THOPPI (CAP) Dearfriends,
Two days back I was seeing the film Uriyati in SooryaTV. The story relate to incidents in the police quarters with some celebrationsincluding Uriyati. Duringcelebrations one police constable lost his revolver suspended from a holder in his home and he was placed under suspension. Another seniorofficial lost all the ornaments kept for his daughter’s wedding selling hisproperty. The story mostly humorous find out how such things happened. On seeing the loss of revolver, the incident of losingcap by a constable and not able to go to police station came to my memory inanother film. I thought I may write on cap today. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan.05-8-2021 1. Metallic cap Metallic cap isworn by special police force, which we can very often see during tensesituations, and by army people in duty. It was a scene for me to look at peopleof different cadres, at construction places in Dubai wearing metallic or tough fibercaps (during my visit to Dubai in 2002). Now all major constructors in India alsohave made it compulsory to have workers wear caps while on duty. I have seenduring meals time workers wearing uniform dress and cap walking in ruralvillage road from the factories set up there near Chennai. Similarly in theearly morning workers doing bridge works in uniform and wearing cap while goingto travel by early morning trains from Chennai central. (MGR Chennai centralRailway station) 2. Thoppi poya pinnae enta? I do notrecollect the name of the film; Jayaram, slightly disturbed mind, taking awaythe cap and dress of his brother in law Janardanan, and Janardhanan could notgo for duty. Police people wouldhave more dresses, but cap would be one. Without cap, on those days we cannotsee the police staff. Now in all soaps, especially police women wear cap for ascene and later only uniform… In another film,Jayaram takes away his brother in law’s (Kalabhavan Mani) cap and never returnback and he is thinking means how to get it back. The cap ofearlier days was more majestic with SANKHU MUDRA and red ribbon borders for thecap in Kerala. We could see the police without cap only in teashops; keeping itclose to them have always a vigil on it while eating snacks and drinking tea. The present daycaps are flat, not so nice looking as old one. I do not know how far it was true- thosewearing the old caps were below SSLC and those wearing the Blue front caps areof SSLC when the caps were introduced. A police staffplaced on suspension or dismissed etc are told AS “THOPPI POYA POLICE”. He islike any other person. There is a normal usage also by those who command police– “Thantae thoppi therippikkum” meaning, I will see that “your cap would beflied off”. Such talks are common in films. 3. Caps in profession The pilots haveto wear compulsorily caps, and some ground engineers also. This cap reallygives a majestic look to them, increasing their personality. Similarlyair hostesses. At one time ourpostmen had to compulsorily wear the cap. Now the uniform does not include cap,I think. Yester years the telegraph man, telephone lineman all had caps. In the hospitalnurses have to compulsorily wear caps. I do recollect one head nurse; refuseentry of a nurse to ICU without cap. I was in ICU listening to it. 4 Hotels and caps for servers. The caps if wornensure hair would not fall on food. But it has to be more alerted in Kitchen.In the Indian coffee house, staffs who serve used to wear a turban, andcleaning staff used to wear cap. This identified between the two. Earlier 98% ofhotel staff was males. Now in Chennai and Kerala it has changed. Many goodhotels have lady staff for serving and supervising. Most of them wear cap. 5. Thottu thoppiyiduaka. Probably on adefeat, the person defeated would have taken his cap and kept down to theopponent, giving rise to the saying. Probably in the first time the opponent would have used the wordIduka (drop) instead of veikkuka (keep down) In the oldkingdoms, during fights, the king who was defeated had to take his cap and keepdown before the king who defeated him. The king’s cap had special designs. Still I recollect in the picture ofChittira thirunal (Last King of Tiruvithancore) some feather like thing on thecap. I have heardelders telling to those who don’t study and fail in the examination- “Enthathottu thoppiyitto?” (Now you have failed in the examination) 6. Farmers and cap The two types ofcaps the farmers used to were on thosedays were-One made of aracanut pola and another made of palm leaves. Thedifference with Olakkuda for the second one is that, what farmers use has no handle and it can sit on the head. Itprotects more against rain since unlike cap, water would not fall on thebody. The first type protect fromfalling sun rays falling on head. 7. Party cap The congressparty has decorum of wearing caps – white cap. I do not know whether any otherparty has such decorum in India. Party functions we can see all wearing caps. I read elsewhere,once many people crowded JawaharlalNehru. Seeing this sister Vijayaleakshmi Pandit told him-“ Take your cap, letthem see your baldhead. All would go”. Irecollect the reading but source is not clear. Only at that time I knew,Jawaharlal Nehru was having baldness. 9. Railway, air force and naval caps All of them havecaps with different appearance. Airforce cap is blue, naval white and Railways too white . Railways still havedifferent types of caps, all in white color. Most stationmasters on duty wearcap. Similarly Railway guards. The cap identifies them. TTRs too wear cap, it is part of theiruniform. One canenjoy the status quarrel between stationmaster Jayaram and TTR jagadeesh in the Malayalam film “ Krishna gudiyil orupremagatha”. We can also see TTR coming with cap in the Malayalamfilm- “ Yathrakkarutaesraddaikku” I had a veryclose friend Varijakshan, always special to be in full uniform while on duty ,an Asst station master while working at Ranipet. Later he took transfer to Cochin On those dayscatering staff too had cap. I recollect my elder brother wearing it while hewas a caterer. The staffdrivers to District collector, Post and telecom officers etc also wear cap. 10. The retold cap seller story. In the retellingstory , cap seller removed his cap and throws it down as advised by his grandfatherto get back the caps taken away and worn by monkeys. But no monkeys threw theircap on seeing it. One of themonkeys came to cap seller and told- Like you we too have grandfathers. Theyhave told us- Don’t be foolish, do not throw your caps. 11. Modified cap? I am not surewhether the helmet can be told as modified cap. Similarly the TURBAN ofPunjabis and THALAKETTU of Keralites. This Thalaekettu is very important forNairs in Kerala during the time of betrothal. Probably not attended earlier, itwas a new thing to me when I saw it in a marriage betrothal about 3 years back. 12. Horse riding and special cap For exerciseslike horse riding, swimming etc. cap is compulsory. Of course for horse ridinga cap with good strength is worn and connected to chin also. It would not come easily from the head. If I am correct still the Raja comes fromKowdiar palace with cap to Padmanabha swamy temple at Trivandrum, remove it andenter and pray to God. He is Padmanabha dasa. Then he wears it back. (Readersfrom Trivandrum- Kindly correct if I amwrong) 13. Hill stations In hill stationit is a common scene, almost all times most people wearing woolen caps. Sellingof caps is also common in streets, picnic places etc. 14. kadam chol (Quiz) In Malayalamthere is kadam chol- Oramma petta makkalellam thoppikkaru- ( All the sons born to a mother are having caps )Answer- Pakku (Aracanut) 15. NCC cap and hair cutting. During Paradeone of the officers would inspect thegrowth of hair below the cap at back side and above ears. He would physically catch hold and order for nextparade he should have PAKKA CROP, close to head at back and sides. If still some growth is seen, the cadet hadto run three or four times around the parade ground and again get itcropped. Some barbers wouldnot cut close, if at all we say. I had such an experience of running while inNCC, at one time hair being cut by adifferent barber in the absence of regular barber. Later I went to him again,told him the requirement and got it cut close.. Still I recollect energy losswhile running obeying the command QUICK, QUICK.. Cap is a veryvast topic. 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