Living on the Edge

Living on the Edge !!

Thinking about how humans are going to live in cities in the next 50 years, one has the humility to look back 50 years or beyond to extrapolate than coming out with utopian ideas from the 50^th floor skyscraper.  The question is: did we learn enough from history, epics or mythological stories that we heard as children?  Did we implement values or lessons learnt in our daily life?  If not there is no tangible benefit to the information explosion caused through inter-connectivity of humans across the world. In the coming years, hope we would become a better creature and take decisions based on collective wisdom for collaborative living than destructive rat-race.

World as One Society by the larger interaction among people across borders are causing panic among those in power who prefer status-quo but creating ray of hope for many marginalized, exploited and voiceless millions.  There would be struggle between both the sides and the same can cause conflicts among stake holders and even war (act of armed conflicts, violent and unhealthy to the whole society). But this could eventually lead to lasting peace by bringing back the natural balance.    

The role of education, beyond attaining any employable knowledge stream to becoming more evolved humans, would become a norm in the future.  Signs of world classrooms, learning at one’s own pace and choosing from a wide variety of subjects are already present in today’s world.  Schools and Universities would become center for friendly interaction, exhibiting craftsmanship, performing arts centers and promoting sports.   

Industries exploiting natural resources would give way to agriculture based societies.  Organic farming, based on biodiversity principles would quench the hunger of every human on earth.  Food safety principles and anger against GM crops are going lead us into a better palette with tastier cuisine.  From market oriented profiteering food distribution mechanisms, we will start building effective public distribution system of essential food grains as our world is already producing more than double the required quantity of food materials.  There would be no more factory farming of live stock animals and more people would become vegetarians or even vegan based on their enlightened decision making. Industries such as leather/fashion/cosmetics, fertilizer, arms/defense, automobile, pharmaceuticals, retail/whole-sale and futures trading (stock/commodities) would find drastic changes in the way they operative today.       

A major shift in oil based economy to alternative energy sources, due to Climate concerns and the dwindling natural resource can be swiftly done with a conscious effort, or the same would lead to major conflicts among nations.  Increased awareness and changes in government policies can lead to such a change in a very peaceful manner.  Learning from the various live examples of working in cooperation between different societies and doing business with Coop organizations dealing in fair-trade would lead to the elimination of unethical profiteering.

After decades of experiments with synthetic chemicals for pharmaceutical industry and various other products for the creation of consumers, a retrospective move to holistic / integrated healthcare system will impact every facets of human daily regime.  Struggles for clean air, pure drinking water, nutritious food, ample clothing and safe shelter are still the driving force for humans. Greedy human activities (blind consumerism) will have to be curtailed for ensuring living space for everyone around us and to ensure a happier society.  

It is not that we don’t have working models for all the above issues and their solutions. It is simply our unwillingness to see the big picture and changing own lifestyle. One Planet Living, Masdar City, LEED Certified buildings, ISO 14000, Earth-Check, Freecycle.org, Amul, Mumbai Dabbawala, micro-financing – look around us and we will find beacons of hope. The question is whether we are willing to leave our comfort zones or are going to be forced to do so.  Conflicts are mainly caused by corruption, terrorism, mafia and illegitimate political systems. There are peaceful and non-violent movements that can give birth to better societies or go through the painful caesarian sections to find solutions.   Hope there would be a more pro-active, for the people, refined political practice across the world in the coming years and our children would thank us for leaving a better place for their healthy, happy and prosperous life.

(The image is from Green City Tech Masterplan for Hanoi )

http://masdar.ae/en/#adsw/engage

Wealthy State - Kerala

When the safe vaults of Sri Padmanabha Temple, Thiruvananthapuram opened, the sheer size of wealth amassed in it got the attention of the media from across the world. A rough estimate of more than $ 20 billion is valued in gold and other precious stones. The owner of the temple, Travancore Maharaja Uthradam Thirunaal Marthanda Varma declined the ownership of the wealth, stating that it belongs to Lord Mahavishnu, the temple deity. In the year 1750 AD, the then ruler of the Travancore State, after defeating an uprising of riots from a section of the society, forfeited the whole country to Sri Padmanabha Temple and accepted the title of Padmanabha Dasa (servant of the Lord). No wonder, the temple is rich, as it was also insulated from the European invasions.

In a recent study published by the Dutch Embassy in India reveals that the root cause for the European invasion was to have a direct trade relation with the numerous small country states in India, so as to avoid the Arab traders. Their objective was mainly to get Black Pepper at a better price. Black pepper and other spices were traded for gold and silver. Pepper was so valuable that it was often used as collateral or even currency. In the Dutch language, "pepper expensive" (peperduur) is an expression for something very expensive. To reduce the price of black pepper, the Europeans introduced Red Chilly to India and it worked. A riddle authored by Saint Aldhelm, a 7th-century Bishop of Sherborne, sheds some light on black pepper's role in England at that time: I am black on the outside, clad in a wrinkled cover, Yet within I bear a burning marrow. I season delicacies, the banquets of kings, and the luxuries of the table, Both the sauces and the tenderized meats of the kitchen. But you will find in me no quality of any worth, Unless your bowels have been rattled by my gleaming marrow. It is commonly believed that during the Middle Ages, pepper was used to conceal the taste of partially rotten meat. It may not be true; however, pepper and other spices probably did play a role in improving the taste of long-preserved meats. For a state to be known as wealthy, it should have enough natural resources for the basic needs of human settlement – cultivatable land, work force to engage in agriculture, moderate climate, water resources, a good society with (religious) values and stable political platform. Kerala, though coined as a mere marketing phrase, is truly “God's Own Country” when considering such ideal conditions of happy living. There are enough examples in history for our multi cultural understanding and encouragement of international trade from time immemorial – from the ancient Chinese, Arab, Roman to the latest transcontinental container harbor. The Jewish Connection Kochi, Kerala, is one of the very few places in the world where the Jews can claim centuries of peaceful coexistence with the local population. Though, there has been very little research on Jewish varieties of Malayalam, about 200 songs written and sung by Jewish Malayalam-speaking women were found and published. These folk songs were sung at life-cycle events and holiday celebrations, and they include many Jewish religious signifiers in the forms of biblical allusions and formulaic blessings and prayers. An extensive research is being carried out by the Ben-Zvi Institute of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A pioneering volume of about 50 songs is published in 2004 along with translations into Hebrew. A German translation of these songs (Frenz & Zacharia 2002) was already published and sold out immediately as the Germans may be curious to learn the multi cultural values kept at that time in Kerala. It is learned that as early as AD 750, by the terms of a charter from the ruler, engraved in Vaṭṭeluttu characters on the plate, Rabban, who is referred to as the prince of Ansuvannam, was granted seventy-two "free houses" and feudal rights in Ansuvannam, near Cranganore (Modern Kodungalloor, where the Muziris Heritage Project is taking shape now). Humble rulers It is interesting to note that Kerala rulers were always very humble in their nature and official expenditure. One reason could be the influence of brahmin (Namboothiri) community not only in the day-to-day affairs of the rulers but also in the philosophical outlook of the whole society. Gold, along with alcohol, gambling and prostitution were considered as the seat for Kali (the demon god causing all problems) of this Yug (time period after Lord Krishna's incarnation).

The richness found in the temple is so high that even the State Government's complete debts can be eliminated in one swipe. And the balance funds can be used for making the State, one of the wealthiest (in economic terms) in the world. But, how can it be used for a human use when the ownership rested with the Lord himself? The solution also lies with the affidavit filed by the Maharaja who proposes to use the treasure in three ways: a) do not touch the ones that are used for the temple rituals on a regular basis, b) use a museum to exhibit the ones with archeological and artistic value and c) the rest of it can be used for the benefit of people in the form of hospitals, schools etc. Look at the way this Padmanabha Dasa behaves even when he is said to be the custodian of the greatest treasure on earth. Isn’t it another model from Kerala for the whole human race to emulate?

