In The Land ( and Waters) of The Cheras

 

The heaving Chinese  Fishing Nets below the promontory of the "Cranganore Fort" - now known as Kottappuram Fort -  look like beautiful Art Installations. The higher grounds of the Fort hold memories of Dutch adventurers , Portuguese missionary- merchants , cross border plunderers  and wily  local Chieftains in white mundus, negotiating treaties with European Monarchs.  

KOTTAPPURAM FORT  aka Fortaleza da Sao Tome - situated on a bend , affording  panoramic views of  Periyar Lake on both sides  , was built by the Portuguese in 1523 , captured and remodelled by the Dutch in 1662 , coveted by The Mysore Sultanate , purchased ,  by The Travancore Kingdom in 1789, and  in 1909 , made a Public Property . A stone tablet announces this last fact , while the rest of the brick fortifications are in utter ruin . But conserved now under the The Muziris  Heritage Project      ( initiative of Kerala Govt. with UNESCO). Of what is left standing , the Stones marking the the boundary between the then Kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin ( with the respective initials inscribed on the two faces ) are interesting . No relics excavated here are exhibited in situ , except one skeleton of a 20yr old Portuguese male who died of a natural cause in the 1500s  ( forensic info ) . There are dozens of explanatory boards - but all in Malayalam script and frustrating for  malayalam-challenged visitors . Pictures  show pottery , coins, seals and weaponry bits as finds. 

Close to the Fort is one of the earliest Markets of Kerala , The Muziris Market ( Kottapuram Market) . Structures retaining Dutch , Portuguese and traditional Kerala architecture are conserved in what is still a bustling local bazar vending coconuts, tubers,bananas,bananas and bananas.....

The location of the fabled "Muziris"- the hub of  spice trade, sought after by Rome, Persia ,  China ,  from 1 BCE , was long debated .  Now , it is more or less agreed upon that Kodungallur is the greater region and Pattanam ( 6kms away) was the epicenter of  Muziris or Muciripattanam.  

Muchiri  was the capital of The Cheras , a long ruling southern dynasty documented in Sangam literature as well as in ancient Roman writings. 

                                                          THE CHERA PERUMALS 

KODUNGALLUR  aka Muciri aka Vanchi aka Cranganore  aka Mahodayapuram ( Makotai), stands on the  bank of Periyar , the State's longest river with the largest discharge potential .It served as the Capital of  a line of  Chera kings who took on the title "Perumal" ( sometimes called Kulasekharas),  ruling from 844 CE  1124CE . It wasn't an absolute monarchy , but a confederation of powerful Local Chieftains and more powerful Brahmin Assemblies accepting  the overlordship of a  Perumal. . The Kingdom of The Perumals became a thriving maritime Trade hub , famed as an inclusive space that patronised all major religions with equal favour . 

The regional Chiefs of the confederacy functioned with a fair amount of independence , paying a few tributes and supplying military support whenever needed  by the  Perumals . A few such sub- Kings will  pop  up in the following paragraphs. 

 Royal Charters on Copper Plates , granting trading  privileges to Jewish , Christian and Moslem trade guilds, were issued during the Perumal  Reign . Land for building Synagogues, Churches and Mosques were granted , while Patronage for the ancient Mother Goddess Cult , rooted in the soil,continued unabated and  Shaiva and Vaishnava temples  too were well endowed with donations . 

The Perumals  did not show much interest in incursions  beyond borders for expansion. The  control of their Ports and  profitable Maritime Trade kept them contented . But good things don't last. 

The over powerful Namboothiri ministers started becoming a menace , leading to administrative troubles. Then , the strike by  the super ambitious , imperial Cholas, from neighbouring Tamil Nadu . Especially the whirlwind, Rajendra I , bent upon destroying the basis of their wealth - their ports . and with that, the death blow to their lifeline : Maritime Trade.   The Confederacy splintered and  the Regional Chiefs , cut loose, became sovereign  as "Swaroopams" , and "Naduvazhis"  .  

