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Jet Airways connects Calicut to Muscat, Doha
Thursday, 24 January, 2008
India's private carrier Jet Airways had started international flights to Muscat and Doha from Kerala. The inaugural Calicut- Muscat flight was launched from Calicut airport at Karipur on Wednesday making it the India's first private airline to begin operations to the Gulf region from Calicut. Till now only Air India had services to the Gulf sector from Calicut airport. The airline has also started daily flights to Doha from Calicut. The Calicut-Muscat sector will have daily flights leaving Calicut at 9.30 a.m. and reaching Muscat at 11.35 am local time. The flights to Doha will operate daily leaving Calicut at 8 pm and reaching Doha at 10pm local time. Besides the airline has also introduced flights from Kochi to Muscat and from Mumbai to Doha. --MP Labels: Tourism
Kerala's dying art form "Chavittunatakam" seeks patronage
Tuesday, 20 November, 2007
Kochi, Nov.20 (ANI): "Chavittunatakam", a foot stamping dance drama said to have been introduced by Portuguese in Kerala in the 16th century, was popular for a long time. Today, this popular Christian art form of yesteryears is facing a slow death.
Stories from the biblical era performed by the stamping of boots on a wooden stage, the lively body movements, songs in a mix of colloquial languages, attractive costumes and headgears of 'Chavittunatakam' made the dance form a big charm. Sadly, today it has been marked as one of the dying art forms in Kerala.
According to Roy George Kutty, the organiser of Yuva Kerala Kala Samathy in Kochi, the foremost cause for its fading is the high-cost in staging the performances.
"The main difficulty that we face is the expense incurred its stage backdrops, costume materials, instruments. A show fetches us around rupees 13,000 to 15,000, which is only used to meet general needs. There is no savings left with us. It is just our interest in this art form that keeps us moving", said Roy George Kutty.
Each troop comprises of 35 to 40 senior and junior artisans including women. Most of them learn and follow the art from their ancestors.
In the past, the Chavittunatakam was performed on open stages. The players sung their lines loudly with exaggerated gestures, rich dialogues and songs to the accompaniment of beating of country drums.
When the Portuguese missionaries arrived in Kerala, they felt that their efforts suffered from a vacuum in the cultural arena. They needed a medium to spread the myths and the legends among the local community.
"Kathakali", the classical dance form, was the most impressive art form in those days. So, the Portuguese missionaries blended the local dance drama with their own mythological stories. They created a distinctive dance drama of their own, which spoke of the heroic exploits of legendary Christian warriors.
Many attempts to revive this dying classical art have not succeeded and it is rarely performed in the coastal belts of southern States.
Many organizations are now coming forward to save the art form. One of them is the Kerala Catholic Bishop Council - Media Commission based in Kochi, which organizes shows and competitions.
According to the Secretary, Media Commission, KCBC their main aim is to promote the dying art form among local and especially youths in the society.
"What was common man's entertainment centuries ago which now we are trying to revive as a `people's movement' so that everyone could understand its importance in history. The Pastoral Orientation Centre in Kochi conducts yearly competitions and awards the inners to keep the art living among the artisans, said Fr. Devassy K, Secretary Media Commission, Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC). "Last year, the Centre had five teams which increased to eight and this is a good sign," he added. (ANI) -AJ Labels: Tourism
Bear in Jabalpur, elephant in Kochi rescued by forest officials
Thursday, 15 November, 2007
Jabalpur/Kochi, Nov 15 (ANI): It was a busy day for forest officials on Wednesday as they worked hard to rescue a bear and an elephant calf that had fallen into a deep well in separate incidents.
Rescuers had a tough time in Jabalpur as they struggled to pull out a bear, which had fallen into a 35-foot deep well.
It took three painstaking hours and tremendous patience efforts not to hurt the while rescuing it.
"The bear was very furious and aggressive. It tried to come out of the well but couldn't make it due to the depth. It took us long because we were not sufficiently equipped to deal with the situation," said Manish Kulshreshtha, a worker.
The bear was later set free in the forest.
Meanwhile, in another incident in Kochi, forest officials worked hard to liberate an elephant calf from a deep well on a rubber estate that falls under the jurisdiction of the Malayatoor Forest Division.
