The Fish Cemetery, an art installation set up by the CMFRI in Fort Kochi to create public awareness on plastic litter.
Art installation by CMFRI to create awareness on coastal pollution
The Fish Cemetery, an art installation set up by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) last year to create awareness on coastal pollution, has won national recognition with the CMFRI bagging the Swachh Bharat Award.
The director of CMFRI, A. Gopalakrishnan, received the award from Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister for Agriculture, said a press release here.
The institute received second prize at the national level among the institutes functioning under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (ISSWC) in Dehradun got the first prize in the category, the press release added.
The award is in recognition of the CMFRI’s attempt to create awareness among the public about the dangers of plastic litter in marine ecosystem by setting up the art installation of fish cemetery on Fort Kochi beach last year.
Set up in an area of more than 2,500 sq.ft. with a height of 13 feet, the installation consisted of giant fish like structures that reminded the dangers of plastic pollution on marine and coastal waterbodies.
The ‘Fish Cemetery’ was used to warn the public of the dangers of dumping plastic in the sea and other waterbodies.
The CMFRI has also launched cleanliness drive on the premises of major fishing harbours and beaches across the country by ensuring public participation.
Besides the Kochi centre, the cleanliness drive was carried out by all regional research centres of the CMFRI located in various parts of the country such as Veraval, Mumbai, Karwar, Visakhapatnam, Mandapam, Tuticorin, Chennai, Mangaluru, Kozhikode and Vizhinjam.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – March 13th, 2018
The over 300-year-old former residence of the Cochin Maharaja, Chittoor Kottaram, opens after specialised restoration
Lady Helen Hamlyn uses the French word douceur, meaning pleasantness, to describe the essence of Chittoor Kottaram, a former residence of the Cochin Royal Family. At the helm of the eponymous Helen Hamlyn Trust (HHT), the 84-year-old is the force behind the palace’s recent restoration.
Having acquired an insight into the complex and intricate art of preservation from years of engaging in conservation of heritage, in different parts of the world, she says, “I treat every building like a person.”
In its over 300 years of existence Chittoor Kottaram, now, after restoration, wears its charm once again, with a feel of the times when the Cochin Raja graced it, coming down to attend the functions at the adjacent Krishna temple.
Beyond the padippura, the formal entrance, its majestic grandeur looms. Seated on the refurbished verandah, facing the serene backwaters, Lady Hamlyn relishes the quietness that envelops its two storeys. It is a reason she chose to associate with it, having fallen in love with its very private ambiance.
“Chittoor is perfect; it is a retreat,” she says, talking animatedly about the completion of her latest project.
“The important thing in restoration is that you take up a piece of heritage and restore it without destroying its essence,” she says.
Latha Raman Jaigopal whose firm had carried out major restoration works on the structure in 2005 at the behest of the owner from the royal family, Suresh Namboothiri, was engaged to do so again by Lady Hamlyn. Of the first restoration, Latha says that it was merely strengthening of the structure. This time, it was about taking it back to its original condition. Latha adds, “Lady Hamlyn took it back to the original flavour a little more.” For instance, she modernised the pond, converting it into a pool, but kept to the old and used material like laterite stone. It covers the concrete base making it both functional and antique.
The only distinct change introduced was in widening of the veranda that now serves as a lounging space and in the construction of a waterfront gazebo, using natural materials. The final touches underway are sprucing up the private boat and changing remaining furnishing.
It was 30 years ago that Lady Hamlyn first visited Kerala with her husband, the publishing tycoon, Paul Hamlyn. In those early years the couple tried, in vain, to associatewith the restoration of the Bolgatty Palace, but the efforts got mired in government procedures. The restoration of a few properties and old warehouses in Fort Kochi too met the same fate. Disheartened, she engaged herself with other heritage projects. In Khajuraho, which comes under the ASI, she cleared the ‘bunds’ and was instrumental in the shifting of a bus stop that hurt the heritage property. “World Heritage Sites by law have 500 metres of protection. Khajuraho had nothing of it then,” she recalls.
Reviving 100 fountains
Prior to her efforts here she fought a two-year battle with the Government of Goa over the restoration of the 16th Century Reis Magos Fort, that eventually resulted in the amendment of an archaic law that now permits reuse of a restored structure.
