Nurungukal.......contd....

                When I was in 9^th standard a new batch of young graduate teachers, fresh from college joined our school. They were a different lot,both in teaching and approach. Because of it students liked them. Among them was Gopettan. He was a distant relative of us. His favourite subject was history. His narration about Emperor Asoka, quoting H.G.Wells and other historians was not only informative but interesting also. We  heard him in pin drop silence. Apart from his teaching ability he was a social worker also. Although in the initial days he had a limited circle of activities, later he became an ardent follower of communism. As he was a good orator, gradually he was accepted in the high echelons of  the Left movements in Kerala. He used to keep the audience spell bound for hours during his public speeches and his counters to the opponents, with penchant remarks were received with loud applause. But some of his opponents with in the party did not allow him to climb up the ladder. Many allegations were framed and finally he had to quit from the Left movement unceremoniously.

                He was of the age of my elder brother. Mother depended on him in many of her social activities. When ever there was a problem which could not be settled she sought his help and in no time he found out a solution. I remember two such occasions. The first was when she was the acting president of  a co-operative milk society. The sales man without her knowledge was adulterating the milk. One day he was caught by the food inspector and was booked. It was a criminal offence and if punished mother being the president had to go to jail. Mother approached Gopettan to find a solution. And even now we do not know how mother was freed out of the harassment , only he does.  Another incident was related to when mother was the president of a Mahila Samajam. As we know in our society there are always some opposition to any good initiative. Because of her concerted efforts this Samajam was able to provide a livelihood to some down trodden women by way of running a tailoring venture. But to some ,it was not acceptable. From some where on a fine morning a mad women who was in an acute stage of a malignant disease was housed on the veranda. Nobody even went near her. It was altogether a bad situation. Mother was in a fix.Even police did not come to her help. Finally the issue was placed by mother before her saviour, and to the surprise of all next morning it was solved . But even now we do not know how??.

                        The third occasion in which he showed his cleverness to handle a difficult situation happened in his own house. His uncle Chathettan, about whom i had mentioned in a previous post, expired all on a sudden. He was a good farmer and had stored a huge  quantity of paddy in his wooden granary [pathayam]. Chathettan was a bachelor and he was looked after by his sister Janaki etuthi who was the mother of Gopettan. But when Chathettan died other sisters raised a claim on his properties. They also planned to take away the paddy stock by force. Some how Gopettan came to know about it. When the paddy dealer came next morning to cart the paddy, to the surprise of all, even the wooden pathayam was missing !!. Gopeetan was standing at the end of the veranda throwing a sarcastic smile and the dealer vacated the premises in dismay.

                He was loved by all and he loved all. A man who forgot to make a living of his own while taking care of others,!!

Nurugukal....contd...

        Let me continue with the Andi oottu. The old Andi would rise up when his trance is over. After giving prasadam to every one he would go to the cattle shed to bless the cattle.

The first part of the event would be over as mother gave him a few measures of rice, pappadams etc. and father a cash gift. Then it is time for dinner. Mother used to serve kalan,olan, aviyal,mizhukkuperatti, kadumanga, pappadams.upperi with farm fresh hand pounded rice and to top up payasam and sweets. After dinner we used to assemble at the poomugam to watch the puppet performance of the old Andi. He was a good puppeteer. In his pokkanam [cloth bundle] there used to be two to three puppets of Kathakali veshams { patcha, kathi and female vesham]. Our father was a connoisseur of kathakali. He used to hum or whistle kathakali padams while taking an evening walk in our court yard.

                The old Andi would slowly take out the puppets one by one from his bundle. Holding one in his right hand he would gradually show its face while giving an introduction and reciting a couplet of  kathakali padam melodiously. It would be repeated by his son and daughter-in-law in turn. I still vividly remember the picture of the daughter-in law. She wore a check sari of bright colour with the frills dangling on her firm posterior in a typical Tamil way. She was black in colour. Her eyes were large and dazzling . Always there would be a kunkuma pottu on her fore head and kunkumam smear between the hair partition. A bunch of jasmine or kanakambaram mala tucked in her plait added her grace. Her movements were elegant. She would sit behind the old Andi and swayed left to right in rhythm tapping the tiny elathalam between her slender fingers. Andi would perform one or two scenes from kathakali. The facial and hand movements of the puppets controlled by his fingers would give the effect of watching a live performance. Some times father would request to show one of his favourite scenes which the Andi would readily oblige.

