O J’s Corner

Amount meager, tradition great

I was amused by the tradition of the Kerala State Government offering panakkizhi (cash bag) to the women successors of the erstwhile Cochin dynasty.

In Kottayam, the government representative called on Soumyavathi Thampuratti, one of the 62 surviving women successors of the Cochin royalty, on Wednesday and presented her with the cash bag in all reverence and ceremony.
Do you know, how much the cash bag contained? The amount was Rs 15. In fact, the State Government is obliged to give only Rs 14 and a few coins. But of late, the Government was magnanimous enough to round off the figure to Rs 15.

After Travancore and Cochin kingdoms got themselves into the State of Kerala, it had become the bounden duty of the government to continue this practice. In fact, an order was passed by the government in October 1961 regarding the purse to be given over to the women members

The practice was started by some kings in the Cochin dynasty to enable the women members of the royalty to buy new clothes on the occasion of Onam, which is a great celebration in Kerala, which to others is a form of harvest festival.

Legends have it that in times of yore, an Asura king had ruled the state. Everything was hunky dory. The king took care of the needs of all his subjects. Gods were jealous about it and the asura king was trapped to give away the land to one of the Gods. Mahabali went to the nether world. He was allowed to make an ethereal visit to the land of Kerala once a year. It is during his visit that Keralites celebrate Onam, according to the legends.