METRO mart Volume 5 Issue 3
OCT 2015
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T H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M
TEMPLE JEWELLERY The Return of the Traditional Antique Jewellery
KANCHIPURAM SAREES Mesmerising and Stunning Legacy
TECHNOPARK & TAURUS ink deal on Phase 3 development
KERALA TOURISM
to sign MoU with St Petersburg
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Foreword
With festival season at a feverish pitch, two things are high on everybody’s mind, particularly ladies – traditional jewellery and traditional South Indian sarees. And there can be nothing more stunning, elegant, charming and nostalgic than Temple Jewellery and Kanjeevaram Sarees. A wonderful celebration of our traditional legacy, Temple Jewellery takes us closer to the worshipping of Indian Gods and Goddesses. For history lovers, it would be nice to know that the Temple jewellery goes back to the 9th century when Cholas was the reigning dynasty. The earlier traces of this form of jewellery were found in the mural paintings of Thiruvambadi shrine in the Sree Padmanabhasvamy temple located in Thiruvananthapuram. This explains why Temple Jewellery has been a favourite amongst the queens of royal court and the present-day South Indian royalty. That takes us to the Kanchipuram saree hailing from the city of Kanchipuram. It has an equally fascinating story to tell of Sage Markanda who used to weave for Gods. He passed on his weaving skills to his descendants - the Kanchi silk weavers who reside in Kanchipuram. Worn by Bollywood’s leading ladies and social celebs, Kanchipuram saree immediately brings to mind the glamorous diva Rekha, who must be having a countless wardrobe of Kanchipuram silk sarees today. India’s largest IT Park Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram hit a major milestone by signing an agreement with US-based Taurus Investment Holders on the ‘downtown’ project. Tourism is always on the upswing in Kerala. To keep the momentum going, Kerala Tourism will sign a MoU with St Petersburg’s tourism department to promote tourist inflow to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. On the cultural note, in the run-up to the 20th edition of International Film Festival of Kerala, the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy will hold public screenings of iconic films at select city venues every Sunday. Keep reading Metro Mart to catch the latest bytes in news, information, arts and culture, technology, cuisine, shopping avenues, sports and everything in between.
Siji Nair Managing Editor & Director
Dear Readers,
October 2015
CONTENTS
Volume 5 Issue 3 October 2015 www.metromartdaily.com
Read our e-edition-www.issuu.com/metromart
Annual Subscription Rs 400 Publisher Hari Shanker hari@martinfotech.in Managing Editor & Director Siji Nair sijicn@gmail.com Sub Editor
V. Viswanath
Editorial Assistant
Ampili Nair
Creative Assistant
Sayan Chaudhuri Arnab Chowdhury
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Temple Jewellery: The Return of the Traditional Antique Jewellery
GM Sales
20
Kanchipuram Sarees Mesmerising and Stunning Legacy
32
Essentials of Business Email
40
Somatheeram Ayurveda Group Wins National Tourism Award for “Best Wellness Centre” in India
42
CM Launches ‘Literary Bioscope’ of Silent Valley National Park
48
‘Take Away’ Kiosk Inaugurated at Mascot Hotel
52
Technopark and Taurus ink deal on Phase 3 development
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Metro Update
Sibu Nair
Business Development Manager Ratheesh Kumar
Baiju Jayakumar Ganesh Damodaran
Corporate Office:Metro Mart Thiruvananthapuram MERA 44,Eanthivila Lane, Murinjapalam, Medical College Post Thiruvananthapuram - 695011 Tel: 00919995139933/ 9947733339 Email: metromart.tvm@gmail.com Bangalore Office:No:217, 3B Main, OMBR Layout Bangalore – 560 043 Tel: +919038000711 Email: info@martinfotech.in Kolkata Office 313, Dorikal Byelane, Jheel Avenue, Dum Dum Road, Kolkata – 700 074, India
Published, Edited and Printed by Hari Shanker A G and Owned by Haritha Media Pvt Ltd and Printed by him at SB Press Private Limited, Statue, Trivandrum 695001 and Published from Tharangam, Kodunganoor Post, Trivandrum 695013 Metro Mart is a monthly journal published from Trivandrum. Views and opinions expressed in the journal are not necessarily those of the Publishers. Metro Mart reserves the right to use the information published here in any manner whatsoever. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published in this edition, neither the Publisher no any of its employees accept any responsibilities for any errors or omissions. © All Rights Reserved 10 October 2015
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Metro Mart Food Awards December 20,2015@ Uday Samundra Leisure Beach Hotel & Spa, Kovalam, Trivandrum
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COVER FEATURE
y r e l l e w e J e l p m Te ditional the Tra f o n r u t The Re wellery Je Antique an
a Dew
Deepik
With festive season banging at the doors, shopping is bound to be at its feverish pitch. Of the most purchased things, silk garments, and jewellery top the list. But if there is anything that is antique, exclusive and worth climbing up the style charts, it is temple jewellery. Remember Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who sported north Indian Kundan and Jadau styles in her costume film Jodha Akbar. Or for that matter actress Shruti Hassan who wore a Pochampally saree with golden temple jewellery at a wedding reception. In a similar fashion, the South Indian Temple Jewellery is making its way into the fashion heirlooms, with aplomb.
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METRO mart T H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M
The Origin of Temple Jewellery Temple Jewellery is the gold jewellery with various Hindu gods and goddesses inscribed on it. Many Indians are of the belief that temple jewellery when worn on the festival day ushers good luck and happiness to the wearer. Historically, each piece of temple jewellery was made using significant amount of gold which came as donations by devotees. The idea behind it was to invest the wealth into usable items. This was also a mechanism to provide security to the temple and promoted temple art in the communities. Go back to the annals of history, and you will find
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that temple jewellery
Thiruvambadi shrine in the
originated around the 9th
Sree Padmanabhasvamy
century during the reign of
temple located in
the Chola dynasty. In fact,
Thiruvananthapuram in
the earliest representation
South India.
of this traditional jewellery
Many queens and high
was found in none other
profile ladies used to
than mural paintings of
wear temple jewellery at October 2015
The vertically placed silver tape is heat soldered to the sheet. The filling up of wax dancers wearing it during their performances. It is no surprise that Indians want to go back to their
14
that time in celebration
roots and in this context
of festivals and special
they are quite eager to
occasions. Today it is
flaunt antique jewellery
worn majorly by Indian
that depicts the ancient era.
Classical dancers, such
The Making Process of
as Bharatanatyam and
Temple Jewellery
Kuchipudi dancers.
