Chief Minister Oommen Chandy releasing ‘’Nagaram Pinnitta Naalvazhikal,’ a collection of memoirs on Palakkad’s last 150 years by handing over a copy to industrialist Siddique Ahmed at a function on Monday. Shafi Parambil MLA, Public Works Minister V. K. Ebrahim Kunju and municipal chairman P. V. Rajesh are also seen. —Photo: K. K. Mustafah
A collection of memoirs detailing the evolving of Palakkad town and its surroundings in the last 150 years was released by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at a function held here on Monday evening.
The book titled ‘Nagaram Pinnitta Naalvazhikal’ was edited by writer and activist Boban Mattumantha.
Lauding the initiative, Mr. Chandy said the book would be a reference volume for those interested in the culture and history of Palakkad. The book contains 150 articles in 13 sections. It has detailed narrations on the first tarred road in the town, first electrification drive, establishment of district hospital, operation of the first locomotive, the first college, first police station and jail.
It comprises articles by luminaries including M. T. Vasudevan Nair, O. V. Vijayan, K. G. Subrahmanyam, T. N. Seshan, P. T. Usha, Syamaprasad, Cartoonist Ravi Shankar, M.G.S. Narayanan, Raghava Warrier, Rajan Gurukkal and T. D. Ramakrishnan.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Palakkad – September 29th, 2015
An eight-member team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) inspected St. Raphael’s Church, Ezhupunna, recently to examine whether the ancient church should be protected and preserved under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The church, built in 1859, has largely used features of Portuguese and Dutch architecture.
The church has been at the centre of a controversy regarding the ownership and preservation of heritage, according to sources. In 2004, a petitioner approached the Kerala Archaeology Department seeking its intervention.
The department prohibited the church authorities from demolishing the church. In 2008, the church authorities closed the church for worship claiming that it is unsafe.
In 2009, a group of people approached the court seeking directions to effect repairs. In 2010, the State government published in the gazette its intent to notify and protect the church and its compound.
The church authorities opposed the notification. The court directed the church authorities to undertake repairs under the aegis of the Archaeology Department, but the latter failed to execute repairs. The ASI intervention was sought by people then. The ASI team could not visit the church prayer hall, as it had remained closed, the sources said.
Ezhupunna church, built in 1859, was closed in 2008 following safety concerns.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Alapppuzha – September 29th, 2015
Two philatelists exhibited their unique collection of stamps on the final day of an expo here yesterday.
Stamp collectors, Alok K Goyal and Atish Kumar Jain, showcased a whopping variety of 700 stamps at the ‘Coin Expo 2015’, organised by Kerala Numismatic Society in Kochi.
The collection saw stamps in unique shapes of football, fish, turtles, penguins and birds. The exhibition also showcased uniqueness in the material the stamps were printed on – from woods and clothes to metals like silver and gold.
The odd collection comprised night glow stamps and thermo-sensitive stamps, which protect them from the harmful rays of the sun.
“We are representing various world postal authorities in India. Mainly we are offering unusual stamps and coins to Indian collectors. Unusual means the stamps which are not of normal variety. Normally stamps are of rectangle shape and on paper but unusual stamps, they are of different shapes, different materials have been put on stamps. They are made of different materials. The smelling stamps, then (stamps which) glow in the night. There are various kinds of stamps. New technology people are using on stamps to increase knowledge among the people,” said Goyal.
He added that though he had presented a proposal in front of postal department of India to consider the usage of unusual stamps, he was not sure if it would be accepted as the rules are quite rigid in India.
Apart from stamps, the three-day expo also showcased coins, old currencies, medals, treasure pots and postal cards from around the world.
A huge range of coins, some dating back to third century BC and some silver coins believed to be from the era of Jesus Christ were also on display.
