Shri Pandian who opened “Ganapathy Stores”, the first grocery store at the 1st Mile Junction of Kumily passed away on 12th May 2023 at his home town.
Pandian aged 67 who was fondly called Annachi set up shop in Kumily about forty years ago. Hailing from Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu, Pandian built up a reputation in Kumily as a kind, sincere and honest trader
Annachi was a person who was loved by all. he helped the people of the place and alleviated the suffering of the poor by providing groceries even without taking money from the needy.
We pray for the soul of the departed and convey our condolences to his family.
A twelve overs a side Cricket Tournament was organised by the “Vattakandam Brothers” on the 13th & 14th May 2023 for the Tuttu Memorial Trophy with a cash prize of Rs.5000/- for the winners and the Shyju Memorial Trophy with a cash prize of Rs.3000/- for the runners up team.
Four teams namely Super Kings Vattakandam, Kings XI Kumily, Royals Vattakandam and Royal Challengers participated in the Tournament. The Tournament was inaugurated by Ward Member A. Kabir. The uniforms for all the four teams were also distributed at the time of inauguration.
After a round robin schedule on the first day when all the teams played against each other, the second day witnessed the losers’ final followed by the Winner’s Final (featuring the top two teams from the previous day’s league) in which the Royals Vattakandam clashed with the Super Kings Vattakandam.
The Royals Vattakandam batted first and set a target of 103 runs while losing 3 wickets in the process. The Vattakandam Super Kings who followed them won the match by scoring 104 runs for 2 wickets in 11 overs to win the Tuttu Memorial Trophy and the cash prize of Rs.5000/- by eight wickets and an over to spare. Fazil Latheef was the highest run getter with 55 runs not out to become the “Man of the Series”. He was awarded a Trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1.000/-
The Tuttu Memorial Trophy with a cash prize of Rs.5000/- for the winners was sponsored by Jamal. The Shyju Memorial Trophy with a cash prize of Rs.3000/- for the runners up team was sponsored by Gasco Agencies. The Trophy for the third position along with a cash award of Rs.2000 was sponsored by Mohammed Rafi while the Trophy for the 4th place and cash award of Rs.2000/- was sponsored by Mountain Palace Resort.
“Kumily Calling” congratulates the initiative being taken by the “Vattakandam Brothers” in restoring the Vattakandam Playground and also reviving the tradition of Outdoor sports in the Town of Kumily.
We have heard of many types of Reunion including Alumni Reunions, Family Reunions, Staff Reunions and even romantic reunions but for the first time we in Kumily are witnessing a Reunion of Friends who used the playfield of Vattakandam.
The Reunion is currently happening in Vattakandam which is less than a kilometre from the town and has people from different age groups participating. Though initiated by those who played in the Vattakandam field during the 80s the Reunion has attracted people from different age groups who have at some point or the other played in the Vattakandam field.
The Reunion idea which was initially mooted by Saji Mon Saleem has now attracted the attention of other Kumiliites who used to play here. The Reunion commenced on 1st May 2023 and seems to have no sign of concluding for it has stirred the interest of the people in outdoor Sports.
The objective of the Reuion is to encourage children of today to get outdoors and involve themselves in physical activity which is healthy rather than stay indoors playing with their mobiles and laptops which affect their health. Moreover, the ground was being misused by antisocial elements and is now occupied with sports and games.
Lot of fun stuff is said to happen there where food is being served, Birthdays celebrated and ofcourse cricket and football matches are being played. The Seniors who once played here have also taken it upon themselves to Mentor the younger generation and coach them in games such as Cricket and Football.
The active members of the Reunion have also created a group on Facebook called “Vattakkandam Brothers” and are regularly sharing photos and videos of their activities in the group.
The people of Kerala have always had a rich tradition of consuming fresh succulent food caught from the sea. Sea food is highly nutritious and contains Omega 3 amino fatty acids which are essential to heart health and prevent aging. Unfortunately, the people of Kumily cannot obtain fresh fish since Kumily is a bit away from the coastline and fresh fish is not easily available to the people of the town. The fish sold here is transported in ice and turns stale easily.
