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.