The Heritage Home Naras Mana

Sukapuram Gramam, a part of the present Edappal in Malappuram district is one among the 32 villages of ancient Brahmin settlements in Kerala. This village is known for Vedic-Yagna practices like Somayagam, Athirathram etc. One such family is Narayanamangalath Mana, which is shortly called as Naras Mana or Narath. The male members of the family carry the surname 'Nambuthiri'.  For generations, the members in the family are Vedic scholar and practitioners, specialized in Rig Veda. Narath Raveendran Nambuthiri aka Itty Ravi Nambuthiri, the present owner of the residential home, Mana,  is keen on conserving their 200 year old heritage home as well as the Vedic tradition to the posterity. 

The Mana

The ancestral home of Naras Mana is situated just off from the busy streets of Edappal. Constructed in typical Kerala architecture with laterite walls, wooden frames and beams and slanted tiled roof, Mana, the main residential complex is a Nalukettu with four blocks and a square centre courtyard. The eastern block of the Nalukettu has one more floor with three bed rooms.  Vadakkini, the northern part of the courtyard is used for their daily rituals as well as special rituals that are assigned to a Nambuthiri family by hereditary. Adukkala, the kitchen has an attached well and there is a dining area adjacent to Adukkala, called Meladukkala. 

Apart from the main residential complex, the six acres of compound occupies Pathayappura (granary), Kayyala (work area for agriculture purpose), Bunglavu (Bungalow) as guest house, cattle shed, a temple complex for the deities Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva and three ponds of different sizes. The sanctum sanctorum of Lord Vishnu is in square shape where as that of Lord Shiva is circular.  All the constructions are vernacular style. Itty Ravi Nambuthiri who stays in the main residential complex renovated the Mana two years before, conserving its architectural features. 

63 year old Itty Ravi is a Vedic scholar and has participated in many Yagnas. He also teaches Vedas to the community members. Vedic researchers and scholars from India and abroad used to visit him for Vedic discourses. He used to provide accommodation for such enthusiasts. ltty Ravi has four brothers, Agni Sharman, Vasudevan, Parameswaran and Narayanan, who all are some way or other connected to Vedic practices and studies. 

Itty Ravi's father Vasudevan Somayajippad and Grandfather Akkiraman Somayajippad had conducted the Vedic ritual Somayagam in 1965 and 1955 respectively, by taking the key role of Yajamanan in the ritual. Narayanan Nambuthiri, brother of Vasudevan Somayajippad had taken part in the ritual Athirathram in the role of Hothan, conducted in 1975 at Paanjaal. 

Location/Access: Just one kilometer from Edappal Junction. Edappal is a main town in Malappuram district, Kerala, between Kozhikode- Thrissur highway. 

(Contact: Ittyravi Nambuthiri Mob: +91 9446391045)