Chinese Nets

Article by:- Deepa Leslie, Lecturer, Dept of English, St Alberts College, Ernakulam.

Cochin is the gift of Periyar to the people of Kerala. In cochin, history is alive, active and vibrant. Its numerous and magnificent monuments beckons every visitor to the city to delve deep into the history of this ancient charming land. Its sprawling bungalows have an old charm and the continuous glow of foreign visitors speaks volumes for her hospitality and warmth.

The Anglo Indian Community of cochin traces its ancestry back to the flowery Portuguese rule. Even the ancient trees along the highways and by banks of the city have much to say about the bygone days of this daughter of Periyar or the Queen of the Arabian Sea. At one time, Europeans came to speak their fortunes here. Today the younger generations of cochinites, like the others in other parts of India go abroad to seek their fortunes.

It was generally held by the historians that the pre-portuguese cochin was occupied by fishermen and the world renowned Chinese nets (Cheena Vala) a characteristic feature of Cochin Coast and its suburbs were brought from China in the hey day of China – Malabar trade during 13th and 14th centuries.

Our recent studies shows that these Chinese nets were introduced by the later Casado settlers of Cochin from Macau. The names of the different parts of these Chinese nets used even today are in Portuguese language, which is a definite indication of its Portuguese Origin. The net used for catching the fish is called rede, its edge is borda, the arms of wooden parts which hold the extensive net together is brasao, while the flexible ring on the top on which the entire brasao moves is argola. In addition there are Corda and Pedra for balancing the movement of the net. There isCaluada on which the fishermen moves up and down and the posts which support the entire structure from the river bottom are called Odora.

The Casado settlers from Macau and Malawa also brought ‘Cheeni Chatti’ (Chinese frying pan) and a delicious dish known as ‘Cheenisampal’ which even today is a favourite dish among the coastal Christians of kerala with Portuguese heritage. The fishing nets introduced by the Casado settlers added another item for trade, the dried fish, in addition to the traditional spices of kerala. The popular name for dried fish in local terminology is bakkal (vakkal) which has its roots in the Portuguese ‘Bacalhau’

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Entrepreneurial Motivation in Kerala _Dr.Rajagopala Nair and Mohan P.Philip

Dr.Rajagopala Nair and Mohan P.Philip 
Research Dept. of Commerce
St.Albert’s College, Ernakulam

Legitimacy for entrepreneurship as a career option is very low among the social circles of Kerala, though small entrepreneurship development has become a crucial part of predominant moral code of governance in all countries. Due to low level legitimacy, young people, with entrepreneurial talents opt for other career opportunities or migrate to distant places in search of greener pastures This phenomenon can be verified by observing the performance of entrepreneurs in the industrial front of Kerala. The quality of entrepreneurial stock of a society can be assessed on the basis of the economic growth it has achieved. The role of entrepreneurship in economic development can best be put as “ an economy is the effect for which entrepreneurship is the cause”. Kerala’s statistics on industrial entrepreneurship displays a very interesting picture. The State’s contribution to nations industrial output is 2.19 per cent, but to that of population is 3.43 per cent. In contrast to the national trend, the informal manufacturing sector in Kerala has recorded a relatively high growth in the post liberalization period. The growth of small scale industrial units and employment in this sector was also promising during this period. However, industrial performance in Kerala during this period was not favourable in terms of output growth. Significant growth in employment generation under industrial sector is not represented by corresponding increase in industrial output. Remarkable growth of fixed capital is recorded in Kerala’s industrial sector, but it has not influenced the output growth during the period. Nominal and real wage rates are low in Kerala since 1980s. Man days lost due to industrial disputes and labour militancy registered a declining tendency. Yet, studies on investment proposals reveal that Kerala is a unattractive destination for both domestic and foreign investors. Thus the major hurdle for the State’s industrial backwardness is not increase in cost of production or labour militancy, but poor quality of entrepreneurship.

