Kochi road rage disappears on Kozhikode roads
Published August 12, 2010 | I was in Kozhikode recently and couldn’t help compare traffic in Kochi and Calicut.
In Kochi the roads are bigger than the ones in Calicut, no doubts there, and people tend to know road etiquette more than in Calicut. I know this is strange for a Kochiite – who is already showing signs of road rage reading this. But this is true!
In Calicut you find that no one follows any rules except when a traffic cop is around. And the best part about Calicut is that there’s not much of road rage, so pedestrians cross the road as and when they please and the motorist lets them go by quite unaffected most of the time.
The same situation in Kochi would have led to a cacophony of protests with cars honking, bikes revving, swears and cussing, all coming from all directions.
But in Calicut, even in Palayam Junction you find the lungi-clad men crossing the road to Moideen Palli (mosque) with not a care in this world. The motorist seems to know there’s this guy running to the mosque before the ‘Baanguvili‘. He patiently lets the man cross, allows a few bikewallahs to go ahead like he has all the time in the world.
It was amazing to observe this and even at lunch time, no one was in a mad rush there. I took a cue from them and followed what they did and allowed all to pass and for a change it felt good!
But then Calicut takes life at a slower pace, go by Mananchira Square on any weekday during working hours and you find scores of people sitting and talking on the grass. It makes you wonder how they survive? They show no sign of worries of work and other tensions and are busy talking politics or making plans, (no idea really), but it is a sight to see!
So while it pays to be a bully on Kochi roads it’s a joy to be a docile driver in Calicut and experience a tolerance that is liberating and refreshing.
World cup fever grips Kerala as the final draws near
Published July 9, 2010 | 
The soccer crazy folks of Kerala is waiting with bated breath for the final match that will be held in a few hours from now. Live TV coverage, hartal induced holidays and heavy monsoon rains that forced people to remain indoors have set the perfect backdrop for the people on Kerala to discuss their favorite topic of football all these days. It goes without saying that the northern districts like Malapuram and Kozhikode follow this game more passionately than their counterparts in other parts of Kerala. It is interesting to note that in Malappuram, the names of certain villages have been re-christened as Brazil Nagar and Argentina Nagar, though these titans had an early exit from the world cup. Though Brazil started off as all-time favourites, they crashed out of the match fairly early resulting in quite a few heart burns among the Brazil soccer fan community.
With a rather unexpected Dutch Vs Spain world cup final on the cards, the equations have changed rapidly and the loyalties shifted! From painting their vehicles in the colors of the national flags of these teams to donning the orange and red jerseys representing the Dutch and the Spain respectively, everything speak of their unconditional love for this sport. World cup finals have boosted the sales of LCD TVs even in smaller towns thanks to the live coverage by the ESPN sports channels. The younger generation could be seen introducing some of their favorite players to the elder members in the family to build up the fun and the excitement in the family living rooms during the telecast of live matches.
It is interesting to note that even IT companies have come up with innovative ideas to keep tab on the latest scores of their favorite teams. Innoz Technologies based at Technopark has created a software, which will let you know live scores through SMS.
Hotels like Udaya Samudra in Kovalam is organising a food festival till the World Cup ends and its staff would be dressed in football jerseys. It is interesting to note that they have added quite a few soccer themed specialties to their menu as well to celebrate the ongoing soccer mood. You can have French grills or Ronaldo Strawberry Margarita while enjoying the game on the big screen TVs in the hotel lobby. The count down has started and the entire Kerala is in the grip of soccer fever that has transcended the barriers of time and space to take the soccer crazy populace of Kerala into a frenzy.
Meanwhile Paul, the octopus has predicted that Spain will win the Fifa world Cup 2010 Final on 11th July! So it is going to be a nail biting finish for sure! Be there to catch it all live on the screens:)
Believe it or not- A Kerala village that defies hartal !
Published April 26, 2010 | 
Koolimadu in the Chathamangalam grama panchayat in Kozhikode is a small village with over 150 houses and over 500 voters. Life goes by in a laid back pace with people going about their daily business. It is a prototype of a typical Kerala village but the startling difference that sets it apart from the rest of Kerala is that it holds the rare credit of being a village that dares to show a thumbs down for hartals.
Koolimadu has not just defied hartals but many other social evils like smoking and has always been a pioneer in promoting social causes. It is the first tobacco-free village in India where smoking is completely banned since 1996. While Keralites are infamous for flouting the rules and breaking the bans this tiny village has set up a perfect example where people run the risk of being excommunicated for a day if they dare to break the smoking ban!
