Use of Chinese fishing nets, a dying heritage in Kochi


With Kochi fast emerging as an Information Technology hub and business city, one of its oldest practices faces the possibility of extinction. The use of the famous Chinese fishing nets at the Fort Kochi Beach, 700-year-old heritage, is on its way out in the fast growing city.The nets once attracted tourists and locals. Only ten are left out of the 20, and most fishermen are finding it hard to maintain them. According to an old fisherman, after the monsoon season, the two months that follow, are reaping time for net owners and labourers. This season, the catch has been much less as compared to earlier years, mainly due to the heavy flow of water caused by incessant rains. “We all are finding it hard this time. For last many years, we never experienced something like this,” claims Mohammad Abduty, a fisherman. Water pollutants and oil in the seawater have forced fishing boats to suspend their operations. Fisherfolk are in debt due to the high maintenance costs involved in keeping their nets in good condition. The cost of making one of these nets is estimated to be anywhere between Rs. two and three lakhs, depending upon its size.The money earned through the sale of fish is shared between the owner of the net and the labourer on a 70:30 ratio basis. Earlier, each laborer used to earn between 100 to 200 rupees for a few hours of work. Now, this has decreased to 20 to 50 rupees a day, which is insufficient.

The Government to has not come forward with an offer of any loan or grant to sustain this heritage. The catch is usually modest with a few variety fishes. These are then sold to passers or tourists. Mohammad Syed, a labourer, said: “Government and travel agencies cash on us by charging heavy amounts from tourists to show our work. But they never try to help us out.” The nets are lowered into the water by the crane like structure and raised after a few minutes. The system is sufficiently balanced to allow a man to walk along the main beam. The Chinese fishing nets in Kerala are one of a kind in India. It is believed that traders from the court of Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets to Cochin coast in Kerala in the 14th century.

Onam...

Onam...

Onasamsakal to malayalis all over the world.............

STORY BEHIND ONAM & ITS CELEBRATIONS

Onam the national festival of the Malayalees, is a festival quite unique to Kerala. Like all other traditional festivals, the promotion of amity and social cohesion is the aim of celebrating Onam.

The legend of Mahabali and Vamana lends a macabre backdrop to the festival. Bali was a king of Kerala who took the virtue of giving gifts to remarkable extremes. He was a good ruler, so the story goes. The land was plentiful and the people happy. This irked some of those superior beings who go under the appellations of Devas. Persuaded by them, Lord Vishnu took the diminutive form of Vamana, a brahmin kid. Vamana approached Bali and asked for three steps of land Bali granted his request against the explicit advice of his technical advisor, guru, a tradition the governments in Kerala have followed without fail ever since.

Vamana covered the heavens and the earth and all known land with two steps. Having run out of places to put his foot down,

Vamana placed his last step on the head of Bali and pushed him somewhere into the nether world. As a parting gift Maha Bali was granted permission to visit his old kingdom once a year. That is the time of Onam.

This poignant story has been interpreted in many ways. Some believe it symbolizes the Aryan conquest of Kerala. It also has a pathetic touch of nostalgia of a people who know nothing but hardship and oppression in daily life, have nothing much to hope about future and console themselves that things cannot have been so bad all the time.

TIME OF ONAM CELEBRATION
Onam is the festive highlight of the first month of the Malayalam calendar. Chingam (August-September) the harvest season of Kerala. After the rain drenched Karkidakam with its privations, Chingam is a welcome month of plenty. This is celebrated with traditional malayalee fervour with family get-togethers and gifting each other clothes, called Ona-kkodi.

THE CELEBRATIONS
The Onam festival commences with ATHAM and lasts for a fortnight culminating on the Uthirittathi. The most important celebrations are on four days- Uthradam, Thiruvonam, Avittom and Chathayam. There will be mirth and jollity among all people especially among the younger folk during the entire Onam season. The climax of the festival is on Thiruvonam Day.

On that day every one takes bath and offers worship in the temples. Then the gayest apparel is put on. Then there is the grand feast which is called 'Onam Sadhya'. After the feasting, there will be sports and games, in which every one participates according to his inclination. People physically and mentally participate in the festival by singing and through various games. To the youngsters, Onam is the time for rejoicing. It is the time for getting together with friends, relatives and grand parents.

In Trichur, a vibrant procession with resplendently caparisoned elephants is taken out while at Cheruthuruthy, people gather to watch Kathakali performers enact scenes from epics and folk tales. Pulikali, also known as Kaduvakali is a common sight during Onam season. Performers painted like tigers in bright yellow, red and black, dance to the beats of instruments like udukku and thakil.

