Bottlenecks in travelling from the Manorama Junction to Thevera through Panampilly Nagar has been finally taken off with the opening of  ’Doctor Ambedkar Marg’. The project has turned out good to the hundreds or thousands who would want to reach Thevera from Manorama Junction, without crossing the South Over-bridge. Earlier, a very small portion (of about 150 metres) of the road, that immediately followed one end of Panampilly Nagar to connect the stretch with the road that leads to Thevera, had been too narrow and twisted for regular vehicle commute. But now we Gallans have been gifted with this wider, straight  road to take the burdens off. Thank you, Government. Be good like this to us, always.

]]> http://kochigallan.com/gallantalks/the-ambedkar-marg-comes-in-as-a-blessing/feed/ 0 http://kochigallan.com/featured/interesting-inviting-the-public-to-make-flyovers-in-kochi-a-reality/ http://kochigallan.com/featured/interesting-inviting-the-public-to-make-flyovers-in-kochi-a-reality/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:50:39 +0000 Kochi Gallan http://kochigallan.com/?p=10224 Tweet

It is a fact known to every Gallan that building the so called ‘Ernakulam fly-over series’ is inevitable. The concerned authorities, as they have always been, seems to be not at all interested. Now the only way out for us, Kochi Gallans, is to pool up and cry out loud, to let the authorities hear about our need for the fly-overs. And here is a wonderful initiative towards this cause – an online mass petition signing initiative!

This wonderful Gallan, Deepak C.Elias, an alumni of NIT- Trichy, came up with this wonderful initiative to invite the public in getting the necessary infrastructure set up for themselves by the authorities. The idea is to create an online platform for everyone to express their need with the least time and effort. Being the best, www.change.org was chosen by Deepak to create the same.

Deepak says: “I invariably have to pass Vytilla bypass on my way to Ernakulam and am a steady victim to the traffic block there. Edappally and Palarivattom also haunts me when I need to go to visit my grandmother. I remember reading an article in the Hindu in 2011 about plans to build a flyover (the image used in the petition is from the same article) and then again I read the other day that this plan has been in the pipelines for a decade!  That is too long a time even for inefficiency I thought. And I was looking for a medium to vent out this frustration and I believed there would be others as well who were on the look out for the same. That was when I remembered Change.org.”

If you can understand the importance of signing this petition, then

please sign the petition by clicking HERE

Deepak is on his way to pursue MBA. Let us all wish him the best of the best.

Change.org has several victories to its name, even in India! These include:
- Un-touchability abolished in Dangariya (Rajasthan)
- Shut down Asphalt factories in Karauli (Rajasthan)
- Clean Water Supply to Village in Gujarat
- Firefighters granted government healthcare – US
- Schoolkids protected from impending landslide – Philippines
- President backs police corruption probe – Indonesia
- Spanish grandmother fights eviction

Grand finale of Radio Mango ‘Decibel’, the biggest battle of bands Kerala has ever seen, is here. Radio Mango has been super creative with their promotions for this event and have already established itself as the best battle of bands that the state has seen so far. And they are sealing the triumph by bringing none other than the best band from Kerala, ‘Avial‘, live at the Durbar Hall Ground on 24 March 2013 (Sunday). ‘Avial’ will perform as part of the ‘Decibel’ finals, which is scheduled to start from 4:00 PM.

Entry is free for all, and so this Gallan is definitely gonna be tripping on ‘Avial’ this Sunday. Make sure you grab the front row.  m/

Let’s be honest, in today’s world our lives revolve around Facebook. We make friends, post pictures, share videos and tell the world “how we feel”.

Well, one innovative Kochi based start up (or a group of Gallans, however you name them. ) is making it possible to do a little more. You can SHOP on FACEBOOK!

YourBoutique (YB) is a Facebook based market-place for high end boutiques and designers. YB stocks gorgeous sarees, salwars and jewellery from the best boutiques in town at affordable rates. You can browse through the store on their page, select, a couple more clicks and voila! Its at your doorstep in a few days.

The YB team is being steered by George Kora, Bhavya Mathew and Neethu Jimmy, a team that is looking to take Kochi’s fashion scene global. And it is for the first time Facebook commerce is making its way into the state and it seems Gallans are already loving it!

YourBoutique is an honest and big effort to bring Kochi’s best boutiques to your doorstep! Hats off to the entire team.

]]> http://kochigallan.com/gallantalks/boutiques-in-kochi-goes-online-with-yourboutique/feed/ 0 http://kochigallan.com/featured/mr-india-and-miss-india-fitness-2013-finals-at-kochi-on-24-march/ http://kochigallan.com/featured/mr-india-and-miss-india-fitness-2013-finals-at-kochi-on-24-march/#comments Sun, 17 Mar 2013 13:09:20 +0000 Kochi Gallan http://kochigallan.com/?p=10206 Tweet

The Indian Body Builders Federation has chosen Kochi to host its 2013 edition of Mr. India and Miss India Fitness in association with Body Building Association of Kerala. The event is planned to be big and is organised by Impresario, powered by RMCO Fitness Pvt. Ltd.

The show is pretty much sure to thrill the spectators with many mesmerising body builders joining the league this time. The event will happen at Bolgatty and would be streamed live as well, for all the Gallans who will not be able to make it to Bolgatty. There are a lot of details to be told, all of which you can find at www.mrindia2013.com, a wonderful website having all the related information available. Seems to be pretty well organised, and therefore Gallan hopes the 2013 edition to be watchable.

But Gallan is a bit upset looking at the prize details. Wish if more from the corporate world could come into sponsoring these legends and promote this sport.

