When I decided to do a “things to do” article on Kochi; I never thought I could come up with such an exhaustive list. And I know for a fact that even this is not complete! If you know of something that is not mentioned in this post, feel free to add in your inputs in the comments section

1.    Check the view of the ocean from the rainbow bridge at Marine Drive
2.    Take a ferry ride from the boat jetty at Marine Drive to Fort Cochin
3.    Absorb the market chatter on the Broadway (parallel road to Marine Drive)
4.    Pick up panoply of spices from Broadway or Mattanchery
5.    Cover the Mattanchery, Jews Street and Fort Kochi area on foot
6.    Take a walk around the fish market along the sea in Fort Kochi area
7.    Help the fisherman pull the Chinese fishing nets to catch fish of the day! You might have to pay them for your services though! 10 to 20 INR for a photo op is apt
8.    Bike around in Ernakulam area. Rented bikes can be availed at Athirup; however the condition of the bikes is inferior. There are some bikes-on-rent in Fort Kochi too
9.    Visit the Vypeen beach – not so clean, but has a good lighthouse which is still working
10.    Chill out with beer at the Bolgatty Island KTDC resort – and even try your hand at Golf on the 3-hole course
11.    Visit India’s 1st Marina launched in Kochi. The Kochi International Marina is located on the eastern coast of Bolgatty island adjoining the Bolgatty Palace which is a heritage hotel. The Kochi Marina is owned by KTDC and has the capacity to berth about 37 yachts
12.    Go for a stride along the waterfront at Willingdon Island, next to Taj Malabar – Vivanta. My last visit to the island was with few friends, on a bike which we rented in Ernakulam
13.    Have beer at Taj Malabar – Vivanta, by the waterfront – and watch the sunset. Bliss!

History & Monuments

14.    Visit the Synagogue at Jew Street run by the last Jew family left in the city. Do ensure you are wearing full pants and sleeved shirt/t-shirt else you will be denied entry!
15.    Visit the Dutch Palace. Interestingly it was built by the Portuguese and only renovated by the Dutch. Soak in the history of Cochin / Kochi here. Check out the mural paintings albeit in poor condition
16.    Visit Saint Francis Church. St. Francis Church is where Vasco de Gama was buried before he was moved to Lisbon, Portugal
17.    Learn more about Kerala through a light and sound show at the Kerala history museum, Edapally.
18.    Visit the Tripunithara palace (Hill Palace Museum) and get enthralled by its sheer grandeur and opulence.  Besides the exhibits of royal jewels, crowns, weaponry you get to walk around their vast gardens with 100 different species of trees and plants. There is also a deer park within the complex
19.    Visit the Maritime Museum in Fort Kochi and learn about the history of the Indian Navy from its genesis to evolution to various momentous milestones. Special segment is attributed to Ship building activities in India. It is open between 9:30 am to 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm
20.    Visit Durbar Hall Art Gallery on DH Road. Once the official durbar hall of the Kochi Maharajas is now a gallery exhibiting oil paintings, old coins, sculptures,…etc.There is a studio gallery within the complex that promotes works of various artists. Entry is free.

For the temple goers

21.    There is the ChottanikaraBhagavati Temple and Ernakulam Shiva Temple
22.    Tripunithara Devi temple is famous for its firecrackers display during festivals
23.    Guruvayur Shri Krishna temple at about 3-4 hrs drive from Kochi and is popular nationwide.
24.    The Vamana temple at Trikakara town is the focal centre of Onam, the biggest festival of Kerala

Art & Music

25.    Catch Kathakali dance performance in Ernakulam or Fort Kochi area
26.    Besides showcasing the traditional dance form Kathakali, Greenix Art Village at Fort Kochi has a lot to offer. Learn the cultural history of Kerala through an audio-visual show; enjoy classical Indian music and watch the alighting of martial art performers clashing their swords! If you are an artist yourself, then can enjoy their hospitality in return of your creative work for duration of 1 week!
27.    Catch a play / music show at JTPac or Kerala Fine Arts Complex

Rejuvenation

28.    Get an ayurveda massage at Kerala Ayurveda centre . They have a centre in Ernakulam and Edapally besides the head quarter in Aluva. There are various ayurvedacentres in Kochi but not all of them are accredited and reliable
Shopping