After the show every one  would retire for the day nurturing sweet memories of the veshams. Before we wake up the Andi family might have left for the next destination. I do not know that whether their tribe exists now to provide the rare experience !!. Let us hope that some day in future another such curtain will raise !!.

Nurungukal........contd.....

                Andi oottu was an annual pooja which was conducted in the end of the Malayalam month Dhanu. Father was very particular that this event took place without fail. Actually the Andi came from Pazhani in Tamil Nadu. They spoke an admixture of tamil and malayalam  words. They came in batches to the interior places of the then Valluvanadu villages. After conducting the annual pooja they had to reach Palani before Thai Puyam, the famous festival in Tamil nadu, connected with Shri Subramanyam Swamy. The Pooja was intended to ward off evil and welcome prosperity and a good paddy harvest.

                 Each team consisted of three or four.  Andi would fix an auspicious date. Usually the Pooja would be at lunch or dinner time. In our house it would be mostly for dinner. Oottu means offering a good feast consisting of Kerala’s traditional items including Payasam and sweets like Karolappam etc.

                A Kavadi , decorated beautifully with lot of pea cock feathers on both sides, tiny bells, colour and gilt paper on the arch would be placed facing west. There would be smaller ones also. A big bunch of pea cock feathers  and an iron thrisoolam were also  placed on both side of the main Kavadi. They were the essential items to be worshipped as the favourite symbols of Lord Muruga.

                 To our house an old andi, his son and daughter-in-law used to come. The old man sporting a long grey beard with long hair knotted at the back of his neck, in his kavi clothes  resembled almost like our local oracles. His forehead, arms and chest would be smeared with vibhoothi and kunkumam  which inspired the beholder a divinity in him.  The pooja accompanied by a drum and elathalam would take a long time to end. We would be eagerly waiting for the end , keeping our eyes set on the sweet prasadams. As it culminates andi would suddenly jump from his seat with the thrisoolam in one hand and the pea cock feather bunch in the other. Then he would take the bunch from head to foot on each one of us to ward off the evil.  While doing this he would be shivering and swaying in a rhythm. The drum beats and the sound of elathalam would be at their peak. Then he would hold the thrisoolam  with both his hands parallel to the ground and while moving it vigorously forward and backward would utter words  [ kalpana }which we children never understood. But mother would say that what he meant was that the Lord Muruga was satisfied with our offerings  and the Lord wanted us to conduct such poojas every year with out fail !!. After handing over the prasadams, slowly andi would come to normal........cntd

Nurungukal...contd...

                   I reached 9^th standard. I knew that I was growing. The signs of adolescence were slowly establishing in me. Both physically and mentally. I felt new expressions in my behaviour, tastes  and relationships. A shift towards the finer aspects of the objects I came across. My dreams became more realistic and  close to what I craved for. That forced me to go in search of myths and fantasy.  There was a change in the games  we selected . I found a place in the school badminton and football teams. Kho kho was my another favourite.They helped to keep my body more agile and robust. When I managed to win a running race I reached new heights of joy. There was a cumulative effect in such achievements which I felt in the glances from others.

                   The social barriers almost prohibited us to mingle very closely with the opposite sex. But that did not deter us from making unintentional passes. We created many such occasions.  Under the cover of bushes or in the dark corridors we found expressions of our infatuation.

                   Father started delegating me responsible jobs in agriculture. Direct  involvement  in paddy cultivation operations was my passion. Along with the labourers I used to plough, rake etc. We had a cow . I learn ed the basics of dairying  which I now practise as President of a co-op. Milk society.  I am sure that such valuable exposure with nature has enriched my sense of conservation. But unfortunately I could not pass on this experience to my children. Now I believe that this shift in bringing up is one of  the main causes for a dwindling agrarian economy and biodiversity. Let us try to rectify it from now on. 

Nurungukal....contd...

                                Although his real name was Mr. Achutha Menon, we all new him as Achumman.He was very popular and a much sought after person  mainly at  death ceremonies.He hailed from a feudal family which once upon a time was very rich and powerful in the locality.They were holding large extend of paddy field and coconut groves. As in the case of many such families they, in course of time lost their wealth , due  to extravagance. Our father bought our present house from him, when we decided to settle down in Ponnani.Achumman still owned  about two acres of paddy field and one acre of coconut garden. He was a good farmer. Unlike others he worked with the labourers and it was a sight to see him plough, singing some couplets in loud pitch.

