Category Archives: Records, All

Build it like Baker

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion
“Uncommon Sense: The Life and Architecture of Laurie Baker”, a feature film on the architect that is being made by his grandson Vineet Radhakrishnan (in picture), captures the essence of Baker, the man and his outlook.
“Uncommon Sense: The Life and Architecture of Laurie Baker”, a feature film on the architect that is being made by his grandson Vineet Radhakrishnan (in picture), captures the essence of Baker, the man and his outlook.

The trailer of Vineet Radhakrishnan’s film on his grandfather Laurie Baker gives fascinating glimpses into the celebrated architect’s work and design philosophy.

Sunlight streams in through the window in Laurence (Laurie) Wilfred Baker’s home at Nalanchira in Thiruvananthapuram. The chiaroscuro catches your attention. Baker chuckles with childlike pleasure, explaining how the grill in the window is made of recycled metal parts such as a discarded bicycle wheel and a clutch plate.

That one frame from a six-minute preview (www.lauriebaker.net) of Uncommon Sense: The Life and Architecture of Laurie Baker, a feature film on Baker that is being made by his grandson Vineet Radhakrishnan, captures the essence of Baker, the man and his outlook.

“Although there have been several articles and a few short films on my grandfather, never has a feature film been made on him. I have always felt that the long movie format was most suited to explore and understand the layered and interlinked narratives of his architectural work, his remarkable personal story, and unique life philosophy,” says Vineet in an e-mail interview. Baker lived in Thiruvananthapuram from 1970 to 2007 and drew the blueprint for a school of architecture that derived its aesthetics and inspiration from local building material and vernacular building techniques.

The main block and library of the Centre for Development Studies, designed by Laurie Baker, in Thiruvananthapuram. Photo: Special Arrangement
The main block and library of the Centre for Development Studies, designed by Laurie Baker, in Thiruvananthapuram. Photo: Special Arrangement

Vineet, who has postgraduate degrees from IIT-Delhi and INSEAD, France, says that the greatest influence in his life has been his grandfather. Vineet is a fine art and fashion photographer. The trailer of the film, released online, gives glimpses of the film — interviews with leading architects and proud owners of Baker homes, poetic shots of Baker’s buildings and, best of all, vintage shots of Baker himself talking about his philosophy and his insistence on eco-friendly architecture. The film is likely to be released in October. Excerpts from an interview:

What is the story behind the movie on one of the most important architectural inspirations in the world?

In late 2013, after completing my MBA, I did some candid introspection, and realised that if I didn’t make the film then it probably would never happen, especially since I was going back to a comfortable corporate job. So I gave up the job, and started planning the film. I have been a professional photographer for several years, so many skills translated to film shooting and I ended up, partly out of necessity, becoming not just the director but also the cinematographer and shooting all of the footage, with a friend assisting at times. We spent the next year travelling across India, re-discovering and filming Baker buildings and interviewing a variety of people who knew him in one way or the other.

What is it that you plan to cover in the film — Baker the man or Baker the architect ?

Laurie Baker’s architecture exists because of Laurie Baker the man, and because of his rather particular ideals, motivations and approach to life, his environment and to his fellow human beings. So I don’t think it’s possible to separate the two. The movie will let the common man who appreciates Baker the man, understand the beauty of his architecture better and also let the architectural student or practitioner who understands the technical building aspects see why Baker built the way he did, what he built, and equally importantly why he chose to forgo the projects he did.

How best do you plan to capture his ‘small is beautiful’ philosophy and drive for sustainability?

I feel Baker’s life itself is the most powerful illustration of these ideas, because he put into practice all of these concepts, every time he designed or constructed a building whether it was his own house, a house for a fisherman, a relatively more affluent client or a large institutional building. If we have captured his life well in the film, the message should be quite apparent.

What is the most important thing you learned from your grandfather and what is the feature in his buildings that really captures Baker’s aesthetics best?

Never did I feel that it was a strain for him or my grandmother to live the life they did, or make the unconventional choices they did. Fame, money, and social conventions did not matter. I admire them most for the courage of their convictions. His sense of proportion and balance, always avoiding cluttered façades and over-design, reflects his attitude to life.

What is the best way to continue his legacy of sustainable architecture and how can his buildings be preserved for posterity?