29.    Goodwill on Convent junction road and Kallarical on Bypass road (next to Oberon Mall) have a good collection of trinkets, junk jewellery et al. It was an instant hit with my friends from Europe
30.    Beautiful traditional Kerala saris can be picked up from Kasavukada, near Fine Arts Hall or Karalkada opposite Pai Brothers on MG Road
31.    Kerala women are popular for their gold, which explains the array of gold shops n MG Road – Bhima, JOSCO, Joy Alukkas, Kirtilal, Alappatt, Francis Allukkas, Tanisq, Geeripai, TribhuvandasZaveri,…etc are all present on this 5km stretch.
32.    Pick up curios representing Kerala from Cauvery, a government owned shop on MG Road near Jos junction (opp. Hotel Avenue Regant). There are many such shops in Jewtown around the Synagogue; however all items are priced steep and should be bargained down!

Food & Drinks

33.    Read a book while having a leisurely breakfast / lunch at “Kashi’s Art Café”. It is frequented by foreign tourists; so expect a non-spicy plate up. They also serve delectable homemade cakes.
34.    If you are tea person visit “Tea pot café” offering a range of teas from different places with varying degree of strength. They too serve delicious cakes
35.    Restaurant “Upstairs” located opposite to Santa Maria Basilica, in Fort Kochi, serves an impressive Italian spread. Frequented by tourists and locals, Upstairs has a rustic ambience and is run by an Italian. The spread has excellent fresh catch of fish almost everyday.
36.    Check out “Pai Brothers” of MG Road and pick your dosa from the 57 varieties of dosa they serve.
37.    Fish wrapped and cooked in banana leaf (Karimeen preparations) is a must check out at the “Hotel Grand” on MG Road. Team it up with piping hot appams
38.    If you are looking at a world cuisine; “Lokah” on by-pass road (diagonally opposite to Gold Souk Mall) could be your possible stop
39.    Try your hand at excellent local cuisine& some toddy at “NettoorShap”(Toddy shop). The same is recommended at the “Mullapandal Toddy shop” located in Udayamperoor. Nettoorshap (Toddy Shop) is by the backwater, so it’s very scenic. NettoorShap is about 2 kms from Le Meridien Hotel. Fried & Curried forms of Fish, Crab, Mussels, Beef, Duck, Rabbit, …etc. all are the delicacies that one can try out here.
40.    Try out the delectable Appam& Stew (chicken / vegetarian) at “Coffee Beanz”. They have their set up at Marine Drive and Panampilly Nagar
41.    Have a sumptuous delectable thali at “RajasthaniBhojanalaya” on GopalaPrabhuRoad. (Only in veg.) From MG Road 1st left after Hotel Abad Plaza by the side of My Kingdom showroom. Do say hello to the owner Maharaj who is present personally to serve you!
42.    For the vegetarians – the fare at “Dwaraka” on M.G.Road and at “Sri Krishna Inn” on Warriam Road, behind the Dwaraka, is highly recommended. On weekends, try calling ahead and booking tables to avoid a wait on the road!
43.    For authentic Chinese & Tibetan dishes (momos), try the “Black Pearl” restaurant at Hotel Rennai, Palarivattom.
44.    A good place to hang out for drinks is “Couchyn” at Hotel Grand on MG Road. The bar is well stocked and reasonable. For the connoisseurs a good collection of Scotch & Wine is at TajVivanta at Wellingdon Island, where “Mattancherry” provides the ambience for a long sip.
45.    If you are a Biriyani lover, then Kayeeka’s Biriyani from Mattancherry is a must visit, the place might not have 5 star ambience, but the service & the food is definitely good. Its branch in Ernakulam opp. DH road, is avoidable with pathetic service. “Khadar’s Biriyani” @ “Itty’s” at Panampally Nagar is another must have on the Biriyani rounds. (Itty’sby the way has the juiciest burgers & yummy pastas in Kochi town)

Close to Cochin/ Kochi
46.    Take a houseboat ride and cruise around on enchanting backwaters in Alappuzha (Alleppey). Alappuzha is about 1.5 hrs drive from Kochi
47.    Visit Cherai, a beach town worth a couple of days of leisure. Click here to read more on Cherai.
48.    Visit India’s first eco-tourist village – Kumbalangi Integrated Tourism Village. Party with the locals, enjoy the authentic rural culture, canoe or go fishing!
49.    Take a day trip to Kodanadu Elephant Training College and watch Elephants bathe and frolic in the water; observe how little baby elephants get trained; take a safari. Kodanadu Elephant Training College is about 45 kms from Kochi
50.    Chill out at lovely Marari Beach. Few Hotel chains have opened Resorts there. Prices are steep however! CGH group & ABAD group both has resorts. Local home stays also are there in plenty.

happy traveling!

