Category Archive

The saga of laying new roads in Kerala is an exceptional and long drawn one that would leave you gasping for breath!

 Just before the onset the monsoons, the administrative machinery springs up into action and loads of gravel and barrels of mortar would be unloaded right into the middle of the road. Men and machines reach the spot in no time to begin yet another spell of road laying, which remains nothing but an eyewash many a time.
The potholed road will be swept thoroughly to kick up dust, which would force the shop keepers to down their shutters and pedestrians to scurry for cover to escape the dust shower. Then gravel would be spread in the potholes and a thin spread of mortar is sprinkled to keep them in place. The contractor through his gestures instructs the workers to somehow finish off the work, without bothering about perfection. The left over gravel and barrels of sticky mortar on the middle of the road would remain as eyesores and obstacles for many more days, till some Good Samaritan takes the lead to shove them off to the sides of the pavement.

By the end of the monsoon and the rain fury, the roads would be back to square one with gaping holes and deep fissures all over, which would make driving an arduous task. Nothing happens till the protests from the public and the media reach a crescendo, which wakes up the administrative units from their slumber once again.  Loads of red soil would be put in these holes as a face saving and hole filling measure and to buy time till the rains stop.

Pedestrians would slip and slide on the slippery road as two wheelers continue to splatter muddy water on the hapless road users. Road side vendors and shops would invent innovative methods like placing huge boulders as speed breakers to save themselves from the daily mud splashing ritual.  If you thought that this ordeal would end once the rains stop, you are only making a blind bet!

As the sun starts shining again, mud gets transformed into fine red dust, which would be sprinkled and speckled all over by the speeding vehicles. Kochi would once again look like the red planet Mars, famous for its red soil, and its ill fated residents resemble the aliens with red hair and dust splattered attire. This vicious cycle continues once again with no respite in sight for the ordinary tax payers of this city.

In any average Kerala home, marriages and other festivities are not just occasions of gaiety and celebrations but also anxious moments of finalization of accounts. If you are wondering what these accounts could be, just read on.

Meet Mr. Raghavan Nair, who is all set to conduct the marriage of his first daughter in a few days. As marriage preparations are going on in full gear, he slips off discreetly into his room and dust off the account book safely kept in his locker to flip through the list of potential donors who would be making donations on the occasion of the marriage.

He has meticulously jotted down the amount he has given to other family members and friends during the marriages in their family and expect to be favored in the same coin or a shade better, considering the skyrocketing inflation rates!  He makes a quick mental calculation and a beaming smile appears on his face as soon as he discovers that he would be netting a cool sum and a few sovereigns of gold from his well wishers, who would be paying back the favors received from Mr. Nair both in cash and kind.

If you thought gifts are tokens of love and affection, you are for a sure surprise in this exceptional land of Kerala.

One thing that holds a special place in every malayalee mind is undeniably the glam and glitter of the yellow metal, gold. As soon as the morning newspaper is delivered, every keralite makes sure to update the gold prices!

Weddings are ideal occasions to catch up with the malayalee craze for gold where you can take a peek at the countless petite framed brides laden with tons of gold. In some ostentatious weddings, the surplus jewellery that could not be accommodated on the  neck, waist, hands and legs of the bride in various forms like necklaces, bangles, armlet, and anklets would be even exhibited in a golden platter to show off the financial status and grandiose of the bride’s family.

If you thought gold has a larger than life role only in Kerala weddings, you would be caught napping as babies’ naming ceremonies also flaunt the richness of gold. Even babies, which are only a few weeks old, would be decked from head to toe in gold jewellery. The baby’s mother needs to be extra vigilant to make sure that the bangles and anklets that would be too big for this new born babe do not keep slipping off!

The story would not be complete without mentioning the other side of the affairs where aged ladies who are well past their eighties fall for the lure of gold. Most of these women who would be living alone are inviting trouble by decking themselves with gold. Regular news papers reports of murders and robbery attempts- all in the name of gold, has so far failed to dampen the gold craze of malayalees.

The biggest challenge of Kerala, which is one of the smallest states in India, has always been its space constrain. Flat culture that has taken firm roots in Kerala, has to some extent solved this problem though it has given rise to a host of fresh problems such as environmental issues and pressure on natural resources and infrastructure facilities. Whatever be the pros and cons of flats, the bottom line is that the people of Kerala have whole heartedly endorsed this metro culture and are enthusiastically gobbling up the piping hot offers from flat builders.

Interestingly, the flat culture has also set off many social issues as well. Kerala has always been famous for its close knit, joint family system. However, with the advent of these skyscrapers, youngsters migrated to cities to live among the clouds as the aged parents were left behind in their huge homestead in the countryside. It has made the malayalee families truly nuclear, which preferred to revolve around the small family of husband, wife and one or two kids. Relationships have lost their relevance and reverence as people preferred to fully recoil to their private domain.

Even though a residential building complex would house scores of families only separated by a thin barrier of a common wall, it is paradoxical that people do not know each other. If you go by the axiom ‘out of sight out of mind’, you would be in for a surprise as the community living in flats proves that to be out of mind you need not be always out of sight!

Even if the flat dwellers are seeing each other and bumping into each other at the lobby, the lift and the pool, they do not care to acquaint with each other. Even a death or birth next doors might go unnoticed as many prefer to turn a Nelson’s eye to these affairs. One such family coyly admitted that they only knew about the death of their immediate neighbor from the obituary column of the news paper the next day!

Amidst the daily grinds and chaos, people have long lost their virtues and the only thing that matters most is to mint more money than their neighbor and to buy the latest gadgets and widgets to grab a few eyeballs in the corporate circle.

Food for thought: Are we malayalees frantically chasing the illusive mirror images leaving our real and true selves behind?

