I do not think it is just a coincidence that Vakkansaar's daughter's name is Suma, same as my second sister's name. I used to visit Vakkansaar almost every time I came to Kerala, and also had a "small" drink with him. He died in 2004 at the age of 94. |
Of all Echayan's numerous friends, the CLOSEST was Mr. V.G.Mathew, B.A., B.L. (Mathaichen of the Vadakedathu Valiyaveetil family at Omallore). They were classmates at the Law College, and they stayed together in a rented house in Trivandrum. Their friendship not only continued throughout their own life time, but also transcended into the next generation(s). I vividly remember our family's pilgrimage trips to the Manjanikkara Church. . After the Church Services on Good Fridays we used to visit Mr. Mathew at Omallore and drink Kanji at his place. Years later, when I moved into Hyderabad to work at the Regional Research Laboratory, Ammukutty Kochamma (Mr. Mathew's daughter) and her husband Joychayan became my mentors. (Accamma as well as my sister Suma with her family also moved into Hyderabad). The friendship between Echayan's children and Mr. Mathew's children is continuing. Currently, Mr.Mathew's grandson Sujith Mammen lives in the Washington area. Echayan's OLDEST friends were from his School and early College days at Kottayam. The names I remember include, but not limited to Mr. V.K. Mathew (later became His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews I of the Orthodox Church - Vattakunnel Thirumeni), Mr. M.M. John later became the Bishop of the CSI Church), Mr. Joseph of the Elayadethuserry family and Mr. George Koruth of Aymanam who later married Echayan’s sister Susy. At Kottayam, his lawyer friends included Mr. K. M. Abraham of the Kaliseril family (we called him Cousin Vakkil), Mr. K.T.Thomas (Sunderan Vakkil) and Mr. P.C. Cherian M.A., B.L. After his studies, Echayan enjoyed spending his free time at the Kottayam Printing & Publishing Press with artists like E.V.Krishnapillia, N.P.Chellappan Nair, Munshi Paramupillia, and Mr. A.I.Jacob (Managing Director of K.P.Press and Amma's brother). At that time K.P. Press produced a weekly magazine called Prasanna Keralam. At Kothala, most of the inhabitants of the county were Echayan's friends! The names I remeber include Kuppamala Pappachen, Kulangara Kochayan and Kannanthanam Kunjoonjappapan. To get a glimpse of the social and cultural history of the Kooropada region (that included Kothala) and additional information about the old families therein, please click here. One name that stands out among Echayan’s friends is that of Vidhvan Ponkunnam V.A. Varkey (Vakkansaar to us). He was a well-known writer of Malayalam literature. He authored numerous novels and stories some of which were made into movies. He was a radical rebel writer who introduced the slogan, Farmland is for Farmers. Echayan’s literary background helped to nurture their friendship to the fullest extent. I do not know whether their friendship started when Echayan was a young advocate at Ponkunnam, or after Vakkan Saar settled in Kothala. He used to sit on the west porch of our Kothala House - quite a breezy place- and write some of his creations without interruptions. |
| Vakkansaar |
| Vakkansaar created a lullaby for my sister Omana. I will now sing it |
| Click for Omanayaam Arunodhayame |
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