Varasyar: The Temple Servant

By Shruti Amrita

This is the story of a temple servant- a Varasyar. The story of a young girl subjected to hatred by her family.

A childhood filled with her mothers love, a secret love for her neighbour Bharathan and a friend Savithri, kindness shown by a few and taunts of others. The Varasyar-Radhamani has a life filled with early loss and sadness till she meets Balakrishnanair, a young and passionate man who gets involved in the Indian Independence movement.

A beautiful poem penned down by a teacher sets each of their lives on to irreversible paths. A secret society, an uprising and a rebellion twist and turn life at Puzhayorakaavu where Radhamani lives.

Heartbreaks and mementos of an unfulfilled love are cherished hidden in an iron trunk. A promise leaves her wondering if Balakrishnanair really loved her despite everything.

Can an ordinary woman lead a Revolution? Can true love really survive it all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Apr 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781482846843

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Shruti Amrita.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Partridge India

000 800 10062 62

www.partridgepublishing.com/india

Contents

1. The Varyam

2. Radhamani

3. Savithri

4. Growing up

5. Life

6. Love

7. What is Independence?

8. Those Endless Days

9. Marriage

10. All is fair in love and war

11. When do you stop loving someone?

12. When the commons rise

13. And life goes on

14. Epilogue

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real.

Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Inspired by

family legends and stories of:

Padaathukaavu Bhagavathi (Perumpilly, Kerala) and Pambampottu Bhagavathi & Mullabhagavathi (Potta, Kerala)

Acknowledgments

A story needs an idea to kindle it and countless blessings to turn it into a book.

I am grateful to God and the grace of the Universe for helping me tell this story.

I want to thank my grandparents. My grandfather Sri. N.K.R Menon, who guided me through this book. A true born gentleman man, a man of great intellect and fairness. My grandmother Smt. Saraswati Menon, who nourished me with immense love and care. Words cannot describe how indebted I am to you both nor how much I love you.

I also want to thank my parents for everything they have done for me. My father Mr. M.K Harindranath-who taught me to be strong despite all odds. My mother Mrs. Usha Hari-the world’s most amazing mother, friend and guide. I owe everything I am today to you both. Thank you for always believing in me.

My uncle Sajeev Mullassery, who could always be counted on for guidance, encouragement and support.

Vivek Mannil who loved me even on my worst I can’t write a word without a typo days.

My family of friends-Sumaila, Supraja, Arjun, Srishti and Reehan. Achuth Narayanan and Sandeep Balachandran for their brotherly love and support.

My friends and family who have always encouraged and stood by me.

To the reader who picked up this book from an unknown author of unknown origin, for giving me a chance to tell this story-the biggest thank you goes to you.

1.

The Varyam

Everyone experiences loneliness -some feel it more than others and some mask it more than others.

Varasyar is a Hindu caste whose roots can be traced back centuries in Kerala. Varasyars are called temple servants by the world because they perform the tasks related to looking after the temples. They weave the garlands for the deities and live on the offerings provided by the temple.

This story begins at the dawn of the twentieth century, in a land that was bounded by a beautiful river on one side and unexplored lands on the other. This is the land of Puzhayorakaavu. The name literally translates as the temple (kaavu) beside the river (puzha) and it was named so because of the temple that was located near the river.

Puzhayorakaavu was where a Varasyar family lived –their home was called a Varyam. The Varyam was at least a hundred years old and consisted of rooms, narrow hallways called edanaazhika, porticos called erayam and halls called thalam.

Every household at the time had several members and the eldest member of the family called as the karnor rules over them all.

The karnor makes all the decisions and their word was obeyed without question.

The Varyam in Puzhayorakaavu had over a hundred members and their karnor was a man called Shankunivaryar. He was known for his quick temper and sharp words.

The women of the household were never allowed outside the Varyam or to talk to strangers. Only a few were allowed to accompany their husbands when they went to perform the duties in the nearby temple, and that was considered the sacred right of this particular household alone- a ritual that was carried out through the history of Puzhayorakaavu.

Shankunivaryar was the oldest of six brothers and the youngest of them was a meek man called Kuttishankaran who had a son named Narayanankutti.

The elder brothers had always mocked Kuttishankaran. He was a passive man who lived in the shadows of his brothers. His wife had died giving birth to his son and he had married her sister to look after Narayanankutti who was an infant at the time.

As a child, Narayanankutti had always been picked on by the other boys in the family. He was a weak boy prone to falling sick and who stayed hidden in the folds of his step-mother’s garments. Narayanankutti was the one who was always pushed to take the blame for the other children’s mistakes and would mutely take the countless whiplashes given by an angry uncle.

He married late to a woman who was younger to him by twenty years. Her name was Thangamani and she had been a young girl in her teens when she first entered the Varyam.

Thangamani was a girl of a slightly darker complexion than the other women in the family but her thin structure, beautiful long dark hair and expressive eyes all added beauty to her otherwise plain looks. She spent her days in the temple making garlands and working in the kitchen.

The eldest member of the house decided important issues like marriages in the family. Shankunivaryar strategically chose beautiful women to marry his sons – women who brought more wealth into the family. He had always taken extraordinary pride in his five sons and had mocked Kuttishankaran for having only one son despite having married twice.

As Shankunivaryar’s sons all married and had more sons of their own, that mockery went onto Narayanankutti who was married by the time and had failed to have children. As the years went by and he still did not have children, Narayanankutti suffered harder at the hands of his family. He was powerless to retort to the downpour of insults and he took out his anger on Thangamani by beating her senseless on many nights.

Thangamani was mocked by the women in the family who told her Narayanankutti should marry again if he wanted children. She spent most days in the temple praying fervently to the Devi.

She wept as she sat alone in the dark chambers of the Varyam and heard children laughing outside. When she held a child to her bosom, she felt an ache so strong inside her that she felt her heart would break.

Her prayers and tears