Influential Kingdoms like Venad -Tiruvithamkur (Travancore) ,  Perumpadappu (Cochin ) , Samuthiris (Calicut) , Kolathiri  (Chirakkal-Malabar) etc resulted from that churn , Venad being the direct line of the Perumals.

                                             A  SAMPLING OF RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY 

The noble quality of inclusivity that guided the high minded Cheras reflects in the diverse religious institutions they patronised. 

KODUNGALLUR KURUMBA BHAGAVATHI Temple : The Mother of Kodungollur , Bhadrakali , resides here since time immemorial ; her worship undergoing periodic recalibrations necessitated by the times . Some claim that she is Kannagi of Silappathikaram. There is no longer blood sacrifice, but the Foremost of the  108 Malayala Bhagawathis  still accepts rituals that seem  terrifying and Shamanic . In the Sanctum, the moolamurthi , a gigantic 7ft tall, 8 armed , jackwood icon  of unknown antiquity , with eroded features, stands in the background shadows while a smaller Bronze replica accepts all routine pujas ....the lighting is dim , but her weapons gleam and she seems to wear mismatched earrings ...no, wait , that's  an elephant in one ear and a lion in the other ! Peculiar ! ( mental Note : read up about the bawdy Bharani Festival here)

The sanctum of Shiva adjacent to hers, is also dark with only the oil lamps glowing like gems . Shivalingams in Kerala wear a cascading series of golden crescents (Chandrakala), giving them a distinct look . A Kshetrapala of enormous height is enshrined near the entrance .

 Brass sickles , lemons , roosters and the like are offered as votives by people . One subshrine to a Goddess named Vasoorimala, protector against illnesses , is heavily crowded with pilgrims scattering  great mounds of turmeric powder all over . The modest sized Sculpture seems like a Chamunda orphaned from a Saptamatrika set  . Another unknown multilimbed Goddess named Thavittumuthi sits in the open , accepting showers of paddy husk from pilgrims. All the while , Vedi ( loud firecracker) keeps going off - another votive offering, it seems , to ward off enemies of all sorts. There is something strangely magnetic about this eerie temple , full of surprises at even turn. . 

TIRUVANCHIKULAM MAHADEVAR Temple, Kodungallur : Vast premises . A Paadal Petra Sthalam , linked to the Tamil Nayanar Sundaramurthi , who rode to Shiva's abode on a white elephant  from here, followed by his friend a Cheraman Perumal , riding a horse . The moolamurthi , an aspect called Sadashiva , is barely one foot high and was the tutelary deity of the Makotai kings. The campus has 33 subshrines , the largest number in Kerala. The 9th Century temple was pillaged  by  the Dutch and the Mysore Sultanate and rebuilt by the Paliyams ( Chief Ministers of the Cochin Kingdom ) in early 19th Century. 

CHERAMAN PERUMAL JUMA MASJID, Kodungollur  : Built in 629 CE , after the then Perumal traveled to Mecca, met The Prophet , embraced Islam , died during return journey and was buried in Salalah (Oman). The emissary he sent back, Malik Bin Dinar, fulfilled his dying wish of building a Mosque in Kodungallur . It was built in traditional Kerala architectural style. The present structure is modern.,  following the native design , with added space in underground to accomodate more worshippers . Women pray in a separate enclosure, There is also a small museum , with objects from  not very ancient history.

PARAVUR SYNAGOGUE,  : Built  in the 7th Century by the "Malabar Jews", the oldest Jewish Community in India tracing their roots to King Solomon . This is the largest and one of oldest  synagogues in Kerala . The present structure dates from 1616 and it is now no longer in worship , but is conserved as a Museum . Replicas of The Jewish Copper Plate Inscriptions , items of ritual and other antiquities are exhibited with informative captions. Architecture borrows heavily from local idioms. 

