Walayar: Kerala's jackpot junction, town of thousand dreams
PALAKKAD: Nestled right on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, the tiny Walayar town located on the Palakkad - Coimbatore highway, is more than just a checkpoint town - it is Kerala's own jackpot junction, a dazzling maze of neon-lit lottery stalls packed shoulder-to-shoulder. The streets and pocket roads hum with energy, the air thick with hope, and the buzz of buyers from across state borders is impossible to ignore.
Over 130 kiosks and countless street vendors are selling Kerala lotteries here making Walayar a dazzling world of dreams, risk, and relentless hope.
'You wouldn't see any other place in Kerala where so many stalls and street sellers are concentrated in one locality like in Walayar. Believe it or not, almost all the stalls in Walayar sell well over 500 tickets on a given day. The number crosses 1,000 each on Sundays, when people from Tamil Nadu come in huge numbers and purchase tickets for up to next 10 days,' says C Babu, district secretary of the All Kerala Lottery Traders Union, explaining the magnitude of the lottery trade in Walayar.
'Some believe in a few lucky numbers, many believe in particular weekdays while a huge number of buyers believe in ticket sets and books. The availability of books and sets is also a reason why people flock to Walayar,' Babu adds.
About 96 lakh tickets are printed for a day's sale by the Kerala government and above Rs 24 crore is distributed as lottery prizes. The maximum prizes are given in Rs 5000s which total Rs 9.72 crore.
'Those who come to Walayar always look for tickets in books (one book is 25 tickets) and sets (a set is 12 books). People generally buy one or two tickets, but in Walayar people generally buy 12 tickets in the same numbers (last four digits). They believe they will win the Rs-5000 prize if purchased in that style, and it has happened scores of times here also,' said a ticket seller in the Walayar Dam Road.
It's such a buzzling place that the service road of the National Highway and pocket roads are filled with two-wheelers and four-wheelers, majority of them bearing Tamil Nadu registration, but there isn't a proper grocery shop, garment shop or medical shop, vegetable shop or financial firm in Walayar. And whatever small shops are located there, all sell lottery tickets! There are a couple of small restaurants, tea shops and toddy shops where, too, you can see lottery tickets displayed for sale and they become empty as the lottery results are out.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
17 minutes ago
- NDTV
Singapore Hotel Imposes Rs 13,000 Fine On Tourist For Eating Durian In Room
Imagine booking a hotel room and paying a fine for bringing a fruit. That is what happened to a Chinese tourist in Singapore. The woman was stunned when she was allegedly fined 200 Singapore Dollars (around Rs 13,200) for bringing a durian into her hotel room in Singapore. The tourist shared her experience online to warn other travellers, according to reports. The woman was visiting Singapore with a friend when they bought durian from a roadside stall. Since there were no seats available to eat the fruit there, they decided to take it back to their hotel in a Styrofoam box. On the way back, the strong smell of the durian started to escape from the box. She wrapped it in cling wrap to try to contain the scent. "I did so as I was afraid the driver would be bothered by the smell," she wrote in her post. Back at the hotel, they ate the durian in the room without knowing it was not allowed. The trouble started when she returned to the room after a day of sightseeing. A note on the bed left her stunned. It said, "Please be informed that our Housekeeper found a Durian smell in your room... SGD200 will be imposed for a cleaning fee." "I can't believe my eyes. S$200 is about 1,000 RMB," she wrote. She later found out that other tourists had faced similar issues. Some were lucky to be stopped by hotel staff before entering with durians, while a few managed to avoid the fine after explaining. Trying to resolve the issue, she contacted the hotel front desk and admitted her mistake. "I confessed I was in the wrong and even asked if they could give me a little discount," she said. However, the hotel staff said the room needed deep cleaning and would be unavailable for a few days due to the smell. Her post ended with a word of advice: Never bring durian into a hotel room in Singapore. A report by AsiaOne says that different hotels in Singapore charge different fines for bringing durians into rooms. Carlton City Hotel imposes a $500 cleaning fee if a durian smell is detected, while Park Regis by Prince Singapore charges $300. At Park Avenue Rochester, guests face a $200 fine for bringing the fruit into their rooms.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Mumbai's BEST Announces Bus Route Revamp, New AC Services: Check Details