Have you ever fancied of a dream job where you can earn a handsome income that too by doing nothing?  If the answer is yes, then turn your gaze towards the streets of Kerala to steal a glance of an intriguing phenomenon. You would see men in striking blue shirts with a menacingly intimidating posture keeping a vigil on all vehicles laden with goods. No, we are not talking about any newly formed elite police force; this men in the blue are loading and unloading employees known in local parlance as ‘attimari’.
 
No matter whether you are shifting your home or transferring building materials to the site you will have to experience an unpleasant close brush with this formidable force of head load workers. They not just fleece the hapless public by charging staggering wages for the work they do, but they could also spring up a surprise by raising a bill for the work they never did. Indeed, not many jobs on planet earth can match the exceptional benefits tagged with this job!

Even if you had employed someone else for loading or unloading the articles, these men might shamelessly ask for their wages, which is known a ‘nokku kooli’ in Malayalam. It would literally mean wages paid for being just onlookers! It goes without saying that this shocking and weird system makes the daily life of countless ordinary mortals, miserable day in and day out.  The general public is destined to mutely put up with all these tantrums because not many would dare to raise a finger against their misdeeds as these men are grouped under influential trade union organizations and political parties.

No wonder that these school drop outs show off the latest mobikes and mobile phones and live in palatial houses which in itself is self explanatory of the advantage of having a lucrative job of this genre!

Guess what is the best way to woo a Malayalee? Shower him with loads of freebies and discount offers to sweep him off his feet!  It forms part of a smart marketing technique as well, in this part of the world where everything revolves around freebies. Just saunter around the business hubs in Kochi to see attractive neon lit boards announcing various types of free offers to entice the potential customers.

‘Buy 1 get 1 free’ slogan seems to the most popular of the lot. If you buy any shirt or dress material you get another one absolutely free! However, application of a bit of common sense would drive home the point that no one gives off anything for free in this consumerist world. The shopkeeper would have definitely added the cost of the both the shirts in the price tag or it could be a shrewd move to liquidate old stuff that are well past their expiry date!

 Free offers also include free world tours, cash prizes and luxury cars among others. So, if you are a game for all these irresistible free offers, head straight to this tiny state of Kerala - the best destination on earth to satiate these urges! Who knows, if your stars are favorable, you would even be driving home a spanking luxury car that was offered to you for winning the lucky coupon that came with every 500 rupee worth purchase! Kerala way of living could well be beyond your logic at times…

Kerala is a land of baffling paradoxes, odd habits and eerie tastes if one go by the mundane affairs of the people of this state. Typically Malayalee parents are over enthusiastic in naming their kids by stringing the first few alphabets of the names of husband and wife- no matter whether these names make any sense or not!

For instance a couple, Shalini and byju preferred to name their first born son as ‘shaby’, without ever considering the fact that it means dirty. Just imagine the plight of this luckless boy who is destined to carry this ‘dirty’ name all his life!

Yet another trend, which can be only seen among the parents of Kerala is picking up rhyming names for the babies. For instance girl children are customarily named something like Teena, Veena, and boys share the rhyming names Praveen, Pradeep and so on and so forth while a boy and gal can be named Renjith and Rejitha!
 
Names should be chosen with great care and love as these form an extension of our personalities. Kerala parents in their over anxiety to express their love for their kids often tend to forget this golden rule.

July 11

Men and Moustache has been associated with each other since ages, and when the talk is about our Kerala men then one can’t imagine these men without their whiskers. But it seems that these Kerala men are shedding their age old manly symbol for a funkier look.

Gopalkrishnan Pillai, 55 an accountant in a private bank and a father of two sons, tells how youth of Kerala are slowly distancing themselves from the ethnic look and are embracing the clean cut shave. ‘Gopal’ takes a trip down the memory lane and fondly remembers his teenage days and how he was proud of his moustache. It was his identity which he still restores with pride.

If we turn back the pages, we would find that every single man was proud of their whiskers, but time has changed so has the ideology of our generation-next. Now moustache on men has become an outdated trend. And even if you will find few with the ‘Mishas’ (moustache) they might be keeping that due to some parental pressure to follow this ethnic Kerala style.

Suraj, 20 a young college boy with a dude look and a fire in his belly believes that one has to move with the time and for him looks matters the most. He with his spike cut and clean shaven look feels more confident and comfortable to stand out with his pals in society. His parents though are not in favour of his so called funky look, but that never bothers this young lad, who defines this to be a generation gap.

All this mixed views point out that the youth of this God’s Own Country is steadily moving at a rocket speed and are aping every new trend out in the global scenario.

Kochi, July 9

You all might have atleast for once travelled in trains, and if your journey is to the heavenly abode Kerala then the trip becomes more interesting and exciting for sure. It is said that you can find Cockroaches, mosquitoes and mallus anywhere and every where, and I think its true.

Where ever they are, but they visit to their motherland at-least once a year or two, they may travel to their native place with a pair of suitcase and bags, but watch out while they return; they have a new member in their luggage. Neatly tied and sealed this smart  cardboard box has been one of the most travel essentials of these Kerala born travellers, when they bid adieu to their mother land with a promise to come back again next year.

Well if you all are quizzing what’s in that cardboard box then, the list is long friends. The box has all the flavours of their hometown, from jack fruit, mangoes, bananas, coconuts and lots more typical Kerala stuffs. Well this treasured cardboard box connects them to Kerala every time they relish the things this box carried for them.

So next time you people make a visit to Kerala don’t get amazed finding this cardboard box with every two travellers.

Thiruvananthapuram: Mobile phones have become a necessity than a luxury in the fast paced modern lives of today. But these smart wireless gadgets are playing havoc among youngsters. School kids have access to even the latest mobile phones with all features like camera and MP3 player, which could be misused to take pictures of unsuspecting fellow students.

The state government is planning to ban the use of mobile phones in the Higher Secondary Schools as a precautionary measure to prevent its misuse. Cyber crimes are also on the rise in Kerala and this move would defenitely be a small step in curbing cyber crimes.