VALIYAPALLY  & CHERIYAPALLI ( KNANAYA SYRIAN ORTHODOX  Churches ), Kottayam, are two Churches built in mid 16th Century , with Royal Patronage , for worship of the Syrian Orthodox community . Interestingly , after the first Church was built , one faction of the community broke away for whatever reason and built their own Church , almost on the next street . By their tradition , one town cannot have two churches it seems! The good King , of quick wit, merely drew a line , dividing the town into two distinct towns , each with its own Church . Happy-happy all ! After which they came to be known as the Big and Little Churches. Both structures are grand, rebuilt in modern times . The Valiyapalli houses The Persian Cross with Pahlavi Inscriptions, said to be brought here by St.Thomas of  Canaa. The Cheriyapally has its holy relic in the form of a piece of St Mary's girdle ("Soonoro") No less than five churches in kerala seem to have a piece of this relic, Cheriyapalli being the first to have received it from its original home, Syria. 

The Cheriyappalli also has wonderful murals  - both medieval and modern , the former done in vegetable colors . Inferring from the style , probably done by amateur foreign painters. The Pally also has a traditional Kerala style Natakashala , with exquisite woodwork . 

The St.Thomas referenced in these Churches is not the Apostle , but a Syrian merchant Thomas of Cana , who brought with him a few families of "jewish-christians"(?) from Mesopotamia in Sassanid Persia.    ( Mental Note : look up  "Six St Thomases of India" by T K.Joseph) .

KEEZHTHALI Mahadevar Temple , Kodungallur : A  9th Century brick temple , badly battered ( as usual, the accused is Tipu !) with only the Srikovil(Garbhagriham) part still standing . The Shivalingam is considered the biggest in Kerala .( With enough serial crescents  and silver eyes)Though an archeologically protected monument , basic worship is in place. 

A  tiny yellow flame dances in a clay lamp before the looming brick tower. Timeless.

KULASEKHARAPURAM KRISHNASAMI Temple , Kodungallur : Considered  "the first  Vaishnava temple of Kerala" , associated with Kulasekhara Alwar,, the King turned Saint,  who also composed the Mukundamala here . What a beautiful temple complex ! As in most Kerala temple , photography is prohibited inside, so only the eyes could drink in and store the lovely murals and darushilpams. Of the many subshrines , one retains an early carved balustrate (sopanam) showing dancers and musicians. One of the subshrines is for the "Vayilkappan" , meaning the Door Guardian or , broadly , the site protector . Doesnt he look familiar ? Its Hanuman ! ( Mental note : find out why )

AMBALAPPUZHA KRISHNASWAMI  temple : Mention this place and instant recall among all is "Paalpayasam" , the neivedyam . So much for Bhakthi ! Vast premises with everything shiny and sparkly from renovsaions . Does not look ancient , though it has been a  holy Kshetra with a very long history. Temples of Kerala , built mostly of  wood , tiles and laterite blocks need periodic renewal and rebuilding , so the more popular temples always look new ! Ofcourse , in modern times, granite, cement and steel are increasingly used in the mantapas . Thankfully , no electric lighting is installed in the Srikovils ( garbhagrihams) , which still retain the  dark ,cave like look , the deity made visible for a flash of a minute only when the deeparadhana is done - rest of the time , a misty black void speckled with gold dust . 

The moolavar , Parthasarathy, is quite tall and holds a whip . One of the rituals here , is to call out to Guruvayoorappan to come and accept the neivedyam . Said to be a habit continuing from the time the icon from Guruvayoor was brought here for safekeeping when Tipu's forces came plundering , Even after the icon was returned after 30 years to its own home , "Vaasudeeeeeeeeeva" is summoned by the Priest at each  divine mealtime. 

A Mizhavu ( huge pot like drum) used by  the 18th century poet -satirist Kunchan Nambiar , is preserved here . Apparently , it is here that he created and debuted an "irreverent"/democratic , satirical Folk Art called Ottamthullal , as a reaction to the snobbery of practitioners of the highly refined, classical  Temple Dance form , Chakyarkoothu. The King banned the upstart dance form  the Temple, but it caught on elsewhere and enjoys popularity to date. ( Mental note : Watch both Chakyarkoothu and Ottamthullal on Youtube) . 

