After 14 Years, School Kalolsavam Comes to Kottayam

The Kerala School Kalolsavam (Youth Festival) for the year 2010-2011 is just weeks away — 17 18th to 23rd January 2011.

UPDATE: Read the newer post with details about the Preparations

10,000 participants accompanied by about 30,000 teachers/parents.
216 events. 16 venues. 7 Days & 6 Nights.
Over a lakh visitors.

The Police Club Ground adjacent to the Civil Station will be the main venue. The remaining venues will be at the main educational institutions in town. These are not finalized yet.

Since the dates & venues coincide, the Darsana International Book Fair and the Flower Show/Food Fest might be rescheduled.
Update:
The 27th Darsana Book Fair 2011 will be held from 28th Jan – 06th Feb, at Thirunakkara Grounds.
The annual Flower Show will be held from January 13-16 at Nagampadom Grounds. Kalolsavam will begin the very next day.
The 2011 Food Fest will be held from 03rd February – 06th February at Nagampadom Grounds.

The months of December and January have always been the epitome of activities and fests. This time, the presence of Asia’s biggest youth festival is sure to make things massive indeed. The necessary planning and arrangements have started.

UPDATE: Read the newer post with details about the Preparations

Movie-Going Getting Revamped

Yet Another Update

(10/11/11)

The Dhanya Remya twin theatres at Kottayam will open on 11th Nov. 2011 at 11 am.
View the location on map
Dhanya Remya Booking/Reservation phone number: 0481 – 2563615
Also read: The all-new Anand theatre

Dhanya – Remya Show Timings
Dhanya: 11:00 am, 2:00 pm,  6:00 pm,  9:00 pm
Remya – 11:15 am,  2:15 pm,  6:15 pm,  9:15 pm

New 5-shows timing
10:00 am,  12:30 pm,  3:30 pm,  6.30 pm,  9.30 pm

Updated Info

(08/09/11)

In the past few months, there have been a lot of changes in the online ticket booking situation. This update addresses those changes.

  • The ticket-booking site mentioned in the original post – HousefullCinema.com – appears to have stopped functioning.
  • Online ticket reservation for the all-new, renovated Anand theatre, Abhilash and Asha are available at TicketNew.com
    (thanks to Sakthivel Palaniyappan for tipping about the new site in the comments)
  • The twin-theatre mentioned below isn’t open yet, but is expected to launch this year (2011) itself.

–Original Post–

Twin Theatre Complex

The new twin theatre complex by Mini Muthoot near Govt. Ayurveda Hospital, adjacent to the BSNL Administrative office at Vayaskarakkunnu is nearing completion. The base structure is almost completed. It’s expected to be opened by Christmas / New Year (note: It will open at 11th Nov, 2011 as given in the update).

A view from Govt. Model High School

The view through a window at Anupama Theatre

Online & Mobile Ticket Reservations

This is great stuff. All our five theatres now support Online & Mobile ticket reservations. Out of them, Abhilash, Asha, Anand & Anashwara are powered by HouseFullCinema.com (Read more about HouseFullCinema.com and the procedure/working here and here). It was such a breeze to be in for the First-Day-First-Show of Anwar at Abhilash!
Update: HouseFullCinema.com’s services for Kottayam theatres are paused for the time being. It’s expected to be back in action by next month (April 2011) or so.

Anupama Theatre is maintaining their own reservation system.
It’s currently through SMS. The format and details are given below:

UPDATE: HousefullCinema.com now provides online reservation for Anupama theatre too.

  • HouseFullCinema.com supports online payment via Credit Card / Debit Card / Netbanking.
  • Anupama Theatre’s system doesn’t include payment. Payment is to be done at the counter.

Aruvikuzhi Waterfalls

Located under 20kms from Kottayam town, is the strong yet smooth milky waterfalls at Aruvikuzhi (also spelled Aruvikkuzhi). Water gushes down from a height of 100ft, over huge rocks from a check dam. It then flows forward as a very active stream, hitting and splashing on every and many rocks in its way.

Waterfalls are nothing new. But this certainly is. A rarity. It’s located practically inside rubber plantations. Not a single sun-ray falls on you directly. And nothing other than the happy roar of the water, falls on your ears.

Note: The waterfall is active only during rainy days.

How to go there

  • From Kottayam, Kanjikuzhy – Manarcad – Oravakkal – Areepparambu – Kooroppada – 2kms – Aruvikuzhi. (Total: ~20kms)
  • There’s a road from Pampady, which joins the above route at Kooroppada Junction.
  • From Ponkunnam, take the Pallickathodu – Manarcad route.

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Louis Philippe and Van Heusen opened. Town expands.

Factory outlets of Louis Philippe and Van Heusen are now open.

Location:
Left, road side, Thannickalpady. (Just before St. Antony’s Motors on the way to Vadavathoor)

Being a direct factory outlet, fresh stock and frequent offers are expected. Talking of offers, they’re running big launch offers on everything. Here’s the breakdown –

Louis Philippe

  • 30% off – 1 item
  • 40% off – 2 items
  • 50% off – 3 items and more
  • Flat 70% off on Suits/Blazers above Rs.5000/-
    (which means, you pay just Rs. 6300 for a suit worth Rs. 21000)

Van Heusen

  • Buy 1 Get 1 Free
  • Varied other offers upto 50% off
  • Flat 60% off on Suits
  • Flat 50% off on Blazers

They will be having offers throughout the year.

Even though the new municipal town limits haven’t expanded along the K.K. Road (it’s expanded along the M.C. Road, towards Ettumanoor side and Chingavanam side) the business landscape of Kottayam is already expanding along the K.K. Road side too. These outlets are the first among the very-possible multitude of commercial centers.