Manna from heaven is how I would describe my introduction to Foot Reflexology. While driving around in Kochi, I had seen their promotional boards, however I had never thought of going to the centre until a friend referred me to it. And, am I glad?! …

Ansar CA

Healing Touch Reflexology (formerly Best Foot Reflexology) at Panampilly Nagar – Kochi, is run by the cheery and lively Ansar along with his staff members. Ansar, who himself is visually challenged, takes individual care for each patient. The treatment centre is staffed & run by a team of visually challenged personal, which Ansar feels is a blessing in disguise, as it helps them to focus on their work. To meet the rising demand, Ansar has plans to set up a training centre to educate more people on this alternative method of treatment.

Foot Reflexology

A completely drug-free therapy, foot reflexology aids in curing different aches, sleep disorders, migraine, spondylitis, back pain, digestive difficulties, nerve related disease, circulation of blood,… etc. Point to note is that you might know more about the irregularities in your system, when you come out of the centre post the treatment, than before you entered the centre! (That is, even problems, which have not surfaced and shown itself can be detected by Ansar’s hands). It’s amazing how by merely applying pressure under foot, a reflexologist can identify and rectify your problems (in most cases).

In cases of advance ailments, it is seen that foot reflexology aids in faster recovery. A parallel traditional way of treatment is also involved, but it is seen that a patient who is expected to recover in 2-3 months can get better in a shorter duration. For all those who use computer/sms extensively, or excessively, the strain on the neck and shoulder muscles can be decreased in just one session of foot reflexology. I vouch for that!

It is believed that through foot reflexology various toxins are released from the body thereby improving circulation of blood and distressing of tensed nerves; reason why one feels relaxed and gets quality sleep, post the session. At Healing Touch Reflexology, sessions are taken strictly on appointment basis. Each session lasts for a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour, based on your health condition. Appointments once given are to be strictly kept, for as Ansar says, “you might have been late due to any reason, but the next person will be on time & then I won’t be doing justice to you by leaving you half treated!!”

Reflexology is not a new concept, but something, which has been practiced for thousands of years. Zone therapy was introduced way back in 1900s by Dr. William Fitzgerald. Eunice Ingham, A physiotherapist took forward Dr. Fitzgerald’s ideas and came up with the body map of the foot, which form the fundamentals of foot reflexology. Today, reflexology is quite a popular form of natural therapy. In places like Thailand, reflexology is an everyday therapy people avail to relax their tensed muscles or simply to promote general feeling of wellness.

Ansar with singers Hariharan & Leslie Lewis

“Reflexology is unlike a massage where pressure is applied to the muscles and soft tissues of the body. Foot reflexology is a natural therapy that works through nerve endings and thus works deep giving multifold benefits”, says Ansar. Initially, Ansar used to work at several leading Hotels in Kerala, but now having established a good clientele, he runs his own centre and is personally known to lots of celebrities who regularly use his services to beat their stress levels down!!

Ansar with Shashi Tharoor

Their contact details are
Healing Touch Reflexology ,
Nirmal Gardens, 58/1289,
Panampilly Nagar, Kochi 682 036
Ph: 0484 – 6523931
Mobile : 9072451932 / 9744441189

According to the legend, Kerala was prospering under the reign of the demon king Bali. People were happy as there was no discrimination amongst based on caste or creed, no poverty and no disease. His growing popularity some what threatened the Gods. He was tricked by Vamana – Vishnu into giving up his entire kingdom. Vamana dressed as a sage asked the king for three steps of land. The egoistic King Bali guffawed and granted the sage his wish.

