SMALL POX AND SOME OLD STRANGE STORIES FROM CHANGANCHERRY

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Small pox took the lives of 300 millions people in the 20th century or it took the lives of 500 millions in the final hundred years before deporting from this world. In my younger days I have heard many unbelievable stories associated with small pox.

I was born in Changancherry in the later years of the first half of the 20th century. During a decade ago Changancherry was severely infected with small pox. Countless number of deaths took place in the whole region. Death around were daily stories. When the daily death toll gone beyond the handling rim, the Metropolitan Church of Changancherry had extended the then existing cemetery and one portion was kept separated with a high wall reserved for small pox deaths. Dead bodies were brought usually in the night and no funeral rites were performed in the presence of a priest, it was told. But that was no solution as no people were found willing to bring the dead body to the cemetery as no one were available to carry it there. At this time some Muslim Priests were made themselves available for help. During midnight these priests visit the house of the deceased. Then the dead body was dressed in white shirt and dothi. Then the body was said to have made to stand. Then it was made to walk behind the priest from the house to the Cemetery of the Church up to the pit kept ready for the body. The same methods were said to have followed by other castes for their dead people upto their respective graveyard. 

Another story widely spread was that St Sebastian  on a white horse was seen by many people at different parts of Changancherry during night hours. I myself had heard it from different elder people. I studied in a government LP school in Perunna, Changancherry close to the boundary wall of NSS headquarter on the side of MC road. This school was known all around as 'Monkey School.' ('Korangan Pallikkodam' was a household name of Changancherry)  A boy who studied in my class told me  that his father once during midnight hours saw a Lady in white dress carrying a basket in her hand standing on the road near Parel Church (Parel Pally) Changancherry. She told him that She was St Mary and was collecting the small pox disease in the basket from the affected people.

Another is a family story. My grandfather Kochumaniparampil Kuncheriya Verghese's younger brother Eyyo was infected with small pox. My grandfather was attending the patient throughout the day and night. On the fifth day he died in the presence of my grandfather. Instantly few plantain trees stood close to the house fell down. I have also heard this story from other elders of the family.

All the above are stories heard from different people in my younger days and, therefore, I can't vouch for any of these.

K V George