Bapputty's Footsteps

The Maruveetil family is a family name spread across Vengara and Kakkad in Malappuram district (Kerala, India). Ayamutti of the Vengara Maruveetil family got married to the Parola family whose name was heard in Malappuram during the first nineteen thousand years. At that time, as there were few vehicles, the girl of the Parola family was taken to Vengara in Manchal. Maruveetil people were also very rich in the Vengara area. The construction of the wall of the house of Maruvithil was the most advanced method of that time. The soil is prepared and kneaded into balls, the middle part is poured and raised in two lines, and then in the countryside, Illi kols of good old bamboo and small shoots are filled with sand. The surrounding area of the house was also built like this. Like that, the door bed and other things were made of big plank wood. The windows were not as large as they are now. There was too much light inside the house. The roof used tile brought from Feroke. The vulture was a good old coconut tree and the table was a good bamboo.

One of Ayamutti’s two younger brothers was a scholar and an imam by name. The family had a masjid in that area. This masjid was also known as the 'Maruveetil Masjid'.

Ayamutti had a child named Kunjali in 1920, Kunjali had a child named Cheku in 1940, and Cheku had a child named Baputty in 1960.

Kunjali learned about the freedom struggle when he was growing up playing in Vengara, and Gandhiji and Nehru occupied Kunjali’s mind since then. That’s how Kunhali developed a love for the Congress movement. Even as a child, Kunhali used to participate in the meetings and processions of the Congress party. Father Ayamu did not like this.

Kunjali used to go from Vengara to his home in Malappuram by oxcart every now and then. Kunjali’s visits to Malappuram were increasing as he liked Malappuram. It was during this time that Kunhali got into the habit of watching the football games in Kavathu Paramba (Kottappadi ground). Kunjali somehow reaches Malappuram when tournaments are held in Kavathuparamba. That’s how playing football became Kunjali’s favorite pastime.

Kunjali, who had studied till the fourth standard, was well-versed in mathematics. Kunhali could read and write Malayalam well and had a love for English. Although Kunjali studied well in Madrassa (Islamic school) and Dars (Islamic course from masjid), he could not complete Dars due to his love for Congress.

2 Malappuram Area

During the days spent in Malappuram, Kunjali also learned how to catch fish during the rainy season. Thus, when the young Kunhali had marriage plans, Ayamu found a suitable girl for his son from Malappuram itself. Kunjali married Ayesha from the Parathodi family. Kunjali used to call his own girl Aichu. Thus Kunjali had 4 children. Cheku was the eldest child.

Because of his love for Malappuram, Kunjali bought five cents of land and built a three-story building there. This building was near the government school in Malappuram. Kunjali opened a restaurant downstairs. The hotel had a good business. In those days, many prominent people used to come from far and wide to study in this school in Kottapadi. Many who later became ministers studied in this school. All the teachers in the school were scholars. The food for the children of prominent people studying in the school was from Kunjali’s hotel. That’s how Kunjali became friends with them. That is how the relationship with the prominent Congress leader of Nilambur began. This Congress leader.

If he came to Malappuram, he would go to Kunjali’s restaurant and drink tea.

3 HOTEL

At this time, when Aichun got some money from her family property, he bought a 15-cent plot of land near the hotel in her name and built a house on it. Kunjali and his family moved to Malappuram which they liked. Kunjali’s love for Malappuram was shared by the other two brothers and they also lived near Malappuram. Similarly, Kunjali’s six daughters were also sent to Malappuram and the nearby area to get married. Thus the family started to spread in Malappuram.

Kunhali loved his elder son very much. Kunjali had bought new watches, toys, and dresses for his son.

When the house was near, he started making sweets for the restaurant at home. It was a rumor in Malappuram that many new types of delicacies were available at Kunjali’s hotel.

Cheku grew up and went to school. First admitted to LP school.

to be continued...

3 football

Cheku started going to the lower primary school near his house wearing Valli trousers. Cheku was attracted to the school by the noises of the class and the mischief of the other children.

When he was going to school, he used to go to his father's hotel on the way to have tea and snacks. When the snacks are brought to the school, it is the task of giving them to everyone. When Cheku arrives at school, his classmates surround him. Cheku has a seat on the bench happily given to everyone. With this, Cheku became the star of the school.

