KOCHI: Abhilash Kumar is a person with a penchant for anything old. Having completed his MA in History, one couldn’t expect any less from the 35-year-old. A resident of Neyyattinkara in the capital, who loves to explore architectural wonders, Abhilash had recently bought a very old building, renovated it at his own cost and has been inviting school students to glimpse through it.
While one may wonder what is so special about the building, located after the Amaravila checkpost on the way towards Kanyakumari, Abhilash maintains that it is not just any old construction. Says the history enthusiast, “This 18,800 sq ft building, more aptly called a malika, holds great importance and is a remnant of our fading Southern Kerala Culture and Architecture. The malika, over 300 years old, was built in the year 1629 by the Travancore family. However, the building later came under - and was until recently - the jurisdiction of the Tamil Nadu government, who I believe had not understood the significance of the place.”
For the history enthusiast, the love for the ancient started very young. According to him, it started right around the age of five. He adds, “My friends were mostly 80-year-olds and their accounts about earlier life and culture fascinated me.”
With a number of rooms and facilities, some of them extending to underground locations, Abhilash claims that the Charitra Malika is a wonder to behold, needing a two to three hour long tour around. Waxing eloquent about some of the areas which could be explored at the place, he says, “Back when it was constructed, there were many such constructions around Travancore. However, the rest of them have perished away. With the number 64 occupying a significant position in our culture, these age-old malikas were historic monuments where 64 kinds of art and medicinal forms, including the Aryan and Dravidian style of medicinal therapy, were practised.” According to him, while Arya Vaidya has grown popular around the world, the Dravidian one has faded to near obscurity. Elaborating on it, Abhilash states, “One of the fine examples of their medicinal therapy is the Kaayakalpa chikitsa, which is said to reverse the effects of aging. The procedure was then practiced in underground chambers, which can be explored and studied more in such malikas.” He also maintains a collection of over 3,000 artefacts starting from ancient vessels within the malika.
Apart from the current hobby, Abhilash has also taken over the maintenence of six ancient vazhiyambalams lying deserted and abandoned.
Though those are located in Tamil Nadu, coming under the jurisdiction of the respective Government, Abilash has the ownership and does the maintanence at his own cost. Winding up the conversation, he says, “More than a passion, I think it is our duty to preserve whatever is left of our rich and ancient culture as well as architecture which is fast fading.
How many of us know that Manjaalikulam lake stood in the place of our present Thampanoor? These are just some of the things our present generation are unaware of.”
The Charitra Malika is not a mere monument to look at. The place offers classes in Yoga, Sooryanamaskaaram and Kalari in the morning, whereas artforms like Kathakali, Chendamelam and more are performed in the evening. Adds Abhilash, “It is not a business for me, and for the same reason foreigners are not entertained here. I just want to familiarise the people with our old architecture and culture.”