There is a new team at the helm

Yes, it has been a long while since there has been a posting here.

SO here is an update.

A new team of office bearers has been installed for 2010 - 2011

Mr Mathew as president and Mr Avarachan as secretary with 11 other members.

The former team handed over records and accounts.

A new directory, a new website and a new photo album as well as digital directory was released at the annual re-union.

A new constitution needs to be written.

A long range plan needs to be developed.

Mailing adress of all needs to be compiled.

The web - site and bank accounts must be managed efficiently and under supervision and knowledge of the committee.

I do not wish to be boring and I will conclude with a brief footnote.

We have had many losses in and related to the family. % have dies since the start of this year and we need to pray and remain closed to God.

As for other matters... less said the better.. for now.

The times are changing !

Our family is moving forward. Our telephone directory, a small one with all the new and correct information is printed and is soon to be available for all.

A new directory with photographs and listing of all members is under final stages of printing and preparation, and will also be ready for all to see and have, in the near future.

A cxlub house - a guest house is a plan I have in mind - yet to be materialized. We are looking for land, and a few persons have been approached within the family - for a donation of land or site. Construction plans are yet to be drawn up.

Two gatherings are under plan - one on 11 th of April in Malabar and another in May in Ponthenpuzha.

A family trust and fund is to be developed, and initial planning towards that has been started.

How many families are we related to by marriage ?

If we were to see the families that Theempalangad girls have been married into - that would be about 100. If we see the families from which women have come to Theempalangad family by way of marriage, that too would be about 100. Thus there would be about 200 families that are related to us, by way of marriages. There maybe more than one such affiliation or relationship with a number of families and that will reduce the number 200 to an even smaller number.

Many of the members of the family - actually all of us, have a second family we are associated and related to and Theempalangad family is related to - it is called our "Mother's family". In my case it is "Otaplackal" given my dad married my mother, from the Kadakuzha branch of the ottaplackal family, daughter of Mr and Mrs Thomas Mathew.

Every member of the family has a "mother's family" side to them, and it would be interesting to tabulate the relationships and to see who we are connected to by marriage, and thus geneticaly, for that is the make up of the family tree.

Likewise, my Dad's Mother's family is "Olessa" and that brings another relationship into the equation. My dad's brother married from "Plackad" and The sisters of my dad were married into "Thachenkerry" where 2 of them into different branches of the family was done. Also to "Marathinal" and "Karanthanum" families. Our grandfather's mother's family was "Kannanthanam" and one of our great grandfather's sister was married into "Kannanthanam" family. Of the many sisters my grandfather Koshy Geeverghese had, one of them was married into "Karipal" family. There are daughters of Theempalangad family married into families such as "Karippaparambil", "Kadanthode", and where our men have married from "Powathil" and "Thekkekara" families.

I would be amiss if I did not mention the Ferns and the Silas families here, as they too were connected to Theempalangad family by marriage, even if that has been ruptured due to the modern day trends unfortunate in some ways, yet a reality - the other side of marriage or after the marriage called divorce.

My own four sister have been married, respectively, beginning with the oldest to youngest, into these four following families, namely "Polachirackal" "Edassery", "Elamatha" and "Padinjattekara".

So in a brief synopsis, looking at merely the affiliations primarily formed by my grandfather and his wing of the family's affiliation, we see 20 families connected by marriage to the Theempalagad family. This list is not even complete even for my Grandparents wing f the family meaning none of the marriages of the children of T. V. Thomas, Dad's brother are mentioned here, and that is another 7 family affiliations. We will update the list as we get details of family names and further data.

Se how important this information is, and how little we know of each other's family ties.. so much to learn, so much to cherish.

"What is in a name.. A rose would smell just as good..".

Our name just as our family name.. are all mere figments of imagination and identification at best.. even though they take on their own mercurial and magnetic characterizations with our psyche and conscious as well as unconscious soul, mind and body with their numerous interactions by the millions by the day... we take a sort of attachment to our name, names.. family or personal.. good or bad or in between.

