Everybody has something to say! True to what that literally translates to, anyone who had ever visited any of Dr Benny Kuriakose’s creations always had something in awe to say. So I decided to pick one called “The Pyramid”. There was something about the name, and that lamp! So one fine Sunday I decided to take my mother and Ariya on a road trip all the way to the East coast road. At about half-past 11 in the morning, we find ourselves in front of this yellow gate as Mrs Yamuna had described. Two names on this gate, in two directions. One reading “Good The Pyramid” and the other “Once upon a Hut”. As we kept progressing farther we found ourselves approaching a structure so simple, set amidst hibiscus gardens and overgrown lawns with a very hard to miss sloping roof soaring right up into the bright blue sky.
We were welcomed by Sula (Mrs Yamuna’s pet mongrel) and the gardener who directed us inside where on the first look one would be easily stupefied by the radiant oxide blue athangudi tiles flooring running throughout the home reflecting off the bright yellow light from this magnificent wrought iron wonder hanging over a beautifully crafted dining table.
Here we met Mrs Yamuna and after brief introductions, we wasted no time moving on to what the concept behind the pyramid was and how it materialized into being. Parinam was what she called the project which was started as a centre for self-management to help people falling prey to stress and other ailments in the age of computerization. As she brought out this big black album which took us through a journey of the various transitions from a piece of land with a thatched hut to a place of the arts fueled by soulful performances of music and dance by some of the greatest performers of the age.
As the activities grew so did the need for an accommodative space. Some artisans from Pondicherry were brought in to construct a structure to house these growing necessities which, resulted in a 40’X 40’ area protected by a souring 40’ high thatched bamboo roof supported by un-plastered red brick columns and laid out three levels of Kadapa stone seating all around. But just like how every beginning has an end, the journey which started in 1975 had to meet its end in 2000 due to unfortunate reasons. However, destiny had other plans for Parinam when Dr Benny Kuriakoseand Mrs Yamuna put their minds together to create a home that would reminisce the memories of its yonder years.
-Sneha Murali
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