About Puthenthope

Puthenthope; History and Life

Compiled by Kumar Samson D’cruz and Lazar D’silva

Puthenthope, a tiny village on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram is both scenic and serene. Filled with cashews and coconut palm trees the lush greenery equally soothes the soul and surroundings. The lively Arabian Sea on the west and the calm and cool Parvathi Puthanar, a man made canal, on the east add a distinct charm to this already blessed up beauty.

By 15^th century the Portuguese occupation of India started and at that time, they had an arch rival here, the Dutch. In the south west coast of India they were looking for a strategic point to place their canons-an innovative weapon at that time, aiming the Dutch ship movements in the Arabian Sea. They found a suitable place with tall coconut palms on the costal area and dense forest throughout the inland. If they could build hills in between and place the canons there, the ships could not see it but the people in the land could easily monitor. So to build the hills, Portuguese brought a group of Kusavans (potters) from Ambalappuzha, a place in the present Alappuzha district. They made the hills for the canons to be placed. Whether a canon was placed, any fire was shot, we don’t know. But we know, soon after, the Portuguese and the Dutch were forced to retreat from India or were confined to few pockets by another mighty invader–the British.

The Kusavans who came from Amplapuzha did not bother to go back to their native place. They stayed back and continued with their occupation of pot making. The settlement of the group was at the centre of these two hills where there was a big Njaval tree. This place carried the name Njaramukham. This settlement was isolated from the other settlements of the region with dense forests on three sides and sea on one side. The occupation of pot making was not suitable for many reasons–the unavailability of clay, the long walk through the forest to the nearest market in Karinja Vayal, an area near present Kazhakoottam, presence of notorious thieves on the forest way etc. This reason was enough for them to turn to another profitable occupation–fishing.

In the absence of any written account on the history and life of the people who inhabited Njaramukham, we are left with no option, but to rely on the word of mouth that has passed from generations to generations. Though the big njaval tree, the then epicenter of activities, had disappeared and the centre of activities had shifted to the site of the Church, the locality, where the njaval tree once stood, remains to be called Njaramukham even today.

The Portuguese left long ago, but their telling legacy still remains. The remnants of sand mounds would speak volumes of Portuguese activities in Njaramukham. A journey through the coastal lines of Thiruvananthapuram would reveal the stunning fact that there are no historical landmark sites as old as the Puthenthope mounds. The Anchuthengu fort was built much later, that was only during the English era. The Portuguese influence can also be seen in the language spoken here. However, the Ambalapuzha link remained a mystery till the excavation of sand mounds in the late 1970's. During excavations, huge quantities of earthenware, believed to be used by the then people, were discovered and this not only gives credence to the widely believed theory that the original inhabitants of Puthenthope were potters, but also establishes its Ambalapuzha link.

It is a historical fact that St. Francis Xavier came to India in the early 16^th century and walked through the western cost of India preaching Christianity and converting people to Christianity. There is a strong assumption that he placed a cross near Njaramukham and prayed (present Pallimukku area). There is another belief that St. Francis heard about the death of his teacher St. Ignatius Loyola while he was near Njanramukham and so he placed the cross in his name.

There is a common belief that, some ladies from the family of the famous Ettuveettil Pillai, the Kazhakuttam Pillai, was given to the Mukkuva’s of the area, after he being executed by Marthanda Varma. There are conflicting references but the most reliable historical reference points that these ladies from the eight families (ettu veedu) were gathered together and given to the mukkuva’s on the northern border of Travancore kingdom, far away from the capital – a costal area in the present Kayamkulam Taluk. 

The name ‘Puthenthope’ was given by the Catholic Church as recognition of a separate entity under Quilon diocese.

Fishing, once, might have been a profitable venture. The two pandakashalas, built close to the seashore, one near the Church and the other at Njaramugham, for processing and storing fish, have disappeared, but their remains account for the then flourishing fish trade. During the heydays, people had established trade relations with Ceylon.

British East India Company had started its firm industrial expansions in Malaya and turning Singapore into a flourishing free port by the dawn of 19^th century and there was a big flow of human resources from China and India to these areas. That might have been a possible reason for Puthenthopians’ first journey out from his secluded land. Malaya and Singapore fell to Japanese  in 1941 and the Puthenthopinas who joined INA might have been those who were already in Singapore, rather than they going out from Puthenthope to join INA (INA was supported by Japan – it was not easy to join INA in British India and British Singapore). It was during the Second World War that our people joined British army as koolipattalam.

The traveling of Puthenthopians to other parts of the world was purely on job hunt rather than any other social inevitability. Many people from Puthenthope have traveled to Malaysia and Singapore before and after 2^nd world war. It might have been from there that some Puthenthopians moved on to England, after the independence of these countries in 1957. British must have allowed some of their civil servants to accompany them on their withdrawal (a possible reason).

Life

Njaramugham can hardly be recognized today. Not only did it renounce its name, but acquired for itself a new face. As one journey through the village, the common sight is the signs of development. Education has been a passion with the people and with cent percent of the current generation being high school graduates and more than 60 per cent people getting university education; others can envy on its credentials and emulate its success story. Missionary services, migration to developed countries, pouring in of gulf money, proximity to the city, and spread of television have all played its part and changed the landscape and life style of the village.

Oil boom in the Gulf countries proved to be a big opportunity for the enterprising people. During 1970's the young people, though with little skills, had reached far away Gulf countries, in search of a better livelihood and made fortunes. The luster of Gulf jobs continue to attract the young and the educated.

With the explosive growth of education and the increased opportunities for professional and higher education, career opportunities have expanded immensely at home and abroad. People are no more ready to pick up traditional fishing and fishing related jobs, but prefer blue collar government jobs or highly paid overseas jobs. The hitherto avenues for migration were either, Singapore, Malaysia, England or Gulf countries. However, now a strong shift has taken place in the pattern of migration, as now the educated are in the forefront, migrating legally and illegally, to countries like UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Israel for lucrative career opportunities.

The society is a closed entity with little intercourse from adjacent villages. Men and women prefer to marry within the village and seldom marriages are arranged outside. The north, the south and the east of the village, irrespective of deep cleavages are bound into a single organism. This togetherness is clearly manifested in its social life. All festive occasions like, Christmas, Easter and Parish Feast are celebrated together and people take full part in other social gatherings and public ceremonies.

For social scientists, the unique social processes in Puthenthope offer enormous scope for studies. Nowhere in the world can you find the preeminence of women in family like in Puthenthope. Though, this does not have any direct relation with `marumakkathayam', the importance of women in family is foremost and final. Strangely, daughters inherit property and wealth, and after marriage the bridegroom settles down at bride's home. This practice is highly uncommon in Kerala. Whatever be the adverse effects the practice had on men, with certainty one can claim that, it helped in containing dowry harassments and dowry related deaths, which are unheard of here, though dowry is an integral part of marriages.

The Church remains the all important social institution in the village, where people are predominantly Catholics. The towering Saint Ignatius Church stands out at Puthenthope junction as a symbol of collective will and peoples' unity.  The Church occupies the core of ethical and moral life and its written and unwritten commands are given due respect. The believers are required to lead a Christian way of life. The daily mass service at the Church is attended by many, mainly the aged, women and children. Being Catholics, the Sunday mass service is an obligation and not to be missed. Further, evening prayers are recited at every home, though this practice is on the wane, mainly due to the onslaught of television.

DD