Our identity is tied into our name. Nama. We hear it more than anything else. We feel it even in our sleep. We may like it or hate it and we have to recognize that it will have an impact upon us and we must learn to make it work to our advantage and not otherwise.

How does Theempalangad sound to you ? Does it make you happy to hear it used or do it make you cringe, when you hear it ? It may do so at various times, at times good, at times that are bad.. bad and t other times in between.... Like our minds, when we attain a level of higher consciousness become capable of equanimity at all times.. our response to our family name.. ought to be always calm, good, positive and harmonious.

To me "fire" has been thee.. Theee" more correctly to spell it in English, has been the symbol and the root meaning of the word.. and so we are a fire like , fire full , fir(e)y, fire like energy, awake, alive, hot, burning with love, burning with passion for truth, burning with love for God... fire as in holy.. fire as in candles.. fire as in a kitchen that cooks... fire... full family.

Live like the fire.. always.. burning bright, loving, caring, red, warm, bringing warmth to all around us. That is Theemplanagad for me.. ought to be for all of us..

Why When What How

The family - "Why"

It is how we are created

Family first, then Humanity

Earth is our home,

Humanity our real family

Theempalangad a mere unit

Amidst the hundred million families

Here on Planet Earth,

One in a hundred million

In the cosmic plan of things.

Thats why.

The family - "When"

We know that it started 150 years ago

However before that we were "Painum-moottil"

For maybe 1,000 years and before that

Who knows , where and when and what ?

When we came to India and if we are always from here

If we have genes from Syria, Lebanon, China, Africa or

Elsewhere, Europe and much more.. where else

How the ad-mixturing happened and happens

As in all families.. genetic mergers and acquisitions

That is - "When".

The family - "What"

Shall we say... marriages and births, celebrations

Of love and life make the numbers grow.. grow

Bloom and become as the sands on the seashore

Or the stars on the bright lit horizon above

Sky our roof and our mirror, bottomless

Topless of course and space like the universe... just bigger

Better and vaster, even more than the figment of mankind's

Tiny little minds competency to imagine...

It is from where we come.. the family of humanity..

Darwin knew it well... That is "What".

The family - "How"

We better admit, we know not much..

We know so little, except that we are here..

And we know we came from so and so...

As far back as we know.. beyond which we know not much

How coe, where from, when, why and what for.. ???

All questions we have to answer, can answer

If we go deep within ourselves, into scriptures,

Into history, into science, into religions, Yes many and all

We will get to know more.. Not all and everything now..

The family - thats "How".

It is a new day to love all

How does one recognize the good in others, even when we cannot see it easily ?

Each human being has goodness built in them like a software.. and it needs to be opened, downloaded or applied... both the receiver and the sender.

To forgive, to accept even those that hurt us, to be kind to those that hate us, to love our enemies, it is what love is.

Research family tree

The family is in need of getting back on track, from being scattered into these nuclear units. The family is larger and includes all those who are descendants of our ancestors from 10, twenty , 25 fifty, 100 generations ago. Yes.

One thing I am sure, we need to do, as we research our family is the following :

Let us get back to the original great great great grandfather Koshy, and track every one of their -his and his wife Katriena's descendants - those born through the sons, who are the full blooded members of the themplangad family, keeping as we track and study the patriarchical system, as well as those who have been born to the daughters he and great great great grandma Katreina had.

There are many daughters children who see their mother's family - theemplangad - as the root that they identify with emotionaly, culturaly or socialy and this root must be encouraged

By the Rivers of Manimala

By The River of Manimala

Upon the golden shores of India

Hundred miles to the North, are our origin

Beside the waters of Indian Ocean

From the tip at Cape Kanya Kumari.

In the Travencore desam of Kerala

Two hundred years ago, 1810 or so

Originated a new family -

Theempalangad, however you spell it.

From that one single person Koshy

And his beloved wife Kathreina

Sprung forth a bunch of children

Three of them boys and a few girls

Who have then continued the process

Of multipliction, addition and we are now

A good 250 and more, all told, patriarchal

would be 400 if we add them all, matriarchal too.

We are now in many continents

Many countries, Australia, Malaysia,

Canada, US of America, Kuwait,

UAE, Germany, England, and India of course.