Kochi: Kerala has grabbed the headlines in the recent past by a spate of infamous deeds of fake swamis and “godmen” who took devotees for a ride. Swindling money, illicit land deals and raping minor girls –the list of offences seems endless. The grapevine doing the rounds is that even wearing saffron is considered a curse and a cause of despise these days. Even genuine spiritual leaders find the going tough as they face the wrath and humiliation of the general public who are fed up with these gimmicks of the saffron brigade.

Even our team at Karma Kerala had an interesting brush with this wild topic a few weeks back. We had set out to capture some of the unexplored destinations in North Kerala and had just covered a jungle resort well within the reserve forest. It was already dark and the team was returning to the town. Interestingly, our photographer looked like a carbon copy of a fake swamy who created a buzz in the media for his wrong doings. His long beard and the saffron kurta and lucky charms on the right hand made him a replica of that elusive god man.

The police was frantically in search of this missing swami and wireless messages were conveyed to all police stations. Patrolling was tightened on all the important roads of the State. Blissfully unaware of all the happenings we were enjoying our ride at a leisurely pace. It was then a group of people spotted our car and way laid us. On seeing our photographer, who resembled the missing god man, they became all the more charged up and straightaway informed the police station.

Soon a police jeep screeched into halt and the police officers started questioning us. Though our identity cards proved our innocence, the police let us off only after verifying the facts by contacting our office in Kochi. The photographer still continues to wear the saffron kurta, quite oblivious and unmindful of the hullabaloo it had triggered that day. We all burst out into guffaws even today when we recollect this episode.   

Thiruvananthapuram: Non resident Keralites who drive the economy of this small state can keep their chins up as a bevy of welfare programmes are being worked out for their benefit. These measures would be implemented by Roots Norka, a state-owned organisation that looks after the welfare of non-resident Keralites (NRKs).

To set the ball rolling, all non residents in Malappuram district would be issued an identity card, which would also double up as an insurance as well as discount card. The scheme will be extended to all other districts in Kerala in a phased manner. The distribution of identity cards in Mankada was completed July 19.

This card will act as an insurance card, where in the case of accident or death of an NRK, the dependent would be entitled for Rs.100,000. NRKs can also use this card as a discount card at selected shops in the state.

 As per the available figures, over two million Malayalis are settled abroad, with 90% working in various Middle East countries. Once the distribution of identity cards is completed the exact number of NRKs would come to light.

Thiruvananthapuram: While the whole world is in the grip of Euro 2008 soccer fever, an IT company in Kerala has come up with an innovative online version of this popular football match.
The game, ‘Penalty Game Euro 2008′ has duration of 10-minutes and is created by Invision Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. It features all the 16 participating teams in the ongoing Euro 2008 championship.

Developed for a Dutch travel company, this virtual football game has become a huge hit that the client has already placed the order for a second game, which would have more interesting features than the first part of the game.
In the first series of interactive penalty shoot-out game, only the Dutch team takes the penalty kick against the other teams. This online version would satiate the football mania of many of the die hard fans of this game who could not make it to the live game venues.

Kozhikode: Here’s a strange story of an eagle playing guardian to chickens, which form part of its staple diet! In a mysterious twist, an eagle known to be one of the most ferocious predators in the avian kingdom is nurturing two chicks as its own, proving that love and affection exist in the birds’ world too.

Madhavan, the owner of this bird got it from a coconut vendor with its limb broken after a nasty fall from a coconut tree some months back. With constant caring, the eagle got cured completely and started living with this family. It alerts the owners when strangers try to enter the house and scares away stranger.  The eagle loves the children of the house and makes it a point to follow them to the cricket field and return with them after an exciting game.

Though the bird has not been trained by anyone, it has a natural instinct to protect the chicken under its feather and to feed them with its own beak. It shares a unique relationship with these chicks and does not hesitate to scare away the mother hen too at times to grab the custodian rights of these two week old birds. This unique example firms up the fact that even birds have feelings and emotions just like or even better than the supposedly civilized clan of humans!

It’s high time that humans, who do not mind going to any heinous extent for his personal benefits, draw a cue or two from the selfless love of these mute creatures!

Thiruvananthapuram: Though, the South West monsoon is yet to set in vigorously in Kerala, the annual 45 day trawling ban was imposed in Kerala coasts. With the rain clouds playing hide and seek even after 3 weeks since the normal monsoon onset date, things are not in Kerala’s favour this season. 
During the trawling ban over 5,000 trawlers will be kept out of a 12-nautical mile zone from the coast. The ban is not applicable for traditional fishermen. The 45-day annual ban has been in force since 1988, to ensure the replenishment of fish population. Monsoon is the spawning season for many varieties of fish, including shrimp.

The overexploitation of marine wealth is an issue of serious concern. These days there are trawlers, which can even stir up the ocean bed causing widespread damage to the fragile marine ecosystem. The trawling ban is found to be effective in restoring the balance at least to some extent before the trawlers would zoom in once again in the quest of nature’s bounties.

 
Fish is a popular item in Kerala menu and it is a cheaper source of protein compared to meat. The catch from traditional fishermen would not be sufficient to meet the burgeoning demand for fish, so for the next 45 days, fish would be dearer for Malayalees.

 Alappuzha:  Once again the festive calendar of Kerala would be festooned with an array of snake boat races, the first of which will begin on Thursday. Known as the Champakulam snake boat race, it will be held in the Pampa River at Champakulam, 25km from Alappuzha. An interesting feature is the presence of three thekkanodi boats with women rowers. Conducted on the malayalam star of  Moolam, this Moolam Boat Race. which was started much before the formation of the State is deep rooted in the history of Kerala.

A colourful cultural procession is organized on the previous day followed by the customary rituals performed by the Travancore Devaswom Board at the Champakulam Mutt temple and the Mappilassery ancestral home, from where the boat race is thought to have evolved are the other star attractions of the event.

