4th edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale gets a boost

Kochi Muziris Biennale: Bidders at the Saffronart gallery in Prabhadevi, Mumbai

 Exceeding the bidding estimates by a substantial margin, an untitled artwork of the iconic artist late Amrita Sher-Gil fetched the highest price of Rs 49 lakh while her self-portrait made in 1927 went for Rs 23 lakh as the Kochi Biennale Foundation’s (KBF) second fundraiser auction held in Mumbai  generated Rs 2.75 crore in support of the next year’s fourth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB).

The first fundraiser auction, also held in Mumbai in 2015 by the KBF in collaboration with Saffronart, had raised an amount of Rs 2. 30 crore, which was used for the 3rd editon of the Biennale.

Rs 15-20 lakh was the estimated price for Amrita Sher-Gil’s 1927 famous watercolour before it went under the hammer at the Tuesday evening (Oct 31) auction that was oraginsed at Saffronart’s office in Prabhadevi locality and drew an exuberant assemblage of collectors, artists and gallerists in a display of solidarity for the biennale.

Besides live auctioning, bidding also took place online, on the phone and on the mobile app of Saffronart, the country’s leading art auction house. The proceeds will give an enhanced financial leeway to the Foundation in sustaining the Biennale through 2018 and beyond.

Subodh Gupta’s stainless steel installation, showing his highly eccentric imaginings drawn from everyday objects, went for Rs 25 lakh, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of Rs 15-20 lakh.


KBF Secretary Riyas Komu said, "With the support of artists, Saffronart and the collectors, we have triggered a good momentum for our fundraising initiatives for the 2018 edition of Biennale. Thanks to everyone who supported it, it brings together a much needed ecosystem to sustain such non-commercial projects.”

He added: “Through this auction, we have been able to generate a fair amount of money which will also be used to support art production. In a different context, it shows that there is a great amount of interest and solidarity among the artist community and also the art world to sustain the Biennale and its cultural possibilities in celebrating the diversity.”

In all, artworks of 41 modern and contemporary masters were put on the auction block and 98 per cent of it was lapped up. The list featured, among others, Sahej Rahal, Bharti Kher, Atul Dodiya, TV Santhosh, Pushpamala N., Abir Karmakar, Prajakta Potnis, Parvathi Nayar, Manjunath Kamath and Kerala artists Bhagyanath, Benitha Perciyal, P S Jalaja, KP Reji, Sosa Joseph, Vivek Vilasini and Gigi Scaria.


Francesco Clemente, an Italian contemporary artist, was the only foreigner whose work featured in the fundraiser auction list. His artwork, Ascending, was hammered down at a tidy amount of Rs 14 lakh and was among the top ten lots sold alongside works by Himmat Shah (Rs 14 lakh), B Manjunath Kamath (Rs 11 lakh), Benitha Perciyal (Rs 9.5 lakh), T V Santosh (Rs 9 lakh), Prajakta Palav Aher (Rs 7 lakh) and G R Iranna (Rs 6 lakh each).

Dinesh Vazirani, Co-founder of Saffronart, said, “We are delighted to have supported the Kochi Biennale Foundation in its fundraising efforts, and look forward to continuing our support to them in the future. The KMB has established itself as a reputed and marquee event with the previous three editions attracting artists and visitors from around the world. We were proud to raise a total of Rs 2.75 crore towards sustaining an event of its scale and kind. It was refreshing to see contemporary artists perform so well; this shows a revived strength in the market. The support shown by collectors and the art fraternity was overwhelming.”

Anita Dube, a contemporary artist, is to curate the fourth edition of the KMB, which begins in December 2018. The KMB, which made its debut in 2012, has now become a marquee exhibition in South Asia and elsewhere, catalysed the production of hundreds of artworks, and hosted over 15 lakh visitors comprising Heads of the State, art patrons and the man on the street.

