The Hindu : Reporter's Diary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Reporter's Diary

Even as the State is in the grip of a severe water crisis and as many parts of the capital city are experiencing water shortage, the misuse of water from public taps strikes at the very root of the `use water sparingly' message that is being popularised.

Many eateries and small hotels in the city are employing people to fetch water for them from public taps. The public tap situated near a margin-free market at Pazhavangadi is a case in point. Each morning and evening, the `boys' from nearby hotels converge at the public tap and fill four or five pots each to be delivered to the hotels.

Almost all such eateries have regular water connections. The water taken from public taps comes free, while water drawn from the regular connection gets billed at the `commercial rate.' It is also true that many hotels are not able to get adequate water for their needs from the Kerala Water Authority network. Some hotels in the city have also started digging borewells to augment their water supply.

* * *

With summer showers proving elusive, several organisations and individuals have come forward with programmes for propitiating the rain gods. The city-based neurosurgeon and Vedic scholar, M. Sambasivan, was among the first to perform a `Varunajapam' in the Padmatheertham Pond. The Vaideeka Dharma Sabha authorities offered a 1,008-pot `abishekam' to Nandi at the Sathyavageeswara temple at Karamana last week.

The Seetharama Anjaneya Veda Kendra, which has been engaged in teaching Vedas to students, organised a `Parjanya homam' for the formation of the rain-bearing cumulonimbus clouds. Twigs of the banyan tree dipped in a mixture of ghee and cow's milk were offered in the homam for six days.

The organisers claim that such a homam conducted in Maharashtra last year had achieved the desired results.

Following the path of violin maestro, Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan, who had performed a violin recital at Chennai a few years ago to bring rain, some musicians of the city took up the act of propitiating the rain gods by singing Amritavarshini raga.

Three teachers of the city-based Sree Swathi Tirunal College of Music would present a music concert at the Chembai Memorial Hall at Sreevaraham in the city, giving importance to the Amritavarshini raga.

* * *

With political parties gearing up their election machinery, it is boom time for artists and painters all over the city. Notwithstanding the popularity of hi-tech methods of communication such as e-mail and sms, it is still the traditional sector that holds sway when it comes to election campaigning.

As the demand for posters, banners and boards increases by the day, unemployed painters find the going good. Many of them labour day and night to meet their schedules. Contract firms are willing to dole out perks and extra pay to retain artists during the boom time.

At many places, dozens of banners are spread out to dry by the roadsides. Right from early morning, a whole army of youth is out on the streets, whitewashing walls and preparing them for election messages. Political parties have also started experimenting with computerised graphics and digital printing on flex boards that cost up to 10 times a banner or board.

Contract agencies are preparing to exploit the huge demand for public address systems, generators and campaign vehicles in the days to come.

By G. Mahadevan, G. Harisundar and T. Nandakumar

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