Vrischikolsvam: A festival full of memories

KOCHI: Vrischikolsvam or the Valiyaotsavam as we locals call it has always been a part of golden memories of my hometown. It has been almost three and a half decades since I left Tripunithara at the age of 10, but Valiyotsvam always remains special. In fact, more special than the Thrissur Pooram though I studied in Thrissur. 

Valiyotsvam was the real vacation where one saved to buy toys that came to town once a year. The clock tower that had a toy soldier saluting all and sundry would be opened for these eight days. The narrow roads that wound down through old palaces and smaller temples were peppered with elephant droppings and oddly enough nothing could be more exciting than this smell for us. ​

It was the time for the best temple elephants to arrive in our hometown. Some stopped by our homes on their way to bath at the temple ponds and there would be a mad scramble to feed these gentle beasts with coconut fronds and balls of rice. While the elders were busy enjoying Kathakali or Kacheri, we had the entire temple grounds open for us to chase each other and play with balloons and toy guns. 

Elephants running amok added some thrill to the otherwise peaceful town. Inspired by the temple elephant I loved, I had put the name of the Elephant that Kattappa tames in my Bahubali series as Gireesha. Believe me, that was the name of Poornathresya's elephant when I was a little boy.

These are the subtle ways of how a writer can pay tribute to his hometown even while writing about Mahishmathi of Bahubali. And my latest book Vanara is again inspired by the Bali Vadham of Kathakali that I had seen from my temple.

(The author is a renowned writer)