PATHIYAVEEDU

        The Pathiyaveedu tharavadu (manor, ancestral homestead) is one of the Madambi families of Karapuram, located in Kuruppankulangara, Cherthala.  Karapuram is the stretch of land between Alapuzha and Aroor along the western shores of the Vembanad lake.  Karapuram was governed by madambis (local chieftains), and Pathiyaveedu Panicker was one of them. 

 

 Madambi Families

 Madambi  is an aristocratic title given to the uppermost subdivisions of Nairs in Kerala by the Kings of Travancore and Cochin.  Madambis were also janmis (similar to zamindars in Northern India), who owned the titles to vast stretches of land during the pre-independence era.  They had controlling authority over four or more karas (villages) and over local temples.  Many Madambis had their own kalaris (martial arts school), and the kalari gurus were designated by titles. They had their own small armies comprising of 100-500 men. Until the formation of the modern Travancore state in 1729 and the beginning of modern large armies, these local armies all over Kerala were the source of military power for the king in times of external threats. Even though the military significance of madambis waned over the centuries, they held significant economic power until the communist government in 1959 enacted the Kerala Land Reform Act that severely curtailed the area of land a family can own to 15 acres or less. Well before this final act of curtailment of madambi powers, the Nair Act of Travancore in 1912 and its further modifications in 1925 and the Cochin Nair Act of 1920 had disrupted the Nairs’ matrilineal joint families and ushered in the patrilineal nuclear family system. 

 The Pathiyaveedu Tharavadu

The head of the Pathiyaveedu family had the special privilege of being permitted to sit in front of the king of Travancore. In addition to the powers and responsibilities of a madambi family, Pathiyaveedu tharavadu had special privileges and responsibilities in the festivals and rituals of the famed Cherthala Bhagavathi temple.  The Thalapoli and Ayilyam Padayani, a  temple ritual that involves a festive procession including, in olden days, martial art marching performances, starts from the Patiyaveedu tharavadu, a tradition that continues to this day. One of the seven ponds where the Bhagavathi goes once a year as a part of the annual festival is located in close proximity of Pathiyaveedu tharavadu.

Traditionally, male members of the Pathiyaveedu family used Panicker as their surname while female members used Amma. Male members also used the honorary prefix Eravi, conferred on the family by the King in ancient times (example: Eravi Unni Panicker).  Women were allowed to marry only someone from another Madambi family, but men were free to marry from any well-respected Nair family. 

 

While following the matrilineal system, the Pathiyaveedu tharavadu was on the verge of extinction a few generations ago as no female offsprings were born to continue the lineage. Therefore the family adopted a girl from the Pazhayattu tharavadu, another local family. Subesequent generations are descendants of that woman. Oral history also alludes to ancestral relationships with Umminiyelil family of Kadakkarppally, Pallipuram family at Cherthala and Penathu family at Maruthorvattam but no details are available.

 

 

Current family lineages from Pathiyaveedu

In the year 2020, there are eleven main lineages of the Pathiyaveedu family:

1. Koduvelil, 2. Shivaramasowdam, 3. Thoranam, 4.Thayyil, 5. Naduvathezhathu, 6. Kumaramandiram (Kollamparampil), 7. Chandravilasam (Veliyil), 8. Pazhayattu, 9. Pareparampil, 10. Muttathil, and 11. Koottunkal. 

With available information, only five of these lineages can be connected in a family tree (Thoranam, Thaiyil, Naduvathezhathu, Kumaramandiram and Chandravilasam). 

