An Assortment of Nadan Palaharam

These Diwali Sweet assortments sparked an idea: how about an assortment of Nadan Kerala Sweets/Palaharams? Sounded good and we gave it a try. This got made.
Looks pretty good, doesn’t it.

We think this would make a great gift especially during the festival seasons. This would also be a good addition to the welcome-drink counters at receptions and any celebratory event. Not to mention the tasty souvenir-value something like this holds!

This certainly is not a complete collection; it’s more of a sketch. You could hack it into various combinations with different quantities, introduce more items like the Halwa, which wasn’t included in order to stay biased towards Kottayam.

Vantage Points

A change of perspective is always refreshing & exciting. Here are some not-often-seen views of Kottayam from characteristic points – vantage points – that show you a lot in one glance.

This post is a collaborative attempt. If you have taken photos like these and would like them to be considered for inclusion in this post, please do send them to
mail ^at^ kottayampattanam.com

Inspired by Naalumanikkaattu

It was in January 2011 that Naalumanikkaattu was opened. A first-of-its-kind. The great amount of care and attention given to its maintenance and good-going have paid off greatly. The place is now frequented by at least a couple hundreds people, especially on weekends. The idea was fresh, very practical and the execution was flawless.

Goodness inspires. There are now two more spots in Kottayam that are inspired by the change-of-air Naalumanikkattu offered. Kalathilkadavu Puzhayorasahyanam along the Kodoor River on the Devalokam – Kolladu road (view on map) and Aattutheeram along the Meenachil River, between Cherppunkal and Mutholy, on the Ettumanoor – Pala highway (view on map). These are not as elaborate as Naalumanikkattu but are good little open places for some leisure.

Kalathilkadavu


There are about 6-8 benches here, along the roadside towards the bridge. There is an open park for kids with swings & see-saws, a locally-run hotel that serves snacks & drinks and an ice cream counter. The view get more scenic towards sunset.


Aattutheeram


The Aattutheeram project on the Cherppunkal – Mutholy stretch is a kilometre long beautification of the highway. A passionately maintained garden runs along the road on both sides and it instantly improves the feel of the trip. Even the routine, boring commute will feel better as you pass by. Extending the project, there are now few benches along the garden that overlook the Meenachil River with faint & foggy view of mountains far away.

The All-New Anand

The 7 months it took for the renovation is completely justifiable. The all new Anand is in a class of its own. An elegant class. Every detail has been re-thought and executed nicely. The phrase, of Multiplex quality, is often used to describe the new Anand and that is not wrong. Maybe it’s even more than that. This is far-advanced than many multiplexes.

There are 2 classes: Platinum and Gold.
Platinum
class relates to the traditional Balcony and the ticket price is Rs. 120/-
The old main entrance is now the entry to Platinum class.

Gold class relates to the First Class and the price is Rs. 70/-
A new entrance near the Abhilash gates is built for the Gold class.

Reservation is enabled for the Platinum Class and is offered at the counter near the gate of Abhilash.
Online ticket booking/reservation is available for Anand, Abhilash and Asha theatres at TicketNew.com

View from the Platinum Class

Premium fabric seats and non-slippery carpeted floor with lighted steps

Platinum Class entry

The cafeteria serves coffee, tea, soft drinks, pop corn and snacks


A 40″ Samsung LCD mounted in portrait orientation — Digital poster wall!

The exterior. Gold Class entry towards the end.

Fish Galaxy – Public Aquarium, Now Open

The Kottayam Aquarium is located adjacent to the Municipal Jubilee Park, Nagampadam. After Naalumanikkaattu on the Manarcad – Ettumanoor bypass, the public aquarium is a wonderful addition to the gradually-increasing list of leisure spots.

Location: Adjacent to the Municipal Jubilee Park, Kurian Uthuppu Road, Nagampadam.
Working Hours: 11 am to 7 pm – Monday Holiday.
Tickets: Rs. 20/- for adults and Rs. 10/- for children.

The air-conditioned aquarium houses a huge variety of magnificent fishes and amazing marine biomass. This project is aided by the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and is executed by Kottayam Municipality in association with Matsyafed. There is sale of aquariums and accessories too.

In addition to the spacious parking area inside the compound, there is ample space on the Kurian Uthuppu road side too.
Club the Aquarium and the Jubilee Park for an evening; it will be a great family evening.

Photos