"People
cannot undergo that temple road," my friend Krishnakumar vented his anger.
I asked what exactly happened. "A new person has been appointed as temple
priest". So what! I exclaimed. Krishnakumar took the newspaper from my
front room . within the fourth page he showed news about Nagamana, an ancestral
house of a noted Brahman landlord, very interesting news to archaeologists.
Krishnakumar continued, news about this house appear within the newspaper
often. Whenever such news appears, the newly appointed temple priest will call
upon all who pass via the temple road and brag about his forefathers'
greatness. People had become disgusted his bluffing. Krishnakumar was one such
who got bored by Raman Namboodiri's interminable narration. Having made me
understood of his account on Raman Namboodiri, Krishnakumar left for the
nearside river on the thanks to my home.
After
Krishnakumar leaving the scene, I developed an excellent desire to satisfy the
newly appointed temple priest. From the start , I had been a lover of
Brahmanism. Moreover, I just wanted to understand the veracity of the newspaper
contents by personally interviewing him. Being an introvert, I couldn't muster
enough courage to introduce myself and start alittle talk in order that I could
dig out more. I expected Krishnakumar would help me during this regard but to
guy proved to be too elusive for this cause.
After
this incident, I met Krishnakumar frequently. Although he reported more on the
priest's boastings that burst me into laughter, little he did to introduce him.
As days passed, my focus turned to latest political upheavals which became hot
news. One day, i used to be sitting on the roadside to read a left newspaper.
At that point , my attention was drawn to a stranger short in stature beginning
from a close-by kiosk. He was clad in dhoti sans shirt with lines of ashes on
his forehead and sacred thread round his body. As I observed his movements, he approached
me and introduced him, "I am Raman Namboodiri, the new temple
priest." I couldn't hide my glee as I stumbled upon what i used to be
checking out . Cleverly hiding sarcasm, I told, I had heard about him through
my friends and newspapers reports. I complimented him, "you are the talk
about village now." This impressed him to be in his good books.
My
eagerness to concentrate to him developed good natured friendliness. In fact,
few listened to him thanks to his self boasting. He started visiting my house
and that we discussed on topics concerning casteism, religion et al. Whenever
he visited my house, he would invite a grass mat which I duly provided.
Whatever he talked, I listened with great interest. He told, "our
forefathers had 5000 acres of land. This land was given by Lord Parasuram, one
among the avatars of Vishnu". thanks to land reforms, they lost their
lands. Poverty made his father to sell the mana (ancestral home of Brahmans) to
government. Now they sleep in rented house. I sympathized with him when he
narrated his pathetic story. Even the sitting MLA of the nearby town was their
lessee. There was seething anger in his words against this democratic found out
.
Although
both folks liked one another , I noticed one thing. Most community people
literally hated him especially the elite class Nairs for his lack of reference
to their community. As I believed his words that it had been thanks to jealousy
that the locals hated him, I wanted to clarify that with my childhood friend
Krishnakumar. at some point I asked Krishnakumar about this. Krishnakumar
revealed me, "Namboodiri may be a man of oddities with explicit character
flaws". To my utter shock Krishnakumar told me the priest had the habit of
eating beef from roadside eateries. He added that Namboodiri often involves
temple without taking bath. "Although this was delivered to his attention
several times, he showed only callous disregard", continued Krishnakumar.
this is often a cardinal sin, I interrupted, "a Namboodiri should get on a
high moral ground, he should neither consume beef, nor should he skip
bath". I asked for proof for this. On those days, there have been no cell
phones with cameras. Therefore taking snap of his mischief as proof wasn't
possible. "You need to believe the hearsay, without fire smoke won't
billow", quipped Krishnakumar as he rode away his bicycle.
As
i used to be brooding over this matter, I felt myself on the horns of dilemma,
the way to dislike and avoid my friend. On those days he wont to frequent my
house for little talk. In my presence, he behaved sort of a gentleman. I
consoled myself, "perhaps, of these were falsely fabricated stories, or
time will prove who is right".
A
month had passed after this. For days together, i started to miss my friend
Raman Namboodiri. As usual, Krishnakumar was riding the bicycle to the river
for his evening bath. I called aloud and brought his attention. He turned and
rode straight to me. Without me asking, he said, "Raman Namboodiri has
been transferred for misconduct." Wondered, I entreated Krishnakumar to
reveal more. "While offering flowers to women, he put a billet doux in
flowers within the hands of an honest looking girl who showed immediately the
letter to her parents. In no time, the oldsters brought the interest the Dewaswom
board." Therefore this transfer, narrated Krishnakumar.
As
Krishnakumar hurried to the river, I cautioned myself, character flaws ruin
career, Nagamanathu Tamburan's example may be a pointer to the present .
Avoid
bores of all sorts. They waste your valuable time speaking about them.
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