Damodara Menon uncle with aunty Leela Damodara Menon used to visit Kalappurakkal
house once in a month in between their busy political schedule to seek the blessings of the
godess and to offer a favourite dish known as "Thanniramrutham" Normally it is conducted
during the evenings of Tuesdays and Fridays when the supernatural power is at its peak
'Devipuja' is another ritual offered to the godess.In' thanniraramrutham' rice flour and
jaggery is mixed with ripe bananas and elachi powder to a semisolid paste and poured in a
moulded vessel containing boiling coconut oil.Half moon shaped sweet appams are prepared
and served with flowers,incent sticks in a banana leaf.Gingelly oil is normally used to light the lamps.After the puja uncle and aunty used to carry the appam prasadam.On her way back she used to divide the appams to very small pieces and distribute among the people and small children who were waiting near their parked car .
'Karunagayakshi' is positioned at the backyard of the house surrounded by forest like atmosphere with uncut trees since years.It is a stone statue of a naked lady.
Milk ,turmeric and kumkum powder are offered once in a year for the blessings of the Karunagayakshi.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Kalappurakkal House
In 1970's myself with four sisters namely Rema Sreedhar,Sudha Sreedhar,Meena Sreedhar
and Indira Sreedhar with only brother S.Sree Kumar , my parents Shri .K. Sreedharan Pillai and Smt.C.M.Anadavally Amma constituted my family
at Chempakassery House,Kaithavana,Alleppey district,Kerala State.I had appeared for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination and was
awaitng the result.My uncle Shri.K.A.Damodara Menon was the Chief Editor of the
Malayalam daily "Mathrubhumi",Kaloor,Cochin-17 while passing through Alleppey district
conveyed the result himself and handed over a gift packet of Rs.51/- in a cover and told
that I resemble his sister Smt.Meenakshi Amma very much.
Uncle Shri.K.A.Damodara Menon was incharge of Kalappurakkal House during that
period.He calls his lovely sister Meenakshi Amma 'Opa'.Meenakshi Amma was my grand
mother married to Chembakassery Gopala Panicker who was Assistant Superindent of Police
in Alleppey district. Meenakshi Amma died when my mother was 7 years old. Later my
mother grew up with love and care of her father and brothers. My mother Smt.C.M.
Anandavally Amma was working as a Government High School Assistant Teacher at
Alleppey district got a transfer to North Parur in Ernakulam district. Uncle Shri.K.A.
Damodara Menon handed over the keys of Kalappurakkal House to my mother and we
shifted to Kalappurakkal in 1973.After graduation from St.Xaviers College for Women,Aluva
in 1976, my marriage with Shri.Thirthale Penarveetil Ravindran,
Laxminilayam ,Pazhayannur,Trichur district took place in the presence of Uncle Shri.K.A.
Damodara Menon ,aunty Smt.Leela Damodara Menon and my mother's elder brothers
Shri.C.G.G.Panicker ,K.P.Parameshwara Menon and their families at Kalappurakkal House
on November 18 th 1976.After marriage,I shifted to Nagpur and first baby girl,Priya Ravindran
born on 5 th October,1977. When she was one year old, I continued post-graduation study
in Zoology at Institute of Science ,Nagpur University,Nagpur,Maharshtra State,India.Later
I engaged in research activities at Institute of Science and took Ph.D. degree in 1985 and
continued post- doctoral research in Zoology.After a gap of 8 years my second daughter,Priti
born on 5 th May 1985. For both the deliveries, I came to Kalappurakkal house where my
mother was staying with my sisters.My name before marriage was Radha Sreedhar.My elder sister Rema Sreedhar studied B.E. Archtecture from Engineering College,Trivandrum with the support of my mothers elder brother Shri.C.G.G.Panicker.Later her marriage took place
with Dr.Ramesh Kumar ,Chief Medical Officer at Royal Oman Police Hospital,Muscat. and my
sister became Mrs.Rema Remesh.She had two daughters, Uma Ramesh and Krishna Ramesh.
