Trivandrum Hangouts

Kuzhippallam Botanical Garden

2011-08-15T18:16:00.000+05:30

Wanna spend some time with beautiful flowers and buy some great flowering and non-flowering plants for your home? Head to Kuzhippallam Botanical Garden, which is just four km from Balaramapuram in Trivandrum. Turn right at Kannaravila on Balaramapuram-Poovar road.

It is a beautiful valley being transformed into a beautiful valley of flowers. The garden has dozens of variety of roses, orchids, cacti, etc. In addition, you can also find saplings of mango, guava, and jack fruit trees.

The garden is not fully functional till now and a lot of work is going on while I was there. Then again, if you are going to the southern parts of Trivandrum, it is nice to spend some time here - and take home some saplings to add to your garden.

Mango Festival in Thiruvananthapuram

2011-06-12T19:46:00.001+05:30

Head to Kanakakkunnu Palace grounds in Thiruvananthapuram between 16th and 26th of June and discover mangoes coming in thousand different sizes, shapes and colors.

Thiruvananthapuram Mango Festival, being organized by Kerala Horticulture Mission and Mango Growers Association is going to a treat for both your eyes and your taste buds.

Read: Ananthapuri Mango Fest, June 16-26, TVM

The event will have mangoes cultivated in different parts of the country. I hope there will be more than a thousand varieties of mangoes. Oh, no hope of tasting them all. It is simply impossible. However, it is possible to see them all.

There will also be mango products - jam, pickles, mango drinks, etc on display. So, if you happen to be in Trivandrum during these eleven days, do visit the Mango Festival (Mampazholsavam - a festival of mangoes).

Kids Wish Vishu with Painting Exhibition

2011-04-15T21:05:00.001+05:30

Today I walked in to the museum compound of Trivandrum, to pleasantly discover a nice painting exhibition. Titled 'Nirangalude Vishukkani', this painting exhibition is Vishu Greetings for the city people by the kids of different schools in Trivandrum City.

The Vishu themed painting exhibition had some very nice paintings, which captured the festive mood and colorfulness. A group of ladies plucking flowers from Kanikkonna (Indian Laburnum) is a nice painting. The dressing reminds you of dress culture of the past.

There is also the painting of a girl in a garden. The girl wears silk pavada and blouse. Very nice picture indeed.

There are a dozen other fine paintings, which will surely attract your attention. If you are in the city, do get out and have a look at the works of these young talents.

Organized by The Photographic Society of Kerala, the painting exhibition became a venue for school students to exhibit their talents.

Visitors to the exhibition (hundreds of them) appreciated the talents of the kids. The child artists are: Aarcha Kumudan, Nandana Aagi, Arya Nandana, Akshay, Abijith, Shikha Sivaraman, Prithvi, Aparna, Vishnu, Sudev Suresh, Sandra, Anjana Raju, Gopika, Sruthi, Prathibha, Shilpa Sivaraman, Rejra Robi, Abhishek, Gouthami, Aarsha Suseendran, Soumya, Jishin and Anand. All of the artists are students of different schools in the city.

I wanted to personally congratulate every one of the young artists, but they were not there while I finally showed up.

The exhibition is on till 17th April.

Solar Eclipse at TVM, Kanakakkunnu Palace

2010-01-15T13:26:00.005+05:30

Wow, what a sight that is. Thousands thronged to Kanakakkunnu Palace grounds, and raised hurrays and ahas when they felt lucky enough to witness once in a millennium event, annular solar eclipse.

Elaborate arrangements were in place to witness the solar ecplise - like this Solarscope, which projects sun's image.

School Children from all parts of Kerala were present to witness the occasion. Scientists and teachers gave lectures on celestial events like solar eclipse, safety precautions to take while looking at the sun, etc.

Find pictures of the celestial event: Click Here...

DC Books Exhibition

2009-11-02T06:58:00.001+05:30

Book lovers can head over to Chandrasekharan Nair stadium, where they are welcomed to a huge collection of over 100,000 titles by publishers around the world - India, Great Britain, United States, France, and almost all over the world.

