Track Two To The Olympics – On The PT Usha School Of Athletics

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Shamanth| Leave a comment

(How PT Usha nurtures dreams at her athletics school by offering an alternative to the dysfunctional training of the official system).

This piece appeared in the 29 June issue of Open magazine.

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Posted in Kerala, Open, Published work, Sport

Leisurely we glide – on visiting Kumarakom

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Shamanth| Leave a comment

At the heart of Kerala’s backwaters, a quiet resistance keeps tourism at bay.

This piece appeared in Mint Lounge on 11 June 2011.

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Posted in Destinations, Kerala, Kumarakom, Mint Lounge, Published work

Build a better mousetrap, and catch fish with it.

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Shamanth| 3 Comments

 

(On fishing strategy, from Kerala’s backwater country)

Cordon off a part of a river by the bank. Have a door divide the thus separated ‘pond’ from the rest of the river.

Keep the door open. Sprinkle food particles into your ‘pond’ as bait. Fish will swim into the ‘pond’ for the food. As soon as some fish are in, shut the mousetrap’s door to prevent fish from swimming out of the ‘pond’.

Bring out a net. Catch the fish. Just eat it.

Easy.

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Posted in Destinations, Kerala, Kumarakom

A slow shift in Kumarakom

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Shamanth| Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, I was in and around Kumarakom, in the middle of Kerala’s backwater country.

Most resorts and homestays there are traditional houses. These are ancient sloping roofed houses with more than 8-10 rooms, spread over 40-50 metres in each direction. That’s in addition to the just-as-big flowering gardens around the houses.

These were meant to accommodate large joint families.Today, of course, joint families have dispersed to seek greener pastures. Multiple rooms in these houses are inventory for homestays.

Wood-paneled paddy storage rooms still preserve a hint of warm, musty smells, but these are now converted to special luxury suites. Farming is far less profitable today. An agrarian, traditional society is slowly drifting towards a tourist economy.

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Posted in Kerala, Kumarakom

Trunk Call – On the Thrissur Pooram

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Shamanth| Leave a comment

 

The Madathil Varavu, or temple entry of the elephants at the Thrissur Pooram

On the Thrissur Pooram, festival of sound and fury.

(This piece appeared in Mint Lounge on 9 April 2011).

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Posted in Destinations, Festivals & Events, Kerala, Mint Lounge, Published work, Thrissur, Thrissur Pooram

Remains of Naxalbari – on revisiting the seeds of a revolution

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Shamanth| 2 Comments

 

"The Tianenmen Square of India" at Naxalbari(Naxalbari is a village in West Bengal. Because Naxalbari was the location of a 1967 peasant rebellion, the village’s name came into the English language in the form of the word ‘Naxalite’.).

(This is my piece about 1967 and on Naxalbari today. It appeared in the March 12 issue of Mint Lounge.)

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Posted in Destinations, History, Mint Lounge, Naxalbari, Published work, West Bengal