 

Even as the Pathiyavedu clan expanded and different lineages came into being, the senior most male member of the clan (Karanavar) was responsible for oversight of the common properties such as Kaavu, Madom and responsibilities associated with the Cherthala Devi Temple activities. The most recent Karanavar was Eravi Unni Panicker (1968-2003) and after his passing the responsibilities were assumed by the Pathiyaveedu Kudumbayogam trust (see below about the Trust). Unni Panicker was preceded by his elder brother Eravi Parameswara (Kuttan) Panicker (1962-1968). Their uncle Eravi Narayana Panicker was the Karanavar before that. Narayana Panicker is credited with donating a part the Pathiyaveedu Madom property to the Nair Service Society Karayogam. The Padinjare Nalpathil NSS Karayogam No. 1605 office and meeting hall stand on this property. Other known male members of the family who have passed are Eravi Gopala Panicker, Eravi Vasu Panicker, Eravi Kutty Panicker, Eravi Ettiyathi Panicker, Eravi Kunjunni Panicker, Eravi Keshava Panicker, Eravi Kumara Panicker and Eravi Gopalakrishna Panicker. We also know the names of eight female ancestors: Kavoottiamma, Kalyaniamma and Karthiyaniamma of Pathiyaveedu House, Gowriamma, Bhavaniamma and Kanakamma of  Koduvelil House, Ponnuamma and Kuttykavamma of Shivaramasowdam House. Where relationships to the present generation (2020) are known, they presented in the family tree. Link to the family tree is at the bottom of this article. 

         

Until the generation born around 1900, family members resisted “Western” education, but were well educated in the traditional system.  The late Eravi Kumara Panicker (born 1902) was the first from the family to break tradition and attend college.  He graduated with a B.A. in economics and did further studies in law.  Members of later generations are well-educated and live at various parts of India as well as foreign lands including North America, Europe, England, Australia, Japan and the Middle East.

  

The Family House

 The Pathiyaveedu family home built over 200 years ago still stands. The house is a typical traditional Nalukettu (quadrangular house) with a nadumuttam (central atrium) open to the sky. There was also a Kalapura, a two-room building with an open porch adjacent to the Nalukettu that was mainly used by the male members of the family.  In the 1920s as the  matrilineal joint family system ended, nuclear families started moving out to independent homes.  By the1960s the remaining two nuclear families, Bhavaniamma/Narayana Kartha and Ponnuamma/Madhava Kartha, also moved out and the house became vacant.  Even though  not lived-in since 1960s, members of the family continue to maintain the house and use it for religious and ceremonial purposes. Although the house and the land surrounding it belonged to all family members, they were managed, along with responsibilities for temple ceremonies and associated events, by the Karnavar, the oldest male member of the family, until the lifetime of Eravi Unni Panicker. Subsequently, Muralidhara Panicker, Vishwanatha Panicker, Shyamkumar, Rajagopal and several others took initiative for maintenance of the property and eventually, in 2007, formed the Pathiyaveedu Trust, that is currently responsible for the management of the property and all religious events. 

The Madom and Kaavu:

In the distant past, the Pathiyaveedu homestead was a rather expansive property that included a Madom (shrine for family deities that included residential quarters for visiting Brahmin priests), an additional shrine and Sarpakavu (nature preserves where snakes are worshipped) at Mattappallil and a Kalari (martial arts training house). Following the formation of the Travancore state and centralized military in the eighteenth century, the Kalari lost its relevance and gradually disappeared.  

The Pathiyaveedu Madom was a building located about a half kilometer south-east of the main house. A Durgadevi was worshipped inside the madom building. It had two  separate shrines, one for Sree Bhuthakaala Nagayakshi (ancient tree deity worshipped for fertility and wealth) and another for the Kalari deities. A grove for Nagaraja (king of serpants) was also located there. The main Madom building was demolished some years ago. The Sree Bhuthakaala Nagayakshi, Durgadevi, Nagaraja and serpent deities of the Kavu were moved to the Pathiyaveedu house in 2009 for preservation and convenience of performing periodic rituals. The Kalari deities still remain at the Madom location as of 2020.

