Monthly Archives: September 2014

The ‘Dronacharya’ who is a contract worker!

Jose Jacob. File photo
Jose Jacob. File photo

Malappuram: 

The monthly salary of Jose Jacob, a winner of the country’s highest award for coaches, the Dronacharya Award, is a mere Rs 23,000! Even now working on a contract basis is this Malayali who is the most acclaimed rowing coach in the country.

Jose, a native of Athirampuzha, Kottayam, is the rowing-kayaking coach at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Jagatpur in Odisha. He’s been serving here for the past 14 years. Even after winning the Dronacharya Award, time is not ripe for pay hike leave alone permanent posting, seems to be the attitude of the SAI.

The neglect towards Jose who was honoured by the nation should be contrasted with the fact that other coaches working on contract with SAI receives up to Rs 50,000 in monthly salary. Jose who made Odisha a rowing force to reckon with at the national level, has also moulded many international stars. Still, Jose’s salary rose to at least this much only last year. Before that it was Rs 15,000. On the heels of the Dronacharya Award came some consolation in the form of the Odisha government’s award for Best Coach worth Rs 1 lakh.

The Dronacharya Award also paved the way for the State government retracting on its stance of not awarding those who are not from Odisha. The government also doubled the cash prize from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

Jose is the sole trainer for 30 rowing stars at the Jagatpur Centre. Jose, who became the chief coach of the Indian women’s team and was selected as the Best Coach by the Indian Rowing Federation many times, landed in Odisha due to lack of opportunities in Kerala. He lives in a rented house near the Sai Centre with his wife and two children.

House rent alone costs him Rs 5,000. He has also to find expenses for the two children’s education from his income. The SAI stance is that there are 700 coaches working on contract basis all over the country and it is not feasible to give permanent posting to just one of them.

source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / OnManorama / Sports> Other Sports / by Baiju Paul / Monday – September 22nd, 2014

Honey festival gets under way in Thiruvananthapuram

A demonstration of honey extraction at the honey festival at VJT Hall in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar / The Hindu
A demonstration of honey extraction at the honey festival at VJT Hall in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar / The Hindu

Also on sale are honey products such as honey wax, soaps and facial creams, and many products with honey as their base.

Thiruvananthapuram is once again playing host to a honey festival that presents an impressive variety of honey and honey products.

The three-day festival, which got under way at VJT Hall on Tuesday, promises to provide the people of the city a rare opportunity to learn about the subtle differences between different honey varieties, their medicinal properties, and buy various honey products.

Organised by the Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists (FIA), the festival has stalls put up by apiculturists from across the State displaying hives of stingless bees, Newton bees, honey extractors, and other honey production equipment.

From sunflower honey to Coorg honey and forest honey and stingless bee honey, the types of honey on display are remarkable for their sweetness and the way they throw light on a mostly unseen facet of rural entrepreneurship in Kerala.

Also on sale are honey products such as honey wax, soaps and facial creams, and many products with honey as their base.

Students of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) have put up a stall that sells honey drink and honey laddus.

Over the coming two days, experts from the KAU, State Horticulture Mission, Horticorp, Agriculture Department, and the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, who are also the co-organisers of the festival, will conduct training sessions for beginners in apiculture.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / A Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – September 17th, 2014

The Simple #Innovation That Is Changing The Lives Of Coconut Tree Climbers

Appachan was a school dropout but had a great ability to innovate things that could be used in day to day life. He saw the struggles faced by tree climbers, especially when it came to climbing the tall coconut or areca nut trees. He decided to solve this problem by inventing a simple and innovative tree climber that makes the task of climbing a cake walk.

Here is Appacchan’s story and how he invented this

Kerala, which literally means land of the coconut palm, is synonymous with breathtaking back waters and coconut trees . Traditionally professional climbers (thandan) have been engaged by coconut planters for plucking the fruits from the top of the coconut trees.  But with time, the art of tree climbing has lost its lustre and it is now quite difficult to find such professional climbers. Late Mr. M. J. Joseph foresaw this problem and developed an innovative tree climber that makes life easier for the person.

