Don’t worry, be happy….
On a day when everyone everywhere seems to be speaking of the Ayodhya Babri Masjid case verdict, I’d like to think of rather pleasant things than those that disturb the mind…
So much of religious intolerance and so much of narrow-minded thinking going on…can’t these people do something good, something worthwhile?
Nature has no religion, no caste, no politics, no colour, no creed…It’s all man made and made more for harm than for our good…
Forget such trivial things and relish this photograph of the beautiful Kuzhipilly beach near Cherai, taken by a friend of mine….
Karmakerala wishes everyone a great day…
Kuzhippilly beach on a cloudy evening...photo: Jaz.A.Haq
Ayodhya Babri Masjid Verdict and God’s own Country!
The Ayodhya-Babri Masjid dispute issue is finally set for verdict tomorrow, on Thursday September 30, 2010. The Allahabad High Court will be making the historic judgement on this issue that has caused agony to our motherland. This issue has its own effect in our little state Kerala.
Kerala by the lakeside
Although a small state in appearance, our state has contributed big in creating terrorists in and around the country. Above all our beautiful state is known for creating a ruckus of even the smallest issues happening at the international level. It’s no wonder that the state government is on alert!
Prevention is better than cure: Kerala government is ensuring tight security throughout the state as a precautionary measure against the background of the verdict on Ayodhya case.
Some of the security measures taken include-
1. Ban orders have been declared in Kasaragod, Kannur, Malappuram, Alappuzha and Kollam districts from midnight on Wednesday.
2. Ban orders came into force in Ernakulam district from this morning.
3. Restrictions on organising of marches, meetings and demonstrations are to be declared in other districts.
4. About 30,000 policemen are proposed to be deployed by midnight to enforce the orders and maintain peace.
5. Preventive arrests are also likely.
6. Special security is being extended to important places of worship, railway stations and bus stands.
7. Armed reserves have positioned in district centres.
8. The media is warned against speculating the outcome of the Ayodhya dispute until they have a copy of the issues of the judgement by the Court and the operational part of the order.
Kerala seems to be ready to face any untoward incident that may crop up post the verdict. The Allahabad High Court announced that there are plans on making the judgment available to the people via the internet.
Let us hope the verdict finally brings peace to all and allow the Gods to rest peacefully in our ‘God’s Own Country’. 
CWG closing ceremony to be choreographed by Malayali duo
Let’s admit it. The Delhi CWG is in the news for all the wrong reasons including shabby toilets, leaking pipes and crumbling roofing structures that has invited more brickbats than bouquets from the sports fraternity. However , here is something that has come as a solace to everyone in India and Kerala in particular.
It will be indeed a cherished moment for Keralites when the 19th Commonwealth Games will be closing on 14th October with a stellar performance, choreographed by Madhu Gopinath and Vakkom Sajeev. The enterprising duo are well known choreographers and directors of Samudhra Institute of Performing Arts. Founded in 1998, Samudra has performed in 20 international stages apart from many Indian dance festivals such as Soorya Festival and Uday Sankar Satabdi Samaroh Festival, which helped them bag this coveted event.
The Five minute art piece will involve 480 martial art performers and dancers from various parts of the country. Directed by Bharth Bala, the theme of this presentation is “Fire”, which symbolises the spirit of sports and the perseverance of sports persons. It will be a spectacular ensemble of the different martial arts from various states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Nagaland well complemented by yoga and Indian dance forms.
Though the CWG started on a sour note, we can only hope that the event turn out to be a success in the days to come with a befitting closing ceremony from the talented duo from Kerala to make it a pleasant memory for everyone.
A heritage tourist trail to the archaeological city of Muziris
Explore the ancient city of Muziris ( ancient Kodungallur) and set out on a stroll to the past! The mystery shrouding Muziris was unraveled only recently by archaeologists and historians that brought to light the rich, culture and tradition of that period. The first phase of the `Rs1.4bn Muziris Heritage Project (MHP), would identify over 23 monuments of archaeological importance in and around the historic Kodungallur town. The erstwhile trading hub of Muziris had business relations with Romans , Greek and Arabs. Many religions like Judaism, Christianity, Islam and a host of world cultures in the southern Indian state are thought to have originated in Muziris. This buzzing sea port was used to bring in gold from all over the world and the traders took back pepper and spices that were grown in abundance in Kerala. The excavations in the year 2004, had shed light about the business relations of Muziris.
Muziris remained a bustling sea port and trading corridor with the outside world for more than 2,500 years and excavations have found rudiments of imported Roman amphora, mainly used for transporting wine and olive oil. The Yemeni and West Asian pottery and Indian roulette ware found in Egypt’s Berenice suggest the international importance of Muziris and the trading relations of south India with several civilizations of west Asia and Europe through the port.
