Cochin Twestival 2010 – A meet up of tweeters of Kerala
Published March 26, 2010 | It was yet another festivity in the city of Cochin last day with the cities avid tweeters converging at ‘Somewhere Else Cafe’ for the much awaited ‘Cochin Twestival 2010′ – A meet up of the twitter community in the state. This one-of-its kind Twestival is the second global Twestival which apart from Cochin was hosted in many other cities across the country including Banagalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Goa on the same day. This years Twestival happens to be the first ever Twestival in Cochin with the celeb guest ‘Archana Kavi’ (Neelathamara fame) gracing the event.
The event was coordinated by a team of young lads all from different fields and cities who with their hard work and efforts pulled up all the needed for the Twestival. Sajan Mani (@vmsajan), an organizer of Cochin Twetival 2010 (@cochintwestival ) addressed by telling how he along with few other gang members worked out day and night to make this dream come true. He even narrated his experience behind the Twestival and how last year no one showed up but this year the Twestival turned out to be a great event for Cochin. Sajan also added that, many rock bands including an international band had agreed to perform for free. But due to lack of venues and sponsors they had to drop the idea. He even expressed his gratitude for the support he got from few people who made this happen. Firstly he thanked the owner of ‘Somewhere Else’ Cafe, who agreed to lend the cafe free along with free welcome drink for the guests of Twestival. While DJ Arvee (@djarvee) also voluntarily preformed for the Cochin Twestival.
The Twestival was attended by quite a decent number of people from across the state, you can find them at http://tweeple.in/compare/1/. Twestival also supported the cause for under-privileged with the help of Concern Worldwide by generating funds for them using social media as the platform. The celebrity guest Archana Kavi (@archanakavi) remained the center of attraction with tweeters asking all sorts of questions, for which she elegantly replied. She seemed very pleased at being part of the first ever Twestival in Cochin, after proving her talent in her recent flick ‘Neelathamara’ this Delhi based Malayalee actor is at present shooting for her upcoming flick ‘Best of Luck’.
In conversation with ‘Archana Kavi’ -
1) How is twitter helpful for celebrities to make a link with their fans?
Archana – Well, Twitter does help a lot to have a one-on-one communication with our fans and we get to know what they feel about their stars and it even helps to reach out easily.
2) Can Twitter be thought as a tool for reputation management?
Archana – Not exactly, I don’t feel so, may be others might take it as a tool for building their repute for me its just a medium to stay connected to my friends, fans and well-wishers.
3) Do you reply to all the tweets?
Archana – Not for all, Like I can’t reply to a ‘hi’ to hundreds of people who wave me a ‘Hi’ each day, still I try my best to make sure I reply to most of them.
4) Do you think that twitter has come as a boon for the new celebs who can reach out to the masses easily, something yesteryear celebs missed?
Archana – Ya sort of! Now most of the celebs have a twitter account and they do tweet a lot about themselves, what they feel, what they are doing, and how they are and even reply to their fans.
Tweeples hurled plenty of questions on her with few funny questions as well, like with her second name ‘KAVI’ (Poet), have you ever written any poems lol!. Making her contribution for the cause the celebrity too contributed donation for Concern Worldwide foundation (@concern ).
Apart from Archana Kavi the highlights of the Twestival 2010 remained the stand-up comedy by budding stand-up artist Siddharth who with his funny acts forced the gathering to laugh out loud. The mega event winded off with DJ Arvee rocking the party with some of the foot-taping
tracks. The MAD (Make a difference foundation) guys were also part of this festivity and called for participation for the foundation, they even handed over questionnaires for tweeters to be filled out and returned back to know their views about MAD and to seeks willing people to join up with MAD’s initiative.
In all, it was a nice experience to be part of such an event which winded up with new ideas, noble deeds and lot of new friends and tweet pals. Kudos to all the guys behind Cochin Twestival 2010.
