Prince sails into memories as he visits INS Vikrant

Workers greet Prince at CSL

Kochi: On Tuesday Prince Charles visited India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, under construction at the Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL).

Shipyard chairman and managing director, Commodore K Subramaniam and flag officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Satish Soni received the Prince of Wales at the shipyard and escorted him to the aircraft carrier, which is likely to be inducted in 2018.

Prince of Wales Charles interacts with workers at the Cochin Shipyard as he arrives to see INS Vikrant, the first indigenously built aircraft carrier

"We were amazed to see the Prince inspecting every nook and corner of the ship, particularly the flight deck. He wanted to know every technical detail and was in awe of the project. He also queried the senior officers about the various stages of work and the stipulated time period during his half-an-hour stay on the ship," Commodore Subramaniam said.

Prince Charles's interest in the ship is probably explained by the fact that he had served on the HMS Hermes (prior to its acquisition by the Indian Navy), during the Falkland war.

He appreciated the efforts of the shipyard in the construction of the aircraft carrier and looked into the contribution made by M/s Mactaggart Scott of the UK for the deck edge lifts for the aircraft.

He also briefly interacted with four women workers-- Jagadamma, the only women welder at the shipyard, and fitters Shobhanakumari, Vijayamma and Rajalakshmi.

Next: Camilla bowled over by Rajagiri children

Camilla bowled over by Rajagiri children

Kochi: “You should join television,” said the  Duchess of Cornwall Camilla  to young Harshad Muhammed , the head boy of the Rajagiri school in Kalamassery  she was visiting on Tuesday.  So impressed was she by his speech on the projects of the British Council the school was involved in, she told him, “I sincerely believe you would make a good TV anchor.”

The thrilled boy, who recounted the incident, said he informed  her that he had other plans. “I told her my ambition was to become a bureaucrat,” he said, clearly happy to have caught the attention of the British royal.

“The princess was very polite and made us feel at ease from the time she arrived at the school at 1.20 pm. She didn’t rush through and took time to speak to the children. And she left us saying ‘your students are amazing and intelligent,” said a beaming Principal Susan Varghese.

The Duchess of Cornwall, who was seen appreciating the beats of the folk song "Kuttanadan punchayile,”  also watched a class debate on the topic  “Are women being treated equal to their male counterparts in sports”   visited the cup cake stall set up by students and enjoyed a skype session between students of Rajagiri and the Summerlea School, West Sussex, where she hails from.

“I’m feeling completely at home here especially with the drizzle which we experience all the time in the UK,” she smiled, before waving goodbye to the assembly of over 1500 children.

Next: Rains welcome Charles at Athirapilly

Rains welcome Charles at Athirapilly

Thrissur: Prince Charles visited the Athirapilly falls located between Valparai and Chalakkudi in the Vazhachal forest division on Tuesday. There was heavy rain during his visit but that did not seem to dampen his spirits.

After enjoying the beauty of the forest, he returned to the Inspection Bungalow, where he saw a photography exhibition on wild animals organised by the forest department. He enquired about the condition of the wild animals in the state and about poaching and sought information about trees and plants.

He interacted with Vava Suresh (snake catcher), Thadi Kannan (elephant lover), Balpadi (who study about birds), Mari (plant enthusiast) and S. Guruvayurappn (animal activist). He was also eager to know about migratory birds.

The district administration, the police and the forest department had made elaborate arrangements for the four-day visit to the state of the heir to the British throne, accompanied by his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Next: Kudumbasree a role model to whole world: Duchess

Kudumbasree a role model to whole world: Duchess

Kochi: The famed Kerala Kudumbasree model on Tuesday, had a special guest, from the  British royalty, when  Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited the  Aluva Palace. She was keen to see the choicest products and meet the workers and learn their workmanship, which focused on the welfare and empowerment of women.

She was surprised to learn that there were a total of 40 members in Kudumbasree and said it was a role model for the whole world. She opined that the products displayed spoke of the efficiency of the artistes and the quality of the products.

Princess Camilla is amused by an ear-ring made by Kudumbashree workers whose products were on display during her visit at the Aluva Palace on Tuesday —DC

Camilla viewed the Onam bazaar, specially arranged for her, from the terrace of Aluva Palace. The bazaar comprised of vegetable shops, potteries, articles made of bamboo and a local tea shop.
She took considerable time to view the exhibition of articles made by Kudumbasree workers inside the palace.

She also obliged them by wearing a terracotta chain and rings presented by the Cherath Kudumbasree unit, from Tripunithura. Other units also presented their specialties, including a wooden elephant. The  Duchess was curious about bottles that had artwork on them.

She came to the palace around 12 noon and enjoyed the beauty of the palace and Periyar and left around 1.15 pm. She also loved the floral carpet laid out for her.

Next: Kumarakom renews tryst with celebs across globe

Kumarakom renews tryst with celebs across globe

Abhish K Bose | DC

Kottayam: It was the 2000 visit of then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee that put Kumarakom  on the list of must see tourism destinations of the country. Since his vacation at a Kumarakom resort in the famous backwaters of Kerala from December 26, 2000 to January 1, 2001, it has become a favourite  with dignitaries, including heads of state like former President Pratibha Patil, and former Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are only the latest to visit it.

The state’s famed backwaters are the attraction, say tourism experts.“Kumarakom is one of the major backwater destinations of the state with all the necessary infrastructure like plush resorts and hotels which other backwater destinations lack, “ says Harikishore, director of Kerala tourism.

Prince Charles’visit is expected to draw even more attention to Kumarakom and boost its tourism industry further “Kumarakom came into the spotlight after the visit of Vajpayee. And now Prince Charles’ visit is likely to draw even more attention to it  internationally. We are anticipating a greater inflow of tourists from abroad after his visit, " says Soby Mathew, general manager of the backwater Ripples resort.

The establishment of  quality hotels offering five star facilities has also made it a favourite with a lot of tourists, say observers. "Kumarakom has many hotels that can accommodate  dignitaries, which is why many arrive here to enjoy a  relaxing holiday,” says  Ettumanur MLA, Suresh Kurup.

As for the president of the Kumarakom gram panchayat,  Dhanya Sabu, she  feels the Responsible Tourism initiative has contributed as well to  popularising the destination, which now sees a large number of tourists arriving to enjoy its beautiful environs.