In Kerala, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned Mattanchery's antique shops into symbols of despair
The Hindu
Many traders are keen to dispose of their shops and the many-centuries-old wares kept for sale due to next-to-nil arrival of tourists and freight issues
The sprawling shops and tastefully-recreated godowns in Mattancherry, which were considered a treasure trove of exquisite antiques and handicrafts, some of which found place in the Limca Book of Records, are now symbols of despair. So much so that many traders are keen to dispose of their shops and the many-centuries-old wares kept for sale due to next-to-nil arrival of tourists and freight issues.
The municipal bus stand auditorium in Malappuram was packed. But nobody quite knew what to expect. After all, a new event was making its debut at the State School Arts Festival. The moment V.G. Harikrishnan started his rendition of Pyar bhare do sharmile nain..., everyone was convinced that Ghazal was here to stay. The student from GVHSS, Atholi (Kozhikode), was applauded loudly for his rendering of the timeless ghazal sung originally by Mehdi Hassan.

For the last few weeks, several wards in Madurai city have been getting piped drinking water through a new drinking water scheme. The sweetness of the generously supplied water has led to loss of business to several suppliers of canned drinking water in the city. But, not many know that the water supplied to the houses in Madurai is directly drawn from Lower Dam of Mullaperiyar Dam in Idukki district of Kerala.











