Remember the lines of Njananappana – “Enni enni kurayannithayussum, Mandi mandi karerunnu mohavum, Vannu onam, Kazhinju Vishu vennum, Vannillalo Thiruvathira yennnum, Kumba masathilagunnu nammude, Janma nakshatram aswathy naalenum … “. He was a staunch and humble devotee of Sri Guruvayoorappan, a great mystic and malayalam poet. He was an embodiment of devotion – pure and simple.

The highlight of the celebration will be recital of Njanappaana by devotees. Recital will be performed in groups with a total of 108 devotees from morning till evening at the temple premises. All devotees are requested to be present for the recital to get the blessings of Guruvayurappan.

For more details about this program please contact:

Rajeev KKP: 647 977 9498
Balu Nalelil: 519 341 0272

Report by: Sajith Puthanpurayil [647-866-1275 ]
For Public Relations Committe , Guruvayurappan Temple Of Brampton

Friends of Guruvayoorappan Temple of Brampton is organizing a “Dinner and Entertainment” evening  on 3rd March, 2012 at Louise Arbour Secondary School, Brampton. Tickets $10 per person, kids under 10 is FREE. For more informations, contact: Balu :519.341.0272, Divakaran: 289.232.8699, Unni:905.285.0784

Report by: Jaison Mathew

Bhranth -Short Story by Jaison Mundackal

Premamrutham- Malayalam Poem by Jose Cheripuram

• TFO (Télé-Française d’Ontario)
• Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT)
• Canada-India Business Council (CIBC)
• Indo Canada Ottawa Business Chamber (ICOBC)
• Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce

Brand India Expo 2012 promises to be a unique fair that brings together  India ‘s best Garments & Accessories, Fabrics, Home Furnishings & Made-Ups, Indian Handicrafts & Handlooms, Jute and Carpets, Marine & Agriculture products – all under one roof.

Ministry of Textile & Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India is also supporting this mega event. The best of Export Promotion Councils of India are part of the event.

With over 80 exhibitors displaying diverse range of products from the entire length and breadth of the country, Brand India Expo 2012 will truly be a showcase of the strengths of the entire Indian industry and also promises to be a platform for immense opportunities for buyers to meet leading exporters of India in Canada under one roof which will yield profitable results and links to a diversified market, hence leading to a steady and concrete business alliance between the countries thus also building up bilateral relations.

• Apparel (Womenswear, Menswear, Kidswear, Casual Wear etc….)
• Fabrics & Garments
• Textile Based Handicrafts
• Handicraft Products
• Handloom Products
• Home Furnishings (Made-ups Bed Linen, Napkins, Cushion covers, Floor Mats, Curtains etc…….)
• Fashion Jewellery and Accessories
• Blankets, Shawls, Stoles & Made-ups
• Decorative Gift items 
• Carpets, Durries & Rugs
• Jute Specialities Products
• Leather Products
• Agriculture Products
• Marine Products
• Sports Specialities Products
• Tea & Coffee
• Indian Spices

BRAND INDIA EXPO 2012, the Biggest Exhibition  on Multi Products of India,

Date : March 13 & 14, 2012,

Venue: Ottawa Convention Centre.                       Admission free.  

Report by: Jaison Mathew [WNN]

A FaceBook Group has been formed  for the Malayalee Singers and Musicians in Canada. Only persons with any kind of musical background (singers, musicians, music teachers/students, etc) who are PR or citizen of Canada with Kerala origin (somehow) are the members of this group. The members can post their own videos, MP3s, testimonials, announcements, whatever they think useful for other members in this group.

Admins of this group instructed the members to TURN OFF  the notifications, if anyone feel uncomfortable getting too many messages from this group. Persons with ego, jealous and selfishness are exempted from this group.  They hope that this group will be useful for the growth of MALAYALEE MUSIC  culture in Canada.  [Musicians/Singers who dont have a FB account, please create one and JOIN  to be a part of this group]

Jayadevan, Jimmy Varghese and Manoj Mathew are the Admins of this group, along with Webmalayalee.

