Category Archives: Records, All

Heritage, tucked away

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All
Model of a kitchen at a Kerala home exhibited at the Museum of History and Heritage inThiruvananthapuram. — Photo: S. Gopakumar
Model of a kitchen at a Kerala home exhibited at the Museum of History and Heritage inThiruvananthapuram. — Photo: S. Gopakumar

Cooking vessels line the hearth; firewood adds to its authenticity. Nearby sits an uppu marava (salt container), and at right, in a corner, is an ennakudam (oil pot). There are also a few spice boxes, in varying shapes, a couple of mulanazhi and a marakkal used to measure cereals, and a rectangular wooden vessel for collecting strained rice gruel water. This is how a 150-year-old Kerala kitchen is recreated at the Keralam – Museum of History and Heritage at Park View, near the Corporation office, in the city.

The museum does not see a significant footfall, unlike the Napier Museum or the Natural History Museum. On some days, it receives fewer than 30 visitors, mostly domestic tourists and those from abroad who are drawn by its mention on the must-see list in the Lonely Planet travel guide book. Doordarshan has also telecast a documentary on the museum.

Not many are aware of the museum. It is in a prime location, but is easily missed owing to inadequate signage. The display boards are not prominent enough, it is pointed out.

Space constraint

“The museum faces space constraints. It does not have seating arrangements for families to relax during or after a tour,” says museum Executive Director S. Raimon.

Prem P. Mahesh, guide-lecturer at the museum, blames paucity of parking space. Vehicles have to be parked at the museum and zoo parking space opposite, or along the road to Nanthancode or Kanakakkunnu. A common ticket for both the zoo and the heritage museum will attract more visitors, it is pointed out.

“Museums usually have the concept of a cafe. This museum does not have one,” Mr. Raimon says. There is a Tourism Department canteen, but it is not exclusively for the museum’s visitors.

Night museum

Many suggested keeping the museum open till 8 p.m. “One finds such night museums in the West,” Mr. Raimon says.

The museum at present receives groups of schoolchildren towards the fag end of the year, courtesy visits by its authorities to schools.

Target groups

However, it is also looking at improved visibility among groups such as the Technopark staff.

It plans to reach out to them through online campaigns and exhibiting its photos and brochures. “We are planning to hold such an exhibition during Onam,” Mr. Raimon says.

The museum is keen on attracting more visitors. “This will address the issue of fund shortage, and the future of the museum as a self-sustaining unit will be secure,” Mr. Mahesh says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by R.K. Roshni / Thiruvananthapuram – July 10th, 2015

Museum set to return Dalawa’s sword

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

Thiruvananthapuram :

The legendary sword of Velu Thambi Dalawa, the ruler of erstwhile Travancore, which has drawn visitors in great numbers to Napier Museum will be returned to the National Museum, New Delhi. The museum officials have received a formal order to hand over the sword.

The archaeology department under ministry of culture had earlier received a communication from the Centre demanding that the sword be returned to National Museum.

G Premkumar, director of archaeology department, said that the order has already been issued. “The sword was brought to the state as loan from National Museum. We received a communication as per the direction from the President of India stating that the sword should be returned,” said Premkumar.

A team has been assigned by the National Museum to transport the sword from the state to New Delhi. B Joseph ,director of museum and zoos, said that the museum administration was entrusted with the task to conserve and display the sword and it will now be returned.

The sword had been in possession of Kilimanoor royal family till 1957 when it was handed over to the then President Rajendra Prasad and then taken to National Museum.

The state government had been renewing yearly insurance for the sword and the period expires on Thursday. As per the records, Dalawa who had been in hiding during the late 1800s, reached Kilimanoor Palace where he had supper at the oottupura. In return for the hospitality and refuge, Dalawa offered his sword with a condition that it shall never reach the hands of English East India Company. The palace members kept the word and hid the sword among the immense weaponry maintained at the palace. A few days after Dalawa took refuge in Kilimanoor palace he stabbed himself to death at the Bhagavathi temple at Mannadi near Adoor.

According to Shankunni Menon, the author of Aithihyamala, the Dalawa asked his brother to stab him, which his brother refused to, following which the Dalawa stabbed himself. Since the self-inflicted wound did not prove mortal, he cried out to his brother ‘cut my neck,’ and the brother in one stroke severed the neck from the body.

source:  http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Aswin J.Kumar, TNN / July 08th, 2015

HIDDEN HISTORIES – House of memories

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Travel

Pokku Moosa Maraykkar was a prosperous merchant of Poovar who had close links with the royals of erstwhile Travancore. 