M. J. Joseph, alias Appachan
M. J. Joseph, alias Appachan

M. J. Joseph, also known as Appachan, was a school dropout but he had an innate ability to be conscious of his surroundings and learn from the environment. He made some other innovative products like the instrument that could squeeze coconut milk and juice from fruits.  But his most popular innovation is the tree climber.

Mr. Joseph developed this device under the guidance of his father. This tree climber helps in climbing tall trees like coconut or areca nut trees.

TreeKERALA20sept2014

The Device

The palm climber consists of two metal loops that are meant for holding the legs. They have a handle at the top for hand grip and a pedal base at the bottom. The loops are put around the tree trunk on the opposite sides. The loop on either side is lifted up by the simultaneous movement of the hand and feet. By such alternate motion, one can easily climb a coconut tree in minutes.

This simple and easy-to-use device to climb up or down coconut palm, arecanut or other similar trees is handy for people untrained to climb up such tall trees, enabling to do accomplish the task swiftly and with ease. It can be very useful for even trained people. They can reduce drudgery, and climb faster using less energy. It can be used for gathering nuts or spraying pesticides. It can also be used to climb electric poles with some modifications.

Tree climber designed by Appachan.
Tree climber designed by Appachan.

 Industry Collaboration

Appachan and his tree climber bagged a prize in the farm implements category in the Second National Grassroots Technological Innovation and Traditional Knowledge Competition, organized by National Innovation Foundation (NIF-India) in the year 2001-2002. Villagers then started calling him ‘the local Spiderman’.

The utility of this device attracted Kevin Davies, a distributor of new products in USA, to place an initial order of 25 units. “The device worked perfectly. I climbed a 40-feet coconut tree very quickly and safely. I am impressed”, he wrote with satisfaction. He in fact, offered to be its distributor for North and South America.

Coupled with some basic safety devices like a harness, this device makes climbing up a straight-trunk tree or a pole quick, easy and safe. The device, with no sophisticated technology, has not only been well accepted in US, but also achieved a whopping success back home. Appachan had a workshop, St Mary’s Engineering Works, where he used to manufacture tree climbers. While he was alive, NIF-India facilitated sale of his climber to customers in USA, Maldives, Thailand, Australia, Brazil, Mexico etc., and is still trying to help his family expand the business.

Inspiration to Innovators

Appachan’s contribution is not only in inventing this particular tree climber but also in inspiring a whole lot of people to improvise, innovate and come up with their own versions of the same. Prominent among them are innovators Mushtaq Ahmad Dar of Jammu and Kashmir, who has developed a smaller pole-cum-tree-climber and DN Venkat of Tamil Nadu, who has developed a seating type tree climber.

For Technology Licensing, Technology Transfers or Collaborations, please write to- bd@nifindia.org

About the Author: Rahul Anand is interested in social innovation, enterprise and social impact. He is co-founder of Bloodaid /
source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> Innovation / by Rahul Anand / September 19th, 2014

This school in Kerala doesn’t have bags that break your child’s back

The Government LPS Tholikkode in Punalur, has already earned the title of a bag-less school as students don’t have to carry their textbooks to school.
The Government LPS Tholikkode in Punalur, has already earned the title of a bag-less school as students don’t have to carry their textbooks to school.

Kollam: 

Vishnu, Arya, Augustine, Syam and their friends are more than happy to go to school every day as they are the luckiest of school-goers in their locality. Their school does not put the “burden” of learning on their backs!

The Govt LPS Tholikkode in Punalur, has already earned the title of a bag-less school as students don’t have to carry their textbooks to school. The kids have two set of books. One, for the school, and the other,  for studies at home. “One set is given for free by the Government and the other is contributed by the PTA. For scribbling notes, 40-page books without hard covers are given, that too according to the units in an academic year,” said K.G.Abraham, Headmaster. The students are also given weightless cloth bags to carry their pens, pencils and notebooks.

The school has 349 students including those from pre-primary classes. The PTA received the honour for the best association of its kind in Kollam last year. “We are on our way to setting up   cupboards in each classroom for which we will get Rs 3 lakh from the MP’s fund. The parents are happy to see their children walking free to schools,” said V.Rajan Pillai, PTA president.

