Dedicated to the memory of my friend K.C.Ramachandran aka Rajan of Perinthalmanna

      Dedicated to the  memory of my friend K.C.Ramachandran aka  Rajan of Perinthalmanna

      By  his friend

     P.R.Ramachander

     Sri .K.C.Ramachandran aka Rajan lived in Perinthalammanna   which is a town adjoining the famous Angadipuram temple of  THirumandhankunnu Bhagwathi.  He was running a  small unit producing ready made  Adai for making  Ada Prathaman  , a great delicacy in Kerala. I am reminded of a story   when I write about Ada Prathaman. 

         It seems one Namboodiri family  conducted a Sradha in which another Brahmin was fed. According to tenets the Guest  Brahmin should eat to the fill and not eat anything  on that day  afterwards..The Namboodiri kept on asking the Guest Brahmin  whether his belly is  really full. At last the guest Brahmin declared that , there was not even space  to put his fingers  in his throat . When the guest Brahmin came out  , he was offered Ada Prathaman by  his friend who was in the opposite house and  he drank it .Unfortunately   the Namboodiri who fed him earlier   saw it and became very angry.He asked the guest Brahmin , how come he  could introduce so much of Ada Prathaman, when he did not have  even place to insert even his fingers.It seems  the guest Brahmin told, “Will there  not be way to the  king to go even in overcrowded roads?  Don’t you know that  Ada Prathaman is the  king  of food?”

       KCR  who did not know me saw an advt  in  internet put by me about   free  matching of horoscopes  by me and   sent me a mail  , attaching his daughter’s horoscope and a few more horoscopes.   As per my normal practice  I replied  to it , next day early morning .Then the mails containing horoscopes   kept on coming  from him. I was surprised once he remarked to me   that I see  the horoscopes   early in the morning around 5 Am.  The very shrewd  KCR could make it out by  seeing my replies .Once in a while he used to phone to me. Then some crisis occurred in the peaceful life of KCR. When he told me about it  , I got the horoscope of all the members of his family    and told him not to worry .I also   was able to   console him pointing out to him that   his problem would get solved.

     . He then became my friend .Later whenever I needed  any Malayalam book  , I used to write to him and he would   search heaven and earth and send it to me  .His daughter’s marriage was celebrated in Palghat .I do not have the practice of attending marriages outside Bangalore but he compelled me to attend his daughter’s marriage .I was the VIP  guest of the marriage and put up in possibly   a great hotel in Palghat.  His  son was  attending to my needs all the time .  I have never been treated that way in any other marriage .

    

     After a few months   when me and wife went to Guruvayur  , we engaged a Taxi   and  went to his house as well  as the  Thirumandhamkunnu temple .It was there  that I came to know  that it was his family who were  the pioneers  in production   of readymade  Ada  in Kerala .Though initially  the idea was given by  his mother and they started  doing it in traditional way and sun dried it   and sold it..Slowly 90%  of the activity was  mechanized as per his ideas.  He told that most of his family members   were running  independent companies   in  several places of Kerala as well as   in Pondicherry .I felt that  every one who  drinks the Ada Prathaman made  by instant Ada   should  visit his home   and see the  mechanic devices   that  he was using .

  

       Our friendship continued   as his  son came to study in Bangalore  .Every time he came back from Perinthalmanna  , My friend  KCR  would send some  new book. About a month back ,His son informed me  that he has passed away .I lost a great friend of mine   and became greatly sad .I am sure  KCR with his sunny temperament must be happy in heaven too  in company  of Gods.