Pokku Moosa Maraykkar, a Muslim merchant who was instrumental in introducing young Kesava Pillai to Karthika Tirunal Rama Varma, is a name that is seldom remembered in popular history. Kesava Pillai began as an accountant in Pokku Moosa Maraykkar’s warehouse. Later, he became a trusted officer to the royals and rose to the position of Dewan. It is said that Raja Kesavadas, as he was later known, had a special place in his heart for his early mentor’s family.

Although Pokku Moosa Maraykkar’s name is often associated with Raja Kesavadas, it seems that Maraykkar was an important person who had sided with Marthanda Varma during one of the most turbulent phase in the history of erstwhile Travancore.

According to local lore, Pokku Moosa was a member of Valiya Kallaraikkal Veedu, a prominent family of traders who operated from Thengapattanam and Poovar. In 1918 A.D., Amshi K. Raman Pillai wrote about Raja Kesavadas and his association with Kallaraikkal Veedu.

Pillai is of the opinion that Maraykkar was the one who supplied goods to Valiya Kottaram in Thiruvananthapuram, and through this connection the merchant entered into the good books of the royals.

he existing wing of the old Kallaraikkal Veedu in Poovar./ Photo: Sharat Sunder Rajeev / The Hindu
he existing wing of the old Kallaraikkal Veedu in Poovar./ Photo: Sharat Sunder Rajeev / The Hindu

Kallaraikkal Veedu, the ancient house of Pokku Moosa, was a landmark structure in Poovar. This structure has now been replaced by a concrete structure. However, local residents still associate the house with Marthanda Varma. It is said that when Marthanda Varma was hounded by the Ettuvettil Pillamar, he had once sought refuge at the Kallaraikkal Veedu in Poovar. Later, after he vanquished his enemies, Marthanda Varma bestowed the family with honours. The patriarchs of the family were granted the title of ‘Maraykkar’, and thereafter they were considered as nobles in their community.

Kallaraikkal family had a branch in Thengapattanam, where an old well, supposedly dug following the order of Raja Kesavadas, was spotted by Amshi K. Raman Pillai.

The ancient buildings associated with the family, unfortunately, fell prey to modernisation.

In Poovar, a stone’s throw away from the site of the Valiya Kallaraikkal Veedu is located a house of a family member who is struggling to keep up with the changing times.

“This house is more than 150 years old,” says Hassan Kannu who occupies the house. According to Hassan Kannu, in olden days the Kallaraikkal family owned many edifices in the locality and his house is perhaps one of the last to survive.

“This house had seen better days when my ancestors had enjoyed royal patronage,” says Hassan, “I still remember my elder brother’s nikâh, when a horse adorned with silver ornaments was sent from the royal stable to take the groom for the procession,” he adds. This tradition has been recorded by Raman Pillai in an article.

Pillared verandah opening to the inner yard of the existing wing of the old Kallaraikkal Veedu in Poovar /. Photo: Sharat Sunder Rajeev / The Hindu
Pillared verandah opening to the inner yard of the existing wing of the old Kallaraikkal Veedu in Poovar /. Photo: Sharat Sunder Rajeev / The Hindu

The old house, Hassan explains, still retains some traces of its glorious past. The main entrance, a thick wooden door, opens to a spacious yard, with wide verandahs on either side. “Only a small fraction of the house still exists, the padippura, the nalakam, the courtyard wing, and other associated structures have been demolished to make way for new constructions,” says Hassan.

“I don’t know for how long I will be able to maintain the house, but I will do my best,” he adds with a smile.

[The author is a conservation architect and history buff]

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Hidden Histories / by Sharat Sunder Rajeev / Thiruvananthapuram – July 03rd, 2015

Three from Ernakulam figure in top 500 ranklist

Education, Records, All

Kochi  :

When UPSC civil services examination results were announced on Saturday, Ernakulam had its share of joy when threeresidents secured ranks in the top 500 list.

Sarayu K M, who secured rank 220, was the topper in the district. Bhavika Mangalanandan of Elamkulam and Satheesh V Menon of Maradu secured 249 and 342 ranks.

