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As a relatively busy Kathaprasangam artiste, Kottayam Baburaj had to perform at two places on the same day.  Lack of precise knowledge of the