Kumarakam Backwaters and Bird Sanctuary

Kumarakam is more than a picnic spot. The natural beauty of Kumarakam seduces you so much that you will never feel like leaving this place.

Wherever you go, coconut palms spread their leaves like an umbrella, shading you from the sun. The sight of paddy fields resembling a never-ending lush green carpet will be a fascination for every one.

Birds nestling among thickly grown mangrove trees all around the pristine backwaters is a sight few nature lovers like to miss. You can lavishly spend the whole day enjoying the local culinary favorite Karimeen pollichathu (a pearl spotted, tasty fish -fried), fried chemeen (Prawn) or njandu (crab) with choru (cooked rice) and drinking tender coconut juice, in a slow moving house boat, enjoying the rich variety of flora and fauna of Kumarakam. Take binoculars with you, as there are colorful winged visitors all over. Along with several migratory birds, you can also see many indigenous species.

Take a camera also, you will occasionally feel like capturing the beauty of a 1000 ducks jumping into the water of a paddy field or a fish struggling in the beaks of a heron.

Kumarakam is also a place where you can pursue Ayurvedic treatment of Ayurvedic massage, yoga, meditation sessions, boating of any kind, fishing and swimming.

Trekking in Kerala Forests

Trekking the forests and highlands is the one experience that finds no match. A trekking expedition may be tiring initially, but quite rewarding in the end.

There are plenty of trekking opportunities in Kerala. From Agastyarkoodam in Thiruvananthapuram, eco-tourism village of Thenmala, Wagamon etc are cool places for trekking. Majority of these trekking expeditions cannot be completed in a day. Trekking in Kerala is an occasion where you can enjoy the cool breeze, fresh air and a tranquilizing environment. You will feel rejuvenation of mind and soul. Sometimes in the journey you will be interrupted by the chirpings of some birds or the sight of a peacock dance will fascinate you.

You will feel like taking a dip from the narrow stream or like lying on your back on a rock inside an overflowing river.

Before you pack up for your trekking expedition, make sure you take the necessary clothing, boots and food. Trekking in Kerala is by and large a very controlled affair. You will have to get the permission from forest department and qualified guides will accompany you. These guides are rich source of information when it comes to identifying wild birds, animals, medicinal herbs and historically important places. Your travel schedule is not controlled by flights or trains, but by weather conditions and the guests you see on the way.

Christmas Days Are Here, Once Again

Christmas days are back with the new message of love and peace to the troubled up hearts of man.

Just make a hang around the city, you will find yourself the festive mood of Christmas all around. The streets are lighted up with stars, attractive with colorful decorative items, Christmas trees and more. People are busy with buying new things, dresses and gifts for their loved ones. As you go on, you can hear melodious carol songs around the streets accompanied with drumbeats and bugles.

Jesus, born in Bethlehem many years back on December 25th, yes, that is what Christmas is. Many years back, on a cold winter night, Jesus came to this world with a new message of love and humility. That is what every Christmas tells about. This great event of Christ’s birthday is celebrated with enthusiasm. Christmas brings about a new spirit of love, joy and peace to the hearts of many.

As a preparation for Christmas, Christians observe twenty five days lent by keeping away from consuming meat, fish and egg. Christmas is a great occasion for the Christians for family get together and to keep themselves in the festive mood. In Kerala, wide scale celebration of the event takes place.

All the relatives and friends gather in Christian homes to make themselves in the celebration and merry making. All the schools and colleges of Kerala are in a celebrative mood. Regardless of caste and creed, all these educational institutions celebrate Christmas that truly follow the message what Christmas gives. Homes prepared to receive infant Jesus by decorating it with colorful guilt works, stars and special cribs that holds the still models of Jesus, Mother Mary, St. Joseph, Shepherd, Angels, Kings etc.

Together with all these celebrations, it time for all to treat their appetite. Christmas cakes and wines have a great demand at this time. All the bakeries and shops are filled with Christmas cakes, sweets and other yummy foodstuffs. Ladies are busy with making delicious foods, children go on with different games and elders find enjoyment in tasting all these foodstuffs.