Seventh generation getting set for Eighth

And further on, having come a long way,

We are celebrating the bicentinel..

200 birth day, it is happy birthday.

Compared to many other families of India

We are small, yet of another large root

A new independent unit since 1810 or so

That has come to stake a place under the sun.

Sons and daughters of Koshy

Koshy the first, who came from Thiruvalla

Our root being Painummoottil family

To Manimala suburbs, by the River of Manimala.

Heirs and birth rights....

This is a tough topic to speak of, for it is one that society has different views on.

Because of certain situations I am currently experiancing myself, it is one that I am qualified to speak of, as having become better informed, aware and thinking of it as well. Experiantial knowledge is always one that makes learning more vluable and lasting.

God often teaches through such a measure. All too often reading at school and mere studying leaves so much of a vacum when it comes to real knowledge.

There are cultural as in Indian as well as Indian christian and Syrian Christian influences and traditons and ways that determine many of these aspects as to heirs and succession or ownership as well as rights. Yet, we have to address them as they are, and yes, we can also to look at what may be better.

Birth as a son, is considered a blessing, and a son is greeted with much happiness, when a baby is born. This is not to say girls are not to be treated equally well or that they do not at times get that big a welcome. Going scripturaly as well as culturaly, there are certain rights and privilages bestowed on the son's and particularly the eldest son, the first born.

In our culture this is even more pronounced and practiced, and I think it is a good thing, provided we all do our best o help and assist our sisters in all their needs and circumstances. Most Asian and Souther hemispheric cultures, do have this custom of a - sonship, patriarchical nature.

As girls get married and leave the parental family, they are given their wealth as is done in the situation of "dowry" practiced in its proper manner, amidst our families, though it is not referred today as dowry, rather as their share of wealth given at the time of marriage. They may be given an additional gift subsequently.

However, the birth right of a son cannot be taken away. It is a right given by birth.

I am all for girls to have their birth rights too. How ever, it is customary for males in the family to be the one's to succeed and to take after the parents lineage - not for married daughters to come back and take control or push brothers aside. I say this, as in the western influenced world integrity, values, traditions and ethics are falling by the wayside.

In my opinion Theempalanagad family ought to develop a guideline on these matters and have a fund that assists in addressing issues such as this when it does crop up in our family, amidst anyone. It is not a pleasant or happy subject to discuss, yet it happens to be one that needs to be aired in the open. I call for a group of elders in the family, that take time to think through these issues, for as we go further forward our unity will be strained, and if we do not look ahead we may regret it many ways, as the tide of greed and wealth and family politics will throw ethics and principles to the side, causing ir-repairable damage.

It's time for a reunion in a 100 days

While this maybe a day that some of us look forward to eagerly - fact be told, a great many in our family see this as a day as ordinary as any.

While that is true, we must all be united and work together to make this day a bigger and better happening than any thus far.

Our next reunion is in may at Late Mr T. V. Thomas's home, where Mrs Thomas ( Pennamma - ammai and Mr ALex and family ( Chandychen ) reside. In Ponthenpuzzha and look forward to all of you attending it. We will have further details in due course for you.

Let me take a few words to bring some historical records update.

There is much that we have already accomplished and thanks to those who took initiative a few decades ago - particularly under the leadership of Dr T. V. Jose, My dad, in formulating and starting the "kudumbha yogam" that has since then functioned. As the patron of the organization and one who did much to get the original directory printed and published, a directory as well a book on the family history - regular annual meetings and much other things to get us to where we are such as providing leadership and being a mentor and a guide and friend to all who needed any assistance, goes with out saying.

I do want to take the opportunity here in this blog, to publicly thank him and to acknowledge his contributions to the family at large. Yes, I am speaking of my father, an in my capacity as President of the family association for this current period, I would be failing in my duty if I did not acknowledge his great contributions. I am humbled by all he has done, and we must recognize many things that he has done for us as a family.

Remember that he went to study in Manipal in 1953, In Kasturba Medical College's very first class and batch, to become a doctor of medicine, to serve the people when India was just 5 years old as a new nation. He was among the very first from the Manimala region to go to study medicine. He was known for his talent in college and was the college union secretary, college magazine editor and its atheletic champion. Not a small accomplishment.