‘Perspectives, ideas at Biennale can be adapted to film’: Priyadarshan

Veteran filmmaker termed his first visit to the Biennale on Saturday a ‘learning experience’

Filmmaker Priyadarshan at artist Istvan Csakany's installation 'Ghost Keeping' at KMB 2016 in Aspinwall House,Fort Kochi 

Observing that an interesting frame can be found anywhere provided one perceives it as such, celebrated filmmaker Priyadarshan said the variety of perspectives and concepts at Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) 2016 can be adapted to film.

A favourable shooting schedule meant the director of more than 100 films across industries and languages was able to visit the Biennale for the first time on Saturday. He termed it a “learning experience that satisfied the artist in me”.

 “As a filmmaker, I think many of the ideas are adaptable in terms of medium. When I was going around and looking always at the points of view expressed by different people on similar issues, I asked myself why I didn’t think about this. This is also something we can show on screen and there were several things I thought I should try in my films,” Priyadarshan said

Filmmaker Priyadarshan with Kochi Biennale Foundation President Bose Krishnamachari at Subrat Kumar Behera's installation 'Mythological Paradigm Prophesied' at KMB 2016 in Aspinwall House,Fort Kochi 

“Expressions of creativity are like the sea or the sky: there are no limits. There are things I understood and others that I did not, but I appreciated the aesthetic sense behind the Biennale. Unlike the boring spaces in art galleries, the KMB is the venue for these expressions,” he added.

‘Artists’ Cinema a platform for serious works’: Joshy Mathew

Award-winning filmmaker Joshy Mathew also visited the Biennale recently. Besides the works on display, he appreciated the Kochi Biennale Foundation initiative to screen serious films as part of its ongoing ‘Artists’ Cinema’ series at the Pavilion in Cabral Yard, Fort Kochi.

“For filmmakers, the initiative provides a platform to promote serious Malayalam cinema in front of an international audience. Moreover, we can market our films more intensively in the international film festival circuit after being screened in such an internationally acclaimed art festival like the Biennale,” said Mathew, whose film Black Forest won a National award in 2012.

Heart-warming music by Vaikom Vijayalakshmi at General Hospital

Renowned singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi (seated) performing at Government General Hospital, Ernakulam as part of Kochi Biennale Foundation's ‘Art and Medicine’  on Wednesday. Also seen on stage (right) is singer Jimmy Kalabhavan.

Visually challenged playback singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi stole many hearts with her heart-warming melodies at the 150th musical extravaganza of the weekly, ‘Arts and Medicine’ show organised by Kochi Biennale Foundation, at the General Hospital, Ernakulam on Wednesday- 28 Dec 2016.

This week, singers Kalabhavan Jimmy and Junior Mehboob also shared the stage with their renditions of numerous hit numbers adding flavor to the show. Jimmy who has over 15 years of experience at Kalabhavan, began the event with the devotional number –‘Yahoodiyayile’  before moving onto an array of 20 songs neatly stacked with melody and tempo.

Vijayalakshmi crooned the song – ‘Lokam Muzhuvan Sukam Pakaraan’, moving into the duet ‘Kaate Kaate’ and ‘Sharadaambaram’. While seated, she played the instrument, ‘ Kasu’ and mellifluously rendered the song , ‘Minungum Minnaminuge’ from the new Mohanlal starrer, ‘Oppam.’ The musical feast culminated with  the number ‘Kaikkottum Kanditilla’.  A few popular yesteryear Hindi numbers  added to musical aura.

Vijayalakshmi, an expert at  playing the rare musical instrument, Gayathriveena, gained appreciation with her first song as a playback singer.

Hailing from Vaikom, she has many awards to her credit. Vijayalakshmi bagged the State Film Award for the best singer through Kamal’s Nadan after winning a special mention from the State Film Awards jury for her rendition of the song Katte Katte from the film Celluloid.

Most recently she won the Filmfare Awards (South) for the Best Female Singer.

“I could not see the expressions on the faces of the people in the crowd, but I could definitely feel the positive vibes that  came in the form of applause”,  she said.