This is the first boat race after the State Government accorded sports status to boat races. As per the new rules and regulations, oarsmen would be accepted as sportsmen. Uniforms are provided for the participants and separate tracks have been allocated for racing boat. However, the Boat Owners Association has decided to keep away from the race, demanding bonus prize money and maintenance grants for their boats, which would rob off much of its gloss due to the absence of ‘churulan’, ‘odi’ and ‘iruttukuthy’ boats, which were stellar attractions of this race for long.

However, the presence of the fabled Aranmula ‘palliyodam’ category of snake-boats is expected to make up for this flaw as ‘Palliyodam’ boats would be contesting in the event for the first time in its 400-year-old history. Nine ‘chundan’ boats, three ‘thekkanodi’ boats and three ‘palliyodam’ boats from some of the prestigious boat clubs of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Kollam districts are participating in the race.

Kochi, June 18

Ramesh a farmer looks up daily to the dark clouds hovering over his fields in the hope that they will pour quite heavily today, but for his surprise his dreams gets washed away daily. He say’s if rain does not occurs in the couple of weeks, then he may have to look for some other source for water to irrigate this fields. Its almost seventeen days after the monsoon has set in over Kerala, but the rain gods seems not yet pleased with the ‘God’s own country’.

The state is still desperately waiting for the normal rain which has been the important factor for the seasonal crops and also the main source for the power generation in Kerala. If we look back, we can find that last year by this time rains were on its full, but like previous year this time rain gods does not seems so pleased with this tourist paradise (Kerala).

So far the state has experienced a scantly rainfall which is well below the normal rains in the state. The major concern apart from water for irrigating the seasonal crops is the big factor, power generation. If we put across all the reservoirs together, the capacity of the water as of now is sufficient to generate only 666.83 million units of power. The current level of water is still not adequate to overcome the demand for power for the state.

The State Electricity Department has started half-an-hour power cuts for the state. To so how reduce the daily demand of power and conserve some units of power to make sure if rains continuous in the same way then the electricity department could handle the situation well.

With such a poor start of the monsoon, apart from the meteorological department even the people of Kerala are a bit surprised. Though monsoon had broken all records this year, first with an unexpected pre-monsoon in rest part of India, leaving Kerala behind with a substantially late monsoon. But still people and met departments are hoping for a normal monsoon in the state this year too.       

Kochi, June 17

The Red Ribbon Express will make its appearance at Thiruvanathapuram on June 28, spreading the awareness about HIV/AIDS. The train which is touring the country creating awareness about the causes and preventions for HIV/AIDS will be in the State for 12 days.

During its halt in the state it will make its appearance in few other places giving people the opportunity to known more about this dreadful disease of HIV/AIDS. It also educates how to prevent one with this dreadful disease. In connection to this the Kerala zone of Nehru Yuva Kendra will be organising a media workshop on June 20.

Thrissur: This simple Christian wedding, which took place the other day in Valappad in Thrissur District is startlingly different from any ordinary church wedding. The Christian priest was solemnizing the wedding of his own father when sixty-four-year-old groom, Antony, a widower, got married to Brajitha (50) at the St Sebastian Church.
This was indeed a marriage with a difference where the groom was accompanied by his grandsons to the church and the wedding solemnized by his priest son, Antree, serving as the principal of the Selesian Don Bosco Technical Institute in Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad district who told that he was only doing his duty as a priest.

The wedding was supervised by his son Fr. Andry Kannanpuzha, who has two siblings living abroad. Antony’s first wife for 29 years, Rita passed away in 2001 after which he was leading a secluded life. After a lot of cajoling and pressure from his family, Antony made up his mind to walk down the aisle with Brijitha, for whom it was the first marriage.
This wedding has once gain proved that marriages are indeed made in heaven. 

Kochi: Kerala based Milgram group is launching an ambitious dairy village project with a budget outlay of Rs.500 crore, which would usher in a white revolution in Kerala. The project coming up at Mlamala in Idukki district is aimed at increasing the milk production in Kerala and would be a small step in making Kerala self sufficient in milk.
The complex, spread across 600 acres comprising of 150 dairy farms, would have 50,000 highly productive cattle. The project would employ the latest dairying techniques that comply with international standards and well equipped farm houses. Each farmhouse would have at least 2.5 acres of land, a farm shed, farm equipment, ten high breed cows and a vermicompost unit at an investment of Rs 22.95 lakh.
To start with, the project would have 5,000 cows with an expected milk production of 50,000 litres, which would be later increased to five lakh litres by adding 50,000 cattle heads. Funded mainly through NRI investments and public participation apart from funds from banks and the parent company, this project is sure to revolutionize the diary sector of the state. The project would include 25,000 farmers and 250 milk collection centres, which would ensure the effective distribution of premium quality milk all over Kerala.
At present, Kerala procures around 45% of its total milk requirement from neighboring states as its domestic milk supply falls short of its ever increasing demand. Projects similar to the Milgram diary village project would go a long way in making Kerala self sufficient in milk.

Till the very recent past, every Kerala home had a milking cow, which ensured the supply of pure milk to its family members. With increased urbanization, pressure for land and manpower increased, which in turn spell doom on these healthy habits of Keralites. Time has come for us to return to our roots and this project, which was formally inaugurated on Sunday, strongly drives home this message.

Kochi, June 14

Friday generally comes with lot of excitement and entertainment for the city movie buffs, but this time it was quite a big occasion. The much awaited Tamil movie of superstar Kamal Hassan, ‘Dasavathram’ was finally released after a long legal battle. This much hyped movie of Kamal Hassan is said to be the costliest Indian movie till date, made on a whopping budget of Rs.1.3 billion.

The scene at the city theatres were massive with huge turnouts of movie lovers waiting desperately for getting into the cinema halls and have a glimpse of their favourite star. Kamal Hassan known for his experimental roles has yet again tried something unusual and of his class by playing ten scintillating avatars in the flick.