Sarayu (23) secured the rank in her first attempt and she is thankful to the Cusat librarian who helped her to achieve her dream. She started her coaching a year ago after she completed her BTech in civil engineering from M A College in Kothamangalam.

“Librarian Beena Cherukunnathu helped me to get magazines, allowed me to browse the internet and provided a lot of books to read. I studied in a Malayalam medium school. During school days, I found that many of my classmates belong to poor families and saw their struggles. So I wanted to serve the society. I believed, I can ace the exam,” she said. Malayalam was her optional subject.

Bhavika Mangalanandan secured the rank in her third attempt and her aim is to get into the IFS. “After completing MTech from IIT Delhi, I worked in Bangalore for some time. Though my mother is a government employee, she is very much involved in social service, especially women empowerment. Her involvement in social service influenced me to take up civil service,” she said adding that she did her coaching in Thiruvananthapuram. Geography was her optional subject.

Satheesh, son of a daily-wage worker, dreams of joining the IFS and he said he has a plan to achieve his goal in his next attempt. “I give coaching in engineering and medical entrance to students. I got secretariat assistant and high court assistant posts, but IFS is my ultimate aim,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com /  The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / July 05th,  2015

Book unravels several mysteries of the sea

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

The book ‘Kadalarivukalum Neranubhavangalum’, authored by marine researcher Robert Panipillai, can be regarded a treasure trove of information on the fishing community and the vast traditional knowledge they possess.

Many mysteries of the Thiruvananthapuram coast are unravelled in the 155-page book through extensive research that was undertaken by the author over a period of around 15 years. Particularly engaging is the chapter that has findings on the Dutch ship that sank off the Varkala coast in 1754.

A team led by Mr. Panipillai, which included two divers, conducted the expedition from Anchuthengu (or Anjengo) earlier this year to find the wreckage of the ship, nearly 9.7 km northwest of Anchuthengu at a depth of 43 metres.

The ship was later identified as ‘Wimmenum’ (named after a place in Holland) of the Dutch East India Company, as per information obtained by the researcher through archived documents in the Netherlands. The ship had been built in the Amsterdam wharf in 1752. It sank after being attacked by ‘Angrians’, believed to have been a group of pirates, in the Malabar coast, as per the Dutch archives. The ship had a crew of 356 members.

Visuals that were obtained by Mr. Panipillai during the expedition found the wreck to be home to a large number of varieties of marine species. It had a length of around 8 metres, while the archived documents showed that the ship had a length of 42.25 metres and weighed 1,150 tonnes.

The book also traces the link that ship had with the ‘Dutch Bell’, made of brass, at the Janardhana Swamy Temple in Varkala.

The bell, which has been found to have been made from Wimmenum, has the inscriptions of Michael Everhard, who was a soldier aboard the ‘Wimmenum’ ship, and of Pieter van Belson, a person who hailed from Middelburg in the Netherlands and had manufactured the bell.

“Several facts that have been obtained for the preparation of the book were from local fishermen. It was a matter of shame that the traditional knowledge of the community remained largely ignored by scientists and others in positions of authority. I hope the book serves to ensure that the authorities regard fishermen in an entirely new light and appreciate the vast knowledge they possessed regarding marine life,” Mr. Panipillai told The Hindu .

The book, which has been published by Current Books, was jointly released by Thomas, a fishermen, and Thiruvananthapuram Archbishop M. Soosa Pakiam, here on Saturday. Among the other attractive features of the book are the images of marine species and also those that reflect upon the lives of fishermen.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Sarath Babu George / Thiruvananthapuram – July 05th, 2015

Squash Finally Arrived in Kerala

Records, All, Sports

Squash has finally arrived in Kerala.

Technically a national level competition in squash took place in the state last year as part of the National Games.

But this will be the first time that a national championship will be hosted by Kerala.

The 63rd edition of the senior national championship is to be held at the modern air-conditioned Chandrasekharan Nair squash stadium in Thiruvananthapuram from July 7 to 12.

The squash facility at the Kerala Police’s Chandrasekharan Nair stadium has three singles courts and one for doubles events. It has a seating capacity for 3000 people.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport / by Express News Service / July 06th, 2015

Brennan College conferred special heritage status

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

Kannur :

In what can be termed yet another feather in the cap of this illustrious institution, Government Brennen College, Thalassery, has been accorded special heritage status by the University Grants Commisson (UGC). The college, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, has been sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore for the conservation of valuable articles of historic and archaeological importance.

