EVENTS
Right from the inception KSD have been celebrating various festival of Kerala, irrespective of caste creed and religion, with pomp and gaiety. To nourish the talents of members and well-wishers month long competitions are being held every year in art, literature, sports and games etc.
ONAM CELEBRATIONS
ONAM COMPETITION
Samajam organize variety of competitions to display and showcase the talents of the members, their family members and the general public1 in various events annually. All these competitions are conducted during the previous month of the Onam every year. The winners of the prizes will be honored with awards and rewards during the mega public function conducted during the Onam celebration.
The events of completions are:
- Spot paining
- Light music.
- Group Song.
- Classical Dance (Group and Solo)
- Folk Dance (Group and Solo)
- Mono Act.
- Mimicry
- Fancy Dress.
- Standup comedy.
- News Reading. (English)
- Essay writing. (English)
- Quiz
- Poem recitation (Malayalam)
- Short Story Writing (Malayalam)
- Poem Writing (Malayalam)
- Pookkalam
- Various Sports & Games
The participants will be divided in to different groups as per the age.
ONAM CHANTHA - ONAM FAIR
The food world and Super market is unraveled here – Bananas (Nenthra Pazham), Banana chips, Sweet chips, Pappadam, Palada, pickles, spices, Halwa, Banana leaves, Coir products, textiles, crockery, electronic items, Books and other useful items are made available at Onam Chantha. People from various parts of Bangalore throng to this Onam Chantha every year. Though Onam Chantha is the distribution of Onam specialties at unimaginable low prices it tends to control uneven price hike in the market during Onam. Apart from this, Onam Chantha is also an occasion where our members now residing in various parts of Bangalore meet each other and renew their friendship embracing each other.
ONA-SADHYA
Every year Kerala Samajam Dooravaninagar will organize Onam Sadhya in connection with the Onam Celebrations. Ona-Sadhya, an elaborate feast,is with the traditional recipes one can make to celebrate the festival. Traditionally, it consists of 26 different types of mouth-watering curries, fried vegetables, sweet dishes and more, prepared with over 60 ingredients. The feast is eaten with hand and served on a banana leaf laid on the floor. The custom is a reflection of humility and that all are equal.
The Ona-sadhya broadly covers all the flavor profiles – sweet, salty, sour and spicy, and uses a lot of regional ingredients, including coconut, jaggery, yams and a wide variety of lentils.
There are normally 26 dishes served in a traditional Ona-Sadhya
Pappadam
An Onam Sadhya is incomplete without the Pappadam. They are made from rice flour and are crispy in texture.
Upperi
Upperi or Banana Chips are one the most beloved dishes in Sadhya. A handful of Upperi is generally served in the traditional feast.
Sharkara Varatti
Sharkara Varatti is the sweeter version of banana chips. It is deep-fried raw bananas coated in jaggery syrup and flavoured with cardamom, cumin and dry ginger.
Inji Curry
Inji curry is made from ginger, tamarind and jaggery. This is one of the first dishes prepared in Malayali households in the days leading to Thiruvonam.
Mango Curry
This mango dish adds a spicy kick to the Sadhya. It is made with raw mango and coconut milk.
Naranga Curry
Naranga Curry is a sour lemon pickle that adds some zest to the grand meal.
Pachadi
Pachadi is another yogurt-based dish. This curry is made with either pineapple or bitter gourd and grated coconut.
Olan
Olan is made with white or ash gourd and red beans splashed with a generous amount of coconut milk.
Ellisheri
Ellisheri is made with pumpkin, red beans, and a generous amount of grated coconut.
Avial
Avial is a mixed vegetable dish made by mixing 13 vegetables commonly found in the Western Ghats and grated coconut. It is seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves.
Thoran
Thoran can be made from any vegetable and is a staple dish in every Malayali household. Usually, it is made with cabbage and carrots or just beans with grated coconut.
Chor
Rice or Chor is an essential part of Onam Sadhya but on this occasion, most Malayalis serve red rice. If you haven’t tried it yet, you definitely should.
Parripu Curry
Parripu Curry is a preparation of plain moong dal topped with ghee, red chillies, and black sesame seeds.
Chenna Mezhkkupuratti
Chenna Mezhkkupuratti is prepared by cutting yams into thin slices. Then, it is boiled with spices and fried in coconut oil.
Sambhar
Sambhar is an essential dish for the grand feast, and each family has their own traditional recipes. It is a lentil-based vegetable stew cooked in a tamarind broth.
Pulissery
Pulissery is made with curd and a vegetable of your choice, from pumpkin to cucumber. In the end, it is topped with a gracious amount of grated coconut.
Kaalan
This signature Onam Sadhya dish is made with yogurt, yam or raw banana and grated coconut.
