Aug 04th
A buried past, a curious future
The Dutch Cemetery in Fort Kochi is as an important legacy of the historical vicissitudes of our colonial past
The ancient Dutch Cemetery in Fort Kochi, the oldest European cemetery in India, is a tell-tale reminder of Dutch lives lost in their quest for trade and expansion. Every tombstone has a story of a historic past, of pride, of power.
The Dutch, through the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or the VOC) stepped on the shores of this port city in the early 1660s. In 1663 they managed to capture the fort and port from the Portuguese who had been there from 1505 onwards. In 1795, the English captured the fort from the Dutch.
The Portuguese had their hospital and cemetery on the west of the Parade Ground, writes K.L. Bernard in his History of Fort Cochin. A Catholic cemetery was taboo to the Dutch and they decided to erect a separate one for them, which is located between the Lighthouse and Bank House.
A small, square plot enclosed with high walls within which are tombs – ‘flat, dome and pyramid shaped – occasionally diversified by broken pillars, urns and sarcophagi, all more of less blackened by exposure, the grass rank and wild, here and there lost sight of among bushes of a beautiful orange flowered weed that infests these parts,’ is how Charles Allen Lawson describes the cemetery in his British and Native Cochin (1861).
Nothing seems to have changed. The date 1724 is engraved on an entrance pillar, the gates seem to be locked forever, the tombs are overrun by wild growth, and the thick walls plead for a whitewash.
The 104 tombs, records say, are constructed in typical Dutch architectural style with inscriptions in ancient Dutch script.
“Sadly, this cemetery is not a monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It is still managed by the Church of South India (CSI), which also manages the historic St. Francis Church near by. The cemetery is one of the few surviving Dutch structures, a footprint of their presence in Fort Kochi. Once in a while, when grants are doled out some cleaning up is done. It is then left to the mercy of the elements,” says K.J. Sohan, former Mayor of Kochi and member, INTACH.
In the cemetery lay buried many Dutch governors, commanders, officials, gents and ladies who died in Cochin.
In fact, the British preserved this as a monument for the Dutch. According to T. W. Venn, who published the book St. Francis Church, Cochin, the last person who was laid to rest in this cemetery was Captain Joseph Ethelbert Winckler. His burial took place in 1913.
“The cemetery is the graveyard of war heroes and a memorial in tears for the brave hearts that came here in their sailing boats. Many are the soldiers and officers that lay buried here,” says M.A. Aboobacker, cultural activist.
When the British took over Fort Cochin, arrangements were made twice for the Dutch to leave Cochin, but they refused, preferring to stay on under British rule. “Their gravestones in the cemetery stand testimony to this. Stories have been added to history through ages; for example the Cochin Raja’s palace in Mattancherry is called ‘Dutch Palace’ when it has nothing to do with the Dutch, in terms of architecture or occupation, except that the VOC gave the Raja some fund for its renovation,” informs Dr. Anjana Singh, whose research on Fort Cochin’s Dutch connection is the premise of her book Fort Cochin in India (1750-1830): The Social Condition of a Dutch Community in an Indian Milieu.
But for Bernard this ‘chivalry yard’ was always uncared for and a safe haven for anti-socials. According to him the Dutch were ‘vandals, plunderers and destructors’ who did nothing for the cultural progress of the natives. They did not construct anything new in Fort Cochin, as most of the buildings were empty when they came as the people had left the town in fear. Their only interest was to amass wealth, which they did ruthlessly. So, Bernard writes, the sole remembrance is gate and the cemetery where the leaders lay buried. And ‘a mausoleum is unwarranted’.
“Bernard is right and wrong,” feels Sohan. “Right because all that the Dutch did was to pull down structures, churches, monasteries and converted them into warehouses. They brought down Fort Manuel and built a small fort in its place. The cemetery was inside the fort, close to the Holland Bastion, one of the eight bastions in the fort. And till recently when the boat landing place was close to the cemetery it reeked of rotten fish, it was dirty and refuge for anti-socials.”
