Today's the 63rd wedding anniversary of my parents. This morning, I'd headed for the temple to have yet another view of the temple mast and the surrounding area, because it was there that the most important people who matter to me in this life of mine had conglomerated 63 years back, this date, to conduct the wedding of my parents.
My dad was all of 28 yrs and my mom, 18 at the time of their wedding. Mom used to say that, those days, it was people who weren't well off financially, who conducted their children's marriages in temples while the affluent would erect 'pandals' within their compounds and conduct them. Her dad being a primary school teacher and busy in giving an impetus to the Kerala Library movement - his pet idea to make the people of Kerala 'read and grow' - was managing his daughter's wedding with his meagre resources and for him the ideal venue for the wedding of his dearest daughter was the abode of his favourite god, Guruvayurappan! The late Mannathu Padmanabhan was quite impressed with PN Panicker's decision and he'd gifted mom Rs.101/-, a princely amount those days, at the time of the wedding! Similarly, it was the gifts in the form of gold ornaments by my grandparents' close friends that gave an impressive fillip to my mom's collection!!
Paravoor TK Narayana Pillai, the first chief minister of Travancore-Cochin, Vaayanasaala Kesava Pillai, mom's immediate neighbour, who used to be widely known as 'Geethayude amma'(Mom used to fondly call her 'Uthaani'), Kunnicode Sukumaran Nair(A political leader, who'd accompanied my dad's folks) were a few of the guests along with close relatives, who'd attended the wedding. When we'd recreated their wedding day on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their wedding in '04, by starting from Thiruvananthapuram/Thalavoor to Guruvayur and back, the only surviving guest of that wedding was Geethayude amma, who was woefully bedridden and not in a fit condition to travel. Towards the run up to the celebration, I'd visited her and she'd promised to join us in the merry making, but alas...........
And last year, mom had recounted her wedding at my insistence - all over again - because I liked the glow, coupled with a smile on her face, as she narrated it wistfully!
Certain highlights of the wedding!
* The wedding had taken place about a month after both of them had officially met at mom's
house 'TC 804', at Thycaud, near the main gate of Model School in Thiruvananthapuram.
* Dad had just four days of leave left after the marriage and had to join back on his ship!
* Mom resumed her studies at the College for Women at Vazhuthacaud.
* Those days invitations were handwritten but on mom's insistence, her dad had printed a few
cards!
Tailpiece.
We used to celebrate this day, religiously, every year and mom and dad looked forward to the cutting of the cake, the small gifts and the accompanying card. The last occasion that they'd celebrated it, together, was on 16 Jan '11!
I miss them.
My dad was all of 28 yrs and my mom, 18 at the time of their wedding. Mom used to say that, those days, it was people who weren't well off financially, who conducted their children's marriages in temples while the affluent would erect 'pandals' within their compounds and conduct them. Her dad being a primary school teacher and busy in giving an impetus to the Kerala Library movement - his pet idea to make the people of Kerala 'read and grow' - was managing his daughter's wedding with his meagre resources and for him the ideal venue for the wedding of his dearest daughter was the abode of his favourite god, Guruvayurappan! The late Mannathu Padmanabhan was quite impressed with PN Panicker's decision and he'd gifted mom Rs.101/-, a princely amount those days, at the time of the wedding! Similarly, it was the gifts in the form of gold ornaments by my grandparents' close friends that gave an impressive fillip to my mom's collection!!
Paravoor TK Narayana Pillai, the first chief minister of Travancore-Cochin, Vaayanasaala Kesava Pillai, mom's immediate neighbour, who used to be widely known as 'Geethayude amma'(Mom used to fondly call her 'Uthaani'), Kunnicode Sukumaran Nair(A political leader, who'd accompanied my dad's folks) were a few of the guests along with close relatives, who'd attended the wedding. When we'd recreated their wedding day on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their wedding in '04, by starting from Thiruvananthapuram/Thalavoor to Guruvayur and back, the only surviving guest of that wedding was Geethayude amma, who was woefully bedridden and not in a fit condition to travel. Towards the run up to the celebration, I'd visited her and she'd promised to join us in the merry making, but alas...........
And last year, mom had recounted her wedding at my insistence - all over again - because I liked the glow, coupled with a smile on her face, as she narrated it wistfully!
Certain highlights of the wedding!
* The wedding had taken place about a month after both of them had officially met at mom's
house 'TC 804', at Thycaud, near the main gate of Model School in Thiruvananthapuram.
* Dad had just four days of leave left after the marriage and had to join back on his ship!
* Mom resumed her studies at the College for Women at Vazhuthacaud.
* Those days invitations were handwritten but on mom's insistence, her dad had printed a few
cards!
Tailpiece.
We used to celebrate this day, religiously, every year and mom and dad looked forward to the cutting of the cake, the small gifts and the accompanying card. The last occasion that they'd celebrated it, together, was on 16 Jan '11!
I miss them.
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