Where Pillars Remember and Windows Watch
The majestic edifice still stands, unwavering and dignified—a silent witness to the turbulent and triumphant moments that shaped the history of this land. This two-storey structure was once the ancestral home of the Kalliat Nambiars, a family that wielded near-absolute authority over vast expanses of land, undulating hillocks, and fertile paddy fields.
There was a time when the mansion bustled with activity. Dozens of retainers moved swiftly through its corridors, collecting and measuring abundant quantities of paddy and other agricultural produce from the tenants of the tharavad (ancestral family). According to William Logan’s Malabar Manual, a group of rioters—after committing a series of atrocities across the district in 1852—marched towards this house with the intent to kill the Kalliat Nambiar. But they met their end at the very doorstep, thwarted by the then Karanavar (eldest male head of the family) and his loyal retainers.
The house, known as Kalliad Thazhathuveedu—literally, “the house on the lowlands”—is located in Kalliad, a region in the eastern highlands of Kannur district, near Irikkur, approximately 35 kilometres from Kannur town. Scattered historical references trace the mansion’s origin to nearly two centuries ago. It is believed to have been constructed by Kalliat Valiya Kammaran Nambiar, the senior-most member of the family at that time. Inscriptions found on an old lock further attest to this antiquity.
Wandering through the narrow corridors that lead to the inner chambers is akin to stepping into the pages of a bygone era. The two-storey mansion boasts two nalukettus—traditional courtyards enclosed within the structure. Built entirely from laterite stone blocks, each floor contains over ten spacious rooms. From the central nalukettu, one can access the padinjitta (prayer room) and kottila (a large bedroom). The thekkinthara—a sacred platform on the southern side where rituals and poojas are still performed—lies adjacent.
The entrance is grand, featuring ornately carved wooden pillars and benches. Delicate motifs of snakes and lizards adorn the woodwork—an astonishing testament to the skill and perseverance of artisans who, without modern tools, brought such intricate designs to life. The enormous window at the poomukham (veranda) must have taken countless days of painstaking and inspired labour to complete.
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Every creak of the massive wooden doors echoes through the ancestral halls, conjuring up images of the grand joint family life once lived here—marked by affection, authority, celebration, sorrow, and silence. Each room showcases a different style of wooden window: some with sliding panels, others with circular or star-shaped perforations that allowed those inside to observe the outside world without being seen—a design that ensured privacy and security, particularly for the women of the household.
The kitchen complex, once responsible for feeding dozens of family members and visitors alike, comprises three rooms and a separate dining hall. A well with traditional nellipala—wooden planks laid at the bottom to purify water—still remains in use. To the north lies a large pond where residents bathed and washed. Adjacent to the main building stands the pathayapura, the granary where paddy from the estate and tenant contributions were stored. A separate bungalow was also maintained for guests.
Yet, for all the tales of grandeur, there are also shadows of cruelty. While some Karanavars are remembered for their wisdom and generosity, others left behind accounts of tyranny and ruthlessness. The currents of the Indian national movement, too, found their way into these secluded courtyards. One prominent family member married his daughter to the noted nationalist leader and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president, K.T. Kunhiraman Nambiar. Long before that, K.T. Chathukutty Nambiar—a former head of the tharavad—championed the social reform movement led by Vagbhatananda Guru during the 1920s. In honour of his support, Vagbhatananda named the official magazine of the Atmavidya Sangham as Yajamanan. Chathukutty Nambiar himself, a gifted orator and scholar, travelled the province delivering powerful lectures advocating reform.
During British rule, the Karanavar of Kalliad was an uncrowned king of the region. His authority was unquestioned, substantiated by letters from Pazhassi Raja and British administrative records. The family held trusteeship over several important temples, including the Vayathur Kaliar Temple and the Mamanikkunnu Mahadevi Temple at Irikkur.
With time, however, came change. The forces of nationalism, communism, and modernity began to erode the foundations of the joint family system. After independence, internal conflicts and external pressures led to the fragmentation of the tharavad. Court cases over inheritance became common. The implementation of land reform legislation dealt the final blow. What was once an empire of land, wealth, and power became part of history.
Despite the decline, a group of heirs who inherited the old mansion decided to preserve it. Rather than dividing or demolishing the building, they formed a family trust to protect and maintain the ancestral home as a shared heritage.
Today, Kalliad Thazhathuveedu stands tall—no longer as a seat of power, but as a beacon of memory. It holds within its walls the whispers of a forgotten era: of valour and repression, privilege and reform, tradition and transition. For the new generation, it is both a museum and a mirror—revealing stories once silenced by time, now glowing once again under the light of remembrance.
The "report of the study submitted to Kerala Council For Historical Research on the tharavad as a part of a fellowship program is here.
അഭിപ്രായങ്ങളൊന്നുമില്ല:
ഒരു അഭിപ്രായം പോസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യൂ