𝑨𝒎𝒎𝒖'𝒔 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔!

  The most ancient percussion instrument in India is a Mizhavu. 𝐀 𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐡𝐚𝐯 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐮 (Malayalam: മിഴാവ് ) is a big copper drum played as an accompanying percussion instrument by hand. Since it is used in temples or Koothambalams, mizhavu is considered sacred. It is perhaps the oldest musical instrument still used today in the Indian subcontinent. It was initially constructed of mud and was the simplest instrument to make by placing wet calf leather over a mud pot. However, it eventually changed into pure copper. According to ancient mythology, Mizhavu was the musical instrument used when Lord Shiva danced (Shiva Thandava), and Nandikeswaran played the Mizhavu. Tradition says playing a mizhavu creates a spiritual bond between the hand and the skin. Your hand's skin and the skin of the mizhavu. The Mizhavu is referred to as Muzhavu in the ancient literature Silappadikaram, an epic poem written in Tamil Nadu between the fifth and sixth centuries AD by Prince Ilang...

Recently, a dentist remarked to me, "Your daughter has such good teeth, no cavities even though she's in her twenties. What's the formula? You must have done something when she was a baby for her teeth to be that perfect even now! That made me wonder: Did I do anything? Yes, until they were around 4, I didn't give them any candy, cake, or fruit juice.  And yes, they never ever had any illnesses, ear infections, or trips to the emergency room. B ut other than that? Then I remembered my mother exclaiming "It is excellent for teeth! If you drink this, the baby will have healthy bones and teeth. Don't you want that?” She was talking about the extremely bitter beverage that she used to give me while I was pregnant, which was made from Kadukka or Haritaki-infused water. She ritualistically fed my children a tiny bit of a concoction every day soon after bathing them since the twenty-eight day following their birth. She would bathe them with such care after giving th...

  In  Gandhiji's presence To be able to spend time with a great man is a privilege but getting a chance to spend three days in the presence of one of the greatest men? That was what my grandfather did on May 15, 16, and 17 of 1924. He spent three days with Mahatma Gandhi and wrote about it (below). My grandfather K. Madhavan Nair had a long-standing relationship with Gandhiji and all the other national leaders as a member of the All India congress committee and as the primary leader of the Kerala Provincial congress committee. They communicated with each other regularly through telegrams and letters and he used to translate Gandhiji's speeches at all gatherings instantaneously to Malayalam when Gandhiji visited Kerala. Gandhiji came to Calicut after my grandfather passed away in 1933 and gave a very touching, heartwarming speech about him. K. Madhavan Nair along with other leaders sought Gandhiji’s help to eradicate caste division plaguing the Hindu community from the rest of ...

This is a poster of a movie that came out on March 3rd called "Puzha Muthal Puzha Vare". This movie is based on the book (eye witness account) that my grandfather K Madhavan Nair wrote about the Malabar riots of 1921 when the Hindu genocide happened. My grandfather is well-known for writing this book however he has done so much more than that. He was Kerala's first political leader and social reformer which is unknown. He passed away in 1933 at the tender age of 51 after spending 18 years tirelessly working for the upliftment of the poor in Kerala and for the freedom struggle. Here is a timeline of all his valuable contributions. 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰... 1882: December 2nd born in Thamarkuzhi, Malappuram to Parapurathu Karuthodiyil Kalyani Kutty Amma and Vallattu...

According to world history, the first postal service in the world was in Egypt in 2000 BC. Evidence of the existence of the earliest postal system in the Indian subcontinent was found in the Vedic work Atharva Veda. It is an underlying fact that like all other civilizations, the system of exchange of information was available in India as well. Literary sources and folk tales, as well as rhymes, reveal that the dhoots (messengers) and different animals and birds were used to send messages from one place to another. Even monsoon clouds and wind were thought of by eminent poets like Kalidasa (5th century CE) in his famous poetical work Meghadooth ( megha: cloud dhoot: messenger ) as a medium for sending messages to a person of choice. We can find swans in the episodes of Nala-Damayanti, Hanuman in Ramayana, and Bidur in Mahabharata (between 500-300BCE) as faithful messengers.  In ancient times the kings, emperors, rulers, zamindars, or the feudal lords of India protected their land th...

  𝐌𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚 This is a photograph of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with my grandmother at an inauguration of a new building for the Newspaper that my grandfather started at Kozhikode. We honor, praise, and adore the freedom fighters who helped free our country from colonialism but most often people like my grandmother who sacrificed their lives, comforts, and peace of mind to support the interests of their husbands/sons are forgotten. So this mother's day I would like to honor my paternal grandmother Karumathil Kalyanikutty Amma and say her story. My grandparents were married in 1911 and my grandfather died in 1933. So, her married life spanned 22 years. Sadly, she did not get to see much of her husband during that period for various reasons. My grandfather entered the public scene around 1915 to pursue his social/political interests. Initially, it was to get rid of untouchability and unapproachability amongst lower castes that were rampant in Kerala during that pe...