However, Sohan considers it as an important monument that needs to be preserved. “One of the lasting contributions of the Dutch was the Hortus Malabaricus. I find a link between the need for the publication of this work and the cemetery. A large number of Dutch people lost their lives to tropical diseases and were buried in this cemetery. Looking around they found that it was only their people who fell prey to these diseases, while the natives survived. That’s what prompted the Dutch to call Itti Achuthan, a well-known Ayurveda physician who authenticated the contents of this classic work prepared with the assistance of European and native scholars.”
The few visible tombs show that the layers of plaster on the laterite stones of the tombs have withered off. The church authorities are finding it tough getting it rid of weeds and keeping the place clean.
“There should be a concerted effort to maintain this heritage. The place needs a facelift. The walls of the fort, which is now buried, needs to be dug out and re-built. After all Fort Kochi gets its name from this fort. The tombs must be plastered, a pathway, proper landscaping can all be done to turn this into a tourist attraction. The inscriptions and other information on the tombstones can reveal a lot more on the history of the Dutch in Fort Kochi,” feels Sohan.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus / K. Pradeep / Kochi – August 05th, 2016
Aug 02nd
Aug 01st
Doors open to tales of a century
There is a room in the 120-year-old Kavalaparambil family home at Konthuruthy, Thevara, whose walls have heard the first cries of seven newborns. The non-descript little room bears the enormity of the seminal births in the quiet elegance of a polished four poster bed, a chest of drawers and a cupboard that came as dowry. It is positioned at the centre of the house and is the coolest room.
Of the 10 family children who grew up in the large and spacious house, it has come to be in the hands of the youngest, Sash George, Applications Development Manager, Microsoft in Dallas, Texas.
In its romantic vicissitudes the house saw many changes, faced many hard and happy times and has opened as a service villa replete with tales of a century.
Sitting over old style tea service in a western style open kitchen, a later day addition, savouring traditional vattappams and kozhukattas hark back to a time when this would have been the scene, decades ago, with children hovering over tea and hot snacks. Sash and his brother recount the frisson in the kalavara, the storeroom that was added on by their father. “It held a wooden trunk to store rice. My mother would have the snacks placed there and as children we would run to open the box,” says Sash. Today, the storeroom remains much the same but the kitchen has changed into an open one looking on to a wide corridor that loops the house.
The area, before the family houses, three of them, came up, had several ponds, water bodies and was swampy. Mango trees grew in large numbers. There was a pond for bathing, one for drinking and one for fermenting coconut leaves. The house was built by Sash’s grandfather, Kochu Varkey, a man with a taste for fine living, as is seen by the art pieces he made on the walls. The house bears evidences of his artistry and of his faith.
Before the road came up to the house in 1976 and changed the entrance to the house, the main thoroughfare was the water body. Boats brought people up to the edge of the land on which stood the house. “When my grandmother’s arrival was announced a chair used to be put on the skiff and was sent to bring her,” says Sash who is in the process of collating photographs and incidents of yore “for the sake of the future”. If one ventured to arrive at the house on land it was through 16 or 17 turns, says Sebastian, Sash’s older brother, a former Sr. Manager with LIC and one who takes care of the house after it opened itself to hospitality.
Much of the grandeur of the house comes from its simple architecture, a fusion of European and traditional style. It was one of the few two-storied houses in Ernakulam in its time. Two rooms atop two rooms encircled by breeze ways or wide corridors remains its main form. Rooms were added, but not ad-hoc, to the house, as realities changed. The area around was paved. Earlier, the house had no attached bathrooms and these were added as European habits replaced traditional lifestyle. A shed with cows was a sign of wealth and it existed for a long time. The area was quiet and wooded. Sounds and sightings of birds and tree animals were common. As the family grew and moved away the house was closed down for nearly eight to 10 years, until Sash, nostalgic and faraway in America, decided to bring alive his heritage.
“The family elders used to talk so often about a flood that saw the verandas of the house accommodate the affected people. It was called the flood of 99, in the Malayalam year. There are lots of memories around this house,” he says.
Today, memories arise from the preserved utensils and objects, from the shiny brown baby cot, the inscribed wooden bowl, old doors, measuring bowls, trunk, vase, jars and such. A photograph of Kochu Varkey hangs with pride. The delicately restored house has now all modern facilities in the new wing with two rooms and attached baths.
