Onam sadya being replaced by chicken delicacies
Published September 13, 2011 | 
It appears that Malayalees have decided to let go the flavour and richness of the conventional onam sadya this year if the record sales of Chicken during Onam season is any indication! This year the trend has been to include non vegetarian dishes, which not only has snuffed out the carnival flavour and richness of this festival but also has made onam sadya into an ordinary non vegetarian meal on a plantain leaf, which is nothing short of a mockery of our culture!
Gone are the days when elaborate onasadya used to be made at home, which will include many exceptional onam specialities like banana chips, pickles of various varieties, payasam and other sweetmeats apart from a long list of mouth watering curries and side dishes. From ready made Onam kits to handy take away Onam specials and Onam luncheon offers in hotels, there is a lot of options for Malayalees these days, however, it is astonishing that Malayalees preferred to stick to meat dishes for Onam.
The onam sales of chicken in many KEPCO ( Kerala State Poultry Development Corporation) stalls all over the State hit an all time high during Onam. In the capital city alone around 45 tonnes of chicken was sold in just 4 days from Uthradom to Chatayam days, creating an all time high record. The shockingly high chicken sales in Trivandrum city alone raked in a total turnover of a whopping Rs.35 lakhs, in these four days, which clearly points to the changing cultural pattern and food habits of Kerala society.
The eating habits of Malayalees have indeed undergone a sea change in the last few years and many people prefer non vegetarian dishes and fast food instead of the traditional and healthy menu of Kerala. It is paradoxical that Kerala , which was once famous for its healthy life styles and health care rituals has plunged into the whirl pool of fast food culture and is heading for a point of no return. The unhealthy food habits coupled with boozing of Kerala has triggered a spate of serious health issues and has reduced the life span of its populace alarmingly. Figures show that Kerala consumes 5,000 tonnes of meat every day and 80% of its population are non vegetarians, making it the largest meat eating population in the country . Not to forget the dubious distinction of having the highest per capita liquor consumption in the country, which makes it a really unhealthy combo by any standards.At least during the festival season of Onam and Vishu, let us abstain from non vegetarian dishes to make sure that the unique culinary richness of our State is not lost forever!
Kerala gets ready to celebrate Vishu
Published April 14, 2011 | 
Kerala is all set to celebrate the harvest festival of Vishu tomorrow, which is the first day of the month of Medam in Malayalam calendar. Hindus celebrate this festival in different names like Baisakhi, Mesadi, Bihu in different parts of India. Vishukani is the most important ritual on Vishu festival in Kerala. Temples like Sabarimala and Guruvayoor temple will witness unprecedented rush of pilgrims who congregate to have the Vishukani darshanam.
Vishu kani is the offering of farm produce, fruits and vegetables to Lord as a thanks giving to a bountiful harvest. The native crops of Kerala like mangoes, jackfruit, bananas etc occupy a prominent place in Kani which is arranged in the traditional vessel of uruli ( a shallow round vessel) made of brass. The golden shower flowers, known as kanikonna forms an inevitable item in the kani. The elders of the family give Kaineetanm ( cash gifts) that represent a prosperous year ahead to the rest of the family. New clothes, fire works, gifts and above all the traditional Kerala style luncheon with many curries , pappadam and payasam ( desserts) add up the fervour of this festival.
Vishu festival also marks the day of Mesha Sankranti during which Sun transits to the first zodiac of Aries. The word Vishu literally means the equinox and is considered as the astrological New Year day as well. Though the break neck speed of modern lives have robbed off the charm and traditional flavour of many of our festivals, even today Malayaless look forward to celebrate Vishu with zest and enthusiasm. Vishu is not just another holiday, it is part of our culture and identity. Let us celebrate the way that it was intended to, without diluting the essence to suit our convenience:)
Karma Kerala wishes all its readers a happy and prosperous Vishu
It takes two to tango!
Published February 4, 2011 | 
All work and no play will make Jack a dull boy; and our boss, Sholto knows this better than anyone else. On a short visit to his Kerala office, his innovative ideas have made the mundane job chores really exciting. Unlike any typical Indian office, where people sit in their workspace all day and do their work, without little interaction, our office in Karma Kerala has a carefree charm and style of an English setup.