Road or Rail

Recently, there are discussions about widening the National Highways of the State with 30 meters as the standard width suggested by the Kerala Government which is opposed by the Central Public Works Department with a recommendation of minimum of 45 meters. What is better for the State, its society and the tourism industry?

Rehabilitation

In our State, unlike many other parts of India, the population density is very high. The available land for human settlements is very less, after setting aside the reserved forests, plantations, wetlands and coastal belt. The balance available liveable land in the midland area is filled with residential areas, making it impossible for any large scale industries which require vast area of land. Evacuation of people from their present residences will face stiff opposition and still there are projects with such unsettled cases of rehabilitation. In such a scenario, getting land across the State for road widening cannot be imagined without stiff opposition from people.

Consumer State
In general, it is clear that Kerala is suitable for tourism and IT (technology related industries which can yield better return from limited space utilisation) and started tuning all our industrial activities towards supporting such an economy. More than 10% of the total population is working outside the State – pan India, Middle Eastern region, Europe and across the world. The inflow of funds from such Pravasi Malayalees (NRKs) is also a considerable factor in the State economy. The plantations of cash crops – rubber, spices, cashew nuts, (now) oil palms – also enlarged the savings kitty of the people and made them more consumerist (not communist). Kerala is a larger market than any other Metro cities in India, making it a haven for marketers of various consumer products. We do not produce enough rice, vegetables, poultry, dairy products or other food grains to be self reliant.

Responsible Tourism (RT)
In the recent initiatives of Kerala Tourism Department towards responsible tourism (RT) initiatives to support the local economy through Kudumbashree (Self Help Groups of Women) units, procurement of food items locally, giving employment to locals etc. will be beneficial to the society in the long run. This will also reduce the “carbon mile” of food consumed in the hospitality sector. Though the RT initiatives are introduced in 4 destinations to start with, the same can be incorporated with every tourism business and become more profitable. For example: If one tries to sell a room with all modern amenities in the international market, it may be very difficult. But, if one tries to add local flavour to its interiors with art and handicraft items procured locally, it will add value to the property and can also be sold at a premium – increasing the profitability.

Car Vs Bus
Throughout the world, the 20th century had seen the growth of oil economy – with the over consumption of petroleum products made available cheaper than its ‘real price’ with the control of extraction, refining and distribution by a handful of oil majors – both corporate and countries. The lobby of the oil and automobile industry twisted, persuaded and even threatened the Governments of different countries to follow policies suitable to support private (car) transport systems. Now, it is clear that even the war in Iraq was a result of such a strategic move by the oil majors’ controlled Governments in USA and UK. It is too late now, to reverse the consequences of the actions of human race on the environment as the Climate Change triggered by Global Warming has reached alarming proportions.

Democracy
Since we are in a democratic society, our Government actions are based on majority opinions. Once the majority in the society is pretty comfortable with private (car) transport systems, they require wider roads for easy travelling. It will be very difficult to make them agree for a reversal in their lifestyle towards public (bus or train or metro) transport as clearly seen in the ‘developed’ economies. Do we need to make the same mistakes of the people of such developed economies? Can’t we learn from their mistakes and take decisions against such blunders already committed by them? Do you believe that wider roads will solve the problems of traffic jams?

The solution lies in the environmental taxes imposed for private (car) transport systems and using such revenue for strengthening public (bus or train or metro) transport system. Environmental taxes means, more taxes for cars in the form of increased sales tax, higher road tax, entry fee towards cities and towns, parking fee on roads etc. Since diesel is subsidised in India for public transport systems (trucks and buses), the road tax and sales tax imposed for diesel cars should be double than that of petrol vehicles, as they are getting the benefit of the State subsidy for their private car usages.

Strengthening the public transport system means, increasing the efficiency of the entire system, introducing newer vehicles with better technologies for improved fuel consumption (mileage), better comfort levels of such experiences with air conditioned buses or low-floor buses, multi-mode transport stations where people can park their car to take public transport and with integrated bus/train/water transport systems (as envisaged in the Vyttila terminal). We could also consider withdrawing the older vehicles (bus) from the roads – it can be reduced from 15 years to 10 years or even 8 years as in many of the advanced environmentally sensitive societies across the world. This will boost the sale of buses from Indian and multinational companies in the State which will in turn make it an ideal business model for them also.

Industry lobby
As proactive industry leaders with a vision for a better future for the local people and to give a better experience for the travelling public, it is the responsibility of the various organisations of the Tourism Industry to come together and resolve the following points and put pressure on the Government machinery to act upon.
1. By considering the various parameters of the State, we support the State Government decision to standardise the width of the National highways in the State to 30 meters. We hope the quality of the road works will be improved and reach international standards with the upcoming developmental activities.
2. We encourage the State government to plan and execute a policy towards a more sustainable mode of transport with emphasis on public transport systems and environmental taxes.
3. As an industry catering to the sensitive international traveller, we will take steps to reduce the “Carbon Footprints” by reducing the use of petroleum products by increased use of alternative energy sources.
4. We understand the causes of Global Warming and to curb the adverse effects decide to support forestation projects, protection of Western Ghat biosphere, creation of forest corridors for animal movements across the States of South India and steps towards the conservation of biodiversity.
5. We do support the decision of the Forest Department to reduce and limit the vehicle movements through the forests. We do not support the night traffic through reserved forests also.
6. Through the Responsible Tourism initiatives, we will support local products and services rendered by Kudumbashree units and also employ maximum people from the local societies.
If such a memorandum can be moved in the right avenue and if the players can implement them and take steps towards a more sustainable developmental model, Kerala can create another role model for the whole world to follow.

Obama’s Dinner with Mahatma

What’s so special when Barack Obama, the President of United States of America said that his ideal dinner guest would be Mahatma Gandhi? He added, "It would probably be a really small meal. He's somebody I find a lot of inspiration in," Obama said. "He inspired Dr. (Martin Luther) King with his message of nonviolence. He ended up doing so much and changed the world just by the power of his ethics."

Is it possible by a shift in the attitude of a small group of Ritchie Rich (read richest) people can contribute positively to the world that they share with the rest of The Tramps (read, not so rich and poor people)?

Attitude is the base for our (career) ambitions. We get role models from the ‘successful rich’ people. What if they start behaving in a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable lifestyle? Unfortunately this group, whether they are in developed country or developing country, are the major cause for various problems faced commonly by the societies across the world. Let it be war, drugs, human rights violations, environmental pollution or climate change; these people and their lifestyles are the major cause for issues.

When there are industries thriving on the making of weapons, the logical solution for the marketing of their products would cause lack of peace among neighbouring countries or within a country by civilian conflicts.

When there is an oil based economy thriving on the exploitation of petroleum products and supported by a strong automobile industry, their existence would be smoother when there is more number of cars on the road.

When Obama was awarded with the Nobel peace prize, within a year of his presidency of USA, these are the two industries which were targeted by his policies and vision statements. Incidentally weapon industry and oil economy are also diagonally opposing to the largest industry in the world – travel and tourism. People would travel when there is a peaceful atmosphere in the host country and when they can also experience the natural, historical and cultural heritage of the land. This in turn means, we should support lifestyles that are non-confronting with the basic idea of travelling. This is possible only when we demonstrate as individuals and as a society that we “care” for the travellers and their basic feelings. That, we care for world peace and for a healthier environment.

