Kerala - like going back home!

NAMASTE!

India - Kerala is bottom left.

Saturday 25 August

After a splendid Birthday celebration and first anniversary of my great adventure on the Friday night, and replenished by a traditional English breakfast lest for Birmingham airport and my flights via Dubai to Kochi in Kerala India. 15 hours journey time.

Sunday 26 August

10/10 for food on Emirates. 0/10 for entertainment systems, on both flights my system failed to function and 0/10 for boarding process – was there one? In consequence both flights departed and arrived late.

Met at the very efficient Cochin airport by Sunny, his son Johann and Sunny's younger brother-in-law, we set off in the now old fashioned workhorse of the Indian roads the “Ambassador Car” - (they stopped producing the Ambassador within the UK in 1956 and production shifted to India – it is still being built despite its almost complete lack of a turning circle, its extreme weight and hopeless mpg, but it can cope with the roads here just like a 4x4). We stopped for breakfast and I was straight back to Kerala food – Pal-Appam and Beef Curry (in Kerala Beef is regularly eaten – obviously not by the Hindu's) and as we were eating a procession went by in honour of the God Ganesha. So pleased, as Ganesha always turns up in my life in India at auspicious moments. Ganesha is the Elephant God of good fortune.

Johan - Sunny's son.

Making the Thali

Arrived to Sunny's house and soon into the hustle and bustle of the wedding – Sunny's other brother-in-law Jinu, was getting married the next day. After lunch, rice, vegetables, and fish curry (had forgotten just how blisteringly hot the red curry sauce on the fish can be!) had a nap ready for the pre-wedding getting together at Jinu's parents house. 

Given that around 800 people were expected for the wedding (well for the food actually) everything including the "groom" was very calm and though outwardly things looked chaotic all necessary tasks were being performed, guests welcomed and about 50 people fed! We were all hoping for a rain free wedding day as this part of Kerala had in the last few days been experiencing exceptional monsoon rains and most side roads were simply rivers, only local knowledge defining where the single track road to Jinu's house ended and the paddy fields began a difference between 6 inches of water and 2 feet!

Dressing the groom

Paparazzi!

Mother's final inspection

Jinu is in the army and was on 2 months wedding leave, in October he will return to Kashmir were he is stationed in what is still disputed territory between India and Pakistan. After the wedding his wife will live with his parents and younger brother in the family house. Kerala is a model of community harmony, the populations consists of almost equal parts Hindu, Muslim, Christian and "others", communities share each others feasts. With Onam (which is Hindu in origin) celebrated by all as a national thanksgiving for "god's own country". Kerala society is also technically matriarchal, though I have never seen any evidence of this.

Kerala life is also dictated by many, many traditions (and superstitions), also aspects of Hindu tradition are incorporated into the wedding service (Christian, Syrian Orthodox) so during the evening threads are drawn from the red wedding sari of the bride (though this sari is never actually worn - it cost in the region of Rs.10,000/- which would represent in real terms 1.5 times an average monthly salary!) and will be used to make the Thali (a Hindu sacred thread which will be tied round the neck of the bride by the groom to signify the fact the bride is now a wife – she will wear this Thali for 4 days) wedding rings are also exchanged, as are gold crosses. Although now disputed in the courts property passes to the youngest son in Kerala along with the responsibility for looking after the parents, so three or even four generations may be living in the same house. The guys grandparents and parents, (on fathers side). and his own offspring. In India not having a son is considered a great tragedy (“may you be the Mother of 101 sons” being an Indian blessing!) Sadly these days very few of the original long, low and wonderfully carved wooden Kerala family houses exist, being pulled down in favour of large concrete constructions, with a compound and high walls.

Wedding makers or breakers1

Monday 27 August

As an “honorary” close relative I received as a gift my own wedding outfit (kurta, pyjama) duly apparelled we set of for Jinu's for the dressing of the groom! (fotos to follow) His brother and brothers-in-law (and me, honorary brother-in-law) get to dress the groom, making sure, in this case that; he is powdered ( so he won't sweat in the fotos), his shirt is on properly, trousers suitably hitched, tie correct, etc. All this duly carried out under the watchful eyes of the photographers and videographers! I got to sort out his belt and make sure his tie was correct!

The service conducted by the Bishop and about six priests (good source of income- all attending priests will receive "expenses") took just over an hour, with the photographers seemingly holding sway, all done, we retired to the hall for lunch, the 350 people upstairs were friends of friends of friends of the happy couple and were there solely for the lunch (only about 150 people bothering to attend the service even though the church and hall were in the same complex, many will not even have caught a glimpse of the happy couple, but all are welcome, all are fed!) and downstairs a further 250 first sitting and a further 200 second sitting. I was first sitting and sitting near to the stage along with closest relatives, excellent food (pilau rice, chicken curry, salads and pickles, ice cream. No drink , Christians are all [nominally] teetotal) Monday is traditionally Christian wedding day, in the towns many students will gate crash in order to get a good meal, and all "wayfaring folk" will also be given food. Food left over is traditionally given to the poor.

