TIRUR Kerala 2

Our stay in Tirur was a was a happy one with a few pinpricks here and there. The main trouble for us was the rain and next was the daily commutation to Kalpakancherry from Tirur and the third one was house owner

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To compensate these we had very friendly and helpful neigbours particularly one Mr Bappu – a simple man with a good heart  and his large family .Bapu’s daughter Banu was my wife’s close friend. Banu does not know Tamil and my wife does not know Malayalam. Yet language was not a barrier for friendship or conversation  

My son was admitted to LKG standard in a Convent School. He partook in a competition and won some prize . Whenever we visited the school we were treated like  guests  by the sisters and mother superior .

My daughter, a kid then will take food only if a cat is nearby

Bathri is a delicacy of Kerala .It is made of rice flour with not a single drop of oli. With side dish of Chicken curry one can easily swallow ten to fifteen hot bathris . Rice flour is dough is spread like small round rotti and fried on pieces of mud pot. And it is as thin as a 4 yard dhoti (ettu mula vetti)

Another dish we enjoyed very much is fresh Mathi fish (Sardine).   Very delicious and healthy dish –of course we have to bear with the strong aroma

Fish fry or Fish curry is a good combination for Parotta

To reduce oil consumption, keralites first boil the fish and then fry – no compromise in taste

Fish is almost staple diet for the local people.  They cook fish with fresh tamarind sold in the market

Cleanliness is a basic characteristic of Kerala. Houses big or small will be kept spotlessly clean. As a rule one will was his feet and then only enter the house

Cleaning the fish or washing clothes or utensils- very little water is used 

Preparing curd at home is a news to them. They know only curd coming from Uthtukkuli Tamilnadu in tins

In all hotels jeera water is available

For all the functions in the neighbourhood we will be invited. Many feasts we attended and enjoyed the tasty mutton or chicken briyani  and ghee rice

KNS is a wholesale firm of coir and coir products . All staff members and owner belong to Tamilnadu. Right from my entry to Kerala till my transfer to Trichy they were very helpful in all aspects.

Often they will host feasts in which the appetizer will be tasty black tea with lemon

Kalpakancherry was a fast developing branch. NRI deposits will pour down like anything .Customers very simple in appearance will come with bulk deposits. One customer will come with umbrella hanging in his shoulder. Every time he will enquire and confirm who is the branch manager (ningalthane  manager ?).

He will also test the strength of the safe vaults by his hands. A bulk depositor- so we won’t object

With a few notes about Tirur/Kalpakancherry I conclude Tirur

-Rocky soil- so no need for strong foundation for house construction .Some houses will look like hanging on a cliff.

-Some houses will be in deep ravine from where people will easily climb up for daily chores

-No fear of theft; no beggars

-Around the house lot of areca nut trees in which betel vines will be creeping.

-Rarely Tamil films will be exhibited. Whenever there is a break in theaters there will be light and sound of igniting beedis with lighters. With my cousin Ajmal I went to the film Moondru Mutichchu

-When I had gone to Tirunelveli to shift family my mother breathed her last

-Mother’s first year ceremony was held In Tirur. A lot of relatives attended it .A very delicious briyani was prepared by a local cook. And everyone enjoyed the place very much

-My father mastered Malayalam to the extent of delivering a lecture in a Public Meeting

-During my 2 years tenure  I attended a one month training at STC Chennai .

-And I was on deputation to  nearby Edappal branch for more than a month

We lived in a Muslim area .Yet Ramzan or Bakrid will be of no much significance to them. Only when the head of family comes from foreign country they have all the celebrations

It is a common sight to see women operating the oil expeller (Chekku) by their hands without animals

In shops and markets there is no place for bargaining

When we were at my native place for my brother Shaha’s marriage  , I got information about my transfer to Trichy

On a whole our two year tenure at Tirur was a pleasant one

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