“When I get involved in restoration it is always for reuse, so that the structure can fulfil its role and be a part of the culture of the land.”
Before this, her collaborations with the Maharajah of Jodhpur to restore the Nagaur fort in Central Rajasthan brought about not only its glorious revival but also made it the much sought-after venue for the World Sufi Festival, now in its 11th year. She co-founded the event that brings droves of tourists to its doorstep.
Alongside, she revived the residences of old queens, small private dilapidated properties, suggesting they be converted to “nice little hotels,” and added modern amenities to the renovated structures.
Akbari Mahal, known for its water gardens that were introduced for the first time by Akbar, was undertaken by Lady Hamlyn for restoration. She brought back to life all 100 rusted and disused fountains, in period style.
“When I finish a project, it has to look as it looked when it was built. That nobody has touched it.”
Hence what has come to be Lady Hamlyn’s touch or trademark is one of sensitive reclamation, of no extra value addition and of using materials that were used in the initial construction.
The personalised restoration of Chittoor Kottaram has given back to it, its temporarily missing character, accentuated its stillness, heightened its stateliness and beauty. Lady Hamlyn’s labour of love is clearly evident in the decor of the three bedrooms, living area, wooden stairway, verandah, common area, office and spa, dressed in art—Pichwais, wooden cages, Bengali hand-embroidered hangings, furniture—from her personal collection. It will now be used by her and by guests who seek a private and majestic getaway.
“The thing about Kochi is its extraordinary history of people from different lands settling down here. That has made it what it is,” she says, adding that it has been a privilege to contribute in a small way to preserve the heritage of India which is unique to the world.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by Priyadershini S / March 03rd, 2018
Chef Harikumar Nair | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Meet the pastry chef behind the success of Hearts Together as One, which entered the Asia Book of Records
This one’s more than the sum of its parts. The attempt by UDS Group of Hotels to enter the Asia Book of Records with a display of more than 150 varieties of ‘heart-shaped desserts’ at Uday Suites, Shanghumugham, on Valentine’s Day easily took the cake.
From Sugar Hearts to Tinted Angel Cake to Valentine’s Day Chocolate Bark to Grilled Choco Raspberry Yummy Quesadilla to the ubiquitous Black Current Souffle to the very Indian Kaju Katli, there was a breathtaking range of sweetmeats – cakes, pastries, muffins, sweets, mousses, soufflés – for one to behold. As arrangements for the record-making display went on, MetroPlus caught up with Harikumar Nair, corporate pastry chef with the UDS Group of Hotels, who has had his hands full in the past few weeks.
A heart-shaped gateau | Photo Credit: Harikumar J.S.
“What’s happening here [Hearts Together as One] is the result of painstaking preparations that had been afoot for about a month. It’s the joint effort of a team of about 15 staff members, all well-trained in pastry-making and baking, who deserve kudos for making the dream come true,” said Harikumar. The display was all arranged in alphabetical order for easy cataloguing for the Asia Book of Records adjudicators.
Harikumar said he was not daunted when the CEO Raja Gopala Iyer pitched the idea. “It was all about teamwork. I was just leading the team, which has been very efficient,” said the 52-year-old, who has previously worked with hotel chains in Abu Dhabi and Oman.
Once the project was green-signalled, the process commenced with purchasing of ingredients for the garnishing and fillings. “These were made first as they needed to be stored or kept frozen. The different varieties of creams were prepared next, followed by bases and fruit mixes. All these items were then mixed with the respective flavours before the finishing touches such as piping and icing were done,” said Harikumar. Some of the flavours predominantly used were vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, pista, kiwi and mango. After baking and conditioning, the mousses were kept frozen, while most of the other items were stored at room temperature.
For such a massive project, it’s not just the labour that counts but the ingredients too. “Over all, approximately, 100 kg of maida, 150 kg of sugar and about 30 kg of butter was used. We also imported some berries for fillings, such as blueberry, strawberry and raspberry,” said Harikumar.
