Thayillam Family
Some History
It is a tower of remembrance and pride; remembrance of one's forefathers and pride at one's roots. The tower at Ayroor village in central Travancore is unique; on it is inscribed the genealogy of the Thayillam family (pic: left).
The tower has the names of 268 forefathers of the family spanning nine generations starting from 1600 AD. The dates of birth and death of members of all generations are inscribed. The 32-foot high tower serves as a history guide for the new generation.
The tower was conceived during the family's annual Kudumbayogam (family gettogether) of 1981. After discussion, it was decided that the tower should be at the location of the original family house where Chacko Abraham, a small-time merchant, now lives.
Once the decision to build the tower was taken, the search for an appropriate model began. "Finally, it was a model different from all these which was adopted." The tower was designed by K.C. George, a retired chief engineer and member of the family.
Nearly Rs 1.5 lakh was spent on the tower which was completed and unveiled in 1988. The tower is built with stones, concrete and marble and faces north. At a height of four feet from the ground level, marble plates imprinted with the names and years of births and deaths of the forefathers are placed. The tower has 12 plates; three in different angles on each of the four sides. Each plate has 24 names inscribed and on the tower can be found names spanning 21 branches of the family.
For recording the genealogy of their forefathers, the Thayillam family depended on a 1958 family history book by S. Thomas. Thomas, in turn, got his information from elderly members of his family, land records and cemeteries. "The history of our family dates back to the visit of St. Thomas to Kerala in the first century AD and a concrete history of the family is dated to the late sixteenth century."
The Thayillam family, now nearing 14 generations, is 10,000 strong and with 1,500 houses. The tower, however, has got the names of members only up to the ninth generation, the members of which were born early this century. In fact there is no more space on the tower for inscribing the names of the succeeding generations after the ninth.
This village preserves the Christian tradition in which it is steeped; the tower denotes the family genealogy just as Jesus Christ's is recorded in the gospels of Mathew and Luke. In the gospel of Mathew, the names of the forefathers of Christ dating back to Abraham are mentioned and in that of Luke, the names all the way till Adam find mention.
For members of the Thayillam new generation, the tower almost becomes a Biblical testament of their roots. Quite appropriately, a verse from the Psalms is inscribed on the tower: "Lord, for generation upon generation, you have been our refuge."
The Kandamparampil Family
Kandamparampil Thoma (1898-1987)
Kandamparampil Aliamma(1904-1988)
Kandamparampil Thomas Daniel
Kandamparampil Mariamma
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Simon
