HOLI - FESTIVAL OF COLOURS

One of the major festivals of India, Holi is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun which is the month of March as per the Gregorian calendar.
Holi festival may be celebrated with various names and people of different states might be following different traditions. But, what makes Holi so unique and special is the spirit of it which remains the same throughout the country and even across the globe, wherever it is celebrated.

Entire country wears a festive look when it is time for Holi celebration. Market places get abuzz with activity as frenzied shoppers start making preparations for the festival. Heaps of various hues of gulal and abeer can be seen on the roadside days before the festival. Pichkaris in innovative and modern design too come up every year to lure the children who wish to collect them as Holi memorabilia and of course, to drench everybody in the town.

Womenfolk too start making early preparations for the holi festival as they cook loads of gujiya, mathri and papri for the family and also for the relatives. At some places specially in the north women also make papads and potato chips at this time.

Everybody gets delighted at the arrival of Holi as the season itself is so gay. Holi is also called the Spring Festival - as it marks the arrival of spring the season of hope and joy. The gloom of the winter goes as Holi promises of bright summer days. Nature too, it seems rejoices at the arrival of Holi and wears its best clothes.Fields get filled with crops promising a good harvest to the farmers and flowers bloom colouring the surroundings and filling fragrance in the air.


A Hindu festival, Holi has various legends associated with it. The foremost is the legend of demon King Hiranyakashyap who demanded everybody in his kingdom to worship him but his pious son, Prahlad became a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap wanted his son to be killed. He asked his sister Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap as Holika had a boon which made he immune to fire. Story goes that Prahlad was saved by lord himself for his extreme devotion and evil minded Holika was burnt to ashes, for her boon worked only when she entered the fire alone.

Since that time, people light a bonfire, called Holika on the eve of Holi festival and celebrate the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of devotion to god. Children take special delight in the tradition and this has another legend attached to it. It says that there was once an ogress Dhundhi who used to trouble children in the kingdom of Prithu. She was chased away by children on the day of Holi. Therefore, children are allowed to play pranks at the time of 'Holika Dahan'.

Some also celebrate the death of evil minded Pootana. The ogress tried to Lord Krishna as an infant by feeding it poisonous milk while executing the plan of Kansa, Krishna's devil uncle. However, Krishna sucked her blood and brought her end. Some who view the origin of festivals from seasonal cycles believe that Pootana represents winter and her death the cessation and end of winter.

In South India, people worship Kaamadeva- the god of love and passion for his extreme sacrifice. According to a legend, Kaamadeva shot his powerful love arrow on Lord Shiva to revoke his interest in the worldly affairs in the interest of the earth. However, Lord Shiva was enraged as he was in deep mediation and opened his third eye which reduced Kaamadeva to ashes. Though, later on the request of Rati, Kaamadeva's wife, Shiva was pleased to restore him back.

On the eve of Holi, called Chhoti or Small Holi people gather at important crossroads and light huge bonfires, the ceremony is called Holika Dahan. This tradition is also followed in Gujarat and Orissa. To render greatfulness to Agni, god of Fire, gram and stalks from the harvest are also offered to Agni with all humility. Ash left from this bonfire is also considered sacred and people apply it on their foreheads. People believe that the ash protects them from evil forces.


Play of Colors



Great excitement can be seen in people on the next day when it is actually the time for the play of colours. Shops and offices remain closed for the day and people get all the time to get crazy and whacky. Bright colours of gulal and abeer fill the air and people take turns in pouring colour water over each other. Children take special delight in spraying colours on one another with their pichkaris and throwing water balloons and passers by. Women and senior citizen form groups called tolis and move in colonies - applying colours and exchanging greetings. Songs, dance on the rhythm of dholak and mouthwatering Holi delicacies are the other highlights of the day.


Lovers too long to apply colours on their beloved. This has a popular legend behind it. It is said that the naughty and mischievous Lord Krishna started the trend of playing colours. He applied colour on her beloved Radha to make her one like him. The trend soon gained popularity amongst the masses. No wonder, there is no match to the Holi of Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana - the places associated with the birth and childhood of Radha and Krishna.

There is also a tradition of consuming the very intoxicating bhang on this day to further enhance the spirit of Holi. It is so much fun to watch the otherwise sober people making a clown of themselves in full public display. Some, however, take bhang in excess and spoil the spirit. Caution should therefore be taken while consuming bhang delicacies.

After a funfilled and exciting day, the evenings the spent in sobriety when people meet friends and relatives and exchange sweets and festive greetings. It is said the spirit of Holi encourages the feeling of brotherhood in society and even the enemies turn friend on this day. People of all communities and even religions participate in this joyous and colouful festival and strenthen the secular fabric of the nation

BASEBALL

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team (the batting team) take turns hitting against the pitcher of the other team (the fielding team), which tries to stop them from scoring runs by getting hitters out in any of several ways. A player on the batting team can stop at any of the bases and later advance via a teammate's hit or other means. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team records three outs. One turn at bat for each team constitutes an inning; nine innings make up a professional game. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.