The display included savouries from multiple cuisines such as Indian, Arabic and French. Heart-shaped casts of various sizes were used during preparation. Around 20 items were sugar-free. Individual pastries weighed about 150 grams and several of the same variety were made. Apart from the inventoried items prepared exclusively for the record, the display showcased around 10 gateaux of one-kg each, all heart-shaped and some with multiple layers, for decoration. The Three-layer Chocolate Cake and Red Velvet Brownie were probably the toughest of the lot owing to their longer preparation methods, said Harikumar. Buoyed by the success of the venture, the hotel group plans to submit the accomplishment to the Guinness World Records too.
So, since there was no sale as the one-of-a-kind endeavour was only for display, what did they do with all the pastries? “Most of it were eventually given away as compliments to the visitors and the rest was distributed among families of senior members of the hotel group. Some were served as part of dinners hosted by us,” said a spokesperson of the group.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food / by Harikumar J.S. / Thiruvananthapuram – February 15th, 2018
The sarcophagus discovered from a rock-cut cave at Viyur village of Kollam.
A rich culture existed in the region
A rare sarcophagus (stone coffin), said to be 2,000-year old from the Iron Age–Megalithic era, was discovered from a rock-cut cave at Viyur village of Kollam, near Koyilandy, in Kozhikode district on Monday.
The coffin containing bone fragments was found during an excavation. “So far, such a rare finding has been discovered only from two sites in Kerala . Both these sarcophagi were recovered from Megalithic sites at Chevayur and Atholi, also in Kozhikode district,” K. Krishnaraj of the Archaeology Department, who is supervising the excavation, said.
The bone fragments could be of either a man or a woman. They will be sent for carbon dating using accelerator mass spectrometry at the Beta Analytical Laboratory in California, he said. Excavation at the site commenced after a hemispherical rock-cut chamber was discovered in a compound while flattening land using an earthmover. The cave, with an inside pillar, measuring 1.9 metres in diameter, has a height of 90 centimetres.
The entrance of the cave was on the eastern side. “The square-shaped door has equal length of 50 centimetres on all sides. Different types of pottery, mostly four-legged jars and iron implements, were found in the cave, ” he said.
Sarcophagi was found in many archaeological sites in South India earlier. Some are adorned with a sculpture or inscription. But two types are usually found with bovine features or with legs.
“As of now, we have obtained preliminary details about the excavations. However, it can be confirmed that a rich Megalithic culture existed in the region following the discoveries of pre-Iron age civilisation earlier. The excavation will continue for another week,” Mr. Krishnaraj said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Biju Govind / Kozhikode – January 16th, 2018
Last month, thousands of protesters gathered outside Downing Street as part of the campaign. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
With her #FreePeriods campaign, Amika George hopes to help young girls in Britain stay in school
On a cold London morning last year, 17-year-old Amika George was at the breakfast table when a news story caught her attention. It was about young girls, some just 10 years old, in the northern English city of Leeds missing a week of school every month because their families couldn’t afford to buy them sanitary napkins.
A Leeds school had, in fact, sought help from a charity that provided hygiene products to women in Kenya, the report went on to say.
Shocked, Amika knew she had to do something. She launched the #FreePeriods campaign, and prepared a petition that quickly garnered support, with over 1,33,000 signatories. Last month, a thousand protesters, including politicians, activists and models, gathered outside Downing Street to ask for the government’s help to end ‘period poverty’ in the U.K. — by providing free sanitary napkins to the poorest students.
“I think one of the reasons the campaign attracted so much attention is because people have been shocked that such levels of poverty exist in the U.K., considered a developed country,” she says.
Amika George
Talking about the motivation behind the initiative, the North London-based student says, “It seemed wrong to me on every level that there were children creating almost primitive, makeshift solutions such as socks stuffed with stolen toilet paper or newspaper. Missing school means falling further behind in academics, and these girls find they are such a long way off from attaining their goals and ambitions, all because they bleed.”
Too poor to bleed
The protest garnered widespread media interest. Amika’s campaign also tapped into wider sentiment — both about women’s equality and the larger issue of poverty in austerity-ridden Britain — with several political parties making commitments to help end the problem.
The Labour party has committed £10 million to end ‘period poverty’ in schools, while the campaign has spurred the Green party to pledge free sanitary products for women and students from low-income households.
