Autobiographical musings

My memories of my father are very scanty as I lost him in 1950 while I was in 7th std. My father was Mr KN Pisharoty, son of Mr Rama Pisharoty who was a Munsiff in Cochin state at Thrissur. Grandfather died while his children were very young. He belonged to Thonnangamath (now PT House) which is Rema's house. Achan (Father) had an elder brother K Krishna Pisharoty, who was only 12 years old when their father died. Achan must have been around 8 or so. He had three sisters too, all younger than him. They had an uncle who, fortunately, looked after all of them. Memories about their school years are blank.  Achan always respected and obeyed his Ettan (elder brother) very much. Achan studied for Law in Trivandrum with limited financial help and had to study at night under street lights. Going from Cochin to Trivandrum was tough in those days - no buses or trains - they had to cross Vembanad lake in a large country boat. Once, while travelling by boat, he developed diarrhea. Since t...

Mother's name was Ammukutty Pisharasiar. She was a beauty in her young days. Achan fell in love with her and wanted to marry only her. He was correct in his selection and we must congratulate him because she was the epitome of all the goodness in the world. Like Devi Sahasranamam, if I had to attribute a thousand good qualities to a person, it would be my mother. She was beautiful, loving, noble, understanding, honest, and dutiful. I have never seen her upset or angry at anyone unnecessarily. She was intelligent and wanted to study even after her marriage. Achan (Father) completely agreed, and employed a teacher for her. She learned English too. I have seen her reading English novels even in her eighties. Amma (Mother) respected all religions and was a SARVA MATHA believer. So naturally Swami liked her and gave her Padanamaskar, blessed her on the head in her eighties and gave her created Vibhuthi. I had the good fortune to take her for Sathya Sai darsan along with Kochechi who wa...

Father There was a request from a friend to write more about my father"s association with the Cochin royal family. My father was a munsiff and the king ( Madiraasiyil theeppetta thampuran ) Rama Varma selected my father, noting his honesty, straight-forwardness, integrity and other good qualities. The King wanted him for all purposes and made him Sarvaadhi kaari. He held that post for 14 long years. Mother used to tell the stories of life inside the Kottaram (palace) to us later. Our whole family had a cushy life then. Food and accommodation were free and whatever food was made for the King had to be tasted by Sarvaadhi. Father could have saved a lot, but he felt he had to repay all the loans his uncle had brought upon himself for looking after them in childhood. Even the Pisharoty Munsiff's house had to be pawned for repaying the loans. So finally my father didn't have much savings, which caused him to have depressive illness.  I remember him feeling sorry for that state...

Our family house in Thrissur was called Pisharoty Munsiff's madhom , named after my grandfather who was a munsiff in those days. His wife died young when my father was a boy, when his elder brother was only 12 years old. They had 3 younger sisters too - Amminichechi, Kunhikavvchi and Thathyamma. Amminichechi had one son Kannarettan and daughter Amminichechi. Amminichechi was Mrs late Dr KN Pisharoty, retired medical college principal. Kannarettan was a retired Tehsildar who loved all of us brothers very much, and he too was loved by all. He was treating Thathyamma as his mother and the two of them were staying in our old Pooja room. As you know, my father died in 1950. We children had been performing his SRAADDHAM at Thrissur every year until my mother's death in 1985. She was very particular that she should come with all of us for the function. In the beginning, Kannarettan and Ramachettan used to join all of us brothers for the sraaddham. Mother was particular to give the u...

I am my mother's 14th child. She lost 5 daughters in her prime age and wanted girls. Her prayers yielded Kamakshi chechi. Going to Rameswaram, they again prayed for another girl. God made me and gave them and the priest blessed them to have a SALputhran (good son), it seems. True to their word, I could look after my mother till she left at 92. I felt a big void after she left, in spite having been with her for long .Everyone feels the same when they lose their mother. I lost my father in 1950 when I was in the seventh standard. The headmaster gave me permission to write one exam on the pindam day (12th day ceremony) in his office. Father had some depression due to money loss and was feeling guilty for not saving much for the children, especially the last two, Chechi and me. Father was a mild Diabetic too (no proper tests then - they used Fehling's solution to test sugar??). Treatment was based on clinical signs and doctors' guesses. Achan was under Dr Vaidyanatha Iyer, one ...