With this background, let’s redefine our personal attitudes and change our goals in life. Are you ready to think differently?
First, let’s have our basic needs – food, cloths and shelter – without affecting the environment adversely or ethical to the society we live in. Can we aspire for organic food, made locally, traded in a fair manner reaching our dining tables? Can we also dream of a clean cuisine with items that are not Genetically Modified through Bio Technology innovations?
Are we not rich enough with ample supply of natural fibres such as cotton, silk, wool, linen and jute to supplement our clothing requirements instead of synthetic yarns? Is it not fashionable to dress up with handmade or handloom clothing?
Then comes shelter, where we could easily choose to stay in a structure that is built with Green Building Codes – minimum resources used, maximum natural ventilation and temperature control, energy efficient and conversion of recycled materials.
In the case of personal automobile, if that satisfies more than public transport systems, why not Prius Hybrid or Reva Electric Car or Telsa Roadster or the one that gives more than 20 kms per litre to be our aspiration?
Why not Citizen Eco Drive nor a solar charged cell phone in our list of desirable items?
Sailing instead of Yachting, scuba diving to replace water scooter, hot air balloon or gliding to replace the pride derived from private jet.

Even if the exotic lifestyles of the richest are not changed, those of us who are aware the consequences of personal attitude and consumption pattern should change it – for the earth, for peace and for a better future for our children.

While declaring the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama, the committee sited ‘his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.’

Change the status quo

Many of the revolutionary reforms do happen when Governments take a policy decision which affects future course of action by the whole population of the society.

In Kerala, when the Department of Tourism along with strong support from the industry veterans took visionary decisions in the late 90’s, at the beginning of the boom period, not support mass tourism but to promote the destination in the value added premium segment, it had its effect on the whole developmental alternatives that emerged in the State.

There must be certain common policies that are taken with a visionary insight and remain unchanged irrespective of the ruling political parties. It is interesting to note similarities underneath the widely varying parties when looked deeper into their ideologies. The pro-poor attitude of left parties, the grama-swaraj of the right wing or the promotion of local culture by the third – all these can be connected with responsible tourism concepts. This in turn means, once we have a visionary policy on tourism all parties will have to invariably agree to it.

In the coming years, we will find awareness among more (travelling) people towards sustainable development, environment friendly lifestyles, promotion of local cultures, alternative energy sources (without oil / coal / or even large dams) and these growing breed of people will be willing to pay a premium for such eco friendly products and responsible services.

There will be also funding and technology transfers from the present industrialised (developed !!) nations towards countries / regions / states like Kerala.

We should be geared up to meet such changing demands both as State Government and the individual units of the vibrant Kerala tourism industry. Instead of opposition what we must have is understanding and cooperation to make such policies successful.

Sometime back, under the Eco Tourism initiatives, the Department framed certain policy frameworks and support initiatives with a “brand name” EcoKerala. The incentive was to offer 15% subsidy for the implementation of the guidelines. But this was never reached out to the industry neither they showed any positive response. We can have a review into it and re-introduce it similar to the “Green Leaf” and other classification certification of the Department. This may also attract “Carbon Funding / Credits” or other supports from International bodies.

We could also consider establishing a Ministry of Environment (renaming the present Ministry of Forest) and make it a consolidating authority for the actions of various ministries and spearheading sustainable developmental activities.

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New Delhi Auto Expo 2010 has witnessed three drastic changes from the previous years and attracted special media attention. The first is the enhanced flooding of (small) cars into the Indian market (and roads). This very same blunder by which the present industrialised countries made in the last century resulted in the accumulation of Carbon in the atmosphere is going to be repeated by India and China. Unfortunately the Government policy to support the auto industry will be for the creation of bigger / better roads and reducing the fund allocation for an efficient / better public transport system. (Do we have enough land availability in Kerala for such developments, without causing conflicts with the people?) Humans do have the capacity to learn from past mistakes and adapt to the changing times – do we have it?

Second, is the introduction of hybrids and electric vehicles by major players. This is a good move by the “responsible” automobile industry, but can survive only with the stimulus from the Government policies and incentives for the buyers. (Toyota Prius is going to cost more than 2.5 times in India than its price elsewhere in the world.) Do we have a “responsible” Government to take such bold moves?

Thirdly, is the launch of bus (truck) chassis by major industrial players during the Expo. They have become modern in design, sophisticated in technology (lesser polluting) and more fuel efficient comparable to European standards. Now, can we expect a more favourable policy shift towards public transport system – let it be in Government run railways, KSRTC or private operators?

Let’s welcome policies and regulations that will lead us to a better society which will naturally attract others. Let’s pray to Almighty to give us the wisdom to choose the right choices for our children and grand children. Let’s make God’s Own Country an example worth pursuing for travellers and a alternative developmental model for others to follow.

Copenhagen Calling

“The choice is ours. We can be remembered as a generation that chose to drag the arguments of the 20th century into the 21st ... Or, we can be a generation that chooses to see the shoreline beyond the rough waters ahead; that comes together to serve the common interests of human beings, and finally gives meaning to the promise embedded in the name given to this institution: the United Nations.” – Mr. Barack Obama (President, US of A)

"It is India’s view, which has been consistently voiced at all forums, that global warming is taking place and that its adverse consequences will impact most heavily on developing countries like India," Manmohan Singh said. "The reference in a document to two degrees Celsius increase as a possible threshold reflects a prevalent scientific opinion internationally and only reinforces what India has been saying about the dangers from global warming." The Prime Minister pointed out that 37 developing countries including India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia had tabled a submission at the multilateral negotiations, asking the developed countries to accept (greenhouse gas emission) reduction targets of at least 40 percent by 2020 with 1990 as the baseline.

"At stake in the fight against climate change are the common interests of the entire world," Hu said. "Out of a sense of responsibility to its own people and people across the world, China fully appreciates the importance and urgency of addressing climate change."

In his speech, China's president vowed China would plant enough forest to cover an area the size of Norway and generate 15 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources within a decade.
China has long insisted that global warming is caused by the industrialization of developed countries, which account for more than 80 percent of accumulative greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere. Helping developing countries adapt to climate change is not an exercise in charity by rich nations, but their responsibility, in China's view. The developed countries should keep their promises made to developing countries in terms of funding, technology transfer and capacity building.

China and the U.S. each account for about 20 percent of all the world's greenhouse gas pollution created when coal, natural gas or oil are burned. The European Union is next, generating 14 percent, followed by Russia and India, which each account for 5 percent.

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The recent quotes from the leaders give some hope for a possible global action against the causes of climate change. May be, they could reach to a deal which will curtail the human activities causing the dramatic changes in the global warming.

How’s that going to affect our lives and our tourism industry?

Long haul travel
People travelling from Europe, Japan and USA will be reduced in the coming years. This is based on the increased awareness that international air travels will cause more damage to the environment through green house gases (GHG). The other impact is also because of the global recession (the so called slow-down) which is still haunting the developed nations with higher unemployment rate, lower salary and increased concern about the uncertainty of the future income levels.

In the winter holidays, they will choose nearby destinations which are not so expensive. They will also take train, ship, bus or even cycle for such holidays.

The reason for travelling to Kerala should be stronger than just leisure; it should be intellectually stimulating or culturally vibrant. Kerala should not be among many other destinations which lost their sheen after a decade of international attention.

If the above target groups are not available, we have to refocus over attention to domestic travellers or people from other countries or regions.

Another Kerala Model

We have mostly hydro electric power supply to the State grids than thermal power stations that consumes coal / petroleum products. But that does not mean that we should not venture more into renewable sources of energy to boost our growing thirst for electric power. Power generations from off-shore wind (land based wind farms are not feasible in Kerala, as the areas with required wind speed are minimal), solar power, electricity from waste or tidal waves has to be tapped with PPP model or Carbon Funding or other similar methods.

Another major area is a stronger public transport network – which integrates seamlessly between road, rail, air and water transport modes. (A good start would be the Vyttila Mobility Terminal.) Due to limited land availability and high population density, road development will not be possible beyond certain extend. Curtailing private vehicles with increased road tax (read, environmental tax) is a major task in this direction. The sooner, the better, it is for the State and our environment.