The staff members are encouraged to have short interactive sessions in between and to mingle with the rest of the office. Talking and laughing during office hours might be considered as gross indiscipline in any other office in India but in Karma Kerala it is encouraged as it nurtures interpersonal skills and recharge our brain cells after a long stint at work.
Simple activities to enhance lateral thinking and out of the box thoughts interspersed with our working hours make it more fruitful and interesting. In the last few days, we have even picked up a few salsa dance steps from our colleagues Sharaz and Tanweer who are well trained salsa exponents. The whole hearted participation of the staff members have helped a lot to break the ice, to shatter the inhibitions and to mingle with everyone in the office, breaking the smothering cordons of coterie among us.:)
Hope that the new working style will become imprinted in each and everyone of us as it will surely bring about a quality change not only in the productivity of the employees but also in the work culture and camaraderie of the employees.
Kerala all set to be an intellectual destination
Published December 9, 2010 | 
Kerala has many firsts to its credits in tourism, literary and cultural scenario. From being one of the must see destinations in the world,featured in prestigious tourist magazines and National Geographic Channel Kerala is evolving to be a tourist destination that will be intellectually exhilarating to visitors from all over the world.
Kerala has been playing host to many literary festivals like the recently held Hay Festival of Literature and Arts in the State capital, Thiruvananthapuram, which was attended by many national and international literary figures and writers including Vikram Seth, William Dalrymple, Sebastian Faulks, rock stars Sting and Bob Geldof and the stalwart of Malayalam film Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
The travelers who look for a satisfying experiencing to satiate their interests in arts and literature would find Kerala a best choice. The film and theatre festivals that form part of the Kerala mythic that is well complimented by a culturally inclined audience has played a major role in enhancing its intellectual ratings. With various International theater festivals and arts exhibitions lined up to be hosted, Kerala is all set to position itself as an intellectual destination for the discerning and sophisticated traveller in search of an extra ordinary experience .
Beware -The wedding fun busters are at prowl
Published October 1, 2010 | 
Weddings are occasions of joy and fulfillment, however in many areas like Thalassery in Malabar, wedding day fun often cross the levels of decency and infringe into the privacy of the newly wed couple and their families. From the harmless jokes and gigs, wedding day fun has now has evolved into serious wrangling, fist fights and wordy duels, often causing serious depression and pain to the victims. The horde of youth who are notoriously famous for causing trouble at weddings are known as ‘rascals at weddings’ in the local parlance.
An incident that took place a few months ago in a sleepy hamlet of Azhiyur in Kerala , near Mahe would illustrate the gravity of this menace. The decked up bride and her family was waiting for the groom to arrive and when they were about to receive the groom and his family, a stage managed show that indeed raised a few eyebrows among the onlookers took place. A seemingly pregnant woman in rags pounced upon and shouted that the groom has sired her yet to born ‘child’.
The shell shocked bride who fainted had to be rushed to a nearby hospital. It was then the woman pulled out a cushion hidden inside her dress and informed the crowd that it was only a prank to have some fun on the wedding day! The funniest part was that this stage show was organised by none other than the close pals of the groom. A person who happened to be there at the scene recalled that they were all drunk and would have ruined an auspicious occasion.
Some of the popular pranks of these youngsters include jeering and making fun of the woman folk of the family and creating ruckus at the wedding venue. In some extreme cases, innovative and shameless acts like removing bolts from the doors and windows of the nuptial chambers had also been reported. These drunken youths have indeed become a nightmare for the newly weds who can only keep their fingers crossed, wondering what could be in store for them on their wedding day!
These tasteless incidents have become routine affairs in wedding venues in many parts of Malabar. Fed up with their harassment, the local populace and people’s representatives have formed vigilant squads and associations at several villages in and around Thalassery to stop the menace. Weddings should be well cherished moments and not scary nightmares that the newly weds might shirk to recollect!
Kochi gets a new art gallery in David Hall that is 315 years young
Published September 2, 2010 | 
Kochi’s newest art gallery is the prestigious David hall, which was built around 315 years back! Bult in 1695, it was the residence of a Dutch commander Hendrik Adriaan Van Reede Tot Drakestein, who is also the author of renowned book “Horticus Malabaricus” before becoming the home of a Jewish business man, David Koder,after which it was named.
