Onam Supplement-2014- Part I

CELEBRATIONS OF LIFE

DELIVERING WELLNESS

UNITED COLOURS OF KERALA

TOURISM & TRAVEL TIPS

SPECIAL REPORT | SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

KHALEEJ TIMES | SEpTEMbEr 6, 20141

Onam

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EditorialExecutive EditorPatrick Michael

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Sub-editorSadiq Shaban

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Onam, an important festival of Kerala, coincides with the harvest of rice, the main crop in the state. It symbolises social harmony, where Keralites enthusiastically participate irrespective of their religious backgrounds. The spirit of unity and brotherhood prevails in the several celebrations arranged by the government as well as social organisations in Kerala.

This is a season of generosity — of giving and sharing— where family bonds are strengthened and the occasion is celebrated in all its grandeur and glory. New clothes and traditional feasts spread out on plantain leaves set the festivities apart. Just the thought of the variety, the sumptuousness and the exquisite taste of food can make your mouth water. The culture of Kerala is showcased during Onam. The 10-day long festival begins with Atham in the Malayalam month of Chingam and culminates on the day of Thiruvonam. Each of the 10 days has a special significance and a ritual to follow.

Households in Kerala are busy during this time. As for the delicacies, one can go on and on. Payasam (the traditional Kerala dessert), the show-stopper of the onasadya is itself of plentiful variety. It is interesting to watch kids make every celebration their own. Children go early in the morning scouting the neighbourhood in search of flowers to make floral carpets (pookkalam) that adorn the courtyards of their homes. Traditional arts and games bring alive the rustic ambience of the community. The swing is a unique feature of this festivity. There are several Onam-special programmes conducted across Kerala including the Kerala Tourism-sponsored programmes. The story of the benevolent King Mahabali is remembered, a time when he ruled the state and ensured prosperity and equality for all. It is believed that the mythical king visits his subjects during Onam to enquire about the well-being of his people.

Malayalee residents in the UAE too participate in gala cultural events and reconnect with their roots. In this special issue on Onam we have featured people from Kerala who silently strive to make a difference to the community. The cultural, social and economic aspects of the festival, and of the state, are also covered in this edition. Additionally, Malayalees have a spectacular line-up of lavishly produced film extravaganzas specifically for the festival. We have ‘tried and tested’ mouth-watering recipes that you can cook at home. Several retail outlets in the UAE have a wide variety of promotions and offers, and hotels even have special Onam luncheons for those who are unable to cook at home. So go on, read and enjoy.

Happy Onam to one and all, and do take time off to partake in the celebrations with family and friends.

SPECIAL REPORT | SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

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KHALEEJ TIMES | SEpTEMbEr 6, 2014 2

Onam

MESSAGE

OOMMEN CHANDyChief Minister, Kerala

I am glad to know that Khaleej Times

will be bringing out a special Onam

supplement in September 2014.

The initiative by Khaleej Times to

highlight Kerala’s national festival is

indeed appreciable. I hope that the

special supplement on Onam will help

to enliven the spirit of the festival

among Malayalee expatriates in the

UAE, which is marked by brotherhood,

togetherness and plenitude.

Wishing all a Happy and

Prosperous Onam 2014.

Oommen Chandy

Office: Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram - 695 001

Phone: Office: 2333610, 2333812, 2333197, 2332148, 2333214, 2332682, 2332184

Fax: (0471) 2333489 Res: (0471) 2345600, 2342602 & (0481) 2351135

C O N T E N T SKHALEEJ TIMES | SPECIAL REPORT | SEPTEMbER 6, 2014

Food lover's paradiseKerala's

distinct cuisine using locally available ingredients

stardom celebrations Fahad and nazriya

en route to wedded bliss

Keeping the spirit alivea Feeling oF being at

home For onam the expatriate liFe

malayalees living in

different parts of

the world recall fond onam

memoriespage 8

a time to celebrate,care and share

Flame oF Festive season burns

bright treasured traditions in

modern lives

magical renditionswitness the grace

oF diFFerent art Forms

star spectacle lavishly mounted Film

extravaganzasdelectable dishesFavourite onam

recipes

Festivities oF liFe


Onam

A time to celebrAte, cAre And shAre

The UAe is a good place to be in; not just for the sun and sand; not even so much for the employment opportunities it generates, but for the very important humane philosophy it promotes as a 'nation that cares'. Leading by example, it instils a spirit of generosity, a keenness to alleviate suffering and to be a good member of this progressive society.

It is this spirit that is reflected even during Onam

celebrations in the UAe with expatriates who have chosen to live here for decades, enjoying the good life and celebrating Onam with fanfare and fervour, but remembering to encompass others who seek help with silent dignity. The various Kerala Cultural Associations chip in with strength in numbers and their collective determination to care for the community.

The flame of a fesTive season burns brighTer Than ever, as Treasured TradiTions give modern lives someThing To hold on ToManjula Ramakrishnan


Onam

vinitha pratish

Born and raised here, Dubai has been home to Vinitha for the past 32 years. As an IT Operations engineer

working for emirates airlines, a computer engineer by profession, a classical dancer and a choreogra-pher rolled into one, Vinitha dons several hats and performs each of these diverse roles with élan.

Despite a busy roller-coaster ride trying to balance her pro-fessional, family and social life, when Onam is round the corner, priorities are blithely re-arranged. For here is a festival that is not just about celebration or feasting, but about keeping traditions thriving, about finding time for friends and families to meet, for community activities and for bringing to this faraway land an interesting smor-gasbord of verdant and culturally-rich Kerala.

“The very mention of Onam conjures up such happy memories with so much to say that I don’t know where to start! If our grand-parents made Onam in Kerala special with their pampering and lending their very exclusive touch,

JP, as he is popularly known, is a veteran of Dubai, having lived here for 24 years and counting. Armed with an accounts and inventory background and associ-

ated with a leading group of supermarkets in the UAe, JP has seen the nation grow. Along-side the unstoppable upward spiral of this friendly country, he has also seen Malayalees in the UAe flourish, thanks to the benevolence of the rulers. Thus with each year, Onam cele-brations have become more vibrant and more fervent, he observes.

“Onam for every Malayalee represents to-getherness and bonding. Much as I relish the well-over two decades of Onam in the UAe, I also remember with fondness the celebra-tions back home in Kerala during my growing up years. All the neighbourhood kids would as-semble to go on a dedicated mission of collect-ing flowers for the pookalam. Thumba, the small white flower was the main pick and the child armed with the maximum flowers was an ac-claimed star! On Uthradam day, we would make

the traditional statue of Thrikkakarayappan with mud and display that in front of the house.’’

Onam also promotes equality and altruism, which translates into distribution of vegetables, fruits and necessary groceries to the underprivi-leged. The touch and feel of new clothes, the Onakodi, is also important; hence gifting new clothes to those for whom it is wishful thinking is yet another humane aspect of the festival.

here in the UAe, JP is a member of several as-sociations that are culturally dynamic, but equal-ly so in their humanitarian activities. Sevanam, Friends of India, Vidya International Charitable Trust, and Chinmaya Mission are some of the outfits that promote a variety of causes.

“On the cultural side, the Kerala cultural associations organise pookalam competitions, Maveli and the much-awaited Onam feast. Some of these celebrations last for well over a month and serve in educating the younger generation about the significance of our traditions and culture. On the humanitarian side, Sevanam in the UAe helps render medical and legal help, taking care of insurance needs, repatriating dead bodies, helping the uninitiated with the Consulate work and similar. Through Chinmaya Mission, we teach traditional values and ethics. At Vidya, we focus on higher education and providing scholarships to the economically backward sector, guided by the philosophy ‘progress through education’. “The sum and substance of Onam therefore is oneness in our celebrations, keeping alive our traditional values, and above all ensuring that the occasion is a reason to reach out to those in need.”

thazhathuveetil raman Jayaprakasan

it is friends and extended fam-ily here in Dubai who ensure the flavour and spirit is kept vibrantly alive. While it is commonly said that the Onasadya is a herculean task, I have always enjoyed mak-ing the feast, basking in the adula-tion that greets me the next morn-

ing as the innumerable delicacies get devoured!”

Floral decorations outside her home, the Onakodi that is shopped for with unbridled en-thusiasm, and the gifts given and accepted, all lend the festivities that extra fillip.

“As a child, I used to partici-pate in the United Malayalee As-sociation's Onam programmes, particularly in the cultural shows that would depict the true fla-vour of Onam. Today as a trained dancer, we give dance recitals like thiruvathirakkali, which is the traditional Onam dance, parades and pageants, floral arrangements and help with the association’s Onasadya. It is through these as-sociations that we donate clothes for the needy, particularly school uniforms for economically back-ward children.’’

ensuring an important festival like Onam is celebrated by all ap-pears to be a common theme for Onam. hence, the festival often witnesses distribution of grocer-ies needed to prepare a modest feast, thereby enveloping those who lack the resources to make the day special.

“When days and weeks merge in a blur with life in constant fast track mode, festivals such as Onam make us stop in our tracks, take a deep breath, enjoy the occa-sion with gay abandon, re-charge our batteries and return back to the grind with more energy and enthusiasm.”


A banker and financial consultant, Mohan Kumar has enjoyed 22 years of rendezvous with the UAe and considers Dubai as his

home away from home. “I am from a beautiful, picturesque village called

Thiruvilwamala in Trichur district on the banks of the famous river Bharathapuzha; my wife Mini is from Kathikudom, another village in the same dis-trict near the Chalakkudy river. hailing from these tiny albeit alluring hamlets of Kerala, we have en-joyed the authentic Onam celebrated in these pas-toral places.”

