A Family's Unspoken Love - Part 9
Deepti awoke suddenly, startled from her sleep, and glanced around in confusion. Relief washed over her as she saw Achu lying beside her. She carefully removed her father's hand from her and sat up on the bed.Wiping away the sweat from her face with her hands, she reached for the jug on the nearby table and took a sip of water. She sat there for a while, deep in thought, before lying back down and hugging her father.
Eventually, she drifted off to sleep again.
"Don't go," Achu said to Deepti, who was sitting in the car, watching Hari.
They both smiled at her. "Let's go," they said in unison. "We're exploring Palakkad for these two days."
"Not later," Hari added, looking at her.
Deepti's lips curved into a smile.
"Dee, you haven't seen the beauty of our Palakkad. You've been to foreign lands, but there's no place like our Palakkad. It's blessed with the grace of nature," Achu remarked.
"Not later," Deepti agreed.
"You, the historian, enlighten her about the history. Let her know that she doesn't need to leave home," Achu said to Hari.
"What's that? You want me to be a history teacher now?" Hari responded.
Achu started the car, and they began their journey.
"Palakkad..." Achu and Deepti listened attentively to Hari.
"It's one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, formed on January 1, 1957, from the southeast part of the former Malabar district. It's located in the central part of Kerala and has been the largest district in the state since 2006," Hari explained.
"Palakkad is bordered by Malappuram district to the northwest, Thrissur district to the southwest, Nilgiris and Coimbatore to the northeast, and Coimbatore to the east," Achu added.
"The district is nicknamed the 'Kalappura of Kerala,'" Deepti remarked.
"It's also known as the 'Nellara of Kerala,'" Deepti asked, looking at Hari.
"That's correct," Hari confirmed.
"Palakkad is known as the gateway to Kerala due to the Palakkad gap in the Western Ghats," Achu added.
"I didn't know any of this," Deepti admitted.
"You should study for the PSC exams, and you'll learn all about Palakkad," Hari suggested.
"Get lost," Deepti replied.
"Bharathapuzha is the main river in Palakkad, and the entire district is in its river basin. There are many small and medium rivers in our district that are tributaries of Bharathapuzha," Hari continued.
"Several dams have been built across these rivers, with the largest being the Malampuzha Dam, which we're going to see now," Achu said, focusing on driving.
"Ah," Deepti acknowledged.
"There's a sculpture there, too," Hari said.
"A yakshi?" Deepti's eyes widened.
"That's right," Achu confirmed. "But it won't harm you; it's just a statue."
"Oh, so both of you are just trying to tease me," Deepti huffed.
"Let's also visit the nearby Snake Museum," Hari suggested.
"I'm not coming near any snakes; you can go," Deepti firmly declined.
Hari chuckled. "I'll place you right next to the python."
"You go ahead," Deepti retorted.
Achu interjected, "Let's continue, Deepti."
"Okay," Deepti agreed, and Achu resumed driving.
"Would you like to hear more history?" Hari asked.
"Of course!" Deepti replied.
Hari delved back into the history of Palakkad.
"In the past, Palakkad was known as Palakkad Dussery," he began.
"That name deserves a punch," Deepti commented.
"I'm ready to deliver two punches for it," Hari added with a hint of bitterness.
Deepti chuckled, and Hari continued, "Many believe that Palakkad got its name from a native tree called 'Pala,' which means 'forest of pala trees.' Others believe it was named after 'Pali,' the holy language, due to an ancient Jain temple in the area."
"In 1757, the King of Palakkad sought the assistance of Hyder Ali of Mysore to resist the Zamorin of Kozhikode's attack. Later, Hyder Ali's son, Tipu Sultan, became the ruler," Achu contributed.
"Before Indian independence, Kerala was divided among various regions, including Malabar, Cochin, and Travancore. The first all-Kerala conference of the Indian National Congress was held in 1921 at Ottapalam on the banks of Bharathapuzha, where the demand for a separate Malayalam-speaking state was raised," Hari explained.
"Ottap
alam is located in the central part of Kerala," Deepti added.
"That's right," Hari affirmed.
"The area around Coimbatore was ruled by the Cheras during the Sangam period and served as the eastern gateway to the Palakkad Gap, the main trade route between the Malabar coast and Tamil Nadu. Palakkad was ruled by the Kings of Palakkad and had authority over certain regions," Achu elaborated.
"Parts of Palakkad were also under the control of the Zamorin," Hari added.
"In 1757, the King of Palakkad sought Hyder Ali's help again to defend against the Zamorin of Kozhikode," Achu continued.
"In 1766, Hyder Ali defeated the Zamorin of Kozhikode and later merged Kozhikode into his state. He also rebuilt the Palakkad Fort in 1766," Hari clarified.
"Malabar and South Canara were eventually ceded to the British East India Company due to the Third Anglo-Mysore War and the Treaty of Seringapattam in the 1790s," Achu added.
"Both regions were initially part of the Bombay Presidency of British India but were later merged with the Madras Presidency. The British Raj had control over Palakkad until 1947," Hari continued.
"Palakkad Municipality was established on November 1, 1866, under the Madras Act 10 of 1865, known as the 'Improvement of Cities Act, 1850.' Other towns like Kozhikode, Kannur, Thalassery, and Fort Kochi were also made the first modern municipalities in modern Kerala," Achu explained.
"Before Palakkad district was formed, the region was part of the Malabar district," Hari added.
Deepti questioned, "So, how did Palakkad become a district?"
"After Kerala's formation in 1956, the old Palakkad taluk was divided into three parts: Palakkad, Alathur, and Chittoor," Hari elaborated.
"On June 16, 1969, Perinthalmanna and Ponnani taluks were separated to form Malappuram district, and Parudur village was shifted to Palakkad district. Later, the Silent Valley National Park was relocated to Mannarkkad taluk in Palakkad district," Achu summarized.
"That's quite a bit of history," Achu commented.
"Indeed," Deepti agreed.
"Now, let's go see Mannissery, and then we'll head to Varikasseri Mana," Achu suggested.
"That's the place where 'Devasuram' starring our Lalettan was shot, right?" Deepti asked eagerly.
"Yes, that's the one," Achu confirmed.
"And you have to sit in the mana's lap and take a photo," Hari teased.
Deepti replied with a chuckle, "Not later."
Achu turned the car around as they continued their journey.