Mattappallil kaavu located about 1 km south-west of the main house  also has family deities that are worshiped regularly. The main deity is Yakshiamma, whose idol is a combination of Shiva, serpent and yakshi, measuring around  6 feet high. Yakshiamma is installed in the recently renovated shrine and the serpent deities are worshipped in the associated kaavu.  This shrine was maintained by a Brahmin priest in the nineteenth century and it went into disrepair after his death. The shrine was renovated in the mid-1900s under the leadership of late Eravi Kumara Paniker.  A further round of renovations occurred in 2011, and worships and rituals are now performed monthly and on special religious occasions.

 

 Legend of Cherthala  Karthyayani Temple and association with Pathiyaveedu

 The history of the city of Cherthala is intimately linked to the goddess Karthyayani Temple. The legend of the Goddess goes like this: The famous 14^th century Kerala sage Vilwamangalam Swamiyar is credited with the consecration of Karthyayani temple. Goddess Karthyayani was a playful spirit who would not stay at one place. Swamiyar wanted to make her sit at one place and build a temple for her. Through his sixth sense Swamiyar spotted a young maiden swinging on a swing from a tree at the present temple site, a thick forest in the past. Realizing Swamiyar’s intentions, the goddess kept fleeing from him by hiding in a pond and then jumping from one pond to another as the Swamiyar approaches. She did this in seven ponds in a ten-kilometer radius. The seven ponds are Kaalikulam, Cherakulam, Kelamkulam, Pullamkulam, Pallikulam, Kuruppankulam and Thrippoorakulam. Swamiyar got angry and swore at the goddess and caught her by her hair from the muddy pond at the present temple site. As the sage could only get hold of the goddess’ head in the muddy pond, the temple and the nearby place came to be called Cherthala, cher meaning mud and thala, head.

 The sprawling wooden temple, with its copper roofing, gold-plated flagstaff, sanctum sanctorum and the pagoda-like entrance together form an excellent example of Kerala temple architecture. The goddess’ idol in the sanctum santorum is installed below ground level, similar to several other ancient temples in Kerala. During the monsoon season, the ground water level nearly comes to the surface and the idol is immersed in water. At this time, the daily ritual offerings and made on a raised platform in front of the idol.   The pooram festival conducted in March each year attracts large crowds. The padayani, vela tullal, and pooram pattu are the main rituals conducted during the temple festival. The temple has other deities like Siva, Vishnu, and Kaavudayan (Sastha). The nivedyam (offerings of food) of this temple is famous and delicious. These are irattippayasam (doubly sweetened black rice pudding), trimadhuram (mixture of sugar, banana, and jaggery) and the unique thadiyappam (a rice flour, coconut and jaggery loaf baked in areca palm leaf sheaths in sand pits over hot coals).

Pathiyaveedu connection to Cherthala  Karthyayani Temple 

Pathyavvedu family is closely associated with Goddess Karthyayani Devi of Cherthala temple.  The temple rituals and festivals involving the family are:

·       Thrikkaarthika thaalapoli in the month of Vrushchikam

·       Mandalapooja thaalapoli in the month Dhanu

·       Kaarthika thalapoli (Desha thaalapoli) heralding the annual pooram festival in the month of Meenam

·       First day rituals (Kodiyettu) of the pooram in the month of Meenam (Ahass)

·       Aayilyam padayani procession on the fifth night (Ashlesha asterism) of the pooram in the month of Meenam.

·       Greeting of the Devi at Kuruppankulam when she arrives for aarattu on the sixth day (Makam asterism) of the festival.

·       Sponsoring and manning one of the floats that participate in the pooram thullal grand finale celebrations on the seventh day (Pooram asterism).

 

Brief descriptions of these activities follow.

