CHEMBUPANCHAPATHRAM Dear friends,
Recently I read from a mailabout the copper content in the water of Tamraparni River in Tirunelveli district and it’snaming so for the added copper content. My memories went to olden days of copper use in day-to-daylife in Kerala while I was a student. Most of the references are as such toKerala. I am 77 years now. Last fifteen years my home is Chennai. This posting is lengthy-14 pages. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan 20-5-2021 1 CHEMBU- A LARGE COPPER VESSEL I start about Chembu(Copper-CU) with the use of a vessel by name itself Chembu. There are two varieties ofchembu- Valiya chembuand cheriya chembu. Valiya chembu(large chembu) had more than a metre width and height of about nine inches. Smaller one had more thantwo feet length and height of 9 inches. Difference between the two are only inwidth. Both these vessels are in use currently for boiling paddy in Nachinadand Kuttanad areas. The ones’ with tin coating inside are usedfor preparing rice for feasts. The sametype of tinned vessels are used for preparing sambar, payasam etc. also. These vessels were placedupon Mukootttu aduppu (Ovenwith three side brick support arranged in a triangular fashion and firewood wereput three sides in between bricks. For all occasions there mightbe a temporary kitchen witha number of ovens of different sizes and good roofing inhouses. In temples there were valiya adukkala for sadya preparations calledmadapalli. Male members managed Kitchen and some female members assisted themin feasts. Chembu has two ears (holders)with hole about 1 inch diameter on either side opposite to each other on thetop. Putting a rope/rod throughthem two or sometimes 4 people would lift the vessel from the oven after cooking. When lesser quantity oradditional quantity of preparations were required small chembu was used to prepare. The chembu without coating was used mostly for paddyboiling. Probably Kuttanad area people may be better toexplain added use of chembu without coating. During winter season in medium/richhomes water was boiled in it for bathing purposes. Tamilnadu it was a commonseen in Nagerkovil areas. In Eruthil (cowshed) Kanji (starchwater) and kaadi (rice washing water) were given to cows in cheria chembu. Itwas convenient for the cows to draw them from chembu. Chembu was an essentialitem in the primary and middle school during 1955-1960’s for the noon mealscheme. Either rice or Kanji or Uppuma (famous English translation - salt mango tree byactor Mohanlal in a film with Menaka as heroine) was prepared and served alongwith milk to students in the Lunch hour. It is not humour but fact that manystudents attended the schools for the Uchha kanji. Perumpayir Thoran used to bemostly the side dish. Most teachers also ate the same in the afternoon, perhapsshowing equality. My father was in charge ofthese preparations in the Pandalam middle school where he was working. If thepreparations delayed for any reasons (including my father’s absence likegrandfather’s sraadham) the Lunch bell would be late. Some teachers had toprepare. I had eaten these items duringmy middle school days. Large chembu is used inplace of kanikka vanchiin temples like Sabarimala and Pandalam during Mandalam and Mkaravilakkuseasons. During those days therewere separate vessel shops in all places. Mostly items were of copper, limitedbrass and made to order bronze. Moosan (Copper/brass/bronzesmith) might be present by the side of vessel shopsawaiting order. Display of chembu, kuttakam and Kalam (pot) outside the shopwas common and their display quantity valued the shop’s richness. My latebrother in Kerala owned a vessels shop up to 1975. I had seen nampoothiriescrossing Achhankovil River in chembu in olden days instead of a small boat inmy home when current is least. Chembu has not been phased out.For paddy boiling it is used. In Kuttanad areas still many cross the lake inchembu using thuzha (Oar). In Vaikkam temple stillprathal may be preparing in Chembu during Ashtami celebration. Mostly adukkala Nampoothiriesmay be in charge of Kitchen. Near my home in placescalled Puhthala andVenmani a lot of paddy fields are there owned by Nampyathies. They may be using chembu forboiling paddy. There is a place by nameCHEMBU near Vaikam- birth place of Megastar Mammooti. 