Thejo Bhavan, Chenganassery
The Nagaparambil Thejo Bhavan is a simple house situated in the scenic, sleepy and neat little hamlet, Kurumbanadom [Kottayam District], in central Travancore region of Kerala. The house is located in one acre land surrounded by rubber trees, teak, arcanut, coconut trees. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 toilets. Breakfast will be available on request. There are also a fridge, washing machine, toaster and cooking facility which one can use if needed. A maid-servant will be there to help.
The house is beside a bus-stop, by the roadside and this road connects to Chenganacherry town [9kms] on one side and to Kottayam town [18kms] on the other. In front of the house, there are two eateries, a provision store, a stationery shop, a small bakery, a barber's shop, a tailor's shop and a small beauty parlor. There is an auto rickshaw stand and call-taxis are available on request. Buses to Chenganacherry and Kottayam ply every 20 minutes.
The Nagaparambil Thejo Bhavan is a simple house situated in the scenic, sleepy and neat little hamlet, Kurumbanadom [Kottayam District], in central Travancore region of Kerala. The house is located in one acre land surrounded by rubber trees, teak, arcanut, coconut trees. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 toilets. Breakfast will be available on request.
There are also a fridge, washing machine, toaster and cooking facility which one can use if needed. A maid-servant will be there to help.
The main occupation of the people in this village is related to rubber, the growing of rubber plantations, rubber tapping etc. There is also a small plywood factory in Kurumbanadom. CVN Kalari, an ancient traditional ayurvedic treatment centre is just 5 kms away. Kalaripayattu - a traditional martial arts is taught at this centre. Ayurvedic massages [thirumal, uzhichil], oil bath, steam bath are available here. Patients are treated here only on the advice of the doctor. If one has no ailments, but is interested in ayurvedic massage, one can go to the Sukhodaya centre at Kottayam. There, massages are available on request. The villages around Kurumbanadom are Mamood, Karukachal, Thottakad and Vagathanam. As the people are predominantly Roman Catholics, there are 2 churches in Kurumbanadom - The Assumption Church and St. Antony's Forane Church. At Thottakad, which is 3 kms. away, there is an ancient Temple of the Hindus.
Tourist Attractions The major tourist attractions nearby are Kumarakom [30 kms. west], Alleppey [32 kms. west], Aranmula [32 kms. south], Cochin [70 kms. north], Munnar [100 kms. northeast] and Thekady [100 kms. east]. One can reach these tourist destinations by car, but it is by taking the transport such as bus/ auto rickshaw/ by foot, like the local Keralite, that one gets to understand the Malayalee psyche and way of life.
The house is owned by Bijo Nagaparambil and Karine. Married with two lovely daughters, they live and work in France.
The house was inherited by Bijo from his parents Sebastian and Tresa,who lives in Palakkad, Kerala along with Bijo's elder sister Binu.
Work had taken the family to many places but they never let go the property passed on by their ancestors.
For occasions the family convenes at their "Tharavadu" [ancestral property] and at other times it's lend out to the 'Curious Travellers'. Bijo himself has written this article for us.
This is the very first and fresh form of the cloves in the garden, green and tender.
Once the harvest is done, the flower bud is collected and dried up in the sun for a few days, until it becomes dry and takes a brown color. Now, enjoy the fresh smell!!!
Pepper Harvest
When the pepper is picked the colors are usually red or green depending upon their ripeness. Then the pepper is separated from its stem and then dried in the sun for 3 full days at least to get a black color. Now there you have the Black Gold!
Email : bijosebastian@gmail.com