“Onam is a celebration that is enjoyed after the harvest season in Kerala. It represents abundance and is the harbinger of good times to come. The festival falls during spring season; hence the pres-ence of beautiful, hue-rich flowers all around lends its own charm. The significance of the flowerbeds or pookalam that children enthusiastically make at the entrance of each home is meant to create mental harmony and inner peace. Besides an activity, cre-ating the floral arrangement brings together entire family members, perched around the baskets of flowers and bound by the spirit of Onam.”

The Onasadya is the pride of every woman in the household and presents an occasion to prepare tra-ditional items that is seldom made in an otherwise busy life. The payasams in particular are a gourmet delight and a must with every Onam feast.

“elders gift children and other younger members of the family with new clothes. Wearing the Onakodi is considered auspicious, hence back home in Kera-la, dependents, workers and maids are all gifted new clothes as part of the Onam ritual. The festival in the cities and towns of Kerala goes on for about 10 days, and feeding the poor is considered the moral duty of those endowed with resources. No one in the village is supposed to go hungry, irrespective of caste or creed. This selfless philosophy of Onam lends great dignity to the festival.”

here in the UAe, almost every family is a mem-ber of various cultural associations; hence children get an opportunity to showcase their talents in mu-sic, dance and drama. Women perform the famous Onam dance called kaikottikkali and the atmosphere is replete with the unified spirit of Onam.

“Giving generously is also an Onam sentiment. As a practice, we donate to orphanages in India and make sure a decent Onam meal is provided to the less fortunate children there. Amidst the enjoyable Onam fanfare, it is important to spare a thought for those who will gratefully accept a help-ing hand. That would be truly carrying the Onam tradition forward.”

A doctor of medicine who has chosen the intriguing world of life and health insurance, Dr Geeta has en-veloped the UAe as her home for the past 22 years.

“The fondest memory of Onam is the overwhelming joy derived out of being in the midst of loved ones, people who love us unconditionally. As a medical professional with little time for myself, the festival has given me a good reason to dress up in my best Onam finery! Another passion of mine that finds an outlet during the festival is trying out different floral designs, experimenting and sitting back to enjoy the fi-nal creation. I once tried using coloured coconut gratings on the pookalam, which produced a surprisingly brilliant effect.’’

Another interesting activity of Onam day is when children decide to entertain elders at home with song and dance rou-tines. The sumptuous feast that follows is a sure enough treat, with special Onam desserts satiating the sweet tooth.

As an Onam practice, rice and other food grains, vegeta-bles and clothes are donated to the needy. This altruism is something that should not be limited to Onam, but one that should become a life philosophy, says Dr Geeta. The blood

donation camps she participates in are a case in point, “blood is meant to circulate.”“The best feature of Onam is that it knows no religion. It is meant for anybody from Kerala.

The day, the occasion, is just another good endearing excuse to celebrate life, bound together as people who speak the same language — Malayalam — and who come from the same coastal state. With the popularity of Onam growing, Indians from other states, and even foreigners, participate joyously with their Malayalee friends, thus spreading the message of friendship sans borders,” she observes.

dr geeta gangadharan

Dr Sayed, a Paediatrician and Group Medi-cal Director of Aster DM healthcare, Dubai, is a household name in the UAe.

his laudable career saw him pass out from the University of Kashmir and his paediatric special-isation from Mysore University, and the last 26 years of his professional life here in the UAe.

Looking back at his long stint in Dubai, Dr Sayed nostalgically reminisces about his very first Onam celebration here. “It was organised by advocate Sarachandra Bose and his team. I had the opportunity to be a team member and could actively participate in organising the event. This proved to be a huge success and thus paved the way for future Onam celebrations, a legacy that continues even today without a break. having spent a major part of my life in this country, Onam has always been a period earmarked for families and friends. The various Kerala commu-nity organisations too come forth with a colour-ful agenda of celebrations and I enjoy being a part of these too year-on-year.”

As a child growing up in his Kalpakanchery village, the good doctor’s Onam day would dawn

with a joyous task of plucking flowers from the lush greenery all around. The flower carpet that would emerge at the entrance of each home was a first morning treat. Running amok with siblings and cousins, without a care in the world and replete with songs and laughter, the whole village would don the festive look and look at the antics of the children indulgently. When ex-hausted, welcome relief was in the form of the Onam feast, followed by dances, songs, dramas, literary festivals, folk arts, traditional games and martial arts.

“In the Gulf, celebrations get extended and sometimes stretch to well over two months, in order to utilise the available weekends for cel-ebrations as well as the availability of venues for the huge gathering to converge. Community associations, college alumnis, companies and labour camps line up Onam feasts, games, stage shows and the extended Onam period gives everybody a reason to place in the back burner their daily problems and to look ahead with posi-tive energy.’’

Dr Sayed is a member of the Kairali Associa-tion and participates in the activities of several other Malayalee cultural associations too. While the associations do commendable social work and give as much as they possibly can to the com-munity, Dr Sayed in his professional capacity, and through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes of Aster DM healthcare, has conducted various free medical camps in Dubai and other emirates.

“While Onam offers a lot by way of abundant happiness, a sense of belonging to the family and the community, it is also a time when we sit back to count our blessings and to reach out to those who wait for happiness to breeze into their lives through a window they never knew they had open.’’

dr p m m sayed

thozhoor Kamala mohan Kumar


Onam

K S Nayar

Squatting on the floor and eating a sumptuous Onasadya (feast) spread on plantain leaf with bare hands is the way

Malayalee techies living across the world love to celebrate Kerala’s ancient harvest festival. For most of them — though they generally frown on myths and legends — the smell of curries and payasams (puddings) are so irresistible that nostalgia compels them to take a day off from work to partake in the traditionally prepared meals and adorn the pookalam (floral arrangement).

The pull of Onam traditions and fond memories that Malayalee techies nurture of their childhood walking across dew-filled fields to pluck flowers to make colourful flo-ral arrangements overwhelm them wherever they live. These images of happiness come back to them on Onam days — a tradition ingrained in their DNAs.

From Bangalore to Florida, the techie is not happy merely ex-changing photos and greetings on social networking sites, which oth-erwise hog their waking hours.

Florida-based Asok Menon, working as a cost accountant for the past 24 years, has never given Onam a miss. he enjoys the feast with his wife Renu Paliath and chil-dren Anirudh and Anjali. The last time the Chottanikkara (ernaku-lam District)-born Asok celebrated the festival in Kerala was in Sep-tember, 1990. It’s still etched in his memory.

In Florida, with its tropical clime and similarities with Kerala weather, Asok and his family have enjoyed every moment of the Onam spirit amid the hustle and bustle of American life. “We buy vegetables from local Indian gro-cery stores,” he says and speaks of

the nostalgia of plucking flowers as a boy for the pookalam.

he believes the cyberspace and its social networking sites provide a fairly satisfactory platform for the exchange of Onam greetings with friends and families. he thinks the Internet has brought together the Onam spirit with Fa-cebook and Twitter providing an ambience, though a bit artificial and illusionary, to keep up the Onam traditions.

For IT engineer Mohan PV, liv-ing in Bangalore for the past 10

Festivities of lifemalayalees living in different parts of the world recall fond onam memories as they celebrate the harvest festival with family and friends

years, celebrating Onam away from Kerala has its limitations. But with wife Bhavya and daughter Nirupama, he makes it a point not to miss the Onam spirit in case he cannot make it to his hometown in Kerala. his previous Onam was in ernakulam two years ago.

he confesses that he always felt nostalgic of his younger days going to the field and collecting flowers to make pookalam.

As a techie under work pres-sure, he says social networking sites do provide a fairly satis-

factory connection with family and friends to exchange Onam greetings. But he believes that the Internet cannot provide the true Onam spirit or its traditional gaiety in spite of the photographs and music one could upload.

For Mohan, the way out of this artificial Onam ambience is to organise the feast at home. “If it’s a holiday, we try making sadya at home. As Bangalore is home to many Malayalees, there is no dearth of vegetables and condiments that are specifically needed for the sadya. That makes it interesting.”

For Lakshmi, who is working with Tangoe, a leading US-based global provider of Connection Lifecycle Management software and related services, Onam is an occasion to show her true Malay-alee spirit. “I grew up in Cochin and am currently located in Ban-galore. I consider myself a full-blooded Malayalee, and Onam is special for me,” she says with Malayalee pride.

For every Malayalee living in any part of the world, Onam is still a special event in their life. It opens the floodgates to their childhood memories of happy celebrations.

GULF GATE


Onam

She has been away from home for more than 10 years, but con-siders herself lucky that she could celebrate Onam in Kerala last year. “I’ve been fortunate to go back home for every Onam and cele-brate with my family,” she says.

As a techie she confesses that she works under great pressure and believes that the Internet is a great medium to exchange greet-ings, not just for Onam, but also on all festival occasions. “I think Onam is celebrated much more these days than in the past when I was in school. It’s nice to see greetings being shared and pic-tures of Onam celebrations being put up on Facebook.”

Thanks to a clutch of good hotels near her Bangalore apart-ment, she buys onasadya with all the traditional items on the menu. “For the last five years we have been buying sadya as there is usu-ally more than 20-25 people who gather for the feast on Onam day,” Lakshmi said.

Thiruvanthapuram-born Prit-ish Madhavan, who works in Dal-las as an Adviser on IT systems for CVS Caremark, the largest inte-grated pharmacy company in the US, says Malayalee techies work-ing abroad are absolutely nostal-gic over their younger days back in Kerala where they would go out with friends in groups to pick flow-

ers to make pookalam. “This nostalgia comes when we

watch Malayalam programmes on TV showing kids putting up pooka-lam,” he says. “having said that, such pookalam activities even back in Kerala is now limited and even for my age group what I can remember is that we used to do this for our res-ident association’s Onam festivals and pookalam competitions.”

