Travelled with OV
Vijayan in his Thalamurakal (The generations). Ponmudi Tharavaadu is
somewhere in Palaghat as introduced by the author. Went with him to
see the story of the 'before the freedom' times of Palghat in Kerala.
The tharavadu (the clan headuarters) was slowly coming to its end
days as the book which came from the public library.
The letters danced
from page to page but the pages themselves were tattered and were
coming of from their bindings as the pillars of the great 'tharavadu'
called 'Ponmudi'. Reading through the pages, my own old
recollections of Palghat came up. The road leading to Palghat from
Thrissur was full of cycas scent as it was the flowering time of the
cycas plants which abound the large compounds on either side of the
road. The rest of the places were paddy fields adorned with rows of
huge 'Yakshi' palm trees. A huge bright moon lighted up the road
and looked at the red bus we were travelling in!
As the bus sped on
the moon seemed to travel with the bus. Some where along with way,
among the various village houses and house clusters there was the
'Ponmudi' tharavadu, Vijayan was introducing. Palghat was a rich
district full of greenery, forests and a simple loving people. There
would have been ups and downs of generations there, no doubt, which
is so cleverly introduced in the book.
The bus I was
travelling ultimately stopped at the Corporation Bus stand which was
only a place called the bus stand. Once the bus stopped my brother
with whom I was going took me to our stay at the drivers' stay behind
the bus stand. It was a small hutment with a number of small rooms a
number of toilets and bath rooms at one side. Our aim of sleeping
there for the night to go in the morning to the near by Victoria
College for a Railway Test was the eason we were there. Few drivers
who ended their trip there were the only occupants, all in transit!
We simply slipped into sleep after the tedious journey, of course, a
pleasant one in a summer evening, to get up refreshed in the morning
to the chirping of birds.
We made it to the
exam hall in time and after the exam we took a tour to the nearby
forest area where brother said he used to know some of the forest
villages. The thrilling journey by foot to the jungle areas soon
turned out to he a desparate one as we lost the way in the thick
jungles and were fumbling for the correct way in the thick green
foliage which did not allow sun light to come in even at three o'
clock of the day. Brother said, we seems to have lost our way and
shall return back fast as sun light will not last long and when the
evening settled down it will be difficult to get out of the jungle.
We returned and walked fast with awe as various birds were making
their sounds from all around. Luckily no wild animals came our way.
A walk of about two hours brought us back to the outside village and
we easily took our way back from there. However, we could never, find
out the village, my brother was up to and wanted to show me.
Back to Vijayan, his
expert ways of story telling enthrals the reader in the ways he
relates the story of the thravadu (which seems to be a soliloquie of
his generations before and after him). One can get a whif of the old
Palghat and also the travels of the boy called Chandran, who later
becomes a 'Newspaper man' (Journalist)! He isthe generally relating
the story from the point of view of an athiest, at times, with
kindness, and at times some what relating the irony of things or the
way ups and downs occured in the 'Tharavadu' ..!
The book became a
good read in my travels to Chennai after the floods. The flood waters
had receded and we could travel without any difficulty as we were
heading towards south Chennai which was less affected compared to the
main Chennai ..! But tell tale signs of receding water was every
where to be seen.
The two books I
carried as an after thought was 'Thalamurakal' by Vijayan and
'Neermathalam Pootha Kaalam' by Madhavikutty. Both were saying the
stories of their respective generations in one way or the other.
First has to fifnish 'Thalamurakal' before starting 'Neermathalam
Pootha Kaalam' ..! Both are worth reading and having a glimpse into
the past generations of both the authors and through them to the
general ways of old Kerala and its people.
I am sure, those of
whom, read the books would have enjoyed those best sellers of their
times, through and through.
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