Cheku gets a beating from his mother most evenings, one for putting oil in his trouser pocket and another for playing in the kawat paramb (playground) and getting mud all over his dress. Cheku didn't give up on the evening's game no matter how hard he got. Just like his father, football fever had crept into Cheku's nerves at that time.

Checku was played with a ball made of paper. One day when my father saw this and bought things from Kozhikode, he also bought a rubber ball. Not only did he like it, but the excitement of playing increased. When he was a little bigger, Kunjali bought his son a football that he sewed. International stars who later emerged from Malappuram played with Cheku then, M.R.C. were the football stars of the Malappuram local team.

There was a recreation club called Youth Arts right next to the house. They also had a football team. This team later grew to become the biggest football team in Malappuram. Cheku was a player who played well in the middle field in this team. Cheku, who was playing in the Malabar League at that time, became MSP one day. He was injured in the match with the team. Cheku's father, who had seen this game, immediately showed him to Parangodan, a famous Ayurvedic doctor of Malappuram. His leg was tied for a week. At that time, everyone knew that one must carry an egg, two wooden scales, and an old clean white cloth when going to the aviary. Not many people used cotton bandages back then. Kunjali's white cloth was used to tie Cheku's legs. The cloth was unused. Kunjali loved her son so much. The father reluctantly advised his son not to participate in big games. When his non-compelling father said this, Cheku obeyed and concentrated on small games. At least Cheku would have been a Kerala player if not for that injury.

to be continued...

4 Ramadan fast

Kunhali had many friends. There was a photographer named Ishaq. He lived some distance away. Ishaq comes to Kunhali's house on Eid with a camera. In his hand was a new Rolleflex camera released in 1928. It was a square camera with two lenses. One lens was for looking and the other was for taking pictures.

He would come and take a photo of Kunjali's family, wash it, and go to the Micro studio in Malappuram uphill to get the print done. Kunjali's room was overflowing with photos. Similarly, in Kunjali's club above the hotel, photographs of Congress leaders who participated in the freedom struggle were hung in a large frame.

When the brothers come to Malappuram to see Aymutti and her children, they see these photos in the house and tell Kunjali to avoid all this, saying that the angels of mercy will not come to the house if this happens, but Kunjali laughs and leaves without saying anything. For every Ramadan fast, brothers would come to break the fast. Kunjali used to feed the Elappas well that day. Kunjali liked them so much that he would send them away after breaking his fast and drinking cumin porridge. If it is too late to get the car that day, they are forced to go to Vengara only the next morning. On the day they come, the Taraweeh prayer will be held in front of them in the Malappuram mosque. On the day they come, there will be a good number of people for the Taraweeh prayer. One of these was a famous khatib.

With the check a little bigger, Kunjali would head up to the club above the hotel in the evening, where there would be heated debates about India's politics and governance. There will be a group of Kunjali's friends to participate in it.

to be continued...

5 Kunjali, a Congressman

Kunjali's brothers, one in Mangattupulam and the other in Vadakkemanna lived in family harmony. The elder brother had three boys and four girls, while the younger brother had six boys and three girls. Kunjali, a Congressman, did not like his elder brother as he stood for communist socialist ideas. Later elder brother felt unwell and Kunjali took the elder brother to the doctor. Unfortunately, that brother died. This made Kunhali very sad. Kunjali and the younger brother also helped the children of the younger brother. Similarly, the deceased brother's wife used to make bread called Pathiri for the hotels in Malappuram and brought up the children. Just like that, the eldest son grew up and started going to work. That's how they led their lives forward.

Kunjali's younger brother followed in his elder brother's footsteps by starting a hotel in Malappuram itself. The younger brother, who was a Muslim League supporter, later moved his hotel to a building on the opposite side of the ancestral home of the Panakkad Syeds.

Meanwhile, Cheku had started going to high school. Kunjali also took the recommendation of prominent people to join there. Cheku started going to high school. An academic campus with large classes, several buildings, and grounds. There were classes to learn knitting, typewriting classes for girls, sewing training, industrial work training for boys, and carpentry work training. Such training was not available in any nearby schools. All these subjects had one class per week.

However, Cheku did not excel academically and became a member of the school's football team and sports team. And reached a high level in all of them. That's how Cheku spent his days in a hotel, school, and football.