 ‘Arts and Medicine’ is an initiative organised every Wednesday by the Kochi Biennale Foundation in association with Mehboob Memorial Orchestra and Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre Limited. Apart from the show organised at the General Hospital Ernakulam, the Biennale hosts a musical show on every last Monday of a month at Cochin Medical College, Kalamassery.

Biennale poets discuss the barriers and bridges in language

For Raúl Zurita, the story of language is both one of magic and one of misunderstandings. The iconic Chilean poet-revolutionary believes that words can both stave off mortality and extinguish life, but is inextricably linked to suffering and death.

He was talking at a riveting conversation, titled “What Language Means to Me”, at the Biennale Pavilion in Cabral Yard, Fort Kochi, on Thursday. The dialogue, held on the sidelines of Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) 2016, heard arguments on language’s unifying and divisive qualities.

"What Language Means to Me" , a dialogue among Biennale poets and writers held at Cabral Yard, Fort Kochi. From Left to Right : Chloe Estep, Ouyang Jianghe, Anna Deeny Morales, Raúl Zurita, Aleš Šteger, Valerie Mejer Caso, Sergio Chejfec, Sharmistha Mohanty.

“We are living in a period of the agonising of language. The unequivocal language of capital as represented by marketing where not one word means what it intends. For me, language is what they are trying to remove from me in favour of the language of profit,” Zurita said.

The discussion saw participation from five other poets and writers, including Ouyang Jianghe, Sergio Chejfec, Sharmistha Mohanty, Valerie Mejer Caso and Aleš Šteger. Argentinean poet Chejfec, in particular, countered Zurita’s thoughts about the hopelessness of language.

“Language has a strange music. It is transcendental, making the immaterial material. It is a bridge between opposing views and different worlds,” said Chejfec. A point agreed on by Mohanty who noted, “Language was an inclusive, penetrating art form that captures all and leaves no fossils. She read from a poem on memory and language.

Recalling anecdotes from her first association with language as a child, Mexican writer Mejer Caso said, “Language is the ability to recreate a moment and shepherd readers or listeners to that period with as little as a word”.

Explaining the benefits of have a living vocabulary, Chinese poet Jianghe said language was both existential and functional. “It is the difference between a fish just out of water and one that has been frozen in time. Language has been infiltrated by science and it’s time we returned to the original language,” he said.

Slovenian writer Šteger equated having a language to being possessed. “It is like an external entity inhabiting our physical bodies. Language is something unknowable, mysterious yet familiar and personal,” he said.
The session was moderated by Anna Deeny Morales, who also translated for Zurita.

144th edition of 'Arts and Medicine' pays tribute to legendary musician Shri. M Balamuralikrishna

Evergreen melodies from yesteryear wafted through the General Hospital here when singers from ‘Nanmayude Thalodal’, a city-based friendship group noted for its charity activities, took to the stage for the weekly ‘Arts and Medicine’ Biennale Music show today.

Teen talent Amal Roy, who has been a semifinalist of the Malayalam television show ‘Super Star Junior’  emerged the star of the show with his delivery of songs that was appreciated by the audience - a mix of patients, bystanders and hospital staff.

“It gives me immense happiness to be a part of an initiative to provide solace to patients in distress”, said Roy who is the son of singer Jackson Roy and has won many prestigious prizes at the school level.

“Age is no barrier to be able to do something for others, I enjoy working with seniors and getting to learn a life-lesson a day…. I am successful in handling rehearsals for shows and academics in parallel”, said the enthusiastic teenage artist.

Singers of charity group 'Nanmayude Thalodal', Jabbar Uppas and Amal Roy performing at Government General Hospital, Ernakulam as part of Kochi Biennale Foundation's ‘Art and Medicine’ on Wednesday.

Roy was the youngest among today’s group of singers, which includes Jabbar Uppas who is also chairman of the friendship group and has held decorated positions as Cochin Orchestra Director, Kerala Mappila Academy-State Vice president. He is a regular presence in the groups associated with cultural, social and art fields.

