Preserving a tradition

K. V. Chandran is amused as I struggle to write with the ezhuthani, a metal stylus, on a palm leaf. As instructed by him, I hold the leaf in my left hand and the ezhuthani in the right. The tip of the ezhuthani comes in between the pinky and the ring finger. Easy enough but then comes the difficult part. I have to place the tip of the stylus on top of the thumb in my left hand and then press on it as I write on the leaf. Complicated and painful for someone with zero practice and I gave up after writing just one letter! Chandran Asan, as he is called, tells me with a laugh, “I have been doing this since I was a kid. I am 70 now.”

Chandran is in the city, leading a session at a summer camp for kids at Central Archives, Fort. An astrologer hailing from Koovalassery near Neyyattinkara, Chandran is sought-after to introduce this time-worn practice to the present generation.

On his legacy

“My father and forefathers were astrologers and they used to write horoscopes on palm leaves using the ezhuthani or narayam. They taught me the technique and, until a few years ago, I used write horoscopes on palm leaves. Now I rarely use the ezhuthani unless someone insists,” says Chandran.

K. V. Chandran writing with the ezhuthani on the palm leaf   | Photo Credit: Aswin V. N.

It takes effort and patience to master the art. While leaves of the palmyra palm (karimbana) are commonly used to write the script, age-old manuscripts have been written on leaves of tailpot palm (kudappana). “The karimbana leaves are braided and immersed in clay for five to seven days. It is dried in the sun for two days before we write on them,” he explains. If the leaves are not treated properly, they don’t last long. Applying a little turmeric powder on the leaves keep bugs away.

A horoscope takes around 15 sheets, with five lines written on each side. There is a fixed length for each sheet, he adds. Although he used to have stylus of different sizes, now he has only two. “People borrow them from me but I never get them back.”

With age catching up, Chandran admits that he has problems with his vision. “So I don’t get any satisfaction when I write now,” he says. Yet he is not yet ready to use spectacles as he finds them uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, he never gets tired of demonstrating his skill at various venues across the city and in different parts of the state. “I am happy that I am keeping a tradition alive. I get to meet people from all walks of life as well,” he says.

Although none of his three children know the technique, Chandran is ecstatic that his grandson, Abhishek A., a class seven student, has started taking lessons from him. “May be next year he might be the one who will be leading the class!” says a proud Chandran.

Before I leave, he gives me a palm leaf with the name of our publication on it. “My handwriting used to be so good…,” his voice trails off.

Accomplished artiste

Chandran is an acclaimed Thamburanpattu artiste and has received the Kerala Folklore Academy award (2005). A ritualistic song, dedicated to the deity, Thampuran, Thamburanpattu is prevalent in many temples of Tamil Nadu and in Thiruvananthapuram. The songs are in a mix of Tamil and Malayalam and are sung to the accompaniment of the nanduni and cymbals. The theme of the songs is based around Lord Siva.