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