In this article an attempt was made to examine the factors that motivated Kerala based entrepreneurs to take up entrepreneurship as a career. The motivational variables of the entrepreneurs were put under study. Primary data for the study was collected from 300 entrepreneurs from small scale and medium scale industrial segments. Direct personal interviews are conducted with the selected respondents with the help of a structured questionnaire. The results are given below :

1. Factors that motivated Kerala based Entrepreneurs : To examine the actors that motivated the Entrepreneurs in the State, ten alternative motivating factors were applied on the respondents. Majority of them have chosen multiple factors for their response. The result is given in table 1. As per the table, 86 per cent of the respondents revealed that their desire to work independently has motivated them to start their own industrial ventures. Eighty two per cent of the respondents were of the view that their creative ability will prosper only in an independent environment and hence preferred to have own business enterprise. Fifty two per cent would like to be self employed, hence they became entrepreneurs. Pressure from with in the family has paved the way for the entrepreneurship of forty per cent of the respondents.

Table 1
Factors that motivated small entrepreneurs to take up entrepreneurship as a career

Sl. No.	Motivating factors	No. of respondents	Percentage
1.	To be independent	258	86
2	To be creative	246	82
3	To be self-employed	156	52
4	To use technical knowledge	70	23
5	To use business experience	32	11
6	To use Govt. support	28	9
7	Success story of others	65	22
8	Profit margin	87	29
9	Family orientation	120	40
10	To join elite circle of business men	47	16
	Total	300	100

( Source : Survey data )
Twenty nine per cent of the respondents became entrepreneurs because they expect good profit margin from the enterprise. Twenty three per cent of the respondents would like to apply their technical knowhow, hence they stated an enterprise of their own.

1. Training status of the entrepreneurs : Small entrepreneurs are usually exposed to two types of training programmes – prior training programmes and on-the job training. It is interesting to note from table 2 that 81 per cent of the entrepreneurs have not undergone any training programme prior to starting their ventures. Nineteen per cent of entrepreneur have undergone training programme before venturing into the business activities. Twenty seven per cent among start up entrepreneurs have undergone prior training programmes. Start up are those which are in existence for less than three years. Among the entrepreneurs who are in active business for more than 4 years but less than 8 years ( growing ), only 27 per cent have undergone training programmes. Fifteen per cent of the entrepreneurs belonging to mature enterprises ( in existence for more than 9 years but less than 15 years.) have under gone training programmes. Eleven per cent of the respondents who are in business for more than 16 years revealed that they obtained training before they start their enterprises.

Table 2
Training status of the respondents

Sl. No.	Growth phase	Had prior training	%	No prior training	%	Total
1	Start up ( less than 3 years )	24	27	64	73	88
2	Growing ( 4 – 8 years)	14	23	48	77	62
3	Mature ( 9 – 15 years )	10	15	58	85	68
4	Reconstruction ( More than 16 years )	9	11	73	89	82
	Total	57	19	243	81	300

( Source : Survey data )

Another important finding of the survey is that , a formal training is not essential for an entrepreneur before stating an enterprise. Eighty two per cent of the respondents are of the opinion that on-job-job training is enough for a successful entrepreneurial career. It may be observed that a entrepreneur lives in a highly competitive world which is always subjected to radical changes happening in a society such as advancement of technology, changes in fashion, preferences, living conditions, political and economic changes and so on. In such situations, an entrepreneur learns and imbibes many things by his own experience and insight. He can not go back to educational institutions to learn and adopt to situations. Instead, he/she acquires new strategies out of his own enthusiasm and innovation skills.

1. Beginning of Entrepreneur’s Motivation : As revealed in table 3, twenty six per cent of the respondents had a strong motivation to be an entrepreneur since their childhood. Seventy four per cent of the entrepreneurs report that their motivation to be an entrepreneur begun just a few years before they decided to start their present venture.

Table 3
Desire to be an entrepreneur

Sl. No.	Growth phase	Since Childhood	%	Past few years	%	Total
1	Start up ( less than 3 years )	19	22	69	78	88
2	Growing ( 4 – 8 years)	15	24	43	76	62
3	Mature ( 9 – 15 years )	19	28	49	72	69
4	Reconstruction ( More than 16 years )	26	32	56	68	82
	Total	79	26	221	74	300

( Source : Survey data )

It could be understood from table 3 that the desire to become an entrepreneur can arise at any time during his/her life. A well planned and well oriented series of entrepreneurship Development programme ( EDP ) will motivate and lure many able and talented people to become entrepreneurs. Hence, it is up to the State Administration to take up ED Prorammes at various levels. We may conclude“Entrepreneurs are made not born”.

