Sunday, September 15, 2013

Sending and receiving money for instant delivery

Once, it was the Postal money order.
Fill in a form, that looks like a big card, pay money to the post office, plus a small commission, money gets paid to the addressee.
It is simple and easy.Door delivery with no fuss. It still works. Many old pensioners, have opted for this route, and get their pension at home.
Catch. only Rs5000 could be sent in one transaction.

Western Union is one name used in many parts of the world, sending money is much faster. Pay money, and next instant, collect it in another part of the world.

The minimum charge for India postal money  order may be as less as Rs. 50. Western Union, might cost you to a minimum Rupees 1,500.  As far as transmissions to India are concerned, one transaction would transmit only Rs 50,000.

In India, many post offices act as agents for Western Union.

Many , money exchanges do this transmissions to banks in India. Transmission costs are bit cheaper in the sense, it could be some Rs 350 or so.

Those who receive money , will be sent a code number, or transaction number as password. The recipient, would bring in his ID papers, to ANY agent , and collect his money.

In India, a non banking Financial instiution with 4000 branches, is a good place to collect money.
They have the hardware to take your photographs, (once only, as part of  know your customer process)  and take photocopy of your ID.

A post office  will ask for your  ID original and copy. ID is for validation, and copy, they will keep.
So, if you are going to a post office, don't  forget to carry a copy of your ID.

Some stupid banks, say, they will only pay 20,000  rupees without out an account. The non banking financial institution would pay you up to Rs 50,000 without much fuss.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Few abbreviations and their meaning.

What is BTR ? If it is used by village offices ( land matters in India , are in village offices.)  it is basic tax register. 

I read it in one document and did not know where to ask.


What is  RO  and ROP  ?

Reverse Osmosis,  Release Order, Radio Officer 
Reverse Osmosis Plant
Rial Omani Payment
Remaining Order Plan  ( SAP )
Rate of penetration ( oil drilling)

What is  SAP  ?

It is a very famous IT product , systems applications and products ?

(H)    This meanse house.   Particlualarly in Kerala India.
In Kerala not every one has a surname, but a house name. House name is used as surname in most cases. and typical house name could like this.
Kollamparambil House
In many documents and addresses, in Kerala they would abbreviate the house part as  (H)

If you ever read  (H)  in part of any Kerala address, now you know.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Land prices in Bolghatty

An adverstisement in a Malayalam newspaper says, few cents of land is availalbe at Bolghatty, at Rs 300,000 per cent.
Mind you this is an island with narrow road and bad drivers, if you happen to drive a Honda City through this road, you will come back with scrathes on the car, no matter how good a driver you are, and how careful you are.

Other drivers will try to pass you,and you will wind up with a need for a paint job.

Back to land prices, last year (2008) saw a boom and some pieces changed hands at Rs. 3.3 million per cent , at the southern tip of the Island.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Bend it like Bentla

Oh what a way to copy a title.

Bentlia D Couth is a female football player.
More
Bentla D Coth is a female referee
And so,
So?
She is also the first Indian female international referee to make the scene at Olypmpics.
Ah so,
She is from Bolghatty!

That is it, that why her name is mentioned in section of Blog.

The name has, so far nobody mentioned this , a Portuguese connection.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Grave Yard Story from Bolghatty

If the St. Sebastian's Church is more than 150 years old, so should be the cemetary or grave yard. One point of time, it was very small, yet, in it there was a section to dump bones, for, the graves were recycled and reused, the bones, of the previously buried parishioner, picked and dumped in the bone cabin like area.

Then there was another section for the rogues bodies, called pit for rogues or themmadi kuzhi in Malayalam. Bodies of the excommunicated or of those of who committed sucide were to burried. Once a boy ate poinson fruit called othalanga and committed suicide. There was a procession of people who carried lit candles, and then I guess people buried his body in the rogues pit.

The very rich were permitted to lease a family grave for 75 years. At one point of time only such permanent grave was that of Domingo, of Veliath Azwez family, and rest of the parishers were buried in the standard graves, which could be used again and again.

