Perumthachan

One evening, a temple servant struggles to light a wind-swept lamp. A man nearby shields the lamp with a stone slab and, wearing the sacred thread, is mistaken for a Nambudiri. He explains that he is a master carpenter who forgot to remove his sacred thread after completing a temple, and news of his arrival spreads quickly.

Perumthachan meets a Nambudiri Brahmin who is now the head of a wealthy royal household. He is asked to oversee the family shrine and carve the goddess image, marking his return to elite commissions. This reconnection ties his fate to a powerful lineage.

Perumthachan carves the goddess's face in the likeness of Bhargavi Thampuratti, the Nambudiri wife's beauty. Though tempted by the attraction, he restrains himself to avoid scandal and conflict. His artistry and restraint deepen the aura of his legendary status.

The Nambudiri grows suspicious of Perumthachan's proximity to Bhargavi and insults him during the idol's consecration. Humiliated, Perumthachan withdraws from the household, leaving behind a strained relationship and unspoken tensions. The episode foreshadows his eventual departure from the royal circle.

In time, Perumthachan’s son Kannan Vishwakarman emerges as a talented and charismatic craftsman. Perumthachan is proud of his abilities but worries about Kannan’s disregard for traditional artistic rules and his increasingly self-centered, materialistic outlook. The generation gap echoes in their shared craft.

Perumthachan has long desired to build the Saraswati mandapam, a project tied to Bhargavi’s daughter Kunhikkavu Thampuratti. Kunhikkavu selects Kannan to undertake the temple task, foreshadowing a clash between old values and new talent. The project becomes a crucible for Kannan’s ambitions.

Kannan starts working at the same Nambudiri household where Perumthachan once carved the goddess statue. He steps into the old workshop’s shadow, now as the sculptor for the new mandapam. The setup intensifies family and social expectations.

Kannan falls in love with Kunhikkavu, his patron’s daughter, triggering a scandal within the royal circle. The romance unsettles the family and tests their codes of honor and lineage. The relationship becomes a threat to the delicate balance surrounding the project.

Kunhikkavu’s father voices deep disappointment and harsh wishes, saying he would rather see Kannan dead than bring dishonor to the family. His words heighten the pressure on Perumthachan and complicate the social dynamics surrounding the project. The sense of doom tightens around everyone involved.

To salvage the situation, Perumthachan steps in to oversee the temple’s construction and attempts to convince Kannan to end the relationship. He seeks to steer the work toward completion while averting further scandal. His involvement underscores his responsibility as father and master craftsman.

In a moment of desperation, Perumthachan drops his chisel on Kannan’s neck, killing him during the final stages of the temple’s construction. The act resolves the romantic danger but devastates the family and all who believed in the craftsman’s integrity. The tragedy cements Perumthachan’s painful legacy.

Unable to bear the villagers’ looming retribution for Kannan’s death, Perumthachan sets fire to his home and takes his own life. The legend closes on a man who sought harmony between art, duty, and social order but was driven to ruin by a single, irreversible choice. The fire marks the final, haunting image of his life.