Table of Contents

AITHIHYAMALA-A GARLAND OF LEGENDS (INTRODUCTION) ; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS O A HINDU PRINCESS AND HER ISLAMIC DYNASTY ; THE ARITHMETIC OF FAITH ; FROM POVERTY TO ROYALTY ; SNAKE POWER ; BORN TO WIN ; THE MARTIAL ARTS TEACHER ; KANDANKORAN OR KITANGOOR ; WHEN THE RULERS SPAR ; CASCADE OF GENIUS ; TRADITION OF THE MAGIC HERB ; A WIFE'S STRATEGY ; THE ANT-HILL TEMPLE ; NEELAKANTHAN OF PANTHALAM ; A FIERY PENANCE ; THE POWER OF MIME ; GOD VS GOD ; KERALA-STYLE ROBIN HOOD ; FATE CHANGED BY FAITH ; THE POWER OF SIMPLICITY ; THE DILEMMA OF BIGAMY ; A FOREIGNER'S FAITH ; THE HILL TEMPLE OF KERALA ; SANGHAKKALI-AN ANCIENT DANCE FORM ; THE CHINESE JARS AND THE MANGO PICKLE ; DIVINE PROTECION, DIVINE JUSTICE ; THE MANGO OF ETERNAL LIFE ; THE TEMPLE OF SNAKES ; READING THE FUTURE ; THE RAJA'S DREAM TEMPLE ; THE LAKE TEMPLE ; THRIPUNITHURA FESTIVALS ; A VOICE MUTED BY PRIDE ; THE KOTTARAKKARA COW SHELTER ; A BRAHMIN IN MUSLIM DISGUISE ; THE POWER OF FAITH ; THE ORIGIN OF A GREAT POET ; GOPALAN THE CHOSEN ONE ; AN IDEAL WIFE ; KOZHIKODE MARKET ; THE SPITTING HABIT ; LOYALTY IS WHERE POWER IS ; DEVOTION VS ERUDITION ; THE POWER OF ILLUSION ; THE SAINT OF VILWAMANGALAM ; THE PRIEST OF KATAMATTAM ; TWO ROYAL PERSONALITIES ; THROUGH FAITH TO FAME ; THE INVISIBLE FAMILY ; GLOSSARY

About the Author

Kottarathil Sankunni (1855-1957) had no formal schooling and studied Sanskrit classics and ayurvedic treatises for many years. His real name was Vasudevan Unni and his work spans a variety of genres. He taught at a seminary school at Kottayam and was later the first poetry editor of the newspaper Malayala Manorama. T.C. Narayanan has had a successful corporate career in India and abroad. He has published a biography of a time gone by called Ettukettu Stories and has also translated extended excerpts from A Midsummer Night's Dream into Malayalam for a travelling RADA performance sponsored by the British Council (both in 2006). This is his first full-length translation into English.