I was talking to one of my North Indian friends about Mallu land. So many people assume things that I discuss are of low standards by any benchmarks . Since none of you havent met me and possibly wont meet me you can consider I have a decent intellectual ability and exhibit all the required common sense traits. Kerala or rather Keral for him stands for Ayurveda and Backwaters though he doesnt know what a backwater is .After a discussion like this , When you are far away from a place where you have lived for last twenty years , memories come back to haunt you - Of what you did , what you had experienced , some memories really enjoyable , some memories really nostalgic but slightly painful .These are the reminiscences of a Mallu on a cold chilly Delhi night about some sweet memories in Kerala.This is not about Kathakali or Kalatippayattu but somethings every Mallu may love to experience if they have ever experienced it while in Malluland.
Thattukada 
Thattukadas in Vyttila , Edappally , Palarivattom (Rappais Fast Food & Chicken Dosa) and MLA hostel near Thiruvananthapuram.There is something strongly Malayalish about this sight of tea being poured from one glass which is held high above the other glass. I just love this and whenever i am in any Thattukada watches and just admire the adroitness of the guy who is doing this . So when I was naming the blog , nothing came into the mind other than this Malluness in Thattukada . Tired of explaining to people what Thattukada is , I hope they will understand from now on.
Appam
Hot Appams served after the Sunday masses by Amma with Chicken Curry straight from that black 'Chatti' that have been serving my family for last twenty five years (since I can remember).
Houseboat
Boathouses that were proliferating in Alleppy on my last holiday over there.Couldnt get into any of these then . After retirement buying a boathouse and taking a nap staring into the full moon listening to the wavy music of the backwaters seems to be a distant but possible dream now.
Boatraces
Boatraces that I used to watch once in a while .Once I remember a guy before me being pushed to water while watching a grand boat race organised to welcome Prime Minister in Ernakulam Marine drive.
Fishermen going to Sea
Fishermen in Calicut , Vizhinjam and Fort Kochi. Somehow I have been to all these places due to the 'transferical' nature of my parents job.It reminds me of the family outings that we used to have in weekends to beaches.
Karimeen
Tasty Karimeen Roast that I have eaten from umpteen hotels.Nothing Beats it . Especially if it comes after being cooked by mom in home.
Walking in Paddy Fields
Walking in the paddy fields behind my Dads house in Vaikom.It is just amazing , you know miles and miles of green grass and you feel like as if you are being absorbed into the green surroundings.
Onasadhya
Onasadhya , served in leaf and eaten with my family .The sight of the leaf filled with avial in one side and pazham in the other side is something every year me eagerly wait for . After all it comes only once in a year.
Kallushappu
But above all , the thing shown above ( thatsy it is a large snap ). The tasty dishes in Chalechira , Neriamangalam and Cherppungal Kallushapps. Please note here that I have note written about the drink and the shap owner in Chalechira is a Communist . Did you se the CITU poster in the above pic ? .But the fish fry there is pretty good :).
I think ,it is time to go back and savour some of these. There is this problem with all the people who want to go back to Kerala including me . The only other solution is starting your own company in coimbatore or Tirupur since UDF and LDF takes pride in not permitting to start any company in Kerala .
Whatever , when you realise that you are far away from all those memories and it may not be possible to go back where you enjoyed staying the most it becomes slightly unenjoyable after writing this . Lucky are though who are savoring all these in Kerala.
Added later
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Found lot of people searching for Kerala and Tourism lands on this page . Read this , if you are planning to visit Kerala . My two paisa for increaing the revenue of Kerala Tourism
2 weeks ago
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13 comments:
Aliya (sorry i just meant to be a true mallu) you made me nostalgic. I'm a Nair from Ottapalam who left that place 6 years back in search of a job. The things which you have said here really makes me miss my place but there are also things which you have explained here which i dont miss. Like the house boat and Vallam Kali. May be coz I'm not from that area. But how could you miss out the ecstasy of wearing a mundu and that too madakki kuthi, the beef fries, pazham poris, parippu vadas, passing urine in the open air and roaming bare chested. These are things only a malayali can think about doing.
I enjoy reading your blog. Good going.
I think pretty much every Malayali feels the same way. Though I find it significant that five out of your nine were related to food/drink. ;)
As for me, it would be - the rain, coconut trees swaying in the wind, oditta veedukal.
Sho.. enthey karkkida mazhaye patti onnum parayanje??
Reading your post made me feel a tinge of sadness, knowing that, I left all that in pursuit of happiness!
Waww...just the right read for me..a day away from my trip to mah roots...thought i;ve not lived in that lovely place for more than my annual vacations at school...i long to be there... from the breeze there to just the wet soil there, walks thru the paddy fields - awesome ...everything is a beauty on its own !!! Am just a day away is what simbbbly thrillss me !
Boathouse and staring into the full moon listening to the wavy music of the backwaters...am sure is a dream most of us share along with a house surrounded by greenary as far as eyes can go..waw !
Hi Umesh , Thanks for the nice words :) . Houseboats according to me has been commercialised too much but i am game for a mundu and that too madakki kuthi, the beef fries, pazham poris, parippu vada
stuff :)
Jasmine , Coconut Trees and Oditta Veedukal and Mazha that used to come when schools reopened . Do agree there :)
Sarah , Be happy where ever you are and enjoy when you have things to be happy about :). I enjoy am a fan of your blogs too.
Seema , There is a Mammootty film in whihc he has done just what you had told in a song "Boathouse and staring into the full moon listening to the wavy music of the backwaters ". Think it is Azhakiya Ravanan . It makes me nostalgic when ever I see it in TV.
P S : Enjoy your trip :)
Think the song is Vennila Chandanakinnam?
very happy to read this interesting article and ur group. After staying in kerala for the past 15 years I often thought that people here are dumb and accept things as it is.People say that public in Mumbai are very tolerant and life goes on even after frequent blasts. And same is the case with the normal citizens of kerala. There is a bandh or a harthal every alternate day and peoplehave got so much used to it that they hardly react other than gossipping about it. As u rightly pointed out, here law is in the hands of chota mota politicians and they feel they are even superior the highly civilian laws of the country be it speed governance or the ban on bandh or the cd racket.
My child aged 10 refuses to get up early and catch his 7am bus .His reaction is "Mom, please wake me up after reading the newspaper headlines, there could be a harthal or a bandh".
Where are we heading for?My nostalgic memories have vanished after coming in to terms with the day to day reality of kerala.
May be keralites staying in North can only sit and dream of a better kerala if this situation is to persist for long.
Nice! Very Nice! Miss Kerala!
Hmmm even though a malayalee ....i dnt miss kerala ....coz I have been born and brought up in Mumbai .....Now since I am no longer in Mumbai ...I do have similar feelings abt not staying in a place where I actually belong .......nice blog ...
Very very nostalgic indeed! you have listed most of the essential things which a mallu can never live without.
I loved the Toddy shop pic and the CITU poster :) amazing dude
Communism, tattukada ,parippuvada and Beedi :) fantastic combination.
As somebody rightly pointed out u missed out rain, which has got a significant place in every mallu's heart. Different forms of rain, ranging from light drizzle to thunderstorm, has a significant place in a mallu's nostalgic feelings. Especially the ones who have flown to dry lands leaving the paradise on earth (Still think it is!!)
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