The man who never parted with a single letter he received...
Illath Rajan, a retired sixty-eight-year-old from Onchiyam, preserves a priceless archive of eight hundred and sixty-four handwritten letters and postal covers sent from his family in India during his decades working in Saudi Arabia.
Illath Rajan, a retired sixty-eight-year-old from Onchiyam, preserves a priceless archive of eight hundred and sixty-four handwritten letters and postal covers sent from his family in India during his decades working in Saudi Arabia.
Illath Rajan, a retired sixty-eight-year-old from Onchiyam, preserves a priceless archive of eight hundred and sixty-four handwritten letters and postal covers sent from his family in India during his decades working in Saudi Arabia.
Panoor: “Dearest Brother, I received your letter yesterday. Sreedharettan was here in our hometown for a week. He mentioned that Raghoottiyettan is doing well now, nothing to worry about. He has relocated from Mahe to a place called Pariyaram…” So reads the faded ink of a letter sent to Rajan in Saudi Arabia by his brother on July 31, 1992.
There was once a time when, amidst the relentless toil and isolation of life in the Gulf, an expatriate lived for those rare dispatches from home. Illath Rajan (68), hailing from Mokeri Koorara, still fiercely guards the remnants of that era, when love, solace, and hometown tidings travelled across the seas through handwritten words. Having hung up his boots after 34 years abroad, these letters now serve as Rajan’s bridge to the past, guiding him down memory lane.
His priceless archive consists of letters sent to Saudi Arabia by his parents, his wife, relatives, and close friends. Dating back to 1991, not a single one has been discarded; even the postal covers remain carefully preserved. In total, the collection numbers an astonishing 864 letters.
Rajan recalls that in those days, it took at least a month for a letter mailed from home to reach his hands. His company would send someone once a week to collect the incoming mail from the post office.
Whenever the driver returned clutching a bundle of envelopes, Rajan’s heart would leap with hope that one would bear his name. Walking away empty-handed brought a quiet, crushing heartbreak. Many of the loved ones who penned those words have since passed away, surviving only in his memories. Yet, tracing the familiar curves of their handwriting, Rajan feels their warm embrace all over again. He currently resides at Thattolikkara in Onchiyam. He is married to Shailaja, and the couple has two children, Sooraj and Sharon.