When we at Karmakerala reached Muziris on a rainy afternoon, we could see many pieces of Roman coins,precious stones, pottery, storage utensils and parts of vessels that are being listed and graded to be displayed in the museum , which will be thrown open to the public in Jan- Feb. The excavated pits are under tight security now to prevent vandalism and some of the remnants have been transported to the capital city of Trivandrum to conduct further studies. We saw the spot where the remnants of the first Roman ship was discovered, which is now overrun with wild growth and bushes. There we also came across a small girl who has a sizable collection of precious stones and beads, which she said was exposed during the rains!
Kerala Tourism will greatly benefit from the tourism potential of this ancient city which would attract not just archaeologists and historians but also curious holidaymakers from all over the world.
How to reach Muziris
Approximately 27 Km from Cochin, Muziris is located at Pattanam, a small village lying between Kodungallur and North Paravur in the Periyar Delta in Ernakulam district.
Kerala Tourism on the iPad
Playing a game of solitaire on my iPad, I suddenly noticed an advert at the bottom for Kerala promoting the tourism department’s lastest ad campaign. Wow! The only problem is that as soon as I clicked through I was informed that the video was not available which negated the idea. So 8/10 for idea and 2/10 for execution.
Kerala Tourism has developed a marketing and branding strategy for Kerala which has won awards and has positioned Kerala as both a cultural and ecological haven but also a site for personal freedom and calm. Over five years they have produced a series of beautiful adverts that foreground what Kerala has to offer in a dreamy Ortenesque style.
Using iPad advertising demonstrates how up to date they are although the real issues facing Kerala’s tourism trade will need to be addressed: notably how much cheaper and popular is their neighbour Sri Lanka.
See the video below:
Your Moment is Waiting (Kerala) from Sholto Ramsay on Vimeo.
Kerala lives on lottery, land deals and liquor
Kerala has one of the highest per capita incomes in India and its living standards, infant mortality rate and life span indexes are at par with some of the developed countries in the world. A majority of the Keralites drive the latest automobiles, flaunt the latest gizmos and don trendy fashion wear. Even in villages there are not many without their own mode of transport, color televisions, music system or mobile phones.
However, the paradox is that Kerala does not have any big industries or public sector units to create employment opportunities; nor is it an agrarian society because farming has long ceased to be the main stay of Kerala. Thus the rosy picture of the life in Kerala indeed presents a highly baffling picture on the economics and its intriguing equations.
If you are wondering on the possible sources of income of Keralites to sustain a high standard of living, it was NRI remittances that drove the economy of Kerala to a large extent till a few years back. Nonetheless, with the recession hit global economy not offering much scope, Keralites have turned their gaze to other lucrative areas to mint a few quick bucks! Going by the present trend, lottery, land deals and liquor seems to be the three major sources on income for not just the Government but the local population as well.
Consider these curious facts, which are so unique to God’s own country!!
- In not many places on earth would you come across so many liquor shops that pour out heady drinks of all possible genres. From spurious to Indian made foreign liquor and the local brands of toddy, Kerala is indeed a tipper’s paradise. During festival season, the beverages corporation alone sells over 60 crores worth of liquor on a single day!
- Every third person on the road that you meet in Kerala could be a realtor agent in some form or the other. From full time land deal brokering to part time activities, land deals pump money into many a kitty in Kerala. They could be an auto driver,a shop keeper or a vegetable vendor, however they’ll put on the garb of a cheeky broker once he spots a prospective client in you and pockets a handsome brokerage in every deal irrespective of his role in the deal! Shady land deals and forest and water front encroachments happen at an alarming pace and if a stringent monitoring system is not in place, Kerala will soon be in the grab of the land mafia
- Lottery is another rather unconventional means that fill the coffers of Kerala! Being the birth place of lottery, Kerala has always been obsessed with these ‘fortune bills’ ever since these hit the stalls for the first time in the 1960s. It is estimated that there are over 35,000 authorised agents and 100,000 retail lottery sellers in Kerala extending throughout the State. However the tax eviction scams that rocked the lottery of other states, have resulted in a massive recall of lotteries. At present only Kerala lotteries are for sale and the draw is limited to one per week.
Kerala makes money the most bizarre way alright but why bother ; nobody is complaining!
Why I want the Commonwealth Games 2010 to fail!
Blogging from Kerala one of the least corrupt states of India, where law and order is also one of the best, on the Commonwealth Games fiasco and the corruption at the highest echelons of power in Delhi is deeply saddening.
At the risk of sounding unpatriotic but being totally the opposite I say I want the Commonwealth Games 2010 to fail!
Simply because I’ve had enough with corruption, the buck stops here for me. Also because, if they pull it off, somehow, the public will forget yet again lulled into complacency with a bullish market and a fabulous growth trajectory. This cannot happen again period!
Even the rain gods concur as it continues to pour in Delhi seriously worrying the Games organisers. The CWG horror has brought out into the open our deepest shame – that of Corruption! As citizens we all know about it but to actually go through it at this mega scale is a different experience altogether.
