1. Honouring the past.
It was a great evening after the morning's event at the Thrissur Town Hall where two worthies - CN Balakrishnan and Prof MK Menon - were felicitated for their contributions to society, by the Foundation. Maman and I, along with Vincent 'maash', had gone to meet and spend some time with Antony Vazhapally maash.
All of 78 yrs, Antony Vazhapally maash, is home bound as he is an Alzheimer's patient and it's his sprightly wife - a retired teacher and touching mid 70s - who takes care of him and his needs. As we entered the house - the Vazhapally couple stay with their son, the ever smiling, brought-up-with-the right-values, Sojan - the teacher had beckoned us in.
Maash was a great fan and follower of PN Panicker, and had worked beside him for both the Library movement and the Literacy campaign, often subsisting without remuneration as he was fired by the underlying idealism. His enormous love and dedication for the legend made him a frequent visitor to our home and he'd become a favourite uncle to us, kids. The ravages of time has taken its toll on his body and the slow degeneration of the mind is almost complete but he did show emotions and a crease of agony appeared on his forehead as we're introduced to him by his son.
As Maman draped the cream and gold shawl around his shoulders, he looked vacantly at us and dutifully agreed to be snapped for a few photographs. Sojan, then, took us to the nearby library for which the foundation stone was laid and later inaugurated by PN Panicker, in the early '70s. His photograph adorned one of the main walls and as I looked at his smiling visage I got the impression that he was telling me, "So, finally, you've come this way!"
Antony Vazhapally maash, it's beacons like you that are eternal inspiration for the generations to come. Maman and I consider it as a rare and wonderful privilege of having been able to spend some time with you........only wish that you'd spoken with us as in the days of old!
2. Adieu, Yusuf Ali Kechery sir.
"Jaanaki jaane", the lovely number from the Malayalam movie, 'Dhwani' came thick and fast when I'd heard about the passing away of one of the greatest lyricists of Malayalam cinema, this afternoon at the age of 80 yrs, due to bronchial pneumonia.
His house is just 13 km away from Guruvayur, at Kechery, on the road to Thrissur and he used to be a permanent fixture on the reclining chair in the verandah of his house - till recently - as life passed by him through the numerous vehicles speeding past, seemingly without respite! During his last visit, my classmate, friend and a connoisseur of Malayalam film music/literature and I'd wanted to call on him but for some reason had to call off the visit and had decided to do it later but I now find that that shall remain an unfulfilled dream!
We'd travelled together in the II A/C compartment of a Madras bound train, many, many years back. I shall cherish the short time spent, the brief exchange, especially the child's thrill in him that he exhibited when I'd listed out a few melodies of his being my eternal favourites! I'd gotten off at a much earlier destination, then.
Adieu, Kechery sir! You shall continue to live in every Malayalee heart through your melodies for the years to come. My prayers and tears to a musical genius.
Tailpiece.
At the Guruvayur temple, the good Lord had come out to 'meet' us as he was being taken for the customary three rounds around the sanctum, when we'd gone for the 'darshan' in the evening. Maman, however, wasn't very happy because he couldn't see him on his usual perch within the sanctum sanctorum!
He was seen off in the train that left Guruvayur for Madras Egmore at 2110h. And since I didn't have a platform ticket - the counter was full of people - I'd returned, after depositing his heavy suit case under his berth, without waiting to see the train off from the station!
It was a great evening after the morning's event at the Thrissur Town Hall where two worthies - CN Balakrishnan and Prof MK Menon - were felicitated for their contributions to society, by the Foundation. Maman and I, along with Vincent 'maash', had gone to meet and spend some time with Antony Vazhapally maash.
All of 78 yrs, Antony Vazhapally maash, is home bound as he is an Alzheimer's patient and it's his sprightly wife - a retired teacher and touching mid 70s - who takes care of him and his needs. As we entered the house - the Vazhapally couple stay with their son, the ever smiling, brought-up-with-the right-values, Sojan - the teacher had beckoned us in.
Maash was a great fan and follower of PN Panicker, and had worked beside him for both the Library movement and the Literacy campaign, often subsisting without remuneration as he was fired by the underlying idealism. His enormous love and dedication for the legend made him a frequent visitor to our home and he'd become a favourite uncle to us, kids. The ravages of time has taken its toll on his body and the slow degeneration of the mind is almost complete but he did show emotions and a crease of agony appeared on his forehead as we're introduced to him by his son.
As Maman draped the cream and gold shawl around his shoulders, he looked vacantly at us and dutifully agreed to be snapped for a few photographs. Sojan, then, took us to the nearby library for which the foundation stone was laid and later inaugurated by PN Panicker, in the early '70s. His photograph adorned one of the main walls and as I looked at his smiling visage I got the impression that he was telling me, "So, finally, you've come this way!"
Antony Vazhapally maash, it's beacons like you that are eternal inspiration for the generations to come. Maman and I consider it as a rare and wonderful privilege of having been able to spend some time with you........only wish that you'd spoken with us as in the days of old!
2. Adieu, Yusuf Ali Kechery sir.
"Jaanaki jaane", the lovely number from the Malayalam movie, 'Dhwani' came thick and fast when I'd heard about the passing away of one of the greatest lyricists of Malayalam cinema, this afternoon at the age of 80 yrs, due to bronchial pneumonia.
His house is just 13 km away from Guruvayur, at Kechery, on the road to Thrissur and he used to be a permanent fixture on the reclining chair in the verandah of his house - till recently - as life passed by him through the numerous vehicles speeding past, seemingly without respite! During his last visit, my classmate, friend and a connoisseur of Malayalam film music/literature and I'd wanted to call on him but for some reason had to call off the visit and had decided to do it later but I now find that that shall remain an unfulfilled dream!
We'd travelled together in the II A/C compartment of a Madras bound train, many, many years back. I shall cherish the short time spent, the brief exchange, especially the child's thrill in him that he exhibited when I'd listed out a few melodies of his being my eternal favourites! I'd gotten off at a much earlier destination, then.
Adieu, Kechery sir! You shall continue to live in every Malayalee heart through your melodies for the years to come. My prayers and tears to a musical genius.
Tailpiece.
At the Guruvayur temple, the good Lord had come out to 'meet' us as he was being taken for the customary three rounds around the sanctum, when we'd gone for the 'darshan' in the evening. Maman, however, wasn't very happy because he couldn't see him on his usual perch within the sanctum sanctorum!
He was seen off in the train that left Guruvayur for Madras Egmore at 2110h. And since I didn't have a platform ticket - the counter was full of people - I'd returned, after depositing his heavy suit case under his berth, without waiting to see the train off from the station!
No comments:
Post a Comment