Such activities are not hap-pening in Malayalee homes in Dallas, although the local Kerala association organises pookalam at their facilities.

Pritish, who is married and has two sons, said that the last time he celebrated Onam in Kerala was nine years ago. however, while working in the US, he has not for-

gone having traditional sadya. “We do organise Onam parties

every year, where we create a list of items to prepare and then share it with our friends who like to make at least one item at their home. We also invite friends as our guests from other cultures and countries to join these sadyas.”

Although he is a techie, he as-serts that he is not active on social cyberspace. “I would rather call up friends and families from the US and greet. I would say these days it has become more of a fashion for people to use Facebook, Twitter, etc. to exchange Onam greetings.”

Adarsh Raveendran, Project Manager with Direct General, a US insurance company based out of Nashville, says he celebrated Onam in Kerala with his wife, son and daughter last year.

After being away from Kerala for the past nine years, he is nos-talgic about the Onam in his younger days in his hometown, enjoying collecting flowers for the pookalam and every activity related to Onam.

Although he feels the enormous work pressure as a techie in Ameri-ca, he makes it a point to celebrate Onam at home with close friends. “We also have a celebration with the local Malayalee association. For them, preparations start two to three months in advance,” he says.

he thinks the Internet has brought together the Onam spirit, and Face-book and Twitter provide an ambi-ence to keep up the Onam traditions.

For Sudeep D working in Banga-lore for the past seven years, Onam is a time to indulge in nostalgia. The last time he celebrated Onam was at his hometown two years ago. It was incomparable with the festivities within the restricted space of his Bangalore apartment. “Thanks to the Malayalee shops in the neighbourhood, getting the vegetables and spices to make a traditional sadya is no problem,” he informs.

Sudeep thinks no one can live without the Internet, but Facebook and Twitter are no substitute to the joy, the colour and smell of Onam. he indulges himself recalling the good old days of his childhood in his hometown, where as a young lad he had gone around gathering flowers for the pookalam.

For every Malayalee living in any part of the world, Onam is a still a special event in their life. It opens the floodgates to their child-hood memories of happy celebra-tions. For most it continues to be celebration of life itself.

K S Nayar has worked as a journal-ist in Delhi, Singapore and Sharjah. Presently, he is a media consultant based in Cochin, India.

Nostalgia comes when Keralites watch Malayalam programmes on TV showing kids putting up pookalam.

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JEWELLEry


Onam

Classical dance lets Thrinitha suraj stay connected to her roots

dancing her way to fame

Sadiq Shaban

It won’t be inappropriate to call 15-year-old Thrinitha Suraj a child prodigy. The 10th standard student from Delhi Private School (DPS)

Dubai is an accomplished clas-sical dancer who specialises in Bharatnaytam, Kuchipudi, Moh-iniyattam and folk dance.

“I started dancing when I was just three years old. My mother was instrumental in introducing me to this art form. I felt very involved in it from the beginning. Although I enjoy classical dance more, I per-form other genres like Bollywood and Western too. I like trying out new forms of dance,” Thrinitha told Khaleej Times.

Dance has not only helped the little wonder in terms of getting better at what she does, but also in her studies and extra-curricular activities. “As of now both dance and studies are going parallel in my life. Dance is not distracting me from my priorities. I love dancing. It is a medium where I can express myself. There is drama, music, emotion — everything in it. There is nothing you can’t showcase in dance,” she avers.

Thankfully Thrinitha’s school has supported her to the fullest.

Deepa Nair, Thrinitha’s mother, says that teachers like Prabha Nambiar, Activity head, and Rashmi Nandakeolyar, Prin-cipal, DPS Dubai, have been very encouraging. Other dance teachers like Prasanna Kumar, Pradeep Kashinada and her child-hood tutor Lata have all groomed Thrinitha to acquire the tender-ness and sculpturesque elegance that classical dance requires.

Deepa, herself a very competent dancer, couldn’t fulfil her dreams of pursuing a career in dance. how-ever, she wants her daughter to an-swer her real calling. “Thrinitha’s father, Suraj Moosad, a corporate trainer, is very supportive of her too. She has become more focused after she started concentrating on classical dance. A disciplined child, she choreographs her own dance, sometimes along with her younger sister Sreshta when she has to give a performance for an association or a youth festival.”

A two-time finalist for the popu-lar Indian television reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Thrinitha has also been a finalist for the Star Plus show Just Dance. Besides winning several awards in Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi in the UAe, she has bagged the best performing artist prize for five years.

having performed with top Ma-layalam artists like Kavya Madha-van and Vineeth, Thrinitha wants to achieve new heights in dance and acting. “Dance has helped me evolve as a person. In classical dance you portray all kinds of emo-tions and learn several lessons. I have become more humble and grounded and I feel genuinely hap-py about that,” she chuckles.

—[email protected]

KT Photo by Dhes HandumonTHrInITHA SUrAJ

Dance has helped me evolve as a person.

Onam


Onam

celebrations

Farhana Chowdhury

Mollywood superstars Fahad Fazil and Nazriya Nazim tied the knot on August 21, 2014 in an intimate cer-emony in Thiruvananthapuram, bringing in a wave of excitement and hearty congratulations from fans and those in the reel world.

Sparks flew when the couple met on the sets of Bangalore Days. While their on-screen personas had different love interests, fond-ness between the two blossomed off-screen. Their fated meeting received further support from their families, who played a major part in setting things in motion, including the dates for the arranged marriage. The stunning couple got engaged earlier this year and ex-changed their vows in late August.

Fahad Fazil, the son of well-known Malayalam film director-pro-ducer Fazil, is a name known to everyone in the state of Kerala, even to those remotely interested in the world of Mollywood.

The actor, best known for his roles in a series of movies ranging from Chaappa Kurishu and the very recent Bangalore Days, estab-lished his career with interesting roles.

holding a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Miami University in the US, Fahad chose not to ride on the wave of his famous father and started off at the bottom of the rung. Armed with grit, he has

fahad fazil and nazriya nazim en route to wedded bliss

worked his way up in the film industry to gain acknowledgement for his acting skills.

he’d picked up numerous awards over the years, with the most recent being the Kerala State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards South for his role in Artist and North 24 Kaatham. his previous ac-colades include wins from the South Indian International Movie Awards, Asiavision Movie Awards, the Vanitha Film Awards, and the Asianet Film Awards.

Sweetheart Nazriya Nazim is on par with Fazil when it comes to being under the spotlight. With a childhood well spent in Al Ain, UAe, Nazriya had formerly set her sights on pursuing a career in business, but had to leave due to tight shooting schedules. Starting off as a child artist alongside Mammootty in 2006 film Palunku, she was instantly catapulted into the limelight.

her impressive acting skills earned her a place in Mohanlal’s Oru Naal Varum and Mammootty’s Pramani, both a force to reckon with. She has acted in movies including Ohm Shanthi Oshaana, Vaayai Moodi Pesavum and Bangalore Days. Despite being at a ten-der age of 19, she has received a string of accolades, with 2014 ac-knowledgements from Vikatan Awards, Vijay Award and Filmfare Awards South — bestowing her with the title of Best Debut Actress for her role in the comedy-thriller movie, Neram.

— [email protected]

stardom

Onam


Farhana Chowdhury

Spending quality time with family and friends does not require a special occasion, however, some celebrations

enhance the concept of together-ness and give many a reason to build stronger ties.

Anish John, a Corporate Train-er and Business Consultant at Ga-bria & Touche Consultancy, and the President of Al Nahda Toast-masters Club, considers Onam as an ideal time to let his Keralite roots shine.

“Like other expat Malayalees, we take pride in celebrating Onam in the UAe with our relatives and friends. In addition, we have al-most every school and college alumni, clubs and associations, and even churches, celebrating Onam in Dubai. The irony is that Onam is a 10-day celebration in Kerala whereas in Dubai, it might extend up to Christmas! This is evident from the table reserva-tions at eateries during weekends. You can also see Malayalee men dressed up in dhotis, women in saris, and children with flowers. You can hear the crunch of ba-nana chips, the smell of pickles and payasams and lots of athapuvu during this period. The feeling of being in Kerala lasts for a quarter of the year in Dubai,” he beamed.

John is a fan of every dish involved in the sadya feast, complete with a variety of pickles and payasams.

Taking a trip down memory lane, he fondly recalled his young-er days, “In the contemporary era of nuclear family, it is festivals like Onam that bring the essence of joint family into reality in Kerala. We miss this great opportunity of togetherness of the festival if celebrated in Kerala. Being in Dubai, we miss our parents and grandparents, uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces, cousins and other relatives; who would other-wise had been part of the festival gathering if in Kerala.”

Self-described as a friendly, so-cial and family-oriented person, he is a passionate worker. he also enjoys public speaking, motivat-ing people and finding solutions to problems. As a member of Al Nahda Toastmasters Club, a club for the enhancement of com-

study at Indian high School (IhS), Dubai in Grade III and KG-2 re-spectively. Pritika is a ‘metro’ baby and is turning five years old on 09/09. This year, her birthday falls in the week of Onam and Dubai’s Metro celebration making the fes-tival very special.”


Keeping the spirit alive

expat Keralite communities create a feeling of being home for onam that lasts for a quarter

of the year, no matter where they are

munication and leadership skills, John takes the platform as an op-portunity to explore and develop his interests.

John might be busy with his career and other responsibilities, but he puts his family ahead as a top priority.

“Family is not just important, but everything to me. I ensure that

I spend ample time with family, especially with the kids, since it is these memories and moments that they will cherish in life,” he said.

