Magic blooms as floral designs spread

Five Fingers, a troupe of child magicians bag first prize in 'Pookkalam' competitions at the Magic Academy.
Team, Five Fingers receives first prize from the Executive Director of the Magic Academy, Gopinath Muthukad during the Athapookkalam competition held for the magic students at the Wonder World auditorium of the Academy today. The competition was themed on magic and only flowers and leaves were permitted to make the designs. Pookkalam is an indelible element of the State festival, Onam of Kerala.

Pookkalam that fetched the first prize.

Team Spark (left) and Team Thunder Boys respectively receive second and third prizes for Pookkalam.

Pookkalams created by the second (left) and third prize winning teams.

Fourth prize winning 'Cool Boys' and their Pookkalam.

Dazzling ‘Five Fingers’

Five child magicians form professional magic troupe.


Magic of five: Mohammed Shanu A.R., Alina Gilton, Nadhiya S.M., Asmin Nayara and Anamika Gilton.

Thiruvananthapuram: Here is a team of five child magicians whose enthusiasm has glued them together into a professional magic troupe.

Titled ‘Five Fingers’ they introduce themselves as 14-year-old Mohammed Shanu A.R. in the position of the troupe’s thumb, 13-year-old Alina Gilton as point finger, 13-year-old Nadhiya S.M as middle finger, 12-year-old Asmin Nayara as ring finger and 11-year-old Anamika Gilton as little finger of their team. Why the name ‘Five Fingers’? They readily reply that it’s so because each one of them has an inevitable role in their show.

The idea of forming a troupe was sparked in their minds after a successful public show at Vailopilly Samskriti Bhavan here. The troupe, supposed to be the first one to be formed by child magicians, had no set back since then.

Their memorable performance was not on a formal stage, but on the lawns of Kanakakunnu Palace, where their service was hired by the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum for entertaining the crowd on the occasion of the lengthiest solar eclipse on 15th of January.

Held close to their hearts are certificates they have received from the Indian Institute of Space Technology. There, the ‘Five Fingers’ dazzled a group of school children in the evening on the same day when the former President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had inaugurated the camp.

When admiration galore, they with all humility attributes all success to the magic masters of the Academy who have guided them on the roads of magic. These kids also recall with thanks, the support provided by the Office Secretary, S. Sreejith Raj.

Team of child magicians to amaze Sun gazers

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Science and Technlogy Museum has roped in the service of ‘Five Fingers’ a magic troupe of child magicians from the Magic Academy to entertain the crowd that gather to watch the longest Solar eclipse on the lawns of Kanakakunnu palace on 15th of January. ‘Five Fingers’ constituted by junior magicians of the Academy comprises of five school children who bear ardent affinity for magical art and science.

14-year-old Mohammed Shanu designated as the thumb of the team, is the lone boy in the team. Others in this team of budding magicians are Alina Gilton as point finger, Nadhiya as middle finger (both aged 13); 12-year-old Asmin Nayara as ring finger and 11-year-old Anamika Gilton as the little finger. Joining with them will be three of their classmates from the Academy, Amogh B.J., Nikhil Mathew Thomas and Rahul G. They will be demonstrating Close-up magic, conjuring magic and juggling act respectively.

These little magicians will be strolling on the lawns of the Kanakakunnu Palace entertaining children gathered in the shades of trees.