“The root cause is poverty, and while eradicating poverty is a challenging mission in itself, making life better for a small pocket of the population is what I’m aiming at,” says Amika. The teenager hopes to now attract the attention of Education Secretary (minister) Justine Greening with her campaign. “I’m encouraged that there are a huge number of people who’re working to put pressure on her.” Amika hopes to use the impetus the campaign has generated to push for a wider examination of attitudes towards periods, which she believes reinforce the obstacles the poorest sections face.
“There’s certainly a feeling now that periods should not be all cloak-and-dagger, as it’s been in the past. I’m trying to be as outspoken as I can about menstruation; it’s a normal biological process, but we speak about it with embarrassment and shame.”
Going places
Given her background, Amika, whose family is originally from Kerala and regularly visits there, is keen to broaden her campaign beyond the U.K., and enthused by the way campaigners, from Nepal to the Philippines, have reached out to her. She is motivated by initiatives such as Kerala’s She Pad Scheme.
“I’d really like to connect with campaigners in India to work to end the taboo and help campaign to ensure all girls can access menstrual products. It’s staggering that we haven’t really moved away from the taboos our grandmothers faced back in their days, but it horrifies me that there are thousands of girls in India who drop out of school altogether and feel ashamed to go back because they have their period.”
“It really is a global issue, and I’ve been contacted by women in many countries saying that period poverty is affecting girls there, so we should all be joined in working to stamp out period poverty across the globe. We really can do it together,” says Amika.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Profile> Society / by Vidya Ram / January 13th, 2018
Thrissur, 10/01/2018, Calicut Team Win Overall Gold Cup in Kerala School Art Festival in Thrissur on Wednesday_Photo_K_K_Najeeb
Pips Palakkad by 2 points to emerge champion for the 12th consecutive year, Malappuram comes third
Kozhikode completed a golden dozen on Sunday. The district lifted its 12th successive Gold Cup at the State School Arts Festival. No mean feat that.
It is truly remarkable that the young artistes from Kozhikode have never let their grip go of the cup that is given to the district scoring the highest number of points at the State festival after they won it at Kannur in 2007. But, Palakkad gave it a very stiff fight here before settling for the runner-up spot.
Kozhikode finished with 895 points, just two more than Palakkad. Malappuram was third with 875, while host Thrissur took the fourth place with 865.
Top school
Palakkad, however, had the consolation that a school from the district, BSS Gurkukulam, Alathur, emerged as the best both in the Higher Secondary and High School categories, overcoming strong challenges from the likes of Silver Hills HSS, Kozhikode, St. Teresa’s, Kannur, and MKNMHS, Kumaramangalam (Idukki).
In the Sanskrit Festival too, Kozhikode emerged champion, with 95 points. Kannur and Palakkad, with 91 points each, finished second and third respectively.
In the Arabic Festival, Malappuram finished on top with 95 points.
Kasaragod and Thrissur, with 93 points apiece, were placed second and third respectively.
The prizes were distributed at the main venue of Thekkinkadu Maidan in front of a packed house. Speaking at the function, Education Minister C. Ravindranath said the State School Arts Festival should evolve into a cultural festival.
Revised manual
“This edition of the festival was held with a revised manual,” he said.
“The process of revision will continue for the next three years. We welcome suggestions from the public about the changes made in the festival, such as the discontinuation of giving the prizes to the top three,” he said.
Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar, actor and MP Innocent were among those who attended.
Alappuzha next host
The next edition of the festival will be held at Alappuzha. “It is the home district of our Opposition Leader and it has enough venues to conduct the festival,” Mr. Ravindranath said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by P.K. Ajith Kumar – Thrissur / January 10th, 2018
Broadcasting programmes in different tribal dialects, this radio channel is disseminating important information to the marginalised groups of Wayanad.
Nammada Mattoli (our Mattoli) is what listeners across Kerala fondly call this radio station. Operating from a shopping complex space in the quaint municipality of Mananthavady, Radio ‘Mattoli’ (meaning echo/reverberation in local dialects) broadcasts socially-relevant programmes that are cheered by a wide range of audiences across the Wayanad hills.
Home to many farmers and indigenous tribal groups, Wayanad is among the most sparsely populated, backward districts of Kerala (according to the 2011 Census). Though it scores well in sex ratio, Wayanad still has the lowest literacy rate in entire Kerala.
