Monthly Archives: September 2015

A nostalgic journey through Palakkad

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy releasing ‘’Nagaram Pinnitta Naalvazhikal,’ a collection of memoirs on Palakkad's last 150 years by handing over a copy to industrialist Siddique Ahmed at a function on Monday. Shafi Parambil MLA, Public Works Minister V. K. Ebrahim Kunju and municipal chairman P. V. Rajesh are also seen. —Photo: K. K. Mustafah
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy releasing ‘’Nagaram Pinnitta Naalvazhikal,’ a collection of memoirs on Palakkad’s last 150 years by handing over a copy to industrialist Siddique Ahmed at a function on Monday. Shafi Parambil MLA, Public Works Minister V. K. Ebrahim Kunju and municipal chairman P. V. Rajesh are also seen. —Photo: K. K. Mustafah

A collection of memoirs detailing the evolving of Palakkad town and its surroundings in the last 150 years was released by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at a function held here on Monday evening.

The book titled ‘Nagaram Pinnitta Naalvazhikal’ was edited by writer and activist Boban Mattumantha.

Lauding the initiative, Mr. Chandy said the book would be a reference volume for those interested in the culture and history of Palakkad. The book contains 150 articles in 13 sections. It has detailed narrations on the first tarred road in the town, first electrification drive, establishment of district hospital, operation of the first locomotive, the first college, first police station and jail.

It comprises articles by luminaries including M. T. Vasudevan Nair, O. V. Vijayan, K. G. Subrahmanyam, T. N. Seshan, P. T. Usha, Syamaprasad, Cartoonist Ravi Shankar, M.G.S. Narayanan, Raghava Warrier, Rajan Gurukkal and T. D. Ramakrishnan.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Palakkad – September 29th, 2015

Showcasing the many moods of Madayippara

About Kerala, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Travel

Kannur :

Madayippara is not just a photographer’s delight or a treasure trove of biodiversity. The laterite plateau, which changes its moods and colours according to seasons, is also a specimen as to how indiscriminate industrial activities could spell doom for a place and damage its ecology and biodiversity.

The exhibition of photographs of Madayippara and the news clippings about the place, makes a difference because it captivates not only the beauty of the place but also its history, heritage and the environmental threats it faces.

“When we hear about the place, the first picture that we get is of the bed of grass and flowers, as also the migratory birds that visit here on transit,” said P K Krishnan Master, chairman of Environmental Conservation Group (ECG), Madayi, which organized the show.

“But the real picture comes to the fore when you visit the place, because the biodiversity there is facing serious threat from the China Clay factory as well as the indiscriminate vehicular traffic there.”

This exhibition is expected to sensitize people about the importance of protecting the place, said the organizers, because it is not just the beauty of the place which is covered in the show.

“When I embarked on this mission, my aim was to bring to life not just a few picture postcard images, because it has everything ranging from history, like the remains of the Jewish pond, and also the biodiversity that attracts many migratory birds,” said photojournalist Rojith Ravindran.

However, if some strict measures are not taken to prevent the environmental degradation of the place, the biodiversity and the migratory birds that visit the place would be a thing of the past, warn the environmental activists.

The exhibition, which would be on till Tuesday, was inaugurated by K M Shaji, MLA.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kozhikode / by P. Sudhakaran, TNN / September 28th, 2015

ASI team visits ancient church

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

An eight-member team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) inspected St. Raphael’s Church, Ezhupunna, recently to examine whether the ancient church should be protected and preserved under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The church, built in 1859, has largely used features of Portuguese and Dutch architecture.

The church has been at the centre of a controversy regarding the ownership and preservation of heritage, according to sources. In 2004, a petitioner approached the Kerala Archaeology Department seeking its intervention.

The department prohibited the church authorities from demolishing the church. In 2008, the church authorities closed the church for worship claiming that it is unsafe.

In 2009, a group of people approached the court seeking directions to effect repairs. In 2010, the State government published in the gazette its intent to notify and protect the church and its compound.

The church authorities opposed the notification. The court directed the church authorities to undertake repairs under the aegis of the Archaeology Department, but the latter failed to execute repairs. The ASI intervention was sought by people then. The ASI team could not visit the church prayer hall, as it had remained closed, the sources said.

Ezhupunna church, built in 1859, was closed in 2008 following safety concerns.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Alapppuzha – September 29th, 2015

P K Rosy Award for Kaviyoor Ponnamma

Arts,Culture & Entertainment

Vijayakumari O Madhavan said that she had to face a lot of opposition from society when she had started her career in theatre. “There was a notion that women who acted in plays and films will earn bad reputation. I did not pay heed to it and went about acting in more than 10,000 plays of which I am really proud, she added.