She is my only elder sister and is very loving and kind to all her youngsters.Now she is in my
mothers place since my mother expired in U.S.A. few years back.At present she is in Canada
with the family.My only brother is unmarried and is staying with my father at Venjaramood,
Trivandrum district,Kerala State. He was excellent in studies and is B.Sc.Mathematics along
with a law degree.He is presently practising as an Advocate in Trivandrum.Younger to him
is Sudha Sreedhar who completed B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Calicut University and engaged as Lecturer in Regional Engineering College, Calicut and reached U.S.A. on deputation.
She further continued her studies in U.S. took M.S as well as Ph.D. She is married to Dr.Hariharan and is Sudha Hariharan .She has two kids and is settled in U.S.A. Younger to Sudha is Meena Sreedhar.She is the fifth child of my parents.She was very cute during childhood and
Mother used to call her 'Meenakili'.She is the only lady advocate of the Kalappurakkal family.She
is married to Mr. Srinivasan.Meena Srinivasan has two sons and is settled in U.S.A.
My last sister is Indira Sreedhar is M.Sc. in Physics from Mahatma Gandhi University.My
mother used to call her 'Devi' and considered her as an incarnation of godess and never used
to scold her anytime. She is married to Mr.Somanathan from Ezhikara, North Parur.
Mr.Somanathan is engaged in Computer Business in U.S.A.Indira Somanathan is also a resident of U.S.A with two kids, elder daughter is Anjali Somanathan and younger son is Ramakrishnan.
and Indira Sreedhar with only brother S.Sree Kumar , my parents Shri .K. Sreedharan Pillai and Smt.C.M.Anadavally Amma constituted my family
at Chempakassery House,Kaithavana,Alleppey district,Kerala State.I had appeared for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination and was
awaitng the result.My uncle Shri.K.A.Damodara Menon was the Chief Editor of the
Malayalam daily "Mathrubhumi",Kaloor,Cochin-17 while passing through Alleppey district
conveyed the result himself and handed over a gift packet of Rs.51/- in a cover and told
that I resemble his sister Smt.Meenakshi Amma very much.
Uncle Shri.K.A.Damodara Menon was incharge of Kalappurakkal House during that
period.He calls his lovely sister Meenakshi Amma 'Opa'.Meenakshi Amma was my grand
mother married to Chembakassery Gopala Panicker who was Assistant Superindent of Police
in Alleppey district. Meenakshi Amma died when my mother was 7 years old. Later my
mother grew up with love and care of her father and brothers. My mother Smt.C.M.
Anandavally Amma was working as a Government High School Assistant Teacher at
Alleppey district got a transfer to North Parur in Ernakulam district. Uncle Shri.K.A.
Damodara Menon handed over the keys of Kalappurakkal House to my mother and we
shifted to Kalappurakkal in 1973.After graduation from St.Xaviers College for Women,Aluva
in 1976, my marriage with Shri.Thirthale Penarveetil Ravindran,
Laxminilayam ,Pazhayannur,Trichur district took place in the presence of Uncle Shri.K.A.
Damodara Menon ,aunty Smt.Leela Damodara Menon and my mother's elder brothers
Shri.C.G.G.Panicker ,K.P.Parameshwara Menon and their families at Kalappurakkal House
on November 18 th 1976.After marriage,I shifted to Nagpur and first baby girl,Priya Ravindran
born on 5 th October,1977. When she was one year old, I continued post-graduation study
in Zoology at Institute of Science ,Nagpur University,Nagpur,Maharshtra State,India.Later
I engaged in research activities at Institute of Science and took Ph.D. degree in 1985 and
continued post- doctoral research in Zoology.After a gap of 8 years my second daughter,Priti
born on 5 th May 1985. For both the deliveries, I came to Kalappurakkal house where my
mother was staying with my sisters.My name before marriage was Radha Sreedhar.My elder sister Rema Sreedhar studied B.E. Archtecture from Engineering College,Trivandrum with the support of my mothers elder brother Shri.C.G.G.Panicker.Later her marriage took place
with Dr.Ramesh Kumar ,Chief Medical Officer at Royal Oman Police Hospital,Muscat. and my
sister became Mrs.Rema Remesh.She had two daughters, Uma Ramesh and Krishna Ramesh.