Promoted by Wayanad Social Service Society (WSSS), a non-governmental development organisation, ‘Radio Mattoli 90.4 FM’ started its operation in 2009 to bridge the information gap that existed between agriculture-dependent communities and government authorities. Tracing back its origin and purpose, Father Sebastian Puthen Varghese, the current Station Director says,
A lot of people in the tribal communities were not getting relevant governmental information in an easily accessible manner. Radio Mattoli began with an aim to reach out to such marginalised communities.
Acquainting farmers
Brainchild of Bishop Mar Jose Porunnedom, Radio Mattoli today broadcasts 20 hours of various programmes and documentaries with its signals covering more than 85 percent of Wayanad district.
Wayanad’s District Police Superintendent Arul RB Krishna speaking to the listeners of Radio Mattoli.
With farmers and agriculturalists occupying the majority of the population in Wayanad, many of Radio Mattoli’s programmes are geared towards addressing their needs and concerns.
For example, programmes such as Njattuvela, Vayalnadu and Kambolanilavaram spread pertinent agricultural knowledge on market value of products, weather updates, bio-farming techniques, etc. shares Fr. Sebastian.
The channel also gets on board relevant experts from government authorities who acquaint farmers in the Wayanad hills with the methods to preserve of water bodies, dairy farming, organic farming, and precision farming.
Quoting an anecdote from his previous work experience as documentation and communication officer at Radio Mattoli, Krishnakumar CK recalls an incident when “there was a high incidence of foot-and-mouth disease among the cattle in the Wayanad region in 2013.” Despite repeated requests, veterinary doctors from the government were hesitant to reach out and help farmers in remote areas who had lost their cattle.
To address this negligence on part of authorities, Radio Mattoli toured these places, recorded the woes of 10 dairy farmers and their families who had lost their cattle, and escalated the issue by broadcasting a timely, special programme. Such an effort immediately promoted government authorities, who swung to immediate action and sent out an ambulance for help.
Empowering tribal communities
Wayanad, a well-known bio-diversity hotspot, is also home to 13 of Kerala’s 36 tribal communities. As Krishnakumar explains,
The social isolation levels in many of these tribal communities is very high and they often hesitate to integrate with the people in the mainstream.
However, thanks to Radio Mattoli’s programmes such as Thudichetham which broadcast the complexities of the issues faced by tribals and suggest remedies in their own dialects and slang, the tribal communities of Wayanad now possess a very strong and personal sense of ownership with regard to the channel.
The tribal producers of Radio Mattoli
Fr. Sebastian is both proud and emotional when he recollects how Radio Mattoli and its community-driven content has impacted many people. “We have heard from Joseph, an illiterate who quit habitual smoking after listening to one of our programmes that spoke about the ill-effects of the same. Now, he frequently visits our station office with sweets and poems written by him”.
In one of our radio club meetups, Bhasakaran, who belongs to the backward classes, also shared how he carried his radio set with him even when he climbed trees to pluck peppercorns. That’s the kind of affection people have shown for Radio Mattoli, he adds.
Radio Mattoli is the only electronic media channel in the whole of Kerala to broadcast programmes in tribal languages. The station has a team of active volunteers from tribal communities who first train and then produce creative content (in the form of scripting shows, lending their voice for radio dramas, etc.) on their own.
Many tribal dialects in Kerala do not even have a script. In this context, the effort of these young volunteers striving to help their communities is extremely crucial, opines Krishnakumar.
Bringing the issues of marginalised communities to mainstream
Apart from farmers and tribal communities, Radio Mattoli also produces content for women, children and people from marginalised communities such as the elderly, orphans, etc. While programmes such as Vanitha Mattoli and Karuthal throw light on a wide range of women and children related issues, more targeted broadcasts are also designed to benefit groups as specific as the auto rickshaw drivers in the region.
Talking about programmes such as Ponpulari, which feature the entrepreneurial efforts of women in Wayanad region, Fr. Sebastian says,
Radio Mattoli has identified and interviewed several women who are running small businesses (such as that of pickle and Namkeen) of value added products.