He started Alphonsa Hospital on graduation from KMC, again, a name that was so far ahead of its times... 50 years later in 2009 Alphonsa becomes St Alphonsa.

I take responsibility for where things are and whee things have not got to, and look forward to giving further speed to all that he has initiated.

In the context of the family, and the blog, I take great pleasure in linking to my other blog and a poem I wrote about my dad, which he himself has not seen, yet. Here is the link... www.railsHit.blogspot.blogspot.com writen on August 3, 2008

I will be copying it here soon...

A chart to chart our way

Given that we have technology that allows us to decipher many things, genealogy becomes an easier process. Here are a few things that have come to become quite common and available. Though not necessarily utilized all over the world, unless needed for some specific reason, what so ever, be it legal, strategic, research, census, ethnicity, parentage, relationship being some of them, these are matters that it pays to know what is available there in the world to understand one's genetic makeup and thus family lineage.

I will not go into details of each method or technology at this stage, however, I will mention a few, and anyone can go to google or other search engines to learn from wikipedia or other sites, meanings and details of these methods.

1. Genetic testing - with the research and new findings in gene and genomes there is very specific tests available to know, who is who and what is one's individual make up as to parentage going many many generations back. This information assist one to know what types diseases one maybe prone to, what qualities as technology develops one has etc

2. Historical records of families, nations, trade and census gives numerous facts, data, instances and circumstances that add light to individual history and background.

3. Church records such as baptismal certificates, marriage, death certificates and other records offer much data.

4. Geneology laboraties and museums offer much data on family history and data relating to family ties and locations of where they spread out etc. Kerala does not have much in this from a scientific perspective, yet, however it will come soon. One of the world's most well known museums in this specific area, open to the pubic is in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, where the mormon church is head quartered. They have a great collection of data and it is open to the public for use and research or assistance. Their website may be worth visiting.

5. Today one has basic testing - genetic testing - that can be done for something in the range of a few hundred $ at most - that gives much data about one's gene pool and make up as well as origin and disease proneness related factors as well. Some people do these tests before getting married and is a part of authentic and at times over reaching effort to rule out possible mis matches in marriage. This is also what helps modern scientists give examples of someone is related to certain other person - and how man generations apart they were related etc.

6. There must be other still unknown non-technical yet traditional or other ancient ways of knowing how one is related by birth to another.

7. Civic records such as property sale and also newspaper articles or magazine publication, school records and college registrar's and result announcements in old newspapers.

8. cemeteries and grave yards - give a lot of data on many of our ancestors.. and going back say if we were to go 10 generations who were our ancestors ? 10 generations is like 1500 to 1600 period, not a very long time ago... it is quite recent.

9. Court records and an other data in civil authority records.

10. One thing to understand that each of us... even though we belong to this wonderful family Theempalanagad - we are all unique individuals with our own each specific make up of parentage for as we go backwards each of us a lineage coming from our own Mother and thus when it is traced backwards we will find numerous interesting and new data and facts and information.

SO let us get ready for this amazing discovery of self and our global family.. yes in the wide world the human family is connected to the Theemplanagad family and human family is ours to discover, nourish, treasure and meet !!

The gene tree is so accurate, it is amazing and is a most modern scientific way of arriving at fool proof ( almost... for mistakes can happen, due to human error, technical error or due to still evolving knowledge.. ) even better than thumb print accuracy.

Now switching gears here...

There is a chart we can make using geneology tables and I will post such a chart soon, and we can have our complete family chart i one family tree chart. For this we have a lot of updating to do, and I request that everyone email me with info, and gather data as to names and information.

Yes, we are getting a new directory and all this information will also be there in it, as well, it will be digital and available here for all.

A digital in terms of numbers kind of chart is somewhat like this , with each line being added on to the sum of the new one...

