Odishi at Nishagandhi 2013

Sharmila Biswas and her troupe from Odishi Vision and Movement Centre performed at Nishagandhi amphitheatre on Tuesday. She is a discipline of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. 
The four part offering was titled "Chaturmukhi". The opener, "Devi Bharni' was dedicated to Goddess Sambaleshwari. (is Sambalpur named after this Devi?). This was followed by 'Trikayee' exploring dance, music and rhythm. 'Leela' which followed was an Abhinaya of an episode involving Radha and her sakhi. The concluding number, Moksha  was a joyous celebration of beauty and liberation. 

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. 

Kollam : Boat ride for Rs. 5

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Where can you get a One Hour boat ride in the backwaters for Rs. 5? You can have it Ashtamudi kaayal. The boats of the Kerala Water Transport Corporation takes you from the boat jetty near the Kollam bus stand to Guhaanandapuram - a journey of over one hour for just Rs. 5. Of course, it is not as luxurious as a houseboat costing about Rs1000 for one hour. But is is quite adequate and you do not miss on any of the sights. The boat stops at intermediate jetties with names like, Kadavur, Panamuttam, Sambranikodi, Pallikodi bridge etc. So, you also get to interact with the locals who are happy to meet and converse with you. Next time you are in Kollam, try it. You can return in the same boat for the princely sum of 500 paise!