Kerala will grind to a halt yet again on April 27th when the left front sponsored strike against price rise gets underway at dawn. This time too , this nondescript village has chosen to defy the strike call and the interesting thing is that no political party has dared to impose their strike call in this tiny village all these years! Though people love to discuss politics and social and contemporary issues at their free time, they feel that shunning their daily business is not the right way to express their solidarity to any cause!
Koolimadu ticks along even as the next junction of Cheruvadi, which is only an earshot away comes to a stand still on hartal days. There are only a few shops in Koolimadu village including a sawmill, a barber shop and a library, which will remain open all day without the fear of stone pelting political workers while the villagers drive along the village roads without any fear for their life or limb. The older generation doesn’t remember a hartal being observed in the last three decades.
Three cheers to this tiny village that has shown the grit to defy the call to strike work at the drop of the hat. As we have lost the count of the loss of man hours due to hartals, this tiny hamlet has come out a a true champion. If we have the perseverance to repeat this story elsewhere, Kerala would be a better place to live!
Hosting International Kite Festival to promote Kerala Tourism
Published April 20, 2010 | 
Famously known for its beaches, backwaters and wild sanctuaries, Kerala is all set to kick-off a new trend of wooing more tourists by means of an international kite festival that will be hosted starting May 1 at Kappad beach in Kozhikode district.
Apart from India, kite flyers from top 10 countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Kuwait, China, France, UAE and Britain will be seen displaying their talents for three consecutive days that will attract several thousands of tourists from all over Kerala.
Quite popular in Gujarat, Kerala is the second state to host kite festival along with a seafood festival and a cultural fest that will showcase the local art and culture of the state.
Kapad beach, in Kozhikode is the venue chosen for the kite festival, an extremely favorable seashore for flying kites, the beach is known for its history when Vasco da Gama the Portuguese navigator landed here in 1498. This unique kite festival will attract larger crowds and would enhance the Kerala tourism, which had a dull season few months back.
The kites to be in various shapes and sizes, some even huge as two storey building will cost anything from INR 25,000 upwards, the materials for making them would be supplied to those who want it at free of cost.
A classroom session will also be conducted for those who are interested to know more about kite flying and learn about it.
Related post: Get set to fly high!
Kerala in the grip of soccer fever
Published June 12, 2008 | 
Calicut: As the Euro 2008 fever is gripping the world, its heat is also being in the distant shores of Kerala, where football is a way of life for many. The die hard aficionados’ throng in flocks to catch up the action of their favorite teams at the big screens kept at public places. The coastal areas of Kozhikode are already in the grip of this frenzied game.
People of all age assemble at places where huge projectors and television sets are mounted for the people to watch their favorite team in action. The Malabar belt of Kerala especially Kozhikode, Tellicherry and Kannur follow the game closely and football is more than just a game in this part of the state where it is a timeless passion and much more! The tradition of football started a long time ago in these areas and even today it is the most popular game in the State, retaining its past glory and fame.
The multitude of sports clubs is cited to be one of the main reasons for the popularity of this game. It is interesting to note that most of the football fans are traditional fishermen who nurture a staunch passion for this charming sport. Nynanvalap Football Fans Association is a club of this genre, which is actively involved in the promotion of beach soccer matches since 1996 and has received various sports goods from the official sponsors of Europe Cup 2008.
Many clubs make sure to conduct annual coaching camps to spot fresh talents and to mould them into master strikers. Part of the expenses is met by organizing the much popular ‘Sevens’ football tournaments, which see many local teams of repute in action. Business organizations in the city and Non-resident Keralites hailing from this region also patronize these football clubs, ensuring their sustenance and success.
Kerala is a place where people breathe and live football and it is far from just being a ball game played by two teams in contrast colored jerseys!
Sarovaram ecotourism project
Published May 29, 2008 | Kozhikode: The multi-crore Sarovaram eco-tourism project implemented by the Department of Tourism in the city is nearing completion. Costing over 17.5 crore, it would enhance the tourism prospects of the city. Some of the works under the first phase that are still pending include the installation of lights, musical fountain and work of the amphitheatre. This project coming up near the famous Kottuli wetlands, will also strive for wetland conservation.
Meanwhile, construction activities under the second and third phases have started. The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society is in charge of construction of this project while the Tourist Resorts Kerala Limited, a government nodal agency which is responsible for making investments in the tourism sector is supervising the works. Approximately 250 acres of land will be made use for the eco-tourism project, which was contributed by the Departments of Water Resources and Revenue.
The project on completion would comprise of adequate parking spaces, a reception centre, a cafeteria with a capacity for 100 people, a children’s park, handicrafts village, water museum, an otter park, a boat club with battery-operated boats, a butterfly park, kiosks, a bird park, a cultural centre, a floating restaurant and an aquarium. The proposal for setting up of a bird sanctuary at the ecopark at Kottuli is also in the pipeline according to KTDC sources.