Legend is that a Pathiyaveetil Panicker offered protection to the goddess Karthyayani from the sage Vilwamagalam Swamiyar when he was chasing her from one pond to the other.  In gratitude, Devi honored and gave a special invitation to this family to visit her on her birthday (Thrikaarthika in Vruschika masam, November 16-December 15). To this day, the women from Pathiyaveedu family lead the thaalapoli (a ceremonial procession of women carrying a thalam (a plate) filled with rice, flowers and a lighted lamp). They wait near the south entrance of the temple until Devi arrives (on elephant) in a procession with orchestral and other ceremonial accompaniments. Seated on an elephant, Devi leads the women in the thalapoli procession to the temple nada (threshold) where they offer their thalams. 

The Mandalapooja thaalapoli is related to the Mandala celebration of Shabarimala Shastha rituals.  On the 40^th day following the 1^st of Vruschika month (the date of mandala pooja in the month of Dhanu), a  thaalapoli starts from Pathiyaveedu to the Cherthala Devi temple. The women from Pathiyaveedu lead this procession.

 

The Pooram Festival 

 The annual seven day-long pooram festival at the temple begins on the makayiram star (Mrigashirsha asterism) in the month of Meenam (March 16 to April 15) with kodiyettu (hoisting of the flag).  The entire day’s rituals and festivities, including the temple’s daily expenses for the day(ahass) are sponsored by the Pathiayaveedu family. Before hoisting flag, the Thanthri of the temple formally requests permission from the Karanavar of the Pthiyaveedu family. In recent times, the president of the Pathiyaveedu Trust acts as the Karanavar. 

The rituals begin two days before kodiyettu on Karthika asterism with a thaalapoli from Pathiyaveedu tharavadu followed another thaalapoli next day (Rohini asterism) from Arakkal tharavadu. The Karthika thaalapoli has its roots in the 1789-1790 attack on Travancore by Tippu Sultan (Tippu’s Padayottam). Even though the attack did not materialize in any significant way, temples in northern Travancore areas made preparations for protection of their temples. As part of this, the Cherthala temple Devi idol was moved to the Ara (inner safe room) of Pathiyaveedu house. Once the invasion faded, the idol was returned to the temple accompanied by thaalapoli and other celebrations just before the next pooram festival. For this reason, the Karthika thaalapoli is also known as Desha Thalapoli.

 

On every day starting with kodiyettu, Devi goes for aaraattu (ceremonial bathing in the pond) in each of the seven ponds, one pond per day. These seven ponds, the same ones in which Devi tried to hide from Vilwamangalam Swamiyar are the following in order:

 

Kaalikulam – Located 1.5 miles east of the temple. First day arattu after kodiyettu (Makayiram) takes place here at night.

 

Cherakulam – Located 2 miles south of Kaalikulam. Second day arattu  (Thiruvathira) takes place here in the morning.

 

Kelamkulam – Located 1.5 miles west of Cherakulam and 3 miles south of the temple. Third day arattu  (Punartham) takes place here in the morning.

 

Pullamkulam – Located 1.5 mile west of Kelamkulam. Fourth day arattu  (Pooyam) takes place here in the morning.

 

Pallikulam – Located a quarter mile south of the temple, on the south side of Cherthla Government Town LP School. Fifth day arattu  (Aayilyam) takes place here in the morning. Originally the pond named Pallikulam was located at Pallipuram, four miles north of the temple. It is believed that a decision was made in the 19^th century not to use the pond at Pallipuram because of security and logistical issues and use the pond near the temple.

 

Kuruppankulam – Located 2.5 miles south-west of the temple in the village of Kuruppankulangara, about 0.5 miles north of the Pathiyaveedu Tharavadu. Sixth day arattu (Makam) takes place here in the morning. See details below relating to involvement of Pathiyaveedu.

 

Thrippoorakulam – Loacted 2 miles south of Kuruppankulam and 4 miles south-west of the temple. Seventh day arattu (Pooram) takes place here in the morning.