'Love' for sale
Published February 15, 2010 | 
In Cochin, Valentine’s day was marked by the impressive entry and exit of the Cupid. Though saint Valentine lived thousands of miles away from Kerala and died for causes not effecting the local public, it is interesting to note that we also have started celebrating this day with fervour and fun thanks to globalization and Western influences.
The legend goes that this day is celebrated in remembrance of the deeds of St. Valentine, a priest who was executed for having refused to fall in line with the unattested law of Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering young men to remain single . The Emperor brought out this law to grow his army, believing that married men do not make competent soldiers. The priest valentine however secretly performed marriage ceremonies of young men who were in love and when the Emperor came to know about this, St. Valentine was imprisoned and later executed.
Valentine’s day in Cochin was all about parties, gifts and entertainment. Nonetheless in many streets of Cochin, love was put up for sale virtually. Heart shaped red balloons, red roses , heart shaped pendents and small gift articles were sold by way side hawkers who made the busy interjections their temporary shops. Some were seen enthusiastically displaying the wares to the passengers in the vehicles waiting for the traffic signal. Most of them rolled down the tinted glasses to take a closer look at the wares and many customers were eagerly grabbing them too as these were sold at a fraction of the market price.
However, I doubted whether these people who bought these goods were actually glorifying the concept of love- one of the most beautiful virtues of man! For an ordinary pair of eyes, it all looked a well orchestrated sales trick targeted against the susceptible common folks, who will fall for anything new or interesting. As they say Love is blind and so are the many traditions that go with it!
IGNOU- the largest distance education facility in the world
Published February 1, 2010 | 
UNESCO has rated Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) as the world’s largest university. It offers courses to over three million students in India and 33 other countries all over the world. IGNOU is also India’s National Resource Center for Open and Distance Learning and a world leader in distance education. It has an extensive network of over 21 schools of study, 59 regional centres, 2,300 learner support centres and some 52 overseas centres, through which it offers 1500 different courses including certificate, diploma, degree and doctoral programmes.
Cochin has a regional centre of IGNOU where many students have enrolled for the courses offered by this reputed institution. IGNOU has switched to the technology enabled education with the launch of EduSat, a satellite solely dedicated for the purpose of education in 2004, which allows the students to interact with the teachers online from any part of the world.
Count your stars if you are on Cochin road!
Published January 2, 2010 | Cochin, the financial capital city of Kerala represents largely with narrow roads with hundreds of cars and no parking lots. With millions of vehicles of all sizes on the road, the need for wider roads is just a dream (keep dreaming).
Secondly the roads in Kochi are not safe. No there are no robberies or dacoits on the roads, it is a different ball game. You may meet with an accident even if your are not at fault. The roads are so narrow and crowded and everyone is fighting for space. So if you reach home safely in the evening don’t ask for more. Accident is not new in Kochi, you will only be surprised if there is none reported in a day.
This morning I saw people gathered on the bridge over the canal near our Karma Kerala office (Subhash Chandra Bose road). Was wondering what happened! thought the Corporation might have agreed to clear off the hyacinth that was a breeding ground for mosquitoes. I took a closer look only to see a tipper van submerged in the water. It first looked like 1) the driver wanted to be a diver for a day, 2) wanted to cool his heels so took this noble plunge, 3) or effects of the New Year hangover.
None of my guesses was right till a passerby elucidated that another vehicle with a drunk driver (probably) at the wheel slammed into the rear of that poor parked tipper throwing it into the canal. This happened in the early morning and luckily there was no pedestrian or other vehicles on the road. A poor old lady was counting her stars as
she overslept and was late today for her morning walk.
It means even parked vehicles are not safe in Cochin roads. This reminds me of another incidence on NH-17, which is horrifyingly narrow with houses close enough on both sides of the road. One night another drunk driver rammed into the nearby house and into the bedroom injuring the man who was sleeping peacefully. Others in his neighborhood got up the next morning only to see this truck parked in his room!
