Category Archives: Travel

Kerala’s very own spice girl

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Latha K, Chef Di Cuisine of Malabar Cafe, speaks about helming the cafe which recently won an award for the Best South Indian Restaurant

Kochi :

It is easy to take Latha K for an unassuming neighbourhood homemaker when she is not donning her professional garb. With her modest low bun and unpretentious round pottu, Latha does not really exude a hot-shot chef vibe at the outset. But with over three decades of experience in the culinary sphere, the Chef Di Cuisine of Malabar Cafe at Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty has won the hotel the distinction of housing the Best South Indian Restaurant by Travel + Leisure India Magazine & South Asia’s Delicious Food Awards this year.

“This is the first national award the restaurant has won and it is a notable achievement,” says Latha. Her culinary ethos harps on serving authentic delicacies of Kerala for which she uses fresh spices ground by hand using mortar and pestle.

Born in a small village in Kozhikode, Latha’s resolve to become a chef developed early. She made her first dish, Kerala fish curry and rice, at age nine and was rewarded with compliments. Having honed her skills by observing her mother and grandmothers cooking in the kitchen, Latha took hotel management and that was where she came across her first hurdle. From being denied admission because she would be the only girl student in a batch of 27 boys to having to move to Chennai to complete her internship because no restaurant in Kozhikode would take her, Latha broke many glass ceilings to become Kerala’s first female chef.

“Women bring warmth and affection to the table, something that evokes nostalgia to the food we make. As the only south Indian live kitchen to have a sizeable number of women chefs, we are looking forward to adding more to the team,” says Latha, whose team of female chefs are piquantly referred to as the ‘spice girls’ at Hyatt. “In the last decade or so, a significant number of woman chefs have come to the forefront of the hospitality industry. Establishing oneself as a chef has become increasingly easier. This is a welcome development,” she adds.

Although well-versed in Thai, continental and middle-eastern cuisines, Latha says south Indian food is closest to her heart. “Kappad kaya curry, a chicken preparation, reminds me of my childhood. It is popular with fisherfolk and is prepared at the time of a festival. The dish is on the menu at Malabar Cafe and I relish cooking it,” says the chef.

Latha has gathered a treasure trove of more than 3,000 recipes over the years. She is currently working on a historical cookbook that will feature 350 traditional recipes from different parts of Kerala. “The book will also outline the cultural fabric Kerala cuisine is rooted in. The research for it has been expansive and exhaustive,” she concludes.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Swetha Kadiyala / Express News Service / October 26th, 2019

Kerala’s first woman hunter ‘Shikkari Kuttiyamma’ passes away

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Kuttiyamma took to hunting after shooting a bison in order to save her brother’s life

[File] Kuttiyamma was also known as ‘Shikkari Kuttiyamma’ | Rijo Joseph

Kerala’s first woman hunter Kuttiyamma, 87, is no more. ‘Shikkari Kuttiyamma’, whose real name was Thresya Thomas, had shot dead hundreds of wild animals.

Incidentally, she had taken up the gun to hunt in order to save the life of her brother. Kuttiyamma had joined a convent in Raichur, Karnataka to be ordained as a nun when a bison attacked her brother Pappachan in Kerala, leaving him gravely injured. Though he was admitted to a hospital, the family could not pay the bills. However, the hospital authorities said that instead of money, meat of wild animals would suffice as payment.

Kuttiyamma rushed to Kerala and ventured into the forest along with her younger brother Tomy to hunt. Deep in the woods, they saw a bison which Kuttiyamma felled with a single shot. The bison weighed 800kg, but was cut into pieces and given to the hospital authorities. The saga of Kuttiyamma the hunter was thus born.

Hailing from Edamattom in Pala, Kuttiyamma discontinued her studies due to poverty in 1958. She settled in Marayur along with her father Thomman and brothers Vakkachan and Pappachan in 1963. Later, they also bought 20 acres of land at Churulippetty in Chinnar. Kuttiyamma later married Thomas, who belonged to Sri Lanka. He was a friend of her brothers. From then on, the couple went on hunting trips together.

People from other places heard that Kuttiyamma would protect them from wild elephants in Chinnar forest and began settling there. Soon, Churulippetty village came into being with 42 families in 82 acres.

