22.2.10

Silk, Resham, Pattu - the royal fabric

Silk is a natural protein fibre, which is woven into textiles. The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre which allows silk cloth to refract the in-coming light at different angles thus producing different shades.

Silk fabric was first developed in ancient China as early as 3,500 BC. Hence the name "chinambara" means, china-golden-color-cloth. Culturing silk is called Sericulture. Silk history in India is almost contemporaneous with China. India is the second largest producer of Silk after China. Majority is produced in Karnataka State, particularly in Mysore and the North Bangalore regions.

Today, silk is woven in Bhoodan Pochampally (Nalgonda Dist of AP), Dharmavaram (Anantapur Dist of AP), Kanchipuram (Tamilnadu), Mysore (Karnataka), Banaras (Uttarakhand), Murshidabad & Malda (West Bengal. Other states that are famous for silk are Assam and Kashmir.

The tradition of wearing silk sarees in marriages by the brides is followed in most parts of southern India. Silk is worn by people as a symbol of royalty while attending functions and during festivals.

Silk is elegant, soft luster and beautiful. Its good absorbency makes it comfortable in warm weather. Its low conductivity keeps warm air close to the skin during cold weather.

Singareni Marketing Outlet at KVIB

Singareni Seva Samithi, an NGO promoted by Singareni Collieries Co., Ltd., have established a marketing outlet at the KVIB's 'Grama Parishramala Bhavan' at Hyderabad and was inaugurated on 19th Feb 2010, by the Chairman & Managing Director of Singareni Collieries Co., Ltd.,

This Seva Samithi, through this outlet will market various hand-crafted items produced by the families of singareni workers. Basic skills & EDP training for these producers were given at Khadi Gramodyog Maha Vidyalaya, a Training Instt. of KVIB at Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad.

The other shops in the premises of 'Grama Parishramala Bhavan'were allotted to M/s Wavilal Khadi Pratishtan (an ISO 9001 organisation, earlier headed by Hon'ble Sri PV Narasimha Rao, former Prime Minister of India); M/s Metpally Khadi Pratishtan (another giant in producing khadi - cotton, silk & wool garments, now to market only designer wear in this premises) and M/s Gandhi Handmade Papers (mfrs of handmade paper and its conversions).

13.2.10

KVIB Pavilion @ 70th AIIE @ Hyd

KVIB pavilion got 2nd Prize for ‘display’ under the category ‘State Govt Exhibitors’ at the All India Industrial Exhibition organized from 1st Jan to 15th Feb 2010 in the Exhibition Grounds, Hyderabad. The Governor of Andhra Pradesh, His Excellency Sri SEL Narasimhan distributed the prizes at the valedictory on 11th Feb evening,.

The KVIB pavilion was inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister for SSI & KVI, Govt of AP. It was visited by KVIC’s Hon’ble South Zone Chairman; Secretary to Govt., Industries & Commerce Department and many other dignitaries. Our PR guru, Dr CVNR visited the pavilion on 7th Feb.

Organized and supervised by General Manager, Khadi-n-Crafts, the 20 stalls pavilion of KVIB, exhibited & sold the items like Stone carvings, palm leaf articles & palm jaggery condiments, honey, aloevera products, value added khadi silk saris, appliqué & embroidered khadi garments, khadi ready-mades, leather goods, stuffed toys, apple cheese, mango jelly, pickles, handmade paper articles, herbal cosmetics, soaps, agarbathis etc.

25.1.10

HONEY

This wonderfully rich golden liquid is the miraculous product of honey bees and a naturally delicious alternative to white sugar. Although it is available throughout the year, it is an exceptional treat in the summer and fall when it has just been harvested and is at its freshest.

The fascinating process of making honey begins when the bees feast on flowers, collecting the flower nectar in their mouths. This nectar then mixes with special enzymes in the bees' saliva, an alchemical process that turns it into honey. The bees carry the honey back to the hive where they deposit it into the cells of the hive's walls. The fluttering of their wings provides the necessary ventilation to reduce the moisture's content making it ready for consumption.

In addition to its reputation as Nature's nutritive sweetener, research also indicates that honey's unique composition makes it useful as an antimicrobial agent and antioxidant.

Raw Honey is An Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Viral, Anti-Fungal Substance

The health benefits of honey - like all foods - depend on the quality of the honey. But in this case, the situation is even more extreme, because the pollen that collects on the bees' legs as they move from plant to plant is only as healthful and as diverse as those plants. In addition, the processing of honey often removes many of the phytonutrients found in raw honey as it exists in the hive. Raw honey, for example, contains small amounts of the same resins found in propolis. Propolis, sometimes called "bee glue," is actually a complex mixture of resins and other substances that honeybees use to seal the hive and make it safe from bacteria and other micro-organisms. Honeybees make propolis by combining plant resins with their own secretions. However, substances like road tar have also been found in propolis. Bee keepers sometimes use special screens around the inside of the hive boxes to trap propolis, since bees will spread this substance around the honeycomb and seal cracks with the anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal resins. The resins found in propolis only represent a small part of the phytonutrients found in propolis and honey, however. Other phytonutrients found both in honey and propolis have been shown to posssess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties. These substances include caffeic acid methyl caffeate, phenylethyl caffeate, and phenylethyl dimethylcaffeate. Researchers have discovered that these substances prevent colon cancer in animals by shutting down activity of two enzymes, phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and lipoxygenase.

20.1.10

PARBOILED RICE

"Par" tially "boiled" Rice is produced by a process of soaking, pressure steaming and drying prior to milling. Parboiling is a patented process. It changes the nutrients of the rice kernel. After undergoing this process and proper milling, the rice obtains a light yellow or amber color although the color largely fades after cooking. It cooks up fluffy and separate. It forms the main course of the meals for millions of people in Asia and else where. Many processed food such as popped or puffed rice products are produced from brown rice or parboiled rice for use as breakfast cereals and snack foods.

Process of Making Parboiled Rice

While in the paddy form, the rice is soaked and then steam cooked. This process does not allow the kernel to swell during the cooking and the moisture level does not exceed 40%. The starch granule is cooked (technically gelatinized), but not allowed to swell. The rice is then dried while still in the paddy form and then passed through a standard milling process to remove the hull and bran. This process has been going on for centuries in many countries and is believed to have started in ancient India.

Usages of Parboiled Rice

1. Parboiled rice has a higher vitamin content than raw milled rice.

2. Parboiled rice is quite nutritious, being an excellent souce of niacin, a good source of thiamine and magnesium and a moderate source of protein, iron and zinc. Levels of vitamins and minerals fall between white rice and brown rice.

3. Parboiled rice is widely used in the catering industry as it is less sticky when cooked.

4. It is good in salads and retains its flavour and quality when kept hot for serving large numbers of people.

5. All rice comes from the field with insect eggs in the germ of the rice. These eggs hatch when the temperature is warm and moisture is available. The high temperatures occuring during parboiling kill any insect eggs in the rice and essentially sterilize it.

6. Parboiling also mends the cracks in the rice, that is, it glues broken rice back together and dramatically improves the milling yield of whole kernels in the rice.

7. Parboiling changes the texture of the rice. It becomes firmer and less sticky. It is a much more durable kernel.

8. It takes just as long to cook (actually a little longer) as white rice, but is much easier to cook.

9. It can be overcooked without being mushy or losing its grain shape.

10. It does not have to be steamed. It can be cooked by blanching only. It has a long steam table life, which is important for restaurants.

11.It is the only type of rice that can withstand the harsh treatment of most industrial processes that involve cooking and then freezing, canning or drying.