There is a good collection of books in fiction, non-fiction, science, medicine, politics and every imaginable topic.

The book fair is organized by DC Books in association with ExtraMarks.com. This is the ninth edition. There are also various cultural events at the venue every evening. The book fair and cultural fest is on till Nov 10.

Handicrafts Expo at VJT Hall, TVM

2009-10-23T07:50:00.000+05:30

VJT Hall in the city is now host to artisans from all parts of India. With over 50 stalls, the handicrafts expo has everything from murals to sofa sets. Artisans from different states in India have their stalls here.

The materials are all made from jute, bamboo, coir, wood and other natural materials. There are also special discounts of up to 10% for select merchandise. There are ornaments, sofa sets made from cane, mirrors with artworks, sculptures, curtains, and a lot more.

Wooden sculptures come in different shapes. They surely will make for a good addition to serious interior decoration buffs. There are metal lamps, murals and variety of other decorative items.

Yeah, sure, there are some cool variety of items like metal lamps studded with semi-precious stones, wood carvings, clothing materials and a good range of decorative stuff for the home.

SMSM Institute is the organizer of the event. It is on till November 9. Visitors can show up between 9 am and 8 pm everyday.

Onam Celebrations in Full Swing

2009-09-06T11:58:00.000+05:30

Onam celebrations are in full swing with people getting out of their homes and into the streets, enjoying the illumination works, several dozens of art performances and enjoying the shopping experiences on offer.

Several dozens of fairs and carnivals add to the festivities. The celebrations are mostly confined to the stretch between Vellayambalam Jn and Palayam. Jawahar Balabhavan, Institute of Engineers' Hall premises, Kanakakkunnu Palace and palace grounds, Nishagandhi festival ground, Suryakanthi festival ground, Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, etc welcome people to festival fervor.

For this young one, selling a few bubbles to the festival goers is more important than the festival itself.

Clouds gather up in the western sky, even as people enjoy a ride on a giant wheel.

It's Raining Onam Fairs in TVM City

2009-08-21T12:49:00.000+05:30

The sales fairs of various kinds tell you Onam is right round the corner. There are fairs at Institute of Engineers' Hall, Jawahar Balabhavan, Suryakanthi Ground, VJT Hall, and several other places welcome visitors to a rich shopping experience.

Onam is the season for shopping. Here is a brief fair-merry-go-round for an evening.

The first stop is Institute of Engineers' Hall. Kerala Artisans Development Corporation has a sales fair there. Clothing, curios, crockery, handicrafts – there is a big variety to enjoy here.

I only had window shopping in my mind while I stepped in. However, I returned with a few pieces of crockery – for the dining table and for drawing room.

After finishing, you can head over to Jawahar Balabhavan, which is just opposite to this venue. Here you will find Gujarati Crafts Fair and Onam Fair. The Gujarati stalls are rich with ornaments for girls and women. You will find semi-precious jewellery, a big collection of bangles, and more. There also are colourful toys, bags, and clothes.

Just a walk away is Rajasthan Crafts Mela at Suryakanthi, on the backside of Kanakakkunnu Palace.

For the three venues above, you can park your vehicle in Kanakakkunnu Palace Premises.

Another venue is VJT, which is attracting women folk with colourful sarees. A colourful celebration of sarees – you will admit once you see it.

Yet another place to hit is Square One Talents Fair at Pattom, opposite to St Mary's Church and School. It seems this is the costliest place to visit. You can surely find home furnishings of a good variety – hand-stitched bed sheets, sofa covers, floral arrangements and attractions like that make you take a second look.

Even more fairs and melas are expected in the coming days. The hawkers or roadside vendors are yet to take their place. Maybe, the city become even busier after Sunday (Aug 23).

Rajasthani Crafts Exhibition, Sales

2009-08-17T14:53:00.001+05:30

Suryakanthi ground in Thiruvananthapuram witnesses a celebration of colours, straight from northern India.

Anyone who cares enough to drop in will be welcomed by the rich colours - that is uniquely Rajasthani.