A traveller will be amazed and appreciate, if Kerala has a good system of public transport – from airports, tram / low floor buses to the nearest railway station, good quality public buses / trains between tourist destinations, increased space and facilities for walking / cycling in the urban / tourist areas, friendly auto rikshaws / taxi drivers and the like will ensure a better image for Kerala in the international tourism circles. It will be hailed as another Kerala Model worth emulating.

Cooperation not competition
There are many areas in which we could cooperate with our neighbouring countries for mutually beneficial businesses / activities. Some of them are mentioned herewith:
Kerala Ayurevda in Sri Lanka – Resorts can be established in the Island nation and strategic research / education agreements can be signed between ayurveda institutions of both the countries
Kalaripayattu centres in Shao-lin Temple – it is said that the origins of Kung-fu, the most famous marital arts in the world can be traced back to Kerala. Joint training and research centres can be established in both the places.

Buddhism in Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan – prior to 8th century AD, Kerala was a strong hold of Buddhist philosophy which was defeated by Adi Sankara’s intellectual debates based on Advaitha. The recent studies in Kerala history and its connection with Buddhism can be a subject of international pilgrim tours.
Jute and coir products – already products are being developed and marketed with these two natural fibres. Still there are scope for further researches and establishment of centres for the promotion in Bengal (and Bangladesh)

Ancient Spice Routes can be also re-established by proper archaeological excavations including our connections with Indus Valley civilisations, prior to 500 BC. Thus we can also engage with modern ASEAN countries for the Spice Route Tourism development. Ancient ships can be rebuilt and sailing expeditions / competitions can be held in these routes to get maximum attention from ‘green’ enthusiasts with a historic inclination.

Cultural Exchanges
People-to-people relationships between modern political boundaries will ensure better understanding of each other, respect for each others’ cultural sensitivities and foster a peaceful co-existence. It is a foolish idea to think that India should have nuclear weapons to counter the ‘threat’ from neighbouring countries. Do you think that there will be any country (other than any terrorist groups) who would dare to initiate another nuclear arsenal during any border issues or even a war in the future? Instead of such negative, scare based strategies, why don’t we invest in more cultural exchanges; like the ones below:

v Movies – stories based on cross border themes, it could be historical stories or modern dramas
v Theatre festivals – across the country to appreciate the cultural differences of two neighbouring societies.
v Performing arts – apart from cross country shows, there should be scope for students to learn and research performing art forms from across Asian countries.
v TV channels – do play a vital role in present day scenario in the oriental societies. There are ample scope for joint projects and programme developments.
v Print media – Newspapers and magazines should have editions all across the neighbouring countries to engage people more into the day-to-day affairs of the other society.

v Boat Races – Snake Boat Race of Alleppey backwaters is as popular as the Dragon Boat Race of Hong Kong. There could be demonstration and friendly races among teams from these two regions.
These steps are not only for improving bilateral relationships between our neighbours, but also to boost tourism industry. The Western travellers will get a diverse view of the oriental society from a single trip which will encourage them to take up the travel. Even if the climate change is going to warm up the cold winters of Europe, they should feel good to travel to Kerala. It offers much more than a leisurely tourism – a chance for a pilgrimage to God’s Own Country.

“Environmental problems do not recognize political boundaries. We have one mother earth, let us share it.” Thirteen-year old Lucknow girl Yugratna Srivatsava, whose first name loosely translates as a precious stone for all times, spoke eloquently about the need for the world to stop pillaging the earth in a speech that was cheered by world leaders, including the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

Culture and Climate Change

Finally, the report is out, that climate change is caused by the human activities especially after industrialisation (1750’s onwards) which burned fossil fuel. It was confirmed by the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in February 2007. There are several aspects that are interesting in the last 250 odd years of human history which also includes development of tourism as the largest industry of the world. History is also marked with the effects of Colonialisation and the emergence of multi nationals corporations (MNCs) in various countries and regions around the world.

Let’s see the changes in human attitudes, lifestyles and culture that are inter-connected with the causes of climate change. The ancient civilisations like the Indus valley, Chinese, Egyptian, Mayan, Aborigines, American Indians etc. had a common characteristic in religion and lifestyle that were strongly connected with nature. However, there is a distinct character for the other two – Roman and Arabian cultures – that is being an aggressive and dominating nature. The clash of civilisations as predicted by some is a major threat for the whole world, if happens.

Nature oriented lifestyles of such ancient civilizations were ridiculed by the modern invading communities as baseless, illogical and unscientific. Invaders believed that nature is something to be exploited and encashed upon within the quickest possible time. The profiteering of industrialisation is based on this very fundamental human attitude.

Lately, this attitude has been challenged by the people supporting green movements or environmentalists who have coined a term Sustainable Development. Here, both human development considerations and environmental aspects are considered well before deciding on the policies of any industrial activities of Governments or societies. When such green concerns are raised, it is labeled as anti-developmentary in many parts of the world. If we look deeper into such allegations, we can see another clash of ideologies – one based on traditional profiteering / nature dominating and the other being a win-win situation / living with nature. Governments, societies, political parties, NGOs and MNCs are taking their positions on either side of these ideological paradigms.

Environmental Economics is another fad developed during the last couple of decades for putting a cost factor on the environmental aspects and making it a base for justifying the investments made on certain (potentially harmful) projects. It is important to see that international aid agencies are funding projects based on such calculations which are completely baseless. And moreover, the expert who developed the concept (Prof. Collin Price) negated it by saying that it is virtually impossible to put a price tag on various environmental aspects and the related dynamic effects of them – such as: a price of, say US$ 1,000 for an acre of tropical rain forest or a mangrove or a natural pond etc. Still many societies and Governments are relying on such calculations for strategic development policies. As far as Indians are concerned, we respect our mother land, rivers, hills, forests and the entire animal kingdom (prakruti) as our mother / divine, and how is it possible to put a price for prakruti?

Now-a-days more and more concerned people have started travelling with the prime objective of learning from other cultures, contributing positively for the (economic) development and trying to eliminate poverty from such host societies. There is also a movement to offset the ill-effects of flying (in air planes because it causes further damage to the ozone layer) by contributing for the planting of trees and related works.
In some countries and cities, the lifestyle is far-away from nature and they have started living in very sterile environments for quite large amounts of time. Such people find it hard to live without synthetic vaccinations for every possible epidemic or communicable diseases. It costs more than 10% of their total travel cost (US$ 300+) for covering such health hazards.

At the same time, it is also a positive sign to see the increasing significance of organic farming products in Europe and elsewhere. Organisations such as Fair-trade are creating a pull for such green practices which are in effect creating a feel good factor throughout the world. Though they are paying too much for air-lifting these products across to geographic regions and also the associated Green House Gases (GHG), the demand for such products are resulting in better agricultural practices in countries like India. Unfortunately such importing countries hardly look into the self sufficiency factor – at least in the food production segment.

There are also groups which are opposing Globalisation and claim that the flow of capital is not followed by employment flow. The employment situation of rich nations is affected by the cheap labour of poor countries by way of BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing), as it is popularly known. May be there will be a time when the economic disparities are going to diminish to such a level that people from the present rich countries are going to become poorer and find it hard to go on leisure travels!!

It is to be understood that there is an environmental impact for every human activity. Tourism industry is all about the travellers’ attitudes and how the host community is moulding their mindset towards such environmental impacts or vise versa. Irrespective of the category of travellers, from backpackers to five-star clientele, a positive influence can be made by the travel agent, accommodation provider, transporters, tourist guides and all others related directly or indirectly with the tourists. There are areas where the tourism industry can play positively for reducing the consumption of fossil fuel, reduction in the use of water, managing (recycle, reduce or reuse = 3 R’s) the waste generated, employment of local people, consumption of local products, conservation of electricity and moreover respect local culture. If this is achieved through tourism, it will not only benefit the host communities but also will have an impact on the traveller’s attitude.••

Climate Change and Future of Kerala Tourism

The Climate Change discussions are taking a back seat in recent past when the focus is on Global Recession and its possible cause / effect on oil based economies. Both are mutually related, equally significant and can spell misfortune for tourism industry in general. By the effects of Climate Change, when Europe is heating up, especially in the winter holiday period, the travelers from that region would spend their time in Europe itself, reducing the need to spend time in hot climate areas such as Kerala. When the recession is hitting people in Europe, they would also prefer not to travel to save money.