The lease value was not reivised from time to time, so as value of money depreciated, people earned more and could buy (rather lease semi permanent) graves who were permanent looking graves could be built.

The first one, that of Domingo, had marble engravings. The letters have faded, rather are eroded by polluted rains, however, the engravings look bold and beautiful even now (2009).

One of the regular graves, is that of Ganet D'Souza, who died childless. His partner, was poor or dead may be, his brother picked up his body , when Garnet died in a hospital , and brought to own old parish to bury. There is no deocorate covering, like others in the grave yard, well, this is what happens if you have no children to bury you.

The permanent graves, made it necessary to expand the cemetary. These days, making or expanding a cemetary is no easy job, so many permits and approvals are needed, well, the cemetary has expanded till the easter river (back water) side, yet, it is full. Ha ha , houseful, so many dead having permaent graves over them.

Another , famous name, after the Domino, is that of Monsignor Xavier Kaniampuram, who was principal of St. Albert's College. Therae are two Joseph Kaniampuram graves, both are cousins, and Joseph is a common enough name.

Portuguese name s are there plenty, like D'Souza, Paiva, D'Silva, Sementhy, Azwes, Gonsalves, Rodgrigues.
Bolghatty is where many Portugese landed and never went back. They married locals, their children and grand children still carry these names.

Where is the bone pit gone?

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

John Ochanthuruthu

He is an academic doctor, professor, author and historian. Ask Bolghattians about John Ochanthuruth,and you will draw a blank.
Ask about joey, and you will find a varied expressions.

Joey used to live in the parish accommodation and used to be a handsome chap with african like curly hair. Those were the days , when every one knew everyone, because of the wait at the Bolghatty boat jetty. Students would walk 6 kms from the end of the island, and then cross the waters. Why walk all the distance? Ferry was free; carry normal school books, that is the id for you prove that you are a student and , noone will ask for a ticket!

Boats used to make a trip across to the high court jetty, every 20 minutes.
While waiting, every one chats with every one. Everyone looks at every one. Every one knew who is who, as for youngster, if they are not known by their own name, they will be linked to their parents.

Back to Joey, he lived in Bolghatty for a while, then disappeared. Years later, when Joey reappered in books and magazines, we knew, ha , his real baptised name is John, now is an professor, author and so.

Acha, bhai, you are part of the bolghattians.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

St Sebastians Church, Ponjikkara

The church, this one, claims to be over 150 years old . So says , a flier ( hand bill in local English) circulated in Jan 2009.

This parish, as the name indicates, is dedicated to thier patron saint, Sebastian.

The feast on the saint is on the 20th January, and the Sunday nearest to that date is the day of fest and feast of this Parish.

The church is decorated, peforming arts conducted for about 4 days, bands play, fireworks display and imitation cannon sound rounds performed ( kathina in Malayalam language)

The parish priest DÇruz,
the "presidenthi" or presidents of events who pay and manage the festivities are

Godson D'Souza son of Labell D'souza
and
Antony Vivera son of Justin Vivera

The fathers names are mentioned because, purses belong to the them , the juniors (under 18 they are) just stand in for the parents who are to busy working!

Bolghatty, or Ponjikkar had a soul. Come the Gosree islands, the island village has lots its people and its soul.

Land prices per cent skyrocketed to 30 lakh rupees per cent, every villager sold his home and soul migrated elsewhere.

The buyers have not moved in, so one would find ghost homes in different stages of decay. Buyers are speculators, even if they want they will find it difficult to move in, the only road is not wide enough to take two cars coming in opposite directions.

It would have been possilbe to buy land at 10 thousand rupees per cent, before announcement of bridge was made. Pay for land at prevailing prices, make road, and then annouce construction of bridges, that would have made development easy.

Now it is a stalemat, or logjam, whatever. Government cannot pay for land, at current prices. If only the Government had made a road first, and then made bridge, it could have even levied a cess on appreciated land values and used this for more road. That would have been a win win situation for every villager.