In its new mode, Kavalaparambil, now Lake County Heritage Home, offers guests the best of both worlds, the delicately preserved past and the swiftly changing present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus> Society / Priyadershini S / Kochi – July 29th, 2016
Conquering disabilities by breaking records
Thiruvananthapuram :
City-based genius Prasanth C, who recently entered the India Book of Records for his memorisation skills, has broken his old record. This time, the differently-abled youngster recalled the days for the most number of dates given within the timeframe of a minute earning him an entry into the Asia Book of Records. The record breaking feat was held on Thursday at Hotel Hycinth in the city.
Those who attended the event included former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, noted magician Gopinath Muthukad and Asia Book of Records representative L Franklin Herbert Das among others.
The youngster earned the title by writing down the days for a set of seven random dates with the particular year, all in 45 seconds. Speaking about the record-breaking feat, Franklin, Asia Book of Records said, “It gives me great privilege to be part of this event. Youngsters like Prasanth are unique in the sense that they have high focus on a particular innate ability. He is a great learner and his parents have been supporting him immensely by providing him with the best of resources.”
Besides being visually impaired, Prashanth suffers from speech and hearing impairment. He also has a congenital heart defect.
However, in spite of these problems, the youngster has a number of wonderful skills. Apart from having a photographic memory to recall the days for random dates in the Gregorian calendar, he has the ability to calculate the exact temperature of any particular place he stands on.
The 19-year-old youngster is also talented in the keyboard and can play the instrument using only his right hand. His parents Chandran and Suhita as well as his elder sister Priyanka are equally overjoyed as Prashanth now adds another feather to his cap. Priyanka says, “I can’t describe my happiness. Now that he has entered the Asia Book of Records, he plans to compete for other record titles, especially the Guinness Book of World Records. I hope that he will achieve more.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / July 29th, 2016
Pope names 2 bishops for expats in Europe
Kochi :
Pope Francis has appointed two new bishops for expatriate Syro-Malabar Christians in Europe. Fr Joseph Srampickal of the Pala diocese has been appointed bishop of the newly-formed diocese in Britain, while Msgr Stephen Chirapanath of the Irinjalakkuda diocese has been appointed apostolic visitator to the whole Europe.
The announcement in this regard was made on Thursday simultaneously at Mount St Thomas, headquarters of the Church, and in Vatican.
Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangat, Irinjalakkuda Bishop Mar Pauly Kannookakadan and Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop Mar Jose Puthenveetil were also present. After the announcement, Syro-Malabar Church head Mar George Cardinal Alencherry adorned the bishop-elects with episcopal insignia.
Born to Srampickal Mathew and Elikutty of Urulikunnam under the Pala diocese, Fr Srampickal had his seminary formation at the Good Shepherd Seminary, Pala, and pursued philosophical studies at St Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor. Fr Srampickal was ordained priest on August 12, 2000, by Bishop Joseph Pallikkaparampil.
He had his schooling at Valiyakottaram LP School, St George’s UP School and St Joseph’s High School Vilakumadam.
Later, he pursued Pre-degree and PG at Pala St Thomas College, and went on to pursue BEd and MEd. In addition, he secured Masters Degree in Oriental Theology from Oxford University. He had served as teacher at the Eparchial Minor Seminary, Pala; Mar Ephrem Formation Centre; and Pala St Thomas Training College.
He is the founder-director of Cherpunkal Mar Sleeva Nursing College and Mount Nebo Retreat Centre, Wagamon. He had also served as secretary of the Eparchial Medical Education Trust, Pala, and as secretary to Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt. Later, he was appointed vice-rector of the Pontifical Urban College De Propaganda Fide, Rome.Fr Srampickal had pastoral ministry at St Alphonsa Parish, Kankanady, Karnataka, and in England during his studies.
Fr Stephen Chirapanath, who has been appointed the apostolic visitator for Europe, has been serving in Rome as the procurator of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and coordinator for the Syro-Malabar faithful in Italy for the last five years. He is also a member of the Presbyteral Council of the diocese of Rome, representing priests serving migrant communities from different countries.
Msgr Chirapanath was born to Kavalakkattu Chirapanath Paul and Rosy on December 26, 1961, at Puthenchira under the Irinjalakkuda diocese. After schooling, he had his minor seminary formation at St Mary’s Minor Seminary, Thope.
