Launch of a vallom (country boat) - concludes

Sasi, the master carpenter, gives the first push to slip the vallom into the water. A thousand thoughts would be crossing his mind. And the tension. In a few moments he would know whether the fruit of his toil is seaworthy. The boat should not tilt; it should be stable and should smoothly glide on water. And it should have a majestic look, a kind of stage presence.

The boat slides gently into the water, accompanied by shouts from the crowd and sounds of fireworks.

And here is Parayil Rose in all her glory, floating steady in the Olavipe Lake which would be her home for the rest of her life.

After the family members have a short ride, the local people, more than thirty of them scramble on board. They would take the boat first to the family church at Velliara (http://parayilat.blogspot.com/2007/04/kerala-tharavad.html) and the mother church at Thycattussarry (http://parayilat.blogspot.com/2007/04/historic-church-is-no-more.html) to be blessed by the respective vicars.

Then bottles of rum would be taken aboard and the real celebration would start, with almost non-stop singing of the boat song which has a chorus that goes:

Thithi thara thithi thei, thei, thei thak thei thei thom.

This shows the boat with the passenger cabin that is removable. It has slide windows on the sides and the back.

Click on images to enlarge.

Photos: Chackochan

©Thekkanattu Parayil

Ends.

Launch of a vallom (country boat) - 2

Jacob, barefoot and wearing the traditional dothi, lights the lamp for pooja at our landing. All auspicious functions are conducted with the fire as witness – ‘Agnisakshi’.

This is a solemn moment. The master carpenter hands over the anchor oar to the owner. Symbolically it means that the boat is ready to be launched. No words are said. But there are silent payers; may the wind be always with her.

Jacob passes on the oar to Sankunni, our senior ‘valan’ (fisherman caste), the eldest nephew of Shankaran (see Komana Kadu.). He has the honor to be the ‘captain’ of Parayil Rose on her maiden voyage. After this, gifts are distributed to the master carpenter and his team, and sweets to all present.

These are produces of the land as offering to the goddess of the waters.

After walking around the vallom three times with a coconut in his hand, Jacob breaks it on the bow of the boat and pours the water into the hull. This is a traditional ritual. Now Parayil Rose is ready to be launched.

Click on images to enlarge

Photos: Chackochan

© Thekkanattu Parayil

To be continued.

Launch of a vallom (country boat)

Before the road to Olavipe was laid in 1970, it was difficult to live in the village without depending on boats. Even after the arrival of bicycles, scooters, auto-rickshaws, cars, buses and trucks, country crafts still remain an integral part of life in the area.

But a new vallom is a rare event and one to celebrate. A few months back, my brother Jacob who is the incumbent at Thekkanattu Parayil, decided to build one and name it ‘Parayil Rose’ (after Ammachi – Oru Desathinte Amma.) The job was entrusted to a master carpenter from the Ulladan tribe. Though originally from the interior forests, several members of this tribe migrated to the plains and coastal areas and took to new lines of expertise.

The first step in building a vallom is to select the trees to be used. The choice depends on various factors like size of the vallom, the purpose for which it is to be used, availability of the wood and so on. In this case Punna (Ball Nut tree - Calophyllum inophyllum) available on our land was selected.

The proper ritual for felling a tree is to take permission from that tree to cut it down. This is done with a prayer which explains to the tree that it had lived its full life and the time has come for it to be put to other uses or something like that. I don’t know whether it was done in this case. Any way the trees were cut and the master carpenter Sasi and his team spent about 110 man days to complete the vallom.

I am presenting pictures of the launch of Parayil Rose in installments:

Jacob (in white shirt) and I inspect the new vallom in the work-shed in the house compound.

Parayil Rose is ready for the journey to the Olavipe Lake. She is unlikely to return to the house compound again.

En route, Jacob's son Pappu (Antony Tharakan) puts an offering at the gate of the Olavipe Church.

On the way to the lake.

Preparation for pooja at the lakeside.

Click on images to enlarge

Photos: Chackochan

© Thekkanattu Parayil

To be continued.