Category Archives: Travel

Ponkuzhi forests throw a surprise

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Liparis tschangii belongs to Orchidaceae family.

Discovery of Liparis tschangii published in Indian Forester

Liparis tschangii, a plant that belongs to the Orchidaceae family, has been discovered in the Ponkuzhi forests in Wayanad district, a major biodiversity hotspot on the Nilgiri biosphere reserve.

The tuberous species was discovered by a team of researchers led by V. Balakrishnan, former Director of Community Agrobiodiversity Centre of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) at Puthoorvayal here during an expedition recently. The discovery has been published in the recent edition of the science journal Indian Forester.

Liparis tschangii is mainly found in China and Vietnam, but this was the first time that the distributional record of the plant was reported from India, Dr. Balakrishnan told The Hindu.

“The leaves of the plant resemble the structure of the human heart and have white rhizome and green flower bunches,” Salim Pichan, botanist, MSSRF, and a member of the team said.

Very rare

“The plant is very rare in this locality and may need conservation priority,” Mr. Pichan added.

Jose Mathew, assistant professor, Department of Botany, S D College, Alappuzha; P. Dhanesh Kumar, former Divisional Forest Officer, South Wayanad forest division; Jayesh P. Joseph and M. Jithin, scientists of MSSRF, are the other members of the team.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by E.M. Manoj / Kalpeta – October 26th, 2018

A trip to remember for space buffs

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Nearly 4000 people, including school children, visited the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to watch the RH-200 series rocket rise into the leaden skies over Thiruvananthapuram.

A large crowd gathered on Monday to watch the sounding rocket lift off from Thumba on Monday

Thiruvananthapuram :

Inclement weather did not prevent space buffs from lining up to watch a sounding rocket lift off from Thumba on Monday morning.

Nearly 4000 people, including school children, visited the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to watch the RH-200 series rocket rise into the leaden skies over Thiruvananthapuram, according to VSSC officials. The launch – the first of three planned this week – was part of an Open House at the VSSC held to mark the World Space Week (WSW) celebrations organised jointly by the ISRO units in the state capital.

VSSC frequently flies small rockets fitted with instruments to study the dynamics of the upper atmosphere. In fact, it was an American Nike-Apache sounding rocket that lifted off from Thumba in 1963 that marked the beginning of India’s space exploration programmes.

As part of WSW, VSSC is planning two more launches for the public this week – one each on Tuesday and Wednesday at 11.45 am. The RH 200 series of rockets can carry a ten kg payload and rise up to a height of 80 kms.

WSW is celebrated from October 4 to 10 every year to mark the anniversaries of two events that changed space exploration: the launch of Russia’s Sputnik 1, the first man-made satellite, on October 4, 1957, and the signing of the ‘Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies,’ on October 10, 1967. The public also received an opportunity to visit the space museum as part of the open house programme.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / October 09th, 2018

KSINC’s first cruise vessel to be put on display

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Artist’s impression of Nefertiti.

It will be showcased during Kerala Travel Mart

Nefertiti, the State’s first seagoing cruise vessel owned by the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), has reached here.

The vessel, which was built in Goa in accordance with the Indian Registry of Shipping (IRS) specifications, will be showcased at the Samudrika Convention Centre near Willingdon island as part of the Kerala Travel Mart on September 29 and 30, according to an official communication.

The ₹16-crore vessel can carry up to 200 passengers. The three-deck vessel has a restaurant, auditorium, theatre, and a souvenir shop. It can venture up to 20 nautical miles (36 km) into the sea and can travel at a speed of up to 9 knots (15 km per hour).

The vessel has no sleeping cabins as it is not meant for overnight cruise. People can charter the fully air-conditioned vessel for hosting parties, events, and conferences. The corporation will offer custom-made packages based on requirements. The vessel has trained and professional crew for assistance.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – September 27th, 2018

DEMU service to Harbour Terminus from tomorrow

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The three-coach DEMU will conduct four services a day from Monday to Friday on an experimental basis for a month.

Test run to be held today; services to be regularised on the basis of passenger patronage

The much-awaited Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) service between Ernakulam Junction railway station and Cochin Harbour Terminus (CHTS) station in Willingdon Island will be launched on Wednesday.

