D ZACHARIA
Abey, my cousin, rings me up from Tiruvalla, at 8.57 am on 12th March2026. I couldn't attend the call. Later at 10.53am I responded, when I located the missed call. Abey tells me our Zacharia Sir had passed away this morning. He queried, didn't Laji achachan convey the news to you. I replied,"He must have been busy." I wondered why Laji didn't do that.
It was a shock to me. We had known him well. We knew who he really had been.
We had met at the time of Sandeep's marriage. Sandeep is Laji's son.
Our next meeting was at the residence of the Principal's Quarters, KUT Seminary, Kannammoola, where I was the Honorary Treasurer. I still am. His wife, Lissy ammamma, was with him.
Rev.Dr. M.P Joseph, the Principal had invited me to partake in a family function and lunch thereafter. Thampikuttychayan or D. Zacharia or Dr.Daniel Zacharia (Homoeo Doctor) was the eldest brother in law of M.P.Joseph Achen.
Lunch over, we conversed for sometime. I invited him to visit my place. I said it was only 2 km. He agreed to the suggestion at once. But he revealed to me he had to visit Palapur where he was helping Mr.Rajendran,who was blind to build a house. He said though Rajendran was a practicing advocate, his means were paltry. He had assessed the economic status through independent enquiries.
Thampikuttychayan told me that helping the homeless to build houses had been an activity he had begun from age 15. He had already done this for a large number of people across Kerala. To my question how managed the funding, he replied apart from delving into his own resources, many of his contacts had been generously and voluntarily topping up his requirements on this front.
He said though he was staying at Elavumthitta, the needy often flocked to his residence. If he was convinced over the genuineness, he would unplug and stretch himself to assist them.
He just couldn't fathom how Rajendran from South Kerala had landed up at his place one day. However, once he had listened, he was convinced Rajendran deserved assistance to build his house. Thampikuttychayan had travelled in his own car to Palapur and had a look the property. Since the brother of Rajendran, who had been a mason as well as a contractor, was staying in the adjacent property, Thampikuttychayan had entrusted the construction of the house to him.
But this brother had other ideas. He wanted to siphon off the money, Thampikuttychayan was providing for the construction of the house. He had a feeling the benefactor was flush with money from abroad. He wanted to have a bite for himself.
Well, Thampikuttychayan and his wife came to our place in their own car. I drove ahead. We had some pleasant moments at home. It enabled me to have a peep into the life of this wonderful person. I felt he was the elephant and I, just an ant. No way, comparable
He invited me to travel to Palapur in his car, a Hyundai Santro, and talked Lila into joining us.It was very difficult to say 'no' to him.
At Palapur, Rajendran and his wife were waiting for Thampikuttychayan.
The status of the construction shocked us. Though money had been poured in, that was enough to have completed the construction, it was just half way. We climbed on to the terrace. We were warned the floor was slippery and we could easily fall if we were not careful. There was a side show in the form of the brother of Rajendran. He was displaying a tantrum and throwing abuses at the driver of Thampikuttychayan for parking the car in front of his boundary wall on the public road. Thampikuttychyan took it lightly.
Thampikuttychayan said he wanted to somehow complete the construction. He was disinterested to let Rajendran's brother carry on. While we stood on the terrace, a name popped up in my mind. Finney C Varghese. Finney is a contractor. He is my friend. He is a person who delivers. I spoke to Thampikuttychayan about Finney. He accepted Finney at once and requested me to contact Finney and revert.
At night, I contacted Finney. Though reluctant initially, Finney consented when I oriented him on the greatness of Thampikuttychayan.
Within a few days, Thampikuttychayan came again to take Finney to the site. Finney said he would complete the construction in three months. Thampikuttychayan assured him not to ponder on fund flow.
Finney kept his word. Thampikuttichayan kept his word.
Finney later told me, Zacharia Sir used to catch a bus on the MC Road and reach his house at 7 am whenever Finney wanted replenishment of funds for the construction. He said he was amazed as Zacharia Sir was around 78 years in age at that time and to reach Finney's place at 7 am he must have been catching the bus at least at 4am.
I asked Thampikuttychayan how he managed to reach the MC Road at that early hour. The reply was quite surprising. He said he had a ramshackle scooter that he rode to the MC Road from his house 10 km away. When I asked where he would leave the scooter, the reply was, 'on the pavement.' When I enquired,"Won't anyone take it away," he had laughed it off. He said who wanted such a lousy scooter.
Finally, the date for the house warming was set. Thampikuttychayan was invited. Finney was invited. I too was.
The house warming was conducted by the Bishop A Dhramaraj Rasalam, Bishop of the CSI South Kerala Diocese. The previous day we were together at the meeting of the Governing Council of the KUT Seminary, Kannammoola. He was surprised to see me at Palapur.
After the ceremony was over, the Bishop made a short speech. He said he was happy Rajendran could complete the construction of his house overcoming two major handicaps, that he was blind and that he was badly off financially. The Bishop said, as far as he knew two persons were behind the completion of the house, one, a well known doctor and two, the Treasurer of the KUT Seminary.
Blindness never had dissuaded Rajendran from going ahead in life. If necessary, he had no inhibition in meeting the Chief Minister of the State. As we stood there, waiting for the arrival of the Bishop, two blind friends of Rajendran had come in an autoriksha. Knowing they were blind, the driver demanded a hefty sum from them. Rajendran was standing there. He shouted at the driver, "Are you trying to cheat the blind?'
