KOLLAM: No Malayalis can pass a day without consuming rice. The urge to taste rice is innate in Malayalis and is passed on to generations. And here we have Kunjiraman Ashan who hasn’t had a bit of rice for the last 65 years. He is more than fit for his age and this year, Ashan turns 102.

For rice, Ashaan needs a suitable curry. He is financially not capable to go for an expensive feast every day so omitted rice from his daily delectables. Ashan prefers wheat over rice. Mornings are welcomed with wheat Puttu. Afternoons go bare as Ashan seldom consumes food during this time. During the night, he grinds out tomatoes, beans, and bitter gourd together and consumes the mix.

Kunjiraman lives in Ezhukone in Kollam. He is known by the moniker ‘swami’ within localities. According to people, Ashan is a trained masseur and has shown his knack for the traditional martial art form Kalari. He is into the evening of his life but is indisposed from any disease such as diabetes, cholesterol, etc. Covid too failed to down Ashan as the cojones from this senile went beyond measure.

Kunjiraman’s life is a good yarn but takes a pensive route. He lived his life in poverty and was forced to drop from school when in the third standard. He later married Panchami at age 19 and lived with four children. Financial downfall and the burden to look after his family took a heavy toll on him. Kunjiraman got mentally disturbed which in turn paved way for his wife and children to go their separate ways. Raman never succumbed to this loss. A forlorn life started fading as Kunjiraman found an abode in colonies near the railway track. He lived in these ghettoes for more than 34 years. During this time, he practiced Kalari which soon ship shaped his behavior.