The PTA also is special in that it is the first association in the State which assembles close to students’ houses so as to ensure maximum parent participation. The students are also provided  filtered water and free meals at school. The school also teaches the basics of farming. Fifty cents of land near the school was donated by a former student for this purpose. Bananas cultivated here contributed to the side dishes of ‘Onam sadya’ at the school. The excess bananas from the farm were sold off at the local market.

The school which was set up in 1956, has also trained its 11 teachers to identify symptoms of diseases among students under the ‘disease-free childhood’ programme. The headmaster says: “It’s the class teacher who understands the child far better than the parents”.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Education / DC / Sham Mohammed / September 18th, 2014

Not another brick in the wall

A view of the main block of CDS /  Photo: Jayesh S. Pillai / The Hindu
A view of the main block of CDS / Photo: Jayesh S. Pillai / The Hindu

The book Masterpiece of a Master Architect: CDS unveils how Centre for Development Studies showcases the architectural concepts of Laurie Baker

The picturesque nine-acre campus of Centre for Development Studies (CDS) in the capital city is a masterpiece of Laurie Baker. It beautifully complements the architectural concepts of Laurie Baker, who devoted his life to design cost-effective and environment-friendly buildings. Paying homage to this critically-acclaimed work of Laurie Baker is the book Masterpiece of a Master Architect: CDS. Through sketches and photographs the book captures the magnificence and simplicity of this structure. Designed and edited by architect, visual designer and filmmaker Jayesh S. Pillai, the book is the first documentation of a work by Baker. In an interview with MetroPlus, Jayesh talks about working on the project.

Jayesh S. Pillai  / The Hindu
Jayesh S. Pillai / The Hindu

Coming on board the project

Though a draft of the book was presented in 2004 to Laurie Baker, on his 87th birthday, it was not carried forward. It was then titled ‘CDS: The Vision of a New Architecture’. But he suggested that his effort was never ‘new’, but an extension of the vernacular techniques deep-rooted in the architectural practices in Kerala.

Baker passed away in 2007. In mid-2008 I came to Thiruvananthapuram after completing my masters from IIT Kanpur. I came to know that the Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD)was looking for someone to take over this particular documentation. My friends suggested my name to P.B. Sajan, joint director of the centre. Thus I started working on it in February 2009 and finished it in seven months.

The process

Though the draft was well thought about, a lot had to be crosschecked, updated and added, especially because the campus was still evolving with the addition of new buildings. We had to digitise the original drawings as most of the early ones were made on paper.

Also, we had to match them in quality with the digitally-prepared ones. I had full access to the campus for documentation work and to photograph the campus and its structures at different times of the day in which I was helped by Aravind Ramachandran and Avirat Inamdar.

There are a whole lot of others who helped with the drawings, editing the text and giving necessary inputs. It took five years for the book to get published though.

A whole lot of people had helped me in the project, including my wife, Rutu Panchal, R.D. Padmakumar, Shailaja Nair, Prahlad Gopakumar and Shyamkumar Puravankara who edited the texts and Tilak Baker, Baker’s son.

What are your favourite aspects about CDS?

The campus brings together brick structures following the contours of the terrain, stairs winding around trees, circular and organic-shaped courtyards and roof terraces, a network of creative walkways, an exceptional seven-storied library tower and numerous interesting architectural structures.

The spaces are well designed with great concern for the natural landscape that Baker seamlessly blended with the structures that came up on the campus as the institute grew. And the jali wall patterns don’t just create a delightful play of light and shadow, they also provide well-ventilated spaces within the buildings.

Jali wall patterns at CDS create a delightful play of light and shadow /Photo: Jayesh S. Pillai / The Hindu
Jali wall patterns at CDS create a delightful play of light and shadow /Photo: Jayesh S. Pillai / The Hindu

 

Jali wall patterns at CDS create a delightful play of light and shadow / Photo: Jayesh S. Pillai / The Hindu
Jali wall patterns at CDS create a delightful play of light and shadow / Photo: Jayesh S. Pillai / The Hindu

Why is it considered one of the landmark structures of Baker?

It was perhaps the perfect chance for him to display his ideas and philosophy to a larger community. The campus not just demonstrates Baker’s love for nature-friendly and cost-effective architecture, but also illustrates his artistic genius. The campus stands testament to sustainable approach in architectural practices, still inspiring architects and students around the globe.