Cheku's and his father's football interests began to show a chill in the hotel business.

The next part is how it is

to be continued...

6 Fishing

Fishing was one of Kunjali's favorite pastimes, just like football.

His father Ayamutty had taught Kunjali the knowledge of fishing at an early age. Aymutti had Otal, Kood, Koruvala, Eruvala, a two-man catch net, and a huge net used by ten people together. All this was made by Aymutti. The art of making it like this was taught to Kunhali by his father. Kunjali knew how to create a web and repair its damage. In the last phase of summer, Kunjali would take out these devices, repair all the damage, and eagerly wait for the rainy season.

Kunjali had imparted all this knowledge to his son Cheku. Kunjali and his son would go out at night to catch fish when the streams and creeks which were dry due to heavy rain would be filled with water. They go fishing at ten o'clock at night. Because big fish are likely to come in at midnight and the number of people coming to catch fish is also less after ten o'clock.

The main fishing area is in the riverbed that flows through Malappuram and joins the Kadalundi River. In some parts of this stream, there are steep red cliffs. There are also small pits in that part. When the new year water comes, the fishes in the river enter through this stream and settle in places convenient for them and sing fish roe. This catch catches them by blocking this upward movement. The fishes will come and lay in groups in the red pits and move from one pit to the next one above. That's how they find safe places. Kunjali and his son used to fish from the steep parts as these fish could not go up quickly by selecting these parts and going there through a good stream. They catch the fish by slowly placing their hands in the well-filled pits. Among these, there will be Vaala, Muzhu, Bral, Aral, Mayanjeel, and Kadungali (fish local names). When it's time for Subh Namaz, Koti (fish name) comes. Everywhere they set foot there were good plump coty fish. At that time, Velumba will start jumping up. The jump of this fish occurs in the place where the water jumps steeply. A good Muzhu, Vaala, and Bral will jump with this fish. They get good Velumba. Koti will be caught with Koru net (name of net). There will be too many Koty in it to cast a net, and so will Velumba.

to be continued...

7 Hotel business

When going fishing, Eveready's three-battery torch and a round basket (the upper part of this basket will be small because if the fish is caught, the fish will not fall out of the basket, 25 kg will fit in that basket). They will bring a sadhu beedi for Kunjali, a long flask with a plastic cover (to be filled with black tea), a thoppikuda (natural umbrella) for Kunjali, and a leg umbrella for the son. The Koruvala (fishing net) is taken from the younger brother's house at Mangatupulam (the ditch is near the younger brother's house, so it is customary to wash the nets on the side of the house). Kunjali does not allow his son to talk or blow the torch while fishing. Because it will reduce the flow of fish. Before the sun rises, the fish catch enough and return home. Most of the time, up to 25 kg of fish are caught. The fish caught on that day will be placed on the Cheku's head. That basket cannot be held in hand. Kunjali will catch the net and other things. They will walk home with self-satisfaction.

On reaching home, Kunjali deposits the live fish in a small tank at home. It is put in the tank to catch it and use it for the required time. The remaining fifteen kilos of fish will be sent to nearby families, similar to two doctors in Malappuram. When these doctors see Kunjali, they say, "Kunjali, don't forget us when you get fish." Even if they don't tell, Kunjali will give them fish. If someone in the family fell ill, he could go to them and get treatment. If you pay for consultation, they will not accept it. In this case, if a doctor came out, he would come to Kunjali's hotel and drink tea and talk about local news, Kunjali always tells the doctor about politics.

Due to politics, football, and fishing, Kunhali and his son were unable to take care of the hotel business.

Now what?

to be continued...

8 Marriage

Business began to deteriorate due to carelessness in business, shortage of resources in the hotel, and daily absenteeism of workers. When business started to take off, a lot of people were saying, "Let's run a hotel." Without hearing this, Kunjali was carelessly traveling to places like Kochi and Madras with football fever to watch the games. With that, the hotel business plunged into losses.

Meanwhile, Kunjali sent her eldest daughter to get married near Panakkat. The son-in-law felt sad when he saw the condition of the hotel. The son-in-law asked Kunjali whether he wanted to run the hotel business. Kunjali thought that if his son-in-law ran the hotel, he would not lose ownership of the hotel. The son-in-law used to pay hotel rent of ten rupees a day to Kunhali. The son-in-law brought the hotel back to its former glory with a lot of work. Cheku occasionally goes there to help his brother-in-law in the hotel business.

