KOTTAYAM

During the first day and the second day, we went to Kottayam and roamed around the old place where we used to live,
We saw the house, A2 Indira Nagar,not much change though they have modified the house externally, We saw Deepak's school which is now named as Pallikudam.
Evening we went to the famous Thirunakkara Temple.
Thirunakkara Mahadeva temple is situated 1.5km away from Kottayam Railway Station. Right in the heart of the city of Kottayam ,this Siva Temple built in the grand architectural style unique to Kerala,by the Maharajah of Tekkumkoor. Sri Parameswara is the presiding deity..

Legend has it that a local ruler was an ardent devotee of the Vadakunnatha temple at Thrissur and that he would make frequent trips to Thrissur from Kottayam. Such trips became harder as the king advanced in age.
During one of his trips, he had a dream in which Shiva of the Vadakkunnathan temple told him that he would manifest himself in the Tirunakkara hill in Kottayam.
True to the dream, a plough struck rock on the Tirunakkara hill and blood started oozing out; further careful excavation yielded a buried Shivalingam and a Nandi.
The theme of this legend is seen at several Shiva temples all over the land, where the Shivalingam is regarded as a self-manifested one and not one created with a chisel.
Another interesting fact about the temple is that Nandi, the steed of Lord Shiva is given lot of importance here.
It seems long ago one night some people saw a bull eating their crops. They threw a stone at it and it was injured. Then the Bull ran away. That day that bull which was actually Nandi came in the dream of the king and told him, “You consecrated me here. But you are not giving me any food. What alternative do I have except eating what is available. I am now injured because your people threw stones at me. “ Next day the king
called the owner of the field from which Nandi has eaten and ordered that the produce from the field should go towards Naivedyam for Nandi.
It seems in some years a boil appears on the stone statue of Nandi in this temple. Then the Ayurvedic doctors treat the boil. During the years when the boil appears, it seems some calamity will happen to the people or country. The last time it appeared was in the year 1932.

It was quite peaceful to pray in this huge temple.
We tried to locate the Beeges, the drive in restaurant ,was not there. Amma could not wait to enter Seemati her old joint .And we had some dinner at a new veg hotel. We also went to Baker Memorial pump and met my old friend Unni still managing the petrol pump.
Maaman Mappilai hall was standing as prominent as ever.
Being the first place of posting for me this town has a special love for me and hence some general details of this beautiful place.
Kottayam has its place of honour in the cultural map of Kerala. Kunchan Nambiar, the Father of Thullal, a popular temple art form was supposed to have lived at Kidangoor.
Kottayam stands first in the field of education, mass communication, printing and book publication. The part played by Deepika, Malayala Manorama and Bhashaposhini for the cultural and literary development is of immense significance. There are many printing presses and book publishing companies in Kottayam. D.C. books started publication from here in 1974. Kottayam is the headquarters of Current Books from 1977. It is estimated that 70 per cent of the State's book publication take place in Kottayam.
Late Kottarathil Sankunny, Kandathil Varghese Mappilai, Kerala Varma Valiyakoi Thampuran, K.C. Mammen Mappilai, , Vadakkumkoor Raja Raja Varma, Karoor Neelakanta Pillai, Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, D.C. Kizhakkemuri are dignitaries worth mention. Ponkunnam Varkey,Mahakavi Pala Narayanan Nair, Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, Booker Prize winner Arundhathi Roy, film actor Mammootty, writer Vaikom Chandrasekharan Nair, music director L.P.R. Varma and film director Jayaraj are some other notable personalities from the district.

The birth place of MRF tyres, the town which can boost of Mrs . K.M.Mathew's cooking classes ,Kottayam brought back plenty of nostalgic memories for both me and Uma