Not just the handicrafts and pottery, this event also showcases a rich collection of garments, ornaments, and other artifacts.

Nishagandhi Festival: 7 Evenings of Pure Entertainment in Thiruvananthapuram

2009-01-24T07:35:00.006+05:30

This year's Nishagandhi Festival and Kathakali Festival is underway at Kanakakkunnu Palace and Nishagandhi grounds in Trivandrum city. The festival is on from Jan 20 to 26.

Performance of various Indian classical dance forms – Mohiniyattom, Kutchippudi, etc, Ghazals, Musical concerts (ganamela), etc add attraction to the event. Also don't miss the food festival, where major hotels, resorts and restaurants offer you their specialties. Don't miss the Payasam (sweet porridge) from Hotel Geeth.

One specialty this season is the display of handicrafts works by the tribal communities of Kerala, where they display their skills of creating musical instruments, artworks, and day to day utility items. BTW, there is also performance of Tribal dance forms.

The Kathakali Festival is also a special treat. I see more foreigners there than locals – maybe it is because of the peak of tourism season or is it the westerners appreciate our art forms better than we do?

Entrance is free, parking is free (if you take your vehicle inside the Kanakkunnu palace premises) and the festival is on till Jan 26.

PS: News of another festival in Trivandrum City - Samudra Festival is at Tagore Theatre on 24th and 25th of January. A martial arts performance company from New Zealand, Torotoro is performing on 25, at 5.30 pm. I have a ticket for two.

DD Movie Mix –the Only TV Program I Spend Time On

2008-10-08T06:02:00.001+05:30

Have you ever watched DD Movie Mix – The Most Wanted by Doordarshan Trivandrum? If you haven't, tune on to DD TVM on Saturday evenings at 7.30. For several months now, it is the only program that I really want to watch. I miss some episodes if I am out of home at that time. However, if I am home, I can't miss the program.

Now you might ask what is so special about this program. In fact, there is nothing so special about this program. I just like the clean jokes and innocent teasing the main host (Anoop) cracks on his co-anchor (Parvathy – for some time now) and the (almost exclusively) women and girls who give in a call.

Unlike in several other cases, the callers (and the teased) don't really have a reason to feel bad about. I have seen programs, where the participants are left with bitter feelings. I hate those programs in some channels, which have some anchors, who can't talk proper Malayalam and can't help insult their guests. I really feel like throwing a brick at their heads.

It is in such condition that I really like one program. This program has nothing of much glamour – just a few minutes of entertainment, which goes through some teasing (without leaving any hard feelings), some witty scenes from Malayalam movies, and some song scenes from new films.

The callers sometimes praise the beauty of the male anchor's smile and he loves it. In one occasion (a few months back), a caller (a school girl) called up and this man was scoring so high, until one special moment.

Usually little girls address him 'chetta' (elder brother). This girl called him UNCLE and no words can explain the embarrassment that flickered through his face.

He was like – "Uncle?! Me?!" and continued with "you mean to call me uncle?"

The co-anchor also didn't waste the opportunity to give back what she had been getting till then. And that was the only moment I saw Anoop not in his full swing.

Onam Celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram City

2008-09-14T08:06:00.009+05:30

Onam is the only time when almost the whole of Trivandrum city folk comes out to celebrate. There are quite a few festivals coming and going, nothing can match onam in its festive spirit.

Outside the city, celebrations are far too little in the whole of Trivandrum District, except for isolated celebrations conducted by organizations and people groups.
On Thiruvonam day (Sep 12), my friend Shaji and I drove into the city and there wasn't any sign of festivity, busy traffic or rushes until we reached the junction near Nandavanam police camp. From there on, traffic moves at one inch a minute. Two and four wheelers are parked on both sides of the road and people move tightly packed, as if it is inside a bus, packed three times its capacity.

I don't know what the frenzy is about. Yet, I know the national festival of Kerala is the only occasion to free yourself and let go the inhibitions to fully enjoy the carnival mood.

