Draft:Olappamanna Damodaran Nambudiripad (O.N. Damodaran)

Early life and Family.

Olappamanna Damodaran Nambudiripad (1947-2017) was born into the  nambudiri family of Olappamanna Mana on 24 May 1947, as the son of eminent Sanskrit scholar OMC Narayanan Nambudiripad and Uma antharjanam  in Vellinezhi (Palakkad district, Kerala, India). He is the brother of Sumangala, a popular author of children’s literature in Malayalam and grandson of the famous Social reformer Kurur Unni Nambudiripad. He is married to Sreedevi Purayannur, daughter of PMC Divakaran Nambudiripad (founder of South India Metal Company, Shoranur)

Education

Damodaran was home - schooled till the age of 9.He started his formal education when he was admitted in the first form( present day’s grade 5) in 1956, at Government High School, Vellinezhi. He completed his  Pre- University course from NSS College Ottappalam in1964 and graduated as a mechanical engineer from NSS College of Engineering , Palakkad, in 1970.

Career

O N Damodaran Started his career at Menco Electricals, an erstwhile Quasi-governmental organization in Palakkad, where he worked his way up from a trainee to a production Manager. After working there for 3 years, he developed an interest plastic processing, following which he quit his job in 1974 to join a short-term course in ‘Processing of plastics’ conducted by Central Institute of Plastics and Engineering (CIPET), a central government institute in Guindy, Madras. Having completed the industrial program, Damodaran established a private limited plastic processing company in 1975, at his home village with a vision of providing employment opportunities for the local people. The company primarily manufactured plastic containers for the pharmaceutical industry. Damodaran was exceptionally creative in choosing the brand name, POLYDON (Poly from Polymerized plastic and Don – an abbreviation of DamodaranO N). The company went through a gestation of 3 to 4 years before it was well – recognized among reputed organizations like  Kottakkal Aryavaidyasala. Polydon functioned in one of the outhouses inside the Olappamanna mana premises. Operating from a rural village like Vellinezhi, the industry encountered various technical challenges, but Damodaran’s optimism turned every crisis into an opportunity. He ran the business successfully for 25 years, during which, he and his colleague T.V. Kesavan Nambisan were involved in driving multiple innovations in the field, that were recognized by the Department of Industries (Government of Kerala). A notable one being a Blow molding pneumatic machine. He retired from active participation in the company after converting into an Employee – owned Cooperative society in the year 1998.

Even in retirement, Damodaran liked to maintain an active and engaged lifestyle. He recognized the historical significance of his home as a distinctive feature to attract potential guests across the world. In 2006, his entrepreneurial inclination turned one of the outhouses (pathayappura) into a homestay – The Olappamanna Mana Homestay. This was also an opportunity for Damodaran’s wife Sreedevi, to re-discover her passion for cooking. Her culinary expertise accompanied by Damodaran’s hospitality elevated the homestay’s popularity exceptionally. This attracted guests from both domestic and international destinations. With their children grown – up and independent, this was a new chapter in the lives of Damodaran and Sreedevi.

Social activities and contributions

Upon the demise of Sri O.M.C Narayanan Nambudiripad, (O.N. Damodaran’s father), on the 4^th of April 1989, Damodaran had to shoulder the responsibility of Olappamanna Mana’s regular functioning and maintenance. He divined the importance of preserving mana’s centuries old cultural heritage, and in 1990, Deviprasadam Trust (in memory of Sri O.M.C Narayanan Nambudiripad) was established as a solid footing towards achieving his vision. The trust started functioning with a minimum capital, until DC Books bought the copyrights for publishing OMC Narayanan Nambudiripad’s Rigveda Bhasha Bhashyam in 8 different volumes. This marked a raise in the trust’s resources. O N Damodaran was the chairperson of Deviprasadam Trust from 1990 – 2017 and administered all the official operations of the trust. In the light of Olappamanna Mana’s legacy of art and literature, Deviprasadam Trust honored distinguished personalities in the realms of Sanskrit , Veda, Kathakali and Malayalm literature( Literary award was presented in memory of renowned poet Mahakavi Olappamanna - Damodaran’s paternal uncle)