Airwaves of change
Licensed by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Radio Mattoli is also the only community radio channel functioning out of the Wayanad region. In span of eight years, the channel has expanded from broadcasting just four hours initially to 20 hours (12 hours of fresh content and eight of previous broadcasts) today, from 5:30am to 1:30am.
Though revenue generation was an initial hurdle, Radio Mattoli now gets financial assistance from various government departments, organisations, and also benefits from regularised advertisements.
Radio Mattoli, through its 60 exclusive programmes, has been able to reach out to a varied group of listeners in Wayanad such as farmers, tribes, dalits, women, and children.
“Over the years, a team of dedicated volunteers from grassroots communities have helped Radio Mattoli gain the kind popularity that it has. We are proud of this active citizenry since it marks the triumph of any community radio station”, says Fr. Sebastian.
When questioned about future plans for Radio Mattoli, he adds,
Our biggest dream in the coming years is to broadcast the voice of every citizen in Wayanad. And eventually, we want this radio station to be owned by people themselves.
“Radio Mattoli provides a lot of autonomy at work. Since, there’s no pressure to do news, we have the bandwidth to plan and proceed with our special programmes,” says 28-year-old Lithin who works with the station.
India has about 179 community radio stations, a number that’s too small compared to the proposed 4,000 by Government of India in 2007. However, among the ones disseminating information in the remotest areas and empowering the masses, Radio Mattoli stands out as a shining example.
source: http://www.yourstory.com / YourStory.com / Home> Social Story / by Amoolya Rajappa / January 09th, 2018
Sreeja T., the State’s ‘first adopted daughter’ helping her daughter Meenakshi get ready for the Ottanthullal competition. Vinod Kumar, Sreeja’s husband, is to the left. | Photo Credit: K_K_Mustafah
State’s ‘first adopted daughter’ is at the fete with her ward
Tears rolled down her cheeks as T. Sreeja helped with the make-up of her daughter Meenakshi for the Ottanthullal competition at the Vivekodayam HSS on Monday.
It was but natural for her to turn emotional. For, Sreeja, “the first adopted daughter of the State” was exactly her daughter’s age when fate left her an orphan, leaving her to the mercy of the government.
Twenty-four years ago, on July 20, a giant tree, uprooted in heavy winds, had landed atop her home at Aninja in Kasaragod district crushing her parents, two elder brothers, and a sister. All seemed lost when the government adopted her.
Drawing her daughter, a Class 9 student of Durga HSS, Kasaragod, near, she thanked all those who helped piece her life together.
“It was the then UDF government led by the late K. Karunakaran that took her as the first adopted daughter of the State. P. Mara Pandiyan, then District Collector of Kasaragod, had recommended to the government to adopt her,” said Vinod Kumar, Sreeja’s husband, a teacher at the Govt. High School at Thachangad in Kasaragod.
Sreeja was appointed as clerk in the Revenue Department immediately after she completed pre-degree. She is now working in the taluk office at Hosdurg.
An A grade
“I feel happy when Meenakshi performs. My elder daughter Sreelakshmi, a Plus Two student at Hosdurg HSS, had won the Ottanthullal event in the school arts festival in 2015,” said Sreeja. Meenakshi won A grade in the high school section, in which 23 students participated.
Most of the participants in the Ottanthullal event stuck to the traditional stories. A student from Palakkad said she presented ‘Santhanagopalam’ as it gave ample scope for facial expressions.
Manaloor Gopinathan, noted Thullal artiste, said that his disciples tried something different while narrating a piece from ‘Nalacharitham’ and ‘Sundariswayamvaram.’ Mr. Gopinathan, a sub-inspector with the State Special Branch in Thrissur, pointed out that the contest needed new and interesting stories.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities > Thiruvananthapuram / by G. Krishna Kumar / Thrissur – January 08th, 2018
Video and audio recordings of the folk art forms of Kerala, painstakingly documented under a project funded by US-based Ford Foundation , are getting damaged at the Calicut University due to lack of proper care and conservation.
The local fund audit wing of the state government in its report has said that the archives at the varsity’s Centre for Folklore Studies is non-functional leading to valuable recordings created under the project getting damaged.