“We have received a communique in this connection from the UGC. The recognition and financial support would go a long way in preserving several articles of historic significance in the college dating back to the colonial period,” said principal P M Ismail. “Every department in this historic college has something or the other, including rare furniture, and they need to be preserved.”

As a start, the college plans to set up a small museum on its campus. Later, steps would be taken to preserve vintage buildings, too. “From the specimens and microscope in the zoology department to various other articles and documents in other departments, the college is a treasure trove that needs to be preserved for posterity,” said Valsalan A, head of the history department, who took the initiative – along with colleagues Dinesan V, Gireesh Vishnu Namboodiri and Sudheer Kumar P – to obtain UGC aid as part of recommendations in the 12th Plan.

The college, incidentally, also houses the remains of a fort on its campus, which has been described as a redoubt (temporary fortification) in William Logan’s Malabar Manual. This too needs to be protected, Valsalan said. Since there are limitations to use the UGC aid for this purpose, their plan is to approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the coming days, he said.

The college was established in 1862 by Edward Brennen, a master attendant at Thalassery port, as a free school in Thalassery town. Later, in 1890, it was elevated to the status of a II-Grade College, and was shifted in 1958 to the new building at Dharmadam. In 2011, the college was accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council with A-grade.

Now, with this rare accomplishment, the college plans to organize a year-long 125th anniversary celebration, which would be finalized later, the principal said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / by P. Sudhakaran, TNN / July 04th, 2015

‘A visionary who was meted out unfair treatment’

Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology

Thiruvananthapuram :

In 2003, a packed Senate chamber in the city witnessed a rare event that had just two speakers – both non politicians – F C Kohli, father of Indian IT, and Vijay Bhatkar, Padma Bhushan award winner. Policitians, including K R Gowri Amma and P K Vasudevan Nair, sat in the front row among the audience. All eyes were on a man in the wheelchair, K P P Nambiar, the visionary behind the establishment of Keltron and Technopark. The occasion was his 75th birthday.

The function is still vivid in the memories of Technopark founder CEO R Vijayaraghavan, who strongly feel that KPP could do a lot more and that his illness was the result of unfair treatment meted out by the state. “A vigilance inquiry was ordered against him out of political vendetta. This happened because he refused to bribe a prominent politician for KPP’s prestigious Kannur Power Project. He had put much effort into the project, incurring substantial debt,” he recollected.

“What is surprising is that the inquiry was forwarded by the then chief minister based on an anonymous letter which just said ‘inquire against KPP and Keltron’. The vigilance department informed the government that no inquiry could be made against individuals, but only against allegations. Then, another anonymous letter with various allegations against KPP was forwarded to the department. Several people, including those whom KPP had helped a lot, raised false accusations against him. Recognitions like the Padma Bhushan got delayed due to this. The inquiry was dropped during the tenure of the last UDF government. KPP had written about this controversial phase in his book ‘Saphalam Kalapabharitam’, but most of its copies were destroyed. The book I have with me has that portion edited out,” he said.

Former senior business development manager of Technopark, M Vasudevan, recollected KPP’s contribution of KPP as the secretary of the electronics department in the Rajiv Gandhi ministry. “When IBM was banned in the country in the mid-1980s, TCS decided to import large IBM mainframes worth $5 million. But the government refused. TCS gave a guarantee that it would generate four times that amount in three years from software exports. Nevertheless, the firm had to approach KPP, who understood its significance and took up the matter with the concerned ministries and obtained approval,” Vasudevan remembered.

Vijayaraghavan said KPP was a man of great memory who was not afraid of anyone. “Once he had an argument with one of the Cabinet members in the Rajiv Gandhi government. He walked out from the meeting, but went to meet Rajiv Gandhi himself and got a favourable decision,” he said.

Technopark CEO K G Girish Babu described Nambiar as a brave visionary. “He was one of those rare non-IAS men who singlehandedly fought against the IAS lobby in the government. Today we organized an internal meeting of Technopark officials and shared our memories,” Babu said, before leaving for KPP’s funeral.

