|
Christian family donates 50-year-old teak tree for Hindu temple in Kerala
Sunday, 25 November, 2007
Kottayam, Nov.25 (ANI): A Christian family in a Kerala village has donated its 50-year-old teak tree to a Hindu temple for being used in a religious ceremony. The tree was needed for the past seven years to build Lord's flag mast by temple authorities.
The special teak tree was needed at Sri Mahadevar Temple at Ettumanur near Kerala's Kottayam District for an ideal flag mast that started just after the "Devaprasnam" ceremony at the temple in the year 2000.
Temple authorities had already visited nearby States in search of the appropriate tree. Eventually, they found it at Maniyangattu House owned by M.K.Joseph, near Pala.
"I felt happy and somehow I could help the temple for its flag mast. Earlier, I had 40 teak trees and had to cut all of that, but I could never touch this one. When the temple authorities asked for it, I just donated it happily," said M.K Joseph, Teak Tree Owner
The tree stands 68-foot tall with a girth of 76 inches at the bottom. It is believed to be worth rupees 2.5 lakhs in the market.
For Joseph, the tree was the only one left after he had cut down all other teak saplings in the vicinity, it was at the time when the government included teak among the list of royal trees that could not be cut down by the owner.
Joseph remembers how once he cut down a few of the teak saplings that were planted along with this one on a single day but when he came near this teak tree, his axe was broken. He just left it like that.
But this time, the tree was cut with the help of men and machines in such a way that it would not touch the ground. Later, it was taken to Sri Mahadevar Temple in a procession, witnessed by all the community in the village.
After initial processing, the tree will be kept in a specially prepared mixture containing medicinal herbs and oils for a year. It is only after that it would be used for the Lord's flag mast.
Meanwhile, thousands of people gathered to watch the ceremony for cutting the teak tree for the proposed flag mast at Sri Mahadevar Temple at Ettumanur near Kottayam District in Kerala.
"We, at Sri Mahadevar Temple, Ettumanur are on the process of preserving a teak tree to be used as a flag mast for our temple which will be installed by January 2009. This tree has been donated by a Christian family from their property. The village's Christians always help the temple for various purposes," said U.N. Thambi, convenor of the Temple committee.
For the entire village and devotees from the Hindu and Christian communities, it was a rare and auspicious occasion to watch priests chanting hymns and praying to get the permission to cut from the Mother Nature, the 50-year-old teak tree from the premises of a Christian family.
The astrologers had found that the deity was not happy with the present concrete mast, which had started of wear and tear around 30 years after it was constructed.
Teak tree products are known to resist the attacks of insects and the corrosive effects of weather for hundreds of years. (ANI)
--MP Labels: Top-Stories
Woman arrested for attempting to barge inside Sabarimala Temple
Monday, 19 November, 2007
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 18 (ANI): A woman was today arrested in front of Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, as she attempted to gatecrash into the revered hill shrine, where entry of women is barred.
Shelvi, a native of Pondicherry, was arrested just 50 meters away from the holy '18 steps' as she tried to breach the temple's security, and was taken into custody for further investigations.
It may be recalled that just one and a half year back a major controversy erupted when a Kannada film actress named Jaimala claimed to have entered the sanctum sanctorum and touched the celibate idol.
In past few years many women have been arrested at Pampa while trying to sneak into the temple.
Women past their puberty are not allowed entry into the temple, and many women groups oppose this.
Thousands of Hindu devotees visit Sabarimala Temple during the festival known as Mandalam-Makarivilakku, which begins from the first day of Malayalam month Vrischikom in mid-November (November 16 this year) and culminates in the third week of January.
The temple situated atop the Sabarimala hill is at about 4,000 feet above sea level. One has to brave an arduous trek of more than six kilometres to reach the temple at the top and pass through dense thickets of forest.
Pilgrims from all over the country throng the hill shrine. (ANI)
--MP Labels: Sabarimala, Top-Stories
LDF Govt To Seek World Bank Loan
Sunday, 11 November, 2007
AJ: In an important policy decision, ruling LDF in Kerala has asked the state government to explore possibilities of availing low-rate World Bank loan for projects to be implemented in local bodies. The LDF meeting also decided to borrow Rs.1000 crore from the world bank for local administrative bodies. The national highways of the state would be repaired under the BOT mode. The LDF would recommend the government to begin talks with the World Bank officials on obtaining these loans which did not have much strings attached. The Centre had recently informed the states of the availability of these facilities. The Centre proposed the BOT mode for highway development Kerala had expressed reservation as it would mean casting a burden on the people by way of toll collection.