The city theatres were running jam pack with whopping movie buffs trying their level best to somehow get the ticket. It was known that the screening of the movie was done in massive way with screening in more than 80 theatres in the state.  

Dasavatharam directed by K.S.Ravikumar stars, has been made from a Vaishnav priest to President George Bush, this ambitious project of Kamal Hassan made him to write the story, screenplay and also to construct the dialogues. But the most noted effort is the actor himself donning the ten different roles, which are the pillars of the movie.

Apart from Kamal Hassan, the movie stars Mallika Sherawat, Asin in different roles adding new flavour to the movie. Bollywood composer-turned-actor Himesh Reshammiya has scored the music for the film, his first ever music for a Tamil production. The craze for the movie is such that movie lovers are standing for hours to get the tickets to watch out this much touted movie after Rajinikant starer Sivaji.

Kochi: The American capital venture company of Acumen Fund is planning an equity investment of Rs 4.5 crore in the Kerala-based AyurVAID Hospitals to start a chain of low-cost ayurvedic treatment centers all over India. The funds would be utilized to start 6 hospitals with 15-30 beds in six different cities including Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad in one year.
Acumen Fund has made substantial investments in business start-up entities in Asia and Africa in various sectors like health, housing and water among others. In India, the fund has invested over US$ 16 million till date and in Kerala AyurVAID Hospitals would be its first investment venture.
The promoting company of AyurVAID Hospitals operates a 15-bed treatment centre in Kochi and a 60-bed hospital in Aluva in Ernakulum district. The company has plans to start 40 hospitals with in-patient facilities over the next four years. The hospital is stressing on inexpensive healthcare options that are well within the reach of the low and middle income groups, particularly for the management of chronic illnesses including skin disorders, metabolic and degenerative disorders, chronic headaches and poor immunity.
Evidences prove that Ayurvedic classical texts written in India between 3,500 and 5,000 years are of relevance even today.  Research studies have proved that many therapies and treatment methods prescribed in Ayurveda are applicable even today. Efforts should be taken to preserve and propagate this traditional Indian system of medicine, which were passed down the generations since eons of years.

Kannur: If the ambitious plans to develop the waterway from Neeleswaram to Kannur, are any indication, it won’t be long when people can reach every nook and corner of this state in boats. Forming part of the proposed inland navigation route from Kovalam to Neeleswaram, this proposal when completed, would allow people right from the northern end of Neeleswaram to the southern extremity of Kovalam to travel all over Kerala in boats. 

The chief minister who inaugurated this stretch also cruised the 9-km waterway from Pazhayangadi in a boat, to asses the navigability of this sector. The canal constructed during the reign of Arakkal Raja, needs to be deepened to fully make use of it for passenger and cargo movement.

The proposed plan to develop the inland waterway from Kovalam to Neeleswaram, is being given top priority and the work on the first phase of the National Waterway from Kollam to Kottappuram has already started. Work would be taken up to develop the 38km stretch to make the waterway from Neeleswaram to Kannur navigable.

The benefits of the waterway such as easier and cheaper cargo movement and accident-free navigation would make it a futuristic option. A total budget outlay of Rs.500 crore is allocated for the project. The chief minister also encouraged the people to handover small stretches of land in their possession to make the waterway a reality.

Kerala should make maximum use of its umpteen water ways and canals to ensure smooth transport of goods and passengers. In addition to being more eco friendly it would take off the traffic load from the roads and rail sectors to a large extent.

Kochi, June 12

If you have a penchant for driving and are planning to make the most of the monsoon season then geared up for a smooth drive to the sparkling hill station, Munnar. Now driving to Munnar will never be an uphill task for you, thanks for the well maintained roads which drive to Munnar from Kochi. This driver’s delight route is a bliss of nature, full of natural sceneries and pleasant sights.

The drive through the ghat road heading towards Munnar from Kochi is a great way to move out of the fast lane of town into a serene place without any sound or air pollution. Driving downhill will be a great experience for you with roads cutting through the canopy provided by trees and shrubs on either side.   

The twisty road climbing up the hill station is smooth till your nears the town, when you could encounter few potholes and patches. Meanwhile you could enjoy a picturesque and smooth drive to nearby attractions of the high-ranges of Pothamedu, Eravikulam National Park and other nearby locations.

With such an easy going the hill station has caught the attention of many city goers, who are flocking to this splendid town resting in the lap of nature for their weekends or short breaks. The good condition of roads has made driving to Munnar a real fun experience and moreover a relaxing trip for many. So folks if you are planning out for a weekend break then Munnar is all set to embrace you with its charm.

Calicut: As the  Euro 2008 fever is gripping the world, its heat is also being in the distant shores of Kerala, where football is a way of life for many. The die hard aficionados’ throng in flocks to catch up the action of their favorite teams at the big screens kept at public places. The coastal areas of Kozhikode are already in the grip of this frenzied game.
People of all age assemble at places where huge projectors and television sets are mounted for the people to watch their favorite team in action. The Malabar belt of Kerala especially Kozhikode, Tellicherry and Kannur follow the game closely and football is more than just a game in this part of the state where it is a timeless passion and much more! The tradition of football started a long time ago in these areas and even today it is the most popular game in the State, retaining its past glory and fame.

The multitude of sports clubs is cited to be one of the main reasons for the popularity of this game. It is interesting to note that most of the football fans are traditional fishermen who nurture a staunch passion for this charming sport. Nynanvalap Football Fans Association is a club of this genre, which is actively involved in the promotion of beach soccer matches since 1996 and has received various sports goods from the official sponsors of Europe Cup 2008.

Many clubs make sure to conduct annual coaching camps to spot fresh talents and to mould them into master strikers. Part of the expenses is met by organizing the much popular ‘Sevens’ football tournaments, which see many local teams of repute in action. Business organizations in the city and Non-resident Keralites hailing from this region also patronize these football clubs, ensuring their sustenance and success.
Kerala is a place where people breathe and live football and it is far from just being a ball game played by two teams in contrast colored jerseys!
 