The four-year project, under which the varsity had received Rs 67 lakh grant from the Ford Foundation, had created around 400 hours of recordings of live performances of various folk and ritual art forms of Kerala, including 13 versions of the ancient ritual art form of Padayani and a rich variety of Theyyam performances.
The report said that the archives have around 500 CDs with the video and audio recordings of the live presentations of folk art forms.
“The CDs are lying in a room without proper care and there is no dedicated staff for its upkeep. We do not know how much of the recordings can be retrieved. There are chances that some of it has already got damaged. The Ford Foundation’s folklore project had a special focus on the Kali cult in Kerala. It would be a loss for the posterity if the work is not preserved,” Anil K M, former head of the Centre for Folklore Studies, said.
Experts said that some of the folk art forms documented under the project have become nearly extinct and so rare that it is practically impossible to video document them again.
He said that lack of funds and staff was posing hurdles for the maintenance and upkeep of the video recordings. “We had submitted a project to store the recordings in a cloud storage facility, but it has not taken off,” he added.
The folklore project funded by Ford Foundation was implemented during the 2002-2006 period and aimed to preserve and document the folklore tradition of the state. The project was headed by folklore expert Raghavan Payyanad.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Kozhikode News / TNN / January 09th, 2018
The unique mirror, made of high-tin bronze in a secretive metallurgical formula, has found patrons across the globe.
Kochi :
The geographical indication (GI) of Aranmula mirror — the first product from Kerala to receive the tag in 2005 — has been contested by a family that claims to have developed its technology. The unique mirror, made of high-tin bronze in a secretive metallurgical formula, has found patrons across the globe.
Members of Thikkinampallil family, hailing from Aranmula in Pathanamthitta, have contested the GI tag given to Viswabrahmana Aranmula Metal Mirror Nirman Society (VAMMNS) by the Geographical Indications registry. “We have moved the Chennai registry to cancel the tag for Aranmula mirror and instead give it to our Thikkinampallil Aranmula mirror,” said M C Sureshbabu, secretary of Thikkinampallil Aranmula Metal Mirror Nirman Family Charitable Trust (Thikkinampallil Trust).
The family also plans to move court against the tag. Sureshbabu said his predecessors were brought from Shankaran Kovil near Thirunelveli by a former Pandalam raja for the construction of Aranmula Parthasarathy temple. “The manufacturing technique of the mirror was developed by one of our family members through trial and error. We have a certificate given by the Travancore ruler to one of our family members in the 1940s to attend an exhibition to support our claim that our family had traditionally been into Aranmula mirror making. The formula, however, leaked through workshop assistants,” he said.
The website of GI registry shows that the application from Thikkinampallil Trust is being examined. “The first sitting on our application is over; we are awaiting the examination report,” James said.
‘ Application from Thikkinampallil Trust being examined’
“We have a certificate given by the Travancore ruler to one of our family members in the 1940s to attend an exhibition to support our claim that our family had traditionally been into Aranmula mirror making. The formula, however, leaked through workshop assistants,” he said.
The website of GI registry shows that the application from Thikkinampallil Trust is being examined. “The first sitting on our application is over; we are awaiting the examination report,” said Febin James, legal counsel to Thikkinampallil Trust.
The immediate provocation for the petition with the GI registry was the opposition from VAMMNS to Sureshbabu’s mother Maniammal opening a mirror dealership near Aranmula temple nearly three years ago. “We have a certificate given by the Travancore ruler to one of our family members in the 1940s to attend an exhibition to support this. The formula, however, leaked through workshop assistants,” Sureshbabu said.
Society founding president A K Selvaraj said it tried to stop the sale of mirrors as Maniammal’s shop had been sourcing them from a relative’s workshop in Cherthala. “When something is GI tagged, it should be produced in that region only,” he said. “A member of Thikkinampallil Trust was the founder treasurer of VAMMNS but the relationship soured after VAMMNS decided to impose holograms on products.”
James said VAMMNS couldn’t insist on manufacturing mirrors in Aranmula. “Unlike the Darjeeling tea, which is very much tied to the locality where it is grown, the Aranmula mirror is a technology-based product and it could be made anywhere,” he said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Kochi News / by Shenoy Karun / TNN / January 04th, 2018
