nila foundation
Bharatapuzha | Foundation | River Musings | Near the River | Contributions | Contact | Media
Bharathapuzha Bharatapuzha(River Nila) is the longest river in Kerala, 209 of its 250 km course flowing through the state. The river originates from the Thirumurthy Hills of Anamalais in Tamil Nadu state at an elevation of 1964 m above mean sea level. It flows through Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram districts in Kerala. The river drains into the Arabian Sea at Ponnani in Malappuram. It has an extensive catchment area of 6186 Sq. Km. River Bharathapuzha is bestowed with a rich web of tributaries and sub-tributaries. The river basin receives an average annual rainfall of 2,300 mm and the annual average stream flow is estimated to be 5,082.9 million cubic metres. About 40 Km of the main stream is navigable.
Nila Foundation:
What was once the life line of Northern Kerala, is today a decaying, dying river.
It is out of concern for the River Nila (Bharatapuzha), - the erosion of the river banks, the dilution of its
culture, neglect and depletion of its resources - that the Nila Foundation was formed.
Registered as a non profit organistation, The Nila Foundation intends to provide a common platform for
those who are concerned about rivers in Kerala and River Nila in particular. Its core group members range
from anthropologists, disaster managers, environmentalists to musicians, writers and performing artistes.
In association with CEDAR, the Foundation is undertaking a study to analyse the status of rivers in Kerala,
Puzha Malayalam which is expected to be published by end of November 2006. This will be published both in
Malayalam as well in English.
Nila Foundation intends to take up work on the following. Please contact us if you are interested in
associated with us or if you think you could contribute to this effort.
You could help us to create a database of the following:
Collection of writings on River
Nila.
Art forms from the banks of river Nila as well as those that flourished and
nurtured here.
Cultural Institutes that came up on the banks of River Nila.
Important personalities who were born and brought up / lived on the banks of
River Nila.
Legends and folklore from the banks of River Nila.
Photographs on River Nila. This could be of the river, of the life related
with river,
its people, culture and anything that you think is part of River Nila.
Literature that came from the banks of River Nila.
Festivals on the banks of the river.
Eco History Mapping of the river.
Details and database of the cinemas that were scripted / shot on the banks
of the river Nila.
Identifying websites on River Nila.
Recommending individuals or associations who might want to work with the
Foundation.
Near the River:
In an effort to bring up the issues of various problems besetting the River Nila, the members of the
foundation have been seeking to take the river and its triumphs and sorrows to various
parts of the world. One such amongst the series called 'Near the River' was organised in Bangalore.
'Near the River' was organised at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore with support from the
Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, Sankar's Book Shop, Seventh Incorporated, Insight Design and
The Blue Yonder.
This was a small attempt of the foundation to show case the unique river valley civilisation that made a
a stamp of its own culture in Kerala. Read More
What the Media says: A river is more than just water flowing meaninglessly. A river is often the thread that weaves lives and traditions in an ageless manner. A river sustains a civilisation. And when the river is choked, a way of life gets erased out. Trying to undo the damage can be a tough job. And a river called Nila runs through it. JAYALAKSHMI K of Deccan Herald Sunday Magazine speaks with Gopinath Parayil who believes that sustaining a river means nourishing a culture, and is making efforts to revive river Nila in Kerala. read more...
River Musings: MT Vasudevan Nair: 'For me, Nila's significane is greater than that of the greatest ocean in the world. Muhc of my inner and external life is associated with the river Nila and Koodallur village located on its bank'' The Nila and Koodallur together form the backdrop for many of his novels, short stories and screenplays. Read more... Anita Nair: Bharathapuzha or the Nila was the river that excited my imagination. In its depths my father almost drowned. On its banks, my uncles and he leapt and jumped and did as boys do....As children, we longed to be the children that they were. And so we coaxed our parents, my brother and I, to walk to the river. First we would stand on the bridge and stare at the western sky. Behind us on the railway bridge, a train, as in a silent movie, would hurtle past noiselessly. Read more...
Contributions:
The Nila Foundation is partially supported by The Blue Yonder.
In fact, The Blue Yonder was set up to raise funds for the Nila Foundation, to revive and regenerate
one of the longest and sadly neglected rivers in Kerala called Nila. Built on the premise of Corporate
Social responsibility, this is tourism that cares. Intending to bring in community ownership in various
stretches of the river. The Blue Yonder believe that a healthy river means better livelihood options.
However, we still need support to continue and sustain the efforts of the Foundation. Contributions
can take the form of your skills, interest and / or funds. Donations can be sent as crossed cheques or
Demand Drafts in the name of 'The Nila Foundation', c/o The Blue Yonder, 165, 1st Floor, 9th Cross,
1st Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore 560038. For more details, contact us on nila@nilafoundation.org
