Samooha Madom

The main heart of an #agraharam … all roads of the #brahmin settlement used to lead to this place. 

Usually the main #deity is #lordayyappa #shasta … the protector… who lead us #kerala #iyers from #tamilnadu safely through the forests, saving us from bandits, to wherever we settled.

A samooha madom is necessary in every agraharam. #amust He is the Grama devata.

Here religious festivals like #rudrabhishekham #shastapreethi #suryanarayanapreeti used to be conducted with fervour. During #karkidakam #bhagavathyseva …Even marriages were conducted here.

There is also a #kitchen attached which churns out delicious #food #sadya …

And it used to be a meeting place too for all the people of the community.

Now these #samooha #madoms are dying. 

This is Vadakke madom in #kochi #mattancherry …More than a century old..

#brahminlife #tambrahm #iyerthoughts #mymusings #anuradharish #anuradhaharish