Reliving those times

KOCHI: E Leelavathi Pillai Thankachi asked herself one day - ‘What do I do to keep myself engaged?’ In her late seventies and healthy for her age, she had a lot of time for herself. Leelavathi, the granddaughter of Nandhyaar Veetil Parameshwaran Pillai, a renowned scholar of his time, realised that she wanted to return to the world of books that she had cherished as a young girl. And that was how she started writing the book ‘Alathallum Ormakal’. The book has been published early this year and the author is now 83 years old. “I found each day too long to be sitting idle. Right from my childhood I was a voracious reader. I was born in a family which gave me much exposure to society which was not very common then. My husband, the late TV Shankaran Nair was an advocate and he also encouraged me to read a lot,” she said. Leelavathi, a mother of four is presently staying with her daughter, Dr Rema Maheshwary, at Mannanmoola in Peroorkada. As she talks, Leelavathi has her grandchildren standing next to her, helping to fill in the details of events which their granny skipped by chance. The book is about South Travancore and the times that Leelavthi grew up in. The traditions, culture and customs of the place are narrated through a combination of fiction and memories. A member of one of the old families of the city, she shares with the new generation, the practices which prevailed during her times.As she began to write the book, memories of her childhood came like the waves of the sea one after the other and this made her give the title ‘Alathallum Ormakal’. All through the book she refers to incidents which have happened in her family. The time when she lived at the ‘Vavara house’ during her childhood and later at the ‘Nandhyaar Veedu’ are brought alive. Nandhyaar house still stands tall at Thampanoor though as shelter to a tutorial college.“When I was seven, while shifting my place of residence from Vavara house to Nandhyaaar, we travelled all the way on bullock carts, which were supposed to be one of the best modes of transport in those days. To keep me engaged during the journey, my grandparents narrated an episode which took place years back when they were young,” she said. The story goes like this. During those times, it was believed that bridges, even though constructed with the guidance of the most renowned masons, were not strong at their  base. The matter was brought before a shaman who was famous for his tricks. He found that this problem can be solved by sacrificing two young lives in the  water near the bridge. Many high priests set out asking parents of small children to give their child’s life as an offering for a ransom. Knowing the impracticability, they began to think of crooked means. One day, they spotted two girls standing near the river for a bath. Due to the heavy water flow after the rains, they stood on the shore. The masons and the shaman thought it was a golden opportunity and threw them in the water. Lost in the sound of thunder and rain, their cries went unheard.“From then on it was believed that the bridge had become stronger. But it is said that some have seen disturbed souls of the girls wandering near the bridge,” said Leelavathi.Turning the pages of the book, you get to know the communities, celebrations and beliefs like ‘Maadan’, ‘Uraalimaaru’, ‘Ambattanmaaru’, ‘Sasthamangalam Ezhunnalathu’, ‘Mannanpedi’, and more.The book also talks about temple rituals like Thummankott Shasthaskethram’, and mentions about Chattampi Swami and of Vellayani Paramu’. There are also references to the tricks which the rich had applied to hide their immense wealth and jewellery, names of traditional jewellery which women used to wear and the marriage customs.