Far from the madding crowd
The Hindu : At Thani Illam, a homestay in Thottuva, near Perumbavoor, tourists have to adhere to the traditional ethos of the hosts. “But they simply love it,” say T. S. Parameswaran, a retired schoolmaster and S. Saradammal, his wife, also a retiredState Government employee. Eco-friendly Thani Illam was the winner of the most innovative project award from the Government of Kerala in 2002 and it is part of the Government’s Gruhastali project of the Department of Tourism for conservation of heritage buildings.Yes, it is a heritage building and the ancestral home of the late Malayattoor Ramakrishnan, novelist-bureaucrat-film director. The couple bought it in 1994 and renovated it without losing its character, later. In a room, cool with the old cement floor, the wooden ceiling and a huge bed, there is a round pillar in the middle. “This is the room where Malayattoor used to entertain his friends like lyricist Vayalar.” Modernity screams out only from the bathrooms which ‘have been built to satisfy tourism norms’.Their son Santhosh and his family stay with them. There are only two rooms which have been kept apart for tourists. It was here that Malayattoor wrote his famous book, “Verukal”, says Saradammal pointing to the yard. There, as if to drive home that point, is a huge uprooted root-base of an old tree displayed in the front yard. “We just thought it would be a poetic gesture and kept it there,” she adds. One of the rooms is atop the garage in a separate block. This was actually transplanted from Kottayam.“We got a portion of our grandparents’ house at Kottayam, which is more than 500 years old. This room is called the Kulappura,” says Parameswaram.It is tea time and hot boiled bananas are served to an English guest, with diamond cuts. There are fresh organic plantains from the garden too. Only vegetarian fare, what the family eats, is given to guests. “No…More
