My Kerala Story

My Kerala Story
Debi Prasad Choudhary

Los Angeles
05/03/2025

Kerala remains an interesting land mass of the Indian subcontinent that mostly remained isolated throughout its past 1500 years of turmoil history. Kerala produced some of the fascinating individuals such as intellectual explorers like Adi Shankaracharya, Sri Swami Sivananda and Swami Chinmayananda to unknown simple story composers for famous Guruvayur temple and Sabarimala shrine. The obvious contrast is, while Gurudev Sivanandaji Maharaj realized God in "all these names and forms", the storytellers describe the origin of Ayyappa (the deity of Sabarimala Shrine) as the product of the wedlock of Shiva and Vishnu! Protected by western ghat mountains, people of this region have been continuing to experiment with the contemporary human knowledge from far and wide through centuries until recently as described in an interesting article (Mohan, A.S., Komath, R. Left in Sabarimala: a time-marker in the political history of Kerala. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 247 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04574-9).  After stepping out of my home state about 50 years ago, I came across Keralites, who taught me solid state electronics, Plasma Physics and became stimulating friends aiding my intellectual growth. So, when a vacation opportunity came the choice was clear with dominate desire to see my old friend reminding my study of Chinese wise man Confucius, who said "Isn’t It a Joy to Have Friends Come from Afar? – 有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎" (Analects of Confucius). After a brief Madras business trip, we went to Thrusser, Kerala to stay with my old friend Subramaniam. As we entered Kerala, it was wonderful to see well built houses, clean roads, intermingling of temples, churches and mosques through lush green vegetation. 

Home of my friend Subramaniam, a beautiful location to sit and sing SamaVeda. 

  

 

Meeting Singhvi Sahab, my first research mentor at Physical Research Laboratory. 

On the following morning, it was a delight to meet my first research mentor at Physical Research Laboratory Dr. Ashoka Kumar Singhvi. Singhvi Sahab was living for few days in Vaddya Ratam resort in Thaikkattussery, near Thrissur. I recalled working in his laboratory as a first year student to learn thermo luminance technique to date few Mahabharata site sample (I think). My samples were not good, mostly too thick to get all the light signal after heating them. So, the errors in determining the age of the sample were too high and no meaningful result emerged. But, through his interacting, I learned the subject so good that I remember every detail. I narrated him to his amusement, how I used to consume some of his Dunhill Cigarettes that he used to bring from his frequent foreign trips. It was a real pleasure to see him after many years. Singhvi Sahab said, he improved the instrument for making samples in later years that would produce uniform sized reducing the error.

Ashtavaidyan Thaikkattu Mooss Vaidyaratnam Museum.

Visit and breakfast at Ashtavaidyan Thaikkattu Mooss Vaidyaratnam complex with resort, museum and academic was an memorable experience. This is one of the oldest organizations that preserve and advance the Ayurveda for health care system. This organization boasts of having Ashtavaidyan, Vaidyaratnam E.T Narayanan Mooss, Padma shri, Ashtavaidyan E.T Neelakandhan Mooss, Padma bhushan, Ashtavaidyan E.T Narayanan Mooss over years. Vaidyaratnam was conferred in 1924 by Viceroy of India Lord Reading and the Padma awards are by the Government of India. Singhvi sahab was receiving treatment here and talked high about it. The museum visit was educative to learn a lots of miracle like descriptions of ayurvedic treatment outcome for ailments like heart disease and cancer. The central problem in all these is that while some claims could be true, due to the involvement of all kind of centers from Saibaba, to Ranmdav and SadGuru claiming similar outcome without rigorous measurements makes the entire enterprize just another piece of discussion points without much utility value from medical point of view. The buildings, surrounding flora and fauna and the topography of the location gave a sense of mistry mixed heavenly experience. 

Siva Temple in Thrissur   

I was looking forward to temple visits. Temples are the center of development of human creativity through music, art and dance form. They also tell the story of long term human development and influence of intelligent over dumb by connecting the knowns to unknowns through creative stories. The requirement here for men is to expose the upper body part for entering the temple, not for women. Why? Perhaps earlier only men were entering and it had to be ensured that they are clean and belong to a class. My guess. 

 

(above: Houseboat, below: eating in the houseboat)

 

Spending a night on the boat house on backwaters was the next in agenda. The backwaters boathouse had AC bedrooms and comfortable place to cook and eat. We talked the whole day on various issues the mankind is facing these days. His wisdom never surprises me. The following two interesting pieces of knowledge worth recording this time. Subramanian is extremely knowledgeable on Kalidas, that I know from PRL days. This time he gave me information about keen observation of nature by Kalidas in following quotes.