This year is a bit more special, as his youngest daughter is set to cel-ebrate her birthday during the 10-day festivities.

“Our daughters, eight-year old Ankita and four-year-old Pritika,

KT

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AnISH JoHn WITH WIFE prAvEEnA And dAUGHTErS AnKITA And prITIKA

KHALEEJ TIMES | SEpTEMbEr 6, 201417 KHALEEJ TIMES | SEpTEMbEr 6, 201417

Wasl properties wishes readers of Khaleej Times a very happy, healthy and prosperous Onam. This harvest festival is signifi-

cant to wasl, as it is celebrated by some of its customers, as well as by employees of the organisation.

wasl honours Onam as a part of its multi-cultural outlook that values heritage and tra-dition as core components of its operations. The organisation recognises the festival as a reflection of the nation’s diversity and in-clusive approach to all communities and cul-tures. As one of the UAe’s largest property management groups, wasl holds itself up to be a mirror of the country’s progressive ide-als of tolerance, harmony and integration.

This May, wasl celebrated the sixth an-niversary of its founding under the vision of his highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAe and Ruler of Dubai. Under the wise leadership of Chair-man Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the company has wit-nessed six incredible years supporting the growth of Dubai. Much of this development has drawn inspiration from the traditions and rich heritage of Dubai.

Perhaps the best example of its approach is the newly-built wasl district, which is lo-cated in Deira. wasl district is redeveloping the site that hosted the first modern hospi-tal in the emirate — the Al Maktoum hos-pital. It consists of a museum dedicated to the medical history of Dubai, and stands as a proud tribute to the emirate’s heritage and progress.

The wider development is a showcase of traditional emirati architecture, featuring a traditional style souk selling both heritage items such as carpets, antiques, furniture, perfumes, spices, musical instruments and modern-day products such as electronics, fashion and jewellery. The layout evokes the spirit of ancient Arabic heritage and com-munity — with narrow, winding sikkas lead-ing you through courtyards, residences, a hotel and offices — assuring a diverse range

of amenities for residents and visitors.wasl's recent residential projects, wasl

amber and wasl onyx, both located in the Umm hurair area near Karama Post of-fice, are further evidence of the company’s drive to modernise the older communi-ties in Dubai. The twin developments are designed to enhance the locality, bring-ing modern urban-style living to the well-established residential area popular for its shops, banks, malls, hotels and restaurants. wasl trio, a three-block mixed-use building in Muraqqabat, Deira, has also been specifi-cally designed to rejuvenate its location by complementing it with modern residential, retail and hospitality facilities. The soon-to-be launched wasl vita brings a diverse mix of commercial and residential units to Jumeirah, all boasting the most modern of facilities, but all styled with an eye for fami-ly-oriented and community living.

Since its inception in May 2008, wasl properties has gone from strength to strength, with the organisation now serving nearly 25,000 clients across it residential and commercial projects. In preparation for the forthcoming expo 2020 and in line with meeting the Dubai government’s tar-get of attracting 20 million visitors a year to the emirate, wasl Asset Management, the parent company of wasl properties, has expanded its hospitality operations and now has nine upscale hotels with more than 3,300 rooms in its portfolio.

Of course, a major aspect of being an in-tegral part of the community should also be about giving something back. wasl proper-ties has excelled in this regard with its ex-tensive CSR programme that has been a part of its DNA. Right from the beginning, wasl embarked on programmes of philanthropy, corporate citizenship and social responsi-bility. Such has been the impact of its CSR activities, which have ranged from making financial contributions to support women’s education and special needs programmes to sending students on religious pilgrimages. For all these contributions, the company received a prestigious CSR award from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

wasl is proud to follow in the footsteps of Dubai in respecting tradition and welcoming communities of all backgrounds. As we cel-ebrate this wonderful festival of Onam, let’s cherish the values that we hold in common — values that continue to ensure that Dubai shines as a beacon for the rest of the world.

wasl properties celebrates heritage and wishes everyone a very happy onam

Honouring tradition and community


Onam

Say hello to a silky, smooth body

Excess body or facial hair can be a problem for both women and men. Fre-quent hair removal includ-

ing shaving, plucking and waxing are time-consuming, often pain-ful, and always inconvenient. At best, they offer only temporary results, for some only a few hours. Laser technology has brought us a better, safe and long-lasting way to remove unwanted hair from any part of the body, leaving skin feeling smooth and healthy.

Riva Laser Medical Center of-fers advanced laser hair removal, state-of-the-art laser machine with the combination of both Nd YAG + Alexandrite, which has deeper penetration, and the Zim-mer cooler that will make your session absolutely pain-free.

Laser hair removal is the lat-est technology used by men and women across the globe to get rid of unwanted hair on the body. Almost anybody who has undesirable hair is a candidate for laser hair remov-al. Normally, four to six sessions are recommended for best results.

A low-energy laser is used which passes through the patient’s skin, and is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle. each pulse of the laser targets and inactivates a large number of hair follicles. It is en-tirely safe and generally painless, with the laser selectively targeting the hair follicle without damage to skin. Multiple sessions are required to achieve total hair removal.

The procedure is relatively painless, best described as a rub-ber band flicking against the skin or a pricking sensation.

The most common areas which

men look for is beard shaping on the face and neck. The next com-mon areas are under arms, chest and back. A lot of men with dark hair prefer to undergo full body laser for better hygiene.

Laser hair removal is also the best option for treating ingrown hair, and helps reduce hair growth for those who are suffering from PCOD and thyroid problems.

The services offered at Riva La-ser Medical Center are non-surgi-cal facelift, chemical peeling, la-ser treatment for hair reduction, tattoo removal, pigmentation re-duction, skin rejuvenation, skin tightening, moles, warts and skin tag removal, hair loss treatment, acne and acne scars treatment, undereye dark circles treatment, skin whitening, pigmentation, weight management, anti-cel-lulite treatment, body shaping and firming, stretch mark reduc-tion, double chin reduction and wrinkle treatment.

Just ask for a free consultation. Call 04-259 8831, 052-777 3539 or visit www.rivalasermedicalcenter.com

Riva Laser Medical Center offers painless and effective hair removal treatment with laser technology

rIvA LASEr MEdIcAL cEnTEr IS FULLy-EqUIppEd WITH STATE-oF-THE-ArT TEcHnoLoGy For A pAIn-FrEE ExpErIEncE


a yoga perspective on the Festival oF liFe

The Indian culture is full of festivals and celebrations. It is one of the most sharing, caring and well-networked communities in the world. No matter where they go, the festivals go with them. Onam is the big-gest celebration in Kerala, which celebrates the return of the super hero, King Mahabali. It is believed that he returns every year, on the auspicious day of Onam to check on his people’s well-being and hap-piness. It is a 10-day celebration of the human spirit, which is uncon-querable and eternal, ever-evolving, expanding and generous. No different from the tenets of Yoga, which we consider as anniversary celebration of the human spirit that longs for oneness and harmony with all creation.

The practice of Yoga is commonly understood as a set of postures and breathing techniques performed for the fitness of the mind, body and soul. However, what a dedicated, uninterrupted, respect-ful practice really does is to unchain human spirit that is vast and unlimited, like King Mahabali, unconquerable and eternal. The tre-mendous, untapped potential locked up inside every human being can be unveiled by a single practice called Yoga. It is a methodology and practice that carries the ability to transform man from being av-erage and unhappy to extraordinary and content. That would be the true celebration of Onam.

Yoga tips for a festival-filled life

Stretch, strengthen, massage and sleep your way to a stress-free life. •These four activities turn on your para-sympathetic nervous sys-tem. Turn off your sympathetic nervous system for a healthy, happy and fun-filled life. The autonomous nervous system is divided into two parts — sympathetic and para-sympathetic. The sympathetic, which triggers the fight or flight response in the body, is a stress ac-tivator. The para-sympathetic controls the rest and digest response. It activates relaxation, enjoyment and healing.Activate deep breathing and bid goodbye to worry and anxiety. •The more you use your breath by paying attention to it through the day, the more you activate your inner potential.Perform inverted postures and see your perspective change. As •soon as you take your legs up in the air and hold them higher than your head, you will be filled with fresh energy. Fresh ideas will come pouring into your head, as you invert your blood circulation.Eat your way to health, happiness and enjoyment. Chew your food •well, let it mix with your saliva and allow your digestive enzymes to break down the heavy festival food. More than the quantity, move towards a qualitative way of eating, enjoying every morsel to the fullest and not letting any flavour escape you.And finally, just as • onasadya is one of the most celebratory and yet well balanced multi-course meal, fit for kings, Yoga is a prac-tice that enables you to live life king size and make each day and moment so special that your entire life becomes one long festival worth celebrating over and over again.

The greaTesT celebraTion

Bharat Thakur Artistic Yoga is a Yoga company founded by internationally renowned Himalayan Yogi, Dr Bharat Thakur. For any queries about Yoga and fitness, you can get in touch with Bharat Thakur Artistic Yoga at 800YOGA or 800-9642 or write to [email protected]. www.artisticyoga.com


Onam

Engine of growth With high literacy rate and an enterprising population, Kerala is among the few Indian states that betters the national average growth rate

Sadiq Shaban

When it comes to key growth indica-tors like GDP, per capita consumption

and capital expenditure, Kerala surpasses the national average. The state has also shored up its strength in sectors like educa-tion with the teacher-pupil ratio increasing from two teachers per 100 students to four per 100. The state has recently witnessed posi-tive trends in non-traditional em-ployment avenues and areas such as self-employment.

economically, Kerala is going steady. The growth trend is sup-ported by healthy figures. The south Indian state registered an impressive growth of 8.2 per cent for the FY2012-13 against a na-tional rate of sub 5 per cent.