Mr. India - Senior Nationals

First three places -Gold, Silver & Bronze medals.
First Five places -cash prizes of Rs.50000/-, Rs.20000/-, Rs.15000/-, Rs.10000/-, Rs.5000/- along with Merit Certificates.
Overall Champion -cash prize Rs.3,00000/- along with Trophy & Merit Certificate.
Runner up -cash prize Rs.1,00000/- along with Trophy & Merit Certificate.
Best Poser -cash prize of Rs.25000/- along with Trophy & Merit Certificate.
Most Improved Body Builder -cash prize Rs.25000/- along with Trophy & Merit Certificate.
All the participants will receive participation certificates.

Miss India

First three places in each category will receiveGold, Silver & Bronze medals.

First Ten places in each category will receive cash prizes of Rs.1,00000/-, Rs.30000/-,Rs.20000/-, Rs.10000/-, Rs.9000/-, Rs.8000/-, Rs.7000/-, Rs.5000/-, Rs.5000/-, Rs.5000/-, along with Merit Certificates.

Guess what. ‘Kulukki Sarbath‘, the all famous rock-star among the cool drinks in Kochi, starts to get served to thirsty throats at the Oberon Mall. Errrr, not ‘at’ Oberon Mall, but ‘very very near’ to it. Joy ‘chettan’ has opened a small ‘kulukki’ outlet opposite to the Oberon Mall (near to the ‘Globers’ store). This , I suppose is the first ‘Kulukki Sarbath’ outlet that is outside the Ernakulam Boat Jetty area (this info needs citation ).

One glass of ultra-chilled ‘kulukki’ comes for Rs.10/- at this brand new store. So, the Lulu Mall might be great with all and many brands. But you don’t get to drink ‘kulukki’ over there.

To know what exactly is the ‘kulukki’ thingy that Gallan is talking about, watch this kickass video from Surjith S Pi! Click here for video on ‘kulukki’

Shake it baby..

Here is a genuine and humble attempt from ‘Team Rachayya’. The event coined as ‘Prakirti’ is basically an art exhibition with women empowerment as it’s theme, through which the team is trying  to bring womanhood a better hue. Those Gallans are planning to make use of  their artistic talent for a great cause and aims the event as a charity raiser for Child Charitable trust, Thrippunithura.

‘Prakirti’ will be held in association with Child Charitable Trust and the Kochi hub of IEEE Women in Engineering. Entry is open to all and this Gallan specially invites everyone to this event to make it a success.

?

When : March 23-27, 2013.

Where : Durbar Hall, Kochi

Official Facebook page of the team behind this wonderful initiative, ‘Rachayya’. :  www.facebook.com/RachayyaKochi

Here is something for the movie lovers who have been wondering why the biennale haven’t had a piece for them. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 is to conduct a film festival from 9th to 13th March (2013) at the ‘Children’s Theatre’, near children’s Park, Ernakulam. The festival will be curated by auteur Sri. Adoor Gopalakrishnan, and shall feature two movies a day, one at 3: 00 PM and the other at 6:00 PM. Yet another reason to put your thinking caps on, Gallans.

(Click on the image to expand)

Kochi Muziris Biennale 2012 official Facebook page link : https://www.facebook.com/KochiMuzirisBiennale

For the ones who do not have the time to read some bull shit, here is the rating : 8/10. And for the rest, here is what this Gallan has.

The Chariot Food Court is one of its kind for many reasons,  the best being that it is one out of the very few places in Kochi where you get to eat the finest of the finest ‘pazhamporis’ (banana fry) even after 6 PM, 24×7! Next time when you feel that you can’t live without having a ‘pazhampori’, rush to this place at the so-called place, ‘High Court‘.

The Chariot Food Court operates from 7 AM in the morning to 8 PM in the evening. They have varieties from ‘vada’ to chicken spring roll and from ‘idli’ set to veg fried rice with chilly beef, all at affordable prices when the ‘value for money’ factor is taken into consideration. The place is mainly intended to cater the needs of the Ernakulam High Court inmates who hardly have little time to fill their tummies otherwise filled with butterflies.

Self service method is practiced at the Chariot, which makes it a place where you needn’t waste your time battling to win the waiter’s attention. This is surely a good quality – healthy fast-food place that this Gallan would recommend.

Let this Gallan take the honour of introducing to you the youngest photographer from Kochi who has won the hearts of more than two thousand profiles in Facebook; Mr. Francis Kurien Elenjikkal a.k.a ‘Franky’! At this moment, when this article is being keyed in, Franky’s photography page in Facebook has 2038 likes to its credit. This may not sound great, unless you are told that Mr.Franky is just 16 year old!!!

Franky started photography when he was just 11, then when he got hold to a 2 megapixel mobile phone camera. And from then, he found it interesting to freeze the beautiful and strange moments that he came across. Or rather, his eyes came across. Today, he is just a Class XI student at ACS School, Kaloor, and has clicked numerous moments with beautiful and poetic frames. In fact, he achieved all this without even having a camera of his own. It was just recently that he was gifted with a Lumix fz 47, before which he shot with his cousin’s cam when the so-called photographers we find today wait for their DSLR’s to reach them until they start with their ‘photography’.

Franky fulfills many of his desires to click by bunking classes. Just imagine, a XIth standard ‘kid’ (yes, kid you are, Farnky ) bunking classes to click photos! Franky has never been frank with his school attendance sheets, but with his passion for capturing moments. Let more moments get the honour of being frozen by you, Franky! Cheers, Mr. Photographer Gallan.

Catch Franky with his photography at : Franky Photography