Coins belonging to Mughal, Chola, Nawab and British era were up for display, along with coins used in the Roman dynasty and old dynasties in China, Korea, Africa and other parts of the world.
source: http://www.newkerala.com / NewKerala.com / Home> News> India News / Kochi – September 21st, 2015
Kannur is all set to take wings with authorities of the Kannur International Airport burning the midnight oil to ensure that commercial operations at the airport begin by mid-2016.
However, this will not be the region’s first brush with airline operations. Not many know that the first flight to the state had landed in this cantonment town – decades before the Kannur airport was conceptualized. The DH83 Fox Moth aircraft of Tata Airlines was the maiden flight of that operator to Kerala, under the patronage of Maharaja Chithira Thirunal, the last king of Travancore.
The operator started the service to Kerala on October 29, 1935, after the frequency of the Karachi-Madras flight, was increased to twice a week in 1934, according to the website of Tata. The weekly service between Bombay and Trivandrum had stops at Goa and Cannanore. Though Kannur was not a commercial stop, the small aircraft had to land here for refuelling. It was the time of the British reign and Kannur cantonment had an airstrip as the military headquarters here used to have several airmail from Bombay.
“The first passengers were JRD Tata’s colleague Jal Naoroji and the well-known Bombay merchant Seth Kanji Dwarkadas, the latter wearing a traditional dhoti, a long black dagalo coat and a small black cap,” the website says.
Seeing the flight was nothing short of a great spectacle and children in the town went as if they were going to watch a festival, remembered Captain Krishnan Nair in his autobiography ‘Krishna Leela’.
“It was in the Fort Ground that the aircraft landed… and even now that feeling of wonder is in my heart. The ‘Pushapakavimana’ we heard of in the epics is here in the Kannur Fort Ground, we said in mind. We kids shouted and some of us wanted to touch it. But since there were security personnel there we couldn’t,” wrote Captain Krishnan Nair in his autobiography ‘Krishna Leela’.
The flight put Kannur on India’s airline map though it had no airport, according to Madhu Kayarat a former employee with Peirce & Leslie, the ticketing agent for Tata’s air service.
“And if the information I got from my seniors at Peirce & Leslie is correct, the first flight had birthday greeting for the Maharaja from Lord Willingdon, the viceroy, and a copy of The Times of India, making the most prominent daily newspaper in the country available to a Malayali reader on the day of its printing,” he said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kozhikode / by P. Sudhakaran, TNN / September 14th, 2015
As the State government revives a project to establish a museum on the history of Ernakulam district in the 17th century Bastion Bungalow, local leaders and experts on the history of Kochi have risen to demand that the proposed museum should celebrate the place of Kochi in world history.
“We are proud of Kochi’s lineage and it is a passion,” said K.J. Sohan, Town Planning Committee chairman of the Corporation of Cochin and chairman, Kerala chapter, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.
Kochi, hosting the Chinese, Arabs and Europeans was once the gateway to India and the memory should be honoured, he said. He pointed out that there was space constraint to box the history of the entire district into the bungalow, built in 1667 at the site of the Stromberg Dutch fort.
The opinions were aired at a workshop on preparations for establishing the museum, organised here on Monday under the aegis of the State Department of Archaeology.
Dominic Presentation, MLA, said that what the State planned was to set up a district-level museum. It may not be possible to confine the museum to the history of Kochi alone though, he said, that the committee appointed to oversee preparations for establishing the museum would take a call considering the opinion of all sections of the people.
Mr. Presentation feels that there is no space constraint as the Bastion Bugalow has enough room to accommodate a museum on the history of the entire district.
N. Ashok Kumar, secretary of Kerala History Association, said that creating a museum only to celebrate Kochi’s colonial past is inappropriate. Kochi has a history going beyond the colonial era that began with the arrival of the Portuguese in the early 16th century, he said.