Here comes the importance of revising our tourism vision to incorporate products and services that are not just Climate related. Apart from the superfluous pleasures, if we can stimulate intellectual and spiritual touch to the purpose of travel, we are adding real value to the destination. Can we address Global Issues through our local solutions in tourism industry? Can we create another “Kerala model” in responsible tourism addressing the issues such as Global Warming, Climate Change, Terrorism, War, Racial Prejudice, Sexual exploitation of women, Drug trafficking, Deforestation, Social justice, Public Health and the like? Can we really live up to the tag line of marketing Kerala Tourism: “God’s Own Country”?

Some suggestions are put forward for the consideration of tourism industry veterans, the Government officials, academicians and general public interested in tourism industry.
1. History can be a very good marketing tool if promoted properly through well organised museums and research centres (organizing international seminars and academic exchanges). Starting from Ancient Spice Route and our trade relations with Roman, Arab and Chinese cultures from atleast 1000 BC, the visit of St: Thomas and establishment of Christianity in India in AD 52 onwards, the visit of legendary Sage Nagarjuna – proponent of Middle Path philosophy and alchemist in (Ayurveda) medicine in the 2nd century AD and our forgotten Buddhist past, the very second Mosque on the banks of River Periyar at Muziris (present day Kodungallur), birth of Adi Sankara in the 8th century AD, his works on Advaita philosophy and establishment of four Amnaya Matts in India which caused a resurgence of Hindu (religion) culture in India, our Jewish connection from atleast 15th century AD and “Kerala School” of Mathematics which is recently discovered the existence of a well established scholarship and possibly the developers of Modern (English) Calendar etc. etc. are possible areas of product / service development in tourism industry. Which other State in India or geographical region in the World can claim such a vivid historical strength to support tourism?
2. Ayurveda can be further enhanced from its present position of rejuvenate therapies in the international market to a complete health care system. We have already introduced a certification (Green and Olive) for the recognition of authentic ayurveda centres, but further works are required to document the effectiveness of treatments that are undertaken by such centres. In due course of time, such documented evidences shall further support to get more international recognition by way of insurance coverage and ‘scientific’ approval of our traditional knowledge. We could also support “Integrated Healthcare” centres which would facilitate all Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM – Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha) and Homeopathy along with Allopathy under one roof. Support from organizations like the Foundation for Integrated Health (promoted by Price of Wales) can be expected for such ventures.
3. Houseboats can be more environment friendly and still attract more tourists. Unhealthy competition resulted in enlarging the size of the country boats used to be converted into houseboats and they are now unable to move through the narrow canals which used to be the most attractive part of the whole trip. Simple, small country boats with one or two rooms with a small kitchen and outboard engine have become huge boats with a/c and noisy inboard diesel engines causing serious damages to the largest fresh water lake in Kerala – Vembanad Lake.
4. Accommodation can be with some “character” – normal hotels with luxurious rooms cannot sustain in the long run. Each hotel can create some uniqueness in its property building by adding different elements – say, art and antiques, murals and oil paints, nature friendly and energy efficient, performing arts etc. Homestays are thriving because of the experience that it is offering to the guests and also because of very nominal ‘investments’. Grihasthaly scheme of Kerala Tourism for the conservation of old houses in its original place also attracts many enthusiastic travelers who wishes to see ‘originals’. Another area which is untapped is the Youth Hostels / Camping Sites.
5. Biodiversity can be another area of our strong hold, provided we are protecting our remaining natural forests and try to enhance its area by interconnecting the fragmented forests and/or afforestation of plantations which ceased its lease agreement period. Western Ghats is among the Biodiversity hot spots of the world which is to be protected under the UN charter for the conservation of World Natural Heritage. More Eco Tourism projects can be established with people participation and visionary planning. Promotion of organic farming in itself will attract more people to visit us to learn how we are engaging in agriculture.
6. Culture and Traditions can be ‘marketed’ which is already showing great results by the promotion of Kalamandalam and the recent advertisement campaign with people who were changed by the richness of our traditions (examples shown were Pongala, Kathakali, Kalari etc). Now it is time for international collaborative projects – Kalari with Kung Fu, Kathakali with Beijing Opera and the like.
7. Olympics can be another scope for Kerala to focus-on, as India is planning to bid for Olympics in 2020. Though the official venue could be Hyderabad, we could try for the venues of Water related Sports & Games, Swimming and the like. As our veteran Olympians and Athletes confess, we must have international standard infrastructure facilities to even qualify for the items and grooming young talents for many years. This is the right time for targeting for such investments with the support from private sector also.
8. Movies have already marked attention to the creative geniuses from the region in the international panorama. Can we not support projects that are transnational – with themes selected from our rich historical background?
9. Twin Cities can be another project by which urban development can be focused with the mutual learning of another far-away city. Kochi is already tied up with Cardiff for implementing sustainable development practices. Similarly, Thiruvanthapuram may be tied up with Beijing and Kozhikode with Dubai. Municipal bodies of other towns can also try and find similar towns from across the globe for such projects.
10. Joint academic programmes can be another reason for people to move around. For example, the Vedic Chanting has been included among Intangible World Heritage by UNESCO. The effects of Sound on human mind and psychology can be a subject of international study. Agriculture research of Plantation Crops or fisheries could be another area with far eastern countries.
11. EcoKerala Certification can be a tool to motivate more tourism industry players to engage in environment friendly activities. The guidelines stipulated in it also enhance the Responsible Tourism criteria. If the present 15% subsidy is not motivating enough to the industry to follow the suite, increase the grant, or persuade in other levels – such as licensing, tax rebates etc. Green Building Codes can also be promoted through this certification scheme.
12. Climate Change can be a focal point in all our activities – with great policy support for tapping most of the alternative sources of energy and moving towards a carbon neutral energy self sufficiency (say in 20 years) would automatically attract the neo-green movements around the world. Enhanced support public transport is another area in which the international Carbon Funding can be sourced and utilized. Sustainable development when incorporated in integrating different government departments will result in integrated ‘single-window’ solutions to various issues.

When we are a successful State in implementing tourism marketing so far, it should be sustained in the coming decades. We should not be another destination which is vanishing from the international attention after a period of 10 – 12 years, as happens with other popular destinations elsewhere. For this, we need to focus on our strong points and align our products and services to suite the international trends.

Pilgrimages to India

How people are attracted to India on a different segment called pilgrims and Indology students? What is the role of Kerala in attracting this segment of people from abroad?

For many people, India is a land of spirituality. For those who believe in Punya Bhoomi (sacred land) concept, Bharath (as India is known to Indians) is the land to attain Moksha (freedom from life cycles) through any of the passages (marga) – bhakthi (devotion), jnana (knowledge) and/or karma (duty) marga.

From the period of the famous Chicago address on 9/11 of 1893 in the World Parliament of Religions, Swami Vivekananda started attracting people from the materialistic West to the Spiritual orient. This was further enhanced by eminent people like Tagore, Sri Arabindo, J Krishnamurthy, Swami Ranganatha of Sree Ramakrishna Ashram, Chinmayananda, Swami Sivananda and his disciple Swami Vishnudevananda (through Yoga) and the like.

Yoga became an international attraction and many people traveled to the Himalayas in search of spiritual tranquility or a Guru. The Hippy movement by the end of 60’s also attracted both intellectuals and youngsters towards the Asian religious beliefs.