Rather than preserving his buildings for posterity, I believe, the attempt (an approach he would have liked) should be to preserve his questioning conscience: to not accept ways of doing things just because everyone says that’s how it is done and to respect nature and stand up against wastefulness and deceit.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National / by Saraswathy Nagarajan / August 27th, 2015

Bevy of vintage beauties at their seductive best

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Sports, Travel

Around 50 vintage cars, from 1933-model Austin of England to 1984-model ‘original’ diminutive Maruti 800 compete for attention at DH Ground where an exhibition of vintage cars began on Saturday.

It is on till Sunday evening when more cars are expected. Around 30 vintage two-wheelers too are arrayed nearby. The initiative comes from Cochin Vintage Club and Ernakulam DTPC.

Businessman P. Gopakumar who owns five vintage cars, is currently engaged in restoring a 1933-model Austin, which was a rusting piece when he bought it from Bangalore. “It has already taken me six months and the restoration process is on at my house,” he said.

When asked about the owners of the car during the past decades, he said that the Motor Vehicles Department issues a new RC book, after destroying the old one – “a document which is as precious as the car.” He also laments that the department insists on regular tax, as compared to its Karnataka counterpart which gives tax holiday to vintage cars if one-time tax is remitted.

Vintage cars at DH Ground where an exhibition of the cars began on Saturday.– Photos: Thulasi Kakka
Vintage cars at DH Ground where an exhibition of the cars began on Saturday.– Photos: Thulasi Kakka

It took two years for him and his son Jayadev who is as passionate about old cars, to restore a Pathanamthitta-registered 1955-model Dodge Kingsway to its original sheen. He also owns a 1954 Italian Fiat Millicento, 1961 Ambassador and 1957 Landmaster with semaphore – a signal system in vogue before the advent of turn-indicator lights, wherein a light protrudes from the B-pillar of car in the direction it intends to turn.

Pointing to a 1956 Italian Millicento, Mr Jayadev spoke of how the classic car is even now used by many as a city car since it is fast enough and the engine does not overheat. “It was driven to Kochi from Coimbatore. Many of us who own vintage cars drive them to office. And we help each other in procuring spare parts too.”

ChevvyKERALA25aug2015

A couple of Baby Hindustan cars (Indian models of Morris Minor) that date back to 1950s, the huge Chevrolet Impalas and Ford Fairlanes and a Triumph too are on display.

Many of us who own vintage cars drive them to office. And we help each other in procuring spare parts too.

source : http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu /  Home> National> Kerala / by John L. Paul / August 23rd, 2015

ASI seeks Adarsh heritage tag for old Dutch Palace

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Kochi  :

The nearly five-century old Mattancherry Palace, a major tourist destination, may soon be raised to the status of Taj Mahal and Konark Sun Temple if a proposal by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Kerala circle, is accepted.

ASI, Kerala circle, Thrissur, has approached the New Delhi office requesting them to grant the coveted ‘Adarsh’ monument tag under the Adarsh Smarak Yojana to Mattancherry Palace aka Dutch Palace.

“We have submitted a proposal to the head office to award the ‘Adarsh’ monument tag to Mattancherry Palace. This will help us to get financial support from the Central government for maintaining and enhancing the facilities in the palace. This is the only monument in Kerala for which we have approached the head office for the tag,” said an ASI official.

The central government has accorded the tag to 25 monuments, including the Red Fort and Qutab Minar, out of 3,680 protected monuments of ASI. In Kerala, there are 26 protected monuments, including Mattancherry Palace and St Francis Church and the former is the top crowd puller under the ASI .

“We wrote to the head office considering the flow of tourists, including foreigners, to the palace. If we get the tag, we can develop many facilities for visitors such as Wi-Fi connectivity in the palace. This will help to raise the profile of the monument,” the ASI official said.

Facilities such as washrooms, drinking water, signboard, cafeteria, audio-visual centres, interpretation centres and encroachment-free areas will be provided by the ASI under the tag.

Nearly a thousand people visit the palace every day to see the mural paintings and historical artefacts exhibited there. Currently, there are no facilities available for visitors coming to the palace as the monument is situated on the land owned by Cochin Devaswom Board (CDB). The Pazhayannur Bhagavathy Temple is also situated near the Palace.

The dispute between the CDB and ASI over setting up a fence in between the palace and temple stopped the archaeology department from setting up facilities for visitors.