Labels: Top-Stories
Four killed in car accident
Saturday, 10 November, 2007
AJ: Four persons were killed and two injured when the car in which they were traveling rammed into a parked-lorry, near Kalady in Ernakulam district. The dead were identified as Ashokan (72), his wife Soudhamini (68) and their son Rameshan (36), and lorry cleaner Poulose (55), police said. The injured have been admitted into the nearby hospital. The victims were returning from Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district after performing 'bali tharpan,' when their car went out of control and hit the lorry in the rear on the Angamaly-Kaladi M C Road at Mattur. Labels: Top-Stories
Expert team examine leakage in Mullaperiyar
Friday, 9 November, 2007
AJ: An expert team led by M K Parameswaran visited the Mullaperiyar dam sitey to examine the leakage in the dam. There have been several reports on leakage of water through a few blocks of the dam. The dam was under constant monitoring by the officials of the Water Resources Department. Tamil Nadu was not permitting the officials to measure the seepage though the measurement which is critical in assessing deterioration of the structural strength of the dam. Hence, assessment by experts was called for in determining the safe water level. Former chief engineers of KSEB M.K. Parameswaran Nair and M. Sasidharan and Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department N. Sasi are members of the cmmittee. Labels: Top-Stories
CM To Inaugurate New Haj House
Sunday, 4 November, 2007
AJ: The newly-built Kerala Haj House would be inaugurated by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan at Karipur on November 5. Construction works at the House had been completed involving a total expenditure of Rs 5 crore, Local Self-Government Minister Paloli Mohammadkutty told reporters here. While the state spent Rs 1 crore, the Centre's grant for the House was Rs.1.5 crore and the remaining realised through public contribution, he said. The Government would look into the
grievances of the Haj pilgrims and initiate necessary steps to meet them, he added.Labels: Top-Stories
President Inaugurated Clean Kerala Mission
Thursday, 1 November, 2007
AJ: President Pratibha Patil today inaugurated three new schemes, Clean Kerala Mission, Distribution of scholarships to higher secondary students and released the logo of Kerala State Total Physical Fitness programme for youth and students. Speaking at a reception she said the
outbreak of diseases would have a negative impact on the health of the people and economy of the state. Patil described Kerala as a land of exceptional natural beauty which has made it one of the country's top tourist destinations. The growth of tourism in the state was commendable and further steps to boost the sector should be taken to generate additional revenue and employment. Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, Speaker K Radhakrishnan, opposition leader Oommen Chandy and Ministers Thomas Issac, M A Baby, C Divakaran, N K Premachandran, Mons Joseph, Mathew T Thomas and M Vijayakumar were also present.Labels: Education, Top-Stories
Kerala’s cookery instructor makes US food festival yummy
Wednesday, 31 October, 2007
MP: Kochi (Kerala), Oct 30 (ANI): Nimmy Paul, a professional cookery instructor from Kochi is busy making last minute preparations to take part in the 10th Annual Worlds of Flavour International Conference and Festival in California.
The three-day conference starting from November 1 to 3, will be held at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Napa Valley, California.
From India, two chefs have been invited as guest culinary experts.
Nimmy has involved in the cookery field for the past twelve years and now has got many world recognitions over her ethnic style and mouth watering traditional Kerala cuisines.
She is thrilled and overjoyed, but says that "she is busy and tensed mainly to collect her own traditional mud and brass utensils, home made spices and the special rice flour which she prepared for the event".
This time she has been asked to conduct even a coconut session in which she has to show how to select a good one, how the nut is broken and its grating, apart from the food preparations.
Her husband V.J. Paul, who is very much thrilled to take part with her during the event has been busy collecting few photographs and organize a slide show while Nimmy demonstrates it during the event.
Both of them remember the last event and its success stories when there was a long queue to see her Appam, a Kerala bread made of rice and yeast..
This will be the second time Nimmy would participate in the prestigious event.
This is the second time Nimmy has been selected in a culinary show. Earlier, she took part in the 2004 event.
She thanks the New York Times which carried a cover story of her cuisines and says that "It's only because of this article she was selected the first time and now re-invited."
Apart from Nimmy Paul, Abhijit Saha, a chef of Park Hotel from Bangalore will also join the privileged group of 60 chefs from around the world.
Chefs from nearly twenty countries, such as China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia including US and India will present their country cuisines. (ANI) Labels: Top-Stories
Read Also:
Read More:
| |
|