After lighting of sacred lights (another borrowing from Hindu tradition), the couple feed each other cake (another borrowing) and lunch is served and a mere 15 - 20 minutes later we are all done and back outside waiting to waive the bride and groom off back to his house for further ceremonies.

Kerala boasts the oldest Christian community in the world (outside of the Holy Land) as tradition is that the religion was brought here by the Apostle Thomas (doubting Thomas) in AD 52! It was only comparatively recently that the RC Church admitted this fact. Preferring to give the credit to St Francis Xavier, actually the Catholics all but destroyed everything belong to the Syrian (Orthodox) Christians in their attempts to stamp out its history. St. Thomas is buried in what is now Chennai (Madras). Many ancient churches from the 11th century still exist they are notable for their many similarities to Hindu temples.

There is a lovely story as part of the Orthodox tradition here that when Mary was dying all the apostles were summoned to her bedside, Thomas was late as the cloud he was being bourne aloft on was a bit slow, this giving the excuse for Indian railways today to always run late! However he was given Mary's cincture (belt), for effort(?), this is now venerated as a sacred relic.

Simon was at the wedding along with his son Joshua and we left for Simon's house where I was to spend three days and celebrate Onam. It was lovely to see Simon, his son Joshua aged 5 and identical twin daughters Anna and Sarah, aged 2. The last time I saw Joshua he was 4 hours old and strangely didn't remember Michael uncle!!

Simon took me to his office, shop and internet cafe in Konni, local town to Simon's house in Kizhavalloor whilst we made purchases for the upcoming Onam celebrations.

Simon's son Joshua

Tuesday 28 August - First Day of Onam

Tradition!

Water drinking competition

Spent the morning at the local parish hall where games and lunch had been organised for the children of the parish by the church youth movement. Great fun seemed to be had by all, even if to me some of the games were rather extreme including water drinking (how many cups can you drink before you rush to the latrine to be sick) , chilli eating (how many chillies can you eat before you rush to the latrine to be sick) ~ Simon won this competition after consuming 36 green chillies, he was not actually sick but certainly was a little overheated! Then a very traditional game whereby blindfolded men with big sticks try to smash a pot full of water suspended overhead, needless to say there w,ere more cracked skulls than pots. Finally there was a general tug-of-war, three rounds I participated in two rounds, once on each side – I helped both teams win, so it was generally felt that I made the difference. After which Onam lunch was served. This is a very particular meal and is served in every household during Onam irrespective of religious affiliation. (See notes on Onam). After lunch went to see Simon's offices in Pathanamthita (the boy's doing good!) bought some sweets for the family and returned home.

Simon ate 36 chillies in about 20 seconds!

After effects!

Wednesday 29 August – Second (main) day of Onam

Wore my special Onam Munda and Kurta and looked the perfect Malayali, visited Simon grandparents and returned for Onam lunch. Simon is quite a stickler for tradition so we men including Joshua, eat first and alone, served by the women. So his mum wife and two daughters wait until we are finished and take their food in the kitchen, we having eaten at the dining table.

Simon and I are involved in a "dance of precedence," as elder brother in some things I take precedence and in others, as I am in his house, he has precedence. He decides when we sit down for meals, but I decide when we leave the table! He decides the programme for the day, but I decide the timings! All very good natured. And of course he has the expectation that when I eventually retire-retire I will live here, as it is his duty to look after me (Sunny has the same expectation - they both see me shuttling between their two houses!)

I have forgotten just how much I love the food here, completely different to Indian food as eaten outside of India (which is 95% north Indian food prepared by Bangladeshi's!) - Onam being an original Hindu feast all the food is vegetarian, but the Kerala diet is very heavy on meat especially Beef and Chicken. But incredibly meat here is now almost as expensive as in the UK (definitely more expensive than Tesco's) so most people now only eat meat as a treat, and with a long coastline fish is consumed in vast quantities, especially Tuna, Sardines and Mackerel. Fish is either served in a blistering hot chilli sauce or dried fried in a more aromatic spice mixture, both types being offered together.

Being foto'd after eating one raw chilli!

In the afternoon Simon drove his wife Julie and the three children to Julie's parents where they are staying for a day or two, on our return to Simon's house he got stuck into some work and I am here writing my blog!

Incessant rain!

Maylayalam alphabet   53 letters  including 14 vowels

Surprised at just how much of my Malayalam is coming back - recognition of the letters, words and phrases. All the folk here are amazed if a "Sype" = sahib = foreigner can utter even a single word of Malayalam. (The word Malayalam is "probably" the longest palindrome in English!)

The local temple priests have been chanting to the accompaniment of the Veena (South Indian instrument like a Sitar) since 6 am (it is now 10) with everything broadcast via speakers floating to us through the trees ~ the constant repetition of the word "OM" and the use of chants has an incredibly hypnotic effect ~ rather than driving you crazy!

The next blog will cover my final few days here in Kerala and my arrival in the teeming city of Kolkata. Hope you enjoyed this!

Finally, the Onam meal in all its Vegetarian glory!