वैदेहि पश्यऽऽमलयाद्विभक्तम् मत्सेतुना फेनिलमम्बुराशिम्। छायापथेनेव शरत्प्रसन्नम् आकाशमाविष्कृतचारुतारम्॥ १३-२

vaidehi paśya''malayādvibhaktam matsetunā phenilamamburāśim | chāyāpatheneva śaratprasannam ākāśamāviṣkṛtacārutāram || 13-2

vaidehi pashya.a.amalayAdvibhaktam matsetunA phenilamamburAshim |   ChAyApatheneva sharatprasannam AkAshamAviShkR^itachArutAram || 13-2 

"Oh Vaidehi, mark that bubbly ocean divided as far as the Malaya mountain the bridge I have erected on it, just as the clear autumnal sky with perky stars divided by a shady galactic strip running through a galaxy. [13-2] "See, Vaidehi ! how my bridge/Yon foamy mass now spans, as Autumn's skies/Unruffled, bright with stars, the Milky Way/Divides in twain."

While being very appreciative of Kalidash's description of Rama Setu that mixed naked eye astronomical observations  with natural beauty, Subramaniam was critical of Sri Ram describing the Ram Setu as "my bridge", since it was made by workers and His contribution was only supervisory. That is the way the world works my friend, the one at t.the top take all the credit! He narrated another great observation based description of Himalayas  by Kalidas.

अस्त्युत्तरस्यां दिशि देवतात्मा हिमालयो नाम नगाधिराजः। पूर्वापरौ तोयनिधी विगाह्य स्थितः पृथिव्या इव मानदण्डः॥ १-१

astyuttarasyāṁ diśi devatātmā himālayo nāma nagādhirājaḥ | pūrvāparau toyanidhī vigāhya sthitaḥ pṛthivyā iva mānadaṇḍaḥ || 1-1

astyuttarasyAM dishi devatAtmA himAlayo nAma nagAdhirAjaH | pUrvAparau toyanidhI vigAhya sthitaH pR^ithivyA iva mAnadaNDaH || 1-1

On the northern frontier of this country that forms the heartland of gods, intercalating himself into eastern and western oceans like a measuring stick of earth, there stands the sovereign of snowy mountains renowned as Mt. Himalaya. [1-1]

In the evening after reaching the spot for night halt on the boathouse, we wanted to go for buying beer. It was a fascinating experience. We took an auto rickshaw to find a shop that was in a far away town. The shop was two storied and the foreign liquor was available upstairs that was less crowded. There is a similar experience in another town. The shops are as crowded, with stampede like situation, as in the famous temples for Deva Darsan.

Jatayu Memorial

The Jatayu Poem

Next day, we visited Jatayu sculpture. Here Jatayu is celebrated as a fighter for keeping women dignity. Jatayu, a mighty bird fought with Sri Ravana on airways to save Ma Sita being kidnapped and gave his life by falling at this place. Later Prabhu Ram visited this place and met dying Jatayu. There are foot prints of Prabhu Ram. The footprints were huge potholes on rock, and I asked a young couple who was seeing them, don't you think they are huge compared the feet of Prabhu Ram! They were waffled, as they perhaps thought that the foot prints may be as they are. In any case, honoring Jatayu is worth praise.

Subramanian described another interesting story related to Prabhu Ram's return journey from Sri Lanka on airways. When the Puspak Viman was over Kilimanoor, suddenly Lakshman became angry and acqused Sri Ram of taking all the credit of other's work. Everybody was surprised by Lakshman's outburst, but Sri Ram was calm. After a while, he pointed out that we are flying over Kilimanoor and Lakshman had an effect of the region, where brotherhood is betrayed. This could be a local folklore, but I found fascinating Mappila Ramayanam,  perhaps composed a used by the Malabari Muslims also known as ‘Mappilas.’ 

The travel story ends with very interesting conversation with our driver, who stayed with us for two days. The man was well versed with world politics and had opinion on President Trump, Indian politics and of course Prime minister Modi and Rahul Gandhi. He was good in Hindi language, even though not travelled out of Kerala a lot and would appreciate if outsiders also learn some malayalam. My lasting impression of Kerala is that it a great place, unlike any in the subcontinent and shall remain so for long. The region has embraced all great developments from ancient time and shall continue to do so.