 

Kathakali

I first came to India by coincidence. In 2004, a volunteer workcamp in ecotourism I had subscribed to for the Andaman Islands had just been cancelled. I therefore visited Tamil Nadu and one week was left when I suddenly felt like getting a glimpse of Kerala. I didn’t have much information nor much idea about it, but I took a night train to Kochi. I felt so good there as the atmosphere was so pleasant and quiet, people friendly and sights attractive.

In the evening I saw a poster about daily Kathakali programs and I thought that it was a good idea to get busy in the evening as the evenings are usually boring for an individual traveler in India.

The Kathakali program left me thunderstruck. It was an extract of Duryodhana Vadham (1), from Mahabharatha (2). The steps seemed so familiar to me though so away from all our western art forms. The make-up left me esthetically overwhelmed, the facial expressions were mesmerizing. The arrival of Dussasana (1) on stage with his red rotating eyes was so scary that I nearly thought about leaving the place, but the presence of Krishna (2) comforting Draupadi (1) gave me the experience of a glimpse of Divine Love, ever compassionate and full of Bliss and Peace. The day after I looked into Kathakali books and took the resolution to find classes back to France.

Back to Paris, I was lucky enough to find Karuna, a teacher from the famous art school of Kerala Kalamandalam (3). I learnt fast as if Kathakali was in my blood. I went back to Kerala the same year and took followed some training in Trivandrum and Kerala Kalamandalam for 3 weeks.

In 2007, I decided to get more intensive course and learn proper stories. I was warmly welcomed at Samskrithy School (4), a small school which provides private classes with great artists like Fact Mohanan, who can teach exactly what one needs and looks for. The training was physically hard, I followed daily Kalaripayat (5) classes, as the body training of Kathakali comes from Kalaripayat, and the body needs so much preparation in order to bear the heavy costumes and vigorous steps on stage. Kathakali classes were also daily of course. To learn a padam (role of a character in a piece of play) I had to learn the poem in a mix of Malayalam and Sanskrit, the mudras (6), the rythms and steps. This is for the technical part. But then comes the artistic interpretation of the actor, feeling all emotions of the character, the story, the situation with a deep understanding of the local culture and the historical and mythological context. Those emotions have to be conveyed through facial expressions and through the eyes, each muscles of the face has to be trained daily with specific exercises. The last level of the art is the spiritual part. When it is daily present in our life, it leads us to find the right movement, expression and emotion. And the art, when we search how to find the right movement, also opens a new space for spiritual development.

During my stay in the school I was going several times per week to Kathakali programs in temples. So I often had the opportunity to see beautiful temple festivals with elephant processions, cultural programs, and every time I had the feeling that I was in the heart of Kerala. I could also perform on stage for the first time in my life, and then several times, living deeply what is the long process of make-up and dress-up, the time we need to get into a character, and the challenge of bearing the heavy and hot costume for a long time. I had that strange feeling of, as a non-Hindu, playing Hindu stories and characters on stage in front of local temple devotees. But though Kathakali is complex and codified, its essence is made of a universal language that one can understand beyond one’s culture and references. More than a total art, it is a formidable tool for self-development and devotion. Let’s hope that this precious knowledge will not run away from India.

(1) Duryodhana Vadham, a famous Kathakali play which depicts the revenge of Bhima, one of the Pandava princes, who kills Dussasana and Duryodhana, the Kaurava brothers, Bhima’s enemies, because they had humiliated his wife Draupadi.

(2) Mahabharatha, the great Indian epics, which relates mostly the story of the Pandava and Kaurava, and contains the Bhagavad Gita, when Krishna, incarnation of Vishnu, reveals his divine nature to Arjuna.

(3) Kerala Kalamandalam, the most famous institution for performing arts in Kerala, located near Trichur.

(4) Samskrithy School, a private school for performing arts where foreign students can get art classes and stay with local family, located at Puthencavu village, near Chengannur.

(5) Kalaripayat, the martial art of Kerala, the body training and massages are also used in Kathakali.

(6) Mudras, stylized hand gestures used for each word. There are 24 basic mudras in Kathakali with numerous combinations to form over 400 mudras. 

