Kazhakam Days

Kazhakam Days Our family (Manakkal in Onchiyam Village) was one of the two families entrusted with Kazhakam duties in Vellikulangara Mahadeva Temple : https://g.co/kgs/Qr9pgvG There was also a Nambissan family sharing the Kazhakam responsibilities in the temple. The Puja responsibilities were with my father's Illam(Kannamkulam Illam, near Payyanur) and one of the members from that family used to stay in a house close to the temple. The third responsibility related to "Vadyam" during Puja and Seeveli (auspicious Pradakshinams after every major Puja during the first half of the day and in the night before closing, with the temple priest performing routine rituals and Marar and Warrier/Nambissan accompanying with Chenda Vadyam and Kuthuvilakku respectively) which was with a Marar family. Kazhakam duties included providing flowers 🌸 and garlands for the Deities in the temple, cleaning premises inside the temple, cleaning Puja and Naivedyam vessels and brass lamps, as also lighting lamps outside Sanctum Sanctorum inside and in the east and west directions outside the temple, mostly in the evenings. My duty in the temple was mostly in the evenings and that too during weekends and vacations (1952-59, when I was 10 to 15). I didn't enjoy the job in the temple as my boss, the Namboodiri who happened to be my cousin was not very considerate and was very strict in supervising me on duty. Occasionally, after closing the temple in the night some of the temple staff used to go for a night movie show in Jayabharat Talkies in Vatakara which was a 5 km walking distance from the temple. Subject to availability of 4 Annas I used to join the night adventure.