Dedicated to Manga Kunnan of Chelakkara
By
P.R.Ramachander
I am again
trying to take back to the
old Chelakkara Gramam. There was a very interesting character called “Manga KUnnan” roaming the CHelakkara
Gramam during those days .He was a
harmless and very helpful mad man
of Chelakkara.He always used to keep on
Chanting “Ippa THanne, Ivada Thanne” and walk along . The Mamis of the Gramam
used to entrust him several peetty jobs
like buying things from the market.
They all knew that Manga Kunnan was extremely honest and efficient . People used to say that his name was
“Mangakunnathu Krishnan Nair “
and he once belonged to a good family
near PLacode village .This
cherished photo was Passed
on to me by my cousin Babu Subbaraman , who has permanently settled in USA.While thanking for that
nice gesture I would like to
dedicate this photo to that
good old mad man , who was the
part of the life of many of us .I am
sure Manga Kunnan never would have
imagined that his photo would any time come
in the internet and that too in
Facebook.
True, the saga of any Chelakarite is synonymous with the tales of Mr Mangakunnath Krishnan Nair. I remember the time when we used to come to Chelakara during vacation, he will be always seen standing in front of Vaidyan Krishna Iyer's Ayurvedic shop. And on seeing my father (CSV) alight from the bus, he will come to pick up the bag and CSV used to exchange greetings with him "എന്താ, കൃഷ്ണൻ നായരെ, സുഖം തന്നെ അല്ലേ !" (How are you, Krishnan Nair!).
ReplyDeleteI think, only CSV used to call him Krishnan Nair and it was a delight to his ears as was evident from his smile while the rest of the village called him "Mangakunnan". I am not sure whether he was a classmate of CSV at SMTHS School. I have heard, the Velichappadu of Anthimahakalan temple (the oracle) studied with CSV in the younger classes.
But I have seen Mami's of Gramam make him cut firewood with the axe and once he is on the job, he has to be told when to stop. Otherwise, when the logs are finished he will continue cutting the nearest tree. And that used to be the case with him when he was given a feast on festive occasions. He will not know when to say "enough".
He never used to take a bath but I have heard once when he had chickenpox, he used to take a bath often, that too in the temple well.
Yes, he will be long remembered by at least by our generation.
- Raja
Great reminiscences
ReplyDeleteIf I am not mistaken, he fell in the Ambala kulam and died as an old man.
ReplyDelete