However, why hasn’t Baker’s architecture gained wide acceptance?

He has left behind a legacy with his bold and distinctive attitude towards the style that he developed (or adapted, as he would say). Even though many architects within and outside India try to adopt his philosophy, unfortunately, many still have misconceptions about the ‘Baker Style’, especially in failing to understand that he advocated cost-effective (and energy-efficient) and not simply low-cost architectural practices. As I understand, one of the focal points in his philosophy would be that an architect should not blindly adopt these techniques and practices, but adapt them to the prevailing environmental and social conditions, and their context.

In retrospection

This is the first published work that I have designed entirely. So it was a learning process for me.

I had gone through many of Baker’s drawings, paintings and sketches during the time I spent at COSTFORD. So I was able to incorporate certain visual elements in the book as a homage to him, especially the recurring mango patterns that is noticeable in his works.

The book has been published by COSTFORD and Laurie Baker Centre for Habitat Studies (LBC).

Wordsmith and artist

Jayesh S. Pillai, who hails from the capital city, is an assistant professor in Design Discipline at Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur. An alumnus of Sainik School and College of Engineering Trivandrum, he did his masters from IIT Kanpur. He has a doctorate in virtual reality from Arts et Métiers ParisTech, France. Jayesh, a registered architect, is a short filmmaker as well. While his films have been selected for short films festivals in Kerala and outside, the work Beyond was selected to the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner 2011.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Athira  M / Thiruvananthapuram – September 17th, 2014

The CUISINE connection

chat Essie Sassoon’s book on the food of Cochini Jews, Spice and Kosher, is a rare amalgamation of the histories and tastes of Israel and Kerala

EssieSassoonKERALA16sept2014

Essie Sassoon remembers her early Sabbaths as a child in Kochi’s Jew Town. The women of Mattancherry’s Jewish community spent the day before Sabbath making hamin , a rice and chicken dish with carrots and tomatoes. “Each family would make their pot of hamin and take it to our puthen veedu (Sassoon Hall, now David Hall) where there was a large porna (oven), in which the hamin would be stored for 24 hours,” she says. On Sabbath day, when fires are forbidden to be lit, the hamin made for their sumptuous lunch. Memories such as these, pepper the pages of Essie’s book on the unique cuisine and customs of the Cochini Jews — Spice and Kosher .

Kosher, Essie explains, is food that abides by the boundary of Jewish laws. Important among them are the complete separation of meat and dairy products in both cleaning and cooking, and the ritual slaughter of animals for meat. “Since Kosher meat was available to us only when it came from Mumbai, Cochini Jews had a largely vegetarian or fish-based diet.”

Jewish cuisine here also varies from traditional fare in that it had appropriated into its everyday the many spices of Kerala. “We use cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, saffron, and even garam masalain our cooking.” Thus, the 200-odd recipes in Essie’s book, co-authored with Bala Menon and Kenny Salem, trace this unusual amalgamation of Kerala and Israel through history, stories and recipes.

Israel has been home to Essie from 1973. As a 33-year-old gynaecologist, trained in Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai, Essie was practising in Kozhikode, when she was moved to volunteer her services to the Yom Kippur War. “My sister was in Israel then. Those were tough days and I knew the hospitals there needed help. So I went, convinced that I would return soon,” says Essie. Her half-year sabbatical from Kozhikode was spent working with a French doctor at Tel HaShomer Hospital. “He knew no English; I knew no French, but we managed! I also had to learn to speak Hebrew, because till then, I’d only said Hebrew prayers,” she recalls. Later, Essie shifted to a hospital in Ashkelon, a city in southern Israel. After almost four decades of service there, she retired in 2011. Soon after, her friend from Kochi, Kenny, visited her from Canada with journalist Bala requesting she document her history. Thus was born Spice and Kosher .

“I’ve always loved cooking!” says Essie. “I come to Kerala every two years and take spices back with me, always. In Israel too, the Cochini Jewish community cooks like we used to here.” In the city now for her month-long visit, Essie says Spice and Kosher is organised according to the various Jewish festivals and the foods associated with them — from Rosh Hashanah (Jewish new year) and Day of Atonement, to the Feast of Tabernacles, Simhath Torah, Purim, Hanukkah (Festival of Lights), and the Passover. The Passover, for instance, is marked by food that has not been fermented, made in special utensils designated for it. “So we make unleavened bread, called matzah , for which the men used to knead the dough, while the women opened it out and baked it,” says Essie. It was a community affair with much hymn-singing while the bread baked over an oven of coconut shells.

