From Attukal to Malikappuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Easwaran Nambudiri is happy. Attukalamma, the goddess he has been worshipping for the past 23 years, has once again granted him a wish. The 44-year-old attributed the selection to the Malikappuram ‘melsanthi’ post as the ‘’blessings of Attukalamma and Ayyappa Swami’’.  Nambudiri, who hails from Kaithappuram in Kannur, reached the city at the age of 15 to assist his father’s younger brother Damodaran Namboodiri in ‘poojas’. Damodaran Namboodiri was the ‘saha melsanthi’ of Attukal Devi temple.  Easwaran Nambudiri first served at the Thirumala temple and later at the Nambikkal Sree Krishna Temple at Cheruvakkal before joining Attukal temple. He had his pooja lessons from his father and ‘apfan’, father’s elder brother.  On whether he was expecting selection at the fifth attempt, Easwaran Nambudiri says: ‘’Yes. Definitely I was hopeful’’.  The good news came to him when he was in the Attukal temple which Nambudiri describes as his dearest goddess’s wish. He lives with his mother Savithri Antharjanam, wife Savithridevi and children near the Attukal temple. Son Anandakrishnan and daughter Poornima are students of Christ Nagar School, Thiruvallom.