Along with other artistes Jackson Roy, Kunjumon,  Anaz Mohammed and Salim, the group strung together a total of 13 songs which got the audience humming and swaying along.

Jabbar began the programme on a devotional ambience with the song ‘Satya Nayaka’, followed by ‘Neela Malareh’ and followed it up with a medley of random songs hand-picked to suit the taste of the audience. Jabbar and Amal together concluded the show with ‘Husnul Jamal’- a popular folk number.

The Nanmayude Thalodal’ group is active on social networking and messaging sites like Facebook and WhatsApp and has initiated several charity works.

Today’s performance marks the 144th edition of the ‘Arts and Medicine’ programme, which is organized by Kochi Biennale Foundation in association with Mehboob Memorial Orchestra and Lake Shore Hospital and Research Centre Limited .

Playback singer Jyothi Menon performs live for patients at General Hospital

Noted playback singer, Jyothi Menon performed live today at the General Hospital, Ernakulam here for the 143rd edition of the all Wednesday ‘Arts and Medicine’ show, which opened with a homage to senior instrumentalist Erlo D’ Cruz who passed away this morning.

 Menon’s melodious renditions of Hindi, Malayalam and Hindi songs backed by synchronised orchestra music wafted from the hospital’s sunlit lawn into its corridors.

 Starting with Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar,  a  number by iconic Indian ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, which Menon followed it up with the songs - Lokam Muzhuvan Sukham Pakaranayi, Oru Vattam Koodiyen Ormakal Meyunna and Poonthenaruvi  among others. The playback singer belted out a total of 13 songs in her hour-long show before concluding with the number Kaarmukil Varnante to huge appreciation from the audience who applauded her after every number.

Playback singer Jyothi Menon performing at Government General Hospital, Ernakulam as part of Kochi Biennale Foundation's ‘Art and Medicine’ programme .

 The weekly musical programme, organised as an initiative of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, the Mehboob Memorial Orchestra and Lakeshore Research Centre Limited provides solace to patients by unleashing the undeniable therapeutic uses of music in medicine.

 Beginning her musical career by winning the 1997 TV Malayalam reality show, ‘Hamsadhwani’ on Doordarshan, Menon has been an all encompassing presence on various stage shows.

 Menon who has exhibited singing prowess right from her schooldays underwent training at the RLV music college Tripunithura, and has lent her voice in several Malayalam films namely, Nakshatra Kannula Rajakumaran, Priyom and Katturumbinte Kalyanam.

 “When music fills the soul, it escapes as explicit renditions to the surroundings. The same music acts as a balm and heals listeners, especially those who are in distress or traumatised by pain and agony,”  said the singer.

 She added that Biennale has taken a generous step in organising a show, which has been able to provide solace and consolation to many patients as well as bystanders.

‘Chinna Chinna Aasai’ fame Minmini treats patients to soul awakening music

Playback singer Minmini who shot to international fame with the Chinna Chinna Aasai hit number in Mani Ratnam’s film Roja, almost a quarter century ago, regaled patients with her melodious voice at the Government General Hospital, Ernakulam on 26th Oct 2016 .

The singer who has delivered evergreen hits such as 'Souparnikamritham'  from KizhakkunarumPakshi, and 'Pathiravaayi' from Vietnam Colony among others gave a captivating performance, which was part of Kochi Biennale’s weekly ‘Arts and Medicine’ show.

Her  felicitous mellow rendering of each song evoked  smiles and loud applause from a captive audience who seemed to enjoy the performance.

“I am overwhelmed to see such an audience of patients, bystanders and hospital staff…. It is  an honour to sing amidst a crowd in an open space … As a child I had immense support from my folks , they stood by me through thick and thin”,  Minmini said. “Acts of charity  like the one Biennale has resorted to is a noble gesture. Being able to bring smiles on the faces of people in pain is indeed a blessing”,  she added.

