[ Maliyakal Ravoor Matthan Kurien, alias Maliyakal K. Aaschan, alias Kurien Assan, the founder of the House of Maliyakal ] [ Kuriyan "Mysore" Matthan (1877 - 1951) ] [ Dr. Kurian Kuruvilla ] [ K. George ] [ Mariamma ] [ K. Kurian ] [ Elizabeth ] [ Susan ] [ K. Jacob ] [ Sara ]

Maliyakal Ravoor Matthan Kurien

also known as

Maliyakal K. Aaschan

(1852 - 1935)

Father of a Worldwide Indian Christian Community

This page is under construction. It awaits information from several of you out there. If you have anything to add about the family of Maliyakal Ravoor Matthan Kurien, his ancestors, his wife and her family, his brothers and sisters, or information about his siblings, we would like to hear from you.

Ravoor may have been the land where his house was located. The house name was Maliyakal (also written by some as Malaykal).

This is presently a joint project of several cousins and second cousins, including one in the Middle East, Abu, and another in Finland, Sushil, as well a greatgrandson, Rahul Matthan. Generous inputs have been received from Gracykochamma in the USA and Chinchaya in Bangalore. Many thanks to Omena in Bangalore and Mohan in Canada for providing details of their immediate families. I hope to add photographs of all the individuals listed here from either my photograph archives or from those which have been sent to me.

Kurien Aaschan, who was more commonly known as Kuriachayan, was a posthumous child and the only child of his father. His mother, sister of Archdeacon K. Koshy and John Ashan (popularly known as Chempolil Ashan) were the children of Maramon Koshy, married a second time and he had stepbrothers through his mother's second marriage. As his mother remarried, Kuriachayan was looked after by some of his father's family and was not treated well. So his mother's brother, Archdeacon Koshy Achen, of the Mullamangalam family, took him to Kottayam where he grew up and was educated. (Koshy Achen was the first person to publish a book in Malayalam. He was a member of the Anglican Church and became a teacher at the CMS School at Kottayam. Because of his profession he came to be known as Kurien Asaan.

Kuriachayan was married to Koch Aley (1859 - 1950) of the Kizhakethalekal family (this being her second marriage) and was the father of 9 children, 5 sons and 4 daughters. He did not think Kottayam was a suitable place to raise his children, so he left Kottayam for Thiruvalla to teach at the CMS Church School at Tholaserri.

Kuriachayan was short and dark. Koch Aley was also a short person. Both of them were very religious. There are nine children and 52 grandchildren who can be accounted for. He had patience with his grandchildren who used to visit him during their vacations and scream and play. He tolerated them and did not utter any annoyance or show discomfort at the ruckus the grandchildren made. All of them attended the CMS Church at Tholaserri and Kuriachayan used to read the Bible lessons regularly in the Sunday services. Family prayers were insisted on everyday, both in the morning and evening. The family also sang hymns during that time. Kuriachayan and Koch Aley were very generous and gave alms to the poor and helped in the activities of the church. Kuriachayan suffered from asthama and had constant attacks of cold and bronchitis.

Kuriachayan was shattered at the death of his fourth son, K. Kurien, who died at the very young age of 39. He was never the same after that. He suffered a heart attack while walking in the grounds of the house and became immobile. Most of his remaining time was spent in bed or sitting in his favourite armchair on the house verandah. He could only move around with a walking stick and died in 1935 at the age of 83. He has been buried in the CSI Church at Tholaserri, Thiruvalla.

By this time, Kuriachayan's eldest son, Dewan Bahadur Kuriyan Matthan, had bought the Thiruvalla house for him and Koch alley to live in. After Kuriachayan's demise, Koch Aley continued to live in the house for several years until she moved in 1948 to Amallor. At 10 am every morning, Koch Aley used to have daily medicine (marune) which was a shot of brandy! The brandy bottle was kept in her "kalipetti" under her bed. This fact was known to her grandsons. They used to sip a little from the bottle and then make up the deficit by adding a few drops of water to the bottle, until Koch Aley complained that her original medicine had lost its strength and was no good. She used to walk around the house biting her knuckles and she retained a very alert mind. She continued to attend church after Kuriachayan died, travelling by bullock cart. Koch Aley died at the age of 91 in 1950 and she is also buried in the Tholaserri Church. Children