Author :- Aruna.

[Click on the photos below to enlarge]

	Aruna in kathakali costume
	Aruna in partial kathakali makeup.

Charms of Kuttanad

Kuttanad is the region adjoining Alappuzha and is the heartland of backwater tourism. The Vembanad Lake and its many arms, the rivers Pampa and Achencoil , the myriad streams that flow through kuttanad , the paddy fields which were reclaimed from the backwaters , where farming is done at an amazing five meters below sea level...

The unique lifestyles of the people who live in this water world where boats are the only means of transportation – all this makes kuttanad a very special destination.

Nick-named as the Netherlands or Holland of Kerala, the Kuttanad area in the main backwaters region, is also described as the ‘rice-bowl’ of southern Kerala, on account of the extensive paddy (rice) fields surrounded by water.

There are two distinctive areas here-viz. Lower and Upper Kuttanad-based on altitude or height above sea-level or depth below sea-level. It is the Lower Kuttanadu region that is called the ‘nether-lands’, because the cultivated lands are below sea level. As in Holland, dykes or bunds around the rice fields keep out water when needed, thereby enabling cultivation.

The Upper Kuttanad area is a little above sea level, so that cultivation of crops is easier and less risky. During rainy season, floods are usual in the entire lowland region and so rice cultivation is possible only once a year, unlike twice at many places in Kerala, where waterlogging is not a problem. Floods often damage the bunds causing submergence of the paddy fields and loss of crops. So, cultivation is limited to only one crop per year at many places in the area.

The scenic countryside of Kuttanadu also has rich crops of coconuts, banana, fruit trees, etc. wherever geography allows. Homesteads, schools, shops, churches, temples and other buildings, are situated amidst the lush vegetation at a higher elevation than the rice fields and the zig-zagging canals and meandering river branches. An amazing feature of this region is the network of waterways above land level at several places

This column looks at some features that make the kuttanadan lifestyle really unique. Agrarian by nature, typical kuttanadans are very healthy, sinewy and generally lean. They are very hardworking and the working classes are experts in more than one profession. Seasons determine the jobs they do.

Farm labour in the huge and extensive paddy fields, fishing, harvesting coconuts, gathering mussels, harvesting paddy, collecting limeshelll from the soil of the harvested paddy fields and boat rowing are some of the professions that the average kuttanadan excels in.

Talking of boats, the passion that the kuttanadan has for boat racing is so deep that until one experiences it first hand, one would not understand. Being in a waterbound world, the kuttanadan takes to water like a duck and the sight of a two year old toddler playing at the water’s edge while its mother carries on her work with no fear regarding the safety of her child, is a sight common in kuttanad.

Adept at rowing boats and swimming from a very young age, both the men and women of kuttanad share the same deep passion for boat racing. The competition is very severe among the residents of different shores, and the entire people of a particular shore or “ kara ” as it locally called get involved in their racing team and in all the related processes such as pre-race trails and the post-race evaluations. The celebrations are on a massive scale when a “ kara ” wins a race and the gloom can be funeral when they lose.

Talking about the uniqueness of kuttanad, the style adopted by kuttanadans for catching the kuttanadan cuisine specialty Pearl Spot fish which is more popularly known as “ Karimeen ”, needs to be told.

The fishing is generally done early in the morning or late afternoon. The shallow waters adjoining the shores of the Vembanad Lake are the location for this activity.

There are two common methods for catching the fish. In the first, reeds are planted on the muddy bottom of the lake. On these reeds, either dry tapioca chunks or balls of flour are attached under water. The fisherman stands on an anchored boat with his fishing net ready at hand. The fish comes and nibbles on the attached food. The reed trembles and this is the signal for the fisherman to cast his net. The fish is caught.

Development Plans

Central and state governments are currently paying attention to the agricultural and transport problems faced by the Kuttanad region in the lowlands. A commission chaired by the eminent agricultural scientist hailing from Kuttanad area, M.S Swaminathan is currently studying the various problems faced by the area to suggest solutions.

A district-level expert committee is preparing a report to be submitted to this commission and is exploring the possibility of widening and deepening the canals in the Upper Kuttanad region to facilitate smooth water transport.