The ruler of Chembakasserry , Pooradam Tirunal Devanarayanan Thampuran , is said to have built the present  temple structure in 15th or 16th century . This line of Kings  are said to have been highly educated , multilingual and culturally refined , fostering the high Arts as well as military might. Right next to this temple is their Mantrasala or the Council Hall ( a very austere hall) with a remarkably ornate Coat of Arms embedded on the lintel , very different from Royal Insignias of Native kings of the time . It combines Native , European and Religious motifs making it quite unique. The Devanarayanas too , like the Travancore kings, ruled as agents of the Divine Emperor , Ambalapuzha's  Lord Krishna !

THRIKKODITHAANAM  MAHAVISHNU Temple , in Kottayam district , is counted as a Divya Desam , with Nammalvar's Mangalasasanam dedicated to it , hence dated to around 7th Century. The moolavar is named Arputha Narayanan - icon is Krishna in Vishwaroopam pose.  and said to have been worshipped by Sahadeva the Pandava. It stands in the old Capital of  a minor kingdom called Nanrulainattu , a prosperous agrarian principality that stood right on the  trader's Highway . The temple itself has fortress like walls . Delighted to learn that the outward curve of the wall's top section is called Mayilkazhutthu !  The temple's inner precincts have a wealth of wood and stone sculptures and the walls , rich with 18th Century Murals . But photography is prohibited . Hope they are documented for keeps, as  they don't seem well conserved. 

In front of the temple entrance is a strange sculpture of a man laid prone on a pillar . Its called Kazhuvettikallu , meaning a stake . The legend given out is that a corrupt temple staff once broke Rules of Temple Timings for a bribe and was promptly punished by the King with impalement . The sculpture was put up there as a warning to others with evil thoughts......seems rather drastic ! . But , in the background are some scholars digging into "covered up" history , who claim that its  all about persecution of the Shramanas in 8 to 9 CE and that a few similar sculptures have been found elsewhere too ! It seems odd that  all religions were patronised happily , but Shramanas ( Jains & Buddhists)should have been  persecuted ! More likely , political fall out rather than Religious . Or the public's change of preference when the wave of Hindu revivalism washed over the land and places of worship too changed the divine cast accordingly . 

A memory  from those times of churn now sits in a village , within a pagoda as suggested by the Dalai Lama . It lay submerged in a stream when first discovered by a British Engineer in colonial times . A Buddha ( without ushnisha) in meditative padmasana, but with his left half sliced off clean ! He was named Karumadikuttan ( Little Black Boy) and adopted by the locals as a miracle maker  .

CHERAMAN PARAMBU : After the magnificent temples and churches , this "Palace Grounds" of the Cheramans comes as something of a shock . It is understandable that since residential quarters were mostly woodwork , even for Kings, no palaces could  survive long . But here , in a 5 acre park , stand two or three pitiful stumps of weathered granite , once pillars of a palace, along with a couple of Shivalingams,  in good shape , that were found nearby . People sitting on the pedestals enjoying oily pazhampori and  hot chaya . Thats the way all cookies crumble !

                           PALIYAM of Chendamangalam : Rise of The Aristocrats 

As new sovereign kingdoms arose , so did new King-Makers and Court-Advisors . They wore no crown , but were often as powerful as the Kings. The Paliath Acchans served as hereditory Prime Ministers of The Kingdom of Kocchi  from 1632 to 1809 . They had amassed so much real estate , legally , that a famous saying went "Half of Kochi is Paliyam " and they were said to be wealthier than the King ! Their wealth came mainly from tax and tolls of different types and fees for arbitration.(Mental note : Read about Pattam, Chunkam and Janmibhogam )

  They were matrilineal Nairs   , living as one huge joint family , well versed in  administrative, diplomatic and military fields . In the 17th Century , they allied with Dutch to drive out the Portuguese. Brokered a treaty between Hyder Ali and the Zamorin of Calicut in the 18th Century . In the 19th Century, the Acchan rebelled against the  British ,  alongside Velu Thampi Dalawa ,  and got imprisoned. 

