MALAYALEE SAMAJAM, MOHALI CELEBRATES KERALA-PIRAVI & DEEPAWALI

It was an extraordinary way of celebrating the festivities on 1st November 2005 - 50th Kerala Piravi (50th Anniversary of formation of Kerala State) and Deepawali (The Festival of Lights) by Malayalee Samajam Mohali. Members of the Samajam made it a point this time to celebrate the occasion with the inmates of local Orphanage at Mother Theresa Centre, Sector 23, Chandigarh, by distributing clothes, sweets, fruits and serving Food to them as a part of the charitable services (Navajeevan Charity) of Samajam. While interacting with the Members of Samajam the inmates presented songs etc. Mrs. Koshy, a chronic social worker, wife of Haryana DGP (Vigilance), Mr. K. Koshy, led the Samajam members to greet the inmates and celebrate the festival of lights with them. She also cut a Celebration Cake on the 50th Anniversary of the Kerala State and distributed among the inmates and members of Samajam on behalf of all Malayalees in this part. Malayalee Samajam, Mohali - a Keralite organization - is a voluntary, non-profit, socio-cultural organization stands well committed for the social service including charitable services for the poor and needy. The Mother Theresa Centre at Sector 23, provide food, shelter and basic education to over 160 inmates of various categories since many years.

President of the Malayalee Samajam, Mr. Benny Thomas, while talking to our representatives told that the Samajam used to celebrate the occasion by holding Annual Day in the month of November every year, but this time for a change and also for the noble cause of charity the theme was changed. He also gave a sneak look into the history on formation of Kerala as a State - a green strip of land, in the South West corner of Indian peninsula. It has only 1.18 per cent of the total area of the country but houses more than 3.43% of the country's population.

As per Bill McKibben, National Geographic Traveler and the author of The End of Nature (Random House, 1989), The Age of Missing Information (Random House, 1992), and Hope, Human and Wild (Little Brown, 1995), "This small state in India, though not much larger than Maryland, US has a population as big as California and a per capita annual income of less than $300. But its infant mortality rate is low, its literacy rate among the highest on Earth, and its birthrate below America's and falling faster. Keralites live nearly as long as Americans or Europeans. Statistically Kerala stands out as the Mount Everest on social development; there's truly no place like it".

Kerala, the southern most state of India took birth on 1st November 1956, after tying the princely states of Travancore and Cochin with Malabar, a province under Madras state, long after Indian Independence on 15th August 1947. The Malayalees (Keralites) celebrate this day as 'Kerala Piravi' meaning the 'Birth of Kerala'. Portuguese discovered the sea route to India from Europe when Vasco da gama landed with his ship at Kappad near Calicut in Kerala in AD 1498. Slowly the Kerala society became a mix of people belonging to various sects of Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. The arrival of Portuguese was followed by the Dutch, the French and finally the British.

There is a persistent legend which says that Parasuraman, the 6th incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the Hindu Trinity, stood on a high place in the mountains, threw his axe far in to the sea, and commanded the sea to retreat. The land that emerged all from the waters became Kerala, the land of plenty and prosperity and the name "God's Own Country".

Briefing about the activities of the Samajam, Mr. Thomas described that with a strong membership base in all the three cities of Mohali, Chandigarh and Panchkula, all other Keralite organizations and Malayalee fraternity in and around Mohali with the same mission and objectives, subscribe to our common mission of setting up of a Kerala Bhawan at Mohali and form a part of Malayalee Samajam Mohali. The 7 years of Samajam's vivacious existence and breakthrough achievements in socio-cultural and charity fields as well as acquisition of land at Mohali, direct Train link from Chandigarh to Kerala and an enchanting Live Carnatic Classical Music evening with Padmabhushan Dr.K.J. Yesudas, during the past reflects the kind of hard work and dedication Samajam's members have put in relentlessly. As a major breakthrough Samajam has also succeeded in securing a sizeable piece of land (1000 square yards) in the prime area of Mohali (near the PCA International Cricket Stadium) towards partial fulfillment of the objective of setting up of a Kerala Bhawan - a long cherished dream of all Keralites residing in Mohali, Chandigarh & Panchkula. Thereafter, possession of the land from Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) has also taken and construction of boundary wall and gate around the plot was also completed. The construction of Kerala Bhawan shall be started very soon, concluded Mr. Benny Thomas.