Hero Hotel, Palace Road, Thrissur-680020

I never even thought that I would have a blog or so. It was my feel towards Rema Teacher that prompted me to do so. I couldn’t stop writing when it was about her. But after the first two posts, it was felt as if I had nothing else to mention as a post. One day when Dineshettan (My brother in law) asked me “what your next post is on?” I said I was waiting for a subject to get hooked in mind. For that he had a very enlightening reply for me. He said “You have subject all around you. All you have to be is a bit selective”. And the result is the remaining posts in my Aphorisms…which now will keep going….

A few days back when I surfing Orkut Communities related to Thrissur, I came to see a community for Hero Hotel. The very next second I too was a member of that community. The next piece of thought that struck me was to share this with the life around me. Some may think that, what is there so much to say about this very low-profile hotel…but.., Hero Hotel deserves a post in my Aphorisms…

Hero Hotel - It’s not a star hotel, nor does it have a chain or any sister concerns. You can only find it at the Palace Road, Thrissur; as one odd figure in the row of world class textile and jewellery showrooms. It is Hero Hotel. You can find it only in Thrissur…only - in - Thrissur.

Hero Hotel is situated in the midst of the Palace Road, which is becoming the most enterprising 1.2 Kilometers of straight line in Thrissur…a place where one can find a very rare blend of Art and Commerce thriving into international fame every passing moment. Apart from that, what this thirty year old hotel has to boast about is the wide range of its customers. From veteran artists, dancers, theatre artists, business men...anyone and everyone can be found there. I have seen many of the prominent figures of Malayalam film industry like Late Bharath Murali, Shwetha Menon, Revathy, the ace directors Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Shyamaprasad here. Even longer is the list of those who can be found there, who make a short visit during the break of any function going on in the Kerala Sahithya Academy, to have a strong tea or snacks. They are all common there. They will be having no reserved tables, no one staring at them and no crowd around them for autographs or photographs. And above the reach of the act of counting will be the moments when the walls of this hotel witnessed the long chats with its masterpiece combination dish – “Porotta, Beef fry, gravy and tea” decorating the table and also being a medium for their chats regardless of its importance. Discussions can go up to any level like the latest issues in art, music, cinema, dance, fashion, banking, animation, real estate and what not.

Arun, a strong Communist and an ardent VS fan, the cool and gentle Sajeeve, -- they own this Hotel now which was started by their father. The other to-be-mentioned characters who can be found here are - the irresistible IKKA (Jamalikka), Thadiyan - a strong fan of Mohanlal, Johnson, Guruvayoorappan- the film critic, Itty, Paul Chandy , Late Santhosh Jogi – the actor, the band Overdrive, the theater activists, the Social Workers, The HDFC Executives, Arena Animators, The Cinematic Dancers…the list goes on.

This is Hero Hotel. It was when I’m in studying in my 9th standard that I came to see this Hotel for the first time. I used to have tuitions after school hours at Rajarathnam Sir’s Tuition center in Palace Road for Maths every weekday from 5:15 pm to 7:15pm. One day when I and Ashwin were returning home I came to notice a new hotel in the corner where the road to Vadakke Bus stand starts from the Palace Road. The rush and the overall atmosphere was as if a festival in there. On my further enquiry I came to know that it was not a new one and it was reopened after a renovation.

For the past 11 years dishes of Hero Hotel keeps my mouth watering. Over these years I also was lucky enough to gain a lot of friends there. And even now ArunChettan and SajeeveChettan call me “Kutty” (meaning Kid). Once, very recently, I asked ArunChettan that everyone stares at me when he call me like that. They wonder: “is Arun calling this big guy, ‘Kutty’”. His reply was something which made me love me more. It was like this which started with a loud echoing laugh… “I don’t remember exactly when you came here for the first time. But, you were a kid when I started to notice you. No matter how big you grow or where you reach…in Hero Hotel you will be called liked that only…” what made me happy was that even in the big crowd that passes through he is mind each day…I have a place in his mind…that’s where I tasted the sweetest honey of friendship for yet another time….

But some of my schoolmates used to stand with the opinion that Hero is no so clean or not so much measure is done to maintain a good ambience when compared to the other famous no-so-big hotels in Thrissur like Bharath, Pathans or Jaya and you cant go there with your family and all. Never ever have I cared about those they used to say. It may be because of a total different circle of friends that I have over there like those names mentioned somewhere above. Or, it could be the addiction to those dishes that was sprouted in me that made me not to care about these. Nor was I bedridden because of some illness from this hotel.

I never used to go there with family. This is the resort only for buying parcel of food and having it at home for the "most-lazy" evenings. But some days when Amma is away, Vivu (my cousin, my right-hand) come my house by around 10pm. And then we used to go to Hero for a very slow dinner and come back late after having chat with all those whom we see there.

If there is a place for us to buy food to make some normal lazy days a little more delicious, this is it. It is Hero Hotel. You can find it only in Thrissur…only - in - Thrissur….!!!