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Trip to Statue of Unity on 28/09/2019

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Like most visitors to Gujarat, I thought I should not miss the opportunity to see the Statue of Unity. I had heard that this statue of SardarVallabhbhai Patel on the river Narmada in Kevadiya colony is the world’s tallest one (182 metres), overshadowing other tallest statues i n the world. We started from Khokra Circle, Ahmedabad in Appu's Hyundai I-10 Car at 6 45 am on Saturday, 28th September 2019. The distance of 200 km from Ahmedabad was not a deterrent factor since the main route from Ahmedabad to Vadodara (Baroda) was through Express Highway where we could travel at 100 km per hour. The toll fee at the Toll Plaza was Rs.110 for one way. Ahmedabad- Vadodara was only 95 km and on the way about 50 km away we came across Anand the the home of  famous Amul factory . It was at 7.45 a.m then. It was perhaps a coincidence that it was SardarVallabhbhai Patel, a social leader then, who initiated in 1946 the formation of a cooperative establishment named Anand Milk Union L...
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Marumakkathayam (മരുമക്കത്തായം )

I was born in a traditional Nair tharavad (ancestral family) of Kerala, where Marumakkathayam (matriarchy) was practiced in those days. Though by the time I was born marumakkathayam was slowly giving way to makkathayam I have to describe for the coming generations “what is Marumakkathayam” . Marumakkathayam was a system where property rights vested with women. Every family would have a unique name, and all the members from the oldest men down to the great grand son or daughter living in the tharavad would be known by this family name. The lineage is always through female members. Perhaps this was the only society that looked upon girls with respect and ardently prayed to have their offspring to be females. The eldest male member of the family would administer the property.   He was the patriarch known as Karanavar. In our case,the elder brother of my grandmother was the Karanavar. Unlike makkathayam (patriarchial   line of succession) that exists today, maruma...
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Frogs in the pond (About Sarpakavu in Kerala)

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Frogs in the pond  (About Sarpakavu in Kerala) When I was a boy of 5-6 years, we all lived in our Tharavad (ancestral home), an old Nalukettu hatched by coconut leaves.  We had about 2.5 acres of land with five sarpakavu (Abode of Snakes) around our house. The Sarpakavu was a traditional sacred place mostly found in the traditional homes in Kerala, South India. These sarpakavu were inhabited by snakes, and the kavu had several idols of naga rajas(king of snakes), Nagayakshi, Mani nagam etc. The sarpakavu was situated in a small jungle almost circular in shape. Various kinds of trees, hedges, shrubs and medicinal plants grew there, but no trees from the place were ever felled down, nor were any plant cut with any metal. Ceremonial rituals were performed every year and every day oil lamps were lighted to propitiate the snake gods. Adjoining every sarpakavu there were Sarpakulams (ponds for the snakes).  Thus there were five ponds adjoining five sarpakavu. Other tha...
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Retirement

I was sitting on the beach, alone, my mind wandering without any volition, when I became aware of a crimson red spreading across the western sky, and the shadows becoming lengthier. The hot aggressive sun had turned mild, calm, soothing and painting the ocean with a tint of red and orange. The sun was about to take a dip in the water. I loved to watch the sunset. It was more brighter than the sunrise, and more vibrant. My friends used to ask me why I didn’t like a sunrise – isn’t it wonderful to see the sun tearing the darkness and heralding a new day? May be, but for me, the sunrises were over. It was time for sunset! I am retiring from Binani Zinc as Advisor(R&D), after a long service of forty one years… Forty one years were indeed a long time. A major part of my life. My mind flipped back. I saw myself as a youngster, a middle ager, an old man. I remembered those days when I was a mere boy of 16 years old. I had just passed the pre degree exam. My father, wh...
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