Kannur: The innovative project of ‘Malayalam Computing scheme’ would turn the conventional equations of the wirefree world on its head by enabling the common man to use Internet facility in his mother tongue.
The Chief Minister while inaugurating the project expressed hope that around 50 lakh people in Kerala would benefit from Malayalam computing in the next three years. The brainchild of Kerala IT Mission and Akshaya, this innovative scheme would be propagated through the Akshaya centres.

This would bridge the digital barrier and would help people across the state to operate computers in their mother tongue. The government website www.malayalam.kerala.gov.in has all the information on the use of Malayalam in computers. With this system users can send mails or chat in Malayalam without the need to use English ever. Transcending the language barrier, this is expected to bridge the digital-divide, existing between the city bred and the rural folks and neo e-literates. The operating systems like windows XP and Linux have inbuilt facility for this and no special software is required to enable the local language facility in the computers making it easy to set up and operate.

This would empower the common people to easily lodge their complaints and grievances through     e-mail as all the police stations in the State would also be computerized within the next one year. The ultimate objective of this project would be to set up a Malayalam web portal in every panchayat in the State, which would popularize internet among the masses by taking it to every door step. It is heartening to note that Kerala is bolstering its position of being a fully literate State by adopting the latest technologies to stay in tune with the changing times.

Kochi, June 10

If you are young, charming, bold and have that pep in you, then do try your luck at this year’s Miss Kerala pageant. This beauty contest will be held on July 11 here, announced the reigning Miss Kerala Rohini Mariam Idicula at the function unveiling the logo here yesterday.

The pageant is a great platform for the emerging women of Kerala to showcase their image of modern women upholding the traditional values intact. The pageant will test the beauty, brain, and confidence of these young women’s of present Kerala, by a team of juries.

The winner of this pageant will get a scholarship worth Rs 2 lakh from the International Education Council. All those young women aged 16 to 24 with a minimum height of 5ft 2inch can apply for this pageant.

The current holder of Miss Kerala crown Ms Rohini Idicula said fame comes with lot of responsibility and she her self has been associated with many issues and problems relating to children and youths of today. She contributed a lot to boost the self confidence in the youths by organising few camps for them. Who ever will win this crown has to understand the role of Miss Kerala and should work for the betterment of society and state. 

Kannur: A 10 billion project is on the anvil to improve the basic infrastructure in Kerala .The state Government is trying to mobilise funds for this ambitious project, which would change the fortunes of Kerala as a popular tourist destination.

The tourism minister opined that if the terms and conditions of ADB loan are acceptable, the state may think of availing the loan just like many other Indian States.
The minister also inaugurated a beach beautification programme at Kappad, the fabled venue where the legendary Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama, is believed to have set foot in India, around 5 centuries back. A fund of Rs.55 million would be allocated for the Kappad beautification project.

In addition, the hilly district of Wayanad would be declared as a responsible tourism destination in Kerala, which would help the tribal people in the district to sell the forest produce to the tourists and to make a decent living.

Thiruvananthapuram: With Kerala playing host to an array of international programs and seminars, the need for a world class convention centre received more attention than ever before. Kerala government is planning to set up a state of the art convention centre on the banks of Akkulam lake with the collaboration of Mumbai-based Chalet Hotels at a cost of Rs.8.05 billion. The state government will have 26 percent share in this joint venture, the foundation stone of which was laid a couple of days back.

The first phase costing around Rs.2.05 billion would be ready by January 2011, while the second phase with a proposed plan outlay of Rs.6 billion would be completed by 2016. Situated close to the international airport, this convention centre would have an area of  41,720 sq ft , a banquet hall for 1,100 people, eight meeting rooms with 30 seats each, three meeting halls to seat 75 each and a VIP room with 50 seats will be built in the first phase. A five star hotel with 249 rooms, 25 luxury poolside cottages, water sport facilities, a marina and a parking space of 71,000 sq ft is yet another attraction.

The project would be operated under the built, own, operate and transfer basis with a lease period of 90 years. This project would give further impetus to the latest tourism segment of MICE- meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibition. The state government would pool in 176.6 million for this venture and the rest of the funds would be raised through loans. This avant garde convention centre coming up on the banks of the enchanting backwaters of Akkulam is sure to lure many a business group in the days to come.

Kochi, June 7

World Environment was marked with great enthusiasm across the globe; the city too witnessed few of such events spreading a noble message to conserve our ecology. In the series of such events one of the leading city hotels Brunton Boatyard undertook a cycle rally around Fort Kochi.

During this rally they planted saplings and also undertook a cleanliness drive at the government hospital. This eco-friendly thought by the hotel was to spread the message among people about the need and importance of nature and keeping it clean. The hotel themselves believes and values environmental issues and took the initiative to spread the message to the public to keep the ecosystem clean and green.

Thiruvananthapuram: People of Kerala origin living in Australia can keep their chins up as the first ever Malayalam magazine in Australia is all set to be launched. Aptly named  ’ Indian Malayali’, this magazine would be formally launched in Melbourne on June 28.

 It would bring piping hot news and nostalgic memories from their homeland to thousands of Keralites living in the continent of Australia. There are over 30,000 people of Kerala origin settled in Australia of which the province Victoria with capital Melbourne is home to approximately 10,000 Keralites.
It was a dream come true situation for Thiruvallam Bhasi, the editor of this innovative magazine.

He had launched an English Magazine exclusively for Indian students last year and was working on his pet theme of a Malayalam magazine for long.The magazine will feature special columns, political news and entertainment news among others. It would not just firm up the roots of the immigrant Malayalees living in Australia but also would help a lot to brush up the Malayalam vocabulary, especially of the younger generation.
If the trends are any indication, it could be said that no barriers of space and time can beat the reading habit of Keralites. No matter wherever you are, you can keep in touch with your enchanting homeland through an array of premium magazines and newspapers published from all over the world. May the tribe of the learned flourish!