                                I had never seen him wearing a shirt.He was of medium size , stout and  tan in colour. He walked in brisk strides , bubbling his pot belly. Always he would  be chewing betel nut and , would keep his mouth red. He had a harsh voice. Very often he spit the red sputum between his two fingers throwing it far like a stream. Always in his waist there would be betel leaves nuts lime tobacco etc bundled in an arecanut front { pala }. Occasionally he smoked  a beedi . Without his presence no ceremonies took place . When there  was a death he would take charge of the whole situation and would conduct the event in military precision. During marriage functions he takes the part of an entertainer.  He was an expert in cracking jokes and narrating his adventures, especially about some hunting. He was a chronic bachelor. But maintained some relation ships here and there.

                                After sun set he was a different personality.  In those days  toddy was prohibited . But for preparing jugglery coconut tapping was allowed. Our neighbour Chozh was a tapper. He illicitly supplied toddy to a selected customers. Achumman was one among them. After gulping a few bottles of toddy Achumman would start his performance on the way to his home. There was a narrow path in which he would walk swaying from one side to other as if he was measuring it and showering abuses to all and sundry. None dared to stop him or react. Some evenings we used to hear him singing loudly couplets of vanch pattu. Usually his performance synchronised with the call of the mottled wood owl { kalan kozhi }  On one or two such occasions he was bitten by snakes, but he survived them either because of the grace of God or due to the alcohol contend in his blood.  He was known for his charity and sense of humour. I had always seen him as a helping hand never picking up quarrel.He was a happy go lucky man and lived his life in full. 

Nurungukal...contd......

                                Adjacent to Kuttan’s barber shop Ali was managing an ironing facility. In other words he facilitated  others to walk in style.There were not many like him. He was a step ahead of the traditional washer man. He was not washing cloths . But would iron. The heavy iron box filled with burned coconut shells which wold keep the box always hot will be ready to provide instant service.Those days no charcoal was used . It was very eco friendly without depleting natural deposits. He reminds me about another pair of my village. Pangunni and Malu hailed from washer men community. Once in a month they used to collect dirty cloths from selected houses for washing . Those days clothes were cleaned  to remove dirt by hitting hard on granite slabs kept on the banks of rivers or ponds. Then a hot steaming mixed with  ash  of burned coconut tree parts for whitening and dipping in boiled rice water to stiffen and ironing was the traditional process. This way it was assured that any type of contamination was avoided. Here also we find that the materials used were devoid of chemicals. In exceptional cases only soda ash was used.

                                Pangunni  was very handsome, fair, tall and sturdy. On his  fully shaved  head a bunch of long hair knotted in a peculiar style ( KUDUMA ) unidentified his  personality. Often he would unlock the knot and comb the hair with his hands just the way women did . Although above 70 years  with bare gums  he was so charming when he smiled. He was very talkative and would carry news  from house to house . Always his daughter-in -law Malu would accompany to support him  to carry the huge bundles of clothes. She was a beautiful village damsel. Her long and jet black hair falling well below on her back side like a water fall, swaying as she made each step would have made the onlooker’s heart throb.It reminds me a  description  narrated by Kannadasn the Tamil poet about a scene in Kamba Ramayanam , how Seetha moved towards Rama to garland him. Seetha was bending slightly forward because of the weight of her breasts  and the garland . It looked  as if her waist  which was so narrow and flat wold break !! And Malu almost resembled Seetha !!.

                                                Now let me come back to Ali. He was not only doing ironing but was a well known snake charmer. People depended on him to get rid of poisonous snakes which were abundant in our neighbourhood. Many  deaths out of snake bites  occurred yearly.  When ever such threats surfaced he would get rid of it by tactfully catching the snake and letting it off in a distant place. But before the release he used to play with it in public. On one such occasions  a venomous cobra bit him. He some how managed to push the animal into a pot . With in a few minutes  he showed symptoms of poisoning and was rushed to a traditional healer. He was a Namboodiry of Pakaravoor Mansa. The news spread very fast and a big crowd  gathered in front of his shop  anxiously waiting to know the result. The incident took place in the morning and he was brought back by evening. By the grace of God he managed to escape death. Then onwards he refrained from playing with  the snakes in open , respecting the advice of the Nambhoodiripad. It took several days to restore his health, and  the public lost a few gasping moments of entertainment there after.. !!