Forest officials and some mahouts eventually rescued the two-and-a-half-year old calf.
The rescue operation attracted curious onlookers, including some foreigners.
"It's nice to see all these people caring for this animal. Because it shows that the people are caring about the elephants and they are ready to protect," said Christine, a French tourist.
The calf was pulled out of the well after over six hours.
"We could not find any trace of the herd, so we decided to rescue the calf. We tranquilised it," said Arun Scarcia, a veterinary worker.
Later, the calf was shifted to a temporary cage and taken to the nearby Kodanad Elephant Centre.
The calf has been placed under observation for two days and is being examined by veterinary doctors. (ANI)
- AY Labels: Tourism
Kerala's ancient Kalarippayattu martial art form charms foreigners
Saturday, 10 November, 2007
Kerala's ancient Kalarippayattu martial art form charms foreigners
By Juhan Samuel
Kannur (Kerala), Nov.10 (ANI): "Kalarippayattu", the ancient martial art form of Kerala, is today a big charm among foreign tourists visiting South India. Many of them are learning it to take this art form to their homelands.
Kalarippayattu, also regarded as the mother of all martial art forms, has influenced a lot of foreigners interested to take it up as an occupation by teaching it in their native countries. Hence, many of these tourists visit Kerala to learn it.
Kalarippayattu trainers, associated with Kerala Kalarippayattu Academy at Kannur, inform that many students from western countries have enrolled at the centre in recent years.
"The students, capable of learning this art with determination can teach the discipline of Kalarippayattu professionally in their own countries. Most of the students from abroad thus would spread it all over," said C. M. Sherif, Technical Director of Kerala Kalarippayattu Academy, Kannur, Kerala.
Kalarippayattu includes strikes, kicks, grappling, dance movements and weaponry and healing techniques.
"What draws foreign students towards Kalarippyattu is the fact that it is ancient and acts as a good preventive health care discipline," Sherif added.
A German national, Manuel S. who teaches Kalarippayattu in Germany endorses C.M Sherif's viewpoint.
"It spreads through word of mouth. If people get to know that by practicing Kalari they can get rid of their back aches, can improve their concentration, then they will be attracted towards it. In Germany, you get many interested students and you can offer them training," said Manuel.
For the past five years, Manuel arrives in Kannur for a refresher course in martial art skills despite a hectic schedule back at home.
Manuel has 25 students at his Kalarippayattu School in Germany. He wishes to propagate the highly beneficial art in Germany and other European lands.
Kalarippayattu is the need of the hour for being a very useful form of exercise for developed nations where health has taken back seat vis-à-vis materialistic amenities added Manuel.
"After preaching Kalari for five years, I realised that in west people think that they are living a healthy life, but they are not at all healthy," said Manuel S.
The modern-day Kalarippayattu dates back to fourth century A.D. It reached the zenith in the 16th century during the reign of Thacholi Othenan, a celebrated chieftain of Malabar in north Kerala.
Legend has it that Kalarippayattu is attributed to the mystical powers of the ancient Hindu sage Parashurama. It is said that he built temples and also introduced martial arts that later influenced and shaped many other forms.
There are three types of Kalarippayattu in Kerala: Northern, Southern, and Mid-Kerala. They all work from a 'Kalari' (gymnasium, dojo), which has traditional measurements 42 feet long by 21 feet wide.
Kalarippayattu's northern style has five stages, which is practiced in Auroville.
The first three stages cover extensive body fitness training, stick training and weapon training. And, the fourth gets into bare-hand training. Only those who have thoroughly studied and practiced the previous stages are taught the 4th part, since it is the most secret part of the Kalarippayattu training.
A student must be very obedient, trustworthy, good-tempered and master of himself to move to this stage. The fifth stage deals with Ayurvedic treatment for body and mind.