However, this changed when the authorities launched an innovative India Eco-Development Project in the year 1998 to preserve the ecological wealth of the State. The first step taken was to ensure the tribal communities’ participation. The tribal communities have lived in the forests for generations and so without their support and participation, the project could not become a success.
The tribal communities who lived in the remote areas of the Forest Reserve depended on fishing, poaching, and illegal wood-cutting to eke out a marginal living. To prevent Tribals from carrying out illegal activities and to enable them to earn a fair living by providing them with alternate livelihoods Eco-Development Committees (EDC) were formed in different villages with the participation of local people to find innovative and alternative avenues of income generation. As a result of these initiatives, the number of tribal people poaching or illegally collecting and selling firewood for a living has been considerably reduced.
One such EDC is the Periyar Tiger Reserve Mannakudi Tribal E.D.C under which the Fisher Folk are a sub group. This Fishermen’s Sub Group comprises of three plots (areas) working together to catch the fish from the Thekkady Lake and sell them in the open market at their outlet at Mannakudy.
The Fishermen’s Sub Group is managed by a Committee comprising of 9 Members and the Members of the Committee are elected once in 2 years through a transparent electoral process.
It is this Committee of the Fishermen’s Sub Group which determines the prices of various kind of fish. This decision is then conveyed to the office of the Deputy Director, (Project Tiger) Periyar East Division who then takes a final Decision on the same. All those working in this fishing project are paid out of the operating fund of the project.
Thekkady Lake has over 43 varieties of fish living in it. Of these about 12 types of fish including what the natives call Gold fish (A kind of Carp), Tilopi (Tilopia), kuyil (Tor tambrodies), kooral, viral (Butter Fish), kariyan (Common Carp), Arakan (Tire Track Eel), Poolaan (labeo Dussumier), Kaari (Stinging Fish), Kanni, Kanambu (Mullet) and Kattala (Labeo Catla – Indian Carp) are being sold by the sub group in their outlet in Mannakudy.
What is being sold as Gold fish is a delicacy and the flesh tastes like crab meat. A single Gold Fish could weigh anything between 1 and 3 kilograms. This Gold Fish is being sold for Rs.250 per kilogram while the other fishes are sold at Rs.200 per kilogram. The prices are very reasonable and are much cheaper than the prices of sea fish sold in the Market.
A major portion of the revenue earned is given to the tribal fishermen. In the case of Gold Fish 220 rupees is paid to the fishermen and 30 rupees is paid to the salesmen and drivers out of the amount earned from the sale of 1kg of fish. With regard to the other varieties Rs. 170 is paid to the tribal fishermen and 30 rupees is paid to the salesmen and drivers out of the amount earned from the sale of a single kilogram.
So next time you feel like eating fresh fish just go to the outlet in Mannakudy and get yourself a fresh feat to enjoy…
“Kumily Calling” has always stressed that Kerala is home to numerous traditional art forms and has a rich cultural heritage which remains unknown to the world. Yodha Cultural Village is doing yeoman service by showcasing some of these art forms. They offer cultural programmes every evening focusing on various art forms of Kerala including the traditional arts such as Kathakali and Kalarippayattu.
As we have already given our readers a peep into their Kalarippayuttu programme this article will feature their Kathakali performance. Kathakali is an ancient art form which is said to have originated in Kerala about 500 years ago. Kathakali is said to have evolved from various other art forms like Kutiyattam, Krishnanattam and Kalaripayattu. Kathakali combines spiritualism with drama, dance, and music. Kathakali performances are usually based upon the epics of the past.
The costumes and make up used in Kathakali tell their own story. At Yodha Cultural Village we get a peek into the painstaking effort involved in preparing for the show and how an ordinary artist is transformed into a character of pomp and grandeur through the meticulous steps of putting on the costume.
The team at Yodha’s Kathakali performance is made up of four individuals. Two of them perform the dance drama and two who are the orchestra take care of the music and the narration. One of them played the chenda (drums); while the other who is also the narrator played the ilathalam or cymbals.