Evolving from older bat-and-ball games, an early form of baseball was being played in England by the mid-eighteenth century. This game and the related rounders were brought by British and Irish immigrants to North America, where the modern version of baseball developed. By the late nineteenth century, baseball was widely recognized as the national sport of the United States. Baseball on the professional, amateur, and youth levels is now popular in North America, parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean, and parts of East Asia. The game is sometimes referred to as hardball, in contrast to the derivative game of softball.

In North America, professional Major League Baseball (MLB) teams are divided into the National League (NL) and American League (AL). Each league has three divisions: East, West, and Central. Every year, the major league champion is determined by playoffs that culminate in the World Series. Four teams make the playoffs from each league: the three regular season division winners, plus one wild card team. Baseball is the leading team sport in both Japan and Cuba, and the top level of play is similarly split between two leagues: Japan's Central League and Pacific League; Cuba's West League and East League. In the National and Central leagues, the pitcher is required to bat, per the traditional rules. In the American, Pacific, and both Cuban leagues, there is a tenth player, a designated hitter, who bats for the pitcher. Each top-level team has a farm system of one or more minor league teams. These teams allow younger players to develop as they gain on-field experience against opponents with similar levels of skill.

TRIBAL COMMUNITY IN KERALA

Most of the tribes of Kerala state belong to the famous family group of Dravidians, they have got similar traits and body stature. In fact theses tribes of Kerala have got dark complexion and quite short in height. Also they are well built with flat nose. These tribes of Kerala, grow their hair long and also tie the hair locks.

The mountainous parts of Kerala are inhibited by tribes namely Urali tribe, Paniyan tribe, Kapu tribe, Kanikkar tribe, Kadar tribe etc. They are reckoned as the descendants of the Negrito race.

Cultural exuberances of these tribes of Kerala are rightly being highlighted in diverse aspects. House building, rituals, norms bore resemblance to the tradition and ethnicity of the tribal culture. Maximum of these tribes of Kerala build their settlements in the dense forest grounds and also on the top of the mountains. The houses of these tribes of Kerala are closely built so that these tribes of Kerala can depend on each other and thus maintain cordial relations. Due to the rugged topography of the region, these tribes of Kerala remain undisturbed by any kind of invasion from the foreigners, especially the Aryans. This is one of the factors why these tribes of Kerala have maintained the originality intact. Influences of the modern day times hardly have brought about any changes in their life styles and in socio-economic scenario of their tribal society.

As per the observations of the anthropologists of the Indian subcontinent, these tribes of Kerala have developed ardent faith on religion and spiritualism. They live in groups and depended mostly on nature for all their needs. Almost all the tribes of Kerala follow religion, which is centered round Animism etc. They appeased devils for sickness and calamities. Besides there is a plethora of local gods and goddesses, whom majority of these tribes of Kerala revere and show immense respect and veneration. Worship of Amman or goddess Kali and Ayyan or Ayyappan was quite common. Moreover, there are few tribes of Kerala amongst whom ancestral worship is prevalent. Festivals and fairs are part and parcel of the culture and tradition of these tribes of Kerala. Especially during the festive seasons, the whole population of the tribes of Kerala get enthralled by the music, dance and get engross with the mood of frenzy and jubilation.

One of the tribes of Kerala is Eravallan which speaks in a beautiful language of Irula, and belongs to the famous Dravidian language family. Another tribe, Paniyan tribe resides in some parts of Wayanad, Kannur and Malappuram. The word `Paniyan` signifies `worker`. There are various occupations that are practiced by this tribal community including Podu or shifting cultivation which this tribal people have adapted to over the years. In the entire social perspective of this Paniyan tribe, marriage has been feted with loads of excitement mostly in the presence of the village priest, who is popularly known as chemmi.

Pulaya tribe falls into the list of the tribes of Kerala. Mainly due to the wealth of several art forms, namely, Chimmanakal, Margam, Kali, eminent anthropologists have held this tribal community in high esteem. The people of this tribal community were believed to be the rulers of the region of Kerala. They are the followers of Hinduism and also believe in magic and spirits. Kadar Tribe of Kerala has a rich heritage of adapting the profession of food collection and some of them are the practitioners of art and culture.

Majority of the Knaikkar tribal people has a tradition of practicing unique rites and rituals at the time of celebrating wedding and also death.