However, the hunting of wild animals came to the notice of the government and a decision was taken to evict Kuttiyamma and the other villagers. At that time, Kuttiyamma owned 17 acres of land. The government took over her land in 1993 promising monetary compensation. However, an error in the gazette notification led to delay in payment and no villager left the dwellings.

Kuttiyamma decided to fight a legal battle. She approached the High Court in 2005 pointing out that no compensation was paid. In January 2006, the court ordered payment of Rs 45 lakh including interest to Kuttiyamma. Still, she received only Rs 29 lakh. Kuttiyamma moved the court again and in 2013, she received the full amount.

Subsequently, the first woman hunter left the forest and shifted to Anakkallu in Kanjirappally. She distributed her property to her son and his children. Advancing age did not deter Kuttiyamma from fighting for her causes as she took up social work. She often visited her Churulippetty, the village she had helped set up, and offered service to its residents.

The funeral prayers for Kuttiyamma would take place at her house in Kappad and the burial at St Antony’s church cemetery, Anakkallu. Her husband Thomas Chacko had died earlier. Kuttiyamma is survived by son V.T. Joseph (Babu) of Matha Organic and daughter-in-law Sherly, belonging to Mathathipparambil family, Marayur.

source: http://www.theweek.in / The Week / Home> News> India / via OnManorama / August 20th, 2019

Manned by women, Vanitha Transport stands the test of time

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An initiative of the district panchayat, ‘Vanitha Transport’ is managed by Thrissur District Vanitha Transport Co-operative Society.

Vanitha Transport

Thrissur :

As the state government is gearing up to recruit women drivers in KSRTC to enforce gender equality, a private bus in the district manned by women has been on the road since 1999.

An initiative of the district panchayat, ‘Vanitha Transport’ is managed by Thrissur District Vanitha Transport Co-operative Society. When it started, there were two buses operating on the Thrissur-Kodungallur and Thrissur-Thiruwilvamala route. Though one bus was cancelled, the other service is in full swing even though the society has financial issues. 

“It has been almost 20 years and we have never stopped the service. At present, our driver is on leave as she met with an accident while riding a two-wheeler and hence we have employed a male driver. But all these years, we had women as drivers, conductors and cleaners,” said K G Sathi, secretary of the society. The service begins from Thrissur at 7.38 am. “In the morning hours, we operate on the Kodungallur route while after 3 pm we ply on the Thiruwilvamala route,” she added.


They faced serious financial issues last year. But then District Collector T V Anupama intervened to rearrange the timings of the bus and got it approved. 

“Now, we get a five-minute halt in the north b there was no time for anything,” said Sathi. It was during C Raveendranath’s term as district convenor of People’s Planning Programme that such a project took shape. 

When the state government is all set to appoint women drivers ,  here are a bunch of ladies, including Thankamani, the conductor of Vanitha Transport, who are happy to be the pioneers in this field. “We were able to bring many women behind the wheel all these years. In some cases, girls were trained by our staff to get a driving licence,” said Sathi.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Gopika Varrier / Express News Service / August 22nd, 2019

Patent holder of flexible road barrier seeks govt. support

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The flexible road barrier with indicator developed by C.A. Vinayaram.   | Photo Credit: Spl

Vinayaram’s device holds potential to save motorists’ lives

The patent holder of a ‘flexible road barrier with indicator’, which holds immense potential to save the lives of motorists, has sought the help of experts and the government to popularise it.

C.A. Vinayaram, who hails from Mattancherry near here, won the patent for the device in 2016. He was allegedly given the cold shoulder by road safety experts in Kerala for the device that he painstakingly developed a decade ago.

It was an accident that led Mr. Vinayaram to work on such a device. In 2003, a car in which he was travelling rammed an unlit median while it was overtaking a tanker lorry in Kannur. It was a narrow escape, he said.

Mr. Vinayaram expressed shock at the plight of unscientifically-built medians — most of them not having even a reflector to warn motorists, claiming the lives of hundreds of people each year in India.

A tourist guide by profession, he knocked at the doors of agencies such as Thiruvananthapuram-based National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) and the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) for support.

A senior official of NATPAC said the innovation was good and had the potential to prevent accidents, since each unit of the flexible median has electricity or solar-powered LED on top to warn motorists.

Lack of funds

“It can even lessen the impact of an accident, since it mainly comprises a spring and is hence flexible. Sadly, the agency does not have the funds for conducting a field study. Hence, we referred it to Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, following which it was referred to a reputed government engineering college,” said the official.