He pursued philosophical and theological studies at St Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor. He was ordained priest on December 26, 1987, by Bishop Mar James Pazhayattil.
After ministry as assistant parish priest at St Mary’s Forane Church, Chalakudy, and St Joseph’s Church Aloor; and Father Prefect at St Paul’s Minor Seminary, Msgr Chirapanath was sent to Rome for higher studies. He secured Doctorate in Moral Theology from Alphonsian Academy under the Lateran University.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Express News Service / July 29th, 2016
LEARN TO LEARN – India’s largest education technology startup was built by an engineer who aced CAT for fun—twice
Byju Raveendran has always been a self-learner.
As a child, he says, he taught himself English. His school in Kerala’s Azhikode village used Malayalam, the local language, as the medium of instruction.
Years later, those self-learning techniques came handy when Byju appeared for the Common Aptitude Test (CAT) in 2003, the demanding entrance exam for the elite Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). He aced the test with a 100 percentile—twice—but didn’t bother to join any IIM. Instead, the mechanical engineer turned around and took up teaching.
Byju, 35, is now using those tried-and-test self-learning skills to expand what is already India’s largest education technology startup: Think and Learn, which owns the Byju’s Learning App.
The app has audio-video and animation tools to teach math, science, and logic to around 200,000 school and college students. The app is gaining around 30,000 new users every month, according to Byju.
This March, his company raised $75 million (Rs505 crore) from Sequoia Capital and the Belgian investment firm, Sofina. This was one of the largest fund-raising in the education startup segment in India.
On July 24, the company said it is in final talks to raise another $50 million from investors.
“The freshly-raised funds will be deployed to fuel international expansion and inorganic growth through global acquisitions,” a release from Think and Learn said.
CAT for kicks
Byju’s parents wanted him to become a doctor. But he joined the Government College of Engineering, Kannur, in northern Kerala.
In 2003, during a vacation, he visited some friends in Bengaluru who insisted that he take a shot at the CAT. “My friends knew I had my own set of hacks and tricks when it came to math, and they asked why don’t I give it a try,” he recalled. CAT is an unavoidable nightmare for those seeking admission to the top B-schools of India.
Byju appeared for the test and ended with a 100 percentile. Two years later, he appeared for CAT again “just to check if it wasn’t a fluke.” The result was the same.
His teaching career began sometime in 2006. Byju’s first informal session in Bengaluru, with friends and others, had 40 participants. In six weeks, he was dealing with crowds of almost 1,000 students. His weekend workshops became so popular that soon students from Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune were dropping in. He began charging a small fee and turned it into a full-time job.
“One day I was in Pune, the next day in Mumbai, and the third in Delhi,” Byju said. He even held his workshops in stadia with around 10,000 students attending his session at a time.
Till 2011, he continued the “running around.”
That year, he founded Think and Learn, the company that owns the Byju’s app. Some of the best students from his workshops—many of them IIM graduates by now—joined him. His initial focus was only preparations for management entrance tests and the civil services exams.
“I was a teacher by choice and an entrepreneur by chance,” he said. “It just took off.”
Catching them young
Byju’s focus is simple: change the way students learn.
That’s key in Asia’s third-largest economy where educational outcomes are often based on rote-learning and geared simply towards scoring in exams. Practical knowledge or application is seldom the priority. Not surprisingly, many students can’t perform (pdf) basic math problems or read full sentences even at the third or fourth-grade level.
“After speaking to some of the brightest students, I realised that most of them, unfortunately, study only because of the fear of exams. They are taught to solve a problem but aren’t enabled to find a problem,” explained Byju, now father to a two-year-old.
He realised that if his strategy of self-learning was adopted in early years at school, it could potentially create a huge impact.
“You learn the best when you learn on your own,” Byju said. The videos on the app don’t need any guidance from teachers, students can watch and learn by themselves. The app also incorporates quizzes and games involving other students.
The massive Indian education sector, with over 315 million school students, has quickly become his target audience. The school vertical, which covers grades 4 through 12, is now bringing in 90% of Think and Learn’s revenue. In June 2016 alone, Byju’s app generated Rs30 crore.