Cheku lived for football and other pleasures. He dropped out of high school before finishing 10th standard. Thinking that he should not leave him to play and walk around anymore, his father Kunjali arranged a wedding with him in Kottakal at the age of twenty-one.

Pathu was named Fatima from a family of Thazhathodi at Ponmala. the bride Pathoon was seventeen at that time. Pathu had two elder sisters, three younger sisters, and one brother.

On the same day as Pathu's wedding, her elder sister's wedding also took place, and that sister was married to a place called Melmuri. They were also a farming family. A year ago Pathu's elder sister was married to a place called Chappanangadi. They were a big family. But only Pathu from that family was married into the town.

On the day of the wedding, Cheku was taken to the bride's house by his companions singing. Most of the time the wedding was at night. The bride goes to the groom's house on foot. Only rich people use the vehicle facility. Those accompanying the bride walk about ten kilometers to the groom's house. When we reached Malappuram and the upper room, it was time for Subh Namaz. On the day of the wedding, while frying the pappadam at Ponmala, when enough oil ran out, the oil had to be poured into the pan again, and Pathu's father, who was frying, hurriedly poured kasart (the local language for kerosene) instead of oil. Then Pathu's father changed the pan and fried the pappadam. Then the kerosene people kept applying it on their hair for a long time until the kerosene oil ran out.

There was electricity in Kunjali's house that day. So were the tube lights. When the bride's companions returned to Ponmala, they said that "Bayamundi's lamp (tube lights) were in Pathu's husband's house".

When Ponmala came for Cheku's reception, Pathu's suitcase contained soaps, scented oils, and many other beauty products. But when elder sister Ponmala came, there were no such items in her suitcase. The elder sister said these things and cried a lot.

Pathu's father was a farmer. Agricultural produce is taken weekly to Wayanad and Gudalur. Go with the products on Saturday. A van (an old Chevrolet pick-up) with a side stand from Tirur would come to Ponmala and Pathoon's father would go with the vegetables. Sometimes you come back from Wayanad only after fifteen days. Pathu's younger brother will send enough vegetables in the cart mentioned earlier. As the younger brother grew up, he also started going to Wayanad. When the father comes from Wayanad, he brings Wayanad Barki and guavas for the children. Barki was a delicacy that had a good taste in those days, especially the Wayanad Barki.

to be continued...

9 Missed the Period

Kunjali had a small child when she brought Pathu to Cheku's house. Kunjali himself was running the hotel then. Those who went with the bride (Pathu) saw the scene of the mother-in-law baking pathiri (flatbread of rice) with the child on her lap. Grinding masala and coconut to the hotel, pounding rice for putt (rice menu), vellappam (flatbread of rice)) and pounding poonti (ingredient for laddu) brought from the hotel to make laddu (sweet menu) were done at home. All of Pathiri's work was done from home. The dough for Dosak (flatbread of rice) and Idli (like flatbread of rice) is made at the hotel itself in Attukalla (stone rice grinder). In those days there was no mill (flour mill) for grinding and also no mixer. Later Arav machines (grinders) became available in the market.

Pathu felt very nervous to do these works at first. But after a few days, those tasks seemed to be easy. Meanwhile, Pathu missed her period, which is a sign of pregnancy, and started vomiting. With this, the mother-in-law exempted Pathu from heavy work. Knowing that her daughter-in-law was sick, Kunjali sent her daughter-in-law along with Cheku to the nearest doctor. The doctor gave Pathu pills for vomiting during pregnancy and checked her blood to see if she was anemic. He said that no medicine is needed as he needs hemoglobin in the blood. The doctor also said that if there is any problem, go to the block hospital in Malappuram Uphill and see the lady doctor. He said not to do heavy work and to give good fruits. And Kunjali would bring good fruits to her daughter-in-law wherever she found them, Pathu's sisters-in-law did not like this. But the mother-in-law loved her daughter-in-law very much.

Cheku's uncle was then settled in Bombay. One day Cheku is not found at home in the morning. Searched in the nearby club and Kavathuparam (playing ground). No one said they had seen Cheku since morning. The family and Pathu were very sad. Two days passed. Just then, Kunjali gets a phone call from Bombay to the nearest League Office (Political Office). At that time, the only phone near the house was in the League office. Office caretaker Manu came to the hotel to call Kunjali. Kunjali ran to the league office and picked up the phone.

to be continued..

