Mana Veli is a inside fence - a fence inside the outer fence. Because there were no roads as such in those times, it was common that people walked from one house to the other through the property of other people. The mana veli would sort of demarcate the interiors into which nobody would trespass.
Old houses had courtyards (muttam) on all four sides. The first job of the morning for the girls of the house was to nicely sweep these courtyards. In achans childhood this was done by Bhargavi velyamma, Bhavani velyamma and Leela kochamma. Each would sweep a courtyard. The sweeping is done walking backwards. After the sweeping is complete, the courtyard used to look like a painting - it used to be a beautiful sight. Courtyard was usually spread with white sand.
The next job after sweeping the courtyard was washing the plates and utensils from last night. In those times, especially, there being no electric lamps, the plates/utensils used in the night were washed only in the next morning. All the plates and utensils to be washed were put at the bottom of a banana plant or coconut tree in the vadakkae ummaram (north). A portion of a ripe leaf will be cut from one of the many banana plants. This is used as the scrub. Instead of dish wash liquid, some ash (chaaraan) was taken from the aduppu. Washing was done with water from the pond.
Coming back to mana veli. Achacha used to make mana veli as thumbola veli. thumbola is the tip of the coconut leaf. 3-4 feet of the tip of a coconut leaf is cut out. The other tip (head - tip near to the tree) is cut off - it is usually used as firewood. The head portion is cut out and made into firewood. Some portion of the tip is also cut off, the leaf is split into two along the wood, and weaved for thatching. This tip that is cut off is the thumbola.
For the mana veli, 6 feet tall pathal (vertical structure for the fence) is put. Chembarathi, Ashoka Chethi, Kolambi etc. are used. This pathal does not use thick wood. (Maybe because it is a inside fence). Thin plants are used. Three varis (horizontal member) are tied to the pathal. A weaved ola (coconut leaf) is tied to this. Now a thumbola is stuck on to the portion of this weaved ola where the strands touch the wood. The tip of the thumbola is stringed through this gap formed between the weaved strand and the wood, may be one thumbola is stringed every second or third such gap. (more detail needed on how these are tied at the top and how these are tied to each other) Every four five olas apart are taken and plaited like plaiting hair ...
Sometimes one thumbola does not reach the whole length of the 6 feet tall fence. In that case, another thumbola is hanged from the middle vari. (Is a weaved ola first tied on to this vari?)
Thumbola itself is tied on to the varis.
After the thumbola is tied to the third vari, the bottom part is nicely cut out using a knife. The bootm of the thumbola will not touch the floor.
Dried thumbola is used. Therefore, weight is less.
In our house this type of veli was done on east, north and south.
Chavittu kallu. The houses in those times had two three chavittu kallu to climb on to the verandah. Iraan had a kindi with water. Anybody who comes to the house washes their feet using this before getting into the house.
The veli's gate was also made of pathal & vari.
Our house was made of vettukal. Some left over vettukal were put near the gate. Similar vettukal was used for steps into the ponds.
The main purpose of the gates were to fence in the cattle. "laavu vettathaokke pashu irangi poyi kalayum chilappa"
The north east corner had a pond. Water from this pond was used for drinking water. (Now it is a well). This pond never had salt. Other ponds nearer to the river (east) had salt because the river had tides. salt used to get in during tides. There will be no salt during rainy season. During summer salt will comes in from the sea. This salt used to get into the ponds through underground channels. Lot of people used to come to our pond for water.
There was another pond for bathing. This was in south west. (Still exists). It was sort of squarish. people from around used to come to take bath in this pond. Raman chettan, narayanan chettan, (chakkamdan raman, chakkamadan narayanan) etc (achachan's friends, karnonmar) used to come to take bath. Around 6PM, they would come and enjoy the bath. Then they would come to the house and be talking for long time. While going they would be given a lighted choottu (dry coconut leaf bunched at one end). The choottu will be kept ready. These will be lighted, but not only like embers - when light is needed they just had to wave it in the air - it would produce fire and light.