The innovator is dejected that he is not in a position to manufacture the device in bulk, even when he is getting orders from many parts of India and abroad. “One of the agencies that I approached sought ₹10 lakh to do the field study, while another sought ₹2 lakh. I do not have that kind of money to spare. There are limits to what an individual can do. The government and road safety stakeholders must take steps to test and popularise such devices and also improvise on them if need be.”

Mr. Vinayaram said the idea was still in cold storage, though it was taken up with two Chief Ministers. In 2012, the late V.R. Krishna Iyer, who retired as judge of the Supreme Court, had written to the then Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court in this regard, urging that his letter be treated as a Public Interest Litigation since the device had the potential to save hundreds of lives each year.

Medians as deathtraps

Twenty persons died after an LPG tanker rammed an unscientific and ill-lit road median at Chala in Kannur in 2012.

The same year, a car in which actor Jagathy Sreekumar was travelling, hit a road median near Calicut University, in which he suffered serious injuries. Five powerlifters were killed and another critically injured after their car rammed a median on the Delhi-Haryana border in 2018.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by John L. Paul / Kochi – March 22nd, 2019

The Hindu scribe Padmakumar passes away

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Travel

K. Padmakumar 

K. Padmakumar, 54, Assistant Editor, The Hindu, passed away at a private hospital here early Sunday following a brief illness.

A postgraduate in economics, Padmakumar started his career in the Free Press Journal in Mumbai in 1988 and later moved on to the Business World magazine.

In 1994, he joined the Indian Express and worked in its Coimbatore, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram editions.

He joined The Hindu in 2000 and was part of the Kerala news desk ever since. His colleagues remembered Padmakumar for the team spirit, humaneness, insight, personal warmth and professional zeal he brought to the job.

Padmakumar was also the nucleus of a vast network of friends, which included artists, writers, journalists, photographers, painters, academics, intellectuals, amateur astronomers, environmentalists and trekking enthusiasts.

Padmakumar had an abiding zest for the Himalayas. His annual sabbatical invariably included a long and demanding hike to the mountains with his friends.

Padmakumar had in 2017 contributed an article to an anthology of Himalayan trekking experiences published by DC Books.

The social media account of the journalist is replete with memorable photographs of his Himalayan treks, including the last one he made to Kedarnath in September 2018.

His body was cremated at Santhi Kavadam here in the presence of family and friends. He was the son of the late P. Krishnankutty Nair. Padmakumar is survived by his mother Indira Nair; wife C. Indukala (Kerala State Public Service Commission); daughter Varsha Nandini (student, Kendra Vidyalaya, Pattom); sister Dr. Uma Sundar (Mumbai) and brother Krishna Prasad Nair (IDBI).

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala have expressed their condolences to the family of the departed journalist.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – March 10th, 2019

Women metro commuters honoured

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Swapna Augustine, a differently-abled painter, handing over her work to KMRL during the Women’s Day observance in Kochi on Friday.   | Photo Credit: jinson abraham / jinsonabraham.coo

KMRL felicitates 5 women who travelled the most in metro

Five women who travelled the most in Kochi metro since its inception in June 2017 were honoured as part of the International Women’s Day observance here on Friday.

Swapna Augustine, a differently-abled painter, who participated as the chief guest at the function, handed over a painting drawn by her to Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL). It will be kept at the Edappally metro station where the function was organised. KMRL chose Dr. Anusha George, a resident of Aluva, who made 1,880 trips in the metro as the ‘most travelled woman commuter’. It also honoured Golda Jose of Edappally, Reeba Suresh of Aluva, Shini Lukose Umesh of Aluva, and Jayasree T.R., a BSNL employee and native of Ambattukavu.

“The Kochi metro is the safest and best mode of transport in the Greater-Kochi area. The high number of trips undertaken by women of Kochi city denotes how safe the system of mass rapid transport is,” said Thiruman Archunan, director (projects), KMRL. He also delivered the Women’s Day message.

KMRL director (systems) D.K. Sinha handed over gift vouchers to the chosen commuters. Apart from metro officials, students of SCMS College and the general public attended the event.

