kalappurakkalhouse

I can't imagine the situation which mother had gone through that time.At home we have

not only lost our beloved mother but also our share in the insurance money.A great loss of

life time! We are not considered as close relatives of Smt.C.M.Anandavally Amma.Years

passed by.Sisters have not disclosed any details to us till date.My father is 86 years old.

According to Dr.Sudha Hariharan the dead body belongs to the person who takes care

during old age.Instead of the dead body, they brought a small box of ashes to Kalappurakkal

house for immersing in the nearby river.Mother went to U.S. in full life and returned as ashes.

I remember my mother closely hugging me and kissing on the forehead before stepping into

the car for her last journey to airport with Dr.Sudha Hariharan for treatment.Living in the

same house where mother had spent last many years recalls all the past memories.She started

staying in Kalappurakkal house when she was pregnant with her second daughter.During that

period she was working as a Lecturer at Sri Sankara College, Kalady nearby.She lost college

job when she took maternity leave.Later she had to serve in High School for the rest of her life.

When I got a posting as Guest Lecturer in Zoology at Maharaja's College, she was the happiest

person.

Diabetes is the traditional disease and law is the traditional profession of the family.My

grand father Shri V.K.Gopala Panicker was also an advocate by profession before stepping

into the Police administration.Even today there are many senior and junior members in the

Kalappurakkal family who have selected law as their main profession.A degree in law can be

considered as a connecting chain of profession started much earlier by members of the family.

Lawyers of the family expose a special talent while dealing with legal matters .

kalappurakkalhouse

In early 2001,her first grand daughter and my first daughter Priya Ravindran's

engagement with Mr. V.C.Muraleedharan,Valamanakota,Koovapady,Perumbavoor district

was conducted at Kalappurakkal house.Mother was abroad that time and she wanted

to attend the ceremony .A number of close relatives were present on the occasion.

She felt worse for her inconvenience to reach Kalappurakkal house and shower

her blessings to her first grand child,Priya.Murali&Priya after marriage went to

meet her in the hospital.She was very glad to meet both of them and she gave Priya

a good hand shake,lying on the hospital bed.Later her health worsened and she was

shifted to artficial respiration.Doctors advised 'mercy killing'in order to relieve

her from further sufferings.On mutual consent,4 sisters gave permission to remove the

respiratory tube from mother's nostril.

As per Hindu custom her own son ,if present,is supposed

to perform the last rites of parents after death.She was very particular that her

only son Sri Kumar should conduct the rituals.She also wished her son to be present

at her bedside during her last hours in the hospital.She waited in vain.It didnot

happen as her son was far away in India.She finally came to the terms that her final

rituals will not be done by her son, after giving birth to six children in her life.

And with a heavy heart she went away. Funeral took place in U.S.in the absence of her

husband,Sri.K.Sreedharan Pillai,son Sri Kumar and myself her second daughter.

Kalappurakkalhouse

Mother's health started deteriorating slowly.Anxiousness slowly started creeping into
the minds of all of us.She was the pillar of strength in the family.She was everything to all
of us.She was the light of our hearts.Today we are nothing without her.Still we are all trying
to follow her footsteps inch by inch.Death is an inevitable event in the life .Mother started
consuming handful of tablets many times a day.She was on a liquid diet due to the absence of
stomach.Hospital expenses mounted up and for support she had to sign insurance papers.
Hope started vanishing.Her wish to visit kalappurakkal house remained a dream.At home,
telephonic conversations started getting delayed by months.She started thinking that
there is not much that she can contribute to this world and that her life is ending.She was
sorry to leave all of us behind.Such was the relationship she maintained with all of us and she
never wished to leave us ever. She was a great friend more than a mother.We missed a great
loving mother for ever.

Kalappurakkal House

On one occassion my mother scolded me and denied lunch as a punishment.She had prepared the sweet'payasam' and put tulsi leaves and flowers over it and kept it near the temple.She called all other children to join the lunch.I became anxious and went to the backside of the house and sat near the river for some time.Then I got up and walked towards the house and reached the temple.I
saw a vessel full sweet payasam in front of the godess.I took the vessel and ran towards the river side,sat there and ate the whole payasam.After lunch mother called all my sisters for sharing the 'payasam' .She searched around and wondered where it had gone.Finally she understood why she missed the 'payasam'from the temple and I had a good 'payasam' meal that day and I am sorry for all who missed it that day.
Mother used to recite 'lalitha sahasranamam' along with many other devotional songs daily evening.We all used to listen to the songs which were sung in her sweet voice.After retirement from service , as a part of treatment of stomach ulcer, her stomach was
operated and removed.She went abroad with her 4th daughter, Sudha Hariharan,for further
treatment. Life was running smoothly with Sudha's family in Houston,U.S.A.Sudha was very close to her and there was a special place for her in mother's mind.Mother went to U.S.A. on a dependent visiting visa.She liked the place and used to praise the clean lifestyle and food habits
in U.S.A.She was thrilled by the variety of fruits and flower beds in U.S. gardens.She considered the place as heaven on earth.

Kalappurakkal House

Shri C.G.G.Panicker and late Smt.Kamala.G.Panicker's timely assistance paved the way for overall development of our family.A word of gratitude goes to all my brother in laws and
son-in-law too.I am very sorry to note that a special person of our life,who spent
sleepless nights for the upliftment of five girl children is my own mother Smt.C.M.
Anandavally Amma , is no more today.We miss her very much.There is no word to express our
gratitude to her,she was exemplary in all her relationships .She died at the age of 76 due to ulcer
in the stomach.She lived a painful life.Her own mother,Smt.Meenakshi Amma died during 7 th delivery when my mother was 7 years old.Her childhood passed in the care of her step-mother
and elder brother Shri.C.G.G.Panicker.Both my parents were highly educated-mother is M.A.B.T and father is M.A.B.L. in those days when College education was a rare feast.My mother
enjoyed gardening.The flowering plants as well as shrubs at Kalappurakkal house today were all planted by my mother with her own hands.She used to collect rare plants of her choice from Cochin Nursary.She used to enjoy the scenary of fruits and flowers during holidays as well as
leisure time.In all her letters to her children she used to write and explain the natural beauty at
Kalappurakkal house.She took the trouble to see all her daughters and son settled in life.She
decided that her only son should should stay with father at Venjaramood and that his guidance
is essential for the proper development of boy child.She also decided that all the four girl children
should settle abroad and that I should stay with my family in Kalappurakkal house and look after the immediate requirements there.My mother was excellent in cooking too.Curries and dishes
which she prepared were very tasty and mouth watering as she knew the exact proportion
of masalas to make it most delicious.We all used to enjoy it in full.She used to prepare all Keralite
curries for lunch and dinner like Avial,Sambar,Pulissery,Erissery,Thoran, Thiyal,Olan,Kalan etc., and a variety of dishes with jackfruits which are available in plenty in Kerala.Pickles with
mango,lime and ginger along with sweet dishes like payasam are prepared.She deserves special
credit for preparing the sweet appams for the pujas and doing the function herself.She was very
pious and fully dedicated to the godess.