FROM KERALA WITH LOVE

NEARLY 25 ACRES OF FOREST LAND CAVED IN NEAR MUNNAR-MANGULAM-KADUVAAPPARA AREA. THE DEEP FOREST REGION IS UNINHABITED.

B VASANTA

She has melodiously rendered a handful of film songs in Malayalam. Still she has never been in the limelight. A singer of yester generation, B Vasanta was in the capital yesterday, to stage a musical evening organized by Kailrali Art Lovers Association (KALA), at the Priyadarsini Hall. In an interview the singer describes how she came to the film world, how she regrets for not systematically learning classical music, and obviously, wonders why she was not recognized by the Kerala State Government.

I am always fascinated by Lata Mangeshkar’s song, and tried to sing like her. Being a child and singing hit numbers, I became a pet and popular in the neighborhood. I was invited to sing a few numbers during weddings. It is a inherent quality. My mother Kanakadurga was an accomplished veena player. Father Raveendranath was an all-rounder. I did not obey my mother -for she insisted to learn classical music. But I am attracted in my father’s line of light music. You need have to learn and practice. I have a sweet voice and I could reproduce what other sang, and hence I thought there is no need for training. That was a great mistake. I underestimated the benefits of learning carnatic music” she said.
Vasanta’s father had acted in films and with his contact in the film industry; she had the chance to sing for films. “One day I was called for an audition. In the 60s there was no sophistication as we see today. I sang Lata’s song. The music director, Pingala Nagendra Rao was impressed and he commented thus-“The song has all the details yet you have never tried to imitate her. A rare feat indeed” Then invitations from Kannada and Tamil came. In the Tamil industry M S Viswanathan and K V Mahadevan were ruling the roost. Then assistants of these directors like Pukazhenthi, introduced her in Malayalam.
“I am proud to say that I have sung for all the music directors. Also, I have sung with all male and female singers. Discernible music lovers may remember the songs “Kudamulla poovinum malayaali penninum..” Chandran udikkunna dikkil.. Chanchalitha..Chanchalitha..” Yavana Sundari.. and Pottu vaitha kukhamo..Katti vaitha kuzhalo..”
Vasanta has sung for Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Tulu, Sinhalese, and Sanskrit. In the 60s she was invited by HMV.
“Despite of this why you were side lined?”
To be frank, my priorities were different. I am a house wife then a mother and then only a singer. I was never after fame and popularity. When music directors invited occasionally I never refused. So I could render only 3500 songs. In between I was asked to compose songs for a Kannada and then Telugu films. SPB, PBS, S Janaki, P Suseela, and Vani Jayaram sang for me. The music director who introduced me appreciated my endeavor as the music director. That was the greatest encomium.
Vasantha was conferred Kalaimamani Award by the Tamil Nadu Government, Ugadi Award by the Andra Pradesh Government, and the MACTA Award. “My children are well placed. They have the flair for music but are not for venturing in the film industry. They play veena and are blessed with sweet voice. Any way I am a contented mother. I have no regrets. I have invested my earnings in the higher studies of my children. They are looking after me well. That is what I need now” she said.

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MY FRIEND EXPERIENCED AN EARTH QUAKE TODAY. HERE IS A SMALL ACCOUNT OF IT.

"I'm attaching a news which will give a short picture of today's earthquake. In Japan, new houses/apartments are made in such a way that they can make pendulam type movements during earthquake. Most of these type of houses are made of wood and filling is weightless material instead of cement. This is to avoid head injuries and breakage of bones during the sudden demolition of building. These buildings will sustain if the magnitude is less than 8.0. Another important thing is that gas, electricity and water will be automatically stopped. Also, the telephone connections. Today in Japanese news they were announcing that DOCOMO company's cellular ohone still works there. Many houses were destroyed, they are all old Japanese traditional houses with elegant look, the roof will be similar to that of castles, paved with heavy enameled blue tiles. In Japanese these type of houses are known as "Jikka". They couldn't survive today's earthquake.
All transportation is stopped since many roads and bridges were broken. These heavy shakings will move to many miles and had affected Tokyo and Tsukuba as well. In my home sOme of the soft dolls kept on television fell down and the hanging light was executing simple harmonic oscillations for 20-30 seconds. Actually, it is nice to experience these nature's movements from a far away place. Of course, it is not good. This is the third biggest earthquake that I could experience during my stay in Japan.

I'm just copying and pasting a believable news about today's happenings in Japan.

Any study of an art form would be incomplete unless it is examined in the background of the cultural milieu it was born in and the time-line through which it evolved into the present form. Aware of this fact Dr Raja Warrier in his three-part monograph on Malayalam theatre, walks us through the early days of the stage, analyses the different aspects and puts the current scenario in perspective.

The thorough grounding of the author in the genre and his knowledge of theatre in the Occident give the work wholesomeness. This however is not a didactic work expounding dry theories of dramatics. On the contrary, he raises and answers questions-questions that the layman is prone to ask. In the process he lays bare the concepts in a simple manner, appealing to even one who has no knowledge of theatre and the performance arena.