Paliath Acchans feature in Ballads and Folk Legends of local and  Jewish communities . In 1956 , when the family system shifted from Matrilineal to Patrilineal , conforming to the universal template , the Paliam Clan registered the biggest Partition Deed in Asia , dividing the massive landholdings among 213 members (plus one share to the temple). The Deed ran into 9 volumes , 2436 pages and 15 Schedules.

When you own half the kingdom and prohibit certain strata of society from using the roadways and waterways that run through the land , what can you expect - but a rebellion , a satyagraha for Rights . It had to happen and did , in 1947 to 48 , The Paliyam Satyagraha, which resulted not only in opening of the roads to all , but eventually to the opening of the Temples to all . ( Mental Note : work out patiently how the system of Marumakkathayam worked  in families with several brothers. )

Whatever their mighty past , in an Independent Republic , the Paliyams lost sheen . Land sliced up into bits , the descendents , now nuclear families, moved away as they wished.  

What remains ? The Muziris Project was able to  rescue two  mansions from ruin and turn them into History Museums. : 

PALIAM  KOVILAKAM  &  PALIAM NALUKETTU  .

The Kovilakam is a sprawling Mansion , of hybrid Dutch -Local architecture , built by the Dutch and presented to the P.Acchan for having helped them acquire Kodungallur when a battle ensued upon the intestacy of the ruling line in the 17th Century . Curiously , though the Dutch got it built , it was Paliam that bore the  construction cost ! Hmmm, difficult to understand this "Gift" , but lets trust the wisdom of the Acchan .

This three storey mansion served as the Residence and Durbar Hall of the Acchans. Simple and elegant things used by them, painted portraits , weapons, facsimiles of letters ,ornaments and implements used in the 41 temples they had owned are all displayed across well captioned galleries. In the oil paintings , the bare chested, un-bejewelled Acchans ( Komi 1 & 2, Govindan, Raman, Kunjunni etc ) all look avuncular, placid and half asleep . 

The Nalukettu : Another conserved Mansion is all about Women. The Mansion was a Tharavad where several generations of the  matrilineal clan lived as one Joint Family  . Originally with 100 rooms . The Main house had many satellite houses , divided into the four blocks ( North, South , East and West) , each with its designated purpose like Kitchen & dining , Rituals & recreation , Seclusion room for women, receiving guests, securing  family's valuables etc. The Poomukham or portico  was  where  family members interacted , and also the seating area when performances happened in the courtyard .One Chamber called Ara held things for Common Use . Vessels, equipments, even ornaments ; whoever bought/brought it , nothing could be exclusively owned by a single person . Anyone could  use anything and the same  returned to the Ara.  Idealistic ! 

And who kept tab on all the traffic ? The Valiamma . Matriarch of the Tharavad. The oldest Female of the Family . She held the keys.  Nothing could be moved by anybody without express permission from her . Valiyamma's room was the biggest and had the fancy swing bed, pankha/ fan, spittoon etc . At the corners of the walls were "Karnasutras"- openings that allowed ventilation, light  and also carried in sounds from the courtyard, garden & portico -  Valiyamma's CCTV . And because of a clever design , she would  be invisible and inaudible from the other side. I guess, Valiyammas too old to move , got their daily entertainment through these karnasutras. 

The younger women were Kunjammas whose Rights were limited, but had personal rooms , where their young children could stay with them . Upon maturity , the boys had to move to the malikamadams surrounding the house, where men lived .Girls of course were married off young. Food was prepared by  Cooks of a priestly community. Menu:Veg. only. Looking at the exhibited cauldrons , drums , pounding stones and  long wooden dugouts (in which rice was carried out to be served), it feels reasonable that muscular men managed the heavy duty kitchen , not some frail kunju-ammas. 