Morru Kachiyatha
Morru Kachiyatha is made by boiling yogurt to perfection with black sesame seeds, shallots, ginger, and garlic.
Kichadi
Kichadi is another delicious dish from the Onam Sadhya. It is made using spicy yogurt and any vegetable like okra, cucumber, or even bitter gourd.
Rasam
Rasam is made with spicy tamarind soup, sprinkled with a generous amount of curry leaves, mustard and tomatoes. It is either eaten with rice or separately to aid in digestion.
Kootu Curry
Kootu Curry is a dry dish made with raw bananas, black chana and grated coconut.
Neyy
A spoonful of Neyy, usually known as ghee in Hindi, is poured over the rice and parripu to give it an extra flavour. Onam Sadhya is incomplete without it.
Inji Thayir
Inji Thayir is a delicious dish made using ginger, yogurt, black sesame seeds and spices.
Poovan Pazham
Poovan Pazham is a smaller version of bananas. It is enjoyed by mashing it together with Payasam. You can also add pappadam into the mix for that extra crunch.
Palada Pradhaman
Palada Pradhaman is a sweet dish made with milk, dry fruits, and rice ada. It is served in the end, as it helps in counteracting the spices.
Pazham Pradhaman
Pazham Pradhaman includes Rice ada, cashew nuts, thinly sliced coconut pieces and jaggery.
CULTURAL EVENTS IN ONAM FESTIVAL CELEBRATIONS
ZONAL FESTIVAL
With the aim of organizing the members and their family under a joyful environment, socializing with the fellow members and family, exchange and showcase the talents of the children and more over to have a cordial relationship and harmony, we organize Zonal festivals,
Considering the traffic blocks, time lapses, and inconvenience of travelling from distant places to the central venue, we are organizing the zonal festivals at the zonal area itself to facilitate all members and children to participate.
Zonal Festival of various zones will be conducted on different dates at different venues in their zones, will help the other zonal members also to participate the same.
The special committee constituted under the Chairmanship of the Zonal Secretary will have the responsibility of organizing the event in their respective Zone.
MEDICAL CAMPS
To provide health consciousness among the family and members and to provide services to the underprivileged community, KSD, through its Ladies and Youth wing organizes free medical consultations and camps periodically with the help of the NGO’s and philanthropists.
Eye Checkups and distribution of free eye spectacles, Dental Check, Cancer detection camp, Diabetic camps etc are the related activities of the medical camps.
COVID-19 VACCINATION CAMP
BLOOD DONATION CAMP
SEMINARS
KSD conducts seminars which gets overwhelming response from the public. Seminars in literary and educational subjects are familiar for our members. The most appreciated annual Malayalam literary seminar (debate) during Onam celebrations, was first initiated by our Former President Sri MS Chandrasekharan, who is a familiar orator and writer in Malayalam among Malayalees of Bangalore. The Malayalam literary seminars have brought in most of the renowned writers from Kerala over a period of time to interact with our members and many writers and poets of Bangalore.
Thakazhi Shivashankarappillai, P Govindapillai, ONV Kurup, P Valsala, Vaishakhan, George Onakkur, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, C.Radhakrishnan, Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair, Prof G.Shankarappillai, Veloor Krishnan Kutty, Pazhavila Rameshan, U Kumaran, Manamboor Rajan Babu, Kadathanattu Narayanan, Akbar Kakkattil, Ezhacheri Ramachandran, VK Sreeraman, CV Sreeraman, Sebastian Paul, Dr KN Panicker, Murukan Kattakkada, Dr.KG Poulose, UA Khader, Erumeli Parameswaran Pillai, Eyamkodu Sreedharan, Perumpadam Sreedharan, Sunil P Ilanidam, Alamkode Leela Krishnan, Dr.Kadeeja Mumthaz,Jayakumar IAS, M.Mukundan, TD Ramakrishnan, TP Venugopal, Suresh Mannarashala, etc are few among the literary representatives of Kerala visited Samajam a guests of honour and participated in our literary seminars
KSD NEWS
The proposal of having a house magazine presented by Sri SK Nair the then General Secretary was executed by the working committee of Kerala Samajam Dooravaninagar during 1990 under the leadership of President Sri P.Divakaran A beautiful six page A4 size Black and white (with front cover colour) booklet was brought successfully. it was on 2nd May 1990, the first copy of the then DKS News (Later renamed as KSD News) was handed over to Late M Venugopalakurup former President of Samajam and the Editor of DKS News by the Guest of the day Sri AK Nair, a renowned social worker and organizer of HHF’90 Bangalore.
The printing and publishing work was a herculean task during that time. There was no computer or Malayalam fonts. The manuscripts were composed in letter press, taking a print to edit/correct, then taking the final print to make the templates by cutting line by line and pasting on a white board..! Then it will go for taking the ‘positive films’. These films will go for making plates for offset printing.More than the cost efforts were herculean.