JOIN THIS GROUP

South Asian Hockey Day is being put on by the Mississauga Majors on February 26th ,2pm , at the Hershey Centre, M,ississauga in Canada.

The goals of this event are to:
Expose the South Asian community to Canadian culture through the national game of hockey, while entertaining and educating.
Bring together the growing South Asian community in the GTA with our local hockey team to have both sides experience the various rich and diverse cultures. 

Event details

Hockey 101 seminar during intermission (also Cricket 101)
Free skate after the game
Majors players hockey skills training
Cultural dance
National Anthem by Panorama Indian Idol before game
Song and dance by Tamil Community
Post-Game player meet and greet
Learn the great game of Hockey!
Photo Booth

 Join the South Asian community together as a whole for a day of family fun!

BUY TICKETS ONLINE

Report by: Jaison Mathew

One more Tax season is fast approaching.
Doing taxes in time is very important. Doing it properly is even more important.
We are conducting Tax Seminar’s to create an awareness about taxation.
Highlights of the seminar:
. Sessions managed by experts
. Tax saving tips
. Future tax planning opportunities
. Answering questions
. Explains how to reply for notices on previous returns
Tax Seminar East region
Time: 25 February 2012 at 11.00am
Venue: TMS East Center
430 Tapscott Road
Scarborough, ON, M1B 1Y4
Tax Seminar West region
 Time: 18 February 2012 at 10.00am
Venue: TMS West Center
5100 Maingate Drive, Unit #3
Mississauga
For information Contact:
Jossi Karakkattu: 416 624 5348,
Sabu Jose Kattukudiyil: 647 281 6491,
Jayadas Dharmarajan: 647 771 3834,
Arin Kabir: 647 773 2281,
Raju Thomas Cheeramvelil: 905 497 1951,
Thomas Joseph: 416 564 3410,
Prathibha Mathews: 905 231 1422.
Snacks will be provided and the seminar is free of charge

Report by: Jaison Mathew

Panorama India’s Republic Day Celebration and Festival at the Toronto Pearson Convention Centre was full of vibrant colour, gaiety and patriotic fervor. The day started with the rendition of the National Anthems of India and Canada beautifully sung by three children representing the diaspora. Hearts swelled with joy and pride with some moist eyes in the audience.

Mr. Ajit Khanna, Chair of Panorama India, welcomed the thousands gathered in the hall and thanked them for their support of Panorama India. He spoke of the phenomenal year that 2011 was. The year of India in Canada was a huge success and positively exposed India to many Canadians. He re-iterated that Panorama’s Mandate of Educate, Celebrate and Collaborate was clearly evident at the event, where so many people representing various regions of India had come together to learn about each other’s culture and to take part in the celebrations. He thanked the Board and the Consulate General of India for their support.

Ms. Preeti Saran, Consul General of India congratulated Panorama India, the organizers of the event, for keeping the heritage and culture of India alive in Canada. She spoke of the success of Year of India in 2011 and acknowledged Dr. Asha Seth on her appointment as Senator, and the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce for receiving the Pravasi Samman Award at PBD in India in January.

Prime Minister Harper, in a message delivered by Mr. Bob Dechert, MP, extended his greetings to everyone celebrating Republic of India Day, commemorating the coming into force in 1950 of the Constitution of India. He said that Canada enjoys longstanding bilateral relations with India, based upon our shared traditions of democracy and pluralism.

Premier McGuinty’s message was read out by Minister Harinder Takhar. The Premier said that India and Canada enjoy commonalities, including vast geography and tremendous cultural diversity. He said “Like India, we have turned our diversity into our best strength and taken our place in the global economy. I wish to recognize the Indo-Canadian community for its invaluable contributions to the social, cultural and economic life of Ontario.”