Written with the erudition of a researcher, marked by a detachment of a historian and prompted by the passion of an aficionado, the book is a valuable addition to literature on Theatre.

KARKITAKA VAAVU FALLS ON 12 AUGUST
VISIT OF SOULS:-
The idea of departed souls visiting their friends is common to many races. The belief is tht departed souls come to partake of victuals prepared for them by their relatives.
Examples of feast of souls in different parts of the world:-
1. Madagascar- the elegant upper chamber in King Radams mausoleum was furnished with a table and two chairs. A bottle of wine, water, were palced so that the ghost of the departed monarch might occassionaly visiting this resting place.
2. China:-the Chinese summon ancestral souls with prayer on special days.
3. Europe:- the custom of setting empty seats at the ST JOHN S’ EVE FEAST for the departed souls of Kinsfolk is said to have lasted to the 17th century.
4. Bulgaria: feast is held in the cementry of Palm Sunday.
5. Russia:- prayer at the graves of lost relatives and giving alms to he poor

6. The Hindus offer to the dead the funeral cakes, oblations of balls of rice, libations of water, on the day of sraddha.
Kerala:
In Kerala the feast of souls falls on the new moon day in the month of Karkitakam (July-August/Aadi Ammavasai). The feast of the souls falls on 12th August this year. The day is considered sacred to the spirits of the dead.
On this day people visit river banks /or seashores. Oblations of rice and libations of water are offered to the manes of ancestors. It is held to be most meritorious if one can go to Rameswaram bathe in the Rama Sethu, and perform sradha there. The sradha is not to propitiate the spirit of any particular diseased but is designed to propitiate the manes of all ancestors.
After the sradha the offerings are placed in the yard for the crows to feed on. THE BELIEF IS THAT the diseased come in the form of crows to partake of them.
The popular spots were sradha is offered are
Sanghumugham beach, Varkala beach, Aluva, Papanasam Thirunelli in waynad, Parasurama temple.
The sea is rough these days especially so after this year’s monsoon. The government has promised to take necessary steps-that is alternative arrangements -for offering sradha. People visit Parasurama temple in Thiruvallam. It is located on the banks of Tiruvallam theertham. It is believed that PARASURAMA offered sradha to his mother at this spot. It is the only place in India (I believe) where you find temple for Parasurama.

To mark the 60th year of Indian Independence, Monsoon Cine fest is being organized by the the govt. In this fest selected 60 films will be screened in 60 colleges all over Kerala. The fest will extend upto December.
Mohanlal will inaugurate the fest in Thiruvananthapuram with his film Thanmaathra and Mammooty starring Kaiyoppu. The makers and the actors would take the films to the campus. Mammootty is the chief patron of the fest. Other patrons include Mohanlal, Raja Mathew, P V Gangadharan, and Vinayan. Nedumudi venu is the festival director.
Kalikam a film produced by the students of Govt Arts College Thruppunithura will be screened. Seminars and debates are the highlights of the fest.
Saira, Oridam, Perumazhakkalam, Thaniyae, Thakara chenda, Achchnurangatha veedu are some of the selected films.

Kerala Tourism Development corporation KTDC has launched Payasam mela at CHAITRAM HOTEL for Onam. Nine different kinds of Payasam will be made available here. Carrot, bitter guard, gooseberry and melon Payasam are the highlights. The star payasam is NAVARASA PAYASAM. There are no instant techniques used here. They are all prepared in the traditional way-the authorities explained. The payasams are available in one and half litre packs at the rate of rs 120 per litre.
During onam days 40 menu onasadya will also be available in addition to Doas fest. The mela will be open to the public from 10 am to 10 pm.
:D

Come Onam. The price of flowers is exhorbitantly high. The flowers are brought from Madurai, Dindugal, Thovaalai, and Bangalore.
In the yester years, we used to make floral carpets with thumba, kakkappo, aropoo, chembarathi, konginippoo, thechi, mukkoothi and sangupushpam.
Now chrysanthamum, oleander, marigold, coxcomb, vadamalli, and lotus dominate. Making a pookkalam is no longer a simple affair. With pookkalam carpet competitions getting popular, flowers sell like anything and that is the reason for high prices

CLASSES FOR INDAIN INSTITUTE OF SPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WILL COMMENCE ON SEPTEMBER 14. The classes will be held at the IIST at VSSC. Classes for Btech avionics, aerospace engg, integrated masters in applied science wiil begin on the day. The permanent campus of IIST is set to come out up at PONMUDI. As a part of an effort to prevent brain drain ISRO has introduced a bond scheme according to which the student has to serve ISRO for 5 years. Those who wants to opt out has to pay 10 lakhs after the training period.

AIR Thiruvananthapuram is celebrating its golden jubilee of regional news broadcast. :)