Charukasera – An Ode to the Charming Comfort Seat

  

            Since time immemorial Charukasera has adorned every Kerala house. The picturesque view of a traditional Kerala house is incomplete without this easy chair in the verandah. The Charukasera instantly renders grace and grandeur to the house. 

        The mere sight of this minimalistic chair knocks up the nostalgia of my childhood at my mother's house in Chalissery. I still remember my grandmother whom we fondly called "Amma" sitting on this chair reading the bible. She observed us cousins playing and fighting with each other around her Charukasera which sat in the corner of the long-running verandah which we referred to as "Ummaram".

                 Every house has a Charukasera which has seen it all. The departing tears and the greeting smiles. The prayers we say before leaving the house and the surprises we bring in for our family.  This chair carries within itself a bundle of memories that we all hold close to our hearts.

                The magic of this chair lies in its simplicity. It has the flexibility to sit or lean back. Gen-Z would say that it gives the comforting vibes. It is the best place to take a nap, read a newspaper, or even to have a glance at the people and vehicles passing by the road lying ahead of the house. In Kerala, the word "laid back" is not a crime. It is a tradition. All thanks to this charming comfort seat. 

A Picture of my Maternal Ammachi(Amma) & Appachen.

My mother's brother 'Davis' Uncle' ( Dr.Davis Mathew )sitting in the Charukasera. A thin wooden board placed on the edge acts like a mini table.  

My mother sitting in the Charukasera in Chalissery house. This is the same chair where Amma(grandmother) used to sit.

The Tall and Majestic Chalissery house! Can you spot my son in this picture?

My son sitting in a Charukasera in our house in  Kochi.