Soon after the remarks concluded, the dancing and the music started! The musical strains soon gave way to a mélange of colour as songs melted into a bevy of folk dance performances of different Indian states and crowds swelled as the day progressed and reached a crescendo with the bhangra beats of the Nachdi Jawani group, who took first prize in the Folk Dance Competition that featured nine groups.

While parents and seniors were enjoying the foot tapping music and clapping to melodious songs, their children were busy drawing and coloring their ideas of India and Canada, their festivals and culture. It was heartening to see so many three to five year olds turn up to splash paper with their own colour and creativity apart from more formed ideas and finer motor skills of the older children in age groups 6-8 yrs and 9-12 years.

The much awaited Idol Contest had a new Junior Category added this year. The Juniors took the stage first. Five contestants – Arundati Ganesh, Linton Pinto, Netra Unni, Prathamesh Dixit and Shivani Hegde competed, with Prathamesh being awarded the Junior Idol Title.


The Adults were next. Three contestants – Anuja Panditrao, Ravi Dattar and Sumanth Ananthram competed for top honours. Ravi Dattar was declared Panorama’s Idol.

Panorama India is a not-for-profit umbrella organization which promotes Unity in Diversity and provides a platform for various Indo-Canadian cultural groups to showcase their culture and heritage.

Report by: Jaison Mathew (Chief Editor)

Sukumar Azhikode completed Bachelor of Comerce in 1946.  He then took BT followed by Master of Arts in Malayalam and Sanskrit and Doctor of Philosophy in Malayalam. His dissertation is “Malayala sahitya vimarsanam”(Literary criticism in Malayalam language).
Azhikode was a teacher at Rajas High School, Chirackal, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore and Devagiri College, Kozhikode and later a principal at SNM Training College, Moottakunnam, and a professor and Pro-Vice Chancellor at Calicut University.
He retired in 1986.

Azhikode’s most famous work is Tatvamasi (1984, Malayalam), an authoritative book on Indian Philosophy, Vedas and Upanishads. Thathvamasi has won twelve awards including the Indian
Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahithya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award and the Rajaji Award.

In Jan 2007, he refused to accept the Padma Shri conferred on him stating that Such honours are against the Constitution. “The Constitution says everyone should be treated as equal. Giving such honours at different levels, the State discriminates between people. I see the Padma Shri conferred on me as an opportunity to expose this discrimination.”

He also won the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam Sahithya Puraskaram lifetime achievement award.

Azhikode is the founder and president of Navabharathavedi – a socio-cultural organization.
 He has also worked at several newspapers including Varthamanam, Dinabandhu, Malayala Harijan, Desamitram, Navayugam and Dinaprabha. He was the chairman of the National Book Trust between 1993 and 1996.

His  Major Contributions in Literature:
Aasante Seetakavyam
Ramananum Malayalakavitayum (Ramanan and Malayalam Poetry)
Mahatmavinte Margam (Way of the Mahatma)
Purogamanasahityavum Mattum (Modern Literature and Others)
Malayala Sahityavimarsanam (Criticism of Malayalam Literature)
Vayanayute Swargattil (In the Paradise of Reading)
Tatvamasi
Malayala Sahitya Patanangal (Studies on Malayalam Literature)
Tatvavum Manushyanum (Philosophy and Humans)
Khandanavum Mandanavum (Destructive Criticism and Constructive Criticism)
Entinu Bharatadare
Azhikodinte Prabhashanangal (Speeches of Azhikode)
Azhikodinte Falitangal (Jokes of Azhikode)
Guruvinte Dukham (Sorrow of the Teacher)
Aakasam Nashtapetunna India (India Losing Horizon)
Pathakal Kazhchakal (Routes and Sights)
Mahakavi Ulloor (The Great Poet Ulloor) . He was in the midst of writing his Autobiography.

Caricature: JOSEPH KARAPARAMPIL

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