As per archaeology rules, new construction is prohibited in 100m around the heritage structure. Later, both parties discussed the issue and explored possibilities of setting up a fence in between the palace and temple without a construction.

“We have sent our engineer to the monument to look into the prospect of setting up a fence. We hope to sort out the issue in a month, but there is no response from CDB,” an official said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kochi / by T C Sreemol, TNN / August 20th, 2015

40 years of Kavalam play to be celebrated

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Thiruvananthapuram  :

‘Avanavan kadamba’, the play that heralded a new dawn in Malayalam theatre, will celebrate its 40th anniversary at Manaveeyam Veedhi here Sunday.

The play will be staged under the event titled ‘Vaaladikavil Ulsavam’ and will have a re-enactment of ‘Iratta Kannan Pakki’ and ‘Deshathin Udayon’, the key characters of the legendary play by Kavalam Narayana Panicker.

The day-long festival is being organized at Manaveeyam Veedi by Kavalam Samskrithi, Manaveeyam Theruvora Koottam, tourism department and the public relations department. ”

Over 40 artists, including Namboothiri, Francis Kodankandath and those from Vismaya Max, will paint the core scenes of the play on the walls of Manaveeyam Veedhi,” said Nedumudi Venu, chairman of Kavalam Samskrithi said.

The play by Malayalam director G Aravindan was scripted by Kavalam Narayana Panicker and performed by eminent actors like Nedumudi Venu and Bharat Gopi. ”

The play which subjects with the folk story passes through six ‘Kadambas’.

The actors will also sing folk songs during the play,” Venu said.

Later, Kavalam and Venu will plant saplings on the premises in memory of G Aravindan and Bharat Gopi.

There will also be a painting and sculpture exhibition by students of the National Institute of Speech & Hearing. Nedumudi Venu, Kavalam Sreekumar and Kavalam Sajeev will stage a music fete on the works of Kavalam.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Thirvananthapuram / TNN / August 19th, 2015

200 years on, Nangeli’s sacrifice only a fading memory

Amazing Feats, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Travel
The area near Manorama Kavala, Cherthala, was once known as Mulachiparambu and was the site where Nangeli, in 1803, cut off her breasts to protests against the breast tax imposed on the lower caste women of Travancore. Photo: H. Vibhu
The area near Manorama Kavala, Cherthala, was once known as Mulachiparambu and was the site where Nangeli, in 1803, cut off her breasts to protests against the breast tax imposed on the lower caste women of Travancore. Photo: H. Vibhu

Nangeli gained her place in history as the woman who cut off her breasts to protest against an inhuman tax imposed in erstwhile Travancore

Many books and histories have been written about caste oppression in Kerala and the men and women who fought the injustice. Yet the story of one woman’s protest has almost faded away from the collective memory of the State.

Nangeli, who lived in Cherthala in Alappuzha over 200 years ago, gained her place in history as the woman who cut off her breasts to protest against the inhumanmulakkaram (breast tax) that was imposed in the erstwhile kingdom of Travancore.

CASTE OPPRESSION

Kings of the time ensured the subjugation of the lower castes by imposing heavy taxes on them. Their wealth was built on some of the worst taxes imposed anywhere in the world. Besides the tax on land and crops, peasants had to pay taxes for the right to wear jewellery, the right of men to grow a moustache, and even the right of women to cover their breasts.

The heavy taxes ensured that the lower castes were kept eternally in debt, while members of the upper castes flourished.

“Nangeli was a poor Ezhava woman from Cherthala. Her family could not afford to pay the taxes and was in debt to the rulers,” says D. Sugathan, advocate and former MLA from Alappuzha.

“The tax collector, then called the parvathiyar, came to her house one day and demanded that she pay the tax,” he says. The legend goes that Nangeli cut off her breasts and presented them to theparvathiyar on a plantain leaf. The tax collector fled in fear, while Nangeli bled to death at her doorstep.

Her husband Chirukandan came home to find his wife lying dead and mutilated. He is said to have jumped into her funeral pyre out of grief.

“The incident happened in 1803. It created a lot of anger and the practice of collecting breast tax was put to an end here by 1812,” says Mr. Sugathan, who mentions Nangeli’s story in his book ‘Oru Desathinte Katha, Kayarinteyum’.

While Nangeli’s sacrifice put an end to one form of caste oppression, the land where she lived came to be known as mulachiparambu – the plot where the woman of breasts lived.