Every other policemen is seen hunting for drunken drivers, but still nothing works. Kochities care less about traffic rules and driving etiquettes. Accidents are rampant. There is no proper definition for roads in Cochin. If we try to get a pedestrian survey, you will probably end up with litigation. The road to this city never grows.
Road rage in Kerala
Published December 15, 2009 | 
Road rage was something unheard of in this small city of Cochin till recently. If you thought that it can happen only in bustling metros and in western countries, you would be in for a surprise. People on the road are getting increasingly violent and impatient in their race against the ticking clock. The so called Road rage motto that says ‘anyone going faster than you is a maniac; anyone going slower than you is an idiot’ seems to work on our city roads as well! People indulging in fist fights and verbal duals have become a common sight on the city roads and in many cases, the traffic police on duty prefers to turn a blind eye to the whole incident, resulting in the hold up of vehicles including those on emergency services like the ambulance and the fire engines!
Bad roads and traffic congestion drives up the adrenalin and tension of those behind the wheels. The over speeding buses and the teenage bikers, who almost always have a penchant to ride on the wrong side and the pedestrians who remain blissfully oblivious of the happenings around add up to the driving woes. Stray cattle heads, overloaded heavy vehicles and unruly kids who run helter skelter during the morning peak hours make driving a nightmare in Kerala even for the well experienced drivers. The current festival season of Christmas, New Year and Sabarimala pilgrimage season have made matters worse.
Road rage can be prevented by creating awareness about traffic rules and regulations and ensuring better road facilities. To make up for those traffic snarls and hold ups on the way, the vehicle owners could set out for work a bit early instead of venting their frustration on the fellow drivers on the road. As they say it is better to be late than never; so do not risk your life and limb by indulging in rash driving and road rage.
Best Western Hotels in Kerala
Published December 14, 2009 | 
Best Western, which is one of the largest chain of luxury hotels in the world is planning to open as many as 100 hotels over the next seven years in India, to tap the tourism potential in this part of the world. This hotel chain provides marketing, reservations and operational support to over 4,200 independently owned hotels spread across 80 different countries, including the recently launched properties in Trivandrum (Kerala) and Amritsar (Punjab).
At present it has 11 operational hotels in India including the one in Cochin, Kerala. The Best Western Marickar Hotel & Suites at Nedumbassery introduces the fabled hospitality and world class accommodation standards to Cochin. Located just 2 kilometers from the Cochin International Airport, this hotel ensures a luxurious stay, true to the spirit of the Best Western motto.
The tastefully done up rooms have state of the art conveniences and many facilities like Ayurvedic spa to pamper you. Customized tours to hills stations, backwaters, beaches and historic sites would ensure a holiday well planned at unbeatable prices, topped off by the world famous Best western celebrity tag. The Best Western hotel chain has brought to this city the choicest accommodation options to the quality conscious and brand loyalists of all possible genres!
Terrifying traffic of Kochi
Published November 5, 2009 | 
I was asleep when a voice woke me up – “It’s 8′O clock!” What!!! It was another bright day and I was still sleeping. I jumped off my bed to get ready for office, though my work starts at 10 and it hardly takes me an hour to get ready for work, but I don’t want to take any chance gambling with the “traffic of Kochi”. This is a daily scene in almost every home in Kochi (Cochin).
The commercial capital of God’s Own Country, Kochi has witnessed a huge transformation in almost all aspects in the recent years. Not only political changes, but in the past five years the city has developed a lot in terms of its population, construction, and even transportation, adding to the traffic congestion. The narrow roads and unscientifically constructed pedestrian walks do have messed up the condition more for the Kochiites.
