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Manalae Kavipaadum Manapadu |
Fritz Miranda |
| We reached Manapad on the 2nd August '98 at 11.00 in
the morning. When the car turned the corner and touched
the bridge, the view of our beloved village emerged like
the opening scene of a mega movie. I was returning to
Manapad after almost two years. The three towers of the
churches were still there strong and tall,as if waiting
to see me again. Leo and myself planned this trip for a
long time. We wanted to be in our village once again
together, reminiscing our olden days. And to be free from
all tensions of a tiring city life. Happiness filled my
heart when I saw those towers and the sand dunes. It is
my village! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| We stayed in Leo's place. The huge house was empty
when we entered. There were layers of dust in the
furniture. The garden was almost gone. The coconut trees
were dead and bare. Leo switched on the bathroom motor to
pump water from the well to the bathtub. We went back
into the house, talking and laughing. When we returned to
the garden, the bathroom was flooded. We forgot to switch
off the motor. We laughed uncontrollably. Afterall water
is not a rare commodity here. Leo took bath in the
bathroom. Myself in the open. The day was bright and the
trees geen. A wave of excitement passed through my body
when the chill water touched my skin. We were still
talking and laughing over the bath room wall. But then
there was a daunting silence above our voices. It was not
strange to me! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| My house. Next one to Leo's. It was still and silent.
This is the gateway I passed through a thousand times.
The play area behind the gate used to be crowded every
evening by a dozen friends. We have played all the
adventurous games here. Sand and stone, Kabhdi, theif and
police, pullakambu etc.,etc.,There was the door after the
play area, which gleefully opened for us every time we
knocked at. It is locked forever now! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| Leo and myself went in our Pettah Street. The first
person I saw was Gladwin. He was my old friend. He joined
us in our seventh class in school. We used to call him
"KEPPAI". Keppai was our senior and he failed
in seventh and joined us. When we passed to Eighth, he
failed once again to join our juniors. He could have
continued in the same class for a few more years. But
luckily he quit school one day. Being the senior, Keppai
was the strongest of all. He would always be my guardian
angel and would defend me from my enemies at fights.
Nothing could scare him except textbooks. No one had seen
him crying even when roughed up by teachers. When we
passed to the eighth class, Keppai was there, trying to
make new friends with our juniors who arrived in seventh.
He lives on fishing now. He is married and has two girl
children. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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 St.James' Church. Our parish
church. The new facade and the towers were built in 1929.
There was an old church of Mary in the same place. It was
being run by the Goa Mission. The new church was built by
the efforts of Mr. Matthew Miranda, who was a businessman
in Srilanka (then called Ceylon).--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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 Holy Ghost Church. It was being
run by Mylapore Mission. The Church was built by
Mr.Dhonatus Victoria, who also built a hospital, a High
School building and a Post Office building for this
village.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| The Holy Cross Church. The church was built in 1581.
It is said that a cross was there in the place where the
church stands now and it was found to be growing. It is
now behind the sanctum sanctorum. It is sealed now so as
to protect it from the pilgrims who scrape pieces from it
to take home as momentos.There is also a piece of the
real cross sent from Rome via Kerala. It is said that
pilgrims brought the piece by walk through seashore some
400 years ago. Till today pilgrims from Kerala visit
every year for the Holy cross festival on 14th September.
St.Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest, who came from Spain,
was staying in a near by cave and used to say mass in
this church. The cave is still there by the sea. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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 Entrance of our Elementary
School, St.Joseph's. This scene looks as same as the one
that looked 30 years and beyond. We all used to be in
this white and blue outfit, our Uniform without chappals.
This old woman has her shop here with candies and sweets
in the bottles and some other edible items in the basket.
There would always be some vendor in the entrance waiting
for the children. Ice cream waalas are the favourits. We
were in this school for six years including baby class.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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 Leo and
myself are sitting in a bench that might be the one we
had been sitting 30 years ago. This was our first
standard. Same black board, same table and same benches.
Our class teachers were Seven Dollars Convent nuns.Baby class Sister.Henric Mary 1st Standard Sister.Elsius Mary 2nd Standard Sister.Lonjiammal Mary 3rd Standard Sister.Martina Mary 4th Standard Sister.Euttes Mary 5th Standard Sister.Joseline Theres. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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The tune of Manapad.
This bell is the one, which woke us up at 4 in
the morning and sent us home after play at 6 in
the evening. Its is one of the three bells of
St.James. On festivals all the three bells would
chime to our total excitement. These bells hang
in the left side tower of St.James'. We went up
stairs to the third floor of the tower to see the
bell. I was so sad to find that the bell was
broken and out of use.
This house belongs to
Late Mr.Matthew Miranda, the one who built
St.James'. The interiors are also so elegant as
the exteriors. Now his grandson lives in this
palatial house. All the Mirandas have left
Manapad in search of employment. One of Matthew
Miranda's granddaughters Fausty Miranda is now
living in Yonkers State,US.
This is the house so
worth mentioning. It is Massabiel. No other
building in this area can march its beauty. It is
so majestic and aristocratic. This house belongs
to Late Mr.S.V.Rodrigo. Built in 1928, this house
stands in 1 acre land surrounded by a garden. Its
Gothic style is so meticulously done both in the
exteriors and interiors. The furniture are to
match the interiors. It is simply colonial in
style. There are four bedrooms, a library, a
chapel, banquet hall and a separate dining room
in the ground floor. Kitchen and storerooms are
in the back yard. There are two separate bedrooms
and a large hall in the first floor. The portico
is elegant with its French doors and windows. The
house is called Massabiel, the place where Mother
Mary appeared in Lourdes, France. One servant
maid lives in the backyard of this house. All
other Rodrigos are now in Madras. Most of the big
houses are closed in Manapad, as its owners are
gone far away in search of employment and
education.
The evening view of the
village from Holy Cross Church. The color of the
sand dune is the color of the village. When there
is strong wind, the sand rise up and hit each
other. The vibration makes a noise and there by a
tune. Hence the name 'MANALPADU' came to remain
for this historical village, meaning 'Singing
Sand'.