Remembrances of “Aashaan”

Most of us have very loving memories of some of our teachers who kindled our enthusiasm to know more about the world. I have had the privilege of studying under some wonderfully great teachers, and in all humility, I bow before their fond memories.

I had already written about Professor Dr Ananthakrishnan, who taught me during my post-graduation days at CUSAT. He was a direct disciple of Dr CV Raman, the Nobel laureate, and a former director of the Tropical meteorology centre, Pune.

This time, as the 'Teachers' Day' approaches, I recall with great reverence my first formal teacher, a venerable grand old guru, whom everyone fondly called Aashaan. Aashaan in Malayalam means "Acharya”, the Sanskrit term that denotes a teacher or a guru.

My sketch of Aashaan, Sri.Govindan Nair 

In the 1950s of Kerala, the pre-school or kindergarten system had not come into vogue. Before the children went to school at 5 1/2 years, from age four onwards, they attended a “Kalari” – a one-room school in the village – where the Aashaan reigned supreme as the Head Master.  The Aashaan taught Malayalam alphabets, basic mathematics and Malayalam grammar to village students. The Aashaan ran this single-teacher school in a single room (usually a thatched shed) where children used to sit on the floor and wrote on the sand spread before them. Most of these Kalaris were managed privately without any government grants whatsoever. It was more like a self-employment venture by a dedicated Aashaan.

Instead of notebooks, dried palm leaves were used on which the Aashaan wrote alphabets using a Narayam-an iron pencil-. The student carried these palm leaves home for study.

The Aashaan used to hold the index finger of the child to help him write on the sand. It brought great physical intimacy and warmth. But, many children used to have nightmares of the Aashaan. He used to punish the erring children through a good pinch on the thigh with his thumb and index finger duly helped by a good measure of sand for grip! This then was the pre-school education of most children in rural Kerala of the 20th century till the 1960s.

The Aashaan also went to selected households and noble houses to teach the children there. I was privileged to have our Aashaan visiting at home in the morning to help me go through the initiations.

I was born in 1955 when the Marumakkathayam (the matrilineal system) was still in vogue. Vidwan P.N.Goda Varma Thampan, my grand uncle (mother’s uncle) a scholar par-excellence was the Karanavar –Patriarch-of Parimanathu Kovilakam, my tharavadu. He was a High School Teacher who took early retirement and was the most important person in our village for advice and consultations to all and sundry. He was one of the founders of the local school (Presently, Government H.S., Thirunelloor) and the Primary Cooperative Society.

Some views of my ancestral home Parimanathu Kovilakam. The veranda was used for the classes by Aashaan.

I am the second child of my parents and two years younger to my elder brother Vijayan who was a pet of our grand uncle. When he was four, the most respected Aashaan of the area, Govindan Nair, popularly known as “Kaniyari Mooppeennu” was entrusted with his initiation into learning. I have vague memories of those days when I used to play with the Aashaan’s “Narayam” to carve my masterpieces on the wall. My proper classes started two years later. He was well into his seventies when he used to visit us at home for my classes in the early mornings.

Dark in complexion, he was rather short in stature and used to maintain a “kudumma”, the traditional tuft of hair, on his head. His eyes were slightly red, as also the lips with the usage of betel nuts with lime. He wore a rudraksha using a black thread around his neck. His forehead was adorned with holy ash and wore a kumkum spot. He had the male earrings called “Kadukkan” with red stones. With white dhoti and an upper cloth, he looked very sage-like. He also had an air of seriousness around him. 

Some birds in the Sarppakkavu at my ancestral home

Our classes normally began after Aashaan took his breakfast at our home. He always used very polite language and used the etiquettes and addresses with my grand uncle and parents as were done to the royalty of those days. For all functions at our house like birthdays, Onam and Vishu, he was an invitee. I had noticed that he always enjoyed his food. He loved Kalan and Upma with papadams and bananas.          

 Shri Govindan Nair (1887-1969)

Shri Govindan Nair, often called Kaniyari Mooppeennu by elders, was born in 1887, in a respectable Nair family of Thirunelloor, in the erstwhile Travancore. He got educated as per the norms of the day. He divided all the family properties to his nieces and nephews, as was usually practised in the matrilineal system.

He then married Karthiyayani Amma, a girl from a prosperous Nair tharavadu in Chenganda. As was usual in many Nair households of those days, the family lived lavishly by selling ancestral properties for celebrating every religious or cultural function. Ultimately she inherited some land and a house that too already pledged by her brothers for some loans.

Two daughters and a son were born to the couple and Govindan Nair had to find work for livelihood. He started teaching children by establishing a Kalari sponsored by the local unit of the SNDP that had started propagating the dire need for literacy among the village folk.  While he used to teach the students in the Kalari, he also found the early morning time to visit houses for taking classes to the children.

A highly disciplined person in his life, Aashaan demanded the same standards from his students too. He would be in the Kalari sharp at 9 a.m. and taught the children up to the lunch recess beginning at 1 p.m. The afternoon classes ended at 4 p.m.

Since wristwatches or clocks were not very common, Aashaan reckoned time by counting the length of shadows by his footsteps.  When the Sun was not shining,   he had to rely on the passers-by to get the time.

Those were the days when “vidya” was considered supreme. The teachers were greatly respected.  His grandson told me that Aashaan often felt that this ritual of touching the feet made it extremely difficult for him to walk through the road.  However, there was very little he could do as touching the feet by various students and elders was a mark of respect to him.

Saturdays and Sundays were weekly holidays for the Kalari. Every Saturday, as a routine, Aashaan used to have his oil bath with traditional Ayurveda oils, shampoo etc.

He was the only Aashaan in Cherthala who used to get a monthly grant of Rs. 10 from the Cherthala Municipality for his untiring efforts in teaching the children from the poor sections of the society. He taught hundreds of students who have found great success in life.

He, as the Guru, was highly regarded by all the people in Chenganda and the surrounding places at Cherthala.

At the ripe age of 82, when he was returning from the local Krishna temple of Thirunelloor, on the Krishna Jayanthi day of 1969, he was fatally hit by a car bringing down the curtains to a noble life.

Hundreds of people will be remembering him as a great teacher whose hallmarks were simplicity, humility, kindness and love and who in the true spirit of “nishkama karma” was the light behind their successful lives.

Palakkad,

26^th August 2021

PS: I am deeply indebted to Sri.C.Aravindakshan Nair, my school buddy and Aashaan’s grandson, who provided me with the family details of the Aashaan. Unfortunately, no known photograph of the great guru exists. Inept as I am, I had to sketch the master from my memory.