                                

.

 Nurungukal....contd....

                                The sketch of the social fabric of Ponani in the middle of 19^th century will not be complete if do not scribble a few words about the following persons.

The barber shop of Kuttan, on the main road near A.V. High School was known to  every one . At least once a month inhabitants of the nearby locality visited him. Small in size with a little hunch and smiling face , showing his front teeth slightly protruding Kuttan was  exclusive in his profession. The height of the chair was slightly higher for us . I used to make a jump to get into it. On the wall there was the pictures of various styles of hair cut viz. Cru cut , long cut , oxford cut ,etc etc. In our case the style was summer cut always. He would tug a cloth on the neck. It used to smell either the sweat of the previous person or a cheap talcum powder. Then he would pull up the chin and will never allow us to move it till the end. Every time we made a movement he would forcefully adjust . Some times with a reprimand. Most enjoyable part was the way he made a chattering metallic sound incessantly with the two blades of the scissors. It never stop ed  moving till the end. The pitch going up and down as if a clapping instrument is on.  Very often I would take a nap drooping my head and he would wake me up with a sudden jerk of my head. There would be some of his friends sitting on the bench and he went on talking with them  mostly about the illicit relationships. He would order a cup of tea to all those present except us , because we were forbidden to drink anything from outside. Sip by sip he would enjoy the tea while talking and moving the scissors. The finishing grooming was with a machine which he moved, with a tik tik sound on the back side of the neck and above the ears. And finally a trimming with a knife which he would sharpen by rubbing the edge on a leather belt up and down in quick motion. After removing the cloth some powder application and if there was any cuts a piece of alum would be rubbed.  Then he would signal us to step down. Paying the fees we would go home in style to take  plunge in the pond . Father had his hair cut in our house by Kuttan. Till I left Ponani for College studies I availed his service which had a personal touch. Such a feeling I failed to enjoy with any other.

Nurungukal...contd....

                                As the sun slowly dips into the Arabian Sea the dark night engulfs the surroundings . Then we children sharpen our ears to catch the night call of the Mottled Wood Owl  [kalan kozhi or kuttichoolan ] from its hide out in the nearby sacred grove [pambin kavu ]. There are two such groves in our compound very rich in bio diversity both flora and fauna. It was an abode of many species of snakes and rodents and nesting place for types of birds .Mother used to say on some particular day in a month she saw a bright light moving from one grove to the other at the dead of the night . She believed that the golden serpent carried the Manikyam stone ,hence the light. But unfortunately I have not witnessed this phenomenon in my life. Once in a year there would be a pooja to appease the snake Gods. Both the groves were left undisturbed even today, conserving a very rare echo system ,on a belief or rather fear. Now I understand that such believes and rituals are more sustainable in the aspect of conservation than  enforcement of any laws. Almost all the ancestral Tharavads maintained such a place of worship , especially in Nalukettu system and our fore fathers were more conscious about the need of conservation. Invariably there will be a pond or well  adjacent providing perennial supply of water. The age old trees facilitate to keep the water level high even in summer.

                                Birds like kalan kozhi which are nocturnal can survive only in such surroundings. It takes shelter on the high branches and feeds on the rodents . It makes a rare sound to call its mate, HU HU HUA, HU HU HUA.It can be heard from a distance creating anguish in our mind . In those days it was believed that this bird is an harbinger of death. As soon as we hear the sound my mother used to utter narayana, narayana to ward off the evil effect. I was so happy to hear the call when I made a visit to my ancestral home recently and in confirming the effectiveness of the grove to provide ideal conditions of reproduction for such threatened species and safe guarding the food chain. Let us follow such systems in preservation emulating a time tested practise.

Nurungukal...contd..........

                                In the previous post I had written about an incident related to the involvement of my uncles in India’s freedom struggle. Let me continue. The sub inspector said that the British officers did not know Malayalm and so they were insisting to search the house . At that moment my Grand mother { Ammama} told my mother { Ammukutty } to speak in English. Ammukuty was just eighteen years old at that time and she was studying in A.V. High School in eighth standard .standard............cntd....

Ammama......." Ammukuttiye you tell them in English " { nee angattu englishil paranhu kotukk Ammukuttye } “

Ammukutty......with much hesitation..........” they have gone to one of our relative’s house . If you want we can call ""

                             

Officer...............” yes please. “

Two cousins of mother Achu and Nanu were immediately sent to Kizhekethil house . Fortunately that morning the brothers had told them where they went. usually it was not their practise.