The three-coach DEMU will conduct two services in the morning and two in the evening from Monday to Friday on an experimental basis for a month.

The train will have a stop at the Mattancherry Halt station in between, and the ticket rate will be ₹10. The train will be regularised based on passenger patronage.

A test run will be held along the eight-km line on Tuesday, to ensure coordination of signalling and telecommunication systems.

DEMU will start from CHTS at 8 a.m. on weekdays beginning Wednesday and reach Mattancherry Halt at 8.10 a.m. It will reach Ernakulam Junction at 8.40 a.m. In the return direction, the train will depart from Ernakulam Junction at 9 a.m., reach Mattancherry Halt at 9.14 a.m. and CHTS by 9.40 a.m.

In the evening, it will start from CHTS at 5 p.m., reach Mattancherry Halt at 5.10 p.m. and Ernakulam Junction by 5.40 p.m.

In the return direction, the train will leave Ernakulam Junction at 6.20 p.m., reach Mattancherry Halt at 6.34 p.m. and CHTS by 7 p.m.

The Harbour Terminus station was renovated over a year ago, while laying of new tracks and upgradation of signals and telecommunication systems were taken up later.

The demand for stoppage of the train at Perumanoor station in Thevara will be considered on the basis of a letter which is expected to be submitted by peoples representatives, a railway official said. For the record, a team led by Hibi Eden, MLA, had visited the station a week ago to inspect the amenities there. He also promised to allot money from his MLA fund to upgrade infrastructure at the station.

The 8-km journey takes 40 minutes since there are two level-crossings at Atlantis and Vathuruthy. There are also speed curbs all along the route.

DEMU will have to commute at 15 kmph speed on the Mattancherry Halt-CHTS stretch since it is a railway yard, a senior railway official said. A decision is awaited on the arrival of a steam locomotive to operate a heritage-train service from Harbour Terminus, he added.

Traffic snarl

In the meantime, there is concern about a possible traffic snarl on either side of Vathuruthy the level-crossing when the railway gate is closed four times during peak hours each weekday. While Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) has readied a proposal for an overbridge, the Navy is yet to accord sanction for the plan since its airport is located close by. This has given impetus to the demand for a subway.

Train services from the city to CHTS was halted in 2004 after a dredger deployed by the Cochin Port Trust rammed the Venduruthy bridge built by the British. Both rail and road overbridges were rebuilt after the incident.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – September 25th, 2018

Edakkal caves all ready to welcome tourists

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Tourists trekking to the Edakkal cave though the secondary pathway on Saturday.

The entry of tourists to the Edakkal caves on the Ambukuthi hills, known for the neolithic-age petroglyphs (rock engravings) on the walls of the cave, was resumed on Saturday after an interval of 23 days.

The caves, a major tourism destination in the district, were closed to tourists on August 23 after a huge stone collapsed in the first cave and a crack was formed near the old ticket counter of the first cave after heavy rain.

The entry to the first cave was banned but tourists could now reach the second cave through the secondary pathway constructed for the purpose, Archaeology and Archives Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran said. The entry was restricted to 1,930 tourists a day and only a group of 30 people at a time would be allowed to enter the cave, the Minister added.

The first cave would be opened to tourists only after a study by a team of experts, consisting of scientists of the National Centre for Earth Science Studies and experts of the Archaeology Department. The team for the purpose would be constituted soon and they would study the situation of the caves, the Minister said.

As many as 250 visitors, including 10 children, visited the cave on Saturday, District Tourism Promotion Council sources said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Kalpeta – September 15th, 2018

Book on oldest known love story in Mangaluru released

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‘L affaire,’ a literary work based on a love story which is known to have taken place in Mangaluru during 12th century AD, was released at St Aloysius College Auditorium in the city on Tuesday.

The book, written by Yenepoya Deemed-to-be-University Dean Dr G Shreekumar Menon, depicts the life of Jewish trader Abraham Ben Yiju, who had his origin in Tunisia and a Nair woman Aashu from Kannur in Malabar region.

Speaking about the work, Dr Menon said that Yiju landed in Mangaluru in 1132 AD for spice trade. He came across Aashu, who was a slave at a household in Mangaluru during the rule of Alupa ruler Alupendra.

