Chonnam goes to Mundur..

In our agraharam.. there is a story about Chonnam going to mundur .. Chonnam Mundoorukku pona pole..ചൊണ്ണം മുണ്ടൂരുക്ക് പോന പോലെ 

Our agraharam is in the heart of Palakkad town.. and Mundur is a place about twelve kilometers away from here.. a place en route to Mannarkad.. and Mundur is semi hilly.. and full of very fertile arable lands.
The brahmins of the agraharam in yonder years, owned a lot of agricultural lands there..

They would leave the lands in the control of tenants and a few would visit there often and stay in temporary shelters called kalappura.. Such kalappuras were used for extra curricular activities too.. That is a different story.

One brilliant mama in our village had an equally brilliant son whom he christened Swarnam (Swarnapureeswaran or something like that).. and assigned a pet name of Chonnam..


This mama had extensive areas of agriculture lands in Mundur..
He wanted to inspect the progress of agricultural activity and the activities of the tenants at Mundur and also wanted to collect something in cash or kind from them for the daily use of the family..

So one evening he called his darling son Chonnam and told him


Chonnam nee nalaikku kaarthaale mundurukku ponam..
ചൊണ്ണം നീ നാളയ്ക്ക് കാര്ത്താലെ മുണ്ടൂരുക്ക് [പോകണം

you should go to Mundur tomorrow morning.

The obedient son agreed as if the fathers order is a Vedavakyam


The next morning the sun rose, and the father was searching for the son to leave instructions as to what he should do at Mundur

He called the golden boy.. and there was no response..
Then he enquired about the whereabouts of his wise son.

No one around  had any clue.


All knew that the  august presence of Chonnam was not felt since early morning..

But by ten O clock in the morning, the son was sighted, running back after a long, long trek

Nee engeda ponaay..  നീ എങ്കേഡാ പോനായ് ? where did you go.. asked the father.

Pat came the reply... Neengal Chonna pole Mundurukku poyittu Vandaachu..    നീങ്കള്‍ ചൊന്ന പോലെ മുണ്ടൂരുക്ക് പോയിട്ട് വന്താച്ചു   I have gone to Mundur and come back as per your directions..

Enthukku daa ponaay.. എന്തുക്ക് ഡാ പോനായ് ? what was the purpose of your travel.. asked the father..

Appa, neengal athu chollalaye.... അപ്പാ നീങ്കള്‍ അത് ചൊല്ലലയെ father , you did not tell me that..

The son had obeyed his father to the dot.. but with no purpose served..

A brilliant father, an equally brilliant son whose weight is worth is gold.. and a great journey..

This anecdote might be found in the annals of many paatti stories with different heroes and dramatis personae..
But our agraharam story goes like this..

We iyers though brilliant in many ways, are capable of extremely absurd actions.. innocently but foolishly..