This pond had fish, tortoises and snakes. Snakes used to create no issues. If a snake was seen, achamma used to pray to paambumekaadu. "ente kannil ini kaanaruthu bhagavvane, njaan paambumekaattu vannu paalum noorum nadathiyekkaam"
Old houses had courtyards (muttam) on all four sides. The first job of the morning for the girls of the house was to nicely sweep these courtyards. In achans childhood this was done by Bhargavi velyamma, Bhavani velyamma and Leela kochamma. Each would sweep a courtyard. The sweeping is done walking backwards. After the sweeping is complete, the courtyard used to look like a painting - it used to be a beautiful sight. Courtyard was usually spread with white sand.
The next job after sweeping the courtyard was washing the plates and utensils from last night. In those times, especially, there being no electric lamps, the plates/utensils used in the night were washed only in the next morning. All the plates and utensils to be washed were put at the bottom of a banana plant or coconut tree in the vadakkae ummaram (north). A portion of a ripe leaf will be cut from one of the many banana plants. This is used as the scrub. Instead of dish wash liquid, some ash (chaaraan) was taken from the aduppu. Washing was done with water from the pond.
Coming back to mana veli. Achacha used to make mana veli as thumbola veli. thumbola is the tip of the coconut leaf. 3-4 feet of the tip of a coconut leaf is cut out. The other tip (head - tip near to the tree) is cut off - it is usually used as firewood. The head portion is cut out and made into firewood. Some portion of the tip is also cut off, the leaf is split into two along the wood, and weaved for thatching. This tip that is cut off is the thumbola.
For the mana veli, 6 feet tall pathal (vertical structure for the fence) is put. Chembarathi, Ashoka Chethi, Kolambi etc. are used. This pathal does not use thick wood. (Maybe because it is a inside fence). Thin plants are used. Three varis (horizontal member) are tied to the pathal. A weaved ola (coconut leaf) is tied to this. Now a thumbola is stuck on to the portion of this weaved ola where the strands touch the wood. The tip of the thumbola is stringed through this gap formed between the weaved strand and the wood, may be one thumbola is stringed every second or third such gap. (more detail needed on how these are tied at the top and how these are tied to each other) Every four five olas apart are taken and plaited like plaiting hair ...
Sometimes one thumbola does not reach the whole length of the 6 feet tall fence. In that case, another thumbola is hanged from the middle vari. (Is a weaved ola first tied on to this vari?)
Thumbola itself is tied on to the varis.
After the thumbola is tied to the third vari, the bottom part is nicely cut out using a knife. The bootm of the thumbola will not touch the floor.
Dried thumbola is used. Therefore, weight is less.
In our house this type of veli was done on east, north and south.
Chavittu kallu. The houses in those times had two three chavittu kallu to climb on to the verandah. Iraan had a kindi with water. Anybody who comes to the house washes their feet using this before getting into the house.
The veli's gate was also made of pathal & vari.
Our house was made of vettukal. Some left over vettukal were put near the gate. Similar vettukal was used for steps into the ponds.
The main purpose of the gates were to fence in the cattle. "laavu vettathaokke pashu irangi poyi kalayum chilappa"
The north east corner had a pond. Water from this pond was used for drinking water. (Now it is a well). This pond never had salt. Other ponds nearer to the river (east) had salt because the river had tides. salt used to get in during tides. There will be no salt during rainy season. During summer salt will comes in from the sea. This salt used to get into the ponds through underground channels. Lot of people used to come to our pond for water.
There was another pond for bathing. This was in south west. (Still exists). It was sort of squarish. people from around used to come to take bath in this pond. Raman chettan, narayanan chettan, (chakkamdan raman, chakkamadan narayanan) etc (achachan's friends, karnonmar) used to come to take bath. Around 6PM, they would come and enjoy the bath. Then they would come to the house and be talking for long time. While going they would be given a lighted choottu (dry coconut leaf bunched at one end). The choottu will be kept ready. These will be lighted, but not only like embers - when light is needed they just had to wave it in the air - it would produce fire and light.
This pond had fish, tortoises and snakes. Snakes used to create no issues. If a snake was seen, achamma used to pray to paambumekaadu. "ente kannil ini kaanaruthu bhagavvane, njaan paambumekaattu vannu paalum noorum nadathiyekkaam"