The city is densely packed and is active till 10 pm, in a city where it goes to sleep at around 8 every day. This occasion is special and I must commend the efficiency of city police to manage such a grand affair without letting any fuss to happen.

An Encounter with Horse Mount Police

2008-08-12T17:09:00.003+05:30

Trivandrum city retains one nice tradition - these policemen patrol the streets during day and night, as they did during the age of Maharaja. The dressing of policemen has changed a lot, but no such changes for the horses, except they now have to put their shoes on a tougher surface, than it was half a century ago.

I couldn't help but take this photograph as this patrol passed through a street. I also find a cameraman from Asianet (channel) jumping out of a car with his camera and recording the majestic movement of these horses and the men on their backs.

Vellayani Lake – A Greenish Hangout

2008-04-23T19:52:00.002+05:30

You will surely love the solitude, greenery and the misty, yet warm climate of this lake. Vellayani Lake, some 15km from Thiruvananthapuram city offers a nice hang out for the local people and for anyone who loves to spend some time, detached from the maddening pace of life.

Taste a tender coconut. Sit there idly. Watch a stroke or a kingfisher lifting a fish or a crab, which surfaced at the wrong time. You will instantly know this is the place of water and coconut trees.

Tens of thousands of coconut palms line the waters – you just can't take a photo here, without coconut trees in your frame. You will also find a stretch of islands, each one offering home to one or two coconut trees.

Drive or walk the unpaved path that divides the water into two. Move away from under the scathing sun and to below the shade of coconut crowns, where you feel the warmth that no air conditioning machine in the world can match.

Also find how farmers here grow plantains, vegetables and fruits of various kinds. And learn from where our food actually comes from.

The place has never been a tourist destination, except for a day or two of boat races. It is better left that way, we can drive in any day of the year; spend as many hours as we want and return home as a refreshed soul.

I say this, even after fully knowing the place has everything it takes to make it to Kerala tourist map, as a jewel to the string of much touted Kerala backwaters.

My trip to the place was with a friend of mine, from near this lake and hours just flew by, before we knew it is sunset and it is time to say goodbye to this blessed village.

Narmakairali: Laughter & Food for Thought

2008-04-20T17:35:00.002+05:30

Narmakairali (or Narma kairali) continues to amuse Thiruvananthapuram folks with clean humor for quite a long time now.

Their latest event was at VJT Hall, where the audience smiled, laughed and occasionally smirked at the thoughts of some well known humorists headed by Sukumar, Jacob Samson Muttada, etc.

For those people who forget the art of laughter, and for the people who really don't have a venue to unwind, the laughter club events like the one conducted regularly by Narmakairali is a relief.

Though generally it was clean jokes all the way, occasional sexual innuendos and explicities really robbed the fun. I was sitting next to a woman of almost the age my mother and it was really tough on occasions.

The following photograph is from a comedy skit performed by the team.

Golden Shower Baths City in Yellow

2008-04-13T17:05:00.004+05:30

It is run up to Vishu. The signals are on the trees shading the city roads from the sun. The avenue trees cover themselves up with golden yellow flowers. The star among the trees is golden shower (Cassia fistula).

In Malayalam it is kanikkonna (or kanikonna), the auspicious flower to make it to the presence of Lord Krishna, to be viewed as Kani (an auspicious sight) on Vishu. April 14, Sunday (tomorrow) is Vishu, the first day of Malayalam month, Medam.

The festival signifies prosperity. Everything is golden this day. People open their eyes before an idol of Lord Krishna, surrounded by gold coins, fruits, golden shower flowers, new cloths, etc arranged on a big, bell metal pan.

No one can miss this season. You see the golden shower trees blooming everywhere. They are on roadsides, courtyards of houses, parks, etc. When you see the golden shower plants bloom and cover themselves with nothing but yellow flowers, you know Vishu is round the corner.

The first two photographs have Golden shower trees and the third one is some other plant. I like when it blooms yellow.

