BALAMANI CHITTI , A LONG INNINGS AT KALPATHY
An obituary for Balamani Balamani,my chitti from my fathers side is no more. She lived and ruled the ancestoral house at Kalpathy for more than 50 long years .Thus she is synonym with the house. Every life we come across and become close with we learn and understand some life lessons. I came to know Balamani when I went to see her at Kalengkulankari , a small village near Palghat. She and her brother one of the last children of a village school teacher who had passed away were living in penury. She agreed to marry Mani chitappa, as was the marriage those days for the security of living out of penury. By nature she was a rebel. fighter nut full of spirit and wit. Mani chitappa left the worldly abode early and she and chelli perimma lived together for some years, till perimma was brought to Mumbai in her end years when she s...