 

The last three days (Aayillyam, Makam, Pooram, days 5-7) are the most celebratory part of the whole festival. The highlight of day five is the aayilyam padayani procession. Padayani is a tradition in many Kerala temples and refers to ceremonial military processions. Even though such processions still continue in some temples, Cherthala temple discontinued it long time ago. In its current form, aayilyam padayani consists of a procession starting from Pathiyaveedu. Along with ritual activities the padayani procession starts from Pathiyaveedu around nine p.m. and proceeds to the temple in a slow raucous dancing march accompanied by an orchestra (thappumelam). Only men participate in this event. This procession is also used as a means to vent hidden anger and all negative feelings that are not normally allowed in the community. People often get drunk and sing songs of all kinds laced with expletives about respectable people in the society and the goddess herself without consequences.

 On the sixth day (Makam) when Devi arrives at Kuruppankulam, the Pathiyaveetil Amma (senior woman) greets her with a lighted lamp and thaalam. Uruli vazhipadu or sweet rice pudding offering (varatti payasam) is the highlight of the day at pond-side. Believers bring their own uruli (round bronze cooking  dish) along with rice, jaggary, butter, oil and fruits. The priest and his assistants make temporary hearths for each uruli using green coconut frond stems and start a fire underneath with dry coconut fronds and twigs. The supplies provided are cooked into a delicious payasam (pudding) and returned to the provider after ritual blessing by Devi. Anyone wishing to make an offering can bring an uruli and supplies.  Typically, several dozen uruli vazhipadu offerings take place. Along the return procession of Devi back to the temple in the afternoon, numerous residents along the way make Para offerings. This involves decorating and lighting a small area in front of the house next to the street and offering a Para measure (about 5 kilograms) of rice paddy (Nellu) to the Devi.  Offerings from dozens of houses are collected and taken to the temple where it used for temple rituals. 

On Pooram day (7^th day), festivities reach the grand finale. The Pooram thullal, another slow-moving dancing procession, starts from Thekukvaram (southern reaches of the community) and arrives at the temple by 9 p.m.  After arriving at the temple, the procession makes circumambulations around the temple along with additional dancers and decorated floats. This function is called Vela thullal, referring to the ancient martial arts performances (vela) that used to be a part of the celebrations.  The huge decorated floats were called Annams (swans) because of their swan-like shape.  The Pathiyaveedu family had their own Annam and a Pathiyaveedu Panicker (senior male member of the family) would sit on it during the Vela thullal  and throw bananas and other small items for the people in the crowd to catch. Use of the floats have been discontinued in recent years.

The Pooram festival comes to and end next day (Day 8, Uthram asterism) with lowering of the festival flag, other temple rituals and a final arattu at the Pallikulam pond.

The Trust and Maintance of Pathiyaveedu

Pathiyaveedu Tharavadu and the family deities are maintained  by the Pathiyaveedu Kudumba Yogam trust which was formed by the family members and was registered in 2007. It is administered by an administrative Board (President, Secretary and Treasurer) with a term of office of 3 years.  The temple rituals are done by the Trust. In the Tharavadu, a  Bhagavatha Sapthaham has been held for some years.  A Vanita group (ladies’ group) was formed by 2018, and the ladies meet there on auspicious days to chant prayers. 

Family Trees of Pathiyaveedu Lineages

Click on this link for family tree pictures (pdf): Family tree pictures

Sources and Acknowledgements

Personal communications from late Saraswathi Amma, Vasudevakartha, Kanakam Kartha, Ramankutty, Gopakumar, Shyamkumar, Indiradevi, Deepa Nair, Meenakshikutty Amma, Kamalamma, Ravindran, Ambika Rajith, Rajith Kumar, Govindankutty and Vipinachandran.

 

Literature sources:  Wikipedia articles, several Kerala history books, Cherthala Devi Temple publications, the cookbook Tastes and Traditions by Leelamoni Pillai and Teresa George. 

 

Several family members including Radhakrishnan & Mini Nair, Dr. George (Australia) and Lakshmi Narayanan (USA), contributed to the preparation and proofing of this article. Final editing and preparation of the family tree diagrams were done by Thankam & Rajan Nair.