Event at Custom House

A slew of programmes marked the International Women’s Day observance at Custom House here. Commissioner of Customs Sumit Kumar inaugurated a toilet complex at Government Higher Secondary School which was refurbished by the Custom House. He also handed over sanitary napkin vending machine, incinerator, books, and other school supplies to 10 students of the school.

The observance with the theme ‘Think equal, build smart and innovate for change’ was inaugurated by Pullela Nageswara Rao, Chief Commissioner of Central Tax, Excise and Customs. It was followed by a seminar for officials.

Customs Group dance team, which won the first prize at the All India Revenue Cultural Meet 2018-19 held in Kolkata, was felicitated, and a ladies rest room at Custom House was inaugurated by the senior-most lady officer, G. Susheela.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – March 09th, 2019

Thames River Festival: Kerala’s snakeboat to set sail to Britain

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The Thames River Festival is held annually from September 1-30. Numerous events, including exhibitions and cultural events attended by people from various countries, take place every year.


A snakeboat being rowed in the backwaters of Kochi. (File | EPS)

Kochi : 

Soon we may get to see Kerala’s snakeboat cruising through the Thames in London, if things work out as per procedures. Sounds interesting? The British Council has expressed interest in offering Kerala a stage to showcase its art and culture as part of the acclaimed Thames River Festival held annually in Britain. A delegation comprising Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, Tourism Director P Bala Kiran and Tourism Secretary Rani George held a meeting with Unesco representatives in New Delhi last week as part of the Spice Route project.

The meeting was also attended by British Council director, South India, Janaka Pushpanathan. “The British Council has placed before us a proposal to provide Kerala with a representation in the Thames River Festival. We are considering it, as last year the highest foreign tourist arrival to the state was from the UK. Kerala getting representation in the festival will promote its tourism abroad,” Tourism Director P Bala Kiran said.

British Council keen on organising events in Kerala

The Thames River Festival is held annually from September 1-30. Numerous events, including exhibitions and cultural events attended by people from various countries, take place every year. In 2018, the West Bengal government had signed an MoU with the British Council, as part of which the famous Durga Puja was showcased at the festival. “A decision about collaborating with the British Council will be taken as part of the Spice Route international conference to be attended by representatives, from August 29 this year. Currently, only a proposal has been received.

The British Council is also interested in organising similar events in Kerala. They have also put forward a proposal for us to curate events at some of the famous museums in Britain,” he said. A top official with the Spice Route project said the government is seriously considering organising similar river festivals in Kerala.

“As part of the Thames festival, we are planning to exhibit snakeboats in the UK. As far as the river festival in Kerala is considered, we are planning to organise it in Alappuzha or at Kodungallur, which is close to the Periyar. Similar to the Thames River Festival exhibitions, conferences and cultural events will be organised here,” he said. The British Council had last year signed an MoU with the Kerala government for collaboration in the educational sector.

A similar agreement in the tourism sector with the British Council is being considered by the Kerala government now. Apart from Britain, the Netherlands also has agreed to collaborate with the Spice Route Project. P M Nowshad, managing director, Muziris Heritage Project (MHP), said technical assistance of the Netherlands has been sought for setting up a maritime museum in Alappuzha. MHP oversees the development of various heritage projects, including the Alappuzha heritage project.

“Netherlands has some of the famous maritime museums in the world. During the Spice Route meeting with the representatives of various countries in New Delhi, the Netherlands had agreed to provide technical assistance to set up maritime museums. Similarly, they also will assist us in digitising the archives,” he said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Toby A N Tony / Express News Service / March 03rd, 2019

Braille guide, video brochure for Thenmala in Kerala

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Barrier-free access for hearing and visually challenged to country’s first planned ecotourism destination

Visually challenged people reaching Thenmala, the country’s first planned ecotourism destination, will be provided with a visitor’s guide in Braille, the tactile writing system, from March.

For the aurally challenged, a video brochure with sign language has been incorporated as a separate corner in www.thenmalaecotourism. com, the official website of the Thenmala Ecotourism Promotion Society (TEPS) that manages the destination.

Mobile app

A mobile application, a guiding app that will briefly narrate the attractions of the destination, is also on the anvil. The 16-page Braille brochure has all information needed for a traveller.

The initiative is part of the efforts to encourage people with visual and hearing impairement to visit Thenmala.

It is also part of the barrier-free tourism project launched last year to make tourist destinations accessible to all visitors.

