Category Archives: Arts,Culture & Entertainment

Kudumbashree women win hearts with their cuisines

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Sports

Thiruvananthapuram  :

It is not the athletes alone who are going for gold in this year’s National Games. Around 200 women working for Kudumbashree are also there to win the hearts, not on the track and field, but from within the kitchen through their culinary skills.

In their greatest achievement so far, Kudumbashree has been vested with the contract of catering food for Games officials, media persons and spectators at 15 venues in Thiruvananthapuram district.

“This work is said to their greatest achievement so far, owing to the budget of the work undertaken,” said district collector Biju Prabhakar, who also heads the district organising committee of the games. The budget of the work undertaken is nearly Rs 1 crore. Out of this, the district administration has already released a fund of Rs 90 lakh, said Biju Prabhakar.

“We will also be opening food courts at all venues so that spectators can avail the Kudumbashree food,” he said, adding that only games officials were catered the food on the first day of the event.

Members of as many as 30 Kudumbashree from all districts in the state are here as part of the work. “We have set up four messes in the district, at Attingal, Pirappancode, Vellayani and Ambalamukku considering the proximity to venues,” said Sheejo Philip, coordinator of Cafe Kudumbashree, a restaurant brand of Kudumbashree. The women start work from as early as 2am onwards as they have to deliver food from 7 am onwards at the venues. They are providing three meals a day besides tea and snacks in the morning and evening. The menu mainly includes various ethnic recipes across the state such as dosa, idli, idiyappam, appam and even Thalassery Dum Biriyani.

According to Biju Prabhakar, many officials in the Games committee were doubtful on giving the contract to the Kudumbashree, but he managed to gain their trust. “The risk that I took has already started paying result as we are getting positive responses from people,” he said. Besides, the food is very cheap. While a day’s entire meals catered at other districts cost around Rs 1,250, our food costs only around Rs 350, he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / by Rejith Balakrishnan, TNN / February 02nd, 2015

The tale of the idli

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Travel, World Opinion

If I say the idli was brought to southern India by Arab settlers, it could raise hackles, especially among South Indians. But the truth cannot be suppressed. References to the modern way of making the idli appear in Indian works only after 1250 CE.

K.T. Acharya, the food historian, speculates that the modern idli might have originated in the region that is now Indonesia, which has had a long tradition of fermented food. According to him, cooks employed by the Hindu kings of the local kingdom may have invented the steamed idli there, and brought the recipe to India during the period 800-1200 CE. But this theory is being questioned by modern food historians such as Lizzie Collingham, Kristen Gremillion, Raymond Grew, Makhdoom Al-Salaqi (Syria), Zahiruddin Afiyaab (Lebanon). References available at the Al-Azhar University Library in Cairo also suggest that Arab traders in the southern belt brought in the idli when they married and settled down in those parts. Now the question is: how did that happen? It is known that Arab traders used to come to the southern coast for trade, and that pre-dated even the advent of Islam. The first mosque outside the Arab peninsula was erected by Arab settlers who came here as traders.

The Arab settlers were strict in their dietary preferences; many of them came here when Mohammed was still alive and they were neo-converts to Islam from Paganism. They insisted on halaal food, and Indian food was quite alien to their palate. To avoid all such confusion regarding what is halaal orharaam in food, they began to make rice balls as it was easy to make and was the safest option available. After making the rice balls, they would slightly flatten them and eat with bland coconut paste (Encyclopaedia of Food History, edited by Collingham and Gordon Ramsay of Britain, Oxford University Press, and Seed to Civilisation, The Story of Food, by Heiser Charles B, Harvard University Press, 1990). Later it was improved upon, and from the 8th century onwards, the idli in its modernavatar came into existence.

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source: http://www.thehindu.com  / The Hindu / Home> Opinion> Open Page / by Sumit Paul / February 01st, 2015

Kozhikode triumphs in Alappuzha’s own art form

Arts,Culture & Entertainment

VanchipattuKERALA29jan2015

It has been only three years since Vanchippattu was introduced as an event in the State School Arts Festival. The high school category Vanchippattu competition was the last event to finish in the 55th edition of the festival that drew to a close here on Wednesday.

There were 28 teams from across the State in the competition that was finally won by a team from Kozhikode. The team from Alappuzha, the homeland of Vanchippattu, could only finish third.

“Vanchippattu being an art form practised only in Alappuzha district, I have been wonderstruck by the way the rest of the State has absorbed it and managed to excel in it,” Vanchippattu scholar Kainakari Surendran, a judge at the competition, said.

Most teams were very good, Mr. Surendran said after the competition, and expressed hope that the art form would be kept alive through the arts festival.