Minmini and her co-singers Junior Mehboob and Yahiya Azeez belted out close to a dozen songs which included ‘LokamMuzhuvanSukamPakaraan’, ‘Mizhiyoram’, ‘Badi Door Se Aaye Hein’, ‘ChinnaChinnaAasai’, and ‘Maanasa Mani Venuvil’ to name a few. Her husband Joy Mathew shared the stage for the Tamil number ,‘Kannekalaimane’.


Beginning her  career at the age of five with the Kalabhavan orchestra, Minmini graduated to a professional singer at 10. Her musical family background spurred her to become a singer and till date she has sung around 2,000 film songs in seven different languages - Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Oriya and Badaga.

A Malayali hailing from Aluva, most of Minmini’s memorable musical pieces are in Tamil,  composed by Ilayaraaja and A R Rahman. Her hit Malayalam songs include ‘Souparnikamritham’ from KizhakkunarumPakshi, ‘OonjalUrangi’, and ‘Neelaraavi” from Kudumbasametham. After a break from singing, Minmini made a comeback last year  with the song Kanmaniye from Mili.

She has been honoured with  many awards, including the Singapore State Government Award, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Playback, Filmfare Award, Cinema Express Award, Film Fans Association Award (Telugu), Kerala Film Chamber Award and SUMU Award, to name a few.



The all Wednesday series is an initiative organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation in association with Mehboob Memorial Orchestra and Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre Limited aiming to provide solace to the patients. This week’s programme marked the 140th episode.

Eco-themed creation helping promote message of recycling and environmental sustainability

This Onam, a larger-than- life experience awaits visitors to the Lulu Mall. A 20-foot- tall Maveli, fabricated by artists from the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) using mainly nature friendly materials, sits in welcome at the entrance.

The supersized Maveli – made out of iron, special papers, jute, cloth, coir, rope and reclaimed wood – is the newest addition to the retail major’s ongoing environment awareness campaign, ‘Nature First’. It also marks yet another successful collaboration in the longstanding KBF-Lulu Group partnership.

‘This is the first time any mall in the world has made a green Maveli. We are excited to associate with
the KBF yet again, especially for a cause like ‘Nature First’. The purpose of this initiative is to draw the attention of our customers towards the importance of recycling and ensuring sustainability of the
environment in every which way possible,” said Shibu Philips, Business Head, Lulu Mall.

Complete with an ‘Olakuda’, the installation has been garnering plenty of interest from customers. Much the same as the KBF’s previous artistic intervention in the mall: a unique live sculptor’s studio in June that helped spread the message of ‘Nature First’, a year-long initiative to sensitise Kochiites on the need to preserve natural resources.

“The KBF is very happy to be able to collaborate with the Lulu Group in celebrating the festive Onam season, our enduring partnership and the beauty of nature. We hope visitors to Lulu Mall enjoy our interpretation of the most enduring symbols of nature and unity,” said KBF Secretary Riyas Komu. “The KBF is proud to continue participating in the Nature First campaign and help showcase the importance of the environment through art.”

The Lulu Group’s association with the KBF and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale goes back all the way to the first edition of the Biennale in 2012. The relationship has since strengthened and matured.

The Maveli structure is open for viewing at the Lulu Mall entrance from 9 AM to 11 PM over the festive period.

Choral group SIWJA charms crowds at hospital with Onam special music

With Onam just around the corner, the festive mood caught up with the crowd at the General Hospital here as they gathered in the courtyard for a special music show as part of the weekly Biennale Arts and Medicine programme.

The Onam special was presented by ‘Sing India with Jerry Amaldev’ (SIWJA), a choral group under the tutelage of the renowned Malayalam music director, with his hit compositions forming a part of the day’s repertoire.

Jerry Amaldev, the music composer who has created some of Malayalam’s most memorable melodies, formed the group, which now has 30 members, in 2010 under his eponymous charitable foundation.
The choral group specialises in songs spanning various genres and languages, including Western pop, Christmas carols and of course, the unforgettable film hits of Jerry Amaldev.

