Nurungukal  contd......

                                Next day evening we went to see  the  exhibition , wearing our new bush shirts and shorts. It was in the Samoothari Raja school ground . In front of it the Thali Shiva Temple pond  lay where many people were taking an evening bath. I was told that there are many such ponds in Chalapuram  and so the wells in the locality will not dry up even during the hottest summer . And that would have been the main reason for patronising this area by the elites. These temple ponds are the best models of rain water harvesting.

                                 We entered into the ground through a decorated gate . It was much bigger and more colourful than the ones we had seen in temple festivals. Each class room was a stall selling different items. The first few were for kitchen wares. Next for fancy items like earrings ,garlands,bangles etc etc  which were crowded by girls and women. A few grownup boys , may be college students were trying to squeeze through them who were immersed in selecting their favourite items. Some of them were throwing an angry eye on to the passersby. People moved through the serpentine path enjoying the displays or  making purchases, or exchanging pleasantries . And we drifted with them  as dry twigs in a turbulent stream. As we moved forward hand in hand, more and more exiting stalls appeared. 

                                A man clad in a three piece suit and black cap was inviting the passersby to take a photo in the company of  film stars or sitting in a car or on the moon etc.  We preferred the crescent moon.  That photo was with my mother till her death and I do not know were it is now . A magician's performance was very amazing, so was some circus items such as jugglery with balls , bottles, squeezing through a small ring. Parrots and dogs pulling fancy carts. There was an exclusive area for gambling. Many items of skills with the use of pistol, arrow, rings, balls etc  attracted a big crowd, because the offers were enchanting.

                                The merry go round section was our favourite, riding on a wooden horse, or car etc was very funny. There was a model aeroplane. One or two can sit in it. When  the pilot started it  will go a few feet high and landed with a thud . That was really a new experience .  Then the death well. It was a well made of wooden planks over ground. A motor cyclist will run a few circles in the bottom of the well  and suddenly as he gains speed took the cycle in rounds to the top and continued  to run at a speed making a pada pada sound and after a few rounds landed  at the bottom safely. It was adventur from the start to the end.This was my first experience and years later I have witnessed the same event in which a car and cycle, some time two cycles jointly performing !!  The last event on every night was a fire dive. On one side of a well filled with water  there will be a  high tower . A man wearing red pants and shirt will position at the top step.  After a mike announcement about the adventurous event  petrol will be poured in the well and ignited.Then the man on top will also pour some on him  and after igniting will jump into the blazing well with a loud sound  and simultaneously the fire will get extinguished. He will get out of the well unhurt!  I have seen every one holding their breath as the man in the shape of a fire ball slowly descending from that height and plummeting in to the water. To me it was the greatest show on earth then. later it was discontinued due to safety reasons. With our mind full of joy  and thrill returned home to explore Calicut next day.