The sages in his first step covered the entire earth and by second the entire heaven. By now, the king knew that he was no ordinary sage. To honor his words King Bali asked the sage to place the third step on his head; following which he was kicked into the nether world.  However, before that the benevolent King was granted a wish – that on a day each year the king will be allowed to return to the earth and to be with his people and see the kingdom he once ruled. Since then Onam is observed by all Keralites as the return of their favorite ruler. The festival is celebrated by all malayalees despite their religion.

snake boat race

Onam falls in the month of August / September. This 10 day long festival comes with highlights such as Snake boat race (Vallamkali) on river Pampa, intricately designed flower mats in the front courtyard of the house made by family members to welcome King Bali (pookalam), dance merriment and of course Onam sadya which by the way is purely vegetarian by nature.

Pookalam

Onam Asamsakal!

How can there be a festival without yummy food! Check out for Kerala recipes whole of month of August and September 2010 on Akshayapatram.

A chance for all you shutterbugs to get noticed and win exciting prizes! In yet another creative initiative, Kerala Tourism has announced its Shoot and Tweet contest.

image: Kerala Tourism

Now most of us would have heard or seen in the news the images of Rajdhani Express bearing a tagline – Chalo Kerala (in Hindi) and Go Kerala (in English). Through this unique and the biggest ever branding initiative (in India) done by Kerala Tourism images of Kerala will be carried in its colorful glory across ten states in India.

Flagging off Rajdhani Express Painted with Kerala Images image: Kerala Tourism

Wrapped in vinyl with images of all that Kerala offers, the premier coaches of Rajdhani Express will be traveling through Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala.

Now what is the Shoot & Tweet contest all about?

Kerala Tourism decided to take the above offline initiative to the web with this super simple contest. In two simple steps, it is possible for any netizen to win exciting prizes and gift from the Kerala Tourism department. All you need to do is take photograph of Kerala Tourism branded Rajdhani Express and upload it on the Internet – on Flickr, Facebook, blog etc and post the link on your twitter account with hashtags #gokerala to @KeralaTourism. This contest is open for twitter users in India only.

So get set with your camera and follow the two simple steps. And if you the lucky winner you will be contacted by Kerala Tourism through Twitter.

All the best!

Kerala also known as God’s Own Country, has been listed amongst the top ten places to see in the world. That is the splendor of this state located on the south western tip of India. Undoubtedly Kerala is one state which has to offer something for everyone besides peace and tranquility. From serene backwaters to stunning beaches to mesmerizing mountains to sprawling wild life sanctuaries Kerala is your one stop destination to your dream vacation  So…Go Kerala!

I could have stayed for few more days at home in Chennai but I simply had to be back in Kochi, in time for the much acclaimed play by Paresh Rawal called shaadi@barbaadi.com.

What a name! Quite ominous I must say. Does shaadi really have to be barbaadi??…well I will take that topic up in my subsequent blog posts. For now, let me share with you my experience of the show.

What an entertainer! That compliment is not only Paresh Rawal who was the main protagonist of the play but also his team whom we have seen on small screen at some point or the other. They had the entire audience in splits and to be able to hold the audience rolling with laughter for whole 2.5 hours of the show is no mean task.

Written by Umesh Shukla and directed by Paresh Rawal, this play has been presented across the country for 134 times before they came to Kochi. I was hoping to see Paresh Rawal’s wife playing his wife in the play; that’s what I had heard that she would be the leading lady ….but on stage we had another artist doing that role and made a good job of it.

The story revolves around a Gujarati family where there are parents and their only son (Paresh). Seems like the Gujarati moms never let their kids grow up. It was hilarious the way the mother toilet trained their son who still ran on the count of 1, 2 and 3…and to add to the misery she was always after their grown up son to drink milk. LOL. The best part was we had a Gujju friend with us. So everything that happened on the stage was related back to him, which added to the excitement

The story goes like this. Paresh Rawal meets a girl at the bus stop and gets talking. One thing leads to another and they become friends. Paresh secretly falls in love with her and reveals it to his boss, who gives him ideas on how to propose the girl. After a few ups and downs in their life they eventually tie the knot. Things are hunky-dory for sometime before the mother-in-law and the new bride turn against each other on typical house matters. Caught between mother and wife, Paresh Rawal bears the brunt of the family feud till in the end things are salvaged only to repeat the entire cycle once again. Sounds like a typical Bollywood flick but it was purely fun, no melodrama.

