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Tharappan’s son Vareed died while he
was on the voyage. Vareed's Son Tharappan was looked after in
his mother’s house (Pullikottil) and settled down in a
small house provided in the middle of western Bazaar, Kunnamkulam
along with his mother. His sister Kunjani was married to Mathai
Chungath (Cherlayam). By the time, the land owned at Chittanjur-Anjoor
road was lost by debt. The said four acres of land is now under
the ownership of Chungath family. Tharappan’s sons purchased
the nearby eight acres of land from Panakkal family in 1947.
Negotiations were made to reunite the old land with the newly
procured land to keep the land as a remembrance of old property.
The owner was not willing to handover the land by cost. Since
Tharappan was a brilliant boy, he started his career in A.R.P.
Press owned by Pulikkottil family, the foremost press in Cochin
State, as a composer in Malayalam - Sanskrit.
A Word about Mahakavi
Vallathol
In this connection, it is to be worth mentioning
that Mahakavi Vallathol was closely associated with A.R.P. Press
during his stay at Kakkad before the Second World War. Rev.
Pulikkottil Joseph Ramban was one of his close friends in his
literary activities. Vallathol had contributed a lot to the
Orthodox Church according to his capacity as a Poet. A good
portion of Syriac prayers and readings of Holy Week were translated
to Malayalam with the help of Rev. Joseph Ramban. After leaving
A.R.P Press, he was fully associated with Kakkad Karnavapad.
The idea to start an institution at Cheruthuruthy in order to
protect the olden art forms like Koothu, Kathakali, and Thullal
etc was due to his relationship with Kakkad Mukunda Raja.
A.R.P Press had a parallel unit of manufacturing of Ayurvedic
Medicine (ARP Oushadashala) under the leadership of great physicians
like, Choondal Nambi, Trippankode Moosad, Vaidiar Ittamon Nair,
Etc. This institution was also the foremost Ayurvedic pharmaceuticals
in Cochin State. Since he was working in the press, he had chances
for close relationship with the famous physicians (Ayurveda,
Sidha, and Ladha). He developed his skill as a village Physician,
and started private practices. It made ways to improve his financial
position in high standard and shifted his house to Valiparambu
in 1907. Although the newly purchased building was too old (125years
and was existing in good condition), it was a pride by appearance
with sufficient land covering three roads around the compound.
The southern entrance area from Pimpariyam Bazaar was sold out
to Sri Panakkal Pathra Paily considering his request, because
his own house adjacent to the plot was too small to accommodate
7-member family.
By the time, the family was known as "CHIMMAN" (Word
originated from the word Sheeman - Voyager). Tharappan married
a girl Mathiri from Vadakoot Kolady family in Porkulam. The
village name Porkulam originated from the word Porkalam (means
fighting place - the fighting place with Tipu Sultan). Before
that, this village was known as ‘Vedakad’-study
Centre of Vedantha by Namboodiri Brahmins owned by Thekkedathu
and Vadakkedathu Illams. When he died at the age of 52, he had
two sons (Cheru & Chummar) and two daughters. His elder
daughter Kuttai married to Mathew Cheruvathoor, a document writer
passed away when her son was 1 year old. The second daughter
Kunjahi was married to Mathew Cheeran a primary school master,
had one son and one daughter.
Tharappan’s elder son Cheru married Kunjahi from Kattakampal
Pulikkottil family and his second son married Sarama from Cheruvathani
Panakkal family. The elder one had three sons and the younger
on had six sons and two daughters. All of them are settled in
different places in Kerala and abroad.
Kattakampal is a small village situated in the northern border
of the Cochin State in Kerala. The said village is famous for
its fresh water lake similar to one at Vellayani Kayal in Travancore.
Kattakampal is the bran of Cochin in Kerala similar to one at
Nanjinad and another at Kuttanad in Travancore. Pazhanji, the
village famous for its areca nut market in Kerala, is situated
in the mouth of Kattakampal village. The Christian community
in Pazhanji might have been there since AD 300. The big wealthy
old church situated in the village has its own historicity.
The mural paintings exposed in the church’s wall very
recently, enlightens the close relationship of Malankara Sabha
with the Patriarch of Alexandria in olden days. Even though
Mural paintings are not so clear, it is evident that such types
of paintings are familiar in Coptic churches. The surrounding
villages i.e., Mooleppad, Karikad, Pengamukku, Kottol, Kattakampal
are all major Christian society from families of Asthagraha.
The people of Kattakampal village had witnessed the arrival
of Tipu’s soldiers. In olden days, the entrance was covered
with bamboo. Hence, soldiers were reversed on the presumption
that the whole area is a forest. This was a usual topic of discussion
among the village people. It is a historical fact that Pazhanji
church had sent representative for Udayamperoor Synod.
Both of Tharappan’s sons flourished
in their business activities, like Manufacturing of Ayurvedic
Medicine, Banking, wholesale marketing of Cash crops, Small
Scale industry (Raja Wire Nail works), agriculture, with the
money earned by their father and money taken from General public
on loan during the period of Second World War. The above activities
happened to reach an end by litigation developed by the famous
financier Sri.Varghese Kollanoor of Mooleppad family. There
is a general talk that certain direct actions done by the financier
were on bias.
Footnote:
The above note is prepared based on the information
(Kettarivu) gathered from elders from time to time. There are
evidence for the observation made by Rev. Claudius Buchanan
in 1806 and the voyage conducted by H.G. Pulikkotil Joseph Mar
Divannassious 5th in 1864.
We hope that this historical note will enlighten
different families in the same root to take steps to record
their own entity.
Prepared by Mr. K.C
Thambi.
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