DC Books Exhibition

Book lovers can head over to Chandrasekharan Nair stadium, where they are welcomed to a huge collection of over 100,000 titles by publishers around the world - India, Great Britain, United States, France, and almost all over the world.

There is a good collection of books in fiction, non-fiction, science, medicine, politics and every imaginable topic.

The book fair is organized by DC Books in association with ExtraMarks.com. This is the ninth edition. There are also various cultural events at the venue every evening. The book fair and cultural fest is on till Nov 10.

Handicrafts Expo at VJT Hall, TVM

VJT Hall in the city is now host to artisans from all parts of India. With over 50 stalls, the handicrafts expo has everything from murals to sofa sets. Artisans from different states in India have their stalls here.


The materials are all made from jute, bamboo, coir, wood and other natural materials. There are also special discounts of up to 10% for select merchandise. There are ornaments, sofa sets made from cane, mirrors with artworks, sculptures, curtains, and a lot more.

Wooden sculptures come in different shapes. They surely will make for a good addition to serious interior decoration buffs. There are metal lamps, murals and variety of other decorative items.

Yeah, sure, there are some cool variety of items like metal lamps studded with semi-precious stones, wood carvings, clothing materials and a good range of decorative stuff for the home.




SMSM Institute is the organizer of the event. It is on till November 9. Visitors can show up between 9 am and 8 pm everyday.

Onam Celebrations in Full Swing

Onam celebrations are in full swing with people getting out of their homes and into the streets, enjoying the illumination works, several dozens of art performances and enjoying the shopping experiences on offer.

Several dozens of fairs and carnivals add to the festivities. The celebrations are mostly confined to the stretch between Vellayambalam Jn and Palayam. Jawahar Balabhavan, Institute of Engineers' Hall premises, Kanakakkunnu Palace and palace grounds, Nishagandhi festival ground, Suryakanthi festival ground, Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, etc welcome people to festival fervor.

For this young one, selling a few bubbles to the festival goers is more important than the festival itself.

Clouds gather up in the western sky, even as people enjoy a ride on a giant wheel.

It's Raining Onam Fairs in TVM City

The sales fairs of various kinds tell you Onam is right round the corner. There are fairs at Institute of Engineers' Hall, Jawahar Balabhavan, Suryakanthi Ground, VJT Hall, and several other places welcome visitors to a rich shopping experience.

Onam is the season for shopping. Here is a brief fair-merry-go-round for an evening.

The first stop is Institute of Engineers' Hall. Kerala Artisans Development Corporation has a sales fair there. Clothing, curios, crockery, handicrafts – there is a big variety to enjoy here.



I only had window shopping in my mind while I stepped in. However, I returned with a few pieces of crockery – for the dining table and for drawing room.

After finishing, you can head over to Jawahar Balabhavan, which is just opposite to this venue. Here you will find Gujarati Crafts Fair and Onam Fair. The Gujarati stalls are rich with ornaments for girls and women. You will find semi-precious jewellery, a big collection of bangles, and more. There also are colourful toys, bags, and clothes.

Just a walk away is Rajasthan Crafts Mela at Suryakanthi, on the backside of Kanakakkunnu Palace.

For the three venues above, you can park your vehicle in Kanakakkunnu Palace Premises.

Another venue is VJT, which is attracting women folk with colourful sarees. A colourful celebration of sarees – you will admit once you see it.

Yet another place to hit is Square One Talents Fair at Pattom, opposite to St Mary's Church and School. It seems this is the costliest place to visit. You can surely find home furnishings of a good variety – hand-stitched bed sheets, sofa covers, floral arrangements and attractions like that make you take a second look.


Even more fairs and melas are expected in the coming days. The hawkers or roadside vendors are yet to take their place. Maybe, the city become even busier after Sunday (Aug 23).

Rajasthani Crafts Exhibition, Sales

Suryakanthi ground in Thiruvananthapuram witnesses a celebration of colours, straight from northern India.

Anyone who cares enough to drop in will be welcomed by the rich colours - that is uniquely Rajasthani.

Not just the handicrafts and pottery, this event also showcases a rich collection of garments, ornaments, and other artifacts.

Nishagandhi Festival: 7 Evenings of Pure Entertainment in Thiruvananthapuram

This year's Nishagandhi Festival and Kathakali Festival is underway at Kanakakkunnu Palace and Nishagandhi grounds in Trivandrum city. The festival is on from Jan 20 to 26.

Performance of various Indian classical dance forms – Mohiniyattom, Kutchippudi, etc, Ghazals, Musical concerts (ganamela), etc add attraction to the event. Also don't miss the food festival, where major hotels, resorts and restaurants offer you their specialties. Don't miss the Payasam (sweet porridge) from Hotel Geeth.


One specialty this season is the display of handicrafts works by the tribal communities of Kerala, where they display their skills of creating musical instruments, artworks, and day to day utility items. BTW, there is also performance of Tribal dance forms.

The Kathakali Festival is also a special treat. I see more foreigners there than locals – maybe it is because of the peak of tourism season or is it the westerners appreciate our art forms better than we do?

Entrance is free, parking is free (if you take your vehicle inside the Kanakkunnu palace premises) and the festival is on till Jan 26.


PS: News of another festival in Trivandrum City - Samudra Festival is at Tagore Theatre on 24th and 25th of January. A martial arts performance company from New Zealand, Torotoro is performing on 25, at 5.30 pm. I have a ticket for two.