2 Kuttakam Best friend of Chembu isKuttakam. This was another vessel used to be about two feet height and abouttwo feet wide. This fellow too had ears and people lifted it also using ropeson their ears. Many times items were usedto prepare in Chembu and transferred to Kuttakam. Because of the depth it wasmore a storing vessel. Having a smaller mouth comparing to Chembu covering witha lid or plank was easy. Kuttakams were used having tin coating inside. Tin coating inside was to keepthe items not spoiled. Non-tin coated Kuttakam was used to preparingKummayam (lime) for white washing. Kakka (Water shell) were put in Kuttakam toa half its storage level and added hot water to the balance area and keptclosed. Kakka would get converted to Kummayam in the next day. A day of no outside paints, OBDs etc.calcium carbonate by- products are made in a factory near Kottayam at Nattakam,mainly white cement 3 Day to day use Either Chembu or Kuttakamthough available was not used for day-to-day use in homes. There was a storingplace for them. In big houses the storing room was called Pathaya pura. Insmall houses it was Chayippu(Slanted back side portion). There also used to be Nilavara. (Basement of Areawhere important things were kept) Now people know of Nilavara from Mannarsala temple whereNeerum Palum is offered Naga deities. In my home which was thetharavadu for many iyer families, who later constructed separate matams, hadPathayam as well as Chayippu and also a Nilavara. My home was Nalukettu. Chembu were cleaned after useand kept on the sides of Pathayam. Kuttakam was kept in Nilavara. (In central Kerala mostresidences of iyers are not row houses like in gramams). Everybody had a separatehome with compound. Many homes were veryfamous. One of the famous home at Kottayam was Kaitharathu matam, rich in par with Christians. 3 Chembukalam- Copper pot The day-to-day use waswith Chembukalam (copper pot). There were large, medium and small chembukalam. Anotheritem used daily was Arikanchatti. The chembukalam had different uses. It was ensuredthat all chembukalam had good tin coating. Chembukalam was used for cookingrice, storing water. Arikkan chatti was used to keep Sambar, Thoran etc.Iddalimavu, dosai mavu etc. were also kept in Arikkan chatties. Chembukalam and Arikkanchatties were of various sizes. Normal Chembukalam used to be about one feetwidth and one feet+ 2-4 inches in height. They were handled by holding on thetop protruding end called mouth or edge. While hot using paper or cloth was usedduring handling. In most homes inplace of Venkalappana chembukalamwas used in central Kerala. Venkalappana was usedmostly on srardha days.Agni was brought forhaven in the venkala chattukam. Copper pots are still usedin temples for fetching water from temple well for abhishekam in Kerala temples and at Kollur Mookambikatemple. In many Tamilnadu temples using pump set water is stored in avessel. 4 Arikkan chatties Arikkan chatties had varyingwidth. Their normal size was about one foot and 3-6 inches diameter and half afeet height. In all subsidiary works arikkanchatti helped Chembukalam. For preparation of rice,water while getting boiled in chembukalam, Arikkan chatti assisted for cleaningand leaving Kadi form rice. From Arikkanchatti rice was added to chembukalm. Arikkanchatti had its use in Sadya also. Now stainless steel vessels have replaced them. Rarelywe can see copper pot in home to store starch water to give to cows. 5 Two saying relating to chembu vessels Once in a Tamilnadu home during a winter day water wasstored in a chembu over an oven for boiling for bath. It had become hot. The catcame there thought it could jump, tried to jump over but fell in hot water. Seeing this the water was drained immediatelyand cat got slight boils and escaped. From that day cats fear even cold water.From this the saying- Chootuvellathilveena poocha, pachha vellam kandalum pedikkum (The cat fell in hotwater wouldfear also cold water) The saying means the person who experienced trouble in a situationwould not even go near such situations. There isanother saying Chembukalamaduppil keraandae- similar to Venkalapathram aduppil ernadama meaning some means has to be there forday to day living. 6 Boiler I wrote about biggermembers, Chembu, Kuttakam, Chembukalam, and Arikkanchatti. The one big memberleft out is boiler. This fellow was/is mostly a friend of teashops. Alwayswater would be getting heated in the boiler and as required, hot water for tea,coffee or milk water is taken from it. One employ would be permanent in all teashopsfor this. But in central Kerala use of boiler in homes was uncommon inbathrooms especially among iyers. But I have seen boilers in use in Tamilnaduhouses 7 Use of copper in temples In temples the use ofcopper is more. Normally sreekovil and Mandapam have copper tops. The kodimaramof the medium temples are having only chembu URA. Now copper with gold platingis done in most temples. Copper pots were /are usedto fetch water for abhishekam and madapalli uses from the temple well insidethe prakaram. 