Improving the condition of the canals would encourage inland navigation and backwater and farm tourism, as well as lead to agricultural development.

This experts’ committee is also looking into the feasibility of raising two crops in the paddy fields of Upper Kuttanad, by strengthening the bunds (or earth walls) around the paddy field clusters.

These bunds should be strong enough to resist the pressure of water at a higher level during rainy season-especially when floods occur.

The prevailing system of flushing out water from the paddy fields lying below sea level, to the bordering canals and river branches at a higher level, and releasing water into the fields from the canals as and when needed, would be improved.

Kerala Mural Paintings

Origin of the Murals

Taking into account several murals which are dated: Two painted verses dated 1691 A.D in Pallimanna Siva Temple at Kumbalanad, Trichur, Murals in Sankaranarayana shrine of the Vadakkunatha temple complex at Trichur dated 1731 A.D, the Kerala Murals may be traced back to the seventeenth century and was at its artistic peak till the nineteenth century. The revival of the Bhakti Movement by great literary geniuses like Melapattur Narayanan Bhattatiri (1560-1646) and Putanam Nambudiri (1547-1640) saw the rise of temple arts through their devotional literature. Thus a number of temples sprang up with murals and woodcarvings in various temples on themes like the Puranas, Ramayana and the Mahabharata. This evidence also dates the murals to the mid seventeenth century. Though the evidence of murals is traced back to the post Ajanta period and a number of cave engravings found, there is no doubt that the Kerala Murals flourished between the seventeenth and the nineteenth centuries. Simplicity of subjects, technical excellence, thematic presentation, bold but delicate strokes, bright and beautiful colours, idealistic reproduction of humans, animals and trees are what characterize Kerala Murals. Subjects taken out straight from the Puranas or Ramayana or Mahabharata are illustrated highly stylistically and brilliantly. It brings out a certain depth of human feelings of passion and spiritual endeavor. In conception and composition, the murals have attained its highest artistic excellence. The dignified poise of the figures with expression of the faces that is so graceful yet dynamic is an important feature in a Kerala Mural. Every character appears to have their own charm from the beautiful and graceful figures of Gods to the devouring demon. Even a demon in an act of destruction spells out charm and whose activity is appreciated and admired thus displaying an artistic skill and brilliance. .The great and distinctive art displayed in these paintings reveal a wonderful vitality and intensity of feeling, meditative charm, divine majesty, decorative delicacy, unique verisimilitude, subtle charm of colour, fine texture and marvelous draughtsmanship. (K.P. Padmanabhan Tampy in Mural paintings in Travancore) Hoysala Art is far from the Kerala murals in terms of technique and style but with regards to ornamentation of the figures, it follows more or less a similar style. Over ornamentation of figures is what brings Kerala Murals and Hoysala Art together. Both male and female figures are heavily jeweled and beaded. The colours are bright and vibrant.

Themes of Kerala Mural Paintings

The subjects and themes in the murals are centered on the Hindu pantheon of Gods and Goddesses drawn from the description in the invocatory verses or Dhyana Slokas. More common representations are of Vishnu in different incarnations, Ganesha, and manifestations of Siva. We see murals in the Pallimanna Siva Temple devoted to Siva-Parvati.s marriage, the Ramayana Story being narrated on the walls of the Mattancheri Palace and in the Sankara Narayana, the Mahabharata is retold. Padmanabhapuram Palace houses murals depicting puranic themes from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and Krishnapuram Palace at Kayamkulam has a large panel of Gajendramoksham from the first half of the eighteenth century.

Panayannarkkavu Murals are based on Hindu mythology painted on the walls of Sapta Matha temple of Panayannarkkavu and Ettumanoor Murals has scenes from the epics along with an imaginative scene of a music concert by Gods and Goddesses. Pundareekapuram Murals are various scenes from the Hindu epics and also the frolics of Lord Krishna. It would be interesting to bring into account the influence of the mural paintings on Christianity. On various churches like the St. George.s Orthodox Church has Christian murals bringing out biblical characters and narrating stories from the scriptures. Mar Sabore and Afroth Church at Akapparambu in the outskirts of Ernakulam also have murals of scenes from the bible. Interestingly St. Mary.s Church at Kanjoor has on both sides of its entrance a battle scene between the armies of Tipu Sultan and of the English East India Company. It is also apparent that the history of Kerala Murals has its origin in the temple walls and thus a study of Kerala Murals is not complete without pondering on the architecture of Kerala and its association with the murals.

