Perumthachan
Encyclopedia
Perumthachan also spelled as "Perunthachan" meaning (the master carpenter or the master craftsman) is an honorific title that is used to refer to an ancient legendary carpenter(Asari), architect, woodcarver and sculptor from Kerala
, India
. However Perumthachan is an important figure in the folklore
of Kerala and many a wondrous structure and architecture
that still stand are attributed to him.
.
According to the legend, Perumthachan was born to a Brahmin
father Vararuchi and mother from a lower caste , hailing from the village of Thrithala
. After their marriage, they set out on a long journey. During the course of their travels, the woman became pregnant several times, and every time she delivered a baby, she was asked by her husband if it had a mouth. Every time that she replied in the affirmative, Vararuchi asked her to let go of the baby, averring that the God which carved its mouth, will fill it as well. Each of these babies, twelve of them in total, was taken up by people belonging to different caste
s, making the legendary Parayi petta panthirukulam
or literally, the twelve castes borne out of the pariah woman. Each of them grew famous in their lives and many tales and lores were attributed, with them as the main cast. The eldest was Agnihothri, a Brahmin, whose place is Mezhathur
in Thrithala
. The others are Pakkanar
(basket weaver), Perumthachan
(Master carpenter), Naranathu Bhranthan
(an eccentric philosopher who was perceived as a madman), Vayillakunnilappan (a child without mouth, whom the mother wanted to keep with her) and so on.
Since Perumthachan was taken up by parents who belonged to Carpenter caste Vishwakarma (caste)#Kerala, he mastered the art and science of carpentry and architecture. He read the sacred texts and imbibed the ancient intellectual tradition. He was commissioned for many a great architectural project to build temple
s and palace
s. In course of time he came to be regarded as the reincarnation of the chief architect of the gods.
Perumthachan had a son who like him mastered and excelled in carpentry and architecture and in time,duly surpassed his own perfection. The repute of Perumthachan's son spread far and wide, which allegedly spurred animus between father and son. According to the Aithihyamala
, Perumthachan, blinded by his professional jealousy dropped his chisel
on his own son in the guise of an accident, killing him on the spot. Thus the legend ends in tragedy, telling us that even great men can have their frailties.
and fool the onlooker from each side.
The Shiva
temple at Uliyannore, www.uliyannoortemple.com and the Valluvanad temples that still exist in Kerala are attributed to Perumthachan.
poem of the same name by G. Sankara Kurup
. The legend of Perumthachan was also depicted in a malayalam cinema
Perumthachan(Film) masterfully performed by the noted versatile actor, Thilakan
. The movie script was written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
and directed by Ajayan (1990) and had won many prestigious accolades for its brilliant cinematography and direction.
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. However Perumthachan is an important figure in the folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of Kerala and many a wondrous structure and architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
that still stand are attributed to him.
The legend
Many legends of Perumthachan are seen in eithihyamala, the compilation of legends and folklore of Kerala written by Kottarathil SankunniKottarathil Sankunni
Kottarathil Sankunni is a well known author of Malayalam literature, was born on 23 March 1855 in Kottayam, Travancore. He made huge contributions in both poetry and prose. He died on 22 July 1937. He started compiling the legends of Kerala in 1909 and completed the work in eight volumes over a...
.
According to the legend, Perumthachan was born to a Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
father Vararuchi and mother from a lower caste , hailing from the village of Thrithala
Thrithala
Thrithala is a village in Ottappalam taluk in Palakkad District of Kerala state, South India. The village is located along the banks of Bharathapuzha and is famed for its Shiva temple.-Legends:...
. After their marriage, they set out on a long journey. During the course of their travels, the woman became pregnant several times, and every time she delivered a baby, she was asked by her husband if it had a mouth. Every time that she replied in the affirmative, Vararuchi asked her to let go of the baby, averring that the God which carved its mouth, will fill it as well. Each of these babies, twelve of them in total, was taken up by people belonging to different caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s, making the legendary Parayi petta panthirukulam
Parayi petta panthirukulam
Parayi Petta Panthirukulam, is a Malayalam language phase which translates as "twelve kulams born of a Pariah Woman". This phrase is a well recognized as the title of an important legend of ancient Kerala, a southern state in India. The 'Kulams' refer to vocation based hierarchical ethnic groups...