Kochi, June 4

Akkulam tourist village in Thiruvananthapuram will soon get a new facet with the setting up of the Eco-Bio Park. This new project undertaken by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) will act as a pilot project for the lake front development in the state. This Eco-Bio Park will take shape on a huge land of over 5.5 acres, which will be a new addition to the state’s glory.

This new initiative will come up as a boon for the tourism industry of the state. The park will include a butterfly park, rock garden, freshwater lake, traffic park, island, geological museum, aqua garden, rock museum and many other attractions. The pilot project will be worked out under the combined efforts of Centre for Water Resources Development and Mangement, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Tropical Botonic Garden and Research Institute.

As soon as the plans will work out the project will start taking shape, the Eco-Bio Park will be an innovative project which will benefit the state a lot and would also boost the tourist influx in the state. All eyes are now on the day when this project finally gets the real shape. 

Kochi, June 3

Fun days are over friend’s time to get back to basics; well this may be catch line for kids on the first day of the new academic session. Schools here began there new academic year in a grand way by marking the first day with ‘Praveshanotsavam’ (admission festival). They celebrated this by welcoming the new entrants in gala way.

It was known that about 400,000 children would be joining in the first standard across the state this year. Children were once again seen waiting for their school buses on bus stops and excited to move to the next class. This year as per the new curriculum the government has changed textbooks for the classes I, III, VII.

The government is open to suggestions on the new curriculum proposed in schools, also from this year children will be provided with health cards to ensure proper healthcare to them.

Thiruvananthapuram: As the rain clouds start rumbling in the horizon, health resorts and clinics in this enchanting strip of land of Kerala, come up with comprehensive ayurveda packages to pamper and rejuvenate tourists. Monsoon is considered the best season for ayurveda rejuvenation programmes as the atmosphere remains dust-free and moist, which in turn opens up the body pores making them more receptive to herbal oils and massages. In addition, during the rains the herbs and medicinal plants, which form vital ingredients of these medicines, grow in plenty.

Probably, the most popular among it all is the rejuvenation package of panchakarma which consists of an array of beneficial massages. Tourists also make use of body slimming, stress management and beauty care packages. Resorts offer shorter version ayurvedic programmes also apart from the conventional one-to three-week-long treatment protocols, to match the needs and budgets of the tourists.

Most of the premium Ayurvedic resorts would be fully booked well in advance for the monsoon package. For those tourists who wish to blend sight seeing with rejuvenation therapy, the sailing ayurvedic houseboat is a good option. In this houseboat with two rooms, the tourists can avail of authentic massage under the guidance of ayurvedic doctors. Only vegetarian food as stipulated by Ayurveda is served and there are many packages to choose from to suit the budgets of the visitors.

It is not only the resorts and hotels that are getting busy but the traditional exponents of massages will also do good business in the coming months. Ambi Asan,who stays very near to the Kovalam beach belongs to the fourth generation of traditional masseurs. He gets most of his clients by word of mouth publicity. He uses self prepared herbal oils, which ensure the best possible results. He opines that to get the maximum benefits oil should be applied all through the day and changes would be visible within a week.

The health and tourism departments are keeping a vigil against fraudsters out there who might take the tourists for a ride. Ayurveda ensures not just the treatment of the body but also mind. The seasoned practitioners of Ayurveda reiterate that it is the best possible natural method to flush out the toxins in the body and to enhance resistance. It is heartening to note that more and more people have started realizing the magical healing powers of this 5000 year old health system.

Alleppey: The fabled backwaters of Kerala are in news once again. This time, it is for playing the gracious host for the shooting of Tamil film, “Kuselan”. Starring the Tamil superstar Rajnikant apart from an array of stars including Natyanthara, a song sequence of this block buster movie is being shot here these days. The best part is that it also happens to be a remake of an original Malayalam movie.

The shooting, which is taking place in the Punnamada backwaters in two snake-boats has attracted a huge fan following. Though a stringent security cordon has been thrown around the superstar, he was enthusiastically mingling with people, waving and talking to them. The die- hard aficionados of Rajnikant even boarded hired boats to catch a glimpse of their matinee idol from a close quarter. The fans shouted slogans for Rajnikant, who was all smiles as he waved to the surging crowd of fans. The film crew will spend the next two days here to complete the shooting of the song sequence.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala has achieved a remarkable feat yet again in the IT field to bring laurels to the Indian sub continent. IBS Group, a blue chip IT Company in Technopark, has inked an agreement with Tokyo international Air Cargo Terminal (TIACT) for the implementation of iCargo a new-generation Cargo Management System developed by IBS. President and CEO, of TIACT, Terutake Kato, opined that IBS was selected for their far-reaching experience and competence in the airline cargo industry.

The new cargo terminal of Tokyo international (Haneda airport) will be the first airport in the world to have the iCargo’s CTO module. This system would be used to manage the ground handling and warehousing of all cargo handled by the airport.The new cargo terminal spread over a staggering 170,000 sq. m would ensure the maximum optimization of the available site area.

In addition, this software module  would greatly improve the quality of service levels and productivity. iCargo would be managing the cargo business of the leading carriers of Japan including Nippon Cargo Airlines and All Nippon Airways. This deal has indeed thrown open the doors of the prospective global market with Japan clearly emerging as one of the principal markets for the global air cargo business.

IBS Group is also going places in the domestic aviation sector. It has already been enlisted by the Airports Authority of India as the IT solution provider for the 30-odd airports expected to be modernized shortly. IT industry has always been the backbone of industrial Kerala, providing jobs to thousands of qualified hands apart from attracting the much desired foreign exchange. 

Kochi: Kerala Tourism is going ahead in full steam with the proposed plan to attract more Chinese tourists to “God’s own country”. State Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan held extensive discussions in this regard with Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni.