The average annual subscription cost per student is Rs10,000.
Sustainable business models
Education technology firms in India don’t exactly have a stellar track record.
Unlike the relatively new internet businesses such as e-commerce and taxi-hailing services, education technology firm have been around in India for over two decades. But most failed to sustain their business models.
For instance, the BSE-listed Educomp, which provides schools with digital products and online solutions, is unprofitable and under massive debt —Rs3,056.99 crore as of Sept. 2015. In January 2016, its lenders were considering acquiring a majority stake in the firm, the Mint newspaper reported.
However, analysts believe demand for technology in education is still high. In India, this market is expected to be over $70 billion by 2017, with the kindergarten-to-grade 12 range estimated to comprise around 40% of this.
“India’s education system is pretty weak, so there is a lot of demand for technology companies to do something extraordinary. But the problem is that none have so far succeeded in monetising from edu-tech businesses in India,” said Yugal Joshi, practice director at Texas-based management consultancy Everest Group. “There is immense scope for any entrepreneur who can develop a sustainable business that has the potential to make money.”
Joshi believes the newer generation of edu-tech companies like Byju’s have certain advantages over the older ones like Educomp. Much of that has to do with increased smartphone penetration in India and cheaper internet.
The road ahead
Byju, however, wants to look beyond India now. Currently, his app is also available in the Middle East. Over the next few months, it will enter the US, UK, and other Commonwealth countries.
But, back home, some challenges still persist.
For one, Byju admits that since credit card penetration is pretty low, Think and Learn relies heavily on the fintech industry for payments. He wants to start monthly subscriptions, but that’ll only be possible with the availability of other digital payment channels with huge reach.
Besides, it needs to scale up, while constantly focusing on innovation.
“Technology will keep changing, and we need to adapt,” Byju said.
source: http://www.qz.com / Quartz / Home / by Madhura Karnik & Itika Sharma Punit / July 27th, 2016
Scent of a soy candle
Mary Abraham and Sona Vaidyan of Asoy Candles cast light on the benefits of handmade soy wax candles
Enterprising aunt and niece Mary Abraham and Sona Vaidyan, both of them Australia-based Malayalis, can’t stop waxing lyrical about soy candles, the hep thing in home décor these days. “Soy candles are made of soy wax, which in turn is processed from soybean oil and are thus much less toxic than paraffin candles that are made from hydrogenated petroleum,” explains Sona. “As such, soy candles are clean burning; they burn slower and last longer; they do not leave a soot residue nor do they have a petrol-like scent,” she adds. Smelling an opportunity the duo launched Asoy Candles in Australia back in January and quickly came up roses for their artisanal soy candles in a jar. Asoy Candles is now available in India.
“Each Asoy Candle represents the memory of those in your heart,” writes Mary, an airlines professional based in Sydney. “I learnt to make candles from a professional candle maker; I enjoy making them because I find it therapeutic. My hobby soon became a passion and I felt the need to expand,” she says. Meanwhile, in Melbourne, Sona, a homemaker, was a huge fan of scented candles. She read an article about the chemicals used in incense and normal candles and started researching about alternative materials, particularly those made of soy. “I started making customised soy candles for friends and for their kids’ birthday parties. Everyone liked the candles and started ordering more. My aunt and I combined knowledge and resources to start Asoy,” explains Sona.
The duo says that all their candles are made from pure soy wax; the wicks are 100 per cent cotton and they use only natural colours. “The materials are all from Australia. Each candle is handmade. The glass jars are reusable,” says Mary
One of Asoy top-selling scents is citronella, which is a natural oil extracted from the citronella plant. “Citronella is a natural insect repellent,” says Sona. Lemongrass, meanwhile, is “an uplifting fragrance” known for its anti-depressant properties and Lavender is known for its calming properties. They also have scented candles of eucalyptus, English rose, vanilla and others based on designer fragrances. “Each new fragrance is brought out after careful research and trial. We can customise the candle jar by adding messages, if it is a party order (10 or more),” explains Sona.
Prices start from Rs. 700 and can be ordered online through Asoy’s Facebook page for delivery anywhere in India.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / Nita Sathyendran / Thiruvananthapuram – July 27th, 2016