The same segment of people, along with spirituality, is also interested in our classical dance forms, music, traditions and rituals. They are exploring, studying, researching and documenting many of these Indology subjects creating new versions of our ancient knowledge bases. It is such scientific and logical analysis into our traditional wisdom that enliven our traditional wisdom.

UNESCO and Kerala Heritage
How many are aware that 2 forms of Intangible World Heritages are listed from Kerala in the UNESCO listing? One is Koodiyattam and the other Vedic Recital (in India) with special emphasis on Jaimaniya Sama Veda tradition of Panjal village in Thrissur district.

Kutiyattam started getting good attention from both Government departments and people are attracted to its grand endurance over the centuries as a rich traditional performing art form. Still, it is a pity that not much is happening for the conservation and promotion of the Vedic recital traditions in Kerala.

Kerala Kalamandalam
‘A Day with the Masters’ is a pilgrimage to the most sacred temple of arts, Kerala Kalamandalam, giving a world class experience to the visitors, with an unique menu of presentations that bring out the grandeur of the institution. This premier cultural tourism product of the ‘Gods Own Country’ is jointly promoted by Kerala Tourism and Kerala Kalamandalam.

The tour starts with an audio-visual presentation – Saga of Kalamandalam and a visit to the Koothambalam – the traditional temple theatre. A visit and exposition of 10-15 Kalaris (teaching classes) that includes classical dances Mohiniyattam, Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi; Kathakali; Koodiyattam; Percussion instruments – like Chenda, and Maddalam; Karnatic classical Music. Next in itinerary is a presentation on Kerala Mural Painting on ‘Nrittyolpathi’, the origin of Dance. And then a visit of the Art gallery, to see costumes, head-gears, masks and jewellery. The tour culminates with a sumptuous Traditional Kerala Lunch.

Margi and others
While talking about performing arts, it is also worth mentioning other organisations such as Margi of Thiruvananthapuram, Vijnana Kalavedi of Aranmula, PSV Natya Sangham of Kottakkal, as prominent schools promoting our rich traditions to many number of students from abroad.

Yajna / Yaaga in Kerala
An expert in comparative studies among ancient civilizations, Prof Frits Staal visited Kerala in early 70’s and found our Yaga (Somayagam) as the oldest living tradition that could be continued even in the modern era without loosing its originality after many centuries. The story of a ‘man-made-rain’ after the Yagam and his documentary works on the scientific aspects of the rituals is now world famous among Indology experts. When Somayagam repeated in 2002 after a gap of around two decades, he visited by invitation and as a 72 years old veteran; his presence gave an international significance to our traditional ritualistic event.

Buddhist Connection
Historians argue that Kerala used to be a strong base for Buddhism until in the 8th century AD. Many of the temples were Buddhist Viharams and later converted into Hindu temples. It is worth making detailed researches into these aspects and if the hypothesis happened to be true, we could also promote Kerala as a Buddhist destination.

It would be interesting to note that Sage Nagarjuna, who introduced Madhyamika (middle path) philosophy in Buddhism visited and stayed in Thiruvizha Viharam temple near Cherthala, Alapuzha district and wrote a book (Rasa Vaisheshika). Sage Nagarjuna is revered as “Medicine Buddha” and one could see his idol being erected in almost all Buddhist temples around the world. He is also respected as a Buddhist reformist when the Mahayana and Hinayana philosophies were dividing the followers.

The founder of Shao-lin temple of Kung-FU in China Damo (Bodhi Dharma) is believed to be originally from Kerala!! No wonder that there are many similarities between Kerala martial arts - Kalari – and Kung-Fu.
Kerala had strong trade relations with China and the Far-East from prehistoric period itself. The same is the case with the Arabs from the middle-east. We invited every one and gave complete freedom to practice their different religious traditions in our land. Ultimately, our interest was to have a peaceful state were every one could prosper by mutual respect and a long term vision of a better world.

Speculating Kerala Olympics 2020

Kerala Tourism Vision can be achieved only by getting every one involved. To get everyone involved there must be a common goal and a challenging situation where each one could participate in the team effort.

Let’s consider bidding for the Olympics in 2020 and competing with other countries (including the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, which has already started preparations in this regard from 2000 onwards).
The rationale behind the proposal for Kerala bidding is that Olympics is the largest human event where every country participates.
It is based on healthy competition among individuals representing their country.

It requires very good infrastructure to support the event and large gathering of people from different parts of the world.
Kerala is a leading player in the Sports and Games scene in India with world class athletes/sports personnel.
Kerala has already achieved quality of life comparable with that of the developed countries

Kerala economic development model is based on equitable and ethical considerations. (This could be extended to the planning and execution of bidding and/or managing the Olympics here – by promoting a good Public-Private-Participation model.)
Kerala is a biodiversity hot spot of the world with reserve forests and fragile ecological areas which need to be protected. If we could develop a plan to organize events like this without compromising the environment, it will be another model for others to learn from us.
Kerala has a rich tradition of accepting different cultures for many millennia – Chinese, Arabic, Greek and Egyptian civilizations had trade and cultural relations with the rulers of Kerala from pre-historic period itself. Later, St. Thomas reached Kerala believed to be in the year AD 52 and the European colonialists from the 15th century.
The sustainable development concept is gaining inroads to the management of Olympics and this will benefit our society in general.
Kerala has a very strong man power and financial base (NRKs) which could be tapped for the event. There are already people involved in the planning and execution of major sports events from Kerala which will add to our knowledge organisation.

When we think of the developing infrastructure, there are already 3 international airports and one more is in the pipeline. These have good connectivity with other domestic airports.
There is a good harbour and we could develop 2/3 more in the course of time.

The rail network and suburban rail system could be improved. (London is planning to bring maximum number of people through their rail network. They are even planning to extend Trans-EU-Asia rail network covering 27 countries upto India and China by 2012.)
The road network within the State will be developed to meet the demand, when the proposed widening (4 line) of NH 47 and 7 will take place.

The sports complexes, stadiums and other infrastructures could be developed within the lands of existing educational institutions (colleges and Universities), so that later it could be maintained and used by them. This will also ensure widespread dispersal of the event to the entire state, rather than concentrating in one single area.
While planning and deciding this (Kerala Olympics 2020) as our long term goal, we should get associated with:Olympics Committees of Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008) and London (2012).
An international sports management and training institute, like the IMG Bharata Academy of Andhra Pradesh (which is established in a 400 acre land donated by the Government and with an investment outlay of Rs. 7,000 million. The MoU clearly states that they will help Andhra to host major international sports events until Olympics 2020 and also to create world class training facilities. One might remember the grand opening of the Afro-Asian games inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu who declared the dream of bidding for Olympics in 2020).
Organisations such as WWF for Nature, BioRegional, Green Globe Asia Pacific and the like could be asked to get involved from the planning stage itself.

When we have a challenging and achievable target it will boost the morale and motivation levels of people which will result in better productivity through focused action. It is the private sector tourism industry players who should take the initiative for such long term plans along with the policy support from Government departments. Hope this proposal of Kerala Olympics 2020 would be an ideal one for all of us.

Sustainable Tourism the Next Right Step for Kerala

“To make Kerala, the God’s Own Country, an up-market high quality tourist destination through rational utilisation of resources with focus on integrated development of infrastructure sector, conserving and preserving the heritage and environment and enhancing productivity, income, creating employment opportunities, alleviating poverty thereby making tourism the most important sector for the socio-economic development and environment protection of the State.” Tourism Vision Statement, Kerala Tourism

Though our vision statement is not mentioning about Sustainable Development (SD) explicitly, the implied meaning can be found from the phrases such as ‘rational utilisation of resources’, ‘conserving and preserving the heritage and environment’ and ‘alleviating poverty’.
Apart from the vision statement, one of the objectives mentioned in the Kerala Tourism Vision policy 2025 is to promote sustainable and eco-friendly tourism in the State based on the carrying capacity of the destinations along with steps to conserve and preserve the art, culture and heritage of the State.