In Kerala, the Ulladan tribes reside in every corner of districts namely, Idukki, Kottayam, Pattanamthitta and Quilon. Another tribal community named Malasar Tribe are oriented towards religion is rightly being emphasized by its various gods and goddesses of local origin, namely, "Mallung, Kali and Mariamman". Some other tribal communities of Kerala include the names of Mannan, Urali, Kammara, Kapu, Kondareddis, Kurumba, Malamalasar, Marati etc.

Festivals, dance and music are the integral part of the life style of these Mannan tribes. Mannan tribes believe on a plethora of hill gods and goddesses. Most of this Mannan earns their livelihood by gathering sandalwood and rose woods from forests. In order to show better administration and control, these Manna tribes have chosen two representatives, namely, Thalaivar and Kani.

In addition to these tribal communities there are some tribal groups that form the tribal society of Kerala. Among them the name of Urali tribal community can be stressed. Just to evade the hassles of heavy taxation and also the possible plundering of the soldiers of Tipu Sultan, this Urali tribe had taken shelter in the core of the dense forests in Kerala. Moreover, hundreds of Kammara tribes can be located in districts of Kerala and also its culture and tradition being rightly exuberated by the style of their ornaments and apparels. Moreover, in Karala , the whole community of Kapu tribes can be segregated in to several gothrams , namely, Janakula, Mahipala, Paidipaala, Raghukula, Kasyapa, Dhanunjaya. Another tribe namely, the Kondareddis tribe is one of the very old tribal communities who exist in Kerala and the Kurumba tribe is known for their art of sorcery as well as several practices of Hinduism.

Apart from these tribal communities, various other tribes are scattered in the land of Kerala. The name of Malamalasar tribal community has got a place in the `Encyclopaedia of Indian Tribes (1989)` for their enriched culture and tradition. Marati tribe is one of the primitive tribes of Kerala with a population of about 22,196. Some other tribes of Kerala are Koraga, Kota, Kudiya, Melakudi, Kurichchan, Kurumans, Maha Malasar, Malai Arayan, Malai Pandaram, Malakkuravan etc.

PARUMALA PERUNNAL (event writing)

Parumala Perunnal is an extremely popular festival of Kerala. The festival is celebrated at the Parumala St. Peter's & St. Paul's Orthodox Church, Parumala, Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, which is a highly convenient place for the tourists and visitors to reach and participate in the celebrations.

The Festival of Parumala Perunnal is basically an annual feast that is arranged as a compulsion in order to commemorate the death anniversary of Bishop Mar Gregorios Metropolitan, the declared saint of the Malankara Orthodox Church of Kerala. During the auspicious occasion a grand feast is organized and rituals are performed.

A major attraction of the Festival remains the Grand procession that travels from one part of the town to another. It is attended by thousands of devotees. Devotees also offer prayers for seeking blessings from the deity.
Most of the festivals celebrated in Kerala are known for their splendor and grandeur. Apart from the prayers and rituals numerous stalls are arranged throughout the grounds of the church, selling articles, food, utensils and jewellary.

Kerala also known as “God’s own country” is acknowledged for its culture and traditions. During the celebrations of Perunnal Festival life and routines come to a standstill in the state as all localities engage in festive preparations. The jubilations during this time are a true eye-candy for spectators.

BIOGRAPHY OF A.R.RAHMAN

The name A.R.Rahman needs no introduction. The man who redefined contemporary Indian music and is the pride of the entire nation and an idol for millions all over the world needs no preamble. But if you happen to be one, still among the few unfortunate souls, who are a stranger to him and his heavenly music, then read on.

Allah Rakha Rahman (A.S. Dileep Kumar )was born on January 6, 1966, in Madras (now Chennai), India, to a musically affluent family. Dileep started learning the piano at the age of 4, and at the age of 9, his father passed away. Since the pressure of supporting his family fell on him, he joined Ilayaraja's troupe as a keyboard player at the age of 11. He dropped out of school as a result of this and traveled all around the world with various orchestras.

He accompanied the great tabla maestro Zakir Hussain on a few world tours and also won a scholarship at the Trinity College of Music at Oxford University, where he studied Western classical music and obtained a degree in music. Due to some personal crisis, Dileep Kumar embraced Islam and came to be known as A.R. Rahman. In 1987, he moved to advertising, where he composed more than 300 jingles over 5 years. In 1989, he started a small studio called Panchathan Record Inn, which later developed into one of the most well-equipped and advanced sound recording studios in India.