“Nangeli’s story is unique also for the fact that it is the first recorded instance of a man committing sati,” says Ajay S. Sekher, a teacher of English at the Tirur centre of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit. A blog post written by Mr. Sekher, who researches issues of caste and gender, has introduced many to the story of Nangeli and mulachiparambu.

An earlier generation of political leaders grew up hearing about Nangeli’s protest and its significance in Kerala’s history. Leaders C. Kesavan and K.R. Gowri Amma have mentioned her in their autobiographies.

‘UNIQUE RESISTANCE’

“Nangeli’s story is an articulation of a unique resistance and struggle against a Brahmanic patriarchy. The tradition of such resistance by leaders such as Gowri Amma could perhaps be traced all the way back to Nangeli,” says Mr. Sekher.

The legend of Nangeli’s mutilation of her own body in protest against oppression has been handed down through generations.

Today, however, her tale is preserved only in the memories of a few old-timers and researchers. There are no memorials to her name, no books extolling her courage.

The name mulachiparambu too has been covered up, perhaps due to embarrassment. The plot, divided up between several owners, is situated near the SNDP office at Manorama Junction in Cherthala.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Nidhi Surendranath / Kochi – October 21st, 2013

For the Chinese envoy, the past is here & now

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Kochi :

The Chinese ambassador to India, Le Yucheng, on Sunday visited the Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi. He took part in casting the fishing nets and raised the hopes of several fishermen who are looking to the Chinese government to protect and preserve these nets.

However, the ambassador was non-committal. He said that the nets reminded him of the Chinese explorer, Zheng He, who is believed to have visited Kerala six times.

“I will surely promote tourist flow from China to Kerala. Wait for a few months, and I assure you that thousands of Chinese tourists will be heading your way,” said the ambassador. Last year, a Chinese embassy team that visited Kochi had offered help to restore the aged fishing nets that dot the shoreline of Kochi. However, the offer was declined by the Kochi corporation.

“With this visit, we hope that he would grant some funds for the restoration of nets as most of them are now being made from metal rather than traditional teak wood. Authorities also don’t seem to care about it any more,” said Hansel Joseph, a fisherman.

The Chinese fishing nets are facing a threat as authorities, including the Heritage Conservation Society, DTPC and Kochi corporation, have turned a blind eye to its plight. Many of them were removed recently.

On the second day of his official visit to Kerala, Le Yucheng visited other popular sites in Fort Kochi. “Kochi is rich with culture and heritage and I was told that it would be a shame not to visit these places,” he said.

The ambassador, who received an invitation to visit Kerala from chief secretary Jiji Thomson, arrived at Kumarakom on Friday along with a four-member team. His official tour of Fort Kochi began from the Dutch Palace and Jewish Synagogue in Mattancherry, following which he visited St Francis Church and the iconic Chinese fishing nets. He was also presented with a replica of the ‘cheenavala’.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kochi / by TNN / August 10th, 2015

Kerala Urged to Explore Historic Links to Woo Chinese Tourists

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports, Travel, World Opinion

Kochi :

In order to boost the prospects of Kerala’s tourism, which eyes the Chinese market, those at the helm should explore the potential historical links that connect the State with China, said Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng.

He was speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of an interaction with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here on Monday.

“A range of topics were covered in the interaction with the CM. We have chalked out an in-depth plan to boost the tourism prospects of Kerala in China. Marketing strategies for the same have already been discussed with Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson when he visited China. In a short period of time, a high-level team from China will visit Kerala to look into the investment venues, including the tourism sector,” said Yucheng.

Stressing the need to explore the historical links, he said there were many links that connected Kerala with China. “Of them, the Chinese fishing net stands first. The snake-boat race and Kerala’s martial art ‘kalaripayattu’ have had their Chinese connections. The common factor lies in food also. My point is that these linkages have to be explored for the good, which will attract Chinese tourists to Kerala,” he said.

According to Yucheng, 5,000 Chinese tourists visited the State last year. “The goal is to raise the figure to 50,000, and then to 500,000. But, spirited efforts are needed to reach that goal,” Pointed out the Ambassador, adding that he had put forth certain suggestions before the CM for attracting Chinese tourists.