Later the working committee changed the name as KSD News in line with the registered name of our organization Kerala Samajam Dooravaninagar. The periodicity is also varied as per the convenience of various Working Committees.
LADIES WING
Kerala Samajam initiated the conception of ladies wing during1990. Smt. Susheela Sheshadri the then Vice President has been nominated as the Chairperson and Smt Vijaya Devadas as the General Convener. Smt Lakshmi Nizamuddin a renowned social worker and W/o Sri Nizamuddin the then IGP, Karnataka, inaugurated the movement on 2nd October 1990 in connection with the Onam celebrations of that year. The first historical get-together of the ladies wing named ‘Sthree Mela’ was held at ITI Officers Club on 11 January 1991 and the guest of honor of the day was Smt Meera Saxena Director for Women and Child welfare Govt of Karnataka. Sri P Divakaran the President of Kerala Samajam welcomed the gathering and Sri SK Nair proposed vote of thanks for both the functions.
Samajam Ladies wing comprises of the Ladies of the members of the Samajam who can spend some time for socializing with fellow members and to do something for the poor and downtrodden of the society. The Ladies wing has been focusing mainly on all the charitable activities and has been a very active player, directly or indirectly, in all such programme floated by the Samajam.
Ladies wing makes its presence felt in “Onam Chantha” wherein varieties of pickles and other condiments prepared by the members of Ladies wing are exhibited and distributed among the members. Varieties of “Payasam” prepared and distributed during the Chantha has become a craze among the people who throng the mega event during those four days. Ladies wing stall also contains varieties of small items, other than Pickles, either made by the members or even purchased from the third parties.
Ladies wing regularly organize medical camps every year of various natures for the benefit of women. The general medical camp, Eye camp in association with other NGO’s, Hospital etc. Visit to Orphanages and Old age homes had been one of main activities of the ladies wing. The Ladies wing regularly donate towards the PCEF and TRMDRF. Ladies wing has been very vibrant in all the activities related to Samajam under the leadership of chairperson Smt. Gracey Peter, Convenor Smt. Sarasamma Sadanandan and other committee members.
YOUTH WING
To make the ongoing activities of Samajam with the association of the next generation the Youth Wing has been formed. The general meeting of the available youths of our Samajam held on 20.11.1996 nominated an adhoc committee with KO Anto as Chairman, PB Saji Vice Chairman and K. Sreekumar General Convener. Later the Youth Wing of Kerala Samajam, Dooravaninagar (KSD) was officially inaugurated on 2nd October 1996 in connection with the Onam celebrations by the veteran Malayalam actor late Sri. Murali the recipient of National Best Actor Award. The inauguration was symbolic by beating and grooving a traditional drum (Chenda) which represents the soul of the community.
The Youth Wing have been constantly supporting the main stream workers and volunteering for several social activities such as Blood donation camps, Health Checkup camps, fund raising for PCEF (Poor Children Education Fund), flood relief campaign Covid-19 support and arrangements etc.
Conducting cultural and educational competitions, youth festivals, debates and seminars are the other major activities of youth wing which attracted the young minds.
The other side making the youths involved in the main stream operations, Kerala Samajam is creating a second line of volunteers to take over the responsibilities during the days to come.
JUBILEE SPORTS CLUB
Jubilee Sport Club is initiated to provide opportunities for children and youth to learn skills that will help them in academics as well as in their future careers and personal relationship. Through engagement in sport, they learn leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, responsibility, self-discipline, and a sense of initiative
Playing sports builds the personality and teaches them to live life in a better way. Getting involved in such activities teaches good values, ethics, and skills in your life. The person starts to have a positive outlook towards life and can easily deal with obstacles in their life.
Jubilee Sports club provides coaching in Cricket, Athletics, Basket Ball and Foot Ball at JEHS Camps for the students not only for students of Jubilee institutions but for others too.
KSD- NORKA ROOTS ASSOCIATION
NORKA Roots is the single agency authorized by the Government of India to undertake attestation of educational certificates as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD). The Non Resident Keralites Affairs abbreviated as NORKA is a department of the Government of Kerala formed on 6 December 1996 to redress the grievances of Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs). It is the first of its kind formed in any Indian state. The department was formed in an attempt to strengthen the relationship between the NRKs and the Government of Kerala and to institutionalize the administrative framework. The field agency of NORKA is known as the NORKA Roots, which was set up in 2002 to act as an interface between the NRKs and the Government of Kerala. It also acts as a forum for addressing the NRKs problem, safeguarding their rights and rehabilitating the returnees.
Kerala Samajam Dooravaninagar is also registered with NORKA Roots, to provide the facilities to its members.