Octave 2008 Thiruvananthapuram

2008-02-19T19:21:00.002+05:30

The cultural mega fest of north-eastern states, Octave 2008 is currently underway at Nishagandhi festival grounds, Thiruvananthapuram. Artists from eight states display the cultural vibrancy of their land. The festivities are enjoyed by massive crowds.

Day 2 (Sunday) Specialty)

Since it was a Sunday yesterday, I just decided to give the event a try. The first thing you will notice is the different dress styles existing within our country. The girls and boys from the north eastern states are also beautiful, you will stop and take a second look to secretly enjoy the beauty they are gifted with.

The singers from Mizoram also greeted the audience in a unique way, I think like the Japanese do. I have seen Japanese way of greeting others only on TV. It was quite nice to watch the girls lowering their heads and backs as a whole to greet the audience.

After some songs by beautiful singers from Assam and Mizoram, there was a breathtaking display of Tang-Ta, the martial art of Manipur.

Tang-Ta was combined with Kalaripayattu, the martial art form of Kerala. While Tang-Ta performance received applauses and cheers throughout, the Kalaripayattu team received booing during most of their performance.

It is the first time I witness the Manipuri martial art, I am really amused at the agility, control, sharpness and swiftness of the martial art form. No wonder British rulers were afraid of the martial art form of Manipur and banned its practice.

Since Kalaripayattu and Tang-Ta was performed side-by-side, everyone in the audience got a chance to compare the two martial art forms of India. For me, the difference in speed of movement was like the movement of a pregnant cow and that of swift stag.

Though the performers made Kalaripayattu appear far inferior in skill, movement, strength and physical control, it need not be the case.

Both forms of martial arts use swords – the practice of Tang Ta allows swift use of sword, even inside a small room, as swords are moved at quick pace, closer to the body. However, in Kalaripayattu the swords are flashed away from the bearer's body and it normally requires more free space for proper use of the sword.

The belt sword fight was unique to Kalaripayattu, while the balancing of a Tang Ta artist on the sharp edges of 12" spikes (darts) literally took the breath away from the audience of about 10,000.

After seeing the martial arts performance, the only thought I had was the Kalaripayattu team could avoid handheld weapon fights, which were performed badly and immediately received loud boos from the crowd.

The eight day festival is on till Saturday. Artists from Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland exhibit their skills and cultural tradition.

Other attractions include a food court dedicated to North Eastern cuisine, handicrafts stalls and an exhibition of musical instruments.

Aruvikkara Dam, in Thiruvananthapuram

2007-10-25T06:18:00.003+05:30

Aruvikkara Dam was once a recognized picnic spot, but is now disregarded by all. Hard to reach here (roads filled with potholes), no amenities (plenty of 'scope' for boating and other activities), & no refreshment (except a DTPC restaurant), you can just come here, relax for a few minutes on the lawn, whine how badly this location is kept and return home with nothing much to think about.

Aruvikkara Dam is just 16 km from Trivandrum city.

Lush Exteriors of Napier Museum Thiruvananthapuram is Half a Hangout

2007-09-01T06:27:00.000+05:30

I feel a lack of good hangouts within the city of Thiruvananthapuram. When looking to spend some time idly, there are quite a few places to look for. The sprawling exterior of Napier Museum Thiruvananthapuram is one among them.

On all sides of the famous building is a beautiful garden. The proficiently managed beautiful turf, always receive visitors of all ages. Seeing it over and over again, I have really lost the attraction to the garden and the breeze there. However, when I like to spend some time doing nothing, I reach this place.

The 19th century Indo-Saracenic building wears a magnificent look, especially in the night, with neon lights bathing this building in golden light. The water work before the entry of the building recently saw a revival, probably in response to the Onam celebrations that had consumed the whole city.

Inside the building are rare collections of historic artifacts, curious ivory carvings, a majestic temple chariot, etc. The interior of the building is also naturally cool, even as the exteriors bask under sun. The architecture has a peculiar feature of air circulation that supplies cold air throughout the interiors, while not using any electrical or mechanical systems.

Plastic is strictly prohibited in the premises. A sign board at the entry point warns visitors against bringing plastic carry bags or packages to the premises. It is only nice to stick to the rules to keep the place beautiful.