AKKR Girls Higher Secondary School, Chelannur, Kozhikode, that bagged the first prize in the competition performed ‘Kuchelavritham’ by Ramapurathu Warrier in the Kuttanad tradition. Clad in the costume of the working-class women of Kuttanad, they delivered an energy-packed performance and had the audience singing with them by the end.

The second prize was bagged by the team from SCG Higher Secondary School, Mala, Thrissur, which performed a work in praise of Sree Padmanabhaswamy of Thiruvananthapuram in the Vechupattu tradition.

Mahatma Girls High School, Chennithala, Alappuzha, that bagged the third prize went for ‘Balaleela’ in the Aranmula tradition. Dressed in traditional set dhothies, theirs was one of the most colourful performances in the competition.

Apart from ‘Kuchelavritham,’ ‘Kiratham’ and ‘Santhanagopalam’ by Kunchan Nambiar, ‘Kirathavetta’ by C.P. Ramaswami Iyer, ‘Bali Vadham’ by Kottarakkara Raman Nair, verses from the Ramayana, and parts of ‘Karuna’ by Kumaranasan were also used by the Vanchippattu teams.

‘Ulakka,’ the traditional grinding pole, is an integral part of the Kuttanad and Vechupattu traditions, while the Krishna idol and a paddy-filled measuring barrel are seen during performances in the Aranmula tradition. The teams that followed the Kuttanad tradition were colourfully dressed in printed dhothies and bright-coloured blouses.

The team from Alappuzha, the homeland of Vanchippattu, could finish only behind Kozhikode and Thrissur in the contest.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Aabha Anoop / Kozhikode – January 22nd, 2015

Contests to be Held as Part of Coir Kerala 2015

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Alappuzha :

A series of competitions will be organised for coir workers and students from February 1-5 in Alappuzha, as part of Coir Kerala exhibition.

Essay writing competitions in English and Malayalam, based on the subject ‘Mechanisation in Coir Sector – Challenges and Opportunities’, will be open to all.

Entries for the competitions should reach The Convenor, Local Publicity Committee, Coir Kerala 2015, Kerala State Coir Machinery Manufacturing Company, Near District Court, Alappuzha -1, before February 2.

A photography competition will be held on the topic ‘Kayarinte Nattile Karalin Thudippukal’.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / January 29th, 2015

Bravery Award for Jomon

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
P G Jomo
P G Jomo

Alappuzha  :

The family members, friends and natives of Chennam Pallipuram were full of prayers and gratitude on Sunday after the Central Government declared ‘Utham Jeevan Raksha Pathaka’ to P G Jomon who sacrificed his life for saving hundreds of pilgrims and villagers stranded in Utharakhand during the floods in 2013. Georgekutty, father of Jomon, said that “we are thankful to the country and the Centre for honouring our son by bestowing the highest bravery award posthumously.

Our son helped hundreds of stranded people in the flood-hit area. We cannot bear his loss, but the honour bestowed by the country offers some solace to us”, he said. Jomon,25, and other crew members were killed when the Air Force helicopter crashednear Gaurikund in the Uttarakhand on June 25, 2013.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Dhinesh Kallungal / January 26th, 2015

 

Guptan Nair Award for Puthussery

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

GuptanKERALA21jan2015

Poet and linguist Puthussery Ramachandran has been chosen for this year’s Prof. S. Guptan Nair Award.

The award, instituted to honour teachers who have made scholarly interventions in cultural and academic life, carries a cash prize of Rs.15,000 and citation.

Prof. Ramachandran was chosen for the award by a panel chaired by Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University Vice Chancellor K. Jayakumar. Governor P. Sathasivam will present the award to Prof. Ramachandran at a function here on February 6. — Special Correspondent

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – January 21st, 2015

A pension scheme of grace

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features
P.T.A. Rahim, MLA, handing over papers of the pension benefits to Iyyamkunnath Devi during a function at the GHSS Peringolam in Kozhikode.
P.T.A. Rahim, MLA, handing over papers of the pension benefits to Iyyamkunnath Devi during a function at the GHSS Peringolam in Kozhikode.

After 30 years of service as a noon-meal worker at the Government Higher Secondary School at Peringolam in Kozhikode, Iyyamkunnath Devi called it a day a few months ago.

Being a daily-wage worker at the mercy of the school management, she couldn’t have expected any retirement benefits from the government as she leaves. Calmly, the elderly widow, in her late 60s, went home to spend rest of her life with her only son’s widow and children.

Ms. Devi’s empty-handed retreat from the school at the end of a prolonged spell of service, however, had left a lingering soreness with her co-workers, teachers and the students, whom she had been feeding all these years. Led by a teacher-in-charge of the noon meal committee P. Bavakutty, they sat one day to discuss the possibility of offering “some help” to Ms. Devi, whom they fondly called Deviyedathi .