The special show for the hospitals patients, staff and bystanders began with a rendition of ‘Lokam Muzhuvan Sukham Pakaraan’, followed by sprightly songs in the spirit of Onam such as ‘Athapoo nulli’, ‘Poove poli poove’, and ’Ponnonam vannu’.

It concluded with the hit song ‘Ayiram kannumaai’ from the movie Nokketha Doorathu Kannum Nattu.  A group of 18 singers, accompanied by instrumentalists, from the group rendered 15 songs in all.

Jerry Amaldev, a three-time Kerala State Award winner for music direction, has many hits to his credit including the evergreen songs from his first film Manjil Virinja Pookkal. He is also a regular at the Arts and Medicine programme, an initiative of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, to provide solace to ailing patients through art. It was his third time performing at the hospital.


This Wednesday’s musical treat was the 134th in the series of the Arts and Medicine project that was launched by Union Minister K V Thomas in 2014 and is organized by the KBF in association with Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre Limited and the Mehboob Memorial Orchestra.

Kochi Biennale Foundation invites Applications for a Week-Long Workshop

As part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016, the international exhibition of contemporary art,
Kochi Biennale Foundation invites applications for a week-long workshop  from 05 to 10 December 2016 at Kochi, Kerala. The workshop, Thinking Art, will be anchored by philosopher Sundar Sarukkai in collaboration with eminent scholars and artists. The primary purpose of this workshop is to expand the viewing experience of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale by adding a space for thinking and reflecting.

In addition to the workshop, the participants will be able to witness the installation process of the artworks and be present for the opening three days of the Biennale from December 12 – 14, 2016. The last date for application is September 4, 2016 .

The Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) is a non-profit charitable trust engaged in promoting art & culture and educational activities in India; primary amongst them the hosting of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

See for details of the workshop: http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/thinking-art/

‘Musick’ gives an enthralling performance

Artists of ‘Musick’, a well-known association of musicians from Kerala, conquered the stage at the Government General Hospital, Ernakulam today as they presented an enchanting performance by singing a number of popular songs from popular Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam films to regale the patients, bystanders and hospital staff.

Singer Sajini Anand set the tone of the musical show with a mellifluous rendition of the title song of ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram”, a 1978 Bollywood blockbuster starring Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman.

“Music captures the soul and has no bounds of age or gender. Being able to perform before such an audience where every song is like a raindrop in the desert is quite gratifying,” said Anand, the magnificent drummer and Secretary of Musick.

Performing at the 129th edition of the popular weekly programme Arts and Medicine, organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) in association with Mehboob Memorial Orchestra and Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre Limited, the artists presented a scintillating show of receptive music at the hospital premises.


Singers Sajini and Praveen, together with Renjith, who is a regular presence at stage shows, asserted their presence in playback singing by belting out a total of 14 songs. The duets, ‘Malare Maunama’ (Tamil movie Karnaa:1995) and ‘Chura Liya’ ( Hindi  movie Yaadon Ki Baarat:1973), elicited a huge applause from the audience . The troupe concluded the exhilarating show with the group song ‘Kya Hua Tera Wada’ (Yaadon Ki Baarat).

The patients who attended the music therapy programme were quite listening to the stimulating renditions of evergreen melodies. The effective combination of orchestra and effortless renditions of songs by the artists had the crowd swaying with the tempo of the popular numbers.
The Wednesday series of the ‘Arts and Medicine’ show, an initiative to provide healing through music, is eagerly awaited by the crowd which frequents the hospital.

St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, Malayattoor

Malayattoor is located in Ernakulam Dt of Kerala, the southern state of India. Malayattoor, as the name implies, is a meeting place of mountain, river and land. The shrine dedicated to St. Thomas, draws thousands of visitors from all over the world.

