I remember Mallapally and Appachen lived there for many years by himself after Ammamma, my grandmother died. He had, as I remember, 3 Pappis to look after him, or rather Appachen and named them so. One used to drive his car, one used to look after the whole area and I don't know what the other one did.
Appachen used to do carpentry and had a set up in the back of the house for that. I also remember that there was a TT table there and table with an inlaid chess board. I remember going there once, when Kochu was very small. So Georgie and I got to sleep with Appachen and he used to tell us stories till we fell asleep. I think it was at that time he made a small tree house for us on a guava tree in the front of the house.
I remember there was a stream at the bottom of the back yard, which was clean and full of flowing water. We have gone down there and caught small fish in a cloth and had baths there.
I remember going out in Mallapally with Appachen and I remember a Malayalam song he taught me about the moon.
I remember too coming to Kottayam from Mallapally once.
I went back to see the house once after I was married. I didn't go inside, but just saw it from outside. Now it has been completely rebuilt.
Sunday, 5 July 2020
Friday, 15 May 2020
I do not remember my maternal grandmother, Ammama, but I remember my maternal grandfather, Mr.M.P.Mani ( pronounced Maanee) whom we called Appachen. Appachen died when he was 98 years old and was a great favourite with all his grandchildren. Appachen’s full name was Modayil (family name) Philip (his father ‘s name) Mani ( his christened name which meant Emmanuel), ie. Modayil Philip Mani. Ammama’s name was Mrs. Annamma Mani.
Here is a picture of Appachen in his estate.
I write this for my siblings as we wait, during lockdown across the world, due to the Covid-19 virus. And maybe for their children, who may show interest in these anecdotes.
These stories have been narrated to me by my eldest brother K. Thomas Chandy, (called Mohancha by me) who was visiting Kerala from USA and I was visiting him, from Bangalore, when the lockdown was announced on March 24, 2020. We have been in lockdown since then, for 21 days which was then extended for another 19 days. He is 15 years elder to me, born in pre Independence times in India. He remembers our maternal and paternal grandparents very well. My maternal grandmother and my paternal grandfather passed away before I was born.
Mallapally was the village in Kerala, in which was situated the ancestral home of the Modayil family, my grandfather’s family.
My grandfather, a civil engineer, had built his own home here after his retirement from the PWD department of the State of Travancore. The original family home at the base of the hill with a river running by it, was called ‘Tharazhetae veedu’ (meaning ‘house below’). Appachen had built his home further up the hill. There was another home on the crest of the hill, above Appachen’s home, referred to as ‘Maellathe veedu’ (meaning ‘house above’) in which lived Avrachayan, Mariammakochamma ( who was our aunt Aminikoch’s good friend) and their sister. Mohancha says he doesn’t remember the parents of Avrachayan & siblings.
Summer Holidays for the grandchildren in Mallapally.
During summer holidays, some of Appachen’s daughters and daughters-in-law came to the Mallapally home with their children. Mohancha remembers going there from 1946 onwards, when he was 4 or 5 years old. He said there were a whole bunch of the cousins and they had a wonderful time together. He said was like a happy Summer Camp.
Everyone came by train and Appachen used to send his car to pick up each family.
During these summer holidays, (1945 to 1950 probablythese were the family members who came frequently. There was our mother, Rebecca Chandy and her 2 children Mohan and Appu, her sister Annammakochamma with her 3 children, Amminikutty, Lulukoch, Georgiechayan, and their 2 sisters-in law Mariakuttykochamma and Mollykochamma with their children (with 3children each). These cousins were Kittykoch, Kunjammakoch and Monicha, and Renji, Roy and Thangam.
Every morning, Appachen called everyone out of the house for some P.T. He said all the kids eagerly looked forward to this. Any uncles, parents, aunts at Mallapally at that time, also joined in. He said there were stretching excercises and other exercises. Then all the children were encouraged to run around the house. The adults didn’t run. I had heard from mum that Annammakoch was a very good athlete when in school. The kids were also put into races, sometimes according to age group. They loved this
By this time, the elders would have gone in. Later the children came in for their meals too.