At an advertising awards function, Rahman met one of India's most famous directors, Mani Ratnam. Rahman played him a few of his music samples. Mani loved them so much that he asked Rahman to compose the music for his next film, Roja (1992). The rest, as they say, is history. He went on to compose several great hits for Tamil-language films before composing the score and songs for his first Hindi-language film, Rangeela (1995). The enormous success of his first Hindi venture was followed by the chart-topping soundtrack albums of films such as Bumbai (1995) , Dil Se.. (1998), Taal (1999), Zubeidaa (2001), and Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), which was nominated for best foreign-language film at the 2002 Academy Awards. His music always has a Southern Indian influence

Time magazine has referred to him as the "Mozart of Madras" and several Tamil commentators have coined him the nickname Isai Puyal
More recently, he worked with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Shekhar Kapur (director of Elizabeth (1998)) on a musical called "Bombay Dreams." At 36 years old, A.R. Rahman has revolutionized Indian film music and one can only expect this musical genius to reach greater heights.
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Grand Kerala Shopping Festival starts with splendour

Kannur on December 1, 2009: Cultural pageantry and entertainment programmes here that lasted for over three hours gave a splendid start to the 45-day long Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF), as the opening ceremony was marked by the huge public participation and the staging of the mega cultural show befitting the occasion.

The Municipal Jawahar Stadium, the venue of the opening ceremony, was flooded by crowds of people which turned up to watch the event in connection with the State-level inauguration of the third season of the shopping festival on Tuesday evening. The inaugural function attended by Ministers, people's representatives, officials and representatives of sponsoring agencies was followed by the cultural items presented by film artistes and playback singers and variety entertainment troupes.

Inaugurating the GKSF, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said that the main objective of the 45-day long festival was to make Kerala an international shopping destination. The GKSF was one of the major steps of the State government to strengthen the commercial sectors in the State. None of the Five Year Plans since the planning process started 55 years ago had given any importance to these sectors, he added. Stating that the government planned to extend the shopping festival spirit to the production sectors as well, he said that the decisions to set up a handloom village at Azhikkal here and revive the Kodungallur-Kottappuram weekly fairs were part of this plan. The government wanted to renovate the market places and shopping areas in the State, he added.

Delivering his presidential address, Home and Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that the GKSF, unlike the shopping festivals in Dubai and Singapore, was planned to cover traders to the extent of 38,000 sq. km area of the State. From next year onwards, the GKSF would be organised by the Kerala Trade Fair Authority being set up. Acknowledging the media role for treating the shopping festival as a development enterprise, he said that a permanent trade centre would be developed in Thiruvananthapuram. Trade festivals and international fairs could be held at the trade centre which could also be utilised for selling traditional products of the State, he pointed out.

Devaswom Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally, MLAs A.P. Abdullakutty, P. Jayarajan, K.P. Mohanan and M. Prakashan, Principal Industries Secretary T. Balakrishnan, Tourism Secretary V. Venu and M. Venugopal, Managing Director of the Federal Bank, title sponsor of the event, were among those present at the opening ceremony.

MAHABALIPURAM

Mahabalipuram that was formerly known as Mamallapuram is one of the most frequented tourism destinations in Tamilnadu, a province in India. The place is just 55 Kilometers off Chennai, the capital city of Tamilnadu and forms a major excursion destination around it. In fact, Mahabalipuram along with Chennai and Kanchipuram forms the famous 'Golden Tourism Triangle' ashore Coromandel Coast.

Mahabalipuram is a 7th century port city of the Pallavas, a Dravidic dynasty that once ruled over the major portion of peninsular India. Typical of Orientals, there are lots of theories behind its naming. Some say that it has been named after the demon king Mahabali who was renowned for his generosity. Some maintain that it has been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. Mahabalipuram has various historic monuments built mostly between the 7th and the 9th century. The majority of these temples and monuments have been built by one or another Pallava kings. Kings of later dynasties too have done some additions and restoration works.

The most famous and magnificent monument here is the Shore Temple. This temple looks absolutely mesmerizing when lit by moonlight. Although the religious activities in this temple have been discontinued way back in the late 19th century, the temple attracts a lot of tourists everyday. Due to the architectural and heritage value attached to it, The UNESCO has crowned this historical city as a 'World Heritage Site'.

Most of the monuments here are rock-cut and monolithic. These temples are very different from the later-Dravidian era temples that were built in the reign of the famous Chola kings Raj Raja and Rajendra Chola. The temples of Mahabalipuram will thus offer a contrast amidst the high raised 'Gopurams' that are so typical in the south Indian temples. The temples of Mahabalipuram represent the early phases of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design can be clearly seen.

Cave temples, monolithic rathas (chariots), sculpted relief and structural temples are something that is found in the ruins of Mahabalipuram. The pillars are of the early Dravidian order where as the sculptures are predominantly Pallava in their architecture. The majestic Mahabalipuram invokes a certain kind of mystery, with its sculptural extravaganza depicting strong artistic temperament of the Pallava rulers who are considered by many as the conceivers and the driving force behind the Dravidian art movement.