Ayemenem revisited

Novices to the strange world created by acclaimed Indian writer Arundathi Roy in her poignant Booker prize winning novel, ‘The God of Small things’ would not understand why the small hamlet of Ayemenem in the Kottayam district of Kerala would be so attractive. To those who grew up on a steady diet of her fantastical world, Ayemenem would be in the bucket list of places to visit

When I was first introduced to ‘The God of Small Things’ during my rebellious teen years, I was instantly attracted to the characters of Rahel and Estha. She seemed to be a character after my own heart and Ayemenem was like the world of Hogwarts in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series. I never could believe that it actually existed. Years passed and I was given the chance to actually visit Ayemenem with an Estha in our photographer, Jose. I trudged along on the ever dependable Indian railways to Kottayam district from where I would land in Ayemenem. I wondered if the Ayemenem that Arundathi Roy created in her novel was just a stroke of imaginative genius and I would be sorely disappointed by what awaited me.  The first thing we noted as we battled the scorching midday sun was the paddy fields. Thick luscious green fields that stretched to miles on end like some vast ocean with an occasional electrical pole jutting out reminded me of the Malayalam films of the 70s. 

The name of the village itself sounds a little peculiar; the etymology of the name originates from Ay which means five in Tamil and Vanam in Sanskrit which means forest. So loosely translated, Ayemenem means the land of five forests. As this trivia entered my head, I wondered where these five forests were. I was told that the original five forests, Vattakkadu, Thurthikadu Vallyakadu, Moolakkadu and Mekkadu no longer existed. The little hamlet borders the Vembanad Lake and the Meenachil River, the latter which is central to the story and provides water to the villagers. As we reached the township, it appeared to be quite familiar with small shops scattered around and of course the houses. But the house I was eager to get a glimpse of was the Ayemenem House which is central to ‘God of Small Things’.

In the book, the great Ayemenem house was a place where visitors were not welcome and the central characters, the twins Estha and Rahel and their mother Ammu were sad and lonely. It was not a place where joy and laughter could be heard. My eyes popped out of their sockets as I realised that it was indeed true. Here was a place, a landmark that was as true in reality as in the novel. The house was of course big, but it was not a place which welcomed visitors with open arms. The house was dark and aloof and the day dreamer in me swore that the aroma of Paradise Pickles and jams wafted through the walls of the house. We walked past the ancient houses and reached the Ayemenem junction where the sight of a communist flag fluttering away in the wind had me reflecting on the symbolic communist movement represented in the novel. As we walked on to the small boats anchored near the water bodies reminded me of the tragic incident that changed the lives of its lonely central characters. It was the gentle reminder that we had to leave which had me return to reality and turn my back on the village.Still, leaving Ayemenem was like saying farewell to Rahel and Estha. 

Clicks: JJ