All churches present an impressive sight by the beautiful decorations inside and cribs that hold the miniature model Jesus and stable. While the choir sings “ Gloria”, the church bells rings and bursts crackers. In addition, the priest brings a small statue of Jesus as a sign of Jesus Christ’s birth. Faithful celebrates the holy mass with great respect that brings about good peace of mind to all hearts. In the midst of the Holy Mass, the priest make the faithful to celebrate the Christmas with Jesus and not to get involved in celebrations forgetting the real meaning of Christmas. After the Holy Mass, people are busy outside the church to wish the dear and near ones a spirit filled joyous Christmas.

On this auspicious event of Christmas, its time for all to forget the troubles of daily life and to fill the hearts with the new message of peace that each Christmas brings.

Kanathoor Theyyam, Kerala Temple Dance

Kanathoor Bhoothasthanam at Kasargod, North Kerala is in a celebrative mood for the great festival of Theyyam that will be taking place here on December 28th of this year.

Theyyam is a ritualistic art for of Kerala. It is a perfect combination of different art forms like mime, music and dance. The roots of this art form are connected to ancient tribal cultures. In this art form, it mainly involves in ancestral spirit worship. Theyyam exhibits a colorful appearance with a headgear, ornaments and attractive garments. A folk singer accompanies Theyyam dancer with load music according to his footsteps and uses straightforward and effective languages.

Kanathoor Bhoothasthanam festival stages a rare combination of different Theyyams like Chamundi Theyyam, Vishnumoorthy Theyyam and Panchoorla Theyyam, Muthor Theyyam and more. Kanathoor Theyyam has a history past many years. Devotes believe that Gods and Goddesses come into their midst in the form of possessed dancers. Still now there are many believers of this, hence Theyyam has great importance in Kerala. This five day long festival is a great celebration for all the devotees here. Kanathoor is known as Divine Court as all sorts of disputes are staged in front of this temple.

Kanathoor is about 20km from Kasargod. Kanathoor is accessible by road and rail from Kasargod. Mangalore is the nearest airport that is about 50km form Kasargod.

Priyadarshini Planetarium, Thiruvananthapuram

Priyadarsini planetarium, in Thiruvananthapuram is one of the most versatile planetaria in the whole of India. The GM-II projector can make the impression of real (day and night) and can simulate the night sky over any location on earth on any night up to 12,500 years to both past and future.

A visitor to this theatre at the planetarium can see the details of the surface not only the moon and the stars, but also the whole visible galaxies of the universe. The fascinating world of astronomy is pulled before us to just an arms length away.

School kids from all over Kerala, nearing Tamil Nadu and Karnataka visit this planetarium to enrich themselves with the sightings of far and off corners of the universe.

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Kerala

One of a place for bird watching, 253 species of birds found in just 25 Sq. Km area of Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Thattekad.

Renowned ornithologist Salim Ali described Thattekad as ‘the richest bird habitat in peninsular India’. Salim Ali bird sanctuary in Thattekad is a paradise of bird-watchers. Within a mere 25 sq km area, you can spot at least 270 species of birds.

The sanctuary has tropical evergreen and deciduous forests, with the urban hussle-bussle just a few km away. The chirps and fluttering of the winged guests is surely a treat for eyes and ears. The wildlife here includes elephants and sloth bear.

Dr. Salim Ali reported about 167 bird species while Bombay Natural History Society identified 253.

Reaching Thattekad
It is 53 km from Kochi, the biggest city in Kerala. You will ferry-cross River Periyar to reach here.

International Film Festival of Kerala

International film festival Kerala (IFFK) is a unique venue for film lovers come together to a grand feast of world cinema. This annual event at Thiruvananthapuram brings an opportunity to film lovers to have a close look at world film scene. Films from as far as Brazil and Venezuela are screened here.

International Film Festival aims to select the best international film and to bring up new filmmakers. The selection of films is done for films from Asia, Africa and Latin American countries. In addition, international film festival has offered an award for the Best Debut filmmakers from these countries. For the films in the competition section, certain regulations are there. The films that are meant for the competition section are not shown outside the festival site.

The prizes for best films are decided by the special international jury appointed by the Academy. Moreover, the jury is the final authority to fix the Suvarna Chakoram (golden peacock) and the Rajata Chakoram (silver peacock) Awards for best directors.

Every year International Film Festival is an opportunity for the God’s own country to celebrate and to welcome people from all over.