Thanks to JTPac, the world-class performing art centre in Kochi that has been organizing various concerts and plays ever since its inception. I have been lucky to attend three out of the four performances so far. All these shows had international diplomats as special invitees. Hopefully we will have exchange of not only information but an exposure to the art and culture from various continents.

Mohanlal and Jose Thomas, whose collective dream and vision brought forth JTPac, were present at the show and felicitated Paresh Rawal and his team at the end of the show by presenting them the Aranmula mirror.

Watch out for the next show at JTPac – Rock concert by the Malayalam Rock Band – AVIAL on 6th June at 7:00 pm. Online bookings can be done at www.jtpac.org.

To read about the past shows at JTPac click here -> Dr. L Subramaniam & Kavitha Krinamurthy / Usha Uthup (didi)

Seeing is believing. I had heard about Aranmula Kannadi (mirror) before, but had no idea about the unique craft this village boasted of, till I saw the mirror myself. Can you believe it that the metal is polished by the artisans in such a fashion that the metal starts to look like an actual glass mirror? How cool is that!

It is said that around the 18th century, the artisans who were working on a crown for Lord Parthasarthy, accidentally discovered the reflective property of a particular copper-tin alloy. They failed at replicating the same effect in their subsequent works. They say, Parvathi Amma, a widow in the community happened to dream about the correct composition of the metal and disclosed the information to the artisans. Since then, this craft is a close guarded secret within the family through various generations.

Btw did you know that the British Museum in London has on display a 45 cm tall Aranmula metal mirror in its collection? With this you can imagine how exquisite this mirror is to be acknowledged internationally. AR Rahman also received as gift Aranmula kannadi during his felicitation at his concert recently held at Kozhikode.

Aranmula, ‘ar’ meaning six and ‘mole’ meaning bamboo, got its name when Lord Krishna depicting as a charioteer (from epic Mahabharata) was brought to the famous Parthasarthy temple on a raft made of 6 bamboos.

Aranmula holds Vallamkali (snake boat race) every year during Onam celebrations. Organized on Pamba River, participants in this race are from nearby villages who come in numbers to cheer up their representatives for the race. And the unique thing about this race is that it is played in the spirit of the game and not for any recognition or prize. Each of these boats is around 100ft long and takes up 100 oarsmen, 15 singers and 4 helmsmen on a single boat!

Another attraction to this place used to be Vijnana Kala Vedi Cultural Centre (located on the banks of sacred Pamba in Aranmula). More so for the tourists. I am still surprised at the news of the centre getting closed nearly after 33 years of its foundation! It’s sad for the locals at the centre who made their living by imparting knowledge on mural paintings, vocals, music instruments, Kerala cooking etc to the tourists and others. So now the only attraction that remains at Aranmula is its specialized mirror.

If you plan to go there, then FYI – Kochi and Thiruvanathapuram are the nearest airport at 130 km and 115 km respectively while the closest railhead is at Chengannur.

Varkala – Virgin paradise in the God’s Own Country

Lapping of the waves, clear blue sky or star studded nights, whiffs of brewing coffee and freshly made cakes, foot tapping melodies, beauty of the sunset, crawling time, majestic cliff, raising toasts to good times – that is Varkala in capsule for you.

Varkala is a small town with a population of less than 50,000 and is situated 55 kms north of Thiruvanathapuram, the state’s capital. The nearest airport destination to Varkala is Thiruvanathapuram (Trivandrum) which has excellent air services to both national and international destinations. It is also possible to reach Varkala via myriad buses plying towards Thiruvanathapuram from other locations in Kerala. For those who wish to lap up the picturesque and serene beauty of Kerala backwaters, a boat ride from Alleppey is also an option. Though it takes longer (8 -9 hours) and there are no direct boat services to Varkala. You need to go to Kollam and further by bus to a stop from where Varkala is at a distance of ½ hour by bus/auto.

Santa Claus resort

We reached Varkala late evening and decided to check in at the Santa Claus resort located on the cliff with a panoramic view to the Arabian Sea and its coastline. The resort, as we were told, got its name from the owner’s mother which was Shantha! The trees of araucaria fringing the entrance to this tiny resort only reaffirm its name. During off season the room tariff is Rs.650 (non AC room) and Rs.1000 (for AC room) while during the peak season (Nov-March) the rates shoot up to Rs.3000 per night. This is the case with the battery of resorts that line the cliff and the beach.