Chairman of Vysya Guru Math, Mattanchery, Vidya Sagar, appealed for retaining the Kochi in the proposed museum’s name. K.V. Thomas, MP, inaugurated the workshop.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / September 01st, 2015
Work is my God: Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai worked tirelessly and did not lose hope till his end Photos: courtesy family album
For six long decades Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai kept his movement alive – Kasargod had to become part of Karnataka. RAHMAT TARIKERE writes that the meaning of all the writings of this writer who passed away recently is to be found in his social activism
My meeting with Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai was an accident. There was a programme at the Kannada Sahitya Parishath in Bangalore. Kinhanna means little brother, but our Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai was a strapping six and a quarter feet, well-built man. Dressed in his trade mark white khadi kurta and dhoti, he was sitting all by himself in the last row. With the sweet memories of his poem I had learnt in school Neenanagiddare Naaninage, which unfolds as a dialogue between a horse and a donkey, I walked up to him and greeted him. Holding my hand he ushered me to the chair beside, pulled out a four page resume from his bag and gave it to me. In that resume the list of his non-literary activities outnumbered his literary activities. For instance, his participation in Quit India Movement, submission of a memorandum to the Unification committee urging that Kasargod should be absorbed into Karnataka, winning the Best Teacher national award, his administration for 15 years as the chairman of Badiyadka village panchayat, the two schools and community hospital he built, the Swadeshabhimani newspaper of which he was editor, president of Weaving and Weavers Khadi Co-operative society… so on and so forth. It felt unusual that the resume of a Kannada writer read like this. Everything in it said that Kaiyyara Kinhanna was more a political activist than a writer. Once I had finished reading it, Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai started speaking about Kasaragodu. Now, even the programme had begun. He was speaking softly, just for me, but his gravelly voice overpowered the speaker’s voice and was audible to everyone in the auditorium. Some of the audience members turned back impatiently and gave us dirty stares. I didn’t know how to stop this senior writer, nor was I in a state to listen to him – I was getting restless. By this time, the writer Boluvar Mohammad Kunhi walking straight up to us, in a brusqueness that is unique to Coastal people, said: “If you want to talk, please go outside.” I fled from there. That was my first and last meeting with Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai.
***
Between 1930-40, Coastal Karnataka was tense with three major movements. Foremost of them was to free the country from the clutches of the British. Second was to unify the regions that shared a common language but had been distributed among various presidencies, the Unification movement. Third was the communist movement that was fighting against the ruthless zamindars who had the support of the colonial rulers, and then there were other social movements like untouchability, caste system etc. For Karnad Sadashiv Rao the country’s freedom was most important. For someone like Kudmal Rangarao who had been ostracised by the Brahmin community, building a free hostel and school for the Dalits was of utmost importance. For B.V. Kakkilaya and Niranjana, labour movement was important. B.M. Shrikantaiah, Kuvempu, Alur Venkatarao and others felt that Unification was more important than Independence. Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai had twin obsessions – freedom and Unification. After Independence in 1947, his only mission was Unification. When Potti Sriramulu fasted for three weeks and gave up his life, the Nehru government, unwillingly constituted a committee for the linguistic reformation of States. The committee recommended that Kasargod, Dakshina Kannada and Bellary which were a part of Madras presidency, should henceforth become a part of the Mysore presidency. What eventually happened was however different – they included Kasaragod in Kerala. The Kannadigas of Kasargod were heartbroken. It was at this juncture that Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai began his movement for Kasargod’s absorption into Karnataka. This became a question of life and death for him. A full-time preoccupation, he discussed this with all and sundry, and in every place. But death has terminated his relentless struggle of a lifetime. His dream remains unfulfilled.
***
It is a matter of surprise that Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai kept this spark burning in him for six long decades. His commemorative volume, in fact, is called Kasaragodina Kidi. There is a story behind calling it a spark. When he realised that Kasargod did not become a part of Karnataka, in anger and sorrow he wrote a poem, Manege. He tried to ignite everyone else with the fire that had caught him. In every public forum this was what Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai spoke. Once, chief minister Gundu Rao was present at the function. “We, two and a half lakh Kannadigas, have been orphaned. Our language and culture is getting erased. The water that flows in Payaswini is our tears,” Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai had cried in public. Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai belonged to that generation which dedicated its entire life to a cause it believed. The question is however, why could he not realise his dream? To get absorbed into Karnataka, or to get separate statehood is perhaps a political dream, and it can bear fruit only when it becomes the dream of the community.
