Linking the tradition
HUSSAIN KODINHI
Standing in front of the richly carved gigantically built Valluvarkottam at Nungambakkam in Chennai, memories traveled back hundreds of kilometers away to Thrithala, a small village in Palghat district in Kerala. It was there, ancestors of the great Dravidian poet Thiruvalluvar lived.
The village on the banks of Bharatappuzha was the epicentre of Parayipetta Panthirukulam (The twelve tribe born to a paraya woman), one of the most fascinating stories of the land. A recent research successfully unearthed many links that could bring the myth close to the reality.The myth goes like this. Vararuchi, the great scholar at the court of king Vikramaditya set out on a journey searching for the most sacred verse in Ramayana. On the banks of Nila (Bharatappuza) he married Adi, a low caste paraya woman brought up in a Brahmin family. It is believed that a female baby was delivered to the family by the river.
Performing penance for marrying a lower caste woman, the saint went on a pilgrimage. In the course of his journey, Adi gave birth to twelve children. Every time the saint asked, whether the baby had a mouth? “If it has a mouth the God will feed it” the saint used to say. Eleven of them were abandoned at different places. At the time of her twelfth delivery, the desperate mother lied that the child had no mouth and the saint immediately consecrated him at the top of a hill and now popular as the abode of Vayilla Kunnilappan (Hill God without mouth).
Each of these abandoned issues were adopted and brought up in different families belonging to various castes and religions. While Uppukoottan was brought up in Muslim family and Karakkal Matha, the only women member of the family, was adopted by Christian family. All of them became legends in their own time. Every year, on the anniversary of their father's death all these children used to assemble at their ancestral house at Vemancheri illam, where the eldest of them, Mezhathol Agnihotri lived. The myth goes on………..
The story says, Vellon, the ninth son of the couple, was none other than the Thiruvalluvar. It is believed that Vellon (Thiruvalluvar) was born during Vararuchi's pilgrimage to Dravida land and brought up in a weaver family. It is commonly agreed that the great saint was a weaver by profession.
Marvelously intertwined in history and myth the story has several interesting connections with the cultural traditions of Tamil Nadu. Varied forms of the same mythology are popular in Tamil Nadu also.
The whole story of the family, panthirukulam (tribe of 12 issues) is a part of rich cultural tradition of Kerala. The story still remains as perennial source of inspiration to the readers, writers and film makers.
Tracking the lineage of these legendary figures, a Researcher Dr. Rajan Chungath found that many live without knowing their great ancestors.
It has been noted that cultural traditions prevalent in neighbouring areas overlap each other, some times with varied details. The panthirukulam story has also several common aspects of tradition to share with rich Tamil culture prevalent on the banks of Cauvery.
It is believed that, the eldest son of the panthirukulam, Mezathur Agnihotri had been invited by a Chola king to strengthen a dam in Cauvery. He used vivanet (Kozhipparal in local parlance) a rare mineral available at Bharathappuzha. The Tamil work Pattinippalai also explains the story with a few variations. Recently, a British mineralogist JG Vivan identified the mineral. Another member of the family, Uppukoottan, is known to Tamil culture as Uppiliyappan, a deity of Vaishnava temple at Mayavaram in Kumbakonam. Karakkal Matha has been consecrated as Karkkalamma at a Siva temple at Karaikkal.
The two decade long pilgrimage of the Vararuchi finally ended at Mannur near Palghat and Thiruvalluvar and Pakkanar were the two sons present at the time of his death.
The life and history of the great poet is shrouded in mystery and varied explanations have been given to the time of his life. Professor A Chakravarthi, who translated Thriukkural into English ascribe the fist century BC as the period of his life. Several scholars have ascribed the same period to the Panthirukulam family also.
According to a mythology popular in tamil literature, Tiruvalluvar was the seventh son of Bagavan- Adi couple. Other children, Uppi, Uravai,Valli, Avvaiyaar, Atikaman and Kapilar were abandoned and brought up at different families.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Jaihoon Cool, Sufi Soul
Hussain Kodinhi, Daily Pioneer (VivaCity), Aug 18, 2005
Jaihoon , the very name reflects the mystic beauty of his lines. He is proud of his deep inclination towards the philosophy of love propounded by Jalaludheen Rumi and Allama Iqbal. He is Mujeeb Rahman, a 28-year-old pravasi Malayalee poet, writing in English.
Adopting the new media-the Internet- for his creative expression, his verses transcend the geographical boundaries of nations and even continents. With a novel and two collections of poems to his credit, Jaihoon has won hearts around the world.