Figures have proved that the traffic of Kochi is increasing constantly at a rate of 333% each year. Another factor is the continuous rise in the number of four wheelers in the city roads adding to the woes of common man. Official records have also pointed out that about 5.5 lakh vehicles ply in Kochi and the number keeps on growing. It is also seen that about 2000 vehicles are registered in the city limit a month, out of which 85 per cent are private vehicles. The vehicles are rising in a geometric progression trend but the infrastructure is falling short to bridge the gap.
The peak of the time, between 9am to 11am remains the most high time with office goers, students, businessmen and workers all rushing for their work place. Amidst this a screaming ambulance finds its really tough to somehow manage to squeeze its way out from the bottleneck.
Traffic block has become a common scene in Kochi and the Kochiites are used to this daily. Amidst all this the poor and dilapidated condition of the city road do make life really miserable for commuters. Though the plans are in the offing for starting a sky bus service in order to curb the traffic problem but at large the administration seems really cold on this raging issue.
Musical recital by visually challenged
Published May 9, 2008 | Kochi, May 9
They might have lost their vision but they are blessed with the melody which can take many to a musical journey. About 100 visually challenged musicians are all set to add some melody to the city with their musical performance here today. This unique musical extravaganza will be staged by the Guruyavoor Melppathur auditorium which hosts Chembai Music Festival.
The participants of this musical event include several visually challenged musicians, degree and postgraduate degree holders in music, music teachers, students and many others. The show will start with the traditional rendering of the Panchartna Keerthana. Many music lovers and music literates will also be there to grace the occasion.
Akhilbharatheeya Dhrusthtiheen Kalyan Sangh is organising this unique show for the people of Kochi.
Cochin international airport to get a unique gift
Published January 3, 2008 | Cochin, January 3
A new chapter of glory is all set to be added to the charm of the bustling commercial city of Kerala. In a developing move the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is all set to have a centre for perishable cargo to be set up here. The proposed cost of this pilot project is estimated about Rs 583.6 million ($14.8 million). This new addition to the vast resource of God’s Own Country will give the place a new asset. It is reported that this centre will be the only such centre attached to any of the airport across the country.
This will help to boost the exports and would give exporters to store all the food items and vegetables for more than a week without any damage before been finally exported. The cold storage facility constructed is about to cost Rs 236.3 million. The plan is to complete this unique center within next year.
After this cargo centre is finally been constructed, it is for sure that the export of various agricultural and food items will increase. Along with the cold storage there are other extra addition including an information centre for farmers and a special parking area for easily handling the perishable cargo. This one of a kind centre will definitely be the most key element to fetch more foreign revenue.
Keeping the traditional art of Kerala alive
Published December 26, 2007 | Cochin, December 26
Kerala better known as ‘God’s Own Country is home of rich culture, tradition, heritage and natural beauty. In its vast resource of mixed flavours the Cochin Culture Centre has added a new dimension to this heavenly abode. This organisation is presently working towards preserving and promoting the ethnic essence which Kerala exhibits. This centre promotes the traditional performing arts of Kerala, with a dedicated team; they have an academy of arts and theatre group. Along with all the other art forms the main feature of this centre is Kathakali which remains the main traditional art form here. With regular classes been conducted on these rich art skills Cochin Culture Centre is putting all initiatives to keep this heritage alive.
The different traditional art forms been organised here includes Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kalaripayattu, Theyyam, Patayani, Velakali, Shingarimelam, Panchavadyam, Instrumental music, Ganamela, Magic shows and many more attractions for tourist and travellers willing to explore the real Kerala. The centre has highly skilled and qualified professionals who are master of these art forms training young artists to learn every detail of these various arts. Apart from performing in Kerala, this cultural centre has given its performance in many foreign countries.
The dedicated efforts and enormous talent this centre incorporates has brought many laurels for them. They have been awarded by the Dept. of Tourism, government of Kerala as the ‘Best performing art centre’. Also many well known people have enjoyed their performances. Cochin Cultural Centre with its efforts to keep the traditional ethos and values of Kerala alive has proved to be a bench mark for many.
Well done! Cochin Cultural Centre.