Latest news with #Paradesi
New Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Tamil actors Vishal and Dhansika to tie the knot on August 29
Tamil actors Vishal and Dhansika have officially announced that they are getting married on August 29 this year. The couple announced on Monday during the trailer launch of their upcoming film 'Yogi Da.' At the event, Dhansika shared the news with the audience and media. 'There's nothing to hide anymore. We are going to get married on August 29. I have known Vishal for 15 years. He has always treated me with due respect, and he has always supported me. Even when I was going through a problem, he came to my house, and that was a very sweet gesture. We started talking recently and we fell in love. We realised that this would end up in marriage,' said the 35-year-old actress. Vishal also spoke about their relationship and expressed his happiness. 'I am in love with Dhanshik, and I am going to get married to her. She's a wonderful person. I am a lucky person. They say God saves the best for the last, and I believe he saved Dhanshika for me. We are going to lead a positive and lovely life,' he said. Vishal had earlier said he would only get married after the completion of the Nadigar Sangam building, a cause for which he raised funds while serving as General Secretary. Now, with the building nearing completion, Vishal recently confirmed during a media interaction, 'Yes, I've found the person. I will reveal more details soon.' Dhansika is known for her roles in films like 'Peranmai', 'Paradesi', and 'Kabali', while Vishal has acted in more than 40 films in his career.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Tamil actors Vishal, Sai Dhanshika to get married on August 29
Tamil actors are all set to tie the knot, the couple announced on Monday (May 19, 2025) at the trailer launch of Dhanshika's upcoming film Yogi Da. The actors announced that they will get married on August 29 this year. Dhanshika, while speaking at the event, said, 'There's nothing to hide anymore. We are going to get married on August 29. I have known Vishal for 15 years. He has always treated me with due respect, and he has always supported me. Even when I was going through a problem, he came to my house, and that was a very sweet gesture. 'We started talking recently and we fell in love. We realised that this would end up in marriage,' added the 35-year-old actor. Vishal, on the other hand, professed his love for Dhanshika during his speech. 'I am in love with Dhanshik, and I am going to get married to her. She's a wonderful person. I am a lucky person. They say God saves the best for the last, and I believe he saved Dhanshika for me. We are going to lead a positive and lovely life,' said the 47-year-old actor. Interestingly, this comes days after Vishal hinted at getting married. The actor had long ago famously stated that he would get married only after the completion of the Nadigar Sangam (South Indian Artistes' Association) building, an endeavour for which the actor had raised funds as the General Secretary. At a recent media interaction, Vishal was asked about his wedding plans now that the Nadigar Sangam building is nearing completion. 'Yes, I've found the person. I will reveal more details soon,' he said. Dhanshika is best known for starring in films such as Peranmai, Paradesi, and Kabali. Vishal, an actor with over 40 films to his credit, was recently in the news after he fainted on stage at an event in Villupuram on May 11. A team of doctors examined the actor and stated that he had skipped his meals, causing him to faint.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Paradesi past, living legacy
A new museum aims to preserve the cultural and historical legacy of Kochi's Paradesi Jewish community Though only one Paradesi Jew remains in Kochi today, the community's profound legacy lives on. From introducing electricity and ferry transport to enriching the city's culture, their contributions have left an indelible mark. Now, a museum is being established to honour their impact on Kochi's history and way of life. Kerala's Jewish history comprises two distinct communities: The Malabari Jews, who arrived from Jerusalem and Baghdad in the first century CE, and the Paradesi Jews, who came in the 16th century from Spain and Portugal. It was the latter group who constructed the Paradesi synagogue in Mattancherry in 1568, the oldest synagogue in India. 'The museum is being set up by the trust managing the Paradesi synagogue,' explains KJ Joy, the synagogue's caretaker. 'While the opening was initially planned for Dec 2024, the conflict in Israel has delayed many community members from traveling to Kochi. We now expect the museum's construction to be completed this year.' Among the museum's treasured exhibits will be a gold crown—a gift from the former Kochi king, acknowledging the contributions of the Jewish community to the region. Another highlight is a copper plate with inscriptions documenting land holdings in Mattancherry. The museum will also showcase an English translation of the Torah to help visitors engage with the Jewish faith and its texts. Work on the facilities attached to the Paradesi synagogue is progressing steadily. 'I've completed stitching a traditional bridal dress for the exhibit,' said Thaha Ibrahim, a Muslim caretaker of the Jewish matriarch Sarah Cohen, one of the last few Pardesi Jews of Kochi, till her death in 2019 at the age of 96. The bridal wear, called Kalyana Pudava, includes a Mundu and Kuppayam. Traditionally embroidered with gold thread, Ibrahim's version uses silver thread for intricate detailing. Ibrahim learned the art of making bridal attire from Sarah. 