There is a general perception that SD concepts will work against a society’s economic growth and will reduce international competence. In absolute terms it may be true based on the present day calculation of GDP and other economic indicators, which are not considering environmental and social aspects of development. But when more and more economists are accepting the ‘money value’ of environment and culture, they are struggling to come out with consensus in selecting the time factor (discounting) and items in indicators. Anyway, the works of environmental/ ecological economists resulted in much stringent policies in rules, especially in EU countries. Tourism being the largest industry in the world can contribute significantly in this area.

It is not true that sustainable tourism or eco tourism can be implemented only in the natural reserve parks (forests/coral reef/lakes). The concept can be implemented by every segment in the industry – hotels/resorts, tour operators, air lines, air ports, cruise lines, tour guides, etc.
After the Earth Summit at Rio, there had been many movements to convert tourism industry to Green paths. Internationally, certifications like ISO 14000, Ecotel and Green Globe 21 came into existence. Climate Change, Biodiversity Conservation, Shortage of Drinking Water and Power (electricity), Accumulation of Domestic and Industrial Waste, Local Employment generation and promotion of Local goods and services are addressed while considering SD in any industry. It can be seen that while addressing the above, it will invariably result in better profitability by reduced revenue expenditures.

Malabar House and Fortcochin received the first GG21 Certification in India in the year 2005. More than the international branding benefits on marketing of the property, the management was interested in the certification process to find ways of reducing cost of operation. Such certifications also will support a strong candidature for domestic or international tourism awards as well.
Individual nations tried their own ways of promoting green brands such as Green Dragon (Wales), ECO Tourism (Australia) etc. State / regional governments which are predominantly depending on tourism industry also started promoting their own standards, certifications and brands.
It is also interesting to note that China – long considered as an environmental threat to the world – decided to promote Beijing Olympics with more green initiatives spearheaded by a thematic logo and joined action.

London 2012 already teamed up with WWF and BioRegional to make it “One Planet Olympics” which has resulted in a favourable decision making at the time of winning the bid for the event. BioRegional, who have over 10 years experience in sustainable development projects, worked closely with London 2012 to research and write the ‘Towards a One Planet Olympics’ report which details solutions for zero waste and low carbon strategies, local supply networks, sustainable transport , wildlife biodiversity and an ongoing legacy for a sustainable community.
Kerala, also started Eco-Kerala initiative and the details can be found from the following link.

www.keralatourism.org:8080/keralatourism/sidenews/ecokerala/Eco.htm

Here, there are several questions that are arising:
• Should the Government support Green policies or certifications by incentives and/or legal regulations?
• Should we have our own local ‘brand’ for certification or should we support international certification?
• How can we learn from the experiences of other countries and regions in this regard?

The decision has to be made by the visionary Tourism Minister, officials of the Department and industry players on these issues to reap the benefit of tourism industry in a sustained manner. Thus we could create another “Kerala model development” which will be appreciated by the world.

The Welsh Connection

The Welsh people, originally Celtic, had a long standing tradition of medicine, practiced by the family of Physicians of Myddfai, similar to the Astha Vaidya Ayurveda families in Kerala. They were the trustees of great knowledge of herbal medicine since at least 1000 BC. Even Romans before the period of Hippocrates (c. 460-377 B.C.) quoted the Welsh medical tradition as unique and superior. Can we trace some relation between Indian and Welsh traditions which are separated by vast areas of land. Did the Spice Routes and Silk Road paved way to intellectual exchanges apart from the mere purpose of trade and commerce?

While promoting the tourism destination called Brecon Beacon National Park in the middle of Wales, the tourism authority stumbled upon a small village called Myddfai and the mythological story of Lady-of-the-Lake (Llyn Y Fan Fach). Many people celebrate the myth by visiting the lake on the first Sunday of August. It is a nice place for a small trekking and long walk around the lake. There used to be a Black Mountain in the mythological stories. The name must have derived by the rich bio diversity and availability of plenty of herbs from it. But today, it is a barren grass land completely taken over by the farmers of the locality and their herds of sheep. The mythological story tells that the Lady-of-the-lake gave a “bagful of medical prescriptions and instructions” to her children and showed them around the Black Mountain on the ways of collecting the herbs and their preparations.

By the 12th century, the Physicians of Myddfai family wrote a hand book in Welsh language which is called “The Red Book” and is still preserved safely in the British Library Museum, London in which more than 175 herbs are mentioned with its various uses. The book got translated into English by the name “Physicians of Myddfai.” It is amazing to note the way daily regimens and seasonal food habits are mentioned in the book, which is strikingly similar to the Ayurvedic principles of healthcare.
This knowledge of medicine was presented in the descendants of the family and they continued to practice as Physicians of Myddfai without intermission until the period of John Jones, the surgeon (AD 1739). Today, the Welsh Government is trying to revive this ancient medical system as a part of their nationalistic interests, to boost the morale of the Welsh people and also to increase the tourism potential to the area. Works related with the identification of herbal values of the plants and medicines described in “the Red Book” already commenced in University of Wales, Bangor.

Kerala-Wales Joint Project

What are the possible joint projects that can be carried out by Ayurveda experts from Kerala or India for the revival of the traditional medical system in Wales?

Kerala is known for a rich tradition of Ayurveda. The traditional healing and health management system along with detailed descriptions for a lifestyle that will enable healthy body, mind and spirit. The Ayurveda tradition is still alive in its original form in Kerala with timely adaptations to developments in modern science and technology. We could lend a helping hand to the Welsh people for the revival of the traditional medical system by training the existing herbalists in Wales and rest of EU.

Cultivation, harvesting, storing, processing and preparations of herbal medicines using the available list from the Red Book can be supported by the various Traditional ayurveda organisations in Kerala.

Clinical tests could be conducted in a more organized way for the various preparations that are made and used by the people. Lab based tests, such as active ingredients, toxicity, dosages and animal testing are not required for any traditional medical compositions as per the guidelines from World Health Organisation (WHO).

More than the uses of the herbs mentioned in the text, it is also required to dwell deep into the daily regimens and seasonal food habits (lifestyle) that are mentioned in the Red Book.

The Prince of Wales Foundation for Integrated Health may be an ideal organisation to get the support for the project to revive the traditional Welsh Medical system.

Apart from the similarities in these traditional medical systems of Wales and India, one could also relate the Celtic culture with similarities to ancient Dravidian culture. Both revered women, had maternal passing of ancestral wealth, had a strong background in agriculture, worshiped Sun, etc. It is believed that women had equality of rights and could inherit, own property and elected to office (even to the position of leaders in times of war) in their society. The Celtic religion is of importance in the understanding of Celtic attitudes. It is true that the Gods and Goddesses were numerous, often appearing in triune (three-in-one) although a ‘father of the Gods’ is also mentioned. The Celts preferred to settle warfare by means of single-handled combat between the chieftains to champions of the opposing armies rather than a pitch battle between opposing armies. Yet, Celtic society did produce a warrior class as well as bands of professional soldiers who sold their expertise to whomsoever would hire their services.

One could read many similarities between the ancient cultures across the continents. Deeper researches may prove that apart from merchants and soldiers, philosophers, religious missionaries, traditional healers and even manuscripts might have travelled the mighty Silk Road and Spice Routes, connecting the West to the treasures of the East.

Vararuchi's Kerala

There is a typical cultural convergence in Kerala, though the society is divided by castes and sub-castes from time immemorial. May be this is another reason why Keralites could welcome people from different religions, races and cultures without much trouble. We received Arabs, Chinese, Jews, Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British who came as traders, explorers and later invaders. When they were looking for material benefits from our land and people, we built a spiritual connection with all of them. May be, our attitudes are formed by strong mythological stories like the Vararuchi’s.