Primarily an agrarian society, monsoons play a crucial role in the state’s overall economy. This year the rains arrived over the southern Kerala coast in June and while experts forecast below av-erage rainfall, Kerala is expected to pull through. home to India’s pepper and rubber production, the state produces coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices such as cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in large quantities.

The state has not lagged in oth-er vital sectors. Kerala has a very vibrant industry. While the tex-tile and electronics industry has flourished, small-scale and me-dium-sized industries have also boomed in the state. Curiously, the electronics industry has come up in a big way, registering as a top revenue earner for the state.

Technopark in Thiruvanan-thapuram is the largest informa-tion technology park in India in terms of built-up area. Dedicated to IT ventures, there are more than 285 companies operating out of the park involved in soft-ware development, smart card technology, process control soft-

ware design, engineering and computer-aided design software development, IT enabled Services (ITeS) and animation, etc.

To promote innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth, Kerala is creating a prod-uct start-up ecosystem in the state. This includes expanding and transforming start-up vil-lages into a multi-nodal inno-vation, incubation and business eco-system centres.

The state’s Industries and IT Minister PK Kunhalikutty recently remarked that the state will set up 10 incubators dedicated to crucial sectors such as agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries, elec-tronics and medical electronics.

Infrastructure is another key area where Kerala scores high. With more than 145,700 km of roads (comprising 4.2 per cent of India’s total roadways), most of the state enjoys full connec-tivity. With four times the road density than the national aver-age, Kerala has eight designated national highways.

The state’s banking and finan-cial infrastructure is flourish-ing too. Top private banks such as hDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, ABN Amro Bank and several top PSUs have well-established presence in the state. The State Bank of India has more than 200 branches and the Syndicate Bank has 115 branches in all 14 districts of Kerala. Dhanalaksh-mi Bank offers more than a 100 branches in the state.

Tourism has been a major in-dustry in Kerala. Growing at an excellent rate of 13 per cent, the sector is a big contributor to the state’s economy. New initiatives like a ‘seaplane project’ have been launched recently to enhance the travel experience. Kerala Tour-ism has signed an agreement with UNeSCO this year to begin a historic cooperation between the state and the world’s foremost cultural organisation in promoting

and protecting the ancient Spice Route heritage.

Apart from its usual tourist inflow, Kerala is a major destina-tion in the health tourism sector owing to its reputation in mod-ern as well as traditional systems of treatment like ayurveda, yoga, meditation and homoeopathy. As per a CII-McKinsy report, medi-cal tourism industry in Kerala is expected to be worth $4 billion by 2017. The state is aiming for medical tourists from Middle east, a region where the costs of surgery and post-operative care are usually quite high.

With its huge expat population, Kerala leads in receiving funds from overseas Indians. The state remains the top recipient, con-tributing 33 per cent to the total remittances into the country, sug-gests data from the World Bank. Foreign remittances support the state’s economic output by more than 20 per cent. While majority of expatriates in the state are from Kasargod, Kollam, Mallapuram, ernakulam, Thruvanthapuram and Kottayam districts, most Keralities continue to aspire for a strong and vibrant state.


Infrastructure is another key area where Kerala scores high. With more than 145,700 km of roads, most of the state enjoys full connectivity.

MArInE drIvE, KocHI

AL rAZoUKI


Onam

An ode to a rich culture

dr moopen and his family overcome obstacles of a modern world for a taste of traditional flavour

dr AZAd MoopEncHAIrMAn And MAnAGInG dIrEcTor oF ASTEr dM HEALTHcArE

ALISHA MoopEn, dIrEcTor – STrATEGy, ASTEr dM HEALTHcArE

The feast is the most delicious part of the Onam festival, and if someone enjoyed it once is relished for years. The elaborate vegetarian meal is considered as a much honoured tradition, ensuring that you treat the food and your hosts with great respect.

Farhana Chowdhury

Having spent a major part of his life with his family in the UAe, Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM healthcare, observes Onam with zest.

“I have been celebrating Onam here with my colleagues and friends. I participate in the cele-brations organised by some Keralite community organisations here,” he said.

Dr Moopen believes that the cultural compo-nent of Onam is very important, mostly for Ker-alites living away from their home. he added that these celebrations play a significant role in re-taining the age-old traditions and culture among the youngsters and help them stay connected to their roots.

“Onam brings about recollections of the by-gone times in our native village, the fun and frolic

with friends and relatives. The festival of Onam brings a deep nostalgic feeling. It was that time of the year to have the opportunity to share deep bonds of friendship,” he said.

his daughter, Alisha Moopen, Director – Strat-egy, Aster DM healthcare, recalled her dearest memories of the colourful occasion, “For Onam, we generally go to our family and friends’ places who would have adorned their doorsteps with pookalam, the intricately designed flower mats. We have onasadya, the elaborate vegetarian meal on banana leaf which is always fun for the kids too, as it is a unique experience and brings back fond memories for me.”

Onasadya is the festive nine-course meal, known to be one of the most extravagant and magnificent meals prepared by any culture or civilisation in the world.

Speaking about his favourite feast, Dr Moopen said, “The feast is the most delicious part of the Onam festival, and if someone enjoyed it once is relished for years. The elaborate vegetarian meal is considered as a much honoured tradi-tion, ensuring that you treat the food and your hosts with great respect.”

Alisha added that her favourite Onam dish is the payasam, namely pal payasam and the ada prataman.

Family members back home pitch in to pre-pare the raw materials for the onasadya, while children design the flowery decorations for a pookalam. The tradition enhances quality time between families and strengthens their ties.

“I think making the flower mat with friends and family is one of my favourite traditions of Onam,” said Alisha. “The smell and vivid colours of fresh flowers, as well as the different kinds used to create beautiful patterns is a fun experience with friends and family members. The whole idea is to make your home beautiful to welcome the mythical King Mahabali, there-fore, the decorations and embellishments are a key feature of this festival. In addition to this, you have lovely ladies in traditional costumes dancing to kaikottikali, a graceful dance around the pookalam.”

According to Dr Moopen, some practices are slowly becoming a rarity, as the demands of a cosmopolitan lifestyle, notably in the UAe, pose a challenge. Despite obstacles, Keralites continue to observe the 10-day celebration.

“Onam forms an inevitable part of Kerala cul-ture. The celebration holds special memories for all Keralites, irrespective of where they are living in, whether in their homeland or any part of the world. The celebration is all about understanding the spirit of togetherness and sharing the pros-perity among all members of the society.”


ELEKTA


Onam

it is about smells… the wafting aroma of butter, bananas and jaggery. it is about fragrance… the divine scent of flowers, incense and camphor.it is about sounds… the rustling of silks, the promising clatter of pots and pans.it is about ambience… the aura of tradition brought to this far away land.it is about camaraderie… the fun of friends and families congregating.it is all about onam... the festival that ushers in great bonding, the harbinger of good times to come.

A time to rejoice, revel and recountYoung uae residents reminisce their happy years of onam celebrated in this cosmopolitan country. By Manjula Ramakrishnan

Sana Lohi iT service management an-alyst, emirates airlines

Onam in Kerala be-gins 10 days before the actual day with

floral competitions, shop-ping expeditions and metic-ulous spring cleaning. But none of this native flavour is lost when celebrating Onam in the UAe and hav-ing enjoyed the gaiety of 30 Onam’s in Dubai, I think I have earned the right to de-clare this! Onam morning begins with a typical break-fast of steamed bananas, crunchy pappadam, variety of payasams to tantalise the taste buds and best of all is the convergence of family and friends in the spirit of Onam. Local associations showcase Onam rituals, giving us a smacking taste of celebrations back home.

Subish Surendran sales manager, Caravel logistics me llC

My most memorable Onam was when my company had organised a pookalam and we went in our mundu and enjoyed the

onasadya. Our office continues this prac-tice to date, and this generates a sense of great camaraderie. While I still miss the awesome feast that my mom makes, we meet our friends and make the best of the day. We take our foreign friends to restaurants for the Onam feast, who enjoy the experience of eat-ing with their fingers, sans forks! Onam is about the aroma of food, the scent of new clothes and the spirit of being a Malayalee.

Shalini Sreejith, senior Credit analyst, emirates nbd

Onam sure brings a huge smile to my face. Draped in onakodi and having my husband’s non-Keralite friends over for the feast has given me fun times to cherish. But what I miss in Dubai are the Onathappan prayers, the Naadan

group songs, swings on trees, the set mundu worn by ladies in Kerala and my dearest grand mom. After patting our stomachs in contentment after the feast and having devoured my favourite Paalada payasam, Surya and Asianet TV channels offer visual delight. Once the present year’s Onam is over, I start pining for the next Onam!

Dr Shyam Viswanathan Pillai ayurveda medical Practitioner, dr shyam’s ayurveda Centre

Each Onam we try to bring Kerala to the UAe with a pookalam

in our clinic and a grand feast, for Onam is all about making happy memories. It is said that King Mahab-ali visits people’s houses on Onam day and if our VIP guest should decide to come to Dubai, he will be witness to how we Malaya-lees celebrate Onam with such fervour here. In Kerala, the monsoon cleans up the azure sky and air; in the UAe the desert sun offers bountiful warmth. Onam is a festival of togetherness and there is great bonding that happens during this Onam month of Chingam.

Krishna Priya Nandakumar media Planner, model and Kathak dancer

Two-and-a-half de-cades of being in the UAe sure brings

forth a burst of happy Onam memories. As a child grow-ing up here, I have enjoyed and with gusto participated in the pookalam and Thiru-vathira part of traditional Onam; I have also thrown myself with gay abandon into the sinfully rich ona-sadya. Right from the place-ment of the banana leaf for the feast, to the order in which the dishes are served, there are set rules! I help every year with the feast, as eating it with generous ap-preciation too is assistance rendered!