Koshy + Kathrina 1 + 1 = 2

3 sons + 4 daughters = 7 + 2 = 9

( 2 + 3 ) + ( 2 + 1 ) + ( 2 + 4 ) as to sons - ( 2 + 2 ) ( 1 + 2 ) ( 1 + 3 ) ( 2 + 4 ) as to daughters

= 5 + 3 + 6 = 14 + 9 ( previous ) = 23 4 + 3 + 4 + 6 = 17 ( being the daughters kids )

And so on to next generations.

The first generation - The founders - Koshy and Kathrina

( Daughters - married to ----- and the names of their kids ------, family data )

The second generation - 3 sons - Koshy, ----- and ------

( Daughters married to ----- and their kids ----, family details )

The third generation - Geevarghese, -----------

( Daughters married to --- their kids --- and family data )

The Fourth generation - Dr T. V. Jose, Mr T. V. Thomas - Kunambayihayen, Kuttappanchayen

Children who are the next generation - Fifth and then sixth are

( Daughters:

Marina married to Polachirackal Bappu Tharakan - Born Oct 27 --- Died May 18 ? 1992

Sons Ribu - born ------ education---- further data and info---

Jude - Born ---- Aug 22, 1986 --- further info

Beena - married to Saju ----- born ------ famly name------

Juby --- born ------ further info

Jose ( Jikku ) born ------ further info

Loolu --- born Nov 5 th 1960 - married to Vincent born Nov 22 --- Elamatha family

Patrick - born April 23, 1987 ? - further info -

Ancy - born April 5 th 1962 - married to John ( Bobby ) April 28 - padinjattekara

Zeno - born August 26 - 1995 - 9 th grade - Columbus, GA, USA

Noel - Born March 6 th 1998 - 6 th Grade, Columbus, Georgia, USA.

The Fifth generation - Dr george, Tom - George, Tomy, Jose, Koshy, Chandy, Cherian

Kunjumon, - Jacob

The sixth generation -

-------------------

We will have this all compiled very graphically and nicely for all to use and appreciate.

We will also include photos as well, so that it becomes very valuable and useful. It is a technologically savvy world, wherein even me.. a very non-tech person can do all this quite easily... Please contribute and give me more information and data.

How many are we since 1800 ?

Our family in its current format , as to name and structure originates from around that period after the year 1800. This needs to be verified, and we need to do research on this matter as to before and after. Just like BC and AD there is a key dividing factor. It is when Mr Koshy, left Thiruvalla, a member of the Painummootil family and came to Manimala and settled there, starting a new family, marring, having children. Th new family took the name "Theemplangad" or any of the variations in English spelling we use - yet in the language of Malayalam and phonetically Theme-blank-Yard.

He had 3 sons and 4 daughters.

His four daughters were married into these families.

His three sons married from these families.

Based on the locations of the individual family estates of these 3 sons, they took 3 branch names as well, or "shakha's". Namely Vevara, Manimala-paramb and Oorukangal ??

The three sons have now given birth to a hundred or so smaller family units - taking the paternal, patriarchal lineage as is traditional in Kerala among families of the Indians Christian groups, as it is mostly standard procedure in 99% of the world.

There are many questions that an honest research into our family roots deserve to ask, and answer or come to certain evaluation to get a grip on who we are, where we came from and what our real roots are. Some of these questions may be emotional and challenging, and some of them very educative and informative.

One obvious question would be, why did Mr Koshy, our great great great grandfather to some, and to me my great great grandfather left the Jacobite or protesatant church and joined the catholic church ? The church history of the times will have to be studied and also as to tradition and customs then, that were in practice.

Whether there was any family related reasons for his leaving, and if it was amicable or otherwise ? If he left on matters of principle or ethics or other reasons ?

Then there is reference to the family in Manimala, who he was close to and worked with, and was the largest land owning family there - what was his relationship to them, and did they have an influence in our family founder becoming a catholic ? Was it the Karimpanal family ?

Our family has given in marriage about 50 daughters born in our midst, and the names of all those families and such affiliations and associations and their fruits their of, are matters we must record, research, collect, gather and honor. They must be and their descendants to the 3 rd generation at least be given an affiliated member ship status in the family - No voting rights, no authority to make policy or change, yet invited to gatherings and given all the welcome and help we can give, as well as develop al the honorable ties and links that are appropriate to that of a sister's family.

