KOCHI: How many in Edappally and its surroundings have heard of Murali Textiles, the oldest ‘Jowli Kada’ and its octogenarian owner Sadananda Kamath? Many would be stumped for an answer.
With no visible hints to indicate its presence or using a strange and archaic Malayalam expression ‘Jowli Kada’ for a textile shop adds to the bewilderment. The tiny shop in question is located in the line building opposite the Devankulangara Temple banyan tree.
At first sight, this dimly lit space in a seemingly decrepit building will be mistaken for a rundown trading establishment of sorts. For what you see is the oldest textile shop in Edappally. It carries much of local history and heritage on its frail shoulders.
The shop named after Sadananda’s nephew Murali has withstood all types of weather for six decades. Come any weekday, the shop is open from 7 am to 8 pm and till noon on Sundays. Sadananda, till recently, used to commute to work on his trusted BSA cycle. Of late, he has been using the services of an autorickshaw.
His family traditionally made papadams and supplied to households in and around Edappally. With changing fortunes, the family decided to move into trading textiles and therein lies the origins of Murali Textiles, which was established in 1958. The shop space was let out by its original owner Ammukutty Nambishtiarathy at a monthly rent of Rs 2. In 2016, the present owners bought the space and have rented it for Rs 400.
To put things in the proper time perspective, the forerunner of the SBT/SBI - the Travancore Forward Bank - had its branch office where the office of a prominent political party is now located. Kamath was one of the bank’s first clients. Thecontemporary landmark - Changampuzha Park - then went by the name ‘Polakulam’ which was a marshy land.