Each year, Onam has been extra special with people from various nationalities wishing us, knowing how important the day is for Malayalees! For en-

couraging this spirit of ‘oneness’, we have to thank the Rulers of the UAe, who have been overwhelmingly gra-cious with expatriates. With innumerable restaurants offering delicious onasadya, the feast — whether cooked at home or relished outside — promises a fully sated tummy. Onam is a time to make merry and to merge with traditions.

Bejoy Ravindran, senior buyer, 4Corners general Trading

doUbLE HorSE

FOOD PRODUCTS

Distributor enquiries solicited from unrepresented areas in India & Abroad: E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]


Onam

Onam is the biggest and ancient festi-val celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala during the Malayalee month

of Chingam (August - Septem-ber) and marks the homecom-ing of legendary King Mahabali. The Carnival of Onam lasts for 10 days and brings out the best of Kerala culture and tradition. Intricately decorated Pookalam, ambrosial Onasadya, breathtak-ing Snake Boat Race and exotic Kaikottikali dance are some of the most remarkable features of Onam — the harvest festival in Kerala. Bank of Baroda, GCC Op-erations wishes all its customers, patrons and well-wishers a very happy Onam.

Bank of Baroda has 5,000 do-mestic branches and 104 overseas offices spread out in 24 countries across the globe. The bank has more than 140 branches in the State of Kerala in India.

Bank of Baroda is the only In-dian bank in the UAe offering for over 40 years the entire range of financial products and services to all segments — NRIs, Retail, SMes, Corporates, taking care of their entire banking and financial requirements. To take care of and understand the specific requests of each segment, the bank has established specialised outfits like Retail Banking Shoppe, SMe Loan Factory, Corporate Banking Unit, Syndication Centre, Cen-tralised Trade Finance, State-of-the-art Treasury Operations and special NRI desk.

Special NRI desk in all the six branches in the UAe are set up to offer exclusive and preferred services/attention to the NRI segment and to take care of NRe customer needs like NRe/FCNR deposits, housing loans, mortgage

loan etc. The bank has introduced a special loan product for NRIs in its basket of offerings, which gives an excellent value proposition to the NRI who can borrow from the bank at a lesser interest rate than what he/she earns on the NRe term deposit in India.

Being an Indian bank, the ma-jority of its 350,000 customers are NRIs and the bank takes care of their Indian banking require-ments also. The bank offers prac-tically all NRI banking services in the UAe itself. It opens NRI ac-counts, provides cheque book, ac-count statements and many other services for NRIs in the UAe itself. The bank works with the philoso-phy that “NRIs, you need not go to India for your banking require-ments, we bring India to you.”

To serve its customers better, the bank is continuously introduc-ing new products and services. It offers online, eMV chip-enabled VISA debit card, instant remit-tance through “Rapid Funds2In-dia” to over 5,000 branches in In-dia and to over 60,000 branches of other banks in India. It has introduced “Friday Remittance Services” (the only bank in the UAe to offer these services). The bank has increased ATMs to 38. Many of the ATMs are “fully func-tional”, accepting both cash and cheques.

Besides Indian business enti-ties, the bank has also proactively financed and supported a good number of organisations owned by emiratis and has also extend-ed support and finance to some important organisations of the UAe Government. It has, of late, emerged as a preferred banking destination not only for expat In-dians but also for other nationali-ties as well.

Besides, the bank’s strong global presence, dedicated and profes-

sional work force, transparent and reliable dealings have been the hall-mark of its functioning that appeal and attract the customers the most.

The bank continuously at-tempts to adapt to the dynamic economic environment while en-gaging in long term relationships to provide superior customer service which offers the key ad-vantage to BOB customers among many others.

Owing to the pragmatic ap-proach of the governments of both the countries and Bank of Baroda’s active engagement for furtherance of bilateral trade relationship by way of making trade finance and other solutions proactively available, India has emerged as the largest trading partner of the UAe.

The bank has emerged as a key market differentiator in the banking landscape of the UAe. It is one of the major connecting forces between the UAe and In-dia in facilitating and promoting the bilateral trade. In fact, Bank of Baroda is acting as a banking bridge and is truly aligned to the economy of these two great na-tions. It is also instrumental in providing all required financial services in a seamless manner to all those who do matter in con-tributing to the development of these two countries. The bank takes pride in playing a vital role as a vehicle for channelising in-vestment flow between the UAe and India.

As part of its expansion plan, the bank has recently opened its 10th Customer Service Centre (eBSU) at Shabia, a prime and strategic location in Abu Dhabi.

On this auspicious occasion of Onam, the bank rededicates itself, with renewed vigour and enhanced passion, to the service of these great nations.

Strong global presenceBank of Baroda continuously attempts to adapt to the dynamic economic environment while engaging in long-term relationships

Bank of Baroda is the only Indian bank in the UAE offering for over 40 years the entire range of financial products and services to all segments — NRIs, Retail, SMEs, Corporates, taking care of their entire banking and financial requirements.

LALIT MoHAn ASTHAnAcHIEF ExEcUTIvE oFFIcEr bAnK oF bArodA Gcc opErATIonS


Onam

Laxmi Menon

The very existence of man depends upon how he maintains his own body and his mental attitude

towards life. human beings have the supreme ability over other living things, to think and reason for themselves, and most of the time, we use this ability for other external purposes, for our work, business, finance, etc. and never towards ourselves.

In other words, we don’t pay enough attention to our well-be-ing. Nature by itself has extended many wonderful things that we tend to ignore most of the time, pretend not to notice or even close our minds towards them. If we give some thought to it and try to look at it positively, we will come to the strangest conclusion that we don’t have to look further for a better life.

All of us love to live well. It is important that we take care of our body and mind well so that life becomes more organised and enables us to go ahead with hap-piness in what we do everyday.

The healthy functioning of our immune system is the single key to maintain an active and cheer-ful interaction towards the world and people around us, so that we spend each and every single day being productive and meaningful. A sound immune system helps maintain proper balance between the body and mind, and also tends to increase our abilities to interact more confidently towards the im-mediate surroundings.

One of the prime focuses here is to have a better immune sys-tem, to find out if our daily diet is sufficient for our nutritional requirements. Poor nutrition has been shown to result in increased infections, to slow healing from injury and infections, and to in-crease susceptibility to symptoms and complications from immune system dysfunction.

Science has shown that the im-mune function often decreases as we age. Recent research sug-gests that this decrease is related to nutrition. Foods high in fibre, such as whole, fresh fruits and vegetables, promote a healthy gastrointestinal system in several

ways. Proteins, antioxidants, es-sential fatty acids, and certain vi-tamins and minerals are all key to a healthy immune system.

Proteins, vitamins, carbohy-drates, fats and minerals in the right amounts boost your im-mune system and help maintain a healthy body. Genetically modi-fied and processed food is not the answer to well-balanced living. It is always better to go for natural foods, and to avoid artificial and processed or fast food. eating nutrient-dense whole foods is one way to provide your body with the full spectrum of nutrients it needs while keeping calorie intake to a healthy level.

It is not easy to follow a natural diet in this busy world, where we never spend much time for our-selves. Still, remembering some simple steps can help in the long run. Fresh fruit and juices that are not tinned or bottled are a priority. This should be compul-sory in our daily checklist. Whole grains, salads, green vegetables, fish and meat are to be taken in moderate amounts, managing your cholesterol and pressure at

the appropriate levels.Avoid packed food and snacks

that are processed. Deep-fried chips, pastries, cakes, etc., can be taken as special occasion treats. Workout and exercise plans should be done according to indi-vidual requirements. Age of a per-son also is to be considered when you plan your exercise regime. ev-ery person has his/her own body requirements. A custom-made programme is always better, pro-vided by your own health expert.

Foods such as dry fruits, nuts, berries, yoghurt, etc. are natural substitutes to unhealthy snacks and can be taken at any time of the day, even at your workplace. Rich in many minerals and anti-oxidants, these natural and organ-ic food items are great sources of nutrients for well-being.

Once you decide to take control over your body and wellness, it is only a question of getting used to a healthy lifestyle, which is benefi-cial to you in innumerable ways, so that you remain cheerful, active, and confident throughout the day and are able to extend that great personality to the outside world.

delivering wellnessenjoy an improved immune system and better lifestyle with healthy eating habits

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EMSonS


Onam

Suchitra Steven Samuel

For Abu Dhabi resident Muhammad Ashraf, Onam is the ‘mother’ of all celebrations, which signifies unity and har-

mony. It also means onakodi, pookalam and sadya. “The fond-est memories I have of Onam are those little competitions with our neighbours to make the best pook-kalam, those trips to source the flowers, even taking flowers from our neighbour’s garden, the new white shirt we would receive from parents, the Maveli procession, the new blockbuster movie released during Onam, etc.,” he says in an interview with Khaleej Times.

An engineer with an MBA in fi-nance from the University of Ker-ala, he is one of several successful Keralites living the Gulf dream. he is engaged in project management related activities and is proud to be associated with the development of some major buildings in the UAe, particularly in Abu Dhabi.

Currently, he heads the Devel-opment Department of a leading investment company, Link Inter-national Properties based in Abu

Dhabi while pursuing his doctoral studies with Michigan State Uni-versity. his wife is Dr Bushra who is an hR specialist. They have two adorable girls, 12-year-old Azzah and nine-year-old Aliah. “Azzah is very precious as we got her af-ter a long wait of eight years. Both my daughters are studying in Abu Dhabi. One is a dainty darling while the other is a ‘sweet little monster’. As we are both working, the time at home means quality time with the family. My favourite way of spending time is mainly watching my girls grow. We re-live our childhood through them. We also like to keep in touch with friends,” he adds.