8 Mookku/vali Coming to youngsters ofthe family we were having chembuvali. This was also sometimes called Mookku. Normally Rasam, Sambar etc. were taken inthese valis and served. There was a nose through which proper quantity could beserved for rasam. For sambar etc. thava was/is used to serve. Tinned ones are used. Now replacing copper we have stainless steelMookku. 9 Chombu (Small pot) There are chombu (small pots). Chombu is invariableitem for all poojas. This is considered divine. Normally for smaller poojaschombu is used for Kalasam. Normal size of the chombu is about 4 inches by 4inches. Slightly oval with a flat base. Chombuis still surviving for all poojas for Kalasam including Tharpanam for keepingwater. Chombu is made of best quality copper. Chombu never used to be tinned.It was never used for drinking water from it. Now stainless steel chombu is there. Water is consumed,if necessary using it. It is normally used to keep milk and curd. Cooked itemslike rasam is sometimes stored in it. Brass chombu also has come, but mostprefer copper chombu. 9a Kasichombu Chombu has a miniaturebrother Kasi chombu.Since these small pots were collected after visiting Banaras (Kasi) filling Gangawater and closed with lid and sealed. Normally every week or month they arewashed by women of home and kept back. Cleaning is done after bath and all sanctity. The Ganga water is given by all close to the person whois about to leave to other worlds. In all homes there wouldbe one or two Kasi chombu. Whenonce used the chombu is discarded. 10 Thambalam Tharpana muttai andThambalam are another two items. As the very name indicate Tharpanamuttai is used for Tharpanamonly. Thambalam is used for allsamskaras and in Pooja room. Normally in temples flower offered during Pooja iscollected in Thambalam after Pooja. Prasadam is offered from Copper/silver thambalam in temples. Thambalam is used tokeep misc. items, during poojas. Dakshina with betel and fruit is offered inThambalam.In kanyadan Thambalam isused to receive the holy water after reciting of Gothra/Gothra change. However his 1st cousine Pithalai Thambalamhas over tooked him in many samskaras because of its glittering appearance. 11 Bowl Another young brother is Kinnam (Bowl). Copper bowls are must for srardha.Normally the Kinnams used for srardha are kept cleaned after the ceremony andnever touched occasionally. For next ceremony only they are taken, cleanedagain and used. Forhome use different bowls are used. There is a saying – Kinnam kattathu jnan alla (Ihave not stolen the bowl) Saying means oneself making doubtful. 12 Copper glass Though today we havecopper glass used for water therapy, I have not seen copper glasses used forcoffee or tea or water commonly. The 1st cousin Brass glass is used nowadays toserve Kumbakonam filter coffee along NH. Long-time brass glasseswere not in use. 12 a Panchapathram Yes- now my Panchapathramand Uddirini. These are used on all occasions and well used even today. Many usecopper Thambalam and Pancha pathram for Sandhya. For semi auspicious and non-auspiciousonly copper are used. Lately they are replacedwith Pithalai Thambalam.(Brass)Pancha pathram and Uddirini are used for daily Sandhya, and yearlyupakarma day. However during marriage and yanjopaveetha dharanamfunctions brass items are replaced by silver made items. Regarding Pancha pathramand uddirini. Some use for sandhya also brass made or silver madePanchapathrams. I have seen on displaygold Thambalams, Panchapathram and Uddirini in GRT Chennai. Surely many richmay be purchasing them during Upanayanam, Vivaham, seemantham or suchoccasions. Pancha pathram normally ofthe size of 3 inches diameter circular top, by 4 inches in height. Uddiriniwill take 3 or 4 drops of water from Pancha pathram. Actually the item got the name from the followinglegend. There used to have five small vessels fordifferent items like Arghyams, Prokshanm, and Achamanm etc. earlier. There wastotal confusion using five vessels. Hence it was codified to use one vessel forall (I am not sure about the codifier either Vaisampaya, Yanjavalkya, Bodhayanaor any other sage?) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/953800205.1637622.1621483348776%40mail.yahoo.com.