                                The sub inspector told that the officers and their men were thirsty and they wanted something to drink. My mother was for a moment perplexed , then her presence of mind  wokeup and uttered   “ Tender coco nuts “ and she said that somebody had to pluck them. Immediately  one of the men were asked to climb and he cut down one or two bunches and it was enough to satisfy the thirst of everybody. As they were enjoying the drink the brothers appeared at the gate. Immediately two men with their rifles charged and escorted the brothers to the officers. In the meanwhile a huge crowd had gathered eager to watch the proceedings. Simultaneously Shri Kelappan was also brought.

                                The brothers asked the officers why such a  drama was enacted. They would have reported at the police station bravely  on a call in a slip of paper. And why they have scared the women and children in the house. Then the officer asked my mother were they frightened  and the answer came spontaneously “ no no...” After a few minutes of discussion the brothers came and told the family that they are going to the police station and will be back soon. Much later the family came to know that the trio {Balakrishna Menon. Raman Menon and Kelappan were charged with criminal conspiracy to instigate the revolting men of Malabar Kalapam to set on fire a house on the previous day.

                                On the previous day the revolting men came to Ponani and they were persuaded to  leave in peace by the trio. The revolting men were accompanied to the banks of Bharatha Puzha  and persuaded them to cross the river without causing any damage. But some miscreants set fire to a small hut and that incident  was mis interpreted as an act of sabotage.

                                They were taken to Cannanore jail. Balakrishna Menon fell ill and he lost his young life in the jail for freeing the nation from the clutches of British rule. Others returned a few days later to continue the struggle. Such glorious acts of resistance might have happened in many villages of India which the present generation are not aware. My salute to those martyres and to their brave families . VANDEMATHARAM !!

                               

                               

        

Nurungukal..contd.....

                                The narration of the script of this episode was heard many a time from one of the performers , none other than my mother. Each scene would appear before you  from start to end , in the same sequence and clarity every time you heard it. And I am sure that any one who had met her in her life time might have heard this at least once. Shri Manmadan ,Kerala’s famous orator had in his book on Kelappan wrote a paragraph on this event , highlighting the part played by an  eighteen year old girl who was none other than my mother. The incident took place in the year 1921 when Malabar was in the grip of a revolt, which was later related to our freedom struggle. Let me try to reconstruct the narration.

                                “ Me {mother } and Meenakshi Etuthy were cutting cow pea , sitting on the back side veranda of our ancient house Karamkunnath, when we saw a column of army marching on the nearby road. We were so curios and headed to the fence to have a better look. As we were enjoying the march suddenly the column headed towards  our house. They came in quick strides and took positions in front of every exit door, ready to enter the house. It was the days of Malabar revolt and we had heard that on such occasions many unpleasant incidents had taken place. Paddy, vegetables, fruits etc were in heaps inside the house. There were only laddies and children in the house at that time.All of us came to the front door leaving other doors open. There were two British army officers and the local sub inspector of police, who was very well known to our family. In fact he was saved yesterday from the clutches of the revolting mass by my brother K.V.Balakrishna Menon , who had discontinued his medical studies from Stanley Medical College in Madras, in response to Ghandiji’s call to the youth to take part in the freedom struggle. The army had positioned two Luise Guns on the Thulasii Thara”.

                                “The sub inspector asked my mother where are my brother Balettan and cuisin, Ettan {K.V.Raman Menon }. My mother replied that they are not here ,might have gone to Congress House for party work. He murmured some thing in the ears of the British officers and told mother that they are not satisfied with the answer and will search the house. At that moment mother told the officers that if necessary  the boys can be informed and they will without fail report before them.The sub inspector told that the officers do not know Malayalam and they are insisting for the search". ......contd

                                

Nurungukal.   Contd....

                                One of my elder brothers had in my fathers words a mechanical bend !He was not good at studies . But was known for his ingenuity to solve problems connected with any machine or instrument. He was called upon by neighbours and relatives to repair a dead clock, gramophone or a cycle refusing to move etc and he obliged them without any hesitation. He used to spent hours and hours  on each case until the defect was rectified.He had set up a work shop on our attic, where he n spent most of the time. Me my younger brother or sister were to be available at his call and obey him without any delay . If there is any lapse we were sure to receive a hit with his knuckles which would make a dent on our scalp and the pain would persist for a few minutes.

