multi-gauged mesh, which filters out the rubbish on the beach on to special containers, which can later be emptied. It would be a boon in keeping the beach clean, which is being visited by hundreds of foreign tourists and local populace. The gadget is expected to start functioning in June.

Plans are also on the anvil to revive the botanical garden located at the eastern side of the beach by planting tress and plants apart from setting up a lawn. The water sports complex and aquarium would be the other major attractions in this scheme. The sprucing up of the botanical garden and the Mahatma Gandhi Park of Kollam beach will be on a BOT basis and tenders would be soon floated in this regard.

Apr 1: To add more attraction to the medical tourism sector in Kerala the Dubai based Dr. Moopen Group has announced its plan to begin a MedCity, which will be a complex of hospitals and other related services in over 30 acres in Kochi. This initiative is in the backdrop of the rapid increase in the number of medical tourists to the southern states of India.

“This is a 15bn project expected to complete within six months time. The anchor hospital of Medcity will be well equipped with 500 beds and will be surrounded by 10 small hospitals with a capacity of 100 to 200 beds. The availability of medical facilities with international quality with enhanced hi-tech treatment facilities will boost the health care sector in Kerala,” said the chairman of the group Dr Azad Moopen.

After the completion of the project patients from the US, the Middle East Europe and rest of the world will start flowing into Kerala as they can get quality treatment at an affordable cost.

The Dr Moopan’s Group has registered a turnover of Rs5bn last year and has a network of nearly 50 establishments in the Gulf region including two hospitals, clinics and pharmacies

Kannur: A cow belonging to C P Hussain in Kuttiyatoor village has grabbed the headlines for a strange reason! It has developed an uncanny preference to non-vegetarian food including raw and fried fish apart from chicken preparations. However, it goes without saying that this strange inclination of the animal is burning a hole in the pockets of its owner.

The cow has become a crowd puller overnight and many people from nearby villages make a bee line to see this seven year old wonder cow with packets of fish and meat in tow.

The cow reportedly developed a preference for non-vegetarian diet after its owner started feeding grass mixed with fish a few years ago. The interesting thing is that the other two cows of Hussain remain strictly vegetarian even today. Vets opine that such behavior is occasionally seen in animals to even off the natural deficiency in mineral and proteins. There have been cases where animals resort to eat small pebbles, paper, soil or even glass pieces.