Colours and techniques used in Kerala Mural Paintings

Panchvarna or the five colours yellow, red, green, black and white make up the colour scheme of Kerala Murals. They are prepared from mineral pigments and vegetables. The yellow and red colours are from minerals, green from juice of a plant locally called Eravikkara, black from the soot of oil lamps and white remains the base, which is prepared with lime. The blending of the colours is done in a wooden bowl with tender coconut water and exudes from neem tree. There are at least six stages before a Kerala Mural Painting is complete. Lekhya Karma is the first stage where sketching by pencil or crayon is done. The second stage is the Rekha Karma which enhances the outlines of the sketching done. The third stage called Varna Karma breathes life into the painting with its colours. Here all colours are approriately filled in. The colouring of the human figures is done according to the characters and their common virtues. The divine and noble characters (Saatvik) are painted in green, those inclined towards power and wealth (Raajasik) is painted in shades of red, lowly mean characters (tamasik) in white and demons in black. In the fourth stage or the Vartana Karma, shading is done. Fifth stage called the Lekha Karma brings us to the final outline of the painting which is usually in black. The final and the finishing touches stage is called Dvika Karma. The walls are first plastered with lime and sand mixed with water and juice of Kadukka to a thickness of about half an inch that forms the base of the painting. After allowing this to dry another coating is plastered on the coated surface to a thickness of about 2mm. Finally a mixture of lime with tender coconut water is applied for the white colour. Originally, three types of brushes were made and used: flat, medium and fine. Flat brushes were made from the hairs behind calves. ear, the medium from the bottom of goat.s belly and the fine brush from delicate blades of grass. However in due course of time and change, use of easily available brushes from commercial market and shading of the original colours can be distinctively noticed. The use of blue colour is also noticed over the passage of time. The paintings have been brought down from the walls to plywood, cloth, paper and other frames for easy to make and use purposes.

Kerala Murals now

A fire broke out in Guruvayur Temple in 1970, which burnt down the walls and the murals. When the temple authorities wanted to renovate the temple walls and paint them again they found that there were very few artists who could take on the responsibility.

If not for few artists like Mammiyur Krishnankutty Nair, M.K Sreenivasan and K.K. Varier who took up the task of recreating the murals we would not have been able to enjoy the wonderful works of art in the temple now. But this incident made them realize the need for preserving and continuing the tradition.

As a result, the Institute of Mural Painting, Guruvayur Devaswom was established in 1989. The Institution is situated inside the temple premises and offers a five-year course taught in a traditional pattern.

Aranmula Kannadi

A unique mirror-making tradition survives ( 16 th century ) at the village of Aranmula, Kerala, southern India. It is an inherited gift.” The history of Aranmula Kannadi began with the rule of the Rajas. Artists from Tamilnadu who came over here to build temples , made the Kannadi and presented it to the Raja. Later ,it came to be identified as a good omen”, says Mr. Sundaram , a kannadi merchant in Aranmula. Extra ordinary hand made Aranmula Kannadi , is Famous for bringing prosperity, luck and wealth to home.

Aranmula is a little village in the district of Pathanamthitta, which is well known for its ancient temple dedicated to Lord Sree Krishna as Parthasarathy,the colorful snake boat Regatta and the Aranmula Kannadi.

Aranmula kannadi is famous for its secretive construction method and uniqueness in the make which get Patent protected with a Geographical Indication tag

• It is the only metal mirror available, Unlike Ordinary Glass mirror , Image from Aranmula Kannadi is reflected from upper surface of reflecting material , where in Glass mirror image reflected from bottom layer where mercury is pasted . So real image is only captured in the Aranmula kannadi.

• Aranmula kannadi is one among 8 auspicious items included famous astamagalaya set ,which usually used for very auspicious function like marriage.

• Aranmula Kannadi its make details only known to few people in one family belong to Aranmula and it is kept as a family secret
Copper and tin are some of the metals said to be used in casting the mirrors.To achieve their highly reflective surface, the finished mirrors need to be polished for 1-2 days.