Published from the United States, his second work Henna for the heart is a manifestation of his profound thinking and deep conviction of the mystic philosophy of Sufi Saints. Each line in this collection is soaked in his quest for eternal love that cures the sufferings of the wounded souls.? In this materialistic era when spirituality is a hot-selling commodity, I must confess that none of my poems were composed, except after being stimulated by an intense experience,? he says.
He is immersed in Sufi thinking. But watching the merciless world around, the poet revolts against the hegemony of consumerism and the materialist way of life. Questioning the indifference of the society towards the invading forces at their doorsteps, with a sarcastic note, he writes, ?let us still sit in a silent corner, and quietly whisper about easy prayer, while in the land of enemy, men and women march in protest? (lines from henna for the heart). Perhaps, due to the media Jaihoon has chosen largely to remain unknown in Kerala. The young expatriate poet hails from Venginikkara near Edappal in Malappuram district. Jaihoon ?a river in Turkistan-is his pen name.
Being proud to be a Malayalee, he keeps his ties with the land alive through his writings. The Cool Breeze From Hind, his third book, shares his nostalgic feelings about his roots. The book is a result of his journey from Kochi to Kasarkode.? The journey was a discovery of my roots and as well as the essence of Indian culture ?The communal harmony,? he says. The book traces the centuries-old cultural relation between Kerala and the Arab world. Egoptics, a harmonious mixture of prose and verses, was published in 2001. ?The title, comprising ego and optics, is a self-coined term to describe the sum total of my observations and experiences,? says Jaihoon.
Born and brought up in two different cultures, the fusion of traditions is palpable in his writings. The poet laments about the chauvinistic thinking of the modern man, who lives in a global village. Appreciating the sand dunes and paddy fields, the writer stands for love that defies the boundaries of nations.
The IT savvy poet is also the editor of www.jaihoon.com,a website which he uses as a platform for his literary career. Apart from his creative works, the site also provides news, articles, and video clippings relating to various subjects. Jaihoon is settled in Sharjah with his family and working as lease and licensing officer at Sharjah airport international free zone. Deeply inspired by the Sufi thoughts, for Jaihoon, writing is a search for spiritual love in every being.
Jaihoon , the very name reflects the mystic beauty of his lines. He is proud of his deep inclination towards the philosophy of love propounded by Jalaludheen Rumi and Allama Iqbal. He is Mujeeb Rahman, a 28-year-old pravasi Malayalee poet, writing in English.
Adopting the new media-the Internet- for his creative expression, his verses transcend the geographical boundaries of nations and even continents. With a novel and two collections of poems to his credit, Jaihoon has won hearts around the world.
Published from the United States, his second work Henna for the heart is a manifestation of his profound thinking and deep conviction of the mystic philosophy of Sufi Saints. Each line in this collection is soaked in his quest for eternal love that cures the sufferings of the wounded souls.? In this materialistic era when spirituality is a hot-selling commodity, I must confess that none of my poems were composed, except after being stimulated by an intense experience,? he says.
He is immersed in Sufi thinking. But watching the merciless world around, the poet revolts against the hegemony of consumerism and the materialist way of life. Questioning the indifference of the society towards the invading forces at their doorsteps, with a sarcastic note, he writes, ?let us still sit in a silent corner, and quietly whisper about easy prayer, while in the land of enemy, men and women march in protest? (lines from henna for the heart). Perhaps, due to the media Jaihoon has chosen largely to remain unknown in Kerala. The young expatriate poet hails from Venginikkara near Edappal in Malappuram district. Jaihoon ?a river in Turkistan-is his pen name.
Being proud to be a Malayalee, he keeps his ties with the land alive through his writings. The Cool Breeze From Hind, his third book, shares his nostalgic feelings about his roots. The book is a result of his journey from Kochi to Kasarkode.? The journey was a discovery of my roots and as well as the essence of Indian culture ?The communal harmony,? he says. The book traces the centuries-old cultural relation between Kerala and the Arab world. Egoptics, a harmonious mixture of prose and verses, was published in 2001. ?The title, comprising ego and optics, is a self-coined term to describe the sum total of my observations and experiences,? says Jaihoon.
Born and brought up in two different cultures, the fusion of traditions is palpable in his writings. The poet laments about the chauvinistic thinking of the modern man, who lives in a global village. Appreciating the sand dunes and paddy fields, the writer stands for love that defies the boundaries of nations.
