Critical Essays on Women's Literature - Ka.Na. Subramaniam (2)

Kettavaram– Anuthama

The Ketta Varam temple, situated atop the mountain, is said to grant whatever boon its devotees wished for. In Anutthama’s novel Ketta Varam, Perumal, the main deity of the temple, officiates three marriages; pairing a Rayar girl with a Rayar boy, an Ayyangar girl with an Ayyangar boy, and an Iyer girl with an Iyer boy. We get acquainted with not only the Lord, who somehow understands the ways of the world, but also his villagers.

“What was the wish and whose was it?” Maya bluntly asks at one point.

“Each one asks for something. What would you ask for? Surely you would ask for a handsome husband” Mallika said calmly.

“Go away.”

Yet, the village road remained unpaved.

“If the Lord grants all wishes, why hasn’t anyone prayed for the road to be fixed?” Maya asked. “What stops your people from asking for that boon?”

“You are asking for it now, aren’t you? Fixing the road needs human effort too. Now that Vasu is here, there’s hope. I think Lord Venkateswara will bless us with a road very soon.”

The novel introduces us to Ketavaram Palayam through the Sri Rama Navami bhajan gathering, where outsiders come to participate. Maya is an outsider as well; she’s the collector’s daughter. Vasudevan brings her to Ketavaram Palayam. He tells his superior officer he's overseeing repair work, his Chittapa he's there to supervise the fields, and his Chitti he's performing the usual anointing at the hill temple. To us, he claims he's visiting places like Nakshatra Hill. But beneath these explanations lies a more personal reason for his visit. The truth reveals itself within ten pages. The real reason is Rukmini.

“Who is this Rukmini? Why won’t you tell me anything? If I had known—if Amma had known—that Vasudeva uncle was only here for her, she wouldn’t have sent me.” Maya spoke in mock anger, making everyone laugh.

The writer probably feared the readers would imagine Vasudevan having a future with Maya, who is an educated woman with a B.A. degree. That's why she ensures from the beginning that there is no ambiguity in their destinies.

As a reader, I find myself reluctant to leave the first chapter. The author's craftsmanship is evident in many places, some of which deserve mention. Consider how skillfully she introduces the two women:

"Maya and Mallika laughed. Maya was a beauty. Mallika was a beauty too. But how different their names were!

Maya, with her glowing brown skin with reddish undertones, had wide, luminous eyes and a slender frame. Her laughter bloomed like jasmine flowers. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded in layers like the ocean waves and her thick, serpentine braid reached down to her knees. It seemed like a burden too heavy for her delicate form. Unable to bear its weight, she often wrapped her braid around her waist. She wore a soft white blouse and a simple white mill saree. A thin, elegant Karugumani chain adorned her neck. On her wrist, a single five-strand elephant-hair bracelet gleamed. Her laughter was like the chiming of silver beads, and her beautiful eyes lined with black Anjanam never fixed upon a single thing for long. Her gaze jumped from one thing to the next betraying her innocence and youth.

Mallika, on the other hand, was built like a beautiful ivory statue. There was a firmness in her build, a sculpted grace. Her slightly elongated eyes, framed by perfectly arched brows, resembled still pools of water. Her sharp nose, broad forehead, and full lips reflected the handiwork of a divine sculptor. Though her hair was not long, its unruly curls peeked out around her forehead, like mischievous little children. There was depth in her steady gaze and a quiet, cultivated serenity.”

Another moment from the first chapter stands out:

“Oh my! I feel as though I could live here forever! How sweet! The solitude, how lovely!” Maya’s eyes, like those of a starving beggar who had found a feast, drank in the breathtaking landscape.

“How far is it?” she asked softly.

Vasudevan laughed. “Maya! Why do you sound so scared and timid now?”

“No, uncle… Speaking out loud in this solitude feels… rude.”

“Maya is becoming a poet!” Mallika teased.

Rajamani, who had been engrossed in his snack, lifted his head as if deciding that his work was now done.

“What were you saying?”

“I said Maya might start writing poetry,” Mallika replied.

