Skip to main content

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.


Labels:

Comments

  1. Priyanka Sarah Cherian7 May 2022 at 23:39

    Loved reading this! It oozes nostalgia. You write so well. Deep and experiential!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Serene13 January 2023 at 00:16

    Loved reading this piece!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

His Final Message to the World: Don’t Give Up on Your Dream”

My father’s brother — our dearest Lalu Uncle — went to be with the Lord in October 2025. He had travelled to Delhi to deliver this TEDx talk, but sadly, he never got the chance. He passed away before he could step onto that stage. If he had delivered this speech, it would have been one of the most inspiring and viral talks of all time. Take just 2 minutes to read through his incredible testimony — a journey of failure, faith, resilience, and destiny. The last speech Abraham Zachariah prepared – to deliver at TEDx I didn’t go to school. I was sent to school. Hence, for 10th standard, marks were very low and I could get admission only for Commerce group, as no one wanted (is 55 years ago) in my home state Kerala. My mother was very upset as my cousins and friends got into Science groups and she pushed me into Commerce Group. I was used to tell everyone that “Useless fellow, useless fellow, useless fellow are in Commerce Group and all the useless ones are in commerce group.” She was...
Post a Comment
Read more

18 Health tips for a glowing skin

1. Water tops the list At least 3 litre per day -  The more the better . Water a day keeps pimples away 2.Fruits Oranges,Lemon,Papaya,Pomegranate,Banana are a few of the fruits among the big list. 3. Veggies Spinach ,Beet root ,Cucumber ,Lettuce ,Carrot ,Tomato 4. Avoid non veg. As crazy as this sounds avoid non veg as much as possible especially the deep fried ones! You can have boiled egg it will be enough to satisfy your body's protein content . 5. Avoid coffee and tea Anything with caffeine is bad for skin 6 Green tea Green is great for skin .Add a few drops of  lemon to avoid that raw flavour of green tea 6. Avoid chocolates candies or cookies or kind any DIRECT sugar 7.Drink half a cup of curd/yogurt every day at dinner ! It's a probiotic- useful for your digestive system 8. NO inbetween snacks ! 9. Consume pulses and legumes 10. Nuts- almonds,peanut , cashew. A handful a day will help 11. Juices. It must be home made. Vegetable or fruit ...
Post a Comment
Read more

CHENNAI - a role model city

Clouds burst pouring out darkness, The thunderstorms showed it's vengeance. The city was submerged, But our souls cannot be engulfed. Even when stress flooded our minds when we had nothing to eat Even when roaring tides masked the screams, We knew it was all temporary And Our hopes did not fade a bit. For we knew the clouds will dissolve Bringing back the smiling sun. We witnessed oneness as the flooded rivers overflowed Breaking down the boundaries of religion Demolishing bridges separating rich and the poor Helping hands arose every corner, Mankind displayed selfless care. We can either live through the flood or let it drown us, We decided the former. This poem is dedicated to all the people of chennai who went out of their way offering a helping hand to others during the Flood. I'm proud to say that I have spent 5 years of my college life there. Dedicated to all CHENNAI-ITES! You guys are a role model to others.
Post a Comment
Read more