10 Vintage Car

It was Cheku's uncle. He told the brother-in-law that Cheku had reached here safely and that he should take some work from here. Kunjali also thought that it should be like that. Don't walk around in the bazaar.

Amman had two wives and children in Bombay. Kunjali's wife had two older sisters, a younger sister, and a brother who spoke on the phone. An elder and a younger sister were married to Bombay. Their husbands are nothing in Bombay. They were Malayalees. Like that, uncle also married Malayalees. Only that they settled in Bombay.

Cheku got into the job that his uncle fixed and gave him. In this way, he will come to Malappuram from time to time, and then he will go back from time to time. That's how Cheku got to see the city of Bombay. They will come home and tell the news to their younger sisters and aunts, who will be amazed to hear all this.

So it was time to take Pathoon for delivery. If it is said to go to give birth, it is a ceremony of taking the woman home in the seventh month. So Pathoon's mother, father, and younger sisters came to Malappuram by bus. When it was time to go, an old car (taxi car) called from the taxi stand. They went to Pathu's house in that car. Arriving at Pathu's village, they stop their car on the road and walk home through the farm for a while. He struggled through the ridge made by the farmers and reached home holding the hands of his companions.

Cheku used to go to Pathu's house during the week and his mother-in-law used to treat him with good food. By then Pathu had learned how to make naichor (ghee rice). When Cheku arrives, Pathu and her mother prepare naichor, chicken curry, dal mash (dal mash), ullisurka (big onions in vinegar), and pappadam. All these dishes were a new experience for those there. All they knew was coconut rice and sugarcane rice.

Pathu was about to give birth. Despite the intense heat of April, Pathu's house was still lit by kerosene lamps. Coming to her own home from Malappuram with electricity, Pathu is in total agony. Things were first told to the otachi (midwife) in her hometown. Likewise with the Mannathi (the woman who washes the clothes of those who give birth). At that time, Othachi was used to take delivery and Mannathi was to wash the clothes of those who were giving birth.

On the sweltering first day of April, Pathu went into labor. Pathu's brother went to Malappuram to inform Cheku's family. Immediately Kunjali and Cheku called a taxi and reached Ponmala. Kunjali said let's take Pathu to Malappuram Hospital. Othachi and Pathu's father said no, with God's help she would give birth here without any difficulties. Kunjali told the taxi driver who had called him from Malappuram to go back. Hearing her grandson's cry, Kunjali was strolling in the thatched sitting area. Cheku sat tensely on one side with his hand on his chin.

11 Birth of Bapputty

In the middle of the night, the whole area heard the crying of the baby. The midwife said from inside. "Boy, there is no difficulty, it is comfort". Everyone was relieved to hear this. "Shouldn't you inform Malappuram at home?" Saying that, Kunjali walks away scratching his head. Seeing this, Pathu's father fetched a bicycle from the roadside and gave it to Kunjali. Cheku got in front and pedaled the bicycle, followed by Kunjali. As the Malappuram road was empty at night, it took half an hour to reach Kottapadi. At home, the children were not sleeping. Everyone was happy to hear the information. Everyone's sleep was disturbed. His wife made black coffee for Kunhali. Cheku rolled a towel inside the collar of his shirt and walked with a look of accomplishment.

In the morning they all set out to see the child. At night the child could not be seen in the light of the lantern. With that, everyone left Malappuram home to see the child. They all went by bus as they could not fit in a small car. Kunjali bought some halva (sweets) and coconut and put them in a box. halva (sweets) and coconut were given as sweets on special occasions.

Everyone reached Pathu's house and saw the child. The same shape and the same color as Cheku was said by everyone. Kunjali asked if the child should be named. Kunjali said, "Cheku, have you named it?" Hearing this, Cheku called out a name.

"My Baputti" Everyone liked that the child was named Baputty.

12 Bapputty growing

That's how Baputti's hair removal was also done magnificently. Two buffaloes were slaughtered for hair removal. Kunjali bought the buffaloes from the Manjeri market.