Kalarippayattu develops swiftness and concentration and leads to rightness of action. Its demonstration includes physical exercises and mock duels including armed and unarmed combats. (ANI)
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-AA
Labels: Tourism
More KSRTC Buses To TN
Wednesday, 24 October, 2007
Kozhikode: Kerala state road transport corporation will introduce more inter-state services to Tamil Nadu. The transport minister Mathew T. Thomas said that the Corporation was also considering to introduce more buses in to the North region. The KSRTC is going to construct a ten-storeyed building at Kozhikode. The minister told reporters that there was no proposal to revise fare structure now.Labels: Kozhikode, Tourism
Kerala hotel's tryst with tall sandwich
Tiruvanathapuram (Kerala), Oct 17 (ANI): A hotel here has made a 50 feet high sandwich after a 10-hour long hard work in an effort to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records. Forty-two employees of the Uday Samudra Leisure Resort at Kovalam readied a record-breaking sandwich, which is eight feet taller than the previous held record made by O'Brien's, an Irish Sandwich Bar that made a 42-feet tall sandwich in 2003.
Rajagopal Iyer, the corporate director of the resort said, that the employees started making the sandwich at 12 noon on Tuesday and it was completed by 10.30 p.m."We are presenting this sandwich to the entire nation as a gift. For quite sometime now, no record has been created on food products in India. We have done this, made the sandwich and broken the world record," said Iyer.
The giant sandwich has 350 slices of bread, each slice measuring 2.5 x 2.5 feet and weighing 6 kilograms.It required 45 kilograms each of cucumber and tomatoes, 40 kilograms each of boneless chicken, sausage, ham, apple and mayonnaise sauce.
Further, around 25 kilograms of fish, 75 kilograms of lettuce leaves, 35 kilograms of onions and 150 kg of butter were used.
"We had some problem initially, but we broke the sandwich record eventually. A ground staff officer and one manager were also a part of this team," added Iyer.
This giant sandwich is all set to break the world record. Also, this attempt to make the world's tallest sandwich coincided with World Food Day, which is celebrated on October 16. (ANI) Labels: Thiruvananthapuram, Tourism
Kerala houseboats, a major hit among IT savvy
Kochi, Oct 15 (ANI): The famous houseboats of Kerala, which have been popular with tourists from across the world, are now becoming popular among techies and employees from the corporate world. Manu George and Liji with their children are in a different world surrounded by serenity amidst backwaters, which they usually missed in Metros. "It’s really pleasant to be on a houseboat away from our daily hectic life. Its kind of a chill out with my family,” said Manu, who is from Delhi.
Now-a-days, there are many techies who come down from metros like Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi to enjoy a day out on a houseboat. The boat starts from the main jetty in the morning at 10.00 a.m. or as per the arrival time of guests and keep on cruising all day until the sun sets. It is anchored in a safe place where the tourists can enjoy fishing, eating or prepare food. Besides, techies can also be in touch with their office or relatives through internet on board while cruising.
The cost of hiring a single houseboat for a 24 hour ranges from Rs. 5000 to Rs 10,000. In Alleppey, most of the houseboats are equipped with A/C rooms, including attached bathrooms and a kitchen, apart from the services of two crew members and a chef. The number of tourists is fast increasing and keeping this in mind the houseboat operators are also lining up to provide them with maximum facilities on board including fishing, meals on board and ayurveda treatment for stress. And few of the Travel agents like Pulickattil House Boats and Tour operators are already working to create a new tour and rejuvenation package for the techies.
Tomy J. Pulikattil, a tour operator and owner of six houseboats in Alleppey, said, “The rush from Bangalore and other metros are mostly seen during the off season which in Kerala means monsoon time. The main reason being is attractive rates offered to them which is cheap and easily affordable.” Houseboats (Kettuvallams), which were used for transporting goods from one place to another, are also a major tourist attraction not only for domestic tourists but also for the foreign tourists.
Kerala backwaters are unique nature and are found nowhere else in the world. Backwaters are a network of lakes, canals and estuaries and deltas of forty-four rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea. Backwaters of Kerala are a self-supporting Eco-system teeming with aquatic life Over 900 km of this labyrinthine water world is navigable.
Tourism has emerged as a major sector in the State and provides employment to over one million people. Kerala is the fastest growing destination in the world. The World Travel and Tourism Council has predicted 11.6 per cent growth rate for Kerala's tourism sector up to the year 2013. (ANI)Labels: Kochi, Tourism
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