The IT savvy poet is also the editor of www.jaihoon.com,a website which he uses as a platform for his literary career. Apart from his creative works, the site also provides news, articles, and video clippings relating to various subjects. Jaihoon is settled in Sharjah with his family and working as lease and licensing officer at Sharjah airport international free zone. Deeply inspired by the Sufi thoughts, for Jaihoon, writing is a search for spiritual love in every being.
Moving force
INDIA BEATS
Moving force
HUSSAIN KODINHI
Confined to the wheelchair, Kariveppil Rabia, through sheer determination, has single-handedly brought literacy and change to her village.
Committed to the cause of women and differently-abled children, it runs five special schools for mentally disabled children and a publishing house.
Indefatigable spirit: Kariveppil Rabia.
Paralysed below the waist, she moves around in a wheelchair. A deadly cancer attack made her life more miserable. Again, slipping on the floor broke her vertebral column and brought movements to a virtual halt. Despite all these odds, with an indefat igable spirit, she remains the moving force behind a voluntary organisation called Chalanam (motion). Committed to the cause of women and differently-abled children, it runs five special schools for mentally disabled children and a publishing house with more than 30 books to its credit. She herself has authored many of them. It also runs a number of projects for the empowerment of poor women. Fifteen years ago, her untiring efforts had brought a whole village into the world of letters. This is Kariveppil Rabia, a woman of outstanding grit and boundless energy with no parallels in her community or anywhere else.
In the early 1990s, the Kerala government launched the Total Literacy Campaign. Rabia was already running a small literacy centre in the verandah of her small house. Soon it became a part of the State literacy campaign and a role model for the whole State.Unique method of teaching
The remarkable performance of her literacy centre caught the attention of the State authorities and the officials visited her classroom in June 1992. To their surprise, from an eight-year-old child to an 80-year-old, neo-literates were able to read and write within a few weeks of training at her classroom. They learnt not just the letters but basic science, mathematics, history and general knowledge through her unique style of participatory teaching.
Seizing the opportunity, she convinced the authorities about the pathetic conditions in her village. The village, with two hundred families, had no basic facilities like road, electricity and telephone and water connection. The then district collector immediately sanctioned a road and it was constructed within three days with the participation of the villagers. The one-and-a-half km road was aptly named Akshara (word) Road. Electricity, telephone, and water connection came to the village on a war footing. Her small literacy classroom had turned into a pivotal centre of social and economic development of the village, Vellilakkadu in Malappuram district in Kerala.
The heartfelt support of the poor villagers inspired her to launch the Chalanam. It has initiated a number of women empowerment programmes for neo-literates. A small-scale manufacturing unit, a neo-literate mahila samajam, and a reading room were the first one to start off. Apart from literacy activity, she took up various awareness programmes for villagers on alcoholism, dowry, superstition, and communalism. Counselling centres for women and children, school health clubs, employment training centres were set up. She could also achieve an emotional integration with the village folks as she gave counselling in family life and relations.Wide recognition
News about her efforts crossed the boundaries of her small village when she won the National Youth Award in 1993. It was just the beginning. Awards and honours flowed one after another. She was the first recipient of Kannaki Sthree Sakthi award in 2000 instituted by the child welfare department of the government of India. She also won the Youth Volunteer against Poverty, jointly instituted by the Central Youth Affairs Ministry and UNDP in 2000. The Junior Chamber International selected her for the Ten Outstanding Young Indians award in 1999. Now she has more than a dozen awards in her kitty. Nehru Yuva Kendra Award, Bajaj Trust Award, Ramasramam Award, and State Literacy Samiti Award to name a few. A documentary film on her life, “Rabia”, has been translated into 14 languages and named the best educational, motivational, and instructional film in India.
A devoted Muslim, she ascribes the credit for her success to the Almighty. “He is the sole source of my energy, and I am bound to work for the awards in the life hereafter”, she asserts.
She recently published her memoirs, Mouna Nombarangal, and is now working on her autobiography. Afflicted with polio at the age of 12, Rabia continued her studies with sheer willpower, but was forced to give up after matriculation. However, she loved letters and became a voracious reader, which became the firm foundation for her later activities. Her deteriorating health did not come in the way of her struggles to lighten the life of poor villagers, predominantly Muslims and lower caste potters.
India Beats features stories of th unusual, the exotic and the extraordinay.
Moving force
HUSSAIN KODINHI
Confined to the wheelchair, Kariveppil Rabia, through sheer determination, has single-handedly brought literacy and change to her village.
Committed to the cause of women and differently-abled children, it runs five special schools for mentally disabled children and a publishing house.
Indefatigable spirit: Kariveppil Rabia.
