Monday 22 April 2013

Traditional Village Style of Kerala


The village life in Kerala, the gods own country  forms the backbone of this state in the Indian peninsula. kerala reconstructs the settings and atmosphere of a traditional Kerala village, including the houses.  The Traditions of Malayalam Land used to be practiced during from the old days can no longer be found in recent times in the busy city lifestyle. But many of them can still be seen and to be practiced in the day to day village life of Kerala. It is seen in a rare villages.  The tharavadu and Nalukettu houses, representative of the residences of the lower and upper classes of Kerala are put up here. Family is an important unit of a rural household in the state giving first preference. The male member works outside  in agricultural works in the field, the female member looks after the household works. But, sometimes, especially in the harvesting seasons, women also accompany their male partners to the fields for work. The older members in the house also have an important place in the society of rural Kerala. They also have an important decision making role in the house.


In accordance with festivals, cultural performances are practiced mainly in the evenings. Various dances like Kathakkali and Mohiniyattam and even other dance-forms from other states like Kuchipudi and Bharathanatyam are performed mainly in nights. Folk art forms like Pavakkoothu, Villupattu, Kakkarisi Natakam and the famous Panchavadyam of Kerala are also performed. Kerala’s famous Martial Art forms like Kalaripayattu and Theyyam are other attractions of kerala.

There are small, handicraft industries in the villages. Moreover, handloom, marine products and other small-scale industries also play an important role in the economy of kerala. The villages in the state are lush green with vegetation and the major tree is coconut. The main foods of people in the villages of Kerala are fish curry and tapioca.

The Kerala Tea Stalls, called Chayakkada, can be seen here. The thatched houses and the mansions of timber are constructed with care, and are decorated exquisitely in traditional style with full of crafting works. The mansions have massive pillars, open courtyards and corridors. Inside the houses, an ethnic crafts of Kerala are on display – woodwork, ethnic jewelry and boxes, sandal wood carvings, paintings, musical instruments, furniture, swords and shields and more are displayed. The outside of houses are decorated with Pookkolams, the lovely traditional flower arrangement of Keralam.The whole creation has an enchanting effect, transporting the visitors back to an era that appreciated beauty and elegance in every aspect of lifestyle.

Besides the cultural feasts, that satisfy the tourist’s palate are also on offer here.  Various luxurious delicacies of South India, a wide varied choice that leaves tourists confused as to what to choose and what to leave, are on displays here. Some of the dishes include theeyal, meen moilee, malabar porotta, fish stew drowned in coconut milk, avial, appam, idiappam, Vellappam and Kallappam.

Plan a trip to Kerala in this vacation and there are many Unexplored places in Kerala that have a traditional touch and enjoy a different experience that you ever experienced.

Thursday 18 April 2013

Travel Photography in Kerala


Photography combine the Art of travel with that of photography: each of our journeys is a unique voyage of discovery offering the opportunity to learn and practise photography whilst exploring some of the finest destinations in India especially our Kerala.  photographic journeys are the result of the many years of travelling and making pictures. they are always more than just an opportunity to travel, learn and meet new people, they are also a great deal of fun- a way of coming face with one of the oldest civilizations on the planet, in the company of professional photographers who consider their role as tutors to be as important as their ability to craft professional images.
Some of the Travel Photoes especially the Main Destinations of Attractions in Western Ghats Land are Listed here which shows the art of photography

Hindu Muslim Unity - Thalassery


Lakeway – Kumarakom Backwaters


Resting man - Chambakara


 Nilgiri Tahr – Eravikulam National Park


Portrait of a Theyyam Artist- Malabar


Simple Life – Rural Village Children, Kerala


The Train Journey - Hill Stations


Making Pots - Trivantrum


Farmer Lifestyle - Kuttanad


Saturday 13 April 2013

Fruits Seen in Kerala


The God`s own country, Kerala Has many Attractions. you may be confused by the name God’s Own Country. It is the nick name given by the Travellers. Kerala is listed in the top 50 list of places that a person must see by many authorities. Surely this is a place blessed with great climate and wonderful travelling palces. This is a journey listing the common and rare fruits that you can see mostly only in Kerala.