Varkala is known to be an important centre of pilgrimage for the Hindus.  According to a myth, sage Narada was approached by a group of mendicants who confessed to having sinned. Narada threw his valkkalam (the bark of tree which the mythical sages used to wear) into the air, and the place where it landed was subsequently named Varkala. The mendicants were directed by Narada to offer their prayers in the newly created place by the seashore. The place where they prayed for redemption came to be known as the Papanasam Beach. Besides, there is the local Janardhana temple that attracts many a devotees. The final resting place of Sree Narayana Guru, the great social reformer of Kerala, is also near Varkala atop a hill named Sivagiri.

There are two other beaches besides the Papanasam – Thiruvambady Beach and the Kappil Beach; all of them having one thing in common, sheer silence and pristine beauty.

local fishemen carrying back to shore their catch of the day

Coconut trees form the periphery of the towering cliffs facing the Thiruvambady beach. If you are an early riser you can catch the daily activities of the local fisherman with their catch of the day. Though a small town, this place is extremely getting touristy. Our bet would be that it might be next Goa in making. Come morning you will find tourist hailing from different countries bathing in the sun and sea.

To tickle your taste palate the cliff is outlined by numerous cafes and eateries. With English speaking and courteous staff, open/ semi-open air seating, warm ambience, salty breeze from the pure sea, lively music; these joints can be your perfect sit-out while you relax with a hot cappuccino or a cold beer. Divine feeling better understood when experienced, (Our pick: Sunshine Café and Café Delmar).

To further relax your mind, body and soul, one can avail the ayurveda programs and services offered by most resorts in Varkala.

I was in double mind whether to write about Varkala and increase its popularity, for Varkala’s beauty lies in its calmness that gives a soothing healing touch to your overworked mind. We silently wish for the everlasting beauty of Varkala for we like it just the way it is now.

(looking for a budget travel to Varkala?…click here for details)

AR Rahman brought Calicut (Kozhikode) dancing on their feet during his first music concert in India after his Oscar win on 3rd May 2009.

Around 40k people shrieked in joy on watching Rahman each time as he walked on the stage. Khwaja mere Khwaja, Hamma-hamma, Vande matram, Urvasi, Mustaffa and but of course the Oscar winner Jai ho were few of the songs sung by AR Rehman and the experience explains why he is, what he is.

I simply loved the showman Hariharan. Well, I have always loved him. The romantic me is crazy about the sweet glint in his voice. My heart went mmmm when he got to singing his numbers from Roja and other Tamil numbers. Other veterans who set the stage on fire were Sadhna Sargam and Chitra.

I am completely bowled over by Suzanne D’Mello also Suzie Q and her western singing style. What a voice! We have heard her singing Dreams on Fire and Latika’s theme song from Slumdog Millionaire…just that I never checked who the singer was and put a face to the voice. I am so glad I watched her perform live.

Rashid Ali, the guitarist, singer and musician swayed the crowd with his original Kabhi Kabhi Aditi number from the super hit movie Jaane tu ya jaane na. The crowd went ecstatic when the dancers threw Frisbees with cute smileys drawn on it into the audience. It’s nice to see how Rehman pick up talent and promotes them; Rashid Ali btw is a lead guitarist with Rahman whom he gave an opportunity to sing in Jaane tu ya Jaane na and the solo duets of Ada.

There were other performances by artists who have already sung couple of songs for Rahman either in Hindi, Tamil or Malayalam or completely new finds who we will see singing for films in the near future.

Q had told me about his friend George Peters (vocalist for 13 AD rock band) but it was such a delight watching him perform on the stage. I am looking forward to hearing more of him in the future. George sang a track from “Yodha” the only Malayalam movie AR Rahman directed music for so far.

Lighting and sound arrangement were perfect and the singing was superb Now that I have praised so much I think it will only be fair to bring out the negatives of the show just in case AR Rahman Googles himself and chances upon this particular blog then he should know what we think.