On the 14th day of the Passover, called Seder, the community makes a thick jam-like syrup garnished with walnuts called charoset . Essie’s book holds the instructions for Cochin charoset , a special two-day long recipe by her sister Rachel Roby. Daily cooking at Jewish homes here involves the staplekadathala pastel — a rice flour wrapping stuffed with egg, potatoes and mint leaves — served with a fenugreek ( uluva ) dip. Another regular is the yayin wine, homemade with boiled raisins soaked in sugar and turned for a month until fermented right. Special occasions such as weddings and anniversaries called for a traditional Malabari biriyani, often prepared by an invited Muslim chef, informs the book. “Back in Benyamina, in Israel, my sister still makes this biriyani for over a hundred people,” says Essie.

Spice and Kosher combines the culinary wisdom of over 30 members from the Cochini Jewish community, many of whom are now back in Israel. While Essie sought out these recipes and anecdotes from 2011 onward, it was Bala and Kenny who ordered and framed it into a book. With the book now complete, Essie spends her days at her Pilates class, as well as with her folk dancing group every Sunday with her Israeli friends, just as she has for the last 20 years.

Spice and Kosher was published by Tamarind Trees Books earlier this year, and can be bought from online retailers.

ESTHER ELIAS

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Esther Elias / December 14th, 2013

Now, actor markets organic produce

Kochi :

When buyers and sellers from several countries converge here in November for ‘BioFach India together with India Organic 2014’, a niche trade fair on organic products in India, to scout for organic products, actor Sreenivasan will have something to offer. The harvest from 40-acre paddy fields near his house in Kandand near Tripunithura will be up for grabs.

Sreenivasan says the move is not to make profits. Rather, it is an attempt to promote agriculture and marketing. “I started paddy cultivation not for profit. The land that we took on lease has been lying barren for the last two decades. If we run it profitably, the original owners of the land may return to agriculture,” he said.

As of now, many have abandoned agriculture as they cannot profit from it. “Marketing is a major headache for farmers. The organizers of ‘BioFach India together with India Organic 2014’ have offered to help us in marketing paddy from our field,” said Sreenivsan.

“Major buyers of organic products from countries such as Germany will be attending the fair. They are interested in the promoting organic farming in Kerala. They seem to be attracted by the lush and fertile land of Kerala,” he said.

But Sreenivsan aired concerns on huge rates charged for organic products in the state. “Gandhagasala, a major brand of organic rice produced in the state, is priced at Rs 400 per kg. Such high prices drive buyers away. Middlemen are profiting by selling products under the cover of organic products,” he said.

The organizers have also plans to make Sreenivasan the brand ambassador of the organic movement in Kerala. The actor said the discussions were at a preliminary stage.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / September 14th, 2014

Sree Padmanabha to be offered banana bunches

Thiruvananthapuram  :

For the first time, Onam special banana bunches will be offered to the presiding deity at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple on the Uthradam day on Saturday. Following that on Thiruvonam on Sunday, Onavillu offering will be held. Additional security arrangements are in place for the Onam festivity at the temple.

“On the Uthradam day, banana bunches will be offered to the Lord by the temple staff and by the devotees. It will be followed by the customary ritual of ‘Onavillu Charthal’ held every year on the Thiruvonam day,” temple administrative committee chairperson and additional judge KP Indira said.

The banana bunch offering will be held from 8am to 11am on Saturday for which the devotees are expected to get a ticket worth Rs 20. It is left the devotees to decide on the number of bunches that they wish to offer, said temple executive officer KN Satheesh.

On Sunday, ‘Onavillu charthal’, the dedication ceremony of offering the ceremonial bows to the deity, will be held symbolising the birthday of Lord Mahavishnu. Onavillu will be brought in through the South gate of the temple. The Nambi priest will offer it to Sree Padmanabhaswamy.