Mumbai: Mumbai's public transport is set to get a major boost as Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) revamps 30 bus routes and launches new AC services from June 1. These changes aim to improve connectivity with Mumbai Metro Line 3 and make commuting easier for passengers. Major Route Redesign Launch of new AC bus services. Renumbering of existing routes. Introducing new routes for better connectivity. Changes in timetables to suit commuter demand. New AC Bus Services Launched Several new AC routes have been introduced to provide comfortable travel options: A-8: Mantralaya to Shivaji Nagar Terminus (8:05 AM to 10:50 PM). A-44: Upgraded from route 44, running Kala Chowki to Worli Depot. A-125: Navy Nagar to Worli Depot via Mohammed Ali Road. A-241: Santacruz to Malvani. A-175: Circular route from Pratiksha Nagar Depot to Prabhodhankar Thackeray Udyan via Antop Hill, Wadala Church, and Khodadad Circle. A-490: Mantralaya to Balkum, Thane (East) via Eastern Express Highway. Other AC services include routes 243, 343, 344, 347, 452, 459, 602, and 626 covering key suburbs and transit hubs like Malad, Goregaon, Mulund, and Pawai. Changes To Existing Routes Route 456, previously an AC route, has been converted into a regular circular route 456. Route 25 has been renumbered as route 29, running from Prabhodhankar Thackeray Udyan to Vihar Sarovar. Route 11 Limited is now diverted via Lalbaug flyover between Byculla Station and Parel, bypassing stops at Jijamata Udyan, Jai Hind Cinema, and Lalbaug. Integration With Mumbai Metro Line 3 This route rationalisation aligns with BEST's plan to improve last-mile connectivity with the Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line), particularly as its second phase (BKC to Worli Naka) is set to launch soon. The Metro's final phase (Cuffe Parade) is also expected shortly. BEST plans to add 29 buses on 17 routes for Metro Phase II. Another 50 buses will be added on 30 routes for Phase III. These buses will follow ring-route patterns linking metro stations, suburban rail hubs, and commercial centres. Benefits For Commuters Reduced average wait times by up to 15 minutes due to route optimisation and increased service frequency. Enhanced feeder services to the metro system and better connectivity across Mumbai suburbs. Introduction of more AC buses on high-demand routes during peak hours for improved comfort. Fare Revision BEST, Mumbai's second-largest public transport operator with a fleet of around 2,800 buses serving over 30 lakh passengers daily, is facing a financial crunch. Revenues have dropped below Rs 700 crore in recent years, PTI reported. To improve financial health, BEST has proposed a fare revision: Doubling minimum fare for first 5 km travel. Removal of fare caps of Rs 20 (non-AC) and Rs 25 (AC) for journeys beyond 20 km. Expected additional annual revenue of Rs 590 crore from revised fares. The fare revision awaits approval from the Mumbai civic body and the Regional Transport Authority. BEST administration has urged passengers to review all new route changes and timings in advance through the official BEST website or mobile app. Commuters are advised to plan their travel accordingly to avoid inconvenience.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Air India Express Starts Direct Flight Operations From Bengaluru to Kathmandu, Check Timing
Last Updated: The inaugural fares start at Rs 8,000 for Xpress Lite and Rs 8,500 for Xpress Value. Air India Express launches daily direct flights between Bengaluru and Kathmandu on June 1. Interested passengers can now book the flight tickets for the route by visiting the airline's official website or any other major booking channels. The inaugural fares start at Rs 8,000 for Xpress Lite and Rs 8,500 for Xpress Value. As per the details shared by the news agency PTI, quoting the Managing Director of Air India Express, who said, 'The new route builds on our recent expansion into short-haul international leisure destinations such as Bangkok and Phuket." According to the details, the direct flight from Bengaluru will depart daily at 5.05 am, and it will depart from Kathmandu at 9.05 am daily. Amid this, the newly added route enables convenient one-stop connections to Kathmandu via Bengaluru from 20 cities across India. The list includes Bhubaneswar, Amritsar, Goa, Delhi, Hindon, Gwalior, Indore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kochi, Kozhikode, Pune, Mangaluru, Surat, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. Talking about the international one-stop connections through Bengaluru, it is available from two international cities: Abu Dhabi and Dammam, according to the press release. First Published: June 01, 2025, 11:46 IST
