Religion
and religious activities were very important in most of the Christian homes on
our island. I vividly remember my parents who used to go to the St. Mary’s
Church very elegantly dressed for the services and functions at church. ‘Appachan’ used to wear a nice double
dhoti and a full sleeve shirt both of which were neatly pressed and his white
shirt-sleeves neatly fold up. He used to have a gold chain permanently around
his neck but the wedding ring was donned only when he went out. ‘Ammachi’ used to wear an impeccable ‘Njorinja Mundu’, a pressed dhoti with
about twenty two neat pleats or folds or tucks; a ‘Chatta’, breast-cloth, and a starched and pressed ‘Kavini’, a magnificent cloth with
golden jerry and thin borders, which was used to cover her head too in church.
She sported a few golden bangles on her hand and a ‘Mani Mani Mala’ which is a traditional special chain with round
golden balls on her neck. They actively participated in the Holy Mass on
Sundays, the first Friday of every month and on special feast days. On rare
occasions like for a marriage she would wear a sari and blouse and a traditional
necklace around her neck as well. She was very pleasant and always would sport
a smile on her face.
I
staunchly believe that going to a holy place of worship with a clean body and
pure mind (without any blemishes) would give one peace of mind and good health.
Excerpts from
MEMOIRS
An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
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