Radio Mango, the states first private FM radio channel started broadcasting on 29/11/07 Thursday from Kozhikode. The bandwidth of the channel is 91.9 MHz and is started by the Malayala Manorama group. The channel began with a message from the Cheif editor of Malayala Manorama, Mr.K.M Mathews. The channel would be available around 60 kms radius and would start broadcasting from more places in the future. Any way Keralites are sure to enjoy this FM channel and would be an ideal kick start to the FM revolution in Kerala.
Indian President Ms. Prathiba Patil payed her maiden visit to Kerala this month and showered much praise on this beautiful state. She was astonished at the natural beauty of Kerala and really appreciated it. She arrived at the Mascot Hotel under the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC). She also visited the famous Kovalam beach and also suggested to the travellers from north India to make Kerala their summer destinations as north India would be under extreme heat during the peak summer.
The 46 day long Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) would be held from the first week of December at all the district headquarters in Kerala. GKSF aims at promoting items such as traditional products, handicrafts and decorative items, fashions jewelleries, textiles and other consumer durables.
The long wait is over for Keralites. The Smart City project has kicked off in Style this week and was witnessed by a large gathering at the Foundation Stone unveiling ceremony. The main guests included Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and Fareed Abdul Rahman, the executive director for smart city. Meanwhile Mr. Rahman also presented the Chief Minister a Momento. The smart city project will be giant leap in making Cochin an IT giant in south India as more MNC IT companies are sure to open their office here in Kakkanad, Cochin. As a result more opportunities would be there for the IT professionals in Kerala.
The famous Sabarimala season is around the corner and Kerala would witness a flurry of pilgrims from across the country. The 2007 Sabarimala season starts from the 17th of Novemeber and ends on 27 December 2007. The famous Sabarimala temple is situated in the Sabari hills of the western ghats and has an altitude of about 914 meters. The planning for Sabarimala pilgrimage should observe certain austerities for 41 days. The base camp is in Pampa, and from there they have to go up the hill bare footed. The pilgrims usually carry the Irumudikkettu (a cloth bundle which contains traditional offerings to the temple such as coconut, ghee, malar and rice). There are certain restrictions for the women pilgrims. The women who have either passed their fertility age and those before reaching the stage of puberty are allowed to visit the famous shrine of Sabarimala.
Last week I visited Kerala and was surprised to know that the rain hasn't withdrawn from this state. Last week it started raining heavily and the major cities such as Trivandrum and Cochin were under water. As a result of these rains, I was unable to visit some of the pre planned destinations.
At last the monsoon in Kerala has shown signs of decline and the next 2 months (Novemeber and December) are the best time to visit this beautiful place, as Kerala experiences an excellent climate during these periods. You can plan a trip to the hill stations of Munnar, Ponmudi and Thekkadi, the backwaters of Kumarakom, Alleppey, and Kollam and the exotic beach in Kovalam.
