VIRGIN'S POND

Nangeli and Papti were bosom friends, very young girls of marriageable age, living together in their namboodiri home at Naruvakulangara, near the high way from Trichur to Kodungallur.

In those days, probably the high way was a narrow path with no traffic except for pilgrims travelling to the famous Devi temple at Kodungallur, which was a Budhist centre and the the cultural capital of the small Cochin state.

Nangeli and Papti used to take bath in the pond near the high way. Our girls were strictly forbidden from using any cosmetics, normally used by women of easy virtue. The bark of vaka tree, dried and powdered, served the purpose of soap which was in any case a rarety.

 One day a beautiful young woman came and began taking bath, when our girls were enjoying their daily bath in the pond. The girls were attracted by the fragrance coming from the soap used by the woman, and seeing their curiosity, the latter offered it to them. The girls were overwhelmed by the experience and returned home,bright eyed and giggling with joy!

At home, they were exposed by the tell tale smell and taken to task by the elders. There was talk of excommunicating the girls for flouting age old tradition. Who will marry them if this incident became public? The poor, innocent girls cried the whole day and night , not knowing what will happen the next day…….!

The very next day, two dead bodies were seen floating in the pond, which is known, thereafter, as Kanniyarkulam or VIRGINS’ POND.
 It is now filled with silt.