Mala Dhawan and her sister, Sonia set up the nonprofit trust in 2010. They only showcase products that are made by hand – right now there are about 40 members in the collective. Urban and rural artists, as well as those from the hilly regions will be represented at the crafts bazaar. You’ll find anything from beeswax lip balm and silk sarees to household linen and carpets here.

The four I’s that are pillars of the organisation are:

Innovate: Evolve and reinvent products, designs, mediums and experiences

Interact: Participate! Encourage young people to develop a love of working with their hands and older ones to develop or reignite a hobby.

Inform: Build sensitivity and appreciation not only for the end result of handmade work but also the process and effort involved.

Include: Transcend social and economic barriers to build a community of artists and like-minded individuals. 

Besides Mala Dhawan and Sonia, A Hundred Hands has others, too, as founders and advisory board members. Bindia Thapar an architect by training and an illustrator by choice. Prem Subramaniam has worked in the fields of Engineering, Tourism and CSR. Melissa Arulappan is interested in and good at baking, cooking, and is a public relations consultant. Pankaj Wadhwa is a successful entrepreneur

The handmade products are sold via community bazaars, workshops, volunteer programmes and corporate tie-ups.

The competition will be based on three themes – the big kite, the best humanitarian message kite and the best innovative kite. There’s no age limit for the competitions. The winners will get prizes, certificates and membership in the Team Kerala Kite (Club) promoted by KLF. Kite Life Foundation is an NGO promoted by a group of kite flyers. KLF conducts workshops for students and offers new dimensions in kite making.

For details and to register, log on to www.kitelifefoundation.org or call 9895455115/9847328146.

There will be many original and hybrid varieties of plants from all over the world. Nurseries, farming societies, farmers, buyers and general public are welcome. After 2006, the venue for the flower show was moved from Subhash Park, Park Avenue Road, to Ernakulathappan Ground.

Canadian Tourism Commission, Canada’s tourism marketing and promotion agency, is organizing a major B2B road show, ‘Focus Canada – India’ at Fairmont Jaipur. It will be held between 13^th and 15^th of March 2012. It will be attended by about 50 Canadian sellers including Provincial Tourism Boards, tour operators, hotels, lodges, attractions and almost 60 hosted Indian buyers. This buyer-seller forum will help to network interactions between the two.

Along with the Nobel laureates C.V. Raman and Subramanyam Chandrashekhar, Ramanujan is among the three great men of science and mathematics that Tamil Nadu and India have given to the world.

Tourism Minister Anil Kumar will be the chief guest at the event. The seminar aims to look at discussing direct and public-private partnership (PPP) model investments from non-resident Keralites in tourism projects.

Another award ‘Wind under the Wings’ was conferred upon the Maharashtra Government for allowing free reign to Principal Secretary of Forests Praveen Pardeshi in revitalising wildlife conservation in the state.

The world’s northernmost marine laboratory is located at Ny-lesund and was opened in June 2005. During the twenty-two day trip, Nandan will be studying and researching on minute organisms on the surface of the Earth and how their genetics are affected by global climate changes.

This new venture will attract a lot of ships and cruises to dock here for repair. It will add a lot of employment opportunities for locals.

Tourists and media personnel are the ones that help to promote tourism in a country quickly. These two groups will be helping both the countries to develop their tourism potentials. Joint programmes and events are planned to be conducted. Offices also will be set up in both countries to facilitate easy access and exchange of information.

Besides, souvenirs, brochures and travel knicks-knacks will be available for travellers, and tour operators and agencies are going to visit to promote tourism between the two countries.

Five broad topics for this year’s activities are Care and access to collections and documents; Museums’ history; Forgotten memory; The link between memory, community and identity, including family identity. The International Museum Day is celebrated differently in various countries. Some museums have organised large-scale programmes, activities, competitions, seminars, events and fairs.

In India, in a country that boasts scores of museums and archeologically important buildings, there will be many programmes. The Archaeological Survey of India, Mattanchery Palace Museum, will celebrate the day with lectures and history talks. Renowned historians and scholars will interact with students of history and the public. The ASI will also open the new ticket counter at the Archaeological Museum in Mattanchery on that day. International Museum Day has been celebrated since 1977, around 18 May.

The promotional video, shot at the Varappuzha backwatrers, was unveiled recently. It was conceptualised by Bollywood film maker Priyadarshan and the music composed by music director Ousepachen. The two-minute video transposes cricketing movements and Kerala’s traditional martial art of kalaripayattu in a beautiful manner. You can get more than just a glimpse of Kerala’s official animal, the elephant.

A Mobile Film Festival, screening movies from the third world countries, was conducted by the two organizations last week. The current one has been seeing many participants and attendants. As the venue is centrally located, it is easy for tourists to visit, too.

What began in 2007 in Sydney, with two million people switching off their lights for an hour, has now become the planet’s biggest campaign against global warming.

Follow the Earth Hour 2011 this month end and see what a difference a simple turn of the switch brings to our Earth.

Besides this, Cochin has the Vallarpadom Terminal coming up. So, too, the Kochi Metro Rail project. All these ventures will boost Kerala’s tourism potential.

The show is on from February 10 and goes on till the 16^th, at the Siva Temple Ground in Cochin. Guests to the show can see flowers and plants from countries across the planet as well from all over India. There will be flowering plants, medicinal ones, bonsai, decorative plants, seeds, and more will be sold.

One of the main attractions is a 500-foot artifact based on ‘Flowers and Egyptian Mythology’, which will enthrall visitors with beautiful sculptures. You can try your hand at flower arrangements, too – there are competitions for kids and adults on February 11 and 12. Plus, there’s gonna be cultural and entertainment events every evening at the show.

Read here: http://travel.homestaykarnataka.com/2011/02/07/aero-india-show-2011-in-bangalore/

Like last year, this time’s IFFK will conduct competitions for films produced or co-produced in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Other categories are world cinema, documentaries (in film formats), short fiction (in film formats), retrospectives, homages and tributes. There are many prizes and attractive cash awards to be own.

The event will start at 6.30p.m., but the grooming sessions had already started on the third of this month. The ladies will be guided by Mr Arun Ratna of Fashion Runway, Mr Sameer Khan of the Elite Model management, Ms Valentina Mishra of Valen’s Model Management, Mr Jayagopal and Mr Jaison Paulson of Jaison Fitness First.

The judges are former Miss India and actress Ms Swetha Vijay, Tamil actress Ms Aditi Chibber, Telugu Actor Mr Kaushal Prasad, model Ms Simer Mottiani, model groomer Mr Manish Khullar, media personality Mr Vijay Babu, fashion Designer Mr Sajimon Parayil and media personality Mrs Thoshma Biju

The winner of Hairomax Miss South India 2010 will be presented a gold-plated crown designed by Mrs and Mr Prakashan Parakkat. She will also get Rs one lakh. Other titles of the day will be Miss Beautiful Hair, Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Beautiful Skin, Miss Beautiful Face, Miss Beautiful Eyes, Miss Congeniality, Miss Cat Walk, Miss Perfect 10, Miss Talented and Miss Photogenic.