Ashraf loves to read fiction and indulges in music. “I play squash often and spend time in the gym or the pool in our community. I make it a point to be involved with family. We play scrabbles, cards, test each other on quiz questions or play an-thakshari together,” he adds.

Both Ashraf and Bushra dabble with paint as well during their free time.

“Our family loves travelling. We have our summer or winter back-packs ever ready for a local or for-

eign trip. We have visited several countries in the world,” he recalls.

Ashraf prefers to be described as a ‘bindas’ gentleman, an extrovert but deep inside ‘a slightly conser-vative person who is proud to be a Malayalee’. he prefers Kerala cui-sine in whichever part of the world he may be in or Indian restaurants as an alternative to Kerala food. he says, “Malayalees are very ca-pable people. We love ‘God’s Own Country’ and its cuisine.”

Ashraf feels that to a great ex-tent, Onam celebrations become pseudo when celebrated outside Kerala. “The real spirit is missing when our near and dear ones are not with us for the occasion. It is not fair when an Onam pookalam is spread inside an apartment and flowers are purchased from a shop when it is supposed to be spread in the front yard with freshly picked flowers and ona pattukal being played in the background. I do miss the smell of hot freshly-cooked rice served on banana leaves, the taste of different types of payasams, and the smell of the kodi mundu,” he recalls.


Living with traditionmuhammad ashraf is a successful expatriate malayalee from Kozhikode, who has been living in the uae since 1991

MUHAMMAd ASHrAF WITH HIS WIFE bUSHrA And dAUGHTErS AZZAH And ALIAH

I do miss the smell of hot freshly-cooked boiled rice served on banana leaves and the taste of different types of payasams.


Onam

Cochlear implant is one of the finest medical innovations, aiding many with hearing disabilities to acquire speech, language and social skills

Hear loud and clear

Today, there is a growing need to alleviate disabling hearing loss. According to the World health Orga-

nization (WhO), there are around 360 million people worldwide who are currently living with this dis-ability. This number could increase as we grow older.

Children and adults who are deaf or experience severe difficulty in hearing can now benefit from cochlear implants. Cochlear im-plant is a small, complex electronic device that helps provide a sense of sound to the person. It consists of two portions — one part sits behind the ear, and the second one is surgi-cally placed under the skin.

The implant is made up of three elements: a microphone that picks up sound; a speech processor that selects and arranges sounds from the microphone; and a transmit-

ter that receives signals from the processor and converts it into electric impulses sent to the inner ear. While hearing aids amplify sounds so that damaged ears can detect it, cochlear implants by-pass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the audito-ry nerve to the brain, which helps recognise a sound.

People are able to associate sig-nals provided by the implant with sounds they remember, and don’t require visual cues like sign lan-guage or lip-reading. While there is a certain risk involved, cochlear im-plants are the world’s most success-ful medical prostheses — less than 0.2 per cent of recipients reject it or don’t use it, while around 0.5 per cent require re-implantation.

explains Dr Prashant Sharma, Specialist eNT at International Modern hospital: “Often adults

who develop profound deafness are embarrassed by their disabil-ity and feel forced to withdraw from social exchanges with family and friends. Deafness can lead to unemployment, imposing an ad-ditional psychosocial burden. Co-chlear implants offer a significant improvement in comparison to any previously tried hearing aid. It can be of a great help, especially for people who have recently lost their hearing.”

Cochlear implant is certainly one of the finest medical innova-tions of recent times, aiding many with hearing disabilities to acquire speech, language and social skills, thus improving their lives.

The writer, Dr Prashant Sharma, is a Specialist ENT at the International Modern Hospital, Dubai. He can be reached at 04-406 3000.

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Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve to the brain, which helps recognise a sound.

A man who truly believes in his cause

a social entrepreneur becomes a health crusader by revolutionising menstrual health for rural women

Sadiq Shaban

Arunachalam Muruganan-tham is a man with a mis-sion in every sense of the word. The inventor of

a low-cost sanitary pad-making machine has single handedly in-novated a grass-root mechanism to create awareness about menstrua-tion health in rural India. Moved by his wife’s predicament, he started designing a simple machine to pro-duce sanitary pads for those who cannot afford it. his innovation soon caught the fancy of millions who found it both hygienic and cost-effective.

What lends credence to Mu-ruganantham’s efforts is the fact that his invention has the poten-tial to save countless lives that are otherwise susceptible to painful urinary tract and related infec-tions. A government of India sur-vey conducted by AC Nielsen a few years back found that only 12 per cent of women across India

use sanitary pads. That is where Muruganantham’s brilliant prod-uct comes in. Notably his mini-machines can manufacture sani-tary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads.

At the core of his mission lies a deep empathy for the poor who can ill-afford to buy expensive pads. Muruganantham has already in-stalled his mini-machines in 23 states in India. With the machines usually going to rural communities, millions of poor Indian women stand a chance to experience free-dom like never before. As a direct result of his revolutionary product, unhygienic rags and cloth are giv-ing way to a product that is both safe and easy to use.

Muruganantham wants more people to benefit from his innova-tion. his technology is very user-friendly and can be easily adopted. The main idea, Muruganantham feels, is not only to increase aware-ness about sanitary pads, but also create jobs for rural women. Since it

is the rural communities that most-ly benefit from his mini-machines, women are usually employed to produce the sanitary pads and then sell them directly to customers.

It was only a matter of time be-fore the world recognised his path-breaking product. Muruganantham was included in the Time maga-zine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list for 2014 for his accomplishments. he has already won a national innovation award in India. More than 1,300 mini-ma-chines made by Muruganantham have been installed in the length and breadth of the country. he plans to expand to other countries, and reach out to the poor in places such as Kenya, Nigeria, the Philip-pines, and Bangladesh.

Muruganantham’s efforts have aided women’s empowerment in a very unique way. his innova-tion has ensured that unprivileged women can stay free and healthy.


ArUnAcHALAM MUrUGAnAnTHAM

Onam


Sadiq Shaban

Social media has a profound impact on our lives. Apart from being the hottest trend online, it helps friends

and colleagues stay connected and gives people an amazing tool to share their pictures and thoughts. That is not all. Social media also promotes open communication, leading to enhanced information delivery, making it one of the most important tools to reach a much wider audience.

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are some of the most commonly used social media platforms. While staying in touch with each other tops the priority list of those using Facebook, Twitter on the other hand is seen as an efficient and fast source of information. Similarly, LinkedIn helps users showcase their work experience, making it easy for peers and colleagues to recommend and endorse your skills and past work. It also helps find the right people and connec-tions through second and third de-gree networks. This connectivity has tremendous value in today’s digitally connected world.

however, there is a need to strike a balance in the way we use social media, because these net-works have a tendency to distract users and waste productive time.

Social networking can easily take time away from other activities and rule over from real time inter-action. There is another problem. Too much dependence on online networking often sets up expec-tations of importance for certain types of communication at the expense of other types. Sharing pictures and phrases can take the place of face-to-face time with family and friends, setting up an unhealthy practice.

While the jury is still out on the exact balance that needs to be struck between the positive and negative effects of social media, it has to be mentioned that social networking has proved to be an ex-tremely accessible medium of self-expression to those with access to the Internet. This has not only democratised the way information is shared, but also helped friends and families, torn apart by circum-stances, stay in touch quicker than ever before.

On the other hand, sceptics have argued that social media of-ten exacerbates the gap between people who have access to com-puter technology and those that don’t, further widening social in-equities. Moreover, some lumpen elements in society can leverage the power of social media for bul-lying, intimidation or by using abusive language. A huge disad-

Handle with caresocial media has tremendous value in today’s digitally connected world if used judiciously

vantage of social networking is that a lot of netizens do not know how to network effectively.

There is no denying the fact that social media allows people to discuss ideas, post news and ask questions. It also provides us-ers an opportunity to widen their business contacts by targeting a wide audience, making it a use-ful and effective recruitment tool. Apart from improving client base with minimal use of advertising, social media platforms have been instrumental in implementing marketing campaigns and deliv-ering communications.

however, social media needs to be carefully used because it also

opens up the possibility for anti-social characters and hackers to commit fraud. Professionally, too much exposure to social media can result in a negative feedback from employers or potential legal con-sequences if employees use these sites to promote objectionable or offensive material.

When it comes to social networking, many still follow the 'one size does not fit all' approach. Social scientists say that there is an urgent need to look at the positive and negative aspects of social networking for a more healthy and balanced approach in the online ecosystem.


SHArInG pIcTUrES And pHrASES cAn TAKE THE pLAcE oF FAcE-To-FAcE TIME WITH FAMILy And FrIEndS, SETTInG Up An UnHEALTHy prAcTIcE.

all eyes are on the 19-year-old cricket sensation sanju samson, who was recently included in the indian squad for the tour of england 2014

Sadiq Shaban

One of the most promising entrants to Indian cricket dur-ing recent years has been Sanju Samson. The Young Turk has already proven his mettle in the role as the vice-cap-tain of the Indian U-19 cricket team, apart from his bril-

liant batting display in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The wicket-keeper/batsman, who lives in Thiruvanan-

thapuram in Kerala, entered record books by becoming the youngest player to score a half-century in the IPL and Champions League Twenty20. Sanju bagged the “Best Young Player of the Season” award in the 2013 IPL in a popular online contest. his moment of glory recently came when the selectors picked him up for the Indian squad for the limited-overs matches in the India tour of england 2014.

