On the busy bus route in Pandikudy, leading to Fort Kochi, is Clouthy Vihar. Freshly painted snow white, with red borders, its golden gate opens to a garden currently in disarray from a recent thunderstorm. A paved walkway leads to a semi-circular foyer enclosed by a panel of glass windows. The family house of Gladin J Panakkal, built by his father, is conspicuous by an architecture that 85 years ago, when it was constructed, would have been the talk of the town.
It is in celebration mode, packed with cars and family come down from near and far to celebrate Gladin’s 70th birthday. I seek a quieter time and visit Clouthy Vihar the next day.
The house, which has undergone little change, stands on 75 cents of land, with 12 rooms and one bathroom.
In its over eight decades the house has undergone only two major functional changes, the additions of bathrooms and a change of flooring tiles in the sitting room. One of its interesting aspects is the signature tiles sporting the initials of its maker PP Joseph.
Gladin recalls his father as a humble man who began work at Brunton Engineering, now the famous heritage hotel, Brunton Boatyard, and made his way up to establish the first ship repair yard, in the area, St Joseph’s Marine Industry, in 1953. The building stands adjacent to the house. Joseph had 10 daughters and two sons. Clouthy was his first wife who bore him nine daughters and Gladin. Mariamma was his second wife, whom he married after the death of Clouthy, and she bore him one daughter and one son. The family originally hailed from Palliport, the Dutch Fort near Vypeen. PP Joseph’s antecedents were also about participating in the struggles for national freedom, working for the community, and in 1925 he set sail to Singapore to work in a tin mine. He returned a self-made, wealthy man to set up his business and built a signature home.
From the time Gladin can recall, he says the house was a family house in the true sense of the word. There were siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, sister’s brother-in-law, his parents, cousins twice removed, eldest sister’s niece’s aunt......and so on and so forth. The house accommodated the lot happily. From the start it was modern in comparison to the other houses around. “There was none like this,” says Omana, Gladin’s wife.
For Gladin, another childhood memory of the house is connected with visits of bishops with the last foreign bishop in Cochin, Alwarnas making a visit in 1950.
A penchant of its owner is documenting family history, well laid-out in a display of old family photos. They hang as portraits and pictures of family gatherings — births, deaths, weddings, parties— now relived through conversations over them. Nobody, it seems, is forgotten.
In its current state after a storm, a week ago, uprooted the largest mango tree in the front yard, and the birthday bash having left the house with a few relatives still, Clouthy Vihar is busy and active.
Gladin’s 90-year-old sister and his Ukrainian daughter-in-law, Iryna Lebediva, come down for the birthday, are symbolic of the deep family ties that the house has always been centre of.
In the family albums are pictures of Gladin’s cameo roles in films–as a villain in Urukkumushtikal (1980), an inspector in Vikadakadi (1981) and in Aarudam with Seema. “I was learning martial arts and attending the Nationals in Karate in 1977 when the offer to act came,” says Gladin, who stayed in Madras after his stint in films.
Clouthy Vihar was location for a film too. Today with its cement statues of peacocks and animals in the garden, from Gladin’s love for such artefacts, has a touch of fantasy to it.
“The statues are from my love for animals,” says Gladin who is president of The Canine Club Of Cochin.
Another interesting fact about the house is of a hall on the first floor, which was the family’s prayer room. Today it is opened once a year, on the last day of every year, for midnight prayers at the turn of the New Year.
And Clouthy? Who was she? “My mother, who passed away when I was very young.” He remembers her as a very social person, loving and caring. The stories he has heard of her are about her not allowing guests to leave the house without food.
And as I take leave, guests arrive, family and more family with steamed chakka ada (jack fruit snacks). Once again the house rises to live its old life, one of meetings and feasting.
I leave with a sweet moist taste of the chakka ada.