Firstly, the design is drawn
The traditional temple
out on a piece of paper.
jewellery was made of
After this, a silver sheet
finest gold and further
is cut to the shape of a
embedded with several
pendant. Then the curling
precious gems and stones.
of a silver tape happens
Since this kind of traditional
and vertically welded on
jewellery making originated
the surface of the cut silver
in south India, particularly
sheet in order to make
Chennai, you can see many
floral-design-forming-
traditional South Indian
cavities for fixing stones.
October 2015
happens in the cavities, and the sides and back portion of the ornament are electroplated in gold in order to get a uniform gold look. Now is the time for the stones to be set on these cavities. Once done, the stone studded jewel is almost ready for applying gold leaf. The fine leaf is fixed on the exposed wax, in between the stones and the silver lines. The purpose is to seal the exposed wax with gold leaf. Using a small pre-heated ‘kathir’ (a small chisel tool which is curved at the tip),
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October 2015
jewellery. Yet another interesting motif is that of elephants stones are used as studs to make popular jewels for Bharatanatyam dancers. the gold leaf is fixed on the wax and the surface. At this point of time, the stones are ready to be seen in a chosen design form on the surface. Ornaments made out of Temple Jewellery Going by the past and present trends, various ornaments such as necklaces, pendants, bangles, nose rings, armlet, ear rings and ear hangings, bracelets etc. are available in the form of temple jewellery. Red, green, blue, white synthetic
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Some of the popular designs used in the pendants are Makari, Naga, Yali, Parrot, Swan etc. Even crowns for temple deities are made. In fact, a complete Bharatanatyam set comprises of jewels such as head set, nose ring, bangles, jada villai, rakkodi, ottyanam etc. Temple jewellery is basically worn on major occasions and celebrations such as marriage and child birth. Goddess Laxmi sitting on a lotus is the most popular motif used in this type of
since they are seen as auspicious in the South. Impressions of architectural designs are also popular while seeking inspiration for designing temple jewellery. The Cost quotient of Temple Jewellery Temple jewellery largely consists of designs in kemp, uncut ruby and uncut diamond. Does it cost the roof? Well, the starting range is Rs 80,000 and can go up to anything depending on the piece. The older it is, the more expensive it turns out to be. There are some necklaces that have been sold at Rs 15-16 lakhs each. One such form of temple jewellery sold at a famous
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Authorised Dealer:
TC 74/972(1), Opposite Cordova High School Kovalam Bypass Road, Thiruvananthapuram - 695026 M: 9847040190
SKP Motors Pvt Ltd
Kaveri, Lepakshi, Poompuhar etc. and private emporia. Once the Handicrafts
jewellery store in Chennai is maanga maalai. It is authentic to the core and is sold at approximately Rs 6 lakh. The paisleys are exquisite and studded with kemp and the rough sparkle of uncut diamonds. There is no arguing the quality of workmanship in it which is truly outstanding. It is not that such pieces were only owned by the royalty. There was a section of the middle
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class who owned and sold
Marketing & Service
this jewellery without
Extension centre was
knowing its actual value.
set up in Nagercoil in
As is stands, even today
Tamil Nadu, it was a big
there are people who
help to the craftsmen
don’t fully understand
to showcase their
the concept of antique
products in cities such as
jewellery.
Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai,
Sales and Marketing of
Chennai, Hyderabad,
Temple Jewellery
Bangalore, Jaipur,
As per the current
Chandigarh, Gwalior etc.
situation, temple
This was a big fillip for
jewellery is largely
the craftsmen to sell their
consumed in the domestic
handcrafted jewellery
market, and more so by
directly to the customers.
Bharatanatyam dancers.
Temple jewellery, as
The marketing is
you can see, is a strong
being done through
insignia of Indian culture
Government undertakings
and tradition that’s worth
such as Central Cottage
wearing and preserving
Industries Corporation,
for keeps.
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SHOPPING
Kanchipuram Sarees Mesmerising and Stunning Legacy
Radio enthusiasts would sport a smile when they hear of the name Emcee Rini Simon Khanna. As a well-known news anchor whose voice left a deep impact, there is something that brought a smile to her face and her voice – Kanchipuram silk. Enter Bollywood and The Dirty Picture actor Vidya Balan is known for her love of Kanchipurams. There are many more Bollywood stars sharing the same love and fascination for a Kanchipuram – Sridevi, Hema Malini, Vyjayanthimala, and yes Rekha who has looked gorgeous as ever in her heavy zari-filled Kanjeevarams. Who can forget singing sensation Usha Uthup who has conquered the world with her voice, signature bindi, jewellery, bangles and her plush signature Kanjeevaram saree.
Deepika Dewan
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hub of Kanchipuram Bridal Sarees. cotton. In the case of Lord Vishnu, silk was his first love. Then what happened? Sage Markanda passed his weaving expertise to his descendants, who we know today as Kanchi silk weavers.
Kanchipuram (also called Kanjeevaram) is a saree that has wooed and wowed many generations, despite its price tag. A Kanjeevaram is seen by many as precious, This is how Kanchipuram or antique and memorable Kanjeevaram bridal sarees silk. originated in Kanchipuram which is called the ‘temple Kanjeevaram – Wearing city’ today owing to the Yards of History thousand temples it has. Travel back in time, for the origin of a Kanjeevaram is as glorious as its silk threads. Sage Markanda was the master weaver who was known to weave for Gods. His craftsmanship was so unique that he used petals of a lotus flower to weave a tissue. Sage Markanda was indeed knowledgeable for he knew the fabric which was Lord Shiva’s favourite – the
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The city of Kanchipuram reached popularity about 400 years back when two weaver communities - the Devangas and the Saligars moved in to Kanchipuram from neighbouring states. What’s interesting is that both these two weaving clans were masters in silk weaving. That is why, over a period of time the place came to be known as the
Kanjeevarams are an acknowledged symbol of South Indian weddings, which is why they reflect a state of luxury, pride, and superiority. They are not only famous in style and texture, but each saree can go upto a lac of rupees depending upon the workmanship and exclusivity that goes into its making. There might be endless Kanchipuram wedding saree designs but each saree is quite a heavy weight in itself, more heavier than the combined star celeb value of Bollywood. Since 2005, Kanchipuram sarees enjoy protection by a Geographical Indication label, which certifies their origin. Kanjeevaram – A Heavenly Delight in Silk
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and then followed up by interlocking together.
