Jinson Abraham’s Kollavarsham 1199 calendar [the Malayalam calendar, known as the Kollam Era calendar] stirred his father’s childhood memories; one of his first lessons, when he started education, was learning Malayalam numerals. It was the same for actor Mohanlal. “When I gifted one to the actor, he said he remembered seeing these as a kid but had forgotten about it until now. He called it a pleasant reminder!”
That was one of his intentions, Jinson confesses. “It is an ode to Malayalam, and a piece of ‘usable’ art that celebrates Malayalam numerals. It was used until recently in title deeds, which ceased with digitisation. This is as much a reminder as an attempt at preserving it,” says the 39-year-old software engineer-turned-lifestyle photographer.