Chakka (Jack fruit)



Plavu is a large evergreen spreading tree known for the largest tree borne fruit in the world. Jack fruit tree is mostly seen in the tropical lowlands and mainly in Kerala. This fruits is large and fleshy and are covered with thorny tubercles. Unripe fruits can also be cooked. The seeds may be boiled or baked. There are a number of varieties of jackfruits, the honey-jack (muttan varikka/thaen varikka) is considered the sweetest and the best in its Family. The flesh is starchy and fibrous and provides energy. Jack fruit tree is used in the treatment of various diseases such as vitiated vata, pitta, diarrhea, and skin disease, urinary retention and general weakness. The timber of the tree is used for making furniture as it is termite-proof. Almost of all the Parts can be Utilized. 

Kaitha (Pine Apple)



This fruit is seen in most of the parts of India Especially in Kerala. The peculiarity of this fruit is that it it contains small throwns. For eating this fruit you have to remove the outer layer containing throwns. This fruit has a taste of sour and sweetness also. This is good for digestion and it is mostly used as juice. This is cultivated large scale in many places in Kerala.

Manga (Mango)



Mango is known as  the king of fruits, is one of the most popular of the tropical fruit varieties. Mango has undergone considerable varietal differentiation. In India alone, over 100 named varieties are known. Apart from these, millions of seedling trees grow throughout the country, each of which has its own distinctive characteristics. A major portion of mango trees in Kerala are of seedling origin. Tender and mature but unripe mangoes are extensively used for making pickles. Ripe fruits are eaten as such. A variety of products are made out of this. They are canned mango slices, mango pulp, jam, juice, custard powder, ready to serve mango beverages, toffees etc are these.

Omaikka (Papaya)



The papaya is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya. It is a very large plant and has a single stem that grows to a height of around 5 to 10 meters tall. The leaves are seen only in the top of the trunk and are arranged in a attractive spiral manner. The ripe fruit is eaten whereas the unripe fruit of papaya is cooked and eaten. They are used to make curries, salads and stews. It has high amount of pectin in it that can be used to make jellies also. Some of the various uses of papaya are that it is used as a cooking aid, in medicine etc

Vazha (Banana)



Banana is also a main attraction of kerala. About 50-60 tonns of bananas is exported from Kerala every day. a lot of varieties are available in the market with different colours, sizes and taste. The popular varieties include palayankodan, sahasrapadali, ayiram poovan, poovan, nenthran, kumpillaannan, malayannan, thottannan, kadali, rasakadali (njaalipoovan), chenkadali (kappa), kaliyethan, chengali, aattunenthran, pachakkappa, robesta, matti, padatti, peyan, monthan, annan etc. The colours are yellow, purple and red. Ripe bananas are very sweet and they can be eaten whereas unripe can cooked. The banana plant’s trunk when peeled has a tender core which is edible when cooked. Similarly the flower is also used for delicious dishes. Banana leaves are often used as plates or disposable food containers where people consider it as a plate to have their food on this leaf. It is also an old Trtadition of kerala.Taking banana helps to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma in women. 

Seethaappazham (Custard Apple)



This is another fruit that is common in Kerala villages and very tasty also. This fruit comes from the tree atha. This fruit is almost size compared to apple. It contains a lot of seeds coated with edible white portion .This fruit is very tasty and posses medicinal qualities. Now, It is disapperaring from the society 

Kasumanga (Cashew Fruit)



The cashew is a tree which is native to northeastern Brazil. It is plenty in Kerala. We Export it to other countries. They are grown mainly for the cashew nuts and cashew apples. While processing cashew we obtain the cashew nutshell liquid which is rich in anacardic acids. This can be used effectively against tooth problems as they are harmful to the gram-positive bacteria. They also act best against many other gram-positive bacteria. The cashew nut is a favourite snack of all and they are consumed as such or lightly salted or sugared

Njaval (Black Plum)



The fruit is known for its sweet, sour and astringent flavor. It is a large evergreen tree with white fragrant flowers and black fruit with pink juicy pulp. This fast growing tree lives for more than 100 years. The wood is strong and is water resistant. Because of this it is used in railway sleepers and to install motors in wells. This tree starts to flower in the months March to April every year. The The fruit is green and changes to a pink to shining black colour when it matures.. The seed has medicinal values and is used in ayurveda to control diseases like diabetes and also for digestive ailments. The leaves and bark are also useful for controlling blood pressure. Wine and vinegar are also made from the fruit. It is a high source of vitamin A and vitamin C.

