MTB - Kerala Mountain cycling competition

MTB - Kerala Mountain cycling competition MTB Kerala 2012, an international mountain cycling competition is being organised at two holiday destinations in Kerala in November this year. Organised by the government of Kerala and Kerala Tourism, the three-day global event will be held at Thenmala in Kollam district and at Kovalam. "To promote and encourage adventure tourism in the state, Kerala Adventure Tourism Society will be formed," said Mr. A. P. Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism, Kerala, after launching the logo and website of MTB Kerala. The State's adventure tourism potential is yet to be explored and as a beginning, Kerala will conduct India's first Mountain Cycling competition, MTB Kerala. "MTB-Kerala 2012 would attract a large number of domestic as well as foreign sports lovers and tourists to the State," the tourism minister added. The cross-country race, the main part of MTB Kerala will be held at Thenmala, the country's famous eco-tourism destination, on 2nd and 3rd November. The event aims to make Kerala as the future hub of annual International Mountain Cycling events and is the first time that the State is hosting such an event.

'Kabani Theeram' opened in Wayanad

'Kabani Theeram' opened in Wayanad To tap the enormous tourism potential of the hill district of Wayanad, the first phase of Kabani Theeram, a rural tourism project was inaugurated at Panamaram in Wayanad District. An initiative of District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), Wayanad the first phase of the project includes the construction of a tourist facilitation centre with a multipurpose hall, food court, toilet block, vehicle parking area and a business centre. The second phase includes a riverside walkway, similar to the one on the Veli beach in Thiruvananthapuram District, up to the Thalakkal Chandu Museum in Panamaram and a bird-watching tower to watch and study the different species of migratory birds at a heronry by the Kabani River. The construction of a permanent trade fair centre, an amphitheatre, a children's park, food court, garden, and a boat jetty have also been included in the second phase of this project. The Kabani Theeram project aims at setting up a rural tourism complex on three acres of land on the banks of the Panamaram River, a tributary of the Kabani River.

KTM -2012

Kerala Travel Mart 2012 The seventh edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) will be held from September 27 to 30 at Le Meridien Convention Centre in Kochi, Kerala. KTM is India's largest tourism buyer-seller meet and is a unique travel mart in the sub-continent that brings together the business fraternity and entrepreneurs behind the tourism products and services of Kerala. This year's KTM will have 108 tables, 296 modules and 12 houseboat parking bays. International buyers from countries like Malaysia, Singapore, China, Australia, U.K., U.S.A., Germany, France and from countries in South Asia have registered as delegates in KTM 2012. More than a thousand buyers from other states of India will also participate in this popular travel mart of the country. 1795 buyers have registered so far, out of which 460 are international and 1335 are domestic. KTM 2012 will have state-of-the-art online facilities, which will enable buyers and sellers to interact better. All the editions of KTM have been successful ones, which is held as a biennial event during the last Thursday, Friday and Saturday of September. Today, in the domain of travel and tourism in India, KTM has become the largest gathering designed, planned and scheduled to facilitate meetings involving buyers, sellers, media, government agencies and other related bodies. Its strength is reflected in the increasing participation of sellers and buyers every year.

Pallipuram Fort

Pallipuram Fort Stepping into Kochi is like stepping into the labyrinthine alleyways of history where you encounter the fresh wafts of the bygone era that comes from the ancient streets, palaces, museums, synagogues, cathedrals… Kochi is all this and more. This time, we invite you for a trip to Pallipuram in Vypeen Island near Kochi to behold and feel the earliest of all European memories in India. Amid the huge trees that romance the skies, untouched by the hubbubs of the town, enduring the snags of time, there stands a fort in its geezerhood - the Pallipuram Fort. Built in 1503 by the Portuguese the Pallipuram Fort is considered as the oldest surviving European monument in India. Also known by the name Ayikotta or Alikotta the fort is a gigantic hexagonal structure. The architecture of the fort is quite fascinating with a hexagonal outpost and the lowest floor raised to a height of five feet. Laterite, mortar and wood are used for the construction. The layout enables to mount as many guns as possible commanding all quarters round the fort. There is a cellar inside the fort, which was used at that time as a magazine. There is an open space inside, affording easy passage to the cellar. The local people believe that the cellar is a tunnel that leads to the Cheraman Masjid in Kodungallur (Kodungalloor). The fort fell into the hands of the Dutch army in 1663. In 1798 the fort was purchased by the Travancore Maharaja and is now a protected monument of the Kerala State Department of Archaeology. Pallipuram got its name from the nearby Manjumatha Church, dedicated to the Lady of Snow (manju in Malayalam denotes mist or snow) which was also built by the Portuguese roughly at the same time as the Fort. In Malayalam the word Palli means church and thus the surrounding areas of the church became Pallipuram. There is an interesting legend associated with the name of the church. Accordingly, when Tipu Sultan attacked Kochi and tried to destroy the church a miraculous mist came down, enveloped the church and hid it from him. Getting there: Nearest railway station: Ernakulam Junction, about one km from the main boat jetty to Vypeen Island Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport, about 20 km from Ernakulam town to Vypeen Island

The woman who gave birth to a forest

Muthukulam, a small hamlet in the Karthikapally Taluk of Alappuzha District has a small forest of its own, spreading over five acres of land. One would be fascinated to see the lush greenery and the amazing ecosystem sheltered by this forest. More than this, the entire forest with its trees, shrubs and creepers were planted and nurtured single-handedly by an old woman - Kollakkayil Devaki Amma and her family. Kollakkayil Devaki Amma is not an expert in environmental science or any related subjects; nor has she attended any seminars on global warming or environmental pollution. But one thing she knows very well is that only trees can save this dying planet from its approaching doom. She learned this valuable lesson from her life partner Gopalakrishna Pillai. A teacher by profession, Gopalakrishna Pillai never forgot to bring a seed of any tree, whenever he returned home after his journeys. Even after his demise, Gopalakrishna Pillai's family continued nurturing trees and plants in their privately owned property at Muthukulam. Today this blessed land with its variety of plants like teak, mahogany, tamarind, mango trees, bamboo and pines, has become the focus of nature enthusiasts and botanists. Around two hundred species of trees along with various unknown shrubs together constitute this manmade forest. It is said that if it rains not a single drop will reach the earth straight as the forest so deep and thick. If it is the serenity that attracts tourists and nature enthusiasts here, botanists who visit here are drawn by the presence of a wide variety of rare and special plants grown by Devaki Amma and family. For those who are fond of Indian myths, legends and epics the forest nurtured by Devaki Amma would be very interesting. Krishnanaal, which has its leaves in the shape of cone, is the most significant among them. It is believed that Lord Krishna in his childhood used the leaves of this tree to have butter by shaping the leaf into a cone. Kayamboo tree, the colour of which is often compared by the poets with that of Lord Krishna is also part of this forest. Even now people believe that Kayamboo tree is just a poetic imagination. Lakshmi Tharu (Simarouba glauca), Chinese Orange (Citrus microcarpa), Njaval (Syzygium cumini), Nagapoomaram and Ankolam (Alangium salvifolium Wang)are other major plants in Devaki Amma's forest. Recognition came her way in the year 2002 when Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India selected her for the Indira Gandhi Vrikshamithra award. In a time when deforestation and pollution are progressively uprooting the greenery of the planet, let us set Devaki Amma and her family as a model worth emulating.