Many are familiar with the mythological story of Vararuchi and Parachi petta panthirukulam (the 12 tribes born from a lower caste woman) which is believed to have happened around 300 AD. The outline of the story goes like this:

Vararuchi, one of the nine wise men of King Vikramaditya’s court married a girl from Paraya caste which is one of the lowest castes among the society of Kerala. They started a pilgrimage and on the way one-after-another, they had 12 children. Each time upon delivery, Vararuchi asked her if the baby had mouth. If she said ‘yes’, he would say, “God will feed it if it has mouth” and would ask her to leave the child there and then proceed. Grieved by these, when the 12th child was born, she lied and said the baby did not have a mouth, upon which he permitted her to take the child along. But when she was about to breast-feed it, the mouth was actually not there!! Vararuchi then consecrated the child on a hill, which is called “Vaayillaakkunnilappan” (Hill Lord without mouth), near the place Kadampazhipuram (in the present Palakkad dist.).

The children left out in the forest were subsequently found, adopted and raised by families belonging to different communities, recognised one another as they grew up, and used to get-together at the illam (residence) of the eldest son, Mezhathol Agnihothri, on their father Vararuchi’s death anniversary (Sraadham) - so goes the story or myth. Each of these 12 tribes / families still exists in Kerala and they used to get-together also.

These twelve children are: Mezhathol Agnihothri (Brahmanan), Paakkanaar (Parayan, a very low caste), Rajakan (Dhobi), Naaraanathu Bhraanthan (Elayathu, a lower class Brahmanan), Kaarakkal Maatha (high caste Nair, only girl born to the couple), Akavoor Chaathan (Vysyan), Vaduthala Nair (Nair Soldier), Vallon (Thiruvalluvar of Tamil Nadu), Uppukottan (Muslim), Paananaar (Paanan, a very low caste of country musicians), Perumthachan (carpenter), Vaayillaakkunnilappan (deity). Among them Naaraanathu Bhraanthan is most famous among common people of Kerala. All stories associated to his life are ridiculing the social stigma related with traditions and rituals existed at that time.
There some more subtle meanings to the story that “the 12 children, subsequently, grew up in 12 different home, in 12 strata of the society, from the highest to the lowest”. Apart from the mythological incidents around each of these famous children, there are also deeper philosophical reasoning for the cultural divide, differences in traditions, customs and moreover the need for a unity in diversity.

Though the problems associated with so-called clash of civilisations, international terrorist movements and caste based reservation systems are making its way into Kerala also, they are being greatly controlled from overthrowing our peaceful social settings, because of our strong base in the mythological stories like this. Because of the convergence of different belief systems, cultural practices and traditions; Keralites are more tuned to be called a true cosmopolitan.

There is no another reason why more than 3 million people from this tiny state of Southern India are able to find jobs around the globe. Such beliefs and attitudes have made us to become more adaptive to any cultural settings. The same way, when we started venturing seriously into tourism industry, such a strong mind set also helped us to position ourselves among the major international tourist destinations and to distinguish Kerala as a unique place.

We created a mark in the world of economics by coining a term called “Kerala Model Development”. We have a two party coalition rule – left wing communists and the right wing – and learned to walk the middle path. We have successfully implemented land reforms Act, attained 100% literacy, gained highest health standards for our people and reduced the effects of poverty to the minimum. Achievements of Kerala are comparable with that of the developed nations. Such an environment also attracts people to Kerala, because at the end of their travel they will not have a guilty feeling of enjoying the pleasures of the place while people are suffering / not taken care of.

Kerala will have to move forward in the right direction of economic development through tourism IT industry and through other commercial activities. But, the base should always be creating our own mark in the world. This could be achieved by implementing sustainable developmental concepts in all the strategic developmental plans, integrating all the departments of the government to achieve such common plans and a strong commitment to eradicating poverty. When we reach there, we will be another role model for others to follow. More people will start travelling to Kerala, to experience existence of such a unique society with a strong logical belief system. We need to pursue our path to such a glorious tomorrow strongly footing ourselves on our rich cultural heritage.

What is so special about Kerala Temples?

The most popular temples in Kerala are Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple and Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple. Apart from these two, there are several famous temples across the length and breadth of Kerala which gives it another meaning to the slogan “God’s Own Country,” and out of the 6 million domestic tourists visiting Kerala, many are attracted to various temples of the land.
As non-Hindus are not allowed to most of the temples, foreign travellers cannot not be targeted for this segment at present. Even among Hindus, children below 6 months, women when unclean, anybody from a family where there is a birth or death occurred within 12 days are also not suppose to enter the temples. Such rules are part of the strict traditional customs and rituals that are followed in the Kerala temples.
It is interesting to see how the temples have these powers. During thantric rituals while erecting the deity, the thanthri (main priest) transfers his spiritual and metaphysical powers into the stone (also wood or metal) deity through various thantric methods. Then the deity will be alive with powers infinitely which will be enhanced by the daily poojas performed by the priests. The priest and thantri have their powers from their daily practice of sadhana (meditation along with manthra). It is believed that such sadhana and thantric rituals are done in an authentic and traditional way followed through many centuries without losing their originality.
The Kerala temples are also small in size and simple in its architectural design depicting the lifestyle of the people of the state. The temple structures are also designed keeping in mind the climatic conditions of this tropical area. From a thantric point of view, it also resembles the structure of the Universe, the way we perceive it.
It is believed that Lord Parasurama erected 108 Shiva temples and 108 Durga (Devi) temples in Kerala. Famous among these are the Shiva temples of Thrissur, Vaikom and Ettumanoor. Among Durga temples are those at Kumaranalloor and Cherthalai. Apart from these, there are also famous Vishnu temples such as Guruvayoor, Ambalapuzha and Thiruvananthapuram. Lord Ganesh is having a deity in almost all the temples and special temple are at Kottarakkara, Pazhavangadi, Edappally, Eswaramangalam.
There are four famous Dhanwanthary (Lord of Ayurveda) temples in Kerala at Nelluvaya, Thottuva, Maruthorvattom and Prayikkara which are believed to have powers to curing several diseases. Some special temples like Thiruvizha Viharam Shiva temple which is famous for its medicine to induce vomiting and getting cured of stomach related problems are also popular among devotees. The snake temples of Kerala, especially the ones at Mannarassala and Pampumekkadu are also attracting many pilgrims especially for infertility problems and skin diseases. The Pongala festival in Attukal temple (next year on 3 March 2007) has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest gathering of women for a temple ritual with the official figure of around 1.5 million within a radius of 5 kms!!!
These temples are a part of the daily life of people of Kerala, which are also connected strongly with the astrology that is practiced. Astrology is based on pure calculations of planetary positions and its relation to human life. As in any science, the effectiveness depends on the exactness of the calculations and the gifted interpretations of the practicing astrologer. Astrological consultations are important for both temple rituals and for any individual’s life in Kerala.
Apart from temples, Kerala is also rich in the Homam (also known as Yaga / Yajna) which is worshipping of agni (fire) as a representative of Sun. It is said that this tradition existed prior to the temple culture in India. During Vedic period, agni was worshipped as the main God. Later, different Gods were also worshipped in the medium of agni – for example Ganapathy Homam (for Ganesha) and Mrithyunjaya Homam (for Lord Shiva), Sudar-shana Homam (Vaishnavam) etc.
Somayagam which can cause (man-made) rain is performed in its original form even in the 21st century? The next Somayagam will happen from 23 March 2007 at Kumbidi (near Kuttipuram) near the Panniyoor Sree Varaha temple.
Though there was a set back to temples and other rituals in the 20th century due to influence of scientific approaches, communism and atheist movements, it has made a come back by reasoning today’s logical mindsets. In the near future, its hoped that the temples will be open to non-Hindus who are willing to visit them following the local customs of wearing white dhothi / without shirts in the case of men and Kerala / Indian dress for women.