“This is the first time a Braille tourism brochure is being made available at a tourist destination in the State. The brochures will be provided to the visually challenged from the TEPS office,” Ecotourism Director and CEO of TEPS P.P. Pramod told The Hindu.

Students of Government School for the Blind, Vazhuthacaud, is behind the Braille brochure.

It is the outcome of a day trip organised for students as part of a CSR initiative. “We realised the constraints faced and requested them for solutions. The Braille brochure was the outcome,” he said. Students of Government VHSS for Deaf, Jagathy, came up with the video brochure with sign language after their visit.

For using the mobile application being launched on trial basis, the QR code will come in handy if the visitor does not have data connection. After getting the feedback, a complete version of the app will be rolled out by TEPS in IOS platform.

Along with this, Buddha Mayoori, which has been declared as the State butterfly, has got a special corner in the butterfly park.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by S. Anil Radhakrishnan / Thiruvananthapuram – February 27th, 2019

Sakthan Palace to get a facelift

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It was converted into a museum in 2005

The Sakthan Palace, situated in the heart of the Thrissur city, will soon get a facelift.

The palace was reconstructed in Kerala-Dutch style by Ramavarma Thampuran in 1795. Once the centre of power of the Sakthan Thampuran, it has been preserved by the Department of Archaeology. It was converted into a museum in 2005.

The palace was renovated with ₹1.75 crore recently. In addition to this, a joint Centre-State fund of ₹5 crore has also been allocated for the palace development now.

CCTV cameras

The amount will be utilised to make it one of the best museums in the State. The palace will be given a new coat of paint.

The garden will also get a facelift. Seats, toilet complex, and a walk-way will be constructed.

As part of the recent development project, 27 CCTV cameras were installed on the palace premises. A fire alarm has also been installed.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Thrissur – February 24th, 2019

Mattancherry’s 463-year-old synagogue now a cattle shed

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The stench of cow dung, unkempt surroundings and obscene graffiti on its shutters drive away curious visitors to the Kadavumbhagom synagogue. Photo: VIPIN CHANDRAN  

Prayers at synagogue stopped after most of its members left for Israel

The Paradesi synagogue at Mattancherry receives several thousand visitors every year from all over the world. People flock to Jew Street to catch a glimpse of the well-preserved 16 century synagogue and the descendants of the Paradesi Jews who still follow the old customs. Not many know, however, that a second synagogue older than the Paradesi synagogue still stands just a few metres from it. At the other end of Jew Street stands the Kadavumbhagom synagogue, a 463-year-old prayer hall of the Cochini Jews.

When the Moors attacked the Jewish settlements near Kodungalloor, known as Cranganore or Shingly in Jewish texts, the people fled to the port town of Mattancherry to seek refuge. There were at least four synagogues in Mattancherry in the old days, says historian P.M. Jussay in his book ‘The Jews of Kerala.’ These are the Kochangadi, Kadavumbhagom, Paradesi and Thekkumbhagom synagogues. (There are two other synagogues — the Kadavumbhagom and Thekkumbhagom synangogues on Market Road in Ernakulam — that are less known but are just as important.)

The Kochangadi synagogue in Mattancherry, says Mr. Jussay, was enlarged by a community leader named Baruk Levi in 1539. But the synagogue was abandoned in 1795 a few years after it was destroyed by Tippu Sultan’s soldiers. The Thekkumbhagom synagogue, on the other hand, was demolished in the 1950s after most of its congregants left for Israel. All that stands are the Paradesi and Kadavumbhagom synagogues. While the Paradesi synagogue remains popular as a tourist attraction, the Kadavumbhagom synagogue has almost faded from memory. A portion of the synagogue, which earlier stood right at the coastline, was removed to construct the road in front of it. The building passed into private hands after the Jewish residents sold it while they left for Israel.

The first owner used the place of worship to store prawns, a food item forbidden to Jews. The building was later used to store coir products. Today, this centuries-old archaeological monument is used as a cattle shed by its current owner. The stench of cow dung, unkempt surroundings, and obscene graffiti on its shutters drive away curious visitors. Only a small board at the entrance set up by ‘The Friends of Kerala Synagogues’ gives any indication of the historical significance of the building.

“Private persons have carted away whatever was inside the building. It’s an important monument. Shouldn’t the government protect this synagogue?” a local resident asks.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Nidhi Surendranath / Kochi – September 14th, 2013