If the dream does not have economic and political dimensions, and is merely an emotional one, it is even more difficult to keep it alive. For the new generation of Kannadigas in Kasargod, Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai’s dream must have seemed unrealistic. When there are more important questions than Unification, the poor or the locals will not make this a significant issue of their lives. Also, Kerala tops the country for its administration, education and other vital issues; it may have therefore appeared to them that they do not want to be a part of Karnataka. There was no political outfit like MES in Belgaum to fight the case of Kasargod. Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai therefore became lonely in his struggle. That he could keep this Unification dream alive in him for six long decades became his achievement.
***
Born in Peradala in Kasargod (1915-2015), Kaiyyara was a school teacher. Writing was his hobby, though not a very powerful writer. The other important writers from this area are Govinda Pai, Parvatisubba, and K.V. Tirumalesh. His best writings are his poems for children. His other poems tended to be verbose and heavy with idealism — it lacked creative energy. One has to recognise this as the limitation of a Kannada school teacher. Gourish Kaikini is among the few teachers who could transcend this limitation. Even his autobiography that contains many intense and intimate experiences of his life is bland.
Yet, his writing has a historic importance. It becomes important because of its dynamic social and political consciousness. And this was shaped by Gandhianism. Gandhi’s visit to Mangalore filled youngsters with new ideals. By refusing to enter the Udupi temple that denied entry for the Dalits, Gandhi had stirred up the consciousness of the society. By then, Kudmal Rangarao had already been ostracised. Narayana Guru had launched his temple agitation against the upper class. People had laid down their lives in the communist movement in this part of Karnataka. Shivarama Karanth’s Chomana Dudi had been written. Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai’s social writing was an extension of this. He, however, was not critical of the society, but instead glorified the tolerance of Dalits who put up with these social evils.
***
Truly Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai’s contribution should not be sought in his writing. It has to be seen in his social activism. This trait could also be found in B.M. Idinabba. We can see it in H.N. Doreswamy too. In fact, the title of his autobiography Work is my God suggests this.
At a time when governments have absolved themselves of community responsibility, a corporatized education that is available only to those who have money, the hospital, and school Kaiyyara Kinhanna Rai built as panchayat chairman is important. Freedom fighter, social activist, journalist, poet Kaiyyara is no more. With him, we have lost the link to a generation that dedicated its life for a cause.
Translated by Deepa Ganesh
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by Rahmat Tarikere / Bengaluru – August 27th, 2015
Olavattur was once a socially and economically backward, but historically important village near Kondotty in the district. The place is now facing a fallout due to rapid growth and development, thanks to the inflow of gulf money through non-resident Keralites (NRK) in the village.
It is in this context, a book, ‘Olavattur Nalvazhikal Nattuvazhikal’, which documents the local history of the village becomes relevant. The book is 600 pages, prepared by a collective of local people, documents the cultural and social history of more than 70 local areas in Olavattur panchayat and the history of 81 traditional families in the region. The book details the six generations of each traditional family in the region and also describes in detail the eminent and historically significant persons in the region and their contribution. It also records the statistical data and gives a picture of major achievements of the village.
According to Rajesh Monji of Ideal Cultural Association, which published the book, the document is a record of myth, folklore, customs and people of Olavattur.
“Initially it was started by some friends and later we extended our plan to publish a book. We documented the history after interviewing more than a 100 elderly people including freedom fighters in the village. We are hopeful that the book, which chalks out the changes in the cultural and social changes through the past to the present, would be an authentic book of reference”, he said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / August 28th, 2015
“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
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
The myth of Mahabali might be as old and surreal as the God’s own country itself but the zeal and enthusiasm for celebrating Onam has remained the same over the years.