Life in Waterland

Fascinating Past . Kings, Aristocrats and Dowagers . But what of the common people , how did they live and has life changed for them now ? you wonder as the Boat Taxi tears through floating islands of water hyacinth , towards Kainakary in KUTTANAD, Alappuzha 

Soon the taxi docks at a jetty and you are loaded into a  narrow motorboat ,needed to  navigate the narrow water-lanes of the village. From  Highway to  Cross Roads to  Lanes in residential layouts . Same as our usual towns , only here its not Roadways but Waterways ! There's a Waterways Department looking after the Public Transport ( Boat Taxis), licencing private boats and issuing Driving Licence to owners etc , because in some of the smaller villages , Water is the only Road and everything from  fresh produce to construction material arrive by boats . Not to forget ambulance and school "bus" service ! 

The region is unique , where cultivation happens in fields below sea level, protected by Bunds . Netherlands is the only other place where this is seen. What's more , Kuttanad yields so  much that  it is called 'The Rice Bowl' of  Kerala. Kuttanad's cultivation  has been inscribed as a"Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System ( GIAHS) by FAO of UN . 

And who is to thank for this miraculous practice? Not Perumals or Acchans . But the people rooted to the land. The farmers . 

A major area of Kuttanad is in the Vembanad Estuary with the constant , but shifting, deposits of sand and silt changing the topography periodically . Traditionally , farmers had utilised this feature to create or reclaim patches of land by making bunds around desired areas and swiping out water with  manually operated wooden wheel contraptions. It was hard work , but they were able to reclaim some land  at least for  one or two cycles of cultivation . The threat of  bund breakage , inundation by saline water or monsoon flooding was ever present . 

Cultivation on reclaimed land took off in a big way only after World War II , when shortage of rice struck severely and the Princely State  actively promoted  cultivation on reclaimed land ( called Blocks now)  with all modern techniques and facilities. 

One name - Murikkan - figures frequently and with great admiration , when the boatmen or farmers speak of  Kuttanad cultivation. Joseph Murikkan , called Kayal Raja by Nehru , was a hard working visionary , who reclaimed more than 2000 acres of cultivable land , by building earthen dykes , using ingenious home -designed pumps and also creating a  10 acre fresh water pond within the brackish backwater , to serve potable water to the villages. Chittira, Rani and Marthanda ( named after the Royals)are famous as the first three Blocks reclaimed by him and are still pointed out with pride to all visitors. The FAO honoured him for his pathbreaking initiatives . But finally, The Land Reform Act (1972) put a ceiling on how much land one citizen can hold and  the CPI Govt. acquired almost all of Murikkan's land to be redistributed among tillers.  ( Mental  note : debate the Right or Wrong of this vexing issue, with anyone interested) .

Idling in a sort of  traffic jam created by the tourist oriented kattuvallams , the eye catches a surreal , almost terrifying, landscape on the flanks . Water water everywhere  , a  very thin strip of land with 2 trees , 4 coconut palms and a cottage floating midway,  beyond which , again water -water till far horizon . Where are we ? Inside or outside the lake- within -the -Lake ? No , all that water on the other side of that bund is only a  post-harvest reclaimed field, inundated with 3 feet of water to allow the clayey soil to soak well before the next sowing season. 

 The  massing dark clouds issue threatening rumbles into the late evening . The thin bund looks fragile . But it will not be pralayam assures the  neon-lit Houseboat Terminal suddenly coming into view as the boat turns a corner. 

Merrymakers on the deck of a passing houseboat dance to loud  Bhangra music with selfie sticks held aloft  . For no reason,  an image invades the mind : a little yellow flame dancing in a clay lamp in front of the looming brick tower of Keezhthali. 

It has been  a dizzying, packed  journey across centuries in five days and the mind is yet to process everything . ( mental note : mark out the sites missed this time and re-pack the suitcase)