The weaving technique of the beautiful Kanchipuram silk sarees involves three single threads of silk and a single zari thread. Thereafter, they are woven together as end-pieces with thick zari threads. A weaver takes an average time of 10-20 days for a simple Kanjeevaram saree, and one month to do a decorative Kanjeevaram. Woven from pure mulberry silk, Kanjeevarams are known for their texture, lustre and durability, making it prestigious and royal. It is easy to make out an original Kanchipuram, since the saree field and the pallu are woven separately first
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Kanjeevaram - Themes and Motifs A variety of motifs used in Kanchipuram silk sarees for wedding have found a pride of place amongst fashionistas. Talking about the motifs in a Kanjeevaram, they are sourced from nature. Examples being parrot, peacock, swan, lion, sun, moon, mangoes, leaves, jasmine buds. There is temple architecture as well to dress up a Kanjeevaram in the form of coins, chariots, and epical scenes from Indian scriptures such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagwad Gita. When you look at the
gallery of Kanchipuram wedding saree designs, you will be amazed to see mallinaggu, a jasmine bud motif placed within a round or square frame. There is also Thandavalam which sees parallel lines running across the body of the saree in a structured way. Beauty is all about beholding the best. The best patterns of a Kanjeevaram saree include Kuvilkann (nightingale eye), Mayilkann (peacock eye), Rudraksham (Rudraksha beads) and Gopuram (temples). Don’t think just the presence of motifs makes Kanchipuram pattu sarees stand out. This symbol of accurate and intricate workmanship is ornamented with even pure gold zari to add to its elegance. Kanjeevaram Saree
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Sustainable Business Perspective
Weaving It takes pure mulberry silk thread to make yards of poetry and craftsmanship called Kanchipuram pattu sarees. The other raw materials that go into the making of designer Kanchipuram sarees are metallic threads (also called zari) and dyes. How can you make out a Kanchipuram saree from others? It’s not tough but easy and simple. The designer Kanchipuram sarees have a body, pallu and border. Three single threads of silk yarn and zari are deployed to weave a designer Kanchipuram sarees or Kanchipuram
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sarees for wedding. The other thing to note is that the border design of Kanchipuram pattu sarees is different from its body and in contrasting effect. Usually the pallu of Kanchipuram pattu sarees is woven separately in different shade combinations before they are joined to the saree. Let’s talk about the zari now. In a pure Kanjeevaram, the zari sourced from Surat in Gujarat is pure gold and silver. If the overall weight of zari is 1 kg, 50% of it will be silver, 5 to 5.5 gms would be gold and balance would be silk. Firstly, the silk is rolled with silver followed by a coating of gold. Nowadays, only 420-470 gm of silver is used and 3-3.5 gms of gold. Kanjeevaram – The
As per industry estimates, Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, holds a sizeable share of the country’s silk-sari business. There are about 75 weavers’ cooperatives and contracted looms which are run by Nalli, Kumaran and RMKV Silks who provide their silk and zari to the weavers. In Kanchipuram, a Weaver’s Service Centre has been set up to help out the producer communities who have been in this skilled art since ages. Padmasaliyar community that migrated from the present day Andhra Pradesh during the Chola dynasty in circa 900-1300 AD is a dominant weaving community on Kanjeevaram sarees. Today, Kanjeevaram is extremely popular in the state of Tamil Nadu.
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The key specialty of a Kanjeevaram saree is that in 1.2 inches of warp there are 60 holes in which there are 240 threads in warp and upto 300 threads in the weft. Put together, this gives adequate strength to the saree. The silk used to weave Kanjeevaram sarees hails from cities such as Bangalore, Coimbatore, Hosur and Dharmavaram. However, the weaving industry is facing labour crunch on account of industrialization. Factories set up by multinationals such as Ford and Saint Gobain are winning the next generation. The rising
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prices of raw materials such as gold, silver and raw silk is affecting the weaver community. To give you an example, one kg of raw silk that can be used to make three sarees came at INR 1,400 in 2005. It has now doubled to INR 2,700 per kg. These problems have contributed to dampening the business for many manufacturers. Twenty years ago there used to be 50,000 looms in Kanchipuram. Today, there are less than 20,000 looms. All said and done, this burgeoning cottage industry has survived all negatives - from rising costs of pure silk to reduced numbers of weavers. That is why despite all this, high-end Kanjeevaram pattu remains the favourite
for festivals, weddings and formal occasions. Even lighter Kanjeevarams are coming up with unconventional patterns and colours. Kanjeevaram – From Heirlooms to the Ramp With the onset of georgette, net and chiffon, many fashion designers still vouch for the timeless appeal of Kanchipuram silk sarees. That explains the showcasing of designer Kanchipuram Saree on ramp. Neeta Lulla, the famous Mumbai-based costume designer is of the belief that a Kanjeevaram offers great scope to work with design motifs. She is trying her hand in turning a Kanjeevaram into a slimmer and thinner fabric so that the younger generation can easily identify with it and
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weavers and is woven with awesome precious stones such as diamonds, ruby, emeralds, sapphires, yellow
wear it. It is nice to know that that designer Tarun Tahiliani dressed Oprah Winfrey in a modified Kanjeevaram sari when she was on her Indian trip. This made her flaunt a style that portrays the Indian cultural connection. Yet another fashion designer Gaurang Shah has brought traditional Indian Kanjeevaram to the fashion ramp. He has showcased old traditional Kanjeevarams with ‘kalamkaris’ some time back at the Lakme Fashion Week Indian Textile Day in Mumbai. Kanjeevaram - Innovation
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in Weaving Though the traditional Kanjeevaram has its traditional ways of weaving, the weavers of today are beginning to tweak their methods of weaving. Among the list of innovations brought out by them, some include studding a saree with Swarovski crystals on the body and pallus of a Kanjeevaram. The prices of these sarees are so phenomenal that one saree has made it to the Guiness Book of Records.
sapphires, cat’s eyes, topaz, pearls, coral, and some amount of platinum. The price tag is a whopping Rs 40 lakh! The pallu of this Kanjeevaram has the famous Ravi Varma painting Lady Musicians. Whoever had the money to buy this creation? Well, this oneof-a-kind saree was picked up by a Mangalore-based businessman. Who knows he could have bought it for the lady of his household or kept it in his wardrobe just to admire its beauty. Now that Kanjeevaram silk sarees have become a saree
Want to know the most expensive Kanjeevaram ever made? Coming from the traditional saree house Chennai Silks, this saree is the joint effort of 30
of choice for brides and socialites, we hope you will incorporate it too in your attire. Wearing the tradition and impression of Indian culture has its own charm.