Located near the parade ground in Fort cochin, the artgallery is now run by Tby CGH who has leased out the building for 25 years.The restoration work that span over 2 decades was undertaken with utmost care to make sure that the original character and aesthetic beauty of the building is fully retained instead of adding new structures to mar its originality.David hall will be a showcase for paintings and performing
arts to be a complete cultural centre in Cochin. David hall will focus more on propagating and promoting little known art forms and will be the right arena for the upcoming artists to exhibit their works. With a mission to make art more affordable for common people, David Hall has set a new precedent that will surely influence many other art lovers.
By incorporating a cafe into this art gallery, David hall is paving way for interesting coffee table discussions on arts and culture and more public participation. Now that the well cherished dream of David Hall art gallery becoming a reality, the Kashi Art gallery will have a competitor nearby, which will only do more good for the arts and cultural richness of Kochi.
Miss Kerala beauty pageant ready for August 5!
Published August 4, 2010 | Kerala awaits the next beauty queen who will be crowned as Miss Kerala on August 5, 2010. It is the most anticipated event of Kerala fashion and film world which is conceived and organised by the event management company Impresario. The winner gets a shot at TV and films like Ranjini Haridas and Rima Kallingal who have shot to fame through Miss Kerala.
The 22 contestants who have been selected for the beauty pageant are readying to face the music on Thursday evening at Le Meridian. Among the contestants are girls who have flown in from Malaysia, Dubai and Bahrain. The rule of the contest is, the participants should be girls of Malayali origin (either of the parents must be Malayali) with age between 18-24 years. The event sponsors for Miss Kerala 2010 is Hairomax and this is the tenth edition of the contest. This time the organisers are trying to make things different.
The other titles in the contest to be won besides the main three include Sumangali Miss Beautiful Skin 2010, Cuticura Miss Radiant 2010, Hairomax Miss Beautiful Hair 2010, Hairomax Miss Talented 2010, Miss Beautiful Eyes, Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Perfect Ten, Miss Photogenic, Miss Congeniality and Club FM Miss Voice 2010. Actors Anoop Menon and Ranjini, writer Anitha Nair,photographer Nisha Kutty are among the others in the judging panel. There will be four costume rounds in the contest – sari, casuals, fusion and gown. The dress designers Atit and Semu, the brother and sister from Mumbai have designed clothes for the whole pageant while keeping in mind the concept of a blend of the traditional and the western. To try for variety, this time they have gowns made of Kerala sari and for the casuals round, not with the usual jeans and T-shirts.
The pageant supports the Save a Girl Child cause and the winner will be a part of the campaign.
Farm Tourism- New trend in Kerala tourism to return to nature!
Published June 23, 2010 | Farm Tourism is a new trend in Kerala’s tourism sector. Kerala, being an agriculture dominated state, has tremendous potential for developing Farm Tourism in a big way without much additional investment. Even though farm tourism is an integral part of Eco Tourism, there is a slight difference between both of them.While artificially created landscapes are part of Eco Tourism – gardens, pond etc, the goal of Farm Tourism is to show the curious tourist about Nature in her pristine purity.
Farm Tourism preserves the environment. Chemical Farming is also prohibited, as no processes which damage Nature is allowed. Organic Farming and its development give tremendous impetus to Farm Tourism. Reports state that Kerala has 30.22 lakhs hectares of gross cropped area which is 56.78% of the State’s total geographical area. More than 1/3rd of the cropped area contains plantations of Tea, Coffee, Rubber, Pepper, Cardamom and Ginger, and another 1/3rd of this area is covered by Coconut plantations. The State has about 350,000 lakhs hectares of land under paddy cultivation.
The tourists who come to Kerala expects to see the real beauty that lies in the rural part of the state. But what happens often is, they return without seeing it. They have read about Kerala as true traditional and cultural state with families based in love. But they don’t get the opportunity to experience the village life and to live within that atmosphere. Most tourists come from cultures which does not give much importance to family attachments & village or Rural Life. In villages people live in harmony with nature which is otherwise not possible in big cities where people are always business minded. You get fresh air & fresh water in villages in contrast to polluted air and polluted water in cities.
Farm tourism gives ample opportunity for tourists as well as locals, who wish to enjoy nature. The various schemes underway are intended to prepare the Farms/Plantations of Kerala to receive tourists by presenting a positive image of the farm and of agriculture as a whole, in view of revitalising the agriculture sector of Kerala through tourism.