After which they all played together, running around the grounds, climbing trees, . occasionally having baths near the well (no soap was allowed near the well, only in the bathroom), or just lifting water from the well to throw on each other. Renjichayan was elder, so he supervised the younger boys. Kittykoch and Kunju taught Mohancha how to play Table tennis. The TT Table was on the covered veranda outside Appachen’s - Ammama’s bedroom.
At night Mohancha said the boys would sleep on ‘paas’(rush mats) outside Appachen’s bedroom on the covered verandah running around the 3 main rooms. And the girls would sleep on ‘paas’ too, on the covered verandah next to the bedroom where the mothers slept. Every night, one child would be chosen to sleep with the grandparents. And that was a great honour for them and a highlight of their day. Mohancha says he remembers how wonderful it was to sleep next to Ammama and her cosy, plump arms.
MANNAVIL
I do not remember Mallapally at all but I do remember their home MANNAVIL in Trivandrum. The house was bought by Appachen and then extended to include a drawing room downstairs to the right of the original house, a flight of stairs and 4 or 5 bedrooms upstairs with verandas on either side of the rooms, which were built in one line. There was also a large covered terrace, to the left of the stairs, in which there were a lot of play equipment for the kids. Downstairs, just below the terrace, at the entrance to the house was a large space with the Table tennis table. Four generations of people have played Table tennis there. Very often, Appachen played TT with his grandchildren and maybe his great grandchildren too.
Kunjachayan, his second son and child lived in that house till he died at 95 years. His youngest daughter, Shobha, who looked after her parents till they died, inherited the older portion of the house. The extended portion was given to Bejoy, her brother, who most unfortunately, sold it to a Muslim family, rather than to his siblings. The house remains as it was when we were young, except for a huge wall built right across the old entrance to the home. The TT Table still stands in Shobha’s side of the home. We cannot access the side with the bedrooms upstairs & the drawing room downstairs as it has been rented out to some government organisation.
My mother, Rebecca, who was the 6th of 8 children, told me that she grew up in this house and all the children of school age, walked to the school nearby from this home. She said there were 13 children at their home at most times. Besides the 8 of them, there were their cousins too. I remember Kunjappenchayan who lost his father early, lived with them when he was young. I don’t know who the other cousins were. But my grandmother used to feed, clothe and take care of everyone. My mother said she also helped many other children with their education and other needs. This was done quietly, without any fanfare. My mother used to say that her mother Ammama was a saint.
I think Appachen came to live here in Mannavil home in Trivandrum, after Ammama passed away. He lived with his son Kunjachayan (Korah M.Mani) and his wife Mariakuttykochamma, for a long time.
Sent from my i
Here is a picture of Appachen in his estate.
I write this for my siblings as we wait, during lockdown across the world, due to the Covid-19 virus. And maybe for their children, who may show interest in these anecdotes.
These stories have been narrated to me by my eldest brother K. Thomas Chandy, (called Mohancha by me) who was visiting Kerala from USA and I was visiting him, from Bangalore, when the lockdown was announced on March 24, 2020. We have been in lockdown since then, for 21 days which was then extended for another 19 days. He is 15 years elder to me, born in pre Independence times in India. He remembers our maternal and paternal grandparents very well. My maternal grandmother and my paternal grandfather passed away before I was born.
Mallapally was the village in Kerala, in which was situated the ancestral home of the Modayil family, my grandfather’s family.
My grandfather, a civil engineer, had built his own home here after his retirement from the PWD department of the State of Travancore. The original family home at the base of the hill with a river running by it, was called ‘Tharazhetae veedu’ (meaning ‘house below’). Appachen had built his home further up the hill. There was another home on the crest of the hill, above Appachen’s home, referred to as ‘Maellathe veedu’ (meaning ‘house above’) in which lived Avrachayan, Mariammakochamma ( who was our aunt Aminikoch’s good friend) and their sister. Mohancha says he doesn’t remember the parents of Avrachayan & siblings.