Show came across a little loose. There were too many gaps between two performances. Considering that singers were getting rotated there was enough and more time to be ready backstage. Hariharan didn’t get his mike for his first performance. It was quite funny to see the mike going back and forth between him and Sadhna Sargam during the performance. Sadhna’s mike got on after probably 2 seconds after she was into singing. Oh yes, we also heard someone getting mad at someone backstage. He definitely didn’t realize that his mike was on! Dancers would have been better (just being polite here). Dancers are expected to be well coordinated and to remember their steps. Will say no more.

May be people didn’t notice but coming from the events background I am more than aware of what goes wrong . Actually, cant blame anyone, somehow Murphy’s law preside over all events. No matter how much you are on top of things, things can still go wrong. Otherwise, for a person like AR Rahman who is called a nit picker or a perfectionist and who did a stage rehearsal whole of the night till 6:30 in the morning of the day of the show, the concert should have been absolutely error free.

But whatever said and done, Rahman ji …you are simply terrific. I love your music and I love your songs.

Usha Uthup or didi (elder sister) as she is fondly referred to, was in Cochin (Kochi) city recently, to enthrall the crowd with her contemporary music concert.

Held at JTPac, the concert was the second performance or initiative by the management after the astounding sBesame mucho,how put up by Dr.L Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurthy earlier this month.

What a performance and what a performer! Didi connects with her audience like nobody’s business. Even a bathroom singer feels inspired to sing with her as she encourages all to join her in singing lines from songs like Words, Besame mucho, Kaisi paheli hai ye…etc..,

Didi, who has been singing for several decades now, was caught between western and Bollywood music at sometime. She is the only artist to sing songs originally sung by males; this is when, one female singer refused to sing songs sung by other female singers! Didi is also the only singer to have sung songs in 13 Indian and 8 foreign languages. She in a breeze explains it all to her audience during her performance….music knows no language, caste or gender.

Another renowned musician Mattannur Sankaran Kutti was amongst the audience whom Didi called on the stage for an impromptu fusion session. The song was the famous Spanish song Besame Mucho which mean kiss me lots. It was a sight in itself to watch didi clad in a Sari with bangles, bindi, flowers et all singing a Spanish number accompanied by Mattannur Sankaran Kutti dressed in a simple shirt and dhoti. The duo created what you call a musical magic. Copacabana, I love Paris, Fever, were amongst the other songs didi made the audience sway to.

With her rich baritone and a positive stage presence, didi wins hearts of people in no time. Her aura only seems to be multiplying with her age. Didi you rock!

Click here, to read about the performance by Dr L Subramaniam and Kavitha Krishnamurthy at JTpac, Cochin.

Getaway from Kochi to Puzhayoram Health Resort

As I was planning and figuring where to go for a vacation in Kerala; I was reminded of our last trip to Kottayam. Memorable indeed!

With silent Meenachil River serving as background Puzhayoram health resort is a beautiful property located on the Kumaranalloor-Kudamaloor road, 5 km from Kottayam town enroute to Kochi. The resort offers neat 10 luxury air-conditioned cottages and a tree top house with all modern amenities. Btw this is the same Meenachil River you would have read in Arundhati Roy’s God of Small Things.

There are hammocks under the shade of the tree where you can hang around reading your favorite book for as long as you can .There is a considerably ok sized swimming pool for kids but no one will stop adults from frolicking in! Besides, there is a pedal boat and also a houseboat that they run on Meenachil River. They will take you around on request. You can avail other special services on request like Health checkup and consultation with holistic consultant ;trekking; cultural programmes; bio-diversity tour; traditional Kerala cooking classes; elephant ride; Village tour; Kalaripayattu (martial art of Kerala); plantation visit to rubber, tea, coffee and spices gardens; visit to other interesting places around.

Absolutely delectable Kerala cuisine is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner at their restaurant and you can order anything you might need round the day! How much we hogged!! There is a roofed space next to the swimming pool where you an chill out with your friends and have a game of cards or so.. it was our fav hang out..we the great gamblers

Tired souls can go and get rejuvenated with a massage at their ayurvedic massage parlor. Health club, Jacuzzi/sauna/steam bath, yoga centre are the other highlights of the resort.

All said, it was a refreshing getaway from the hubbub of the city life!

The nearest railway station is in Kottayam (6 km) and the airport in Kochi (85 km). Click here for more details on Puzhayoram Health Resort