Laksha Deepam

Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple seen on a car side view mirror. 

It is time for Laksha deepam at Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram. This occurs once in 6 years. I was fortunate to witness 2 deepams with the temple tower and the surroundings in full glory. The deepam is preceded by 40 days of Mura Japam (chanting). 

Then there is the Annual Swati Sangeethotsavam n the Kuthira Malika (palace) where the atmosphere is ethereal. 

Sadly, I will miss al these this year. 

Anchuthengu- Anjengo

Inside the Anjengo Fort. 

A piece of land called Anchu thengu (അഞ്ചു തെങ്ങു ) was gifted by the Queen of Attingal to the East India Company. EIC built a fort there and as they could not pronounce the Malayalam name, they started calling it Anjengo. 

Karicharakadavu - unspoilt nature

You may not find Karicharakadavu in any tourist literature or even in any blogs. It is small village not far from Kazhakuttam. On National highway, you turn left at Kaniyapuram after the bus stand (at Althara junction) to the Chirayinkeezh road and within a few kilometers, you are at Karicharakadavu.Another left turn and a brief ride you are reach the water's edge. The waterbody you see is an extension of Murukkampuzha. Kadinmkulam is on the opposite side.  One can see a few country boats and a lone cottage used by some  picnickers. 

Monsoon, football and fishing

Kerala was a football crazy state. It still is, but the craze for cricket is overtaking the love for football. So I was happy to see these determined footballers at Valiathura, a fishing suburb, at a vigorous game of football, despite the pouring rain and the lashing waves.   

Football during the monsoon [June 2013]

Loop Shop?

A 'loop' shop in Kazhakuttam.

Do they sell Copper -T and other IUD's too? 

A loop shop in Kazhakuttam

OS Arun at Swati Sangeethotsavam

The major event in Trivandrum at the start of the New Year is the Swathi Sangeethotsavam at Kuthira Maalika. As we were travelling, we missed most of the kutcheris except on the last day . We could get a flavour of OS Arun towards the end of his kutcheri on the 13th of January.I also missed the Nishagandhi events. Hope I can make up after I return from the US. 

Kathak by Rani Khanam

Digital duo. A viewer snapping Kathak performance with his phone camera. 

 Rani Khanam performing. The evening performance was preceded by her lecture demonstration of "Improvisation aspects of Kathak -Laya and Bhav" in the morning

Manipuri dance by Suman Sarawgi and party at Mudra Festival

Suman Sarawgi and troupe at Mudra festival, Vylopilli bhavan, Trivandrum

Ms.Sarawgi will followup her performance on Monday with a lecdem on Tuesday on 'Tracing the origin of Manipuri dance- one of the oldest as well as a living tradition of India",  Pity I will miss it.

Kuchipudi

Anupama Mohan performs Kuchipudi. Anupama had her training in Kuchipudi Art Academy Chennai

Odissi

Aloka Kanungo performs Odissi at the Mudra festival in Vylopilli Bhavan. Aloka has trained under Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Raghunath Dutt and Mayadhar rout. She runs Shinjin Nrityalaya

Mohiniyattam at Vylopilli

Kalamandalam Sarawathi (not in the picture), and her disciples performed Mohiniyattam at he Vylopilli Samskriti Bhavan Koothambalam as part of the Mudra dance festival.

Keechakavadham Kathakali

Keechakavadham Part I, Kathakali at Margi Theatre, Fort, Thiruvananthapuram

Photo Exhibition

Yesterday, I visited an exhibition titled, 'Hues and Barks' by photographer composer,  Udaybhanu, at the Lalithakala Academy gallery, Vylopilli Bhavan. Thiruvananthapuram.

The show, described as An Abstra-Photo Exhibition, is sub - titled ' An attempt to make a lightning before the  thunderous axe falls'.

One would have thought that seeing 25 to 30 closeups of tree barks would have been boring.  However, Udayabhanu's images were technically perfect,eye catching, with some amount of intrigue. One could play games with one's own interpretations. Inconspicuous captions on the side of the frames gave the photographer's perspective.
Above all, what came through  was the photographer's deep love for nature.

Recommended for all lovers of nature,  art and photography.

This is an international  tour with halts in the Gulf,  Calicut, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Trivandrum.  The show is on till 27th at Vylopilli.

His website : www.huemenstudio.com

An evening stroll along East Fort

A stroll along the busy East Fort is always interesting for a photographer. Not having much else to do on a Sunday evening, I decided to do just that. Earlier, my attempt to photograph the Ganesas being got ready for the Ganesh Chathurthi was disappointing as the place was locked out. So East fort it was. I parked my car in the new parking lot opposite the Railway station on Power House road and walked. There was some Onam and Ramzan fare by the Supplyco, some handloom exhibition, a meeting of the united Hindu forum at the Putharikandam maidan.  Skipping all these, I moved to ' kottakkagam'. It was mostly the vendors and their ware that caught my eye. Here are the images. 

Nendran Chips

Chakka chips (jack fruit chips)

This is Peer Mohammed from Palyamkottai, TN. He runs the Padmam chip stall near the Padmanabhaswamy temple. He has got fresh Nendran and other chips ready for Onam . He has been living in Manacaud for the last 25 years. 

Lottery tickets are ubiquitous in Kerala

A blind artiste blasts out Malayalam songs. Note the buckets for the offerings and the multi-faith icons.

A vanishing tribe. An old umbrella repair man.

2nd day of dance festival

The second day of the Sree Yasoda Mahotsav dance youth festival organised by Samudra Arts International at Vylopilli Samskrithi Bhavan in association with the Indian Council for Cultural Affairs.
Besides, Kathak (by Hemanta Kalita), Bharatnatyam and Odissi, it also included a contemporary item by Nitin Gandhi.

Dance Festival at Vylopilli Samskriti Bhavan

Some  photographs from the Dance festival organised by Samudra Arts International at Vylopilly Samskriti Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram on 20th & 21st August 2014