Under the initiative of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) they decided to collect an amount to be given to the retiring member. Teachers, students, and the public, all responded overwhelmingly to the call. A sum of Rs.1, 25,000 was raised at the end, with which a pension scheme was opened forDeviyedathi. “We had never imagined that people would respond in such an overwhelming manner to this,” said Mr. Bavakutty.

From the amount, Rs.1 lakh was deposited in a pension scheme in her name with the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) while the rest, (Rs.25,000) was given to her as a gratuity during a public function organised at the school recently. “A pension scheme for a daily-wage worker under the initiative of a school PTA would probably be the first of its kind anywhere in the State,” said Sasidharan Pullangotte, the PTA president.

“We believe that the Rs.750, though small, that would reach her as pension every month, would at least make a small difference to Deviyedathi’s life,” said the PTA president.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Jabir Mushthari / Kozhikode – January 13th, 2015

International writers’ festival to begin today

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion

Thiruvananthapuram  :

The Kafla Inter-continental’s 10th International Writers’ Festival and Indian Ruminations literary festival will begin at Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Thycaud on Saturday.

The theme of the festival is ‘Vasudhaiva Kudumbakam’ with focus on world peace and literature. The festival is jointly organized by India-Inter-continental cultural association, Chandigarh, Indian Ruminations, Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi and Shruti-the School of Music, Guwahati.

The festival will begin with a tribute to the kids who were shot dead at a school at Peshawar in Pakistan. Candles will be lit at Gandhi Smrithi Mandapam at 6.30pm to spread the message of peace.

The festival will feature discussion on book reviews, meet the author sessions, poetry symposium, paper presentations and seminars on contemporary and Indian styles of writing.

Poet Puthussery Ramachandran will inaugurate the festival at 10am on Saturday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / December 27th, 2014

Bamboo star makers of Thoppumpady

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Kochi :

Seated in a circle on the small roof of a house near Thoppumpady, Suresh and a few of his friends are making stars from ‘eetta’, a variety of bamboo known for its flexibility.

The bamboo star has now become hard to find at your average store or market. These star makers strip, bent and fasten the bamboo following specific measurements before covering the frame with tracing paper on which intricate designs have been made.

Suresh is a third generation star maker. “Making stars is not an occupation for me. I am a daily wage worker. But in the month of December, I continue with the tradition that my father taught me when I was young,” he says, pasting delicate pieces of tracing paper on reed frames.

“We are all scheduled caste Hindus. Very honestly, I know very little about Christianity, but how does it matter? It is about brotherhood and living together in harmony. Our stars are only made in the white as a symbol of peace. After all, isn’t that what Christ wanted? Peace and unity among all men?” asks Suresh’s friend Sajeevan.

Every year, they collect bamboo reeds and keep them dry. “We started working on December 5, and till now we have made about 75 stars,” said Suresh. A lot of love and labour goes into the making of these stars. The demand is high for five point stars which takes an average of eight or nine hours to make, depending on the detail and size.

“Back in the day, we didn’t have stars, we had ‘aakashavilakku’ which was hung outside our homes,” says Suresh.

An ‘aakashavilakku’ is either a pentagonal or octagonal prism with cut paper detailing, and usually around two or three-and-a-half feet in length. It took two men 15 hours to make an ‘aakashavilakku’.

Suresh says most of his orders come from churches and for events such as Cochin Carnival since most people now prefer foldable paper and plastic stars.

“Very few people make these now. Considering the man hours, a four feet star will cost around Rs 450. But since the demand is low, we sell them for Rs 300,” he says.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / December 20th, 2014

Phase-II of Mission Kochi Project

About Kerala, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Kochi :

The Kochi Corporation will launch the second phase of the ‘Mission Kochi’ project and the ‘City Beautification’ project on Tuesday.

As part of the project, a new campaign titled ‘One Kochi, One Colour’ will be rolled out.

The programme will be inaugurated by actor Mammootty at a function to be held at Njalipparambu, Fort Kochi.

“As part of the project, the Corporation authorities will enforce stringent restrictions on advertisements and flex boards in the city. A meeting will be held with representatives of the political, religious, cultural and film fields soon,” said Mayor Tony Chammany here on Monday. “The primary aim of the One Kochi One Colour project is to paint the important buildings in the Corporation limits and public spaces in the city in ‘blue’, as Kochi is described as the Queen of Arabian Sea. The paint required for the beautification project is supplied by Berger Paints, and the project will be titled Berger Paints One Kochi One Colour,” Chammany said.

He said that the official colour of Kochi will be blue, and that the public places in the city, especially the walls, will be painted blue.

We have identified Fort Kochi, which is already in a colourful mood owing to the Biennale and the Carnival, as the most suitable venue for launching the project, Chammany added.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Express News Service  / December 30th, 2014