Kerala Sthree Padana Kendram chairperson T V Seema presided over the function held at the IMA Hall. Indian Medical Association Thiruvananthapuram district president Dr R Sreekumar, Kerala Sthree Padana Kendram director P S Sreekala, secretary S Priya and treasurer V S Bindu also spoke at the occasion.

source:  http://www.newindianexpress.com /  The New Indian Express /  Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / September 28th, 2015

Public welcome first pvt reservation centre in state

Business & Economy, Records, All

Kozhikode :

The first private reservation centre ‘yatri ticket suvidha kendra’ (YTSK) of the Railways in the state, has been receiving a good response from the passengers. A good number of passengers who have visited the centre to buy Janasadharan tickets approached the centre asking inquiries about the available services at the centre.

The union government introduced the concept of YTSK to curb black marketing in the sale of railway tickets.

The centre, which is the second YTSK centre under the southern railways, will help the passengers to book and cancel all the tickets including tatkal tickets. Passengers can book AC tatkal tickets from 10.30am and non-AC from 11.30am onwards. The private reservation centre has four counters and a special counter for inquiry. The centre also has seating facilities for the passengers approaching for booking.

In case of cancellation, 50 % of the charge will be deducted and remaining amount will be refunded to the given bank account.

C E Chakkunny, working chairman, Confederation of All India Rail Users’ Association said that though the private reservation counter is helpful for passengers, the service charge of Rs 30 fixed to book sleeper class and Rs 40 for all other classes is actually high. “The railway should reduce the service charge as the existing service charged fixed to book tickets from the private reservation centres cannot be afforded by passengers. The centre is a blessing in disguise as only one counter in the fourth platform is working and another one is not operational which is causing problems to passengers during peak hours. The counters in the first platform are insufficient to meet the growing demands of passengers during the peak hours,” he said. “The railway should put up more counters and make the inactive counters functional to help the passengers to book the tickets without remitting service fee,” he said.

N Lekha, a passenger said that the centre is a blessing as the passengers can book tickets till late night and even on Sunday afternoons. “We can avoid standing in long queues at the railway station during peak hours,” she said.

Meanwhile, K K Vinod Kumar, owner of Prapanjam Tours and Travels, said that around 300 people booked their ticket on the first day. “Since the centre’s opening on Friday, on the first day the centre saw people approaching for inquiry purpose.

All the counters will be made fully functional once the number of passengers increases in the coming days. The advantage is that the railway passengers who reach the station after 7 pm can easily make advanced booking as

The centre is open till 10pm from Monday to Saturday and on Sunday, it will function from 8.30am to 8pm. The railway closes its centre at 2 pm on Sunday,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / September 27th, 2015

Philatelists exhibit unique collection of stamps in Kochi

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

Two philatelists exhibited their unique collection of stamps on the final day of an expo here yesterday.

Stamp collectors, Alok K Goyal and Atish Kumar Jain, showcased a whopping variety of 700 stamps at the ‘Coin Expo 2015’, organised by Kerala Numismatic Society in Kochi.

The collection saw stamps in unique shapes of football, fish, turtles, penguins and birds. The exhibition also showcased uniqueness in the material the stamps were printed on – from woods and clothes to metals like silver and gold.

The odd collection comprised night glow stamps and thermo-sensitive stamps, which protect them from the harmful rays of the sun.

“We are representing various world postal authorities in India. Mainly we are offering unusual stamps and coins to Indian collectors. Unusual means the stamps which are not of normal variety. Normally stamps are of rectangle shape and on paper but unusual stamps, they are of different shapes, different materials have been put on stamps. They are made of different materials. The smelling stamps, then (stamps which) glow in the night. There are various kinds of stamps. New technology people are using on stamps to increase knowledge among the people,” said Goyal.

He added that though he had presented a proposal in front of postal department of India to consider the usage of unusual stamps, he was not sure if it would be accepted as the rules are quite rigid in India.

Apart from stamps, the three-day expo also showcased coins, old currencies, medals, treasure pots and postal cards from around the world.

A huge range of coins, some dating back to third century BC and some silver coins believed to be from the era of Jesus Christ were also on display.

Coins belonging to Mughal, Chola, Nawab and British era were up for display, along with coins used in the Roman dynasty and old dynasties in China, Korea, Africa and other parts of the world.

source: http://www.newkerala.com / NewKerala.com / Home> News> India News / Kochi – September 21st, 2015

Radhika Thilak passes away

Arts,Culture & Entertainment

RadhikaKERALA26sept2015

Noted singer Radhika Thilak died here on Sunday night after battling cancer for over a year. She was 45. The death occurred around 8.30 p.m. at a private hospital in the city where she had been under treatment. She is survived by her husband Suresh, and daughter Devika. The cremation will be held on Monday.

A natural singer who made her way to tinsel town through hard work and perseverance, Radhika gave her voice to nearly 55 films in an active career spanning over a decade and more.

Her playback debut was Pachilathoni Thuzhanju composed by Berny Ignatius.

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