Though Buddhist circuits typically underscore the itineraries of Chinese tourists, Kerala is pinning its marketing strategy on its exceptional network of backwaters and beaches- something that not many countries on earth can boast!

During the meeting, the ministers reviewed thread bare the status of the ongoing central aided tourism projects in the State. The Centre has released an amount of Rs. 112 crore during the 10th Five Year Plan for 61 tourism projects in Kerala.

The procurement of land for the Institute of Hotel Management at Alapuzha would be hastened. The minister opined that Kerala could bolster the Human Resource Development in the tourism sector through quality institutes imparting state of the art training to catch up with the growing trends and needs of the tourism sector.

Kozhikode: The multi-crore Sarovaram eco-tourism project implemented by the Department of Tourism in the city is nearing completion. Costing over 17.5 crore, it would enhance the tourism prospects of the city. Some of the works under the first phase that are still pending include the installation of lights, musical fountain and work of the amphitheatre. This project coming up near the famous Kottuli wetlands, will also strive for wetland conservation.
Meanwhile, construction activities under the second and third phases have started. The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society is in charge of construction of this project while the Tourist Resorts Kerala Limited, a government nodal agency which is responsible for making investments in the tourism sector is supervising the works. Approximately 250 acres of land will be made use for the eco-tourism project, which was contributed by the Departments of Water Resources and Revenue.

The project on completion would comprise of adequate parking spaces, a reception centre, a cafeteria with a capacity for 100 people, a children’s park, handicrafts village, water museum, an otter park, a boat club with battery-operated boats, a butterfly park, kiosks, a bird park, a cultural centre, a floating restaurant and an aquarium. The proposal for setting up of a bird sanctuary at the ecopark at Kottuli is also in the pipeline according to KTDC sources.

Kochi: The heritage tag of Fort Kochi would be further enhanced by the proposed folklore cultural theatre coming up at the tourism complex near the bus stand. The District Tourism Promotion Council aided project is at the final stages of completion, much to the delight of the art lovers of India and abroad.

Incorporating all the latest facilities, the proposed theatre would give further impetus to the promotion of the exceptional art forms of Kerala. It has a budget outlay of over 23 Lakh rupees and at present the interior decoration is going on in full swing.
The theatre would cater to the growing demand from foreign tourists to enjoy and pick up the nuances of traditional art forms like Kathakali.

Fort Kochi takes pride to an array of arenas that are typically associated with hotels and resorts where this timeless art form is regularly staged. Foreign tourists are keen enthusiasts of this art form and take great interest in the various stages right from the elaborate process of application of make up using traditional articles to the development of story line and the various hand mudras that are subtly used to express emotions and thoughts.
The cultural theatre in Fort Kochi is all set to repeat the success stories of the  three earlier projects of the District Tourism Promotion Council including the spruced up Durbar Hall ground, the Royal Musical Walkway and the recreation pond near the Children’s Park.

Kochi, May 27

The report of the Meteorological department suggests that monsoon will hit the southern state of Kerala by Thursday. Apart from Kerala the seasonal rainfall is also likely over Lakshadweep and coastal Karnataka.

Generally monsoon arrives in Kerala during the end of May and the reports of the Met department have hinted that the monsoon is right on schedule this year and will lash the state by Thursday. It is said that the cross equatorial wind flow over south Arabian Sea would be strengthening and deepening during the next 3-4 days. This will bring in heavy rainfall over Kerala and its adjoining areas of Karnataka and Lakshadweep.

 The meteorological data’s has shown that with the strengthening of westerly winds, the southwest monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of south, central and northeast Bay of Bengal. Last year Kerala experienced a very heavy monsoon and huge loss of life, agriculture and infrastructure was witnessed. Now with the onset of monsoon it is unpredictable whether this year too Kerala will face a massive monsoon period. 

Kochi: With the arrest of Santhosh Madhavan, who had a meteoric rise from a nondescript temple priest into a mystical fortune teller and then into a multi millionaire by fraudulent means, more stories of fake godmen are unfurling. Kerala state police have already initiated a probe into the disproportionate wealth in many cases.
Santhosh Madhavan is charged with many offenses like rape, cheating, possession of narcotics, porn CDs, tiger skin and swindling huge amounts of money from unsuspecting clients has turned out to be a land shark. He owns thousands of acres of land all over Kerala in his own name and in benami. Married twice, he has taken many of his believers for a cool ride all these years.
Some of the other swamis in the investigation net include Divya Joshi, a self-proclaimed sanyasi in Thrissur district, Swamy Thapasyananda, a godman in Panthalam, Christian spiritual leader, Brother Thanku and many, many more. Police have also recovered documents of fraudulent land deals, fake passports, and many other incriminating documents from their possession. Their modus operandi has been to swindle money from devotees by promising to cure them from life threatening conditions like cancer or to ward off evil eye and bad luck.
Kerala holds the dubious distinction of having a superstitious populace in spite of being a fully literate society. Over stress and anxiety in an ever growing consumerist society has made them puppets in the hands of these godmen who prescribe cure for all their ills. Before falling prey to their tall claims, people need to be sensible rather than sensitive. Never bite the bait of the infectious, high voltage propaganda unleashed by these destructors.
 With more complaints pouring in from different parts of the State, the government and the police force is leaving nothing to chance. Home minister reiterated that tough action would be initiated if any complaint is made against any spiritual leader, however mighty he might be.
Spiritual enlightenment should come from within and no devotee would ever need a fake guru to attain ultimate peace and mental bliss. Let common sense prevail upon the people of Kerala!

Kozhikode: The famous Lokanarkavu Bhagavathy temple is all set to undergo a major restoration work of its priceless mural paintings and sculptures. Kerala State Archaeology Department had enquired about the condition of the mural paintings in this temple complex. Sources at the Pazhassiraja Archaeological Museum, Calicut said that the 15th century paintings of religious deities are largely