K. C. Ammaalu Amma

K. C. Ammalu Amma (1898 - 1985)

K. C. Ammaalu Amma is our maternal grandmother and the inspiration behind our family kitchen, the Cranganore House. This blog is a tribute to her and all the good that she was.

Ammaalu was born towards the late 19th century in Kodungalloor (then Cranganore), in Kerala. Her parents were Ikkavu and Krishna Iyyer.

Ammaalu was the eigth child of Ikkavu Amma. While Ikkavu was expecting Ammaalu, her eldest, her 15 year old daughter Kunjikkavvu was expecting her first born too. In matrilenial societies, the eldest comes to be named after their mother. And thus the name Kunjikkavu (Junior Ikkavu). Sadly, Kunjikkavu gave birth to a still born. Kunjikkavu asked her mother if she could have Ammaalu as her own. Thus Ammaalu enjoyed the love from two mothers.

Polygamy was the norm and Krishna Iyer’s Brahmin wife was Swarnambaal. They had two sons and two daughters. Swarnambal was exceptionally fond of little Ammaalu. For every festival she took Ammalu over and gifted her with clothes and jewellery. Ammaalu, fondly called Thangu, thus grew up having the love of three mothers. These women bore a strong influence on Ammaalu.

In the matrilineal society of Kerala yore, mothers and daughters lived together forever. No girl would ever have to leave their home upon marriage. There have been families where upto seven generations of women lived under one roof at the same time; mothers, daughters, sisters, grandaughters, and so on. The only other known matrilineal communities in India were the Bunts of Karnataka, Garos/Khasis/Jintias of Meghalaya, and the Malikus of Lakshadweep.

Ikkavu Amma

It was the polyandry system of the eighteenth century. Nair women were never married off. The men were “married in”. The man and the woman chose to live together for as long as they wanted. If the man left, the woman was free to choose another man.

In turn, the man could choose to live with his first wife or second wife or alternate between both. Since polygamy was the accepted culture, there was perfect harmony between the families and any children that ensued.

Ikkavu Amma's first Nair husband moved on after having four children with her. Iyyer was her second husband, a Brahmin. He had a Brahmin wife and two sons. Ikkavu had five children with Krishna Iyyer. A total of nine children. Ammalu was Ikkavu Amma's eighth child. 

The Madras Marriage Act attempted to legitimize this polygamous system with a reasonably sensible definition that read “an alliance between a man and a woman, by reason of which they, in accordance with the custom of the community to which they belong, or to which either of them belongs, cohabit or intend to cohabit as husband and wife”

These marriages were known as Sambandham, followed by the matrilineal communities of eighteenth century or earlier Kerala. Prevalent commonly among the Nair community and among the priestly class - Namboodiris and Brahmins.