Kodukappuli (Manila Tamarind)



An apple a day keeps a doctor away’ may be modified thus ‘A kodukappuli a day may indeed keep pain away’. This is an evergreen tree which grows very fast and has a crooked trunk with small branches that arise from the base of the leaves. The flowers are greenish white in colour, fragrant and it produces pod with an edible pulp. The liquid obtained by boiling the bark can be used for the curing frequent bowel movement. Decoctions of leaves are used for digestion problems and used as abortifacient. The hard timber is used for various purposes such as for construction, packing cases, making fences, cart building and agricultural tools etc.

Sheema nelli (Star gooseberry)



Indigenous fruit trees like Sheema nelli that does not require much care and attention is a boon to every households. The tree often bears fruit twice a year, the first during April to May and then during August-September also. Star gooseberry fruit is known to contain extremely high amounts of natural vitamin C which is an antioxidant with potent anti-ageing properties. It has only one seed in each fruit. The flowers are male, female or hermaphrodite and are small, pinkish in colour and appear in cluster.

Perakaya (Guava)



Guava trees are small shrubby evergreen trees, with a lot of strong bony like branches found in kerala. the main variety of guava cultivated and sold here is the apple guava. The fruits are fleshy and have a sweet taste. This fruit is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B3, vitamin B4. Natural propagation is by birds and small animals. Different parts of the tree have medicinal properties. The decoction of the leaves and bark of this tree are sued for treating various ailments such as diarrhea, dysentery, vomiting and sore throats, and also for regulating the menstrual cycles. The crushed leaves used when applied on wounds relieves pain.

Champakka ( Rose Apple)



It is one of the most commonly seen fruit in Kerala. It is white when it is not ripen. It turns rose and then red as it ripe. You can eat it even if it is not ripen, but it will be slightly sour. This fruit bearing tree grows a maximum of 6 - 7 meters. The fruit has seeds inside which is bitter in taste. Even though its juice is not common it is also very tasty.

Thursday 4 April 2013

Main Attractions of Kerala in Olden Days



Kerala, The God’s Own Country situated on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern part of India, It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.It is Named as one of the ten paradises of the world by the National Geographic Traveler.  Kerala is famous especially for its ecotourism initiatives. Its unique cultural  traditions coupled with its varied demography, has made Kerala one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Globe. Growing at a rate of 13.31%, the tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy.

In terms of Culture and Tradition, kerala is Famous. It is gained since from the formation of the kerala state. There are many changes took place across kerala in the fields of Destinations, Attractions, Lifestyle etc.  They are much different from the today views. Here listed such important photoes which will excite you more than before, Have a look. 



Kanakakunnu Palace, Trivandrum in the erstwhile Travancore State in 1902.


British Residency, Trivandrum in 1898.



Industrial School of Arts, Thiruvananthapuram in 1872


A metre gauge steam locomotive pulling into a station in Cochin-ON THE WAY TO KOTTAYAM - KOTTAYAM 1966


Sree Pathmanabhaswami Temple(This 9th Century Hindu temple is one of the greatest of Kerala and was the center of rule by the Travancore Kings for 291 years starting from 1700s.)


View of the Public Offices in Trivandrum, in the erstwhile Travancore.


THE FASTEST PLANE BEFORE JET PLANES CAME IN 1960'S-( 'DAKOTA'PLANE ) .THE ONLY FLIGHT DAILY, FROM THE ONLY AIRPORT OF KERALA IN 1950


A distant view of the Central Jail in Thiruvananthapuram


A view of the Chief Engineer's Office, Trivandrum in the erstwhile Travancore State. later The College of Engineering, Trivandrum, . Founded in 1939


Alleppey it is taken about 1900. canal scean in the town of alleppey,in east while travancore.


Alleppey in 1900( No Tourist houseboats or motot boats)


General view of golf links in 1900


Missionary's wife with indigenous Christians, Trivandrum, India, 1900-1910


The Ernakulam Boat Jetty circa 1950


Malabar Moplah Mosque


Durring the Travancore-Cochin elections, with voters at polls in march 1, 1954


Kayangulam in 1878


View Near (Chavara)in 1898



VARKALA CLIFFS in 1900s.


View of the dam, Periyar Lake in 1900s


Tellicherry in the 1850.


The progressive manufacture of Tata-Mercedes-Benz diesel trucks and buses in India began in Poona in October 1954.


Old view of Peermade


View of the Normal School, Trivandrum in the erstwhile Travancore State in 1894.

Kowdiar Palace, of the Travancore Royal Family