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TECHNOLOGY
Essentials of Business Email Research has found that the average employee spends about a quarter of their time at work combing through the hundreds of emails they send and receive each day. And yet, according to research, over 60% of professionals still don’t know how to use email appropriately. Pavan Sriram
Despite the growing prevalence of texting, instant messaging apps and social networks in the business world, e-mail remains one of the most popular high-tech ways for modern professionals to communicate. But at the same time, email has always been an insensitive medium. Its mechanical tone of voice has led to humans evolving a whole other language of emoticons to try to reinstate some form of positive emotional contact with their recipients. Positive emotions are an essential part of humanity and positive morale is good for business. Business leaders place great value on building a healthy team spirit. Even in today’s budget conscious times organizations still invest reasonable sums on
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An email is a reflection of your thoughts, personality and professionalism
so-called team-building days. Yet all this can be undermined in an instant, thanks to a single thoughtless email. Because people send and receive so many messages a day, many end
up making embarrassing mistakes that could be detrimental in a professional interaction. For example, you can easily miss a spelling error while typing out an email on your smartphone or tablet, or you may
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come off as too casual or unprofessional in tone or content. In a 2014 survey looking at all forms of business communication, conducted by CPP, publisher of the MTBI assessment, they found email is the biggest offender when it comes to creating resentment and confusion in the workplace. According to 43% of the survey respondents, of all the communication technologies in the workplace, email is most likely to create resentment between senders and receivers. While 92% agreed email is a valuable communication and collaboration tool, 64% reported having either sent or received an email that resulted in unintended
anger or confusion. Top reasons for this include: failure to respond (51%), too many “Reply Alls” (25%), messages that were confusing or vague (19%), emails that are too long (12%) and too much email in general (18%).
For courtesy’s sake, subject lines should be short, sweet and directly relate to e-mail contents. Misleading or false statements, or needlessly open-ended or misleading questions or out of topic will be poorly received.
Although over 300 billion e-mails are estimated to be sent every day, however, a surprising number of executives still struggle to grasp fundamental rules of netiquette. In the interest of enhancing interactions with clients, colleagues and customers, following are 10 basic principles of professional e-mail etiquette, all of which can help you better connect and interact with others we encounter in corporate or commercial environs.
2) Mirroring your email sender is very important: If you are responding to a message from a professional correspondent, follow their lead. If they use, “Dear X,” then you answer with “Dear Y.” If they start with “Hi, X,” then you can use “Hi, Y.” Sign-offs follow the same sort of logic. “Sincerely” can work, but if the correspondence continues with more than one email, you need to get more friendly, moving toward “Warm Regards” or “All the best.”
1) Keep your subject line to 50 characters or fewer:
Business Email Etiquette Equals Success
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3) Grammar and abbreviations that have originated in the realm of instant messaging and texting have made their way into email. Even if your co-workers and clients don’t call you out on your use of such shortcuts, avoid using them. An email could get forwarded to another client or a senior manager who may be appalled at your seemingly lack of written communication
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skills. 4) Once written, e-mails cannot be undone: Watch what you say, whom you copy, and always think twice before sending them along. 5) Don’t write anything in an e-mail that you wouldn’t be comfortable saying: in person or in public. Easily forwarded and shared, and/or monitored by employers, inappropriate commentary may come back to haunt you. Professionalism is imperative. 6) Business e-mails should, wherever possible, be confined to working hours: unless you’re working in different time zones and/ or continents, recipients may be understandably perplexed to receive emails from you at midnight. 7) Proof read and Proof read: Make it a habit to read over every email you ever write before pressing “Send.” read carefully, too, looking for more than just typos. If you are sending the email to someone who is important to you professionally, you might even clean it up by deleting extraneous material
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from the bottom, or, if it makes sense in the correspondence, start fresh with a new email and a new subject line instead of just hitting reply. 8) When away from your desk for travel or vacations, set an out of office response stating when you’ll return, and the conditions under which you may or may not be checking your inbox. 9) If you don’t have an efficient email management in place to tame your inbox, you will be subjected to regrettable phenomenon of people waiting for your long-delayed response to assume you’ve either moved out of the role or don’t like them. 10) Decide Phone or Email: Before sending off yet another email, ask yourself if email is really the right platform to communicate your message. Maybe a phone call or face-to-face meeting would be more suitable. If your email is more than two to three paragraphs, you probably need to talk. Few people, by the way, are going to read your long emails. We may be evolving
alongside technology, but there are still a few ways in which computers just can’t compete. I have yet to find a combination of fonts, embellishments, and emoticons that truly represent the range and complexity of human emotion. Words communicate a lot, but we miss out on crucial information when we can’t hear the tone of voice or the brief pause in someone’s response. In person is best; there is much to be learned from the crossing of arms and legs, the look in someone’s eyes. When there is something important on the line whatever that may be for each of us - it deserves more of ourselves than we can offer electronically. I look forward to hear from you at pavan@ ittige.com on how you are setting yourself apart as a professional brand using your communication skills to your advantage. Pavan Sriram is the Founder and CEO of ITTIGE Learning, a performancebased training company that works with c-level executives to improve learning outcomes.
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METRO UPDATE
IFFK at 20: Chalachitra Academy to screen iconic films at select city venues To whet appetite for world class cinema in the run-up to the 20th edition of International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA) will hold public screenings of iconic films at select city venues every Sunday.
neo-realist classic, The
powerful messages across
Bicycle Thieves, will be the
to a local viewership,
first movie screened.
foreign language movies
It will be for the first time in the IFFK’s history
“We are planning to
bustling cultural hub,
screen censored copies
legendary filmmakers. KSCA has partnered with the street’s Manaveeyam Theruvorakootam collective to showcase the cinematic geniuses for a wider domestic audience. In addition, a selection of short films and KSCA chairman Shri T.
documentaries will be
Rajivnath will inaugurate
shown at venues across
the first viewing at
the capital- city to increase
Manaveeyam veedhi on
viewer exposure to and
October 4 at 6.30 pm.
appreciation for such
Vittorio de Sica’s Italian
works. To help carry their
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October 2015
subtitles.
that Manaveeyam, the hosts auteur works of
Rajeev Nath, Chairman, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy
will feature Malayalam
of movies participating in the 20th edition of IFFK at Manaveeyam to reach out to more people and to make sure our public is part of this festival,” said KSCA secretary Shri Rajendran Nair. The for-public screenings will run over a two-month period, which culminates with the launch of Kerala’s premier film festival on December 4. IFFK 2015 will run until December 11.