She is my only elder sister and is very loving and kind to all her youngsters.Now she is in my
mothers place since my mother expired in U.S.A. few years back.At present she is in Canada
with the family.My only brother is unmarried and is staying with my father at Venjaramood,
Trivandrum district,Kerala State. He was excellent in studies and is B.Sc.Mathematics along
with a law degree.He is presently practising as an Advocate in Trivandrum.Younger to him
is Sudha Sreedhar who completed B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Calicut University and engaged as Lecturer in Regional Engineering College, Calicut and reached U.S.A. on deputation.
She further continued her studies in U.S. took M.S as well as Ph.D. She is married to Dr.Hariharan and is Sudha Hariharan .She has two kids and is settled in U.S.A. Younger to Sudha is Meena Sreedhar.She is the fifth child of my parents.She was very cute during childhood and
Mother used to call her 'Meenakili'.She is the only lady advocate of the Kalappurakkal family.She
is married to Mr. Srinivasan.Meena Srinivasan has two sons and is settled in U.S.A.
My last sister is Indira Sreedhar is M.Sc. in Physics from Mahatma Gandhi University.My
mother used to call her 'Devi' and considered her as an incarnation of godess and never used
to scold her anytime. She is married to Mr.Somanathan from Ezhikara, North Parur.
Mr.Somanathan is engaged in Computer Business in U.S.A.Indira Somanathan is also a resident of U.S.A with two kids, elder daughter is Anjali Somanathan and younger son is Ramakrishnan.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Kalappurakkal House
KALAPPURAKKAL HOUSE is an age old traditional building located on banks of one of the branches of river Periyar at Karumallor village of Aluva town in Ernakulam district of Kerala state,India.
This house along with another house known as Konnam Veedu were the only houses present in
whole area of the Karumallor village during early 1900.The Konnam Veedu and Kalappurakal
house conducted pujas and rituals since those days which is continued even today at
Kalappurakkal house. Konnam Veedu was sold out at a later stage . Kalappurakkal house
still exit in all its glory.Kalappurakkal house has a dual function to perform.It is a residence cum temple.The word Kalappurakkal means 'harvest house'.The anscestral family owned huge acres of farm land around the house where paddy crop is cultivated. The crop is harvested when ready and was cleaned and dried in the broad front area of the house by a large number of workers..Daily pujas are conducted at Kalappurakkal house with the help of a poojari.
The two and a half acres of land surrounding the house is presently
in a divided state through court among all the members of the family.The diety,Kalappurakkal
Amma, is the godess who protects all the family members. The diety is a sword. A strong
faith persist in the godess by people all around. The godess is considered as an incarnation of Madatilkkavu Bhagathi. There is also a small stone statue of lady known as' Karunagayakshi' on the southern side of the house facing west.The house is directed towards north and there is a big tamarind
tree on the southern side of the house along with all the green trees give a very cool atmosphere
around the house even in hot summer.
This house along with another house known as Konnam Veedu were the only houses present in
whole area of the Karumallor village during early 1900.The Konnam Veedu and Kalappurakal
house conducted pujas and rituals since those days which is continued even today at
Kalappurakkal house. Konnam Veedu was sold out at a later stage . Kalappurakkal house
still exit in all its glory.Kalappurakkal house has a dual function to perform.It is a residence cum temple.The word Kalappurakkal means 'harvest house'.The anscestral family owned huge acres of farm land around the house where paddy crop is cultivated. The crop is harvested when ready and was cleaned and dried in the broad front area of the house by a large number of workers..Daily pujas are conducted at Kalappurakkal house with the help of a poojari.
The two and a half acres of land surrounding the house is presently
in a divided state through court among all the members of the family.The diety,Kalappurakkal
Amma, is the godess who protects all the family members. The diety is a sword. A strong
faith persist in the godess by people all around. The godess is considered as an incarnation of Madatilkkavu Bhagathi. There is also a small stone statue of lady known as' Karunagayakshi' on the southern side of the house facing west.The house is directed towards north and there is a big tamarind
tree on the southern side of the house along with all the green trees give a very cool atmosphere
around the house even in hot summer.
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