Onam Celebrations Over, Thiruvananthapuram Back to Realities

2007-08-31T06:19:00.000+05:30

Onam celebrations are officially over in Thiruvananthapuram City and the city dwellers now choose to go back the bustles of their careers and professions. School kids have time till Sunday for their celebrations.

It was a great Onam season at Thiruvananthapuram City that comes to a close. I can clearly tell this is the most hassle-free, trouble free, incident-free celebration in the city. Authorities have made all the necessary preparations to manage the mass event a great success.

I could see policemen and women, literally all over the city extending helping hands to the gatherers. There were also teams of firefighters ready near venues of mass attendance like the Nishagandhi, Poojappura ground, etc.

It was just a wandering through the city on the last day of the celebrations, but was not in the mood to watch Magician Samraj in action at Nishagandhi, although I have visited the ground and made some purchases, especially the sweet halwa from Kozhikode.

Curtains Down for Onam Celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram City

2007-08-29T13:04:00.000+05:30

Kerala state capital Thiruvananthapuram is about to come off its festival mood, with the week-long celebrations coming to a close. Sixteen official stages of Onam celebrations within the city amused the city folk to no end. Ganamela (music programs), dance programs, Kalaripayattu (martial art form of Kerala), competitions of various kinds, all added to the festivities.

The ghazals at the Press Club hall and the Ganamela at Poojappura ground were the two items I preferred for the day. I was with my friend Suma Kumar while enjoying ghazals by Raghuram, where the audience could be counted to less than 35. My friend had to leave for home at 8.00 pm and I had to leave too.

Then I am all alone and free to wander on my own and I headed over to Poojappura, where Jassi Gift, Sayanora, Vidhu Pratap, Devanand, etc were amusing the crowd that stayed there inspite of a quick lash of rain. Dancing away in merry, the guys were enjoying the music to end.

Today, there is Magic Show by Prof Samraj at Suryakanti Auditorium.

Thiruvonam Day Celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram City

2007-08-28T11:09:00.000+05:30

Thiruvonam day is relatively low-note affair in Thiruvananthapuram city, with people still in the mood of hanging out at their homes after the sadya.

I push myself out of my home, into the city, exploring the festivities. After a usual rounds through the Kanakakkunnu and Nishagandhi, I reached the stage before Government Secretariate, where a team of Kalaripayattu experts perform the acrobatics of the martial art. It was real nice to watch 7-8 year old lads performing the different steps of Kalaraippayattu.

One could feel a chill passing through their spine, as he or she watches the performers using the double-edged belt-sword that creates sparks when it come into contact with another sword or with the road.

There was a big audience, including many foreigners vigilantly watching the performance.

I also love Ghazals and a friend of mine passed me message over phone there is Ghazal performance going on at Press Club hall. I quickly reached there. The audience, as expected was very few and I could count the whole audience up to 32. Twenty of them seem to form a closed loop with the singer and her team. There are not many takers for Ghazals in Thiruvananthapuram I guess.

I stayed there for an hour, listening to the simple sound of Ghazals. I think today is another performance of Ghazals in the same venue, but I plan to head over to Vellayani Lake, to witness the country boat race.

Food Festival Thiruvananthapuram Kerala

2007-08-26T21:47:00.000+05:30

This onam is going great. Real feasts of dance, music and some yummy five star food items, on the festival grounds of Kerala capital.

Acrobat Preparing Chapatti at Food Festival Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

2007-08-26T21:09:00.000+05:30

Walking into the food festival ground Thiruvananthapuram, everyone gets stuck at the acrobatic skills of this chef from North India. I found myself, just as many onlookers, watching this guy in action, with wide opened eyes and dropped jaws.

If you are not happy with my photography, I am with you. I started photography five days back only (on Wednesday –Aug 22 to be precise).

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Elephant in Thiruvananthapuram City

2007-08-25T05:33:00.000+05:30

An elephant in the city, bearing advertisement of Khazana jewellery showroom, in Thiruvananthapuram city.