Yiju released Aashu by paying money to her owner and freed her from slavery by marrying her. Yiju also set up a brass factory in the region. They were blessed with three children. Among them, two passed away.

Following clashes in Tunisia, Yiju was forced to leave Mangaluru, to his hometown. Whereabouts of Aashu after this incident are not known properly. Yiju passed away on August 11, 1156, he explained.

Letters by Yiju were preserved by his daughter. The letters were found in Cairo Genizah, the Egyptian Synagogue attic. They were kept intact as Yiju had written the letters with a mention of God.

According to Jewish tradition, any work that has God’s name inscribed in it, should not be torn away. The marriage certificate of Yiju and Aashu is among these letters.

The documents are now preserved in Russia.

Authors like Rabbi Mark Glickman and Amitav Ghosh have authored books based on the available documents, Dr Menon said.

Menon stated that the marriage of Yiju and Aashu completes 888 years in 2020 and requested the mayor to build a memorial for the couple.

Mayor Bhaskar K presided over the programme. Dean Dr B H Shripathi Rao, St Aloysius College Principal Fr Pravin Martis, Author Bharathi Shevgoor and actor Sahil Rai were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> States> Mangaluru / DHNS News Service, Mangaluru / June 26th, 2018

Story of a fiery, forest goddess

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Dance drama exploring a famous myth of Palakkad to soon hit stage

Kalladikode Karineeli is Palakkad’s own goddess who evokes both devotion and fear in the people here. Legends surrounding her are spread across the district, though her permanent abode is deep inside the Siruvani forests in Muthikulam village.

Her myth has been subject of many tales and hearsays but probably for the first time in art history, the stories surrounding her are now turning the subject for a theatre experiment initiated by a set of artistes from Palakkad.

Scripted and directed by award-winning playwright Ravi Thycaud, the dance drama lasting for about two-and-a-half hours also contains chilling details of the life and times of Thevanasan, a celebrated sorcerer who invoked the ferocious deity.

“Going by the legends, the district had a number of black magicians who considered her as their preferred deity. However, the drama attempts to give a contemporary twist to the legend in a way freeing the myths from obscurantism and exploring the rich cultural traditions of Palakkad,’’ said Mr Thycaud.

In addition, the drama also tries to resurge Karineeliyattom, a traditional ritual dance that was performed across the district till a few decades ago to appease Karineeli and to exorcise evil spirits. Households in Palakkad would hold the ritual dance lasting for the whole night. The upcoming play hopes to bring in elements of Karineeliyattom by using the expertise of surviving exponent Kalamandalam Chandran to give background music to the dance drama.

The theatre interpretation also attempts to tell the history of Paraya community members, the traditional invokers of Karineeli. “It took a lot of research for scripting. The traditional worshippers of Karineeli continues to remain a neglected lot and their history remains unrecorded,” he said.

Drama activist K.A. Nandajan is controlling the light and sound of the dance drama. About 40 artists are appearing on the stage in the dance drama, which would be staged for the public on the occasion of Onam festival.

It was only two months ago, Mr. Thycaud and his team staged a drama on Pulikadu Ratnavelu Chettiar, the first assistant collector of Indian origin for Palakkad region, who committed suicide in protest against racial discrimination shown by his British bosses under the Madras Presidency.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Palakkad – June 12th, 2018

A cultural extravaganza nonpareil

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Thrissur Pooram celebrated with splendour

Percussion ensembles pounded out hypnotic rhythms. Majestic elephants roamed all over the city. The sky was lit up in a riot of colour. And the much popular and revered Thrissur Pooram was celebrated in all its grandeur on Wednesday.

Thousands converged at Thekkinkadu Maidan to soak in the festival spirit. It was fun, with roaring crowds, loud music, and plenty of eating and drinking. Unique in its festivities, rituals, and spectacle, Thrissur Pooram is a splendid assortment of ceremonies, traditional ensembles, caparisoned elephants, and fireworks.

Believed to have started in the late 18th century, the festival has evolved into a socio-religious event involving all sections of society over the years. It is a cultural experience without parallel.