                                He was adept in designing many objects , such as a stand for a time piece, letter holder. even some toys etc with plywood and tin sheets. The plywood of tea cartons and tin from face powder containers  were his favourite materials. Once he made a home projector for screening cinema films. On a wooden plank a lens and a tin slide to hold  frames of cinema negatives were fixed,.The position of the lence had to be adjusted so that the picture in the negative is clearly projected on to a wall in a dark room. A piece of mirror would be placed outside the room so that sun’s rays are falling on the slide and the image passes through the lence . The operator, either me or my brother would stand outside the room for changing the films. Inside there would be many of our friends enjoying the show. Often when the sound from the room go out of permissible limits father would admonish us. Then total silence and again a crescendo. 

                               Such creative expressions of improvisations helped us to develop a positive attitude. Many of the toys that we played with were made out of objects available free in nature. Although we craved for ready to use items purchased from the market , we knew that they lacked to provide a true sense of achievement and ownership......

Nurungukal...contd....

                                On 14^th March 1951 my sister delivered a male child, in our house in Ponani. From morning onwards a sort of tension prevailed and we guessed the reason. The midwife was summoned and two of mother’s trusted servants, Devaki and Kunhamma were already there to assist the midwife. Both of them were experienced hands and were capable of handling any emergency. One of the rooms on the ground floor {theke ara } was converted into a labour room. As usual father remained in his easy chair with out much anxiety. We were asked to take care of ourselves until required.  We were often disturbed by the screams and subdued talks from the room. At that point of time we never knew the pain and agony of an emerging new life on earth . All other activity in the house was kept in abeyance, even serving of food. Once or twice mother came out and made prayers before the God and made some offerings. She was not the one we used to know. She was subdued and  choked. The whole house was in the grip of anxiety. Yet we were joyfully waiting for the first out burst announcing the birth. Yes it was the first call that we heard no doubt from the room followed by a laughter from our mother. First Devaki came out and announced that it was a male child, healthy and fair. Father received it with a sigh and we hugged each other in extreme joy. Then came mother sweating and struggling to contain her joy for a moment then all on a sudden bursting into a loud laughter with a satisfaction of a successful mission. It took another hour or so to take a look at the new born. It was a new experience and excitement .  It took many more days to allow us to touch him . Then as days passed we watched in wonder every milestones he covered as a normal baby, boy , man and now an old young man .!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nurungukal...contd...

                                                Dr. Menon’s house was near to A.V.High School . We used to call on him when any body in the house fell ill. Very hesitantly we made the entry after ensuring that the dogs were strained at the leash. First his wife will appear at the front door. On seeing us she would make enquiries about our mother . They were good family friends. After a few minutes we would meet the Doctor and some times ,depending on the status of illness he would either prescribe the medicine or would visit the patient during his daily routine visits.

                                                The yearly shanty { Vakkalam or Vanibham } was organised in the paddy field in font of his house on Deepavali day i.e. Amavasy day in the month of Thulam. The field used to be muddy  because of the previous day’s rain. Usually after the Vakkalam there will not be much rain. Vakkalam is an agricultural expo where many items were sold .People purchased their requirements for the year since it was an annual fair. In the olden days barter system was in vogue. Direct marketing where producer and purchaser exchanged their produce without the help of a intermediary.

                                                Ponani was known for coir products, especially ropes of different size and sea fish . both  dried and fresh. Palghat and its adjacent areas were  famous for products of bamboo viz. Winnows, mats,baskets and tubers  { chembu,chena,kavuthu etc } and Palm tree products like THOPPI KUDA, KUNDANKUDA andULAKKA  and handles for axes etc . From some parts of Coimbatore , Jaggery, hot  capsicum sugar canes etc were brought. Many many other items were sold and none left the fair without fulfilling their need. 

                                                The fisher men exchanged their fish mainly with paddy and jaggory because their main food while in sea was roasted rice powder mixed with jaggory. This food enabled them to  survive for days in deep sea  even  in adverse whether conditions. Father used to purchase at least one big dried shark and it would be hung in our kitchen so that the smoke would preserve it . Our main interests were in sugar cane and pori , malar, avil etc.

                                                I understand that now the paddy field have become a residential colony and the vakkalam is arranged  on the nearby high way. I am sure that the event would have lost it’s soul and purpose and of course its legacy and ethos also..................contd.