The show commenced with the artist dressed as the female character displaying the 24 Basic Mudras (hand gestures) as well as the Navarasas or nine emotions to the audience. The nine emotions such as Sringara (love), Hasyam (comic), Karunam (pathetic), Raudram (anger), Veeram (heroic), Bhayanakam (terrible), Bibhatsam (odious), Adbhutham (wonder) and Shantam (peace / bliss) were all displayed by the artist. The dance and story line of Kathakali is based on the Mudras and Navarasas.
The performance was made interactive with the artist calling up various members of the audience to come and try to perform the Navarasas demonstrated on the stage. This enabled the audience to understand the intricacies and the amount of effort involved in these expressions. It was also a fun experience for the some of the expressions attempted by the members had the audience bursting into laughter.
The second part of the show was the enactment of a portion of the Narakasuravadham (The Slaying of Narakasura) which is an Aattakatha (Kathakali play) based on the Bhagavatam. The actors depicted the portion of the play when Nakrathundi the demoness sent to heaven by Narakasura to capture some divine damsels falls in love with Indra’s son, Jayantha, and tries to woo him. Jayantha rejects her, and she attempts to capture him. In the subsequent fight with Jayantha, Nakrathundi is mutilated by Jayantha who cuts off her nose and Nakrathundi returns in humiliation to Narakasura. The nuances exhibited by both artists were exceptional and the same was greatly appreciated by the audience.
As the show ended the audience remained spell bound and only wished they could see more of the play. If you have still not visited Yodha Cultural Village do visit and witness first hand their Kathakali and Kalarippayattu shows which are held back to back in separate auditoriums.
The Teachers of the Government Tribal Upper Primary School at Kumily are doing exemplary service by opening hitherto unknown doors for Tribal children and providing opportunities for them. The teachers are highly committed and some of them have moved from lucrative jobs to become teachers. One such teacher was Rajesh S Chowara who gave up a job in the police department to become a Teacher.
The tribal children who are first generation learners are not very ambitious and are content with what the forest provides for them. Though the trappings of civilization have touched them; most of them have no big dreams and are not even aware of the opportunities provided to them by the Government in terms of reservation of jobs in the State Forest Department through the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) Exams. The tribal youth have no idea of how to apply, what needs to be studied, or the kind of physical fitness and athleticism required for these tests. It is in this context that the service of the Teachers gains significance.
One of the past students named Shaji Mon was the first among the pass outs of the school who sought a government job and requested help from the school. Shaji Mon was able to successfully clear the KPSC Exams and is currently a Beat Forest Officer in the Forest Department.
Shaji Mon’s success encouraged the Teachers as well as the tribal youth who began to dream of similar success. The lack of awareness among the tribal youth about the opportunities available also spurred the teachers of the Tribal School to motivate their past students and formally train them to appear for the KPSC Exams.
The teachers therefore decided to organize Coaching classes for as many youngsters as possible and prepare them for the Exams. Classes were conducted every day between 7.00 and 9.00 pm in the school without fail for all interested candidates.
Those who dropped out of the coaching classes were contacted and counseled to continue their preparations for the exams. Not only were theoretical classes conducted but the candidates were also provided training in sports and physical fitness which is mandatory for jobs in the Kerala Forest Department. The candidates were also trained in the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) test and coached on how to conduct themselves during the interview.
The hard work of the Teachers and the students has finally born fruit and the ranking was declared on 9th May 2023 to reveal that 14 of the candidates trained by the school had passed with a high rank.
“Kumily Calling” would like to express its appreciation to all the Teachers who have given their time and effort without any monetary benefit or remuneration namely, Mr.Sunilkumar, Mr.Srilal, Ms.Chitra MR, Mr.Ramar, Mr.Sujith, Mr.Prince, Mr.Prasad and Mr.Rajesh who were always present and supported the students.
We would also like to applaud the youngsters including Aneesh (1st Rank), Sujitha (1st Rank), Kala (2nd Rank), Sandhya Mol (3rd Rank), Jayakumar (4th Rank), Babu (5th Rank), Satheesh (8th Rank), Rajeev (21st Rank), Prabu (31st Rank), Jeevan Krishna (33rd Rank), Ajesh (38th Rank), Suresh (39th Rank), Savitha (49th Rank) and Abijith (111th Rank) among others who have passed with flying colours and wish them all success in all their future endeavours.