The meticulously planned 36-hour celebrations kept its promise to be picture perfect. The cloud of confusion over the fireworks too got cleared by night.The festivities started with the arrival of Kanimangalam Sastha early in the morning.

It was followed by other ‘cheru poorams’ from participating temples of Karumukku Bhagavathy, Panamukkumpilly Sastha, Chembukkavu Bhagavathy, Choorakkottukavu Bhagavathy, Lalur Bhagavathy, Ayyanthole Bhagavathy, and Naithilakkavu Bhagavathy.

Madathil Varavu, in which the ‘thidambu’ (idol) of Thiruvambadi Bhagavathy is taken from the Thiruvambadi temple to Naduvil Madom at Pazhayanadakkavu, was one of the main events in the morning. The procession of Paramekkavu Bhagavathy began around 12.30 p.m.

Sultry weather, sweat, and dust notwithstanding, large masses of devotees and spectators from across the world poured in to the city from early morning. Unlike earlier years, families, especially young women, attended the festival in large numbers. There was a separate section for women at the main venue.

The pooram offered something for everyone. More than 70 elephants held sway, moving their ears vigorously in tune with drumbeats.

Percussion lovers enjoyed the choicest rhythms of chendamelam, pandimelam, and panchavadyam, led by maestros Peruvanam Kuttan Marar, Kongad Madhu, Kizhakkoot Aniyan Marar, and Paraikkad Thankappan Marar. Panchavadyam during the Madathil Varavu of Thiruvambadi and Melam under the Ilanji tree by Paramekkavu were the highlights.

The mood became hysteric with the colourful Kudamattom, in which hundreds of parasols were displayed atop elephants in a friendly competition by the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi Devaswoms. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was present. Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar and former Speaker K. Radhakrishnan accompanied him.

The latecomers will be pampered with a recap. All that rolls from dawn to dusk will be repeated at night. Next is the wait for the early morning fireworks, fighting sleep. Fireworks fans are keeping their fingers crossed as there have been mild showers for the last few days in the city.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Mini Muringatheri / April 25th, 2018

Blown away by the biting Arctic charms

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Niyog traversed the Arctic with 19 adventurers from across the globe. | Photo Credit: HAND OUT

Niyog, the first Indian to take part in Fjällräven Polar, recounts the expedition’s high points

The extreme cold was expected. Niyog had prepared himself for it by spending some days in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, in winter. But, the 26-year-old from Punalur, the first Indian to take part in Fjällräven Polar, a dream expedition of adventure travellers, found that no preparation was good enough to face the wild Arctic wind. “The wind was such that we couldn’t stand on the ground. We had to build ice walls around our tents so that they wouldn’t be blown away. Breathing was tough at some point,” Niyog recalled his journey across the Arctic with 19 selected adventurers from all over the world.

Fjällräven Polar is an annual expedition being organised by the Swedish company Fjällräven since 1997. The participants, selected through an online poll, travelled 300 km in -30° Celsius through the Arctic wilderness in Norway and Sweden on sleighs pulled by six Siberian Husky dogs.

The participants had to adopt different methods to make fire as it was an integral part of survival in the Arctic. “We were provided stoves to cook food, that worked on Super Fuel. We used magnesium coils to make fire and then brought them to compressive mode. On another day we collected fibres from the bark of a tree to make fire,” Niyog said.

Danger in sweating

Cooking using melted ice for water and sleeping in a sleeping bag inside a trench, when the snow could bury them any time, were part of the adventure.

“We had to be careful about sweating, as sweat turning into ice could be very dangerous. The ice settled anywhere in 10 seconds and the wind made the situation worse,” he said.

Niyog found controlling the dogs easier than expected as the animals were trained to follow the well defined path. But he had a hard time balancing the sleigh in the unpredictable terrain and was thrown off many a time.

The trip over, Niyog cherishes watching the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) and enjoying the hospitality of the Sami tribe that served the adventurers with reindeer meat dishes. It took several baths alternatively in steam and ice cold water besides dipping in an ice hole to acclimatise. Now, back home, the young man who is always driven by adventure finds himself unfit for more — for at least a few weeks.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Aabha Raveendran / Kozhikode – April 20th, 2018