Kerala all set to have a water museum
Published May 17, 2008 | 
Kozhikode: The water heritage museum, the first of its type in the state is an attempt to introduce the unique and traditional water resources of Kerala including wells and ponds. In addition it also sheds light on the water management, watershed management and the conventional farming techniques of the by gone era. The museum would be set up at the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management at Kozhikode.
The visitors can learn more about the Vembanad and ‘kole’ wetland culture and traditional water-lifting devices. The museum will also have separate sections for inland water transport, water sports and the importance of water in religion. Dams as well as the changing patterns in the water consumption are also highlighted in this museum. The museum will be open between to between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m on all working days from the 1st of June.
Cyberpark at Kozhikode – The latest gem in the crown of Kerala
Published March 27, 2008 | 
Kozhikode: The IT department will soon make a final decision on the construction of the information technology park, proposed to come up in a 78 acre site near here. The IT Park in Kozhikode would be set up in the model of Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram.
This is a fore runner of the Government plan to open IT parks in all districts of Kerala. The official sources pointed out that already over 10 companies including NeST, US Technology, FinPro Business Solution Bangalore Ltd and Leela Group among others have shown interest in starting their organizations in this IT Park. In addition job offers galore with many IT giants like IBS offering to set up one lakh sq.feet at the IT hub in Kozhikode, which would ensure initial employment of over 1000, which would scale up to 5000 in future.
Kerala holds a distinct cutting edge over its competitors in IT industry as it has an impressive English speaking manpower and the requisite infrastructure facilities. Kochi being the landing point of the submarine cable holds an additional credit of being a global gateway in internet connectivity. Kerala boasts of a 100% literacy rate with an impressive line up of professional colleges, which churn out young qualified engineers. The prevailing trend of brain drain caused by the migration of this creamy pie of labor force could also be arrested with the commissioning of more IT parks, which can ensure attractive jobs right at their door step.
The advent of IT industries would boost the overall development of northern Kerala and it has also been a long pending demand of entrepreneurs and realtors in this part of Kerala. Its proximity to Bangalore, the hot seat of various IT giants like IBM, Wipro and Infosys enhances the significance of this IT hub. Kozhikode has both domestic and international air services that are at par with the best, which would notch up its popularity an IT hub even further. The Government is also planning to introduce daily flights to all major European and American destinations apart from the Indian metro cities.
The proposal of setting up the IT Park was welcomed by the Calicut IT Initiative, a group that was set up to support this proposal. Many prominent groups including representatives of the Malabar Chamber of Commerce, IT Forum of Calicut, IIM-Kozhikode, Calicut Management Association and NIT-Calicut among others are members of CITI.
Restoration of the ancient church begins
Published March 25, 2008 | Kozhikode: One of the oldest churches in Kerala, Mother of God Cathedral, is being renovated without causing damage to its original architectural style. The church thought to be built in 1627 during the reign of Zamorin has undergone refurbishments in the 17th and 18th centuries as well.
Considered as the oldest church in Malabar, extreme care is being taken to unveil its original Portuguese architecture and an architect from Portugal has already visited the church. The plan outlay for the renovation is put at Rs.15 million out of which The Goolberg Foundation in Portugal has offered a contribution of Rs.5 million for the work on condition that the Portuguese architecture would be preserved. The remaining funds would be raised locally.
The wall plastering and flooring will be mostly redone. The teak ceiling will be bolstered with aluminium covering to prevent water seepage during the renovation of the cathedral church. The entire wood work including those of doors and windows will be done using teak wood. Once renovated the church will flaunt the original white and blue colour as in the past.
101 hours of non stop tabla playing
Published March 19, 2008 | 
Kozhikode: Sudheer Kadalundi who tip toed into the hall of fame of the world of Guinness records in 2005 for playing tabla nonstop for 57 hours is all set to improve his record. He is planning for a marathon tabla playing session that will span four days from April 2nd to April 6th at his native village of Kadalundi.
The local populace of this sleepy hamlet is making all attempts to make this extraordinary feat a big success. A committee comprising of 500 members have already been cobbled up with the Panchayat President as its chairman to take care of the ground work of the marathon.
The rules of the marathon would allow him to take a five-minute break after every hour of play as against only 15 minutes of break after eight hours during his last performance in 2005, which earned him the Guinness record.
Some of the other stipulations for the marathon include that any rhythm should be played for at least two minutes and the rhythms once played should not be repeated for the next four hours. Some of the popular play back singers will also perform along with Sudheer to enrich this marathon feat named ‘Thalalayam 08′, which is intended to propagate the message of peace through harmony and love. By bringing the coveted laurels of the Guinness record to this nondescript village in Malabar, Sudheer has indeed made Kerala proud.