Paralysed below the waist, she moves around in a wheelchair. A deadly cancer attack made her life more miserable. Again, slipping on the floor broke her vertebral column and brought movements to a virtual halt. Despite all these odds, with an indefat igable spirit, she remains the moving force behind a voluntary organisation called Chalanam (motion). Committed to the cause of women and differently-abled children, it runs five special schools for mentally disabled children and a publishing house with more than 30 books to its credit. She herself has authored many of them. It also runs a number of projects for the empowerment of poor women. Fifteen years ago, her untiring efforts had brought a whole village into the world of letters. This is Kariveppil Rabia, a woman of outstanding grit and boundless energy with no parallels in her community or anywhere else.
In the early 1990s, the Kerala government launched the Total Literacy Campaign. Rabia was already running a small literacy centre in the verandah of her small house. Soon it became a part of the State literacy campaign and a role model for the whole State.Unique method of teaching
The remarkable performance of her literacy centre caught the attention of the State authorities and the officials visited her classroom in June 1992. To their surprise, from an eight-year-old child to an 80-year-old, neo-literates were able to read and write within a few weeks of training at her classroom. They learnt not just the letters but basic science, mathematics, history and general knowledge through her unique style of participatory teaching.
Seizing the opportunity, she convinced the authorities about the pathetic conditions in her village. The village, with two hundred families, had no basic facilities like road, electricity and telephone and water connection. The then district collector immediately sanctioned a road and it was constructed within three days with the participation of the villagers. The one-and-a-half km road was aptly named Akshara (word) Road. Electricity, telephone, and water connection came to the village on a war footing. Her small literacy classroom had turned into a pivotal centre of social and economic development of the village, Vellilakkadu in Malappuram district in Kerala.
The heartfelt support of the poor villagers inspired her to launch the Chalanam. It has initiated a number of women empowerment programmes for neo-literates. A small-scale manufacturing unit, a neo-literate mahila samajam, and a reading room were the first one to start off. Apart from literacy activity, she took up various awareness programmes for villagers on alcoholism, dowry, superstition, and communalism. Counselling centres for women and children, school health clubs, employment training centres were set up. She could also achieve an emotional integration with the village folks as she gave counselling in family life and relations.Wide recognition
News about her efforts crossed the boundaries of her small village when she won the National Youth Award in 1993. It was just the beginning. Awards and honours flowed one after another. She was the first recipient of Kannaki Sthree Sakthi award in 2000 instituted by the child welfare department of the government of India. She also won the Youth Volunteer against Poverty, jointly instituted by the Central Youth Affairs Ministry and UNDP in 2000. The Junior Chamber International selected her for the Ten Outstanding Young Indians award in 1999. Now she has more than a dozen awards in her kitty. Nehru Yuva Kendra Award, Bajaj Trust Award, Ramasramam Award, and State Literacy Samiti Award to name a few. A documentary film on her life, “Rabia”, has been translated into 14 languages and named the best educational, motivational, and instructional film in India.
A devoted Muslim, she ascribes the credit for her success to the Almighty. “He is the sole source of my energy, and I am bound to work for the awards in the life hereafter”, she asserts.
She recently published her memoirs, Mouna Nombarangal, and is now working on her autobiography. Afflicted with polio at the age of 12, Rabia continued her studies with sheer willpower, but was forced to give up after matriculation. However, she loved letters and became a voracious reader, which became the firm foundation for her later activities. Her deteriorating health did not come in the way of her struggles to lighten the life of poor villagers, predominantly Muslims and lower caste potters.
India Beats features stories of th unusual, the exotic and the extraordinay.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Honourable guests
The gala over the World Aids Day is over. The media celebrated the day with much fan fare. Political parites and NGOs had a busy schedule tracking the heroic battles fought by the hapless AIDS patients. Overnight many of them became heroes. Leaders and cine statrs were proud to be among themselves on the dais.
The real fact was that most of the people was just moving along with the flow, a kind of hypocracy of the elite class.
What the media and the stars forgot ot mention was that, most of the poeple fear the AIDS just because the social stigma attached to it. Now that has been taken out, get affected with Aids and be ahonourable gust, rubbing showlders with silver screen stars!!!!!!!
The real fact was that most of the people was just moving along with the flow, a kind of hypocracy of the elite class.
What the media and the stars forgot ot mention was that, most of the poeple fear the AIDS just because the social stigma attached to it. Now that has been taken out, get affected with Aids and be ahonourable gust, rubbing showlders with silver screen stars!!!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)