“Security arrangements at the temple will be fool-proof with bollards and blockers to regulate the vehicular traffic. An additional posse of 200 security force personnel will be deployed around the temple precincts for six days till September 11,” city police commissioner H Venkatesh told TOI.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / September 06th, 2014

Global Facilities at Hospitals Turn Malabar Into Medical Tourism Hub

An Arab patient, Mohammed Ahammed, being treated at Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences, Kozhikode | T P Sooraj
An Arab patient, Mohammed Ahammed, being treated at Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences, Kozhikode | T P Sooraj

Kozhikode :

Musabah Saeed Khalfan Al brought his younger brother Mohammad Saeed Khalfan all the way from Oman to Kozhikode to check the accuracy of a diagnosis report which they had received from a leading hospital at their native place.

After a thorough check up at the  Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) here he was told that the doctors in Oman had made a mistake with the original diagnosis and his brother was not suffering from cancer.

“Praise to lord, this diagnosis report is such a huge relief for us,” said Musabah Saeed Khalfan after consulting the doctor.

“I am thankful for the facilities and expert doctors available here,” he said.

Musabah’s is not an isolated case. Doctors of many major private hospitals in North Malabar come across several such patients, especially, those from the Middle East who come here to verify the diagnosis made by the doctors back home or else for treatment due to the better facilities available here.

For the Arabs, North Kerala is turning out to be a healthcare hub as almost all the leading private hospitals here offer special treatment facilities, international desks, international waiting lounge, exclusive wards or rooms for them. When contacted Dr R Bijayaraj, convenor of the Academy of Family Physicians of India(AFPI) Kerala chapter, he said the cost of treatment and assured quality are the two significant elements that attract foreign patients to Kerala. At a time when they have to pay `25,OOO for an MRI scan in gulf countries we charge only `4,OOO, which they find to be affordable.”

Saleh Mohammed Hussein from Yemen, baby Mallak from Oman and Hassan Abdulla Yusuf Al from Bahrain are the patients who came to Kerala after learning about the medical facilities available here through word of mouth.

“Appropriate advices at all the stages of the caring process is new to me. Hence, I prefer coming to the Malabar region for treatment,” said Mohammed Ahammed from UAE. Al Shifa Hospital at Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district is another big hospital which caters to a huge influx of foreign patients.

“Patient satisfaction is an important dimension of healthcare sector.

“Since our departments have Arab as well as African patients the total revenue of the hospital increases by `3.5 to 4 Crore annually,” said NP Muhammadali, manager of the Department of Overseas Operation in Al Shifa.

“Though treatment facilities for the foreigners were available at MIMS hospital during its initial years, the international desk got into full swing from 2006 onwards,” said Georgiana Vandana, deputy manager of Medical Value Travel, MIMS Hospital.

“Every day our doctors have at least 30 Arab patients for consultation,” she said adding that Medical tourism in the state has emerged as the fastest growing segment of tourism industry.

Family members or those who accompany the patient are also fascinated by the old world charm of Malabar region and make it a point to visit various tourist spots while the patient undergoes treatment.

There is an increase in the number of patients over years.

According to Georgiana Vandana, 45 percent of the hospital’s total revenue is from the international desk. Similar facilities are available at Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Lakeshore and Lourde Hospital in southern part of the state.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Aswathi Krishna / September 12th, 2014

Nedumprayar Palliyodam Wins Mannam Trophy

The procession of palliyodams held prior to the Aranmula Uthrittathi water festival on Wednesday
The procession of palliyodams held prior to the Aranmula Uthrittathi water festival on Wednesday

Pathanamthitta  :

Nedumprayar won the Mannam Trophy in the race of palliyodams held as part of the annual Aranmula Uthrittathi water festival in the Pampa river in Aranmula on Wednesday.

Edakulam palliyodam bagged the Mannam Trophy in the B batch of small category snake boats.Chennithala won the R Sankar Trophy for the most decorated palliyodams, while Edayaranmula East, in the A batch, and Vanmazhi, in the B batch, bagged the Rajapramukhan Trophy, instituted in the name of former head of Travancore royal family Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma.NSS president P N Narendranathan Nair handed over the Mannam trophy to the winners. Palliyoda Seva Sangham president Professor Sankaranarayana Pillai and secretary Ratheesh R Mohan were present the occasion.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / September 11th, 2014