History

St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, is believed to have arrived in Kerala in A D 52. He had done several preaching on Jesus in various parts of Kerala. The saint went to Kurisumudy, the mountain in Malayattoor and prayed to Lord Jesus for several days. He used to draw an image of the holy cross on mountain while praying. The symbol of the holy cross can still be seen on the mountain. Mary, the mother of Lord Jesus, appeared before him and blessed the saint.  He travelled in different parts of India to spread the spirituality among the people.

Later, the people of the locality found the footprints of St. Thomas, the saint and a Holy Cross besides this. They lit a lamp in this place as a respect and began to worship. It is believed that a herd of nilgiri thars(mountain goats) came down the mountain to give intimation to the local people that the wind  doused the lamp. Then the people climbed up and lit the lamp again. In memory of this, the pilgrims who climb the mountain carry sesame seeds to feed the goats, which are rare now days.

Festivals of Malayattoor Church

The feast of Kurisumudy is one of the major festivals of Malayattoor Church. It is held every year on the first Sunday after Easter. The devotees carrying the holy cross reach this pilgrimage centre by walking kilometers and climbing up the mountain. The pilgrims as a part of their vow climb the 1269 ft. mountain with lighted candles and chanting prayers. According to believes the women who climb the mountain with brooms will have thick and long hair. Some of the devotees carry stone on their head to get relief from the headache.

There are online services for offerings and thanks giving. The Marthoma Mandapam is the holy place with a statue of Saint Thomas. The pilgrims can offer their prayers here. Sannidhi, the chapel is located on the hill-top. The water in the well near to this chapel is said to have miraculous effects of healing. The golden cross in Kurisumudy, where the Saint used to draw the holy cross during his prayers, attracts visitors.

How to reach Malayattoor Church?

By Road: Nearest bus stations are Kalady and Angamaly.
By Rail: Nearest railway- Angamaly(17 km from Malayattoor).
By Air: Nearest airport Cochin International   Airport, Nedumbassery (15 km from Malayattoor).

For details:
St. Thomas International Shrine,
Kurisumudy, Malayattoor – 683587, Kerala.India
Ph: Tel: +91 484 2468990, 2283450, 2283608
www.malayattoorkurisumudy.in

Applications Invited for Kalasagar Award

Kalasagar is an organisation based at Kavalappara in Palakkad Dt of Kerala founded by Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval, the maestro of percussion Chenda. The institution celebrates the birth anniversary of its founder every year on May 28. As part of this, Kalsagar used to honor artists from different fields of art & culture. Kalasagar invites nominations from artists and art lovers for this year’s award.

Kalasagar awards are given to artistes in the field of Kathakali Vesham, Music, Chenda, Maddalam and Chutty as well as Bharathanatyam, Mohiniyattom, Kuchipudi, Ottanthullal, Chakyarkoothu, Koodiyattom, Thayambaka, and Panchavadyam — Thimila, Maddalam, Edakka, Thalam and Kombu. The awards are decided on the basis of nominations from the art lovers. The artist selected for the award should be between the age of 40-70 years and should be a permanent resident of Kerala.

Nominations with complete details of the artists should be sent to The Secretary, Kalasagar, Kavalappara, Shoranur, Palakkad, Kerala - 679523 on or before 28 April 2016.

Udukku Kotti Pattu - The Folk Song.

Udukku Kotti Pattu is a folk song related to temple festivals of Kerala (India). This art form is usually performed during the Ayyappan Vilakku festival in temples.
Ayyappan Vilakku is the festival associated to Lord Ayyappan. December - January is the season for this festival. Udukku Kotti Pattu is performed during this festival.The lyrics of the song will be related to the stories of Lord Ayyappan. The folk song uses an instrument called udukku, the main rhythmic element. Udukku is a percussion instrument which looks like a miniature of a drum, usually dumbbell shaped. Since the main instrument, mostly the only instrument, used in this folk song is udukku, it is called udukku kotti pattu, means singing with the beats of udukku. This folk song is sung by one of more communities from Hindu religion. Here is a video clip of udukku kotti pattu performed during the Ayyappan Vilakku festival of Kottappuram Siva temple in Thrissur Dt. of Kerala.