'These bridal garments are so well-made, they last for generations,' he said. 'Many people from Israel used to bring their heirloom bridal dresses to Sarah Aunty for repairs. This is the first time I'm independently making a traditional Jewish bridal wear.' Ibrahim's devoted care for Sarah—a Muslim man tending to Kochi's last Jewish matriarch—represents something profound about Kochi itself—a place where cultural boundaries blur and religious communities have historically lived in harmony. Their extraordinary friendship attracted media attention and became the subject of numerous documentaries. The last traditional Paradesi Jewish wedding in Kochi took place in 1978, when Glenys Simon walked down the aisle wearing the community's traditional garments in a local ceremony. A tradition involved the crafting of the wedding tali. As Ruby Daniel, a Paradesi Jew who later moved to Israel, recorded in her memoir: 'The bride's family would bring a quarter-sovereign gold coin to the local goldsmith, who would transform it into a pendant (tali). During the ceremony, the bride's mother or elder sister would tie this around her neck.' This ritual, bearing striking similarity to Hindu wedding customs, reveals the deep cultural exchange between the Paradesi Jews and Malayalis. Some historians suggest the community may have adopted this visible symbol of marriage to integrate with local traditions while maintaining their distinct identity. Mattancherry, home to 15 ethnic settlements, was shaped significantly by the Paradesi Jews. The former king of Kochi had granted land to various communities, among whom the Jews were the most prominent. Their impact went beyond trade and commerce. 'Samuel Koder, a Paradesi Jewish businessman, brought electricity to Kochi using a generator when electricity was unknown in most of Kerala,' explains K J Sohan, former mayor of Kochi. 'The first ferry service in Kochi was also operated by the Koder family before the govt took it over in 1872. Local lore tells of a Jewish priest sent as an emissary by the Kochi king to defuse tensions with the neighbouring kingdom of Travancore. 'The war was called off, but the strategy used by the Jewish priest remains a mystery,' Sohan adds. Today, only one Paradesi Jew remains in Kochi—65-year-old Keith Hallegua. His relative, Queenie Hallegua, passed away in Aug 2024. 'When we celebrated the synagogue's 400th anniversary in 1968, the then PM Indira Gandhi attended,' said Sohan. 'But by the time we considered marking the 450th in 2018, only two community members were left in Kochi, and we had to abandon the idea. Even so, many Paradesi Jews who settled in Israel often return to visit.' 'Even as the presence of the Paradesi Jews continues to diminish, their legacy will live on through the synagogue and this new museum will play a key role in keeping their traditions, culture, and contributions alive,' Sohan said. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala has 63 properties of Pakistan nationals
There are 63 properties in Kerala belonging to Pakistan nationals that have been categorised as enemy properties. These properties are chiefly spread across Malappuram (37), Kozhikode (20), and Kannur (six). As the word suggests, enemy properties are assets owned by individuals or entities that are deemed enemies of the country, particularly those who fled India during times of conflict. In Kerala, the assets are mainly of those who moved to Pakistan or were trapped in Pakistan during partition as well as the post-Independence period, says P.H. Kurian, former Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue. As per the law, the Enemy Property Act, 1968 allows the government to take control of these properties or dispose them of, he says. According to the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Home, enemy properties are sold through e-auction by carrying out valuation of such property by a committee under the aegis of the district magistrate concerned, where the property is situated. E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, who took up the issue in Parliament says these properties mainly belong to two categories of people. Those who migrated to Karachi for business and job purposes akin to the migration to the erstwhile Bombay and those who voluntarily migrated to Pakistan during partition. P.T. Kunju Muhammed, who handled the subject in his film Paradesi, says the condition of those who migrated to Pakistan either for job purposes or during partition was pathetic. 'I had met many children of such people during my stay in the Gulf, and the majority of them admitted that their forefathers had committed a big mistake. Though they are treated as traitors, a good number of them went to Karachi for running teashops, beedi works and the betel leaves trade, etc.,' he says. There was also an outfit called Malabar Muslim Jamaat in Pakistan for the welfare of Keralites trapped in that country. Not only Karachi, there were people who migrated to Dhaka as well as these were the bustling cities during that period, says Mr. Muhammed. Compared to such enemy properties in northern India, the number of such properties in Kerala is much lower, says Mr. Basheer. Now, the Centre has taken several steps to fast-track the monetisation of enemy properties. According to a notification issued last year, all district magistrates should act as ex officio deputy custodians of these properties. Also, as part of auctioning these properties, the pre-bid earnest money deposit has been reduced from 10% to 5% to attract bidders, and the payment period of the sale value increased to 120 days from 21 days.