or literally, the twelve castes borne out of the pariah woman. Each of them grew famous in their lives and many tales and lores were attributed, with them as the main cast. The eldest was Agnihothri, a Brahmin, whose place is Mezhathur
Mezhathur
Mezhathur is an Indian village in the state of Kerala situated at the border of Thrissur, Malappuram and Palakkad districts. It is a historical and cultural village in Kerala . Known for traditional Ayurveda Physicians like Chatharu Nair and Vaidyamadom Valiya Narayanan Namboodiri. Also the native...
in Thrithala
Thrithala
Thrithala is a village in Ottappalam taluk in Palakkad District of Kerala state, South India. The village is located along the banks of Bharathapuzha and is famed for its Shiva temple.-Legends:...
. The others are Pakkanar
Pakkanar
Pakkanar is a character in Malayalam Folklore. Pakkanar was born as the son of Vararuchi, the famous astrologer who adorned the court of King Vikramaditya. Pakkanar was second among the twelve offsprings or the Parayi petta panthirukulam...
(basket weaver), Perumthachan
Perumthachan
Perumthachan also spelled as "Perunthachan" meaning is an honorific title that is used to refer to an ancient legendary carpenter, architect, woodcarver and sculptor from Kerala, India...
(Master carpenter), Naranathu Bhranthan
Naranath Bhranthan
Naranath Branthan is a character in Malayalam folklore. He was considered to be a divine person, a Mukhta who pretended to be mad. His chief activity consisted of rolling a big stone up a hill and then letting it fall back down. Unlike Sisyphus, he acted on his own volition rather than under the...
(an eccentric philosopher who was perceived as a madman), Vayillakunnilappan (a child without mouth, whom the mother wanted to keep with her) and so on.
Since Perumthachan was taken up by parents who belonged to Carpenter caste Vishwakarma (caste)#Kerala, he mastered the art and science of carpentry and architecture. He read the sacred texts and imbibed the ancient intellectual tradition. He was commissioned for many a great architectural project to build temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
s and palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
s. In course of time he came to be regarded as the reincarnation of the chief architect of the gods.
Perumthachan had a son who like him mastered and excelled in carpentry and architecture and in time,duly surpassed his own perfection. The repute of Perumthachan's son spread far and wide, which allegedly spurred animus between father and son. According to the Aithihyamala
Aithihyamala
Aithiyamaala is a book of mythology or folklore of Kerala written in Malayalam by Kottarathil Sankunni. It depicts popular tales like those of the children of Vararuchi and Parayi , Kayamkulam Kochunni, Kadamattathu Kathanar among many others. The story of 12 children is commonly called Parayi...
, Perumthachan, blinded by his professional jealousy dropped his chisel
Chisel
A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge of blade on its end, for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal. The handle and blade of some types of chisel are made of metal or wood with a sharp edge in it.In use, the chisel is forced into the material...
on his own son in the guise of an accident, killing him on the spot. Thus the legend ends in tragedy, telling us that even great men can have their frailties.
Legend of Temple Pond
Perumthachan was once assigned to construct a temple pond. But it so happened that a dispute arose among three Karakkar s (local residents) of the place as to the shape of the pond to be constructed. One group wanted a rectangular pond, another a square pond and the third, a circular shape. Perumthachan agreed to construct a pond which would satisfy all the three conflicting demands. When the pond was constructed, the Karakkars from each of the sides were immensely pleased to see their desired shape for the pond. It was so because the original shape of the pond was none of these three but a highly irregular shape, which could create an illusionIllusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
and fool the onlooker from each side.
The Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
temple at Uliyannore, www.uliyannoortemple.com and the Valluvanad temples that still exist in Kerala are attributed to Perumthachan.
Influence on Art & culture
The story of Perumthachan has been a source of artistic expression for various people. It has been the basis for a great malayalam dramatic monologueMonologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
poem of the same name by G. Sankara Kurup
G. Sankara Kurup
G. Sankara Kurup, , better known as Mahakavi G , was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary award...
. The legend of Perumthachan was also depicted in a malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
Perumthachan(Film) masterfully performed by the noted versatile actor, Thilakan
Thilakan
Surendranatha Thilakan , known mononymously as Thilakan, is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam cinema and theatre. He was awarded Padma Shri on 25 January 2009.- Theatre:...
. The movie script was written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj...
and directed by Ajayan (1990) and had won many prestigious accolades for its brilliant cinematography and direction.