Pallipana, the folk ritual - Documentation by INTACH

Pallippana ,the folk ritual dedicated to the Goddess is seen usually in Central Kerala including Malappuram district. As all other temple rituals in Kerala, this ritual also has its uniqueness in its own manner. Along with the ritual performances , folk songs along with dance steps are conducted in this.

INTACH, Calicut Chapter is documenting the whole ritual as part of the ICH nationwide documentation by INTACH. The event will be conducted on 16th & 17th of January 2016 at Changaramkulam in Malappuram dt of Kerala (India). To know more on this event and to participate, CLICK HERE 

INTACH, The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage  is an organisation to conserve and preserve India's natural, cultural, living, tangible and intangible heritage. ICH (Intangible Cultural Heritage) is a division of INTACH to document and safeguard some of the endangered cultural expressions that sustain today.

Here is video clipping of Pallippana. The ritual performance seen here is called Paanapidutham.

The Potters of the banks of River Nila

Bharathapuzha, poetically known as River Nila has played a key role in the development of civilisation and history of Kerala. There are many folk communities, traditional artists and artisans who have been living on the shores of River Nila since centuries. Some of them are still practicing their skills and crafts. The magazine,Welcome Kerala, is featuring such traditions and folklore in a series.

Ezhumangad is one of the popular potters' villages in Kerala, situated on the banks of River Nila. Some of them are still continuing their tradition. Read more about these potters:  The Potters of Ezhumangad

Nangiarkoothu by Kalamnadalam Sindhu

Kalamandalam Sindhu will perform ‎Nangiarkoothu, the Sanskrit dance drama, ‬ on 21,22 June 2015 at Thiruvananthapuram. The dance drama will be based on the story SreeRama Charitham, a new story for nangiarkoothu written by Margi Sathi,the nangiarkoothu Guru. The program will begin at  06.00 pm at Rangasree, Balasubrahmanian Temple lane, Karamana, ‪‎Thiruvananthapuram‬, Kerala.

Sindhu will be accompanied by Kalamandalam Sajikumar, Margi Mahesh on Mizhavu, Kalamandalam Mohan on Timila and Thalam, the cymbals will be played by Margi Amrutha, Margi Visishta.

Scenes presented:
21 June - Sreeramacharitham Purappadu
22 June - Nimicharitham.

This is the first series in the serial presentation of Sreeramacharitham nangiarkoothu, which will be continued in series every month.

Photo Courtesy: Kalamandalam Sindhu.

A Painting Exhibition by Child Artists

Jalasparsam’, an exhibition of paintings by around 100 child artists from the Fine Arts Academy, Balussery, Kozhikode dt conducted at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery in  Kozhikode, Kerala, India displayed excellence of the rising stars.  The participant artists were mostly students, from kindergarten to higher classes, some of them already established.

The exhibition displayed about 110 paintings, which included some award winning paintings of many acclaimed competitions. Read More ..

The Mural City - Kottayam

Murals have been a traditional form of expression of art primarily in temples of Kerala. The origin of murals in Kerala can be traced to around 08th century in the Thirunandikkara cave temple and Thiruvanchikulam temple.

In 2013, The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Kottayam, Kerala organized a two week long “International Mural Painters' Camp” was concluded by the Chief Minister of Kerala, who declared Kottayam the 'Mural City'. Read More on the mural camp and mural city ...

Surviving Traditions from the Banks of River Nila

Bharathapuzha, poetically known as River Nila has played a key role in the development of civilisation and history of Kerala. There are many folk communities, traditional artists and artisans who have been living on the shores of River Nila since centuries. Some of them are still practicing their skills and crafts. From this issue onwards Welcome Kerala will feature such traditions and folklore in a series. The grass mats of Killimangalam featured here is one such tradition which requires immediate attention.     READ MORE  >> >