Rajamani smirked. “Why? Isn’t she already a poet?”

Maya turned to glare at him. He only laughed, and Vasudevan, too, took in the scene with amusement.

“Yes, Maya is a poem; and Mallika, a beautiful sculpture” Vasudevan declared.

“And Rukmini?” Rajamani asked.

“She is a painting. Don’t you know this?” Mallika replied.

Throughout the novel, there are numerous moments, dialogues, and narrative elaborations that invite reflection. However, Tamil readers often seek books that compel them to read without pause. Even by that standard, Ketta Varam holds a strong place among Tamil novels. The story flows with vigor and continuity. While the occasional bhajans may seem to quicken the pace, they actually serve to frame the plot and give it more structure.

The village atmosphere excites Maya, yet as a B.A. graduate, she finds many local customs perplexing. At bhajans, she unhesitatingly sits next to Vasu among the men in the beginning but this changes slowly without her even realizing it. She sees that Rukmini never really speaks to Vasu Uncle. She stands apart, and Maya perceives her as a guarded woman. It even seems inevitable that she will be married off elsewhere. However, Ketavaram Palayapperumal and the author, unwilling to let that happen, intervenes with the determined effort. In the end, Maya learns that Rukmini is, in fact, an M.A. graduate.

It is unsurprising that Maya initially misjudges the people she encounters in the village. Those who know them well see them differently. At first, she resists understanding. Later, she feels compelled to. Slowly, she does. The author’s narration, rich and engaging, helps her see the village families in a new light. She gets to know these people through listening, overhearing, and silent observation.

Mallika's brother, Rajamani, has left his wife, Lalita, for some unspoken reason. Desperate, she arrives at Ketavaram Palayam Perumal’s temple with her infant in her arms, seeking divine intervention. Mallika, however, takes a direct approach. She confronts her brother.

“She has come to us from someone else’s house. And now you have abandoned her. If you refuse to take her back, the village panchayat will intervene. Right now, everyone is watching you, me, and her. No one is at peace. The only one truly suffering is that woman!”

Rajamani dismisses the matter. The next day, he sets out for the secluded well near the mountain temple. After a leisurely bath, he sits on the steps of the well, a wet cloth draped over him, meditating and reciting verses from the Ramayana and Gita Govindam.

A child's terrified scream pierces the air.

"Mother! Ah - ah - Mother!"

Rajamani opens his eyes. At the well’s edge, a child stands, frightened. He thinks the child resembles his sister’s child, Chandrika.

“What a wretch! Where have you gone, leaving the child to die?” Rajamani even cries out loud.

With a desperate leap, he catches the child just as he is about to fall into the well.

The child says his name is Basanna Venkataramana and that his mother is Lalita. Was Rajamani suspicious? Is it even possible to free oneself from such an entanglement, like he did, as though he wanted to wash mud away from his body? But he couldn’t. In the end, Lalita and the child return home with him.

Maya takes an instant dislike to Krishnarao.

“You can see it in his face!” she declares. Yet, like a shadow, he clings to her. He sings beautifully, but to Maya, his voice sounds like a cat hissing.

“What do you want?” Maya asks, exasperated.

“Maya,” he says simply. Maya is shocked to hear this.

“Vaasu, she asked me “What do you want, Krishna?” and I said I wanted only her” says Krishnarao. 

Over time, Maya begins to realize that perhaps Krishnarao is the one she wants. When her father, the Collector, finally arrives, he opposes without fully grasping the situation or perhaps he understands everything too well. He stands opposing the union to make Maya get to know her own mind and her intentions. As expected, she wavers between anger and sorrow. But once she realizes the truth, the joy is immense.

The novel unfolds over nineteen chapters. We come to know twenty different male and female  characters with a fair degree of depth. Every moment resounds with the echoes of bhajans and the name of Rama. If only life was like this novel; complete, pleasant, simple, without complications, puzzles, or depth. But only a few are privileged to live that life.

 - Excerpt from ‘படித்திருக்கிறீர்களா?’  ( Part -2), September 1958