Chief minister Oommen Chandy condoled the death of K P P Nambiar. He directed that the funeral be conducted with full state honours in Kannur on Thursday.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / by Jisha Surya, TNN / July 02nd, 2015

ZSI centenary fete to begin today

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel
A scientist arranging specimens at an exhibition of the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, in connection with its centenary celebrations. —Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup
A scientist arranging specimens at an exhibition of the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghat Regional Centre, in connection with its centenary celebrations. —Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Kozhikode Collector to flag off centenary run at its centre

The year-long centenary celebrations of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) at its Western Ghat Regional Centre will kick off with a ‘Centenary Run’ starting from its campus at Jaffar Khan Colony in Kozhikode on Wednesday.

School and college students, staff members of the regional centre and people will participate in the run and the curtain-raiser event followed by it in the afternoon.

A variety of programmes including national seminars on Western Ghat conservation, workshops, public awareness programmes and competitions for school and college students will be among the programmes to be organised as part of the centenary celebrations, said P.M. Sureshan, senior scientist and officer-in-charge of the centre.

The natural history museum at the centre has been spruced-up to welcome the visitors as part of the celebrations. The museum that features a wide variety of representative fauna of Western Ghats, will be a key attraction for the visitors during the celebrations, said Dr. Sureshan. The museum has a good collection of seashells, insects, fossils, seashore animals and fishes to attract the viewers.

A section titled ‘A Journey through the Western Ghats,’ takes the viewers through the photographs and embalmed samples of living thing including birds, animals and butterflies endemic to the Western Ghats. Besides eye-catching pictorials and models of life from the Ghats, the section also features pictures of a large variety of amphibians, mammals, fishes, retails, molluscs and dragonflies in the section. Entry to the museum will be free from 10 a.m.

‘Taking Science to People,’ is the theme of the centenary celebrations. “That will precisely be what we attempt to do through various programmes as part of the celebrations,” said Dr. Sureshan, who maintained that the centenary celebration would also be an occasion to introduce the institute to the public as well as to the scientific community outside. District Collector N. Prasanth will flag off the centenary run at the centre at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Mayor A.K. Premajam will inaugurate the centenary celebrations at the centre at 2 p.m.. Dr. P.S. Easa, former director of the Kerala Forest Research Institute will deliver the keynote address on the occasion.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Jabir Musthari / Kozhikode – July 01st, 2015

Kalyan group owner wealthiest jeweller in India

Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All

KalyanRamanKERALA01jul2015

Kalyan Jewellers’ chairman and managing director T S Kalayanaraman, is the wealthiest jeweller in India with a personal fortune of USD 1.3 billion, says Wealth-X report.

Kalayanaraman opened his first jewellery shop in Thrissur City in 1993 with only USD 100,000 capital, and his business has now expanded to 32 showrooms across South India. His personal fortune is worth USD 1.3 billion.

Nirav Modi was ranked second on the Wealth-X list of India’s wealthiest jewellers with an estimated net worth of USD 1.1 billion.

“Born into a family of Indian diamantaires, Modi left the family business in 1999 and launched his own company, Firestar Diamonds. In 2007, Firestar Diamonds acquired New York-based Sandberg & Sikorski,” it said.

The third on the list is M P Ahammed, with a personal fortune of USD 1 billion. Ahammed had opened the first Malabar Gold & Diamond showroom with only USD 70,000.

Others on the list include, Bhima Jewellers’ B Govindan with a personal wealth of USD 620 million, Kiran Gems’ Vallabhbhai S Patel (USD 590 million), Laxmi Diamond’s Vasant Gajera (USD 580 million), Dharmanandan Diamonds’ Laljibhai Patel (USD 480 million), Kiran Gems’ Babubhai Lakhani (USD 470 million), Kiran Gems’ Mavji Bhai Patel (USD 410 million) and Rajesh Exports’ Rajesh Mehta (USD 310 million).

Wealth-X provides insight into the ultra wealthy with the world’s largest collection of curated research on ultra high net worth individuals.

“The gems and jewellery industry is among India’s fastest growing sectors fuelled by UHNWs affinity for jewellery and the fact that they view it as an important store of value. For India’s ultra wealthy jewellers, all that glitters is gold!,” Sahil Mehta, director, Indian subcontinent at Wealth–X said.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> National / PTI / Singapore – July 01st, 2015