Damodaran maintained his father’s association and had a significant involvement with Thrissur Vadakke Madhom Brahmaswam, a residential school for Vedic Studies and research. He had a long-standing relationship with the organization, spanning a decade. During this period, he was elected as one of the governing members (in 1995 – ’96). Damodaran was recognized for his potential, and he was unanimously chosen for the prominent role of the President of Brahmaswam Madhom. He served there as the President for 6 consecutive years. During this period, Damodaran focused on overcoming the school’s financial limitations and successfully achieved an eight-fold increase in the organization’s revenue generation through multiple revenue streams. His key strategies involved the construction of a shopping complex to let out the shops for rent and building an auditorium (Sree Sankara hall,Thrissur) for public events. He also made the school into a Vedic Research Centre to attract grants and endowments. His foresight, management and financial planning ensured long-term financial stability for the institution. Due to his outstanding leadership skills, Damodaran was appointed as the chairman of the organizing committee for Somayagas that took place inside the Vadakke Madhom Brahmaswam premises(in 2003) and Angadippuram Thirumandhamkunnu bhagavathy temple(in 2005). The somayaga at Brahmaswam Madhom was witnessed by a very large number of people and the Yaga-shala was graced by the presence of Dr. Frits Staal , an authority in Somayaga. Damodaran shared a warm bond with Frits Staal and Staal paid a visit to Olappamanna Mana in the year 2012. In addition to the revenue generation at Vadakkemadhom Brahmaswam, Damodaran also emphasized the importance of English medium schooling for the students at the Madhom to complement their Vedic studies with proficiency in English. After the successful completion of his tenure, Damodaran served as the governing member of Brahmaswam madhom for another year. Following his passing, from the year 2018, an endowment is given in the name of Sri O N Damodaran every year at Vadakkemadhom Brahmaswam.

Damodaran’s extensive public engagements brought about a shift in his perspective towards the importance of preserving one’s cultural legacy. In the wake of his father's and Mahakavi Olappamanna’s death, he actively pursued to find new ways to compensate for the void left by them. He realized that this gap would make Olappamanna Mana lifeless and desolate. With great effort, he breathed new life to Olappamanna Mana by showcasing the traditional and cultural richness of his home to the world. He made sure that Olappamanna Mana's popularity grew steadily each year.

Given the family's literary heritage, Olappamanna Mana has a small library, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a world of words. Recognizing the unique architecture of his home, Damodaran generously opened it to architectural engineering students for their academic project work , only requesting a copy of their project in return, to enrich the mana’s library. He meticulously curated a museum within the house to display an array of artifacts, offering visitors a glimpse into the family's centuries-old lifestyle. Today, regardless of caste or creed, Olappamanna Mana provides a platform for diverse public events, while preserving the sanctity of the temple deity.

Damodaran also rekindled Olappamanna Mana’s patronage of performing arts by providing a venue to keen teachers for conducting lessons in art forms such as Carnatic music, Violin, Mridangam and Chenda every weekend, transforming the Mana into the vibrant centre of activities that it was always known for.

Damodaran was eager to share the history of Olappamanna Mana to a wider audience. His enthusiasm led Dr.N.P Vijayakrishnan,  to write a book titled Olappamanna Mana. Dr.N.P Vijayakrishnan, having a deep knowledge and understanding of the Mana's activities and goals, has imparted authenticity and credibility to his writing. Damodaran Nambudiripad considered such activities indispensable to bring his home back to life and the Mana owes its evolution entirely to Damodaran's tireless dedication.

Damodaran’s high regard for cultural heritage extended beyond his mana, to Vellinezhi-the village that raised him. The preliminary seminar regarding the possibilities of Kalagramam was conducted by Malayala Manorama at Olappamanna Mana and Damodaran had a deep discussion with Dr. Venu, the then Secretary of Department of Tourism, Kerala, and Mr.T.K.A Nair (Former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India). The land on which Kalagramam now stands was donated to the Department of Education, Kerala, by Olappamanna mana years ago. Damodaran proposed that this site would be ideal for the Kalagramam. Damodaran's extensive knowledge of diverse art forms was invaluable to Malayala Manorama's regional writers in their endeavour to proclaim Vellinezhi as a Kalagramam.

Achievements

Sri O N Damodaran Nambudiripad was honoured with a Special award for Veda Samrakshanam (Preserving Vedas) by Kashyapa Veda Research Foundation, Kozhikode, in 2017.

External Links

Staal’s visit to Olappamanna Mana in 2012

Remembering the golden days of Kathakali

A Stay at Olappamanna Mana, Kathakali's Ancient Cradle

Olappamanna Mana - The Treasure Chest of Cultural Patronage!

Vellinezhi: a Palakkad village that basks in the charm of a glorious past

Hidden Jewel - a Tripadvisor Review