If the animal is slaughtered, one leg (the whole quarter) of the animal belongs to the midwife. After giving it to them, a small part of the rest will be given to the needs of Pathu's house on that day. The rest will be made into packages of one kilo each. Pathu's father had brought teak leaves from the backyard to wrap it. From this package, two hundred packages were taken to take to Malappuram. Those packages will be given to Kunjali's family members when they reach Malappuram. The rest of the packages will be delivered to the Ponmala family. Many people from Ponmala and Malappuram participated in Baputti's hair removal function. The entire courtyard was covered by the sun with a tarp (made of coconut leaves). It was very hot in April.

During the heavy summer, the well in the Ponmala house had dried up. So the Pathu goes to the nearby chola (small water pot) to take a bath, lighting a Choot (a lamp made of coconut leaves) at night.

The child (Baputti) was a good crying child. Pathoon's mother would say that the child should be "taken to Veenalkal" to stop his crying. Veenakalkal is a nature-healing place near Kottakal. So the child was taken there. There some ghee was given to the child. This brought peace to some crying. Cheku's family would not like that he was taken for such treatment (natural treatment). So they were not informed. Ponmala people do not like to go for allopathic treatment, they go to Veenalkal for anything (both physical and mental treatments).

That's how Baputti was growing up. The mother's Kontala (a side part of the cloth that is worn) will be held with Malappuram and Ponmala. Women of those days wore dhoti, blouse, and shawl. The cloth for the pathoon was white (green or blue colored dhoti on both sides of the white dhoti). For the adults, the black soup was dhoti (black cloth with fine lines on both sides). This cloth was well priced. All the females also have a large aranjana (waist belt) made of silver. Similarly, Pathoon had a Chit (ornament for the ear) on his ear. A chit is an ornament that is placed on top of the ear ornament.

13 Malappuram house

The house built near Kunjali's hotel did not have many facilities. The house could have been built along the road. Two rooms, which were usually cemented. The floor of those rooms was six feet high. It was done in advance to prevent flooding during the rainy season. Behind these rooms was a long room. At one end of it is the kitchen, after that, a part for drawing water from the well (inside), and behind it is a bathroom. And a cemented tank in one corner of the bathroom. There was also a facility from the side of the well to draw water into this tank. Fishes were stored in the bathroom tank during the fishing season. The floor in the other part of the kitchen was slightly higher. It was a room and it had two small windows. The floor and walls were not cemented and there was an attam (a place where firewood and old materials were stored) above this room. Cheku and Pathu were lying in this room which had no door. This room had a temporary door covered with paramba (made of bamboo shoots). The house was an L-type. Apart from this, there was a large buffalo shed, a dung pit, and a latrine at the other end. Those who went to the toilet that day had to carry water in a bucket. The dunghill was very deep. A large henhouse was also built on top of it. The barn had room for eight cows. It was not made to raise buffaloes for Kunjali. It was only for daily rent to the buffalo traders. Similarly, the upper part of the latrine was equipped to dry copra (dry coconut). The method of burning Chekari and Cheratta (outer parts of coconut) at the bottom. Copra traders use it for rent during the rainy season.

Similarly, when there were no buffaloes, Kunjali also looked into the business of buying subsidized lagoon chickens and rearing them by tying a net in that place. Kunjali slowly withdrew from the program as the chickens died in droves and suffered huge losses. All the dead chickens were buried in the backyard. After this, a black type of Cheratta started being seen in the backyard. Kunjali's house also had a cent and a half yard. The building next to the kitchen had a resting area. The courtyard was covered with an old iron sheet so that it could not be seen from the main road. There was a kalai (old-fashioned gate) to enter the house. There was a little yard at the back, and a little space beyond that, where there were four coconut trees and three gourd trees. And a blown gum tree, (a tree that bears fruit like custard apples) In the dump sorghum, there were gee rice leaves.

14 kottappadi

The Employment Exchange Office of Malappuram District was at Kotappadi on the way to Mylapuram. Like the old Noorati Bridge (the movie Criminals was shot on this bridge), Government High School, Government College, Kawath Paramb (Kottapadi Ground), Police Station, Malappuram Market, a Rest House, Wood Mill, a Temple, five Masjids, a large pond, a Temple pond, fish market, Municipal office, mini civil station, registration office, post office, an LP school, a petrol pump, a service station, a talkie (a talkie was near a hundred-foot bridge, it was demolished. And the rest is Uphill). ) were in Kottapady area.