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October 2015
METRO AWARD
Somatheeram Ayurveda Group Wins National Tourism Award for “Best Wellness Centre” in India Somatheeram Research Institute and Ayurveda Hospital of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group bagged the prestigious National Tourism Award 2013-14 instituted by Government of India for the “Best Wellness Centre”.
Mr. Baby Mathew, Chairman & Managing Director and Mrs. Sarah Baby Mathew, Director of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group has received this prestigious Award from Hon’ble President of India Shri. Pranab Mukherjee. The awards ceremony, held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 18th September 2015. Somatheeram has fetched the coveted award by considering its performance of excellence towards
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the Quality and Standard Assurance, Hospital Hygiene and Safe Management policies, Corporate Social Responsibility, Eco-Friendly Concept, Innovative ideas in Ayurveda, Environmental Preservation and Customer satisfaction among the Ayurveda Hospitals and Wellness Centres in tourism sector of India. “Somatheeram” is the winner of twenty five National and International Awards for excellence in Ayurveda which includes
Kerala Government Tourism Award for “Best Approved and Classified Ayurveda Centre” consecutively in this year also. The essence and soul of Somatheeram is the ancient medical science of Ayurveda and Art of Yoga. We take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to all our well-wishers for the whole hearted support in enabling us to achieve this award.
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October 2015
METRO UPDATE
CM Launches ‘Literary Bioscope’ of Silent Valley National Park Coffee Table Book brought out by Kerala Tourism and the Forest Department ChiefMinister Shri Oommen Chandy has released a new book on the famous Silent Valley National Park, in a fresh attempt to present the state’s rich biodiversity to the outside world and underline the need for forest conservation.
Brought out by Kerala Tourism, in association with the Forest Department, the book, which is punctuated with breathtaking photographs, reveals the park’s true mystique, from the mundane to the extraordinary. “This new book is a virtual trek to the jungle and is a celebration of our rich and
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precious biodiversity,” said Shri Chandy while releasing the coffee table book in his chamber. Forest Minister Shri Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Minister for Industries and Information Technology, Shri P K Kunhalikutty, Tourism Minister Shri A P Anilkumar, Principal Chief Conservator
of Forests Shri G Harikumar , Tourism Director Shri P I Sheik Pareeth and Additional Director (General) Smt Anupama T V, were present at the release ceremony held after the cabinet meeting. “The abundance of nature in our state also entrusts on us the important responsibility of conserving our rich biodiversity for the future
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generations,” Shri Chandy said. Tourism Minister Shri Anilkumar said the painstakingly produced book was a symbol of the government’s commitment to spread awareness about the state to the outside world.
the book reveals a “world beyond wonder” waiting in the tropical forests of Kerala. “The book is an invitation to the people to come and participate in preserving and conserving one of the world’s most biodiversity rich forests,” he added.
“The book is a journey into the magical world of our wildlife, a journey the readers of this book would like to repeat by visiting Kerala and enjoying the experience firsthand,” Shri Anilkumar said.
There are several hitherto unseen and unexplored facets of the National Park in Kerala presented in the book, which is the first in the ‘Sanctuary for the Soul’ series on the four national wildlife sanctuaries in the state. There are also stunning photographs of the wild providing testimony to the richness of nature in ‘God’s Own Country’.
Describing the book as an “eloquent narrative into the soul of the wild”, Shri Radhakrishnan said
The series is the result of hours of interviews with authorities, tribal community members,
“We want to introduce travellers and tourists from around the world to the rich biodiversity and potential of our forests,” he added.
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guides, watchmen and local people. The importance of conserving of the forests for ourselves and the posterity is underlined throughout the book. The other three books in the series are on Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Eravikulam National Park and Periyar Tiger Reserve. Several months were spent in the wild by the makers of the series, including renowned wildlife photographer Balan Madhavan, to bring out the books. Guiding the reader through the idyllic charms of Silent Valley National Park, the book describes the pristine valley through the spellbinding experiences of its writer, Manu Remakant. The series is edited by Smt Bhawani Cheerath.
October 2015
METRO UPDATE
Holding adults to account 14-year-old prize winner deviced system to keep eye on government employees A unique thought about a democratised system that can monitor the attendance of officials in government offices earned 14-year-old Manas Manohar the first prize in a statelevel coding competition, with a cash purse of Rs 2 lakh.
‘PiAttendance’ is a kind of “electronic” punching device placed in a government office that allows a user to view the attendance details at the office from their personal computers. The device marks the attendance of every employee with the smart swiping card given to them. During the launch of Raspberry Pi distribution last February, implementing agencies, Kerala Startup Mission and the IT @ School initiative, conducted the competition alongside the training sessions in all the district centres for students in programming
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using the Raspberry Pi kits. Manas Manohar has won one of the Raspberry Pi kits distributed in the pilot phase when he was a class eight student at Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Higher Secondary Shool in Kannur. Along with the in-depth training he got from teachers, the little expert practiced coding SQL and PHP programming languages and database management system referring the Internet. Former Executive Vice Chairman of Infosys Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan, who had made the competition announcement in the pilot phase, congratulated
Manas for his exceptional creativity and passion for coding. “I was surprised to see the level of innovation and creativity behind certain entries. I hope the winners will share the experience with their classmates,” said Shri Gopalakrishnan. Along with the PiAttendence project, video documentation on the Tubular rail project by Fathima Salem of GVHSS Kallara and the Smart Home project by Abdul Samaj of GHSS Panangadi were exhibited at the venue. Automatic Climate control, Automatic Wheel Chair and Obstacle Avoiding Robot were also among the winning projects.
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October 2015
METRO UPDATE
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Promises Support for RGCB’s Incubation Centre Minister stresses on need for more biotechnology start-ups in India
Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan today assured all possible support for further development of RGCB BioNest, the business incubation facility of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) at KINFRA Park, Kalamassery. During his visit to the facility, the minister said there is a need for more
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biotechnology start-ups in the country. “RGCB BioNest has a great potential for growth. The facility will undoubtedly attract more incubatees in the coming years,” he noted. The incubation centre, jointly promoted by RGCB and the Kerala Startup Mission, has state-of-theart equipment to facilitate research and development.
BioNest aims to provide a viable mechanism for licensing new technologies to upcoming biotech/ pharma companies, start new local ventures and achieve early-state value enhancement of the technology with minimum financial inputs. BioNest will provide fouryear incubation facility for a startup. The incubator will also provide required infrastructure for the new company to work independently thereafter. Principal Secretary for IT and Industries Shri P H Kurian and RGCB officials were present on the occasion.