The driver took whatever they gave and drove off.
While we were travelling to Palapur, Thampikuttychayan had revealed another phase of his life. He said after completion of his Homoeo Course he had set up a hospital at Nallanikunnu. There were in patients as well. Many of them were destitutes. He said whenever he found abandoned persons he used to take them to the hospital. He had cared for them, cleaning them up himself at times.
As things were working well, he had a close call. When he consulted CMC Vellore, they had told him his heart needed surgery that would cost Rs.10.00 lakhs. He said he had approached his own church. He had told them he would let the church take over the hospital and the prime property if they would give him the money he needed for the surgery. The Church was agreeable to take over the Hospital and the property, for free.
Exsperated, he had contacted Bishop Zacharias Mar Theophilus of the MarThoma Church and related his predicament. The Bishop in turn contacted a few pastors of the MarThoma Churches around the area. The outcome was electric. The amount Thampikuttychayan had sought was ready. It was transferred to his account. The property was transferred to the MarThoma Church through the execution of documents.
Recently he had told me, the Marthoma Church had informed him that the hospital he had handed over, was the Jewel among all their facilities in the area. Quite a large number of people were benefitted by the services rendered there.
He had divulged an unsavoury incident related to his effort to mobilise funds for his treatment.
An individual on learning that the property was up for sale had contacted him and had offered to buy it at any price he desired. Thampikuttychayan declined the offer, telling him that he had intended to sell it to church related institutions only. The reply was a barrage of abusive language. But he had held on.
The Bishop of the CSI Madhya Kerala Diocese had entrusted him to develop the dilapidated Bungalow at the Monroe Island to a facility for the blind. The assignment was challenging. He was growing in age. He had physical limitations. The place was far away from his residence. But he was game.
He would leave his house very early in the morning on his favourite scooter and reach the MC Road. He would leave the scooter on the pavement. Then he would catch a KSRTC bus upto a point. He would catch a private bus to another point. Another private bus would take him to his destination. He would look after his job there, the whole day. In the evening it was the journey in the reverse direction. He would carry on with all the modes of traffic he took in the morning to return to his place. The cycle would be repeated the next day and the next day till he had completed the work at Monroe Island.
There is another anecdote he had shared with me.
He had donated a good sum to his Church for utilising in any new project the church proposed. The church was truthful. They didn't propose any new project. But they kept the amount in balance sheets after balance sheets as donation from D.Zacharia for a new prject.
While he was struggling to source funds for the Monroe Island Project, he submitted a request to the Church. It was for releasing the accummulated interest on the amount he had donated towards the work at Monroe Island. The request was considered by the Church Committee. One senior member of the Committee had blurted out his views that was accepted by the committee. "Avante paisa muzhuvan thirichu koduthekanam. Nammude balance sheet il ninnum oru entry illathakumallo." (Let us pay back his donation in full. Our balnce sheet will not be burdened by this entry anymore)
I didn't tell him, the callousness I felt was the cause of the decay in the church.
He said he had no complaints
While he had toiled hard for the church and christain activities - he was very active in the Bible Society - he never forsake his profession. He provided succour to his countless patiens.
He was a voracious reader. He wrote articles in the publications of the church. The latest I read him was on 3rd March 2026 in the Gurupadantikam, daily devotion. He had dwelt on 'ennile 'njan' bhavam.'. He closed it singing,
"njan varunnu krusingal
sadhu ksheenan kurudan"
It was prophetic.
He left us on 12th march 2026
The funeral is schduled on 16th March 2026 at the CSI St. Paul's Church, Nallanikunnu at 2pm
I had begun with Abey. Abey is based at Tiruvalla and Thalavady. He is the son of Achenkunjachayan, my uncle, who always lived for others. Abey follows his father in word and deed. He told me he wanted to help Ponnamma, who was homeless, build a house. I suggested that he should contact D.Zacharia who had been very active on such missions. Abey later told me, the moment he contacted D Zacharia, he had remitted Rs.10000.00 for the purpose. In fact that had been the first contribution. It energised Abey. When Ponnamma's house was completed, D Zacharia and his wife were present at the house warming ceremony.
Finding the obit news in the Malayala Manorama of 13th Macrh2026, I rang up Laji. Laji was apolegetic. He said he had somehow missed to convey the sad news. When I enquired on the cause of death, Laji related an extraordinary tale.
Thampikuttychayan was unwell for a few days. When he met the doctors, after evaluation, they had told him, there was a shrinkage in the heart's valve (aortic valve stenosis). According to them, a pace maker was the sole answer. Thampikuttychayan was firm. He said he didn't wish to go under the knife anymore. He asked how much the pace maker would cost. Rs.4.00lakhs was the reply. What he did after that was some thing no sane man would ever do. He gifted the amount, Rs.4.00 lakhs, to a homeless person to build his house.
He breathed his last quietly at the Fellowship Hospital at Kumbanad on 12th March2026, early morning.
He lived all his life to build homes for the homeless. He died building home for the homeless.
Jesus Christ lived in him. He lived for Jesus Christ.
He was unknown. He was well known
It is people like Thampikyttychayan, who show us how we should live.
Caring, sharing, caring, sharing
Dearest Thampikuttychayan, not only us, but a host of people throughout the length and breadth of Kerala would miss you
Like I wrote to his younger brother
"He was indeed a wonderful personality
He followed Jesus Christ in word and deed
Emulate him we all must
But a very difficult call"
I would add just two words
'WE CAN"
That's exactly what he wants from us.
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