“Moreover,the mirror should be kept under room temperature away from heat and dust.The article used for polishing the frame of this mirror should in no way touch the mirror.Any moisture should be cleaned off immediately”, says a manufacturer.Experts suggest that in case of fungus formation due to careless handling, just putting a drop of coconut oil on the affected portion,rubbing and cleaning it will restore the original clarity,shine and reflection.
Artisans even today use by traditional ‘low-tech’ methods and materials a rather sophisticated ‘high-tech’ metallurgical end product is achieved
The British Museum in London has a 45 centimeter tall Aranmula metal mirror in its collection.

The mirror is an exclusive product of Aranmula and many love to have this artistic creation on display in their homes.

Onam

“There was once a time when mahabali reigned over the land;

And all the people lived as one then….”

Goes a folksong in Malayalam sung during the festival of Onam , the biggest festival for the people of Kerala. Onam is celebrated by all Keralites, belonging to all communities and is a ten day extravaganza for the people of Kerala. The festival has numerous traditions, rituals and legends which surround it, the practices and folklore varying as we travel from the north of kerala through the middle and to the south.

The most popular legend surrounding Onam goes thus; in time immemorial, a just and popular King called “Mahabali’ ruled over the people of Kerala. Mahabali was the most powerful king in all the worlds and the land and its people prospered under him. All the earth and even the heavens were under his control. The ‘Devas’, heavenly beings, were struck by jealousy at his good fortune. The devas’ mother, adithi, appealed to Lord Vishnu, the keeper of the Universe, to end mahabali’s domination. Vishnu took the form of a young sage and proceeded to the place where Mahabali was conducting an elaborate ritual, a ‘yaagam’. Mahabali welcomed the disguised young sage, Vaamanan, with respect and offered many riches to him in gratitude for his holy presence. Vaamana, in his cunning , refused but asked for this favour-“ I want you to give to me what little land I can measure with three footsteps”. Hearing the young child’s request, Mahabali happily gave his word.Suddenly the sage grew in size until he couldn’t be measured by mortals. In one step he covered the earth, in another the heavens, and finding no place to place the third step in, turned to Mahabali. Te just King was determined to abide his promise He bowed down in front of the Lord and offered his head for Vaamanan to place the next step in. Lord Vishnu was pleased at Mahabali’s devotion and granted him one wish before placing his next step. Mahabali had one wish- to be able to come to his kingdom every year to meet his subjects. Vaamanan granted this wish and blessed Mahabali who was pushed down to the underworld and installed as the King of the underworld called ‘Paathalam’.The day on which Mahabali comes back to earth to visit his beloved subjects is celebrated as Onam when each household in Kerala celebrates the return of their King and gears up to welcome him with festivities, feasts and merry making.

Onam falls in the month if ‘Chingam’ in the Malayalam calendar. Chingam is the first month of the year and is traditionally the season of plenty, coming as it does at the end of the rice harvest and the beginning of spring after months of monsoon rain in Kerala.Onam starts on the day of ‘atham’ and goes on for ten days, ending with ‘thiruvonam’ the grand festival when Mahabali, also known as naveli, visits the homes of each of his subjects to see for himself that they’re not in want. The people of Kerala, on their part, elaborate preparations to welcome him.

Rituals and traditions

The most important part of Onam preparations is the creation of flower decked designs in the front court yards of homes. This is done by the children who, especially in rural areas go in search of flowers each dawn to prepare the designs. The designs are prepared with all types of flowers available and the traditions associated with them vary from place to place. Traditionally, the types of flowers used increase as the festival progresses; starting with one type of flower, traditionally a white herb called ‘thumba’ and ending with ten or more varieties on the final day.. On the final day of Onam, a special floral design is prepared, with offerings made to ‘Thrikkakarayappan’, the deity of Vishnu at a famous temple associated with Onam legends. Small wooden or clay cones representing the deity are placed amidst the flowers and offerings of rice cakes are made. At noon on the final day, a grand feast is prepared and families get together to celebrate. The Hindu temples also carry out special rituals to mark the occasion. Even though most traditional rituals are based on the Hindu way of life, Onam is celebrated by all Keralites irrespective of their religious backgrounds and is even celebrated with enthusiasm among the expatriate community.

