We'd set off to Ambalapuzha at the crack of dawn on a pilgrimage to Ammachi's land. It was part of an ongoing process of 'cleansing' the effects caused by the spate of deaths in the family in the recent past and a visit to the family temple at the courtyard of our ancestral house was long overdue.
My Ammachi was born and brought up in the sleepy hamlet of 'Koduppana' set amidst the lush green paddy fields of Kuttanad. There's a massive banyan tree under which exists a snake temple or a 'sarpakaavu' where puja and other rites are performed even to this day! The place is in a decaying and dilapidated state and is badly in need of a face lift! The family has taken a decision to redo the temple at the earliest and has made a promise to make the visit to the spot, an annual ritual!!
It's always a pleasure to be there as there's a genuine show of warmth and affection that emanate from the present day inhabitants who're, of course, related to us but unfortunately not in touch with, on a regular basis. The only embarassment is that we tend to become celebrities(?) during that short period of time that we're there, much to our discomfort!
Our journey through Ammachi's land had begun from the Sreekrishna temple of Ambalapuzha, where a puja was performed. From there to two of our ancestral houses of 'Nalluparambu' and 'Maliekalparambu' was a journey through intense nostalgia - the latter house had been built on the requirements of the PN Panickers and has been retained in its original form(by its present incumbents whose parents had bought off the house from my grandparents) with some cosmetic changes! The pond in the backyard and the well, by the kitchen, were mute remnants of a glorious and hectic past, when the house was inhabited by my grandparents, my mom, her sisters and brothers.
Throughout our journey, the excitement that were visible in my parents is something that I shall always cherish. My dad was restricted in his movements, consequent to which, he watched many of the places from his car with an enthusiastic involvement. My mom's narration of anecdotes related to each of the places added to the overall flavour and made the journey memorable! We'd subsequently moved on to Kainakiri and finally, finished our trip at Koduppana, before returning to our respective destinations.
There was one thought that kept reinforcing within me all the while - at all these places, there must have been spots where my Ammachi's footprints still exist untampered. How I wished I could see them! Just to feel her, virtually at least!!
My Ammachi was born and brought up in the sleepy hamlet of 'Koduppana' set amidst the lush green paddy fields of Kuttanad. There's a massive banyan tree under which exists a snake temple or a 'sarpakaavu' where puja and other rites are performed even to this day! The place is in a decaying and dilapidated state and is badly in need of a face lift! The family has taken a decision to redo the temple at the earliest and has made a promise to make the visit to the spot, an annual ritual!!
It's always a pleasure to be there as there's a genuine show of warmth and affection that emanate from the present day inhabitants who're, of course, related to us but unfortunately not in touch with, on a regular basis. The only embarassment is that we tend to become celebrities(?) during that short period of time that we're there, much to our discomfort!
Our journey through Ammachi's land had begun from the Sreekrishna temple of Ambalapuzha, where a puja was performed. From there to two of our ancestral houses of 'Nalluparambu' and 'Maliekalparambu' was a journey through intense nostalgia - the latter house had been built on the requirements of the PN Panickers and has been retained in its original form(by its present incumbents whose parents had bought off the house from my grandparents) with some cosmetic changes! The pond in the backyard and the well, by the kitchen, were mute remnants of a glorious and hectic past, when the house was inhabited by my grandparents, my mom, her sisters and brothers.
Throughout our journey, the excitement that were visible in my parents is something that I shall always cherish. My dad was restricted in his movements, consequent to which, he watched many of the places from his car with an enthusiastic involvement. My mom's narration of anecdotes related to each of the places added to the overall flavour and made the journey memorable! We'd subsequently moved on to Kainakiri and finally, finished our trip at Koduppana, before returning to our respective destinations.
There was one thought that kept reinforcing within me all the while - at all these places, there must have been spots where my Ammachi's footprints still exist untampered. How I wished I could see them! Just to feel her, virtually at least!!
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