ALAPPUZHA: The family members of `Kattunkal Kovilakam’ at
Varanadu in Cherthala
are still not able to believe that their most beloved
Jagannatha Varma
is no more. Most of the people have returned to their home after the cremation of the
veteran actor
on the premises of
Kattunkal Kovilakam
’.
The 24-year-old
MBA student Pachu
learned cooking from her grandfather Jagannatha Varma. "Our grandfather was a good cook and for all the family members, whenever it gathered at Cherthala, grandfather was the chef. He knew all kind of cooking and none of us was not allowed to enter the kitchen if he was there. His favourite item was gothambu payasam (broken wheat payasam). Whenever he arrived at our `tharavadu’, gothambu payassam was a must. So all the family members well know how to prepare gothambu payassam,’’ said Parvathi Thampi (Pachu), daughter of Viji Thampi. Viji Thampi married to Priya Varma, daughter of Jagannatha Varma.
Now Jagannatha Varma’s sister Prabhavathi Varma, 65, and her husband Venugopal, 68, are living in the ancestral home of Varma. Jagannantha Varma was born and brought up this Kovilakam. "Our Kovilakam is an 'ettukettu’ and having eight rooms. One room is known as `Nadakassala’ and that room completely belonged to our Ammavan (Jagannatha Varma). In that room, uncle started his drama practising with his friends. He also learned Kathakali there. Almost all the Kathakali artistes visited our home along with uncle. Though uncle and family settled in Thiruvananthapuram, whenever he got free time, he came to `tharavadu’ and spent his time in Nadakassala and with his friends,’’ said Saritha V Varma, the niece of departed actor.