Akshaya Thritiya- A gold purchase scheme or an auspicious day for new ventures ?
Published May 17, 2010 | 
Akshaya Thritiya was celebrated in Kerala amidst reports of a substantially higher sales of gold in all its forms. While jewelers cashed in on the mass hysteria and off loaded a bulk of their shelf stock, the gold coin counters at the public sector banks reported three times their normal transactions where customers formed a beeline to buy gold on this auspicious day.
The word “Akshaya” means never diminishing in Sanskrit and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. It is one of the most important days for Hindus and Jains and it is believed that if you do a charity on this day you will be blessed and will receive blessings many fold. Originally, Akshaya Thritiya was considered an auspicious day to do pious deeds and to start new ventures. However , it is baffling to note that these days jewelers have turned the sanctity and purity of this auspicious day into a marketing gimmick!
Kerala, where Akshaya Thritiya was not heard of till a few years back, too has fallen prey to the jewelers concerted efforts of promoting the yellow metal. Gold is a good investment option and any time is ideal to buy it. However to link it with a particular day is nothing but utter foolishness. Are we so naive to believe that any piece of gold purchased on this day will increase manifold?
Read on to find how a couple was taken for a ride after falling for a misleading ad of small time jeweler in Kochi during last year’s Akshaya Thritiya festival. The said couple is running a garment shop in Cochin and was doing good business. It was when a jeweler’s advertisement on the likely windfalls that they may get if they buy gold on Akshaya Thritiya , caught their fancy. They decided to purchase gold with the money that they had set aside to source garments and cloth materials from Bangalore for their shop.
They were happy on a decision well made and counted each day in anticipation of the big fortune. Voila! It was then a friend of theirs approached them with a lucrative offer. Give her 1 lakh and in just 15 days , it will be returned as 2 lakhs. The offer was too good to let by. They gave her 1 lakh and as promised she returned it as double the amount in 2 weeks. Their happiness knew no bounds and the windfall was promptly attributed to akshaya thritiya. But the anticlimax is that the lady who gained their confidence vanished with all their money and ornaments in a matter of a few months! Now their shop is in ruins, and they are on the look out for ways and means for a decent living. It is high time that we put a stop on all these superstitions and gimmicks and celebrate akshaya thriitiya the way it was meant to be – by doing noble deeds and charity!
The sacred groves of Kerala to be protected by the Forest Dept
Published April 17, 2010 | 
In the olden days, almost all Kerala homesteads had sacred groves dedicated to the serpent Gods and goddesses. The fear of the unknown and religious beliefs ensured the thriving of these green spots, which were rich in a variety of flora and fauna. Home to many rare and unique plants and trees of Kerala, these sacred groves are self sustaining mini ecosystems that are to be protected at any cost. With the advent of nuclear families and gated communities, many sprawling family properties were divided up, leading to the disappearance of such groves.
Known in local parlance as ‘sarpakkavu’ or the abode of the serpents, these groves are ecological havens that have been part of Kerala homes since time immemorial. The thickly foliaged trees, creepers and shrubs support a variety of animal populace including lizards, squirrels and frogs and snakes, prevents soil erosion and maintains the fertility of the soil.
Now the Forest Dept has come up with an innovative scheme to ensure the protection of these verdant spots. In the first phase of this project, 28 sacred groves mostly belonging to the temple trusts and Devaswom Board in various districts of the State have been identified for the conservation programme. Under the proposed plan of action, the owners of the groves should enter an agreement with the forest department and submit a detailed management plan. The scheme will cover individuals as well at a later date. The main objective of the proposed scheme is to bring an accountability and the involvement of the general public. The project will ensure constant monitoring, maintenance and cleaning of the groves at the community level for which incentives are being worked out. Labeling of important species of trees, laying of pavements, eco- trails, weeding and protection of these groves would be taken care of under this scheme.
The Kerala Forest research at Peechi has started preparing an inventory of all the sacred groves in the state An exceptional feature of Kerala homes, sacred groves have a great significance in the culture and life style of Keralites. This ambitious project would help in the protection of the existing groves and to make the younger generation aware of the relevance of these groves in the culture of Kerala.