ATHTHA POOKALAM
One of the highlights of traditional Onam festivities is the aththa-poo, an auspicious floral decoration that is made in the compound of the house. Usually circular in shape, it is often multi-tiered, and up to four or five meters across. It is decorated with leaves, flowers and petals of different kinds. A flower is dedicated to each day of Onam, and predominates the decorations.

This colourful flower decoration lasts for ten days from Atham day to the festive Thiruvonam day. Different flowers are used daily. On the next day of Onam, Thumba flowers along with leaves and stems are used to decorate this pookalam. This will remain untouched for the next 15 days. On the 15 day i.e. on the Ayilyam day the pooklam will again be decorated with various flowers. The next day, on Magam day this pooklam will get cut in the four corners with knife and that ends the pookalam decoration of that year.

Even now Pookalam (flower decorations) competitions are conducted through out Kerala on the day of Onam and the best Pookalam are rewarded with traditional prizes.

THRIKKAKARA APPAN
Onam is symbolized by icons that are literally earthy. Made of clay or mud, these conical objects are adorned with flowers and worshipped as Thrikkakara Appan, symbolizing the Vamana avatharam of Lord Vishnu, which is central to the Onam legend.

ONAM SADHYA
The festive lunch on Onam day is called as Onam sadhya. It is a grand feast indeed, even in the poor man's hut. Rice is the main item and along with it several sorts of curries or vegetable preparations including various kinds of puddings.


Traditionally a minimum of 21 dishes like, Aviyal, Curry Narenga, Injipuli, Injithair, Moru Curry, Pacchadi, Paysam, Pradhaman, Theeyal, Thoran, pappadam, eriseri, acchar, etc. are served for lunch.

SNAKE BOAT RACE
At Aranmulla, where there is a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Arjuna, thousands of people gather on the banks of the river Pampa to witness the exciting snake boat races. Nearly 30 chundan vallams or snake boats participate in the festival. Singing traditional boat songs, the oarsmen, in white dhotis and turbans, splash their oars into the water to guide their boats to cruise along like a fish on the move.

The golden lace at the head of the boat, the flag and the ornamental umbrella at the center make it a spectacular show of pageantry too. Each snake boat belongs to a village along the banks of the river Pampa and is worshipped like a deity. Every year the boat is oiled mainly with fish oil, coconut shell, and carbon mixed with eggs to keep the wood strong and the boat slippery in the water. The village carpenter carries out annual repairs lovingly and people take pride in their boat, which represents their village and is named after it.

ONAPPAATTU
The swing is another integral part of Onam, especially in the rural areas. Young men and women, decked in their best, sing Onappaattu, or Onam songs, and rock one another on swings slung from high branches.

ONAM AND KERALA
The festival is now officially a week long, a far cry from its gloriuos 28-day past in Kerala. From the time Onam was recognized as a national festival in 1961, governments in Kerala have celebrated Onam with great pomp. More pomp than the State can afford, at times. But the Onam, like tradition, is not what it used to be. Thala-pandu-Kali, and Kuttiyum-Kolum are now nearly extinct as forms of sport. Kayyam-kali, of course remains, and not just on Onam days. The entertainments now associated with Onam, like Puli-kali apparently are not even indigenous to Kerala.
ONAM AND SOUTH INDIA
Onam being celebrated in Tirupati also confirms the fact that Onam was popular in the southern region before becoming confined to Kerala after the 10th century AD.

Mangudy Marudanar, one of the noted poets of the Sangam Age, is said to have Commemoration Of A Glorious Past described the Onam celebrations in the Pandyan capital of Madurai in one of his poems. Onam has been around for a long time. Apparently it used to be celebrated during the Sangam period in the first few centuaries C.E.

Onam festivities have been recorded during the time Kulasekhara Perumals (800 C.E.). Those were the days when Onam used to be a full month long.