The famous Vamanamoorthy Temple at Thrikkakara Panchayat in Ernakulam is dedicated to the Lord Vamana. It is one of the very few temples in India dedicated to Lord Vamana. The most important event of the religious calendar here is Onam. The Onasadya or the Onam feast is held in a grand manner in the temple with a large number of people cutting across religious barriers participating in it.

There is also a place called “Pathalam” in Kalamassery, Ernakulam and it legend says that Mahabali was banished to the underworld at this very spot.

The Food.

No festival is complete without delicious food. And this is no different for Onam. In fact, the number of dishes that are a part of the traditional Onasadya(feast) can leave even the most hardcore foodie worried. A full-scale sadya has around 15 dishes. The sadya is served on a plantain leaf and it is eaten sitting on the floor. The main dishes include parippu, erissery, kaalan, olan, avail, kootucurry, pappadam and of course the sweet payasam. Payasam is a sweet liquid pudding. It is of several types. Below is a recipe of the Parippu paayasam which is made from parippu, coconut and jaggery.

Parippu paayasam

Ingredients: 250 gms Parippu (Green gram dal) 1 coconut

500gms jaggery

1 tablespoon ghee

a handful of cashew nuts and raisins.

Clean the dal and fry it in ghee till light brown.Boil the fried dal in water till it is cooked. Make a thick solution by heating jaggery with some water. Add this solution to the boiled dal and stir for 10 minutes. Extract the milk of the coconut. This is done by grinding the coconut and squeezing the milk out of it. This is called the first milk. Keep this aside. Then add a little water to the ground coconut and squeeze more milk out of it. This is called the second milk. Add the second milk to the dal and jaggery mix and stir for 10 minutes. Then add the first milk and and boil. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins in a little ghee. Add this to the paayasam.

The festivities.

Onam is the time for people of all ages to get together with their loved ones. Men, women and children take part in the festivities of Onam that are now an integral part of the culture of Kerala.The festivities usually occur on the eve of Onam or follows the feast on thiruvonam day.

The Kaikottikali is a form of dance performed by women during Onam. They are dressed in their finest silk set mundu and they sing and dance in a circle around the vilakku(the traditional Hindu oil lamp in Kerala). The songs are from the ancient stories and legends from Hindu mythology.

The boat race is yet another activity of the Onam season. The backwaters of Kerala are taken over by the long Chundan Vallam(snake boats). These boats are constructed according to specifications taken from the Sthapathya Veda, an ancient treatise for the building of wooden boats. During the race, the still backwaters become battlefields for the boat race and enthusiastic people cheering their favourite teams throng the lush banks of the lake. People even climb the coconut trees to get a better view of the race. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race and The Aranmula Race are the most famous boat races in Kerala.

Onam is not complete without the famed “pulikali”. The men folk paint themselves as tigers and dance on the roads to te accompaniment of drums and cymbals. The Pulikali is indeed a sight to behold. Although the Pulikali is performed all over the state, this is seen at its best in Thrissur district of Kerala during the fourth day of Onam(naalam onam). On this day, thousands of men are painted yellow, red and black to resemble tigers and enthrall the audience with their magical performance.

The children too are not to be left behind in the Onam festivities. Long swings are tied to the branches of large trees like the mango and jackfruit trees. Children play games and sing onapattukal(songs of Onam). During atham, children are seen running all over the countryside picking flowers for the pookalam.

Onam is a festival of togetherness and all these games and festivities are a way for bringing people closer to one another.

Onam Today

Onam, for the modern day malayalee, is a grand shopping festival in addition to being a time to renew family ties and take a break from routine life. A month before Onam, the shops and streets in Kerala come alive as traders prepare to woo the holiday shoppers. Onam is traditionally the time to gift new clothes to one's near and dear and the whole of kerala goes into frenzied shopping. Needless to say, this is the best time to shop on Kerala as merchandise from all over India converge here this season.

The feast prepared on Onam day is also the result of endless preparation and shopping. The modern kerala family chooses to eat their Onam feast at restaurants, most of which come out with a traditional menu for the season or get together with the extended family to celebrate. -- nandini.

Article by Nandini, St Teresas College, Cochin.