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October 2015
DINING
‘Take Away’ Kiosk Inaugurated at Mascot Hotel The Mascot Take Away Kiosk, the much needed bakery outlet has been inaugurated by Vijayan Thomas, Chairman KTDC Ltd.The idea behind the Kiosk is to provide highly hygienic and healthy bakery products to the public at a very attractive and affordable price.
The uniqueness of the Kiosk is the convenience for the public to buy their choice of snack without entering into the hotel due to its accessibility from the main road. Necessary arrangements are made for those who are interested to eat from the premises. From Veg and non-veg puffs, donuts, cookies, pastries, muffin, famous black forest cakes, varieties of fresh juices and coffee/tea, the entire
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snack are prepared without any artificial colours or chemicals. The Mascot Take Away Kiosk has become the snack destination of choice for the public in Thiruvanandapuram and the visitors as well. It is becoming popular for its authentic varieties of snack and juices and the new Snack Take Away Kiosk concept introduced close to the Mascot hotel premises. The Kiosk will
remain open from 10 am to 10 pm on all days. The highly competitive and affordable pricing of the high quality products are worth mentioning. ContactMascot Hotel (KTDC) Thiruvananthapuram - 695 033, Kerala, India Phone: +91-471-2318990, 2316105 Fax: +91-471-2317745 Email: mascothotel@ktdc. com
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October 2015
METRO UPDATE
Trafalgar Square Beats to ‘Chenda’ in ‘Visit Kerala’ London Campaign The famed Trafalgar Square reverberated with the beats of ‘chenda’ and movements of ‘Kathakali’ performers as ‘God’s Own Country’ captured the hearts of visitors to the ‘Mayor of London’ event in the British capital.
More than half-a-lakh people thronged the London landmark visited by tourists from around the world to witness a series of traditional music, dance and martial arts performances organised by Kerala Tourism. “The Trafalgar Square presented a grand stage to introduce the cultural diversity of our state to the people of the United Kingdom and visitors from the rest of the world,” said Kerala Tourism Minister Shri
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A P Anilkumar. “Our objective is to present the ‘Best of Kerala’, its natural beauty and rich culture and heritage, to our distinguished visitors from around the world so that we can contribute to the development of our state and empowerment of our communities,” Shri Anilkumar said. Kerala Chief Secretary Shri Jiji Thomson introduced the cultural extravaganza to the audience at a function
attended by Deputy Mayor of London, Mr Roger Evans at the ceremony, held in collaboration with the Indian diaspora’s ‘Diwali in London’ committee. Kerala Tourism Secretary Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao was also present on the occasion. “Kerala is a top destination on the world tourism map because of the harmony between our land and culture as seen in the beautiful backwaters, majestic hills or calm
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countrysides in the state,” Shri Thomson said after the event, which also had cultural presentations like ‘Garba’ and ‘Bhangra’ dances, fusion, Bollywood songs and performances by Indian children.
travellers from the United Kingdom had visited the state last year. The Kerala delegation also met with prominent tour operators and top media persons in London to promote ‘Visit Kerala’ campaign.
The Kerala cultural presentation included ‘Chendamelam’, ‘Thiruvathirakali’ and a ‘BharathanatyamMohiniyattom - Kathakali fusion. Another attraction was a ‘Kerala Nadanam’ classical dance fusion.
“The tens of thousands of visitors at the ‘Mayor of London’ event were happy to learn more about Kerala,” said Shri Rao.
The Chief Secretary, who called upon the large Indian community in London to invest in the tourism sector in Kerala, said: “Investing in Kerala’s tourism sector is being part of the mission to save the nature and the planet as we are the world leaders in practising sustainable and responsible tourism.” Britain is the biggest tourism market for Kerala. A whopping 151,497
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“We are confident of a major increase in foreign tourist arrivals in the state during the ‘Visit Kerala’ year and beyond,” the Tourism Secretary said. While the ‘Thiruvathirakali’ and ‘Kerala Nadanam’ were presented by the Chitra Lakshmi and team, Vinod Navathara and team performed ‘Chendamelam’ and the ‘MohiniyattomBharathanatyam-‘Kathakali’ fusion was performed by Vinod Nair. Launched in April this year in New Delhi by Union
Tourism Minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma and the state Tourism Minister Shri A P Anilkumar, ‘Visit Kerala’ campaign, which will run until April next year, brings together a variety of tourism products, presenting a unique opportunity for a ‘once-ina-lifetime’ experience in ‘God’s Own Country’. The Indian diasporas in London are the largest ethnic minority in the city known for its multiculturalism. The ‘Mayor of London’ event sets the stage for the celebration of Diwali in November. Kerala Tourism will also participate in the influential World Trade Mart (WTM) in London, which will be held during November 2-5. The Who’s Who of global travel and tourism industry attends the WTM, the world’s leading tourism show.
October 2015
METRO UPDATE
Technopark and Taurus ink deal on Phase 3 development India’s largest information technology park hit a major milestone today as Techopark entered a third phase of its infrastructure development when it signed an agreement with US-based Taurus Investment Holders on the ‘downtown’ project.
Being undertaken with Rs 1,200 crore of foreign investment, the ambitious plan to be carried out in a space of 20 acres was formally inked by Bostonheadquartered Taurus Investment Holdings President Mr Erik Rijinbout, its India Country Managing Director Shri Ajay Prasad and Technopark CEO Shri Girish Babu in the presence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
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Minister for IT and Industries Shri P K Kunhalikutty and former Technopark CEO Shri G Vijayaraghavan were present at the function at the CM’s conference hall in the Government Secretariat. IT and Industries Principal Secretary Shri P H Kurian gave the welcome address. The Chief Minister said today was “momentous” in the history of the Kerala
IT sector. “This project was first discussed at the Emerging Kerala conference in September 2012,” he noted. “Those who asked what came out of Emerging Kerala are now criticising this project.” The Chief Minister declared “full support” from the government for the project. “We should move with the times; the government has a clear vision to do so,” he said.
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Shri Kunhalikutty suggested that any issues that may arise in the project could be overcome. “This project is a feather in the cap for Kerala’s current developmental streak.” ‘Downtown Technopark’, which is located between Technopark Phase 1 and the US Technologies Global campus, is a mega project that will cater to the nearly 50,000 employees at this IT hub. The development, which will be completed over two stages, will
provide employment to 20,000 people. In the first stage, two buildings with 18 lakh sq ft built-up space will be constructed in 10 acres in Technopark’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The framework also includes the development of another adjacent 9.73 acres in the no-SEZ commercial land for utilities like retail malls, hotels, convention centres and multiplexes.