BOAT RACES IN GODS OWN COUNTRY

One of the most unparalleled attraction of God's Own Country are the boat races . Another great event as important as the land’s ethos as the elephant pageant. A sport that signifies the excellent team spirit, integration and amity of the people of this backwater country. An occasions of great excitement that is a reflection of a vibrant people.
The snake boat races of Kerala. Magnificent fiestas that brings alive the tranquil backwaters. Snake boat races are held in connection with Onam, the harvest festival in August/September. Scores of long snake boats and other smaller crafts participate in these events. The largest team sport in the world, the snake boat races are preceded by colourful water parades.
Usually, a snake boat is manned by four helmsmen, 25 singers and 100-125 oarsmen, who row in unison to the fast rhythm of vanchipattu. Thousands of people crowd the water's edge to cheer the huge black crafts as they slice through the waters to a spectacular finish. The oldest of these events have curious legends and myths attached to their origin. Myths closely linked to the rustic people and their beliefs.
The snake boat races of Kerala from July to September are:
Champakulam Moolam Boat Race:
The oldest and most popular snake boat race in Kerala, and is closely connected to the Sree Krishna Temple at Ambalappuzha. The race is held on the Champakulam Lake on the moolam day of the Malayalam month Midhunam, the day of the installation of the deity at the Temple. Legends say that Maharaja Devanarayana of Chempakasseri, as instructed by the royal priest, built a temple at Ambalappuzha. But just before the installation of the deity he was informed that the idol was not auspicious. The king was disturbed, but his minister suggested an inspired solution. To bring down the beautiful idol of Sree Krishna - presented to Arjuna by the Lord himself, from the Karikulam temple in Kurichi. The minister with a few others went to Kurichi, met the authorities there and returned with the idol. On the way back they stopped at Champakulam to spent the night and perform a pooja. The next morning boats from the entire region assembled to escort the idol in a colourful, ceremonial procession through the lake to the Temple. Years later the pageant is still re-enacted with the same enthusiasm. An exotic procession of water floats, boats decorated with colourful parasols and performing arts greets the spectator before the race. The race proper is held in various stages for various categories of boats.
Aranmula Uthrattadi Vallamkali:
The two day Aranmula Boat Race is more a water fiesta than a competition, conducted during Onam. The event is a re-enacting of the legend involving a devout Brahmin who made a votive offering of feeding one pilgrim a day. One day Sree Krishna himself appeared to him and the overjoyed Brahmin vowed to offer 51 measures of rice and all the provision for the thiruvona sadya at the Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple. Once, the thiruvonachilavu thoni was intercepted by rivals from another village, but the Brahmin's own villagers came to the rescue on snake boats. From then on the offering was carried by a fleet of palliyodam - about 48 of them representing the nearby backwater villages. (A palliyodam is a large, luxurious snake boat used by gods and royalty.)
The event is marked by a colourful water carnival - an imposing effigy of Sree Krishna is taken out in procession on the lake with children dressed as nymphs and princesses. On the second day, snake boats decorated with silken parasols, carrying helmsmen, oarsmen and singers assemble near the temple early in the morning and then move away in pairs, creating a magnificent pageant. The boat race proper is held in the afternoon.
Payippad Jalotsavam:


The three day annual fiesta on the Payippad Lake, 35 km from Alappuzha, commemorates the installation of the deity at the Subramanya Swamy Temple, Haripad. The story is that the people of the village decided to build a temple with Sree Ayyappa as the presiding deity. After the temple was ready, they had a vision directing them to a whirlpool in Kayamkulam Lake where they would find the idol of Sree Subramanya, which was to be installed at the temple. Accordingly, the elders of the village with divers and swimmers rowed to the spot and found the idol, which was escorted, back ceremoniously by devotees from the entire region in colourfully.

Nehru Trophy Boat RaceThe:
Nehru Trophy Boat Race is one of those events, which the people of Kerala look forward to with excitement. Thousands of Keralites - men, women and children - throng the watersides of Alappuzha to witness the spectacle. Pavilions are set up for spectators on the banks and in the middle of the Punnamada Lake - the venue of the race.This boat race is so named because the former Indian Prime Minister, JawaharlalNehru instituted the trophy for the winners. Over 16 chundan vallams participate in the race along with scores of smaller crafts like the churulan, veppu, odi etc., with a prize for each category. There are separate races for women too. The race begins with a colourful pageant of floats, performing arts and decorated boats. And goes on late into the evening.

Other than the above mentioned during the months of August and September one could also witness the ATDC Boat Race, Alappuzha, Rajiv Gandhi Boat Race, Pulinkunnu, Neerettupuram Boat Race, Kumarakom Boat Race, Karuvatta Boat Race, Kavanattinkara Boat Race, Kumarakom Arpookara Vanitha Jalamela, Kottayam Mahatma Boat Race, Mannar, Thazhathangadi Boat Race,Kottayam, Kottapuram Boat Race, Kodungallur and Kumaranasan Smaraka Jalotsavam, Pallana, and in the month of December we could also witness The Indira Gandhi Boat Race is held on the Ernakulam Lake during the Cochin Carnival.