Muslim League Office, C.P.M. Office, Three Madrasahs, Rasheed Cycle Mart, Imperial Press, United Electricals, Embassy Hotel, Ambassador Hotel, Malabar Hotel, Kunjali's Hotel, tea stalls, Kodaspathri (Umbrella hospital) for Umbrella Repair and Sahib's Cloth Store were the establishments in Kottapadi. There were two mills for grinding rice and oil.

There were also big rich people in the area. Important among them are K.P. Moosaji, Kiliamanil families, Varikodans, and Parola families.

Rasheed Cycle Mart, Muslim League Office, Pushpa's and Hamsuppan's Tailor Shops, Wood Mill, Pond, Kiliyamannil's Big House (one house at Mylapuram, their ancestral home at Kodur), Parangodan's Ayurvedic Clinic, Musliyar's Homeopathic Clinic, Kunjutty Kaka's Grocery, Tami and Vasu's Goldsmith Shops, Hardware Shops were the establishments near Kunjali's house.

Similarly, Karachi Papa and Karachi Mama lived in the basement of Pushpa's shop. People say they are from Karachi. This is said about them because they came during the partition of India and Pakistan. Both had leprosy. They used to live by begging. Similarly, there were Kammudu and Abdu who were not stable in intellect. They would sleep where they could and eat what they could. There was also a Maimari like that. One day he fell into the aforementioned large pond and drowned. The body surfaced three days later. There were three allopathic doctors, a dental doctor, a homeopath (Musliar), and an Ayurvedic doctor (Parangodan) in Malappuram Kotappadi.

15 Jackfruit and Mango

That's how Baputti grew up in Malappuram and Ponmala. Baputti did not like to stay at his mother's house at night because there was no electricity. However, Baputti is ready to stay as long as there are jackfruit and mangoes. When Baputti was going to Malappuram holding his mother's hand, the bus was waiting near the blacksmith shop and madrassa. In those days common people always traveled by bus. One day while waiting for the bus, Baputti felt like going to the toilet. When he told Umma about that, Umma said, "If you tie a hot stone around your waist, you will get rid of it." 'When he did as his mother told him, Baputti felt that his mother was right.

Pathoon had three younger sisters. The eldest was married to Kottakal, the second to Cherukunna, and the third younger sister to Valiyaparam. In those days all weddings were held in the evening. It will be midnight for the bride to go to the groom's house. The arrival of the bridegroom and the departure of the bride were performed with feet at that time. It will be dawn for the bride to reach the groom's place. Go in the light of gas light clapping your hands and singing songs in good spirits. With this, there will be plenty of girls and boys to go with.

During Manga time, one day Baputti's mother's younger sister ran to beat Baputti, saying that she did not give the mango to Baputti. Vallimma saw this and scolded them. At the top, there was a big Komanga Moochi (mango tree). It was full of mangoes. Also four pilaus (jackfruit trees), one in the courtyard of the house, one near the well, one by the way to the house, and another near the small pond used for bathing and washing. The best of these is the one near the small pond and the other near the courtyard. Next to the well is a big fruit jack. It will be up to twenty, twenty-five kilos. After ripening, the gum falls on the ground. That's why Baputti's grandfather used to sell the big gum on it. It doesn't have a great taste either.

Similarly, Baputti would go with him to irrigate Grandfather's green field at night, burning the fire, and every farmer in that area used to run out of time to irrigate his field. This water comes from the pool at the top. This water also comes from the small pond at home. This water is used to irrigate the home garden where there are many kamungs. In all these gourds, Grandfather had grown betel leaves. As the water coming from Chola was not enough, Grandfather dug a new well in the upper part just for watering. There was also the coffee tree and a crop called jaggery (sweet sorghum). Sugar plantains produce tubers. Both of these were brought from Wayanad. Jaggery banana has good taste and vitamins.

Baputti also goes with Grandfather to prepare the field for paddy cultivation. While going like that, Grandfather would go to Supi Kaka's tea shop on the roadside and buy tea for Baputti. Grandfather would say to the shopkeeper, Soupikaka, "Give him a cup of tea and a biscot" (biscuit/biskot in Arabic). There was no samovar in that tea shop that served tea in big glasses that day. That's how Baputti's life went on.