Kite Festival, Kovalam

350 kites made from recycled newspapers on one string

Kite Flying Festival

Planning to go to the Kite Festival at Kovalam this afternoon.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article2725604.ece

Will post later.

Kovalam Tourist Village

I was excited when I heard that the Kovalam Tourist Village was modeled on the lines the Delhi haat. However, I was in for a major disappointment. The village was pathetic and not worth the trouble. 

There are a handful of stalls selling the usual products of 'Kudumbasree units. The few food stalls offer predictable Kerala fare withe hardly any choice. No wonder there were only a handful of visitors even on a weekend. Worth giving a go by till there is substantial improvement. 

9th Century Cave Temple at Madavoor, near Sreekaryam

After having visited the cave temple at Vizhinjam, a couple of times, I decided to explore Madavoorpaara which is closer to my place of work, Asian School of Business, Technocity. 


Madavoor para houses an ancient Shiva temple of 9th Century C.E. Now it is under the care of the State Archaelogical department. It  is on Pothencode - Sreekaryam road. I took the Pothencode road from Vettu road junction on NH 47 at Kazhakootam (near the Sainik School). A sharp right turn at Kattayikonam takes you to the Sreekaryam road. (Incidentally, this is also a good road to take if you want to avoid the traffic snarl between Vettu road and Kazhakuttam on NH).  Madavoor para is within a couple of Kms. on this road on the left. There is a hand painted wooden board in Malayalam. A newly laid road takes you to the bottom of the rock temple.There are well laid steps to the rock. (could be slippery in monsoon). The last few steps on the rock could be a challenge for senior citizens.
 Pooja timings are from 6am to 10 pm and from 5-15pm to 6-30 pm . It was closed when we visited . So could not see the lingam and the inside carivngs of Ganapati and Subrahmanya. However the surrounding areas, including the nearby rubber plantations were soothing sights.Since it is not far from Technopark, it is well worth a visit if you can spare about an hour.

Spencer's Athani

Yet another athani (chumaduthangi). This one is in front of the Spencer supermarket. It was discovered while widening the road. It is placed in a tastefully created mound on the sidewalk.Kudos.

Hay Festival in Kerala

The Hay festival comes to Trivandrum again.


Pictures show award winning illustrator, Ed Verve, enthralling the audience - children and adults alik - with his story telling, story making, and drawing sessions.

Anosh Irani, Canada based novelist and playwright (left) and Farrukh Dhondy, author and screenplay writer for films and television (3rd from left) in conversation with Sanjoy Roy and Bina Paul

The lawns of the Kankakunnu palace, where the festival was held

Mediterranean Music in Thiruvananthapuram

The Franco Algerian artist and violinist  Akim El Sikameya and his team performed under the auspices of Alliance Francaise at the Cobank auditorium, Trivandrum on Sunday. The fare included Arab, Andalusian, Gypsy, folk and jaaz.   

Chenthitta Bhagavathy temple

The street facing the Chenthitta temple. (Taken with my Blackberry)

Chenthitta bhagavathy temple is situated in the heart of Trivandrum. This serene little temple overlooks the Trivandrum Railway station. During navartari the temple burst into life as the deity Munnootinanka is brought here from Suchindram.

Athani

During the 1950s and '60's I have seen several 'athani' s (chumaduthangi) on the roadsides in Kerala and elsewhere. This was meant as a platform or a bench for pedestrians to rest their head load and their weary bodies. During my school days we used to spend the summer holidays at my maternal grandfather's 'Kalam' at Muttikulangara near Palghat. The athani in front of the farmhouse served as a bus stop and also as a haunt for us in the evenings, to sit and watch the occasional vehicles pass by. It even had small depression which was  used to crush betel nuts. 


I was pleasantly surprised to see an Athani at the busy Edpazhanji junction not far from my house, in Trivandrum Many are not even aware of the existence of this legacy from the past.

Jackfruit Mela in Thiruvananthapuram

Barn Owl

Recently, an adult barn owl was seen resting at ground level at our apartment complex at Jagathy, to the amusement of the morning walkers. Many mistook this for the endangered species, Silver Owl, which fetches a fabulous sum in the illicit market. I took these pictures and mailed them to Mr Suresh Elamon, a birder and a photographer. He was of the opinion that this is a common barn owl, but it was unsusal to see it at day time that too in a crowded area. Perhaps it must have been injured or eased out of its normal habitat.

A fortnight later another owl was spotted at Asian School Business, Technocity, Pallipuram. Though this was good 24 Kms from town, the owl was resting in an atrium of the newly built campus throughout the day. It was not seen a day later. A quick google search confirmed the fact the trading in owls (including the common barn owl) is illegal. There has also been cases of passing off common owls as rare species for pecuniary gains.

Sitar and Sarod recital by young artistes

Sidharta Roy Choudhry like many others, was dismayed at the neglect of Indian classical art in preference for Western music. Unlike others, he did not remain a silent spectator. He started training youngsters in Hindustani insturments like, Sitar, Sarod and the tabla. Recently, his troupe of a dozen youngsters performed at the Vylopilly Sanskriti Bhavan, Thiruvanathapuram. The short performance which included Raag Hamsadhwani and Malkhaus was enjoyed by the select audience.

Mr. Siddharata Roychoudhary overseeing the perofromance of his young disciples

A young Sarod player

A backbencher's view

   

Mango season

It is mango season once again. Images from a stall selling mangoes in a fair.

Bihu dance

 

Bihu dance from Assam at Vylopilli .

The Bihu dance is performed in Assam by most of the tribes during the Bihu festival which coincides with Vishu in Kerala and Tamil New Year (mid April) . Men and women in colourful costumes perform this vigorous dance . The songs depicting many themes, are accompanied by the dhol, a horn, and a bamboo reed instument besides the brass taal. 

''Adharam Madhuram, Vadanam Madhuram...", the beauty of Krishna. Odissi dance by Orissa Dance Academy led by Ms. Aruna Mohanty.

Sarangi and ghazals by Ustad Faiyaz Khan at Nishagandhi

Ghazals by Ustad Faiyaz Khan at Nishagandhi festival, Kanakunnu Palace, Trivandrum. This was preceded by Sarangi recital by the same artiste.