The male heirs, sons have also been about 50. This is a rough estimate, we will get to the exact number, in due course. These are the core unit of our family. We must remain united and move forward together. There are very important implications and reasons for this. The world is changing, and as change, some for the better and some for the worse sweeps the planet, we must not get swept with it.

I will go into further details later on at another occassion.

Family is small.. yet is of a large heart.. is it ?

What is it that makes a family good - is it wealth, is it knowledge, is it the qualities of the heart ?

This is easy to say, however understanding it, is a whole different thing altogether.

Qualities of the heart are such as compassion, kindness, love, effection, sincerity, honesty, forgiveness, concern for others, seeking to be good in how we think, managing our thoughts, not letting our minds to un-managed and letting it go any which way, managing our tongues and saying only good things and in a way that is pleasant, pleasing, polite and honest.

Being not hurtful with one's words is a quality that James, the brother of Jesus in his book speaks of as the quality we all should seek and practice. As you all may know, James was the successor to jesus, in the family that Jesus was born into. James was the son of Mary and Joseph and led the church even as Peter was head of it in formal ways - informaly and spiritualy it was James, who was the real successor. James being a member of jesus's family, his blood brother in one sense, was the ne who took on the mantle of the family lineage.

The church as it grew left the family tree of James, Jesus and such as that of David, Abraham, Joseph of The Old Testament, Jacob and others behind, in that there is no tracing of that ancestral line, within the church. The lineage became that of popes and royalty and the royalty too has fallen by the wayside. SO church history moved from a genealogical to a clerical or clergy centered one. The family got thrown out, and the priests took it over.

I am merely stating history here, as it happened. Not a criticism or any negetive aspect. It is my opinion as I understand history.

In this context, it is important we find out what it is that makes a family and trace our ancestry further back than what we now know already. Family trees are amazing and we are all one, is what I understand. yet we all have distinct and different gifts, aspects and qualities. let us discover them and cultivate them, and let us cultivate qualities of the heart, most of all.

Well.. it is a new beginning... welcome

I have been meaning to do this for a while and so today it has happened. it is happening, rather, as we speak.

It is the birth of our family blog... like a webpage sort of.

This family.. has its roots in Kerala, India and has many further roots that obviously links to the one family - we all are - the human family tree.

Our name currently is spelt in numerous ways and so - here are the variations in current use, as far as I know.

Theempalangad, Theempalangadu, Themplanagad, Theempalangattu,

Themplanagattu, any more that you know of... please let me know.

We have about 200 members today as far as I know. We are a fifth generation offshoot of the "painummootil family" from Thiruvalla from about a century ago - when Mr Koshy migrated to Manimala area and started a new branch, that became the theempalanagad family.

I started to using the spelling themplangad, a bit of an abbrevated form, if we can say that by dropping a few letters so as to make it easier to say, read or spell... maybe not really.. yet that is what I have been using Themplangad it is all phoneticaly the same.. as said in Malayalam our family tongue shall we say or mother tongue, the language of Kerala. I would say the phonetics of the name is as follows Theme as in theme parks, Blank as in a blank slate and yard as in front yard. So when you say THeme-blank-yard you get the correct sounds as to the Malayalam version of what our family name is.

Now if anyone has any better information and suggestions on these, please do send them in.

This can also be translated and translitterted into Malayalam, which we will do eventualy.

I also happen to be the president of the family association or kudumbhayogam.. and in that capacity, I greet you all, and wish you the best. let us be united as one and remain trustworthy and disciplined as well as loving and caring. We have much.. given to us, by God Almighty and much is expected of those to whom, much is given.

My dad, Dr Jose, Dr. T. V. Jose is the founder of the family association, that was about 25 years ago. There was a directory that was published a few decades ago, and we are involved in bringing out a new one this year. Kindly provide your new addresses, email as well, and phone numbers and news and details regarding family members, so we have all of it available by May of this year for our family gathering to be held in Ponthenpuzha, Manimala.

Greetings once again... more later.

Love and prayers