The Varthamanappusthakam by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar

Book Review the Varthamanappusthakam
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Book Review- The Varthamanappusthakam
Varthamanappusthakam is one of the Malayan publications by paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar. According to explorers, the book was one of the first travelogues scripted in the Indian language. The first scripture of the book was released during the 18th century before its rediscovering in 1935. Luka Mathai Plathottam printed the book in 1936. The book’s storyline is based on the journey that Kathanar undertook from Malabar Coast to Rome and back together with Mar Joseph Kariattil. Thoma Kathanar had the core purpose of documenting his experience during a spiritual voyage. In the publication, he describes “quarantina” as one of the critical periods for visiting Italy. Varthamanappusthakam is a compelling account of the history of the Malabar Church, emphasizing a travel experience of the author from Malabar to Rome through Lisbon and back.
The primary themes in the publication are courage, heroism, death, and illness. According to research findings in the journal, smallpox was a fatal epidemic that resulted in many deaths. As a result, all the visitors to Italy through ships had to undergo a mandatory quarantine for forty days after their arrival. The author portrays heroism and courage by visiting Rome despite the existence of the pandemic. Through the courageous act, Kathanar inspires the readers of his publication to achieve all their heart desires. According to the findings of Schurhammer and Georg (1934), Kathanar fails to account for the total number of people allowed to quarantine together. Besides, he fails to reveal information on the criteria of guaranteeing people entry after going through isolation.
Considerably, Kathanar aimed at providing traveling enthusiasts with the best routes to use while traveling to their favorite destinations through the book. According to the content, the author attained the core set objective to fulfill his promise. Paremmakkal (1971) illustrates the plight of travelers after everyone developed a fear of contracting smallpox as one of the central arguments in his book. However, Kathanar provides a detailed account of the measures that most governments implemented to contain the spread of smallpox. The introductory part of the book includes sections of the authors, history, and publication alterations.
The publication has critical strengths in revealing the historical experience of traveling to Italy. However, it has some shortcomings that make it an ineffective source of information. For instance, the MS lacks most of the documents that the author mentions in the appendix. However, readers can access the documents through other sources. Kathanar uses the term “Malankara” in Varthamanappusthakam as a representation of the Catholics of the time. “Malabar” is...