“We’re like that only”, the old guard say, but in states like Kerala we cannot agree, being a tourist paradise our state needs to catch up with the world and this has to stop.
With more news coming in on CWG and child labour issues all we can think of are a few questions no one asked when this whole thing began.
- Why did we bid for the game, again?
- Why wasn’t the private sector involved in it? Can’t imagine the difference a Ratan Tata or Vijay Mallya, Azim Premji or Infosys could have done!
- Why isn’t transparency in deals not enforced?
- How did we successfully host the Asian Games in 1982?
We also need to be asked before such huge events are taken up by the Indian government for it is our collective reputation that is at stake. I want change! Do you want the Games to fail?
A court for the children by the children
Welcome to a court with a difference. Though the procedures and proceedings and even the holidays of this court resembles those in a conventional court, the judge, the accused and the appellants are all kids and that is what makes it exceptional. This children’s court is functioning in Sneha Bhavan, the home for the destitute children in Palluruthy, in Cochin, managed by the Salesians of Don Bosco in association with the Corporation of Cochin. Here the children are given a chance to grow and integrate themselves into society by preventing them from being helpless and exploited.
This innovative law enforcement mechanism make them law abiding citizens from a very early age according to Fr. Sunny, the director of the institution. There is also a CID and police too( kid’s versions of course:) attached to the court. The kids of the institution don the roles of the magistrate, the bench clerk and advocates for both the accused and the petitioner. When the ‘judge’, K K Siju donning a black gown took his seat, pin drop silence descended on to the hall and everybody waited anxiously to hear the verdict. The case was that of a missing bath towel, which the judge promptly handed over to the CID to crack!
Some of the common complaints include leaving the dining table shabby after lunch or leaving the dinner plates unwashed, which are considered grave mistakes that could invite the maximum penalty of negative 5 points and the accused slapped with this punishment will always have a chance to place a mercy petition before the director. There are no harsh punishments unlike in the normal courts and this is what makes the children’s court really exceptional. The normal punishments include keeping the erring kids off the games for 1 hour or restraining the kids from watching TV. The kids can always seek pardon from the other boy and very often their quarrels are short lived and simple.
Bagging positive points for the good deeds come with lots of goodies and privileges. Kids who could manage to earn 75 points or more will be entitled for a joy ride in the AC Volvo buses to the airport and watching a movie in the plush multiplex of a popular mall. No wonder, kids vie to bag as many positive points as they could to enjoy the best weekend outing options on the offer and to encourage the other boys to emulate the good deeds. There is no criminal tendency in the kids of Snehabhavan and they coexist peacefully and happily; thanks to the vigilant kid’s court that has been functioning for years now!
Related post:-
Joy Ride?!
Hey...fast...am getting late for my classes....
Off we go...doing the tarzan...
So many things to learn today...well begun anyway!!
A minute before I took the last snap, the young chap was chatting away on his cellphone, hanging by one hand… Hey! Do you feel our educational institutions should train students for such things? Ha ha
From Ayurveda to Ayurvasthra
Ayurveda has been a regular feature during the monsoons of Kerala. Scores of tourists and health watchers from all over the world throng the shores of Kerala to indulge in the natural goodness of the rejuvenating therapy of Ayurveda and experience health and vitality. Dating back to over 5000 years, Ayurveda is the oldest medical system in the world. One of the therapies that is closely linked to Ayurveda in Kerala is Ayurvastra, which involves the use of garments for health solutions. These eco friendly garments made from natural fibers and herbal dyes is easy on skin and is well suited for hot and humid climatic conditions.
Ayurvastra helps the human body to shed toxins and to improve metabolism. The cloth is woven with special herbs and is permeated with oils that can cure various ailments including diabetes, skin infections, psoriasis, arthritis, rheumatism, hypertension and asthma among others and are found to enhance the immune system of the body. For best results Ayurvastra is recommended while sleeping or meditating.
No chemicals are used in any stage in the production of the cloth, which is bleached with cow’s urine, which has high medicinal value. The fabric is dyed using herbal dyes sourced from around 40 to 60 medicinal herbs, depending on the ailment. For instance the herbs used in the dye for arthritis are curry leaves and apocynceae, while persons suffering from skin ailments should wear clothes dyed using turmeric, neem and sandalwood. Developed by Charaka’s Kudipraveshika Chikitsa, this ethnic system is developed by the ancestors of the Kuzhivila family in Kerala. Trendy outfits like skirts, shirts and pants made of ayurvastra has many takers. This wellness fabric also includes home linen, shawls and yoga mats. The best part is that the herbs are long lasting and will not run if the clothes are washed with mild soap or shampoo.
A clinical trial initiated by the Ministry of Health at the Government Ayurveda College in Thiruvananthapuram has proven that Ayurvastra is effective in managing certain diseases. There are retail outlets in many places including Mattancherry, Fort Kochi, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. The products are also exported to the US, Italy, Germany, UK, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.