“The construction on the first building for IT services, the retail mall and the hotel will start in January next year,” said Shri Ajay Prasad. “It is scheduled to be completed by March 2018. The work on the second hotel and IT building will be completed in January and June 2020 respectively.” Launched in 1990, Technopark is home to over 300 companies, employing 40,000 professionals.
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October 2015
METRO UPDATE
Technopark’s SWM model will be replicated across the State: Kunhalikutty Technopark’s integrated Solid Waste Management facility can be popularised across the state as a successful and scalable source-level waste management system, said the Minister for Industries and IT Shri PK Kunhalikkutty.
Speaking after inaugurating the waste treatment plant at Technopark’s phase I campus, the minister said that the economically viable model can be replicated in every household of the state as a solution to the most pertinent issue of our times. “Technopark’s initiatives like awareness campaigns to reduce per person waste production are also commendable and should be replicated widely,”
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said the Minister. He also expressed willingness to take forward the concept of Recycling Park in 10 acre, suggested by the CREDAI Clean City Movement Chairman Shri Jose Joseph Moojely in the function. The Minister for Urban Affairs and Welfare of Minorities, Shri Manjalamkuzhi Ali who presided over the function said that Public attitude towards waste treatment plants needs to be changed.
“Solid waste should be treated at the source level itself”, said the Minister. Shri PH Kurian, Principal Secretary to the department of IT and industries, delivered the welcome address. Shri MA Vahid MLA, Technopark CEO Shri KG Girish Babu and CREDAI Vice President Shri SN Reghuchandran Nair also spoke. Technopark’s eco-friendly Solid Waste Management
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System has had a successful trial run of five months. The facility set up in 50 cents land spending 3 Crores recycles 3 tonnes of solid waste every day. Through the Integrated Rejection Management system of aerobic microorganism composting, 1,000 kg of organic waste is converted into fertiliser. Using the anaerobic digestion method, 2,000 kg of organic waste is converted into biogas through hydraulic pressure. The daily equivalent of 80 kg of Biogas produced in the two biogas plants is now used for the incinerator that burns nonrecyclable waste materials like napkins, used tissues and paper cups. Dry food waste and those with citric content are treated in bio-bins which
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convert the organic waste into fertiliser through an accelerated decay in 16 days. The fertiliser is used in the vegetable garden
around the plant and all over in the campus. The recyclable plastic waste and cardboards are shredded and sold out.
October 2015
TECH MART
Technopark-based Phykon Makes Australian Expansion; Brings in Dr Alexander Ross Mckenzie as Director The Thiruvananthapuram Technopark-based Phykon, with more than a decade’s presence in the IT/ITeS sector worldwide, has made a leap into Australian technology scene, and has brought on board Dr Alexander Ross Mckenzie, as its Director of its Australian operations.
Phykon, which has been working for several years with clients in Australia from various industry verticals, has cemented a strong foothold in the Australian Dairy Industry, and is making major strides into other industrial segments too in Australia.
Dr. McKenzie, a recent doctoral graduate from Macquarie University’s Graduate School of Management, has his research focused on how businesses implement and optimise strategies for this global world. This research has also led With the latest development, to Ross being a regular Phykon is in the final stages attendee and presenter of acquiring stakes in an at global conferences as Australian company, whose well as a guest lecturer at clientele includes some of universities. Dr McKenzie’s coming on board is a very the biggest corporations of significant development for Australia. Phykon. Having managed Dr. Alexander Ross CMM Level 5 vendors in McKenzie, who has over the past, the experience, 25 years’ experience in knowledge and exposure implementing and optimising that he brings to the table global businesses, and has is unmatchable. Further, held senior strategic and his role would be crucial in transformation leadership Phykon’s efforts in becoming roles with major global one of the most sought-after organisations across IT companies from Kerala. Australasia, Europe and Both, his global connections North America with the and expertise would play a key role in developing, leadership of teams of not only new international over 1000 in size, will drive business relationships Phykon’s existing and soon to be acquired businesses in but also Phykon’s existing relationships in Australia Australia and India.
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and the US. According to Mr Prathish Vijay, CEO, Phykon, “I am pretty excited and believe this a milestone for Phykon, which will fasttrack the company’s growth exponentially. Dr. McKenzie and I have been discussing and sharing various developments on either side, exploring opportunities where we could associate and all that was needed was the right timing. With our recent developments looking positive in Australia, there was no better timing than now. I am confident that, with Dr. McKenzie becoming a part of Phykon, there is no looking back for us.” With the new development, Phykon’s corporate office in Sydney will see a lot of increased activity in terms of recruitment and expansion in the coming years, he added. We plan to recruit close to 500 staff members in the coming year and also plan to open offices in multiple locations worldwide, Mr Prathish Vijay said.
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October 2015
METRO UPDATE
Kerala Tourism to sign MoU with St Petersburg Kerala Tourism and St Petersburg’s tourism department will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote tourist inflow from this second-largest Russian city to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.
A meeting between Kerala Tourism Secretary Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao and Consul General of India in St Petersburg, Shri Arun Kumar Sharma, with Rimma Sachinova, Deputy Chairman, St Petersburg Tourism, paved the way for an agreement on the MoU, which is expected to give a huge fillip to tourist arrivals to Kerala from the historic city of St Petersburg. Kerala Tourism has had a busy schedule in Russia, with a road show conducted in the port city of St Petersburg on September 21 that followed
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the OTDYKH Leisure 2015, a
was the Chief Guest at the four-day International Trade function where the Kerala delegation was headed by Fair for travel and tourism the Tourism Secretary. held in Moscow. The road show, which hosted trade and media meetings, saw huge footfalls from the Russian trade fraternity. “We have received a positive response from the people here,” said Kerala Tourism Minister Shri A P Anil Kumar. “The Russians have showed great interest in knowing more about our state.” Shri Arun Kumar Sharma
“In 2014, the tourist arrivals from Russia were 35,010. With this road show, we are expecting a perceptible increase in the arrivals of Russian tourists,” Shri Rao said. The ten Kerala trade partners, who participated in the road show along with the state delegation, were Abad Hotels and Resorts, Ayurvedamana Group, CGH Earth, Kairali - The Ayurvedic Healing Village,
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October 2015
Niramayam Heritage Ayurveda Retreat, Poovar Island Resort, Somatheeram Ayurveda Group, The Paul Resorts & Hotels, The Raviz and The Silver Tips. “The trade partners on both ends are confident about business due to the flight connectivity, via Dubai and introduction of e-tourist visa facility,� he noted. Shri Sharma discussed with the trade partners various measures to strengthen the business relationship between Russia and Kerala.