Summer Holidays for the grandchildren in Mallapally.
During summer holidays, some of Appachen’s daughters and daughters-in-law came to the Mallapally home with their children. Mohancha remembers going there from 1946 onwards, when he was 4 or 5 years old. He said there were a whole bunch of the cousins and they had a wonderful time together. He said was like a happy Summer Camp.
Everyone came by train and Appachen used to send his car to pick up each family.
During these summer holidays, (1945 to 1950 probablythese were the family members who came frequently. There was our mother, Rebecca Chandy and her 2 children Mohan and Appu, her sister Annammakochamma with her 3 children, Amminikutty, Lulukoch, Georgiechayan, and their 2 sisters-in law Mariakuttykochamma and Mollykochamma with their children (with 3children each). These cousins were Kittykoch, Kunjammakoch and Monicha, and Renji, Roy and Thangam.
Every morning, Appachen called everyone out of the house for some P.T. He said all the kids eagerly looked forward to this. Any uncles, parents, aunts at Mallapally at that time, also joined in. He said there were stretching excercises and other exercises. Then all the children were encouraged to run around the house. The adults didn’t run. I had heard from mum that Annammakoch was a very good athlete when in school. The kids were also put into races, sometimes according to age group. They loved this
By this time, the elders would have gone in. Later the children came in for their meals too.
After which they all played together, running around the grounds, climbing trees, . occasionally having baths near the well (no soap was allowed near the well, only in the bathroom), or just lifting water from the well to throw on each other. Renjichayan was elder, so he supervised the younger boys. Kittykoch and Kunju taught Mohancha how to play Table tennis. The TT Table was on the covered veranda outside Appachen’s - Ammama’s bedroom.
At night Mohancha said the boys would sleep on ‘paas’(rush mats) outside Appachen’s bedroom on the covered verandah running around the 3 main rooms. And the girls would sleep on ‘paas’ too, on the covered verandah next to the bedroom where the mothers slept. Every night, one child would be chosen to sleep with the grandparents. And that was a great honour for them and a highlight of their day. Mohancha says he remembers how wonderful it was to sleep next to Ammama and her cosy, plump arms.
MANNAVIL
I do not remember Mallapally at all but I do remember their home MANNAVIL in Trivandrum. The house was bought by Appachen and then extended to include a drawing room downstairs to the right of the original house, a flight of stairs and 4 or 5 bedrooms upstairs with verandas on either side of the rooms, which were built in one line. There was also a large covered terrace, to the left of the stairs, in which there were a lot of play equipment for the kids. Downstairs, just below the terrace, at the entrance to the house was a large space with the Table tennis table. Four generations of people have played Table tennis there. Very often, Appachen played TT with his grandchildren and maybe his great grandchildren too.
Kunjachayan, his second son and child lived in that house till he died at 95 years. His youngest daughter, Shobha, who looked after her parents till they died, inherited the older portion of the house. The extended portion was given to Bejoy, her brother, who most unfortunately, sold it to a Muslim family, rather than to his siblings. The house remains as it was when we were young, except for a huge wall built right across the old entrance to the home. The TT Table still stands in Shobha’s side of the home. We cannot access the side with the bedrooms upstairs & the drawing room downstairs as it has been rented out to some government organisation.
My mother, Rebecca, who was the 6th of 8 children, told me that she grew up in this house and all the children of school age, walked to the school nearby from this home. She said there were 13 children at their home at most times. Besides the 8 of them, there were their cousins too. I remember Kunjappenchayan who lost his father early, lived with them when he was young. I don’t know who the other cousins were. But my grandmother used to feed, clothe and take care of everyone. My mother said she also helped many other children with their education and other needs. This was done quietly, without any fanfare. My mother used to say that her mother Ammama was a saint.
I think Appachen came to live here in Mannavil home in Trivandrum, after Ammama passed away. He lived with his son Kunjachayan (Korah M.Mani) and his wife Mariakuttykochamma, for a long time.
Sent from my i
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