Sanju’s rise as a cricketing prodigy has been an inspiration to other youngsters in Kerala. Recognised for his solid batting skills, he further honed his talent upon getting a place in Kerala’s U-19 team, while a brilliant run in the Cooch Behar Trophy (domes-tic U-19 championship) catapulted him into India’s team for the U-19 Asia Cup in 2012.

After a somewhat mild performance at the Asia Cup, Sanju re-turned with a bang. In the Ranji Trophy he started off by scoring a century against himachal Pradesh in adverse conditions before ending the season with many splendid knocks. In the IPL that fol-lowed, the star batsman shone for the Rajasthan Royals. his 63-run knock in 41 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore was hailed as one of the best performances in the tournament.

Another IPL season in 2014 witnessed an impressive showing. Sanju Samson, who scored 192 runs in six matches, was the sixth highest run scorer of the tournament. There is no looking back for the Kerala lad. —[email protected]

Star rise

Full name: Sanju Viswanath Samson

Born: November 11, 1994, Pulluvila, Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Batting style: Right-hand, middle-order batsman

Teams: Kerala (2011/12-2013/14); Kerala (2011/12-2013/14); Rajasthan Royals (Indian Premier League: 2013-2014); Rajasthan Royals (Champions League: 2013/14); Kerala (Main Twenty20: 2011/12-2013/14); Rajasthan Royals (Main Twenty20: 2013-2014); India A(Other ListA: 2013/14-2014); South Zone (India) (2013/14); India Under-19s (Under-19 Test: 2013); India Under-19s (Under-19 ODI: 2012-2013/14); India Under-19s (Under-19 two innings: 2013); India Under-19s (Under-19 limited overs: 2012-2013/14).


OnamOnam

bounteous

Natural beautyLap up the best of

nature in God’s Own Country. Sleep under the auspices of the sky in the backwaters; explore the magnanimity and bounties of wildlife; shop in the modern locales of the age-old city; or indulge in a close rendezvous with the local tribes; Kerala offers plenty of adventurous and fun-filled escapades.KUMArAKoM coIr SpInnInG

phot

os: K

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Natural beauty

KASArGod bAcKWATErS

drInKInG WATEr proJEcT - TrITHALA

ropEWAy MALAMpUZHA KodAnAd ELEpHAnT rIdE

pAddy FIELdS

hi,I am your scalp hair; the crowning glory that gives you your beauty.

Although you may not realise it, I am mistreated daily through pulling,

straightening, curling, colouring, heating, cooling and much more. By

doing this, you weaken me.

everyday in the name of grooming, you make hundreds of my broth-

ers and sisters fall. This is because you damage me with sharp bristled

combs, rather than blunt or rounded ones. Sometimes when you share

combs, you infect me with lice (pediculosis). Luckily, I have the gift of

regeneration.When you buy shampoos without knowing the ingredients, do you

know this can cause irritation, pigmentation, phototoxicity, keratolysis,

keratitis and corneal opacity? Similarly, using anti-dandruff shampoos

for a scaly scalp can harm me; it could be due to fungus, psoriasis or

something else other than dandruff. Therefore I urge you to think twice

about what you use; and hope you do not fall for the cheapest deals.

In the name of fashion – or to look younger — you may colour

me with various methods such as metallic dyes, especially when I

become grey. Metallic dyes that contain lead acetate, silver nitrate and

bismuth salt, make me brittle and damage my cuticle. Synthetic dyes

are the most hazardous. They can lead to allergic contact dermatitis-

redness, swelling and blisters. Later, they cause anaemia and cancer

of the bladder. If you must dye me, I recommend vegetable dyes like

unadulterated henna, commonly used in India, Pakistan and Bangla-

desh, or extract of walnut shell and log wood, used in Rome.

In the name of waving, you subject me to a process of softening

(glyceryl monothioglycolate), reshaping (curlers/rollers) and harden-

ing (hydrogen peroxide, sodium perborate, sodium bromate, etc.) that

causes allergies, weakening and hair discolouration, respectively.

In the name of straightening, you use pomades, hot comb

(petroleum jelly, liquid paraffin, etc.) or cold methods (caustics,

thioglycolate sodium bisulphite, etc). This causes irritant dermati-

tis and in turn damage my structure. In the name of bleaching, you

use hydrogen sulphide with ammonia. This makes me dry, porous

and tangled. I am gifted with much endurance, but can only take so much before

I depart. If you want to show me gratitude, please feed me with zinc,

iron, protein, calcium, selenium, biotin, and matilex. If you add eggs

to your diet, I will become stronger. Finally, if you prefer to beautify

me, please consult a dermatologist or trichologist.The writer is a Specialist Dermatologist

at the Sunrise Medical Centre,

Sharjah. To reach the doctor, call

06-575 7003 or 056-230 9535

Take better care of your scalp for a healthier mane

Dr Soundara Rajan

A hairy tale

MoH approval no: Td28900


Bhaskar Raj

Onam, for me, is nostalgia. The good old childhood days in my village when we celebrated Onam in all

its gaiety. even now, the festival is the reminiscence of every moment of those bygone days.

The fondest memories are, though it may sound clichéd, wan-dering around my village with friends to pluck, often steal, flow-ers for making the floral patterns (athapookalam), sneak out to watch movies – those so-called Onam ‘re-leases’ – and in the adolescent days engaging in ethnic and rustic sports such as thalapanthu kali (a sort of handball and football combina-tion) with country-made stuffed leather balls.

Being away from Kerala on the Onam season – yes, it’s a season of

festivities, feasts, snake boat races, temple festivals, cultural extrava-ganzas and of course the rendez-vous – reminds us to ‘enjoy’ the nostalgia than be rueful.

I think Malayalees have brought the Onam festivities from Kerala to the UAe, if we look at the fervour with which they celebrate Onam here. So, we don’t miss much, ex-cept the Onam aura in the air, the weather and the presence of our dear ones back home.

Of course we celebrate Onam here. My wife prepares the ona-sadya, the traditional feast with innumerable dishes, to give a taste of Onam to my son and our non-Malayalee friends.

I have been living in Dubai for the past 12 years with my wife Mini and son Manu, who came to our life eight years ago. We enjoy the excellent infrastructure of a

city life in Dubai.Being a Malayalee means a lot

for me. As we all know Malayalees constitute the largest community among the expatriate Indians in the UAe. I am proud to be a Malayalee as our compatriots are appreciated by the host country for their hard work and loyalty and serving the country in various capacities, as la-bourers to top officials in corporates and government organisations and as successful entrepreneurs.

Travelling is my hobby. What we look forward to is our frequent week-end outing, sometimes overnight, with some family and

friends to Fujairah, Khor Fakkan, Ras Al Khaimah, hatta or Al Ain. Occasional camping in deserts and parks with friends is what we enjoy the most.

If we don’t go out on weekends, it’s my turn to take over the kitchen. I, with my son as my assistant chef, experiment every conceivable dish, though not well appreciated by my wife, who is a good cook.

The author is the Associate Editor, Business Benchmark. He is a regular TV and radio commentator on the state of the economy, investment and business affairs.

Nostalgia aloneonam through the eyes of a malayalee expatriate in the uae

bHASKAr rAJ WITH HIS WIFE MInI And Son MAnU


Onam

Established in 1959 by late M O John, Founder leader of KVVeS — one of Kera-la’s biggest associations of

traders, Manjilas Double horse that essentially began as a rice trading company, was the first to import German-made Bheuler machines that introduced stone-less sortex rice about 20 years ago. It was also the first brand to offer rice in convenient 5kg and 10kg rice bags. Sixty years later, Manjilas Double horse, on the strength of its unparalleled qual-ity and product range, has grown to become a brand that’s synony-mous with good food and has a strong market presence in India and abroad.

Today, the company deals in 20 varieties of rice and a wide range of food products including breakfast powders, breakfast ce-reals, breakfast mixes, curry pow-ders, masalas, curry mixes, curry pastes, pickles (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian), preserves in brine, traditional desserts, payasam mixes, health food, in-stant food, ready-to-cook, and ready-to-eat products.

Developed by an ISO certified

R&D team and manufactured us-ing the finest ingredients as well as the latest technology including state-of-the-art Retort Technology for sterilisation for processing and packing, Double horse’s range of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products offer a huge variety of products like instant idiyappam, rice sevai, payasam mixes, chakka-varatty (jackfruit preserve), pazham varatty (banana preserve), and sug-ar-free diet payasam mix for health-conscious people and diabetics, among other traditional delicacies.

With a strong market presence in Kerala, Double horse is fast emerg-ing as a preferred food brand and is being exported to more than 30 countries including USA, Canada, europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle east and the Far east. Double horse has become synony-mous with rice in its base market in Kerala. Today, the company’s turn-over amounts to Rs230 crore. It has a fast growing customer base and is targeting sales revenue of Rs500 crore by 2017.

The company employs around 1,000 people directly and pro-vides indirect employment to thousands of others.

Manjilas Double horse is cur-rently managed by Ranji John, Chairman; Sajive Manjila, MD; Vinodh Manjila, Director — Mar-keting; and Santosh Manjila, Di-rector — Production) — the sons of late M O John.

Synonymous with good foodmanjilas double horse offers a delicious range of products with a presence in over 30 countries

The leadership of manjilas double horse: SAJIvE MAnJILA (LEFT), rAnJI JoHn, vInodH MAnJILA And SAnToSH MAnJILA

Double Horse is fast emerging as a preferred food brand and is being exported to more than 30 countries including the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East and the Far East.

Onam Supplement-2014- Part I

Documents

Transcript of Onam Supplement-2014- Part I