The suggestions include conduct of boat races, martial arts events, investment meets, entertainment programmes and conferences, among others.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Express News Service / August 11th, 2015

A glorious decade

Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All
Proud winners:Chief Minister Oommen Chandy with students who cleared this year’s Civil Services examination, at a function organised by the Kerala State Civil Service Academy in the city on Thursday.— Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar / The Hindu
Proud winners:Chief Minister Oommen Chandy with students who cleared this year’s Civil Services examination, at a function organised by the Kerala State Civil Service Academy in the city on Thursday.— Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar / The Hindu

The Kerala State Civil Service Academy has churned out as many as 252 civil servants, including a top rank holder, since its inception in 2005.

The Kerala State Civil Service Academy, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, can look back with pride as it had churned out as many as 252 civil servants, including a top rank holder, since its inception in 2005. So it is not surprising that the number of candidates enrolling for coaching at the academy is only growing.

In 2005, when it was established, only eight among a handful of candidates managed to enter the service. Now, in its tenth year, more than 400 aspirants have enrolled for various batches. Last year, 35 students cleared the examination.

“We are witnessing a steady rise in the number of students joining the academy. The examination is no more considered a hard nut to crack. Instead, students feel that with the right approach and perseverance, clearing the exam is not a hard task,” said P.M. Rajeev, course co-ordinator at the academy.

Taking into account the growing number of aspirants, the government has decided to construct a new building for the institute at Charachira, near Nanthancode. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy laid the foundation for the new building here on Thursday.

The three-storey building will have all modern facilities. The building, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs.3.43 crore, will also have a hostel for girl students.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu /  Home> National> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / August 07th, 2015

Blind youth develops mobile app for eye donation

Amazing Feats, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology

Kochi :

A new app called Netradaan enables users to sign up for eye donation through their mobile phones. What makes the app all the more special is the contributions by a visually challenged person in its making.

Muhammed Ramees was born with partial eyesight. When Sunil Mathew, founder of Sightica Solutions spotted him during an interview to train visually challenged persons in using computers, he realized that Ramees was too good to be just trained in basics. That was the beginning. Together the duo went on to develop a series of Android apps.

“One of the unique features of the app is t the recipient request through which a request for cornea can be made. This will go into the database of the association. The app has English and Hindi versions, Ramees said. The app encourages users to donate their eyes through an easy to fill-and-submit donor form. “We have partnered with the Eye Bank Association of India. The donor receives an eye donation card from the association,” said Sunil, who also runs Society for Rehabilitation of the Visually Challenged (SRVC), an NGO in Kochi.

Another app called Kuluk created by them enables the blind to call for help by shaking or tapping their phone “A visually challenged person can call for help by shaking the phone or tapping it just once keeping the app on. The users can customize the number of shakes upto three. A shake or a tap prompts a call or message to emergency numbers saved on their phones,” said Sunil. Another app called Mapseeker helps the elderly or visually challenged to find important places using google maps. “This is just like the GPS but with more user-friendly features for the blind,” Ramees added. ”

Netradaan app has won the m-inclusion Awards at the mBillionth Awards held in New Delhi last week. The award honours outstanding mobile content and apps from South Asia.

“We should spread awareness regarding eye donation. What pushed us to develop this app was the long waiting list for corneas. About 45,000 corneas are imported from Sri Lanka alone every year,” said Sunil. All the apps can be downloaded from Google Playstore.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kochi / by Sudha Nambudiri, TNN / August 04th, 2015

3-yr-old Anjana Becomes Youngest Donor in State

Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All

AnjanaKERALA03aug2015

Thiruvananthapuram  :

Three-year-old Anjana from the district, who was declared brain-dead on Saturday night after suffering from acute tumor, has become the youngest donor in the state.

Her family donated her liver, two kidneys and corneas to five-year-old Aninraj.

Anjana from Karakulam was admitted to the SAT hospital here in a critical condition on Thursday. She was declared brain-dead on Saturday morning. Soon after, her parents told the doctors at the SAT about donating the organs.

The doctors then contacted Mritasanjeevani, a government’s organ donation programme, and the officials at the organisation then contacted the parents of Aninraj, who was registered with them.

Soon after Anjana was declared brain-dead on Saturday, the harvesting of the organs began at 2 am in the night.

The retrieval surgery was over by 8 am on Sunday and the organs taken to KIMS hospital.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Express News Service / August 03rd, 2015