Sunday, February 24, 2008

The Panikkar Veedu at Atakkaputhur – An Appeal

The Atakkaputhur Puthen Madhom campus has recently been put on the market, at a price of Rs.8.5 lakhs. If 40~50 members of our family would contribute Rs.25,000~30,000 each to form a Trust, the ancestral property can be bought and the balance can form a modest corpus for development. We appeal to you to join the proposed Trust and enroll as many family members (spouse, sons, daughters, grand children and sons-/daughters-in-law) as you can. The Constitution/Bye-laws of the Trust are being drafted and will be mailed to you on your response to this appeal.
The land has to be purchased by the end of March 2008. We seek your urgent response so that we can intimate you how to send your financial contribution.
For further information or clarifications, please contact Dr Ramanunni (0491- 2526971/2535171) or Mr Krishnanunni (0491-2573010).

With affectionate regards,

Dr. Ramanunni                              Mr. Krishnanunni
(S/o. Radha Kuttyamma)                (S/o. Prof. P. Kochunni Panicker)

Gamma at the Zamorin's Court

A brief history of the campus

  • The Atakkaputhur Puthen Madhom, or “Poduvattil” has been the seat of the main branch of the Dharmoth Panikkar family, since their migration from Naduvattom, near Pattambi, in the late 18th century. Unable to maintain permanent residence, the descendants sold the campus in 1984, to the present owner, Shri. Narayanan.
  • For those of us in our 60’s & 70’s, the old mansion at Poduvattil was the site of sparkling childhood—dozens of cousins, the tang of Pulichiyan and Chandrakkaran mangoes, learning to swim in the “Ambalakkulam”, and the lore and legend of the Dronacharyas of the Zamorins of Calicut.
  • The 1.5–acre campus today has the two-storied gate-house (“Padippura Malika”), but not the imposing main building. It is back in the market now.


The plan for the campus


  • The 1.5-acre fertile land with plenty of water, and the double-storeyed six-room gate house bungalow (“Padippura Malika”) can be maintained as a common asset of the family, never to be alienated in future, and maintained as a centre for socio-cultural research, to highlight the contributions of Dharmoth Panikkars.
  • Being close to the Shekharapuram temple, the family seat can also be maintained for proper conduct of poojas and rituals at the temple.
  • The modalities of administration of the Trust can be worked out, with adequate safeguards to ensure maximum participation of all members.
  • Three young members staying close to Atakkaputhur, Vasant Kumar (Baby) of Kizhakke Kalam at Kulakkad, Rajiv (grandson of Padmavathy Kutty Amma) and Rajendu (son of Sulochana Kutty Amma of the Ponnil line), are ready to shoulder the leg work at the site. Chandralekha Kutty Amma (of Vatakke Kalam, Kulakkad) will guide them.
Success story: Temple Maintenance Society

  • The alienation of the ancestral house in the 1980’s was followed by the abandonment of pooja at the Sekharapuram Vishnu temple, where the family deity’s manifestations had been deposited. Thiruvalayanattu Bhagavathi has been worshipped by the Moothammamans for centuries.
  • Following a “Deva Prasnam” in 2000, the family’s members formed the Shri Dharmoth Panikkars’ Family Temple Maintenance Society to pay attention to the temple’s upkeep.
  • Since then, the Society has arranged for regular poojas, special poojas at devotees’ request, construction of an approach road to the temple, and maintenance of the temple buildings at Shekharapuram.

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