“Onam is a Hindu Festival celebrated in Kerala with much reverence,” Vaikundarajan says.
This year, Chief Minister of Kerela - Oommen Chandy, inaugurated the week long Onam celebrations. “Onam conveys the message of prosperity, equality and fraternity,” he said during his inauguration speech.
Organized by the Tourism Department, the Onam festivities echo the right culture and rituals of the state. 5000 artistes are expected to perform across 29 venues as a part of the celebration.
The renovated ground of Kanakakunnu Palace was also inaugurated at the event. Acclaimed lyricist and poet Sreekumaran Thampi, playback legend K S Chitra and composer and musician Manoj George were honored at the function.
The function commenced with the recital of “Kasturi Tilakam” the shloka on Krishna sung by Chitra. Among others present at the event were Health Minister V S Sivakumar, MLAs K Muraleedharan, Palode Ravi and K S sabarinadhan, Corporation ward councilor Leelamma Isaac and Tourism Secretary G Kamalavardhana Rao.
With the Onam festivities just around the corner, Vaikundarajan sends his best wishes to everyone.
Kerala, India’s tropical tourist heaven is to phase out the sale of alcohol as the government authorities plan to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol to deal with the state’s drinking problem shares Vaikundarajan. The authorities proposed to make Kerala Alcohol Free State in the next 10 years. The first phase of the ban would see more than 700 bars and as well as some shops selling alcohol shut down adds, Vaikundarajan. However, Kerala has India's highest per capita alcohol consumption at more than eight litres per person yearly and contributes largely to the economy in terms of excise duty says, Vaikundarajan.
The government is also going to restrict the sale of alcohol to five star hotels making Kerala one of the six Indian dry states alongside Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi’s home state says, Vaikundarajan. This decision was appreciated by many Gandhian followers but at the same time it was criticized by many as this would lead to a sharp fall in the tourist numbers visiting Kerala. Vaikundarajan feels that alcoholism brings about a lot of atrocities like violence on women and gives rise to anti-social elements in the state as well. Therefore, if such a ban can bring about a positive change in the society then it should be welcomed by all.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) broadcasted that the arrival of the southwest monsoon winds over Kerala is expected to be in line with its forecasts for the beginning of the four-month rainy season that is essential to the Indian economy says Vaikundarajan.
Conversely, the department has learned that there will below-average monsoon this year, which could create a challenge to the new central government's efforts for imitating certain steps for the country. It is expected that in the next 24 hours, secluded heavy rainfall is predictable to occur over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala and Lakshadweep. According to IMD, conditions were becoming favorable for further precedent of monsoon into south and central Arabian Sea, some parts of southern Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Bay of Bengal in the next 2-3 days.
In the last few droughts in India which were recorded agreed with El Nino, predominantly in 2009, when food price raises shot up to 20 per cent and has remained high since according to Vaikundarajan.