Kumily is full of many talented youngsters. One such person is Sanal Gopi who has taken an ordinary instance in his life to create an exceptional short film. Sanal happened to observe his elderly neighbour Thomas whose radio was not functioning. Sanal then helped him repair it and realised the nature of the deep connection which the elder generation had with the Radio.
This set him thinking and thus was born “Radio” a short film which he created and directed with a zero budget. Strange but true, for no money was spent in the making of the film. The entire cast and crew contributed their labour and equipment voluntarily to create this masterpiece. Since no money was spent on the making of this film, the team decided to call themselves “Zero Budget Productions”.
The entire movie was shot in the nearby picturesque locations of Anavachal, Mannakudi and Kollampattada within three days. The short film was finally released on YouTube on RS Offbeat channel on 24th February 2023.
The production crew included Sanal Gopi (Story & Direction), Binu Vijayan(Director of Photography), Lenin K Sunny (Associate Director), Subin (Production Designer), Soumya Babu & Subin (Make Up), Rajanish Sahadevan (Associate Cameraman), Renju Subin (Costumes), Arun V Nair (Title Design), Bibin (Editing) and Vinod Periyar (Voice Over). The Post production work was carried out by “24 Frames”, Kattapanna.
The Cast included, Thangamma Mathai, Sanoop Kumily, Alen K Sabu, Ansu Sinoj, Chandramohan, Aparna Babu, Master Adhishankar, Arif Ali and Harish.
The Film was also screened at the Thekkady Flower Show on 8th May 2023 with the support of the Chaitanya Film Society.
We do not want to give away the plot of the movie and request you to view the same below.
Sanal Gopi is currently working on his next project which is expected to be a social satire. We at “Kumily Calling” wish him and the entire cast and crew all success in all their future endeavours.
Bishop K.J. Samuel, who was also the former Moderator of the Church of South India (CSI), passed away at Kottayam on Sunday the 7th May 2023. He was 81 years of age and passed away due to age related illness.
Bishop Samuel had earlier served as the second Bishop of the Church of South India (CSI) East Kerala diocese which also includes our Kumily and surrounding areas from 1990 to 1996.
Bishop Samuel was the eldest Son of K.S. Joseph and Rachel Joseph from Elappally. He was ordained into priesthood in 1968 and served in various responsible positions including Bishop (1990), Auxiliary President of Bible Society of India in Kerala (1992) Deputy Moderator (1996) and later Moderator of CSI in 1998 and 2000. The Bishop had also served as the National President of the Bible Society of India from 2000 to 2006.
The Bishop is credited with creating several non profit welfare organisations including World Vision and Compassion International.
A decision on his funeral service was made during a meeting of the Church Executive Committee on 8th May 2023 and is being held at 3.00 p.m. on 9th May 2023 at the CSI Christ Cathedral at Melukavu, Idukki.
The Aranyam Tribal Dance Group, Thekkady participated in the Ente Keralam exhibition-marketing fair held at Idukki and was chosen as the best Art Form accompanied by musical instruments. The honorable Collector of Idukki District, Smt. Sheeba George IAS presented a trophy and Rs.10,000 as cash award to the Group on 4th May 2023.
The Aranyam Tribal Dance Group was created in 2009 by the youth of the Mannan and Paliyan tribes living on the fringes of the Periyar Forest Reserve. These youth were eager to revive their forgotten culture and folklore and have been successful in documenting the lost traditional dance forms of their tribes. Earlier the Group had won the Kerala Utsavom in 2021 and was selected to participate in the National level competition.
The Periyar Tiger Reserve is an excellent example of how various indigenous tribal communities live harmoniously within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The tribal communities such as the Mannans, Paliyans, Malayarayans, Mala Pandarams, Urails and Ulladans are noteworthy examples of how man can live in peaceful coexistence with nature even during this modern technological era.
One of the primary reasons for this is that they have been able to hold on to their traditions and culture despite the influences of modern society. This culture gave them their art forms and a sense of respect for nature as well as the environment they live in.
Earlier, Aranyam Tribal Dance Group used to perform everyday at the Vanasree Auditorium in Anavachal but have temporarily put the same on hold due to renovations taking place at the auditorium.