The Athachamayam can be regarded as a harbinger for the ten-day festival of Onam; an indicator of the visual treat that is in store for the Malayali. Athachamayam, a festival originating from the royal corridors of Thrippunithura, is the pride of Kochi, a true reflection of the bygone era of the King’s reign and the society’s receptiveness towards people of various backgrounds, irrespective of caste and creed.
What is Athachamayam…
The story behind Athachamayam reminds you of a fairytale. The glorious festival was officially conducted annually at Thrippunithura, setting the mood for the Onam celebrations. The subjects waited in awe to get a glimpse of their King who would arrive with pride and in full royal regalia on the day of Athachamayam. Onam being a festival of unity, the King’s procession brought the subjects together at one place, which resulted in a gala affair, embellished with colours and folk art forms. As was the custom, at the outset, the Maharaja of Kochi performed special poojas at the Thrikkakara Vamanamoorthy Temple on the day of Atham. The march was flagged off from Thrippunithura to the Vamana Temple at Thrikkakara.
Sasi Vellakkat, councilor, who is one of the organisers of this year’s Athachamayam, recalls how athachamayam was celebrated in the erstwhile Kochi. “The celebrations commenced with Kochi Raja, heading the procession from Kunnumel Kottaram, as the Hill Palace was earlier known as. The royal procession then headed to Thrikkakara temple.” The procession thus had Nettoor Thangal to represent the Muslim community, Karingachira Kathanar, as a representative of the Christian community and Chembil Arayan as a member of the fisherfolk, Sasi adds.
With the merger of the Kochi State to the Indian union, the King’s title, splendour and rule became things of past, and so did the celebrations for some time. It is presumed that the last time the King made his presence felt was during the reign of Rama Varma Pareekshith Thampuran.
Athachamayam reborn… However, the Thrippuni-thura Municipality took charge of the carnival in the year 1985 and the Athachamayam soon rose like a phoenix, without losing any of its initial charm. Floats of various hues and embellished elephants became part of the parade, with the inclusion of various folk art forms such as Theyyam, Kummatti, Kolkali, Mayilattom, Karakattom, Kummi, Poykal, Ammankudam, Puli Kali, Kathakali, Aattakavadi, besides Panjavadyam and Chendamelam. Floats depicting various sequences from the epics such as Mahabharatha and Ramayana add colour to the atmosphere, in addition to providing an authentic picture of how Athachamayam was envisioned in the yesteryears. On the day of Atham, the streets of Thrippunithura are adorned with conical shaped clay mounds, decorated with flowers. They represent Mahabali and Vishnu and is popularly called as Thrikkakara Appan.
Athachamayam this year.. Sasi feels elated every time he becomes part of the team and says, “We have incorporated folklore and traditional artforms from Kasargod to Palakkad, such as Puli Kali from Thrissur, Theyyam from Malabar, and tribal dance from Kasargod, among many others.” Apart from this, tableaus and around 100 different cultural shows will be brought forth by school students. As per the organisers, a representative from the royal family will receive the Atham flag on Tuesday, following which there would be a small procession. The flag will be hoisted by the Governor at the Government Boys’ High School Ground at 9 am on Wednesday. On the day of Uthradam on August 27, the flag will be lowered. The flag will then be given to Thrikkakara Muncipal Chairman, where they will be hoisting the flag again, which is symbolic of the fact that they can start the Onam celebrations in Thrikkakara.
Athachamayam 2015 Traditional artforms from Kasargod to Palakkad such as Puli Kali from Thrissur, Theyyam from Malabar and tribal dance from Kasargod Around 100 cultural shows and performing arts by schools students
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Kochi / by Deepika Jayaram, TNN / August 21st, 2015
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
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.”
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