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October 2015
METRO AWARD
Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu receives GQ Men of The Year Award Renowned artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu, who were the co-curators of the first edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, were awarded this year’s prestigious GQ Men of The Year Award in recognition of their phenomenal contribution in popularising the contemporary art in India.
The duo, who played a key role in giving India its biennale, received the award under the category ‘Inspiration’ from celebrated artist Jitish Kallat, the curator of the second edition of the Kochi Muziris Biennale, at a function held in Mumbai. Past winners of the prestigious award include Kumar Mangalam Birla, Narayana Murthy, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, AR Rahman, Leander Paes,
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Omar Abdullah and Adi Godrej. The two artists, of Malayalee descent now based in Mumbai, were largely instrumental in bringing some of the finest world artists under one roof for exploring art diversities in India. The platform also familiarized the importance of art and its culture to the common man.
supporters of Kochi-Muziris Biennale who worked seamlessly—workers without borders—to make it a grand success. It is also an acknowledgement of the importance of ‘soft power’, and we cannot progress without a robust and vibrant visual cultural. For us the Biennale was an immensely humbling experience,” said Bose after receiving the award.
“It’s an honour bestowed upon not just us, but all the
“We feel happy receiving this award on behalf of
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KBF. This award is for the entire team that make KMB possible and all our supporters including artists and the people of Kochi,” added Komu. Bose, the founder-member and president of Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), is driven by desire to support budding artists. He, along with Riyas Komu, Secretary and Programme Director of KBF, initiated many academic programmes and art residency camps on the sidelines of the biennale to support the young talents. Bose’s practice includes drawing, painting,
sculpture, photography, design, installation and architecture. His artistic endeavours plumb creative depths to give contemporary Indian art a new direction. He has exhibited in several important solo and group exhibitions in Amsterdam, Norway, Denmark and Rome. He also undertook many curatorial projects apart from being the artistic director of the India’s first ever Biennale in 2012. Riyas Komu is a multi-media artist and activist working towards developing the art infrastructure in India. His critically acclaimed political works have been
exhibited extensively in India and abroad, which include several key works that focus specially on the political and cultural history of Kerala. Komu was one of two artists from India to be selected by curator Robert Storr for the 52nd Venice Biennale. His exhibitions have been held in several countries, including The Netherlands, Norway and South Korea. He also co-curated two football film festivals in 2012 at the International Film Festival of India, Goa and the International Film Festival of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram.
Excellence In Social Service Award Presented To Kallingal Motors
Kallingal group of companies Managing Director Mr. Kallingal Shafeeq is receiving the award on behalf of Kallingal Motors, the leading business group, for the excellence in www.metromartdaily.com
Social Service from Mr. K.S Shabareenathan M.L.A instituted by the Ex N R I Pravasi Welfare Association, Thiruvananthapuram held at Mannathala Bishop Hall. Ms. Vanaja Rajendra Babu, the Chairperson,
Corporation Town Planning Standing Committee, Brigadier Shaji, N C C Group Director, Mr. P.V George, President, Ex N R I Pravasi Welfare Association and Mr. C.G Rajan, Secretary, Ex N R I Pravasi Welfare Association are also seen. October 2015
METRO UPDATE
Kerala Tourism calls for entries to International Photo Contest Kerala Tourism has launched an ‘International Photography Contest’ through its website, calling for entries that would highlight the state’s tourism potential.
With www.keralatourism. org facilitating participation from across the world, the competition that began yesterday—with the theme ‘Kerala’—will have the topper gifted with Rs 5 lakh. The second and third prizes are purses of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively. Plus, there are five consolation prizes of Rs 1 lakh each. “It’s for the first time we are coming out with a contest endowed with such huge amounts as prize money,” said Kerala Tourism Minister, Shri A P Anil Kumar.
manipulated photographs will be disqualified. The submissions must have at least 1000 pixels but not more than 3000 pixels in either height or width. They should be saved as Jpegs (.jpg), and not exceed 4MB per file, at 72dpi resolution. The selected images, which will depict Kerala in multiple perspectives, will be further added to Kerala tourism’s image bank.Kerala, known for its varied topography and colourful festivals, has always served as a photographer’s paradise. Considered as one of Each contestant can make a the countries with the highest maximum of three entries. The brand recall, the tropical and photographs should be original green southern Indian state and taken between January has already made its mark 1, 2014 and December 31, in the international tourism 2015; the participant should map.“This competition that hold its copyright. Digitally attracts participants from
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across the globe will further expand the state’s tourism market and encourage more visitors to explore our land,” said Kerala Tourism Secretary, Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao. Kerala Tourism Director Shri P I Sheik Pareeth noted that nearly one crore people visit the state every year on holiday. “Of these, many are photography enthusiasts,” he added. The competition that ends on December 31st will give visitors to the website, an opportunity to submit their ratings on the competing photographs. Participants can avail further details from https://www. keralatourism.org/photo_ contest/
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October 2015
The Last Leaf Tolerance, Respect!
Hi Readers, India is my motherland. All Indians, are my brothers and sisters. I love my country and, I am proud of its rich and varied heritage. I shall always strive to be worthy of it. I shall give respect to my parents, teachers and all elders, and be courteous to all. I promise to be loyal to my Countrymen. For in their prosperity lies my happiness. I am sure you all remember this pledge we use to recite every day morning at our school, maybe without understanding its real meaning and purpose! “We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.” - Swami Vivekananda As an Indian, I believe we are going through one of the difficult times, and each one of us should shoulder the responsibility and self consciousness to keep our heritage, pride as well as diversity of our nation, not to get perished in the hands of fringe elements. This is another freedom struggle we should undertake to free our nation from the clutches of antisocial elements which is spread across every sections in the society, irrespective of regional/ political/ social affiliations. The recent division of the society on the subject of “Intolerance” is not going to help us for building a constructive nation, and the solution is to restrain ourselves from joining the bandwagon of different groups, spreading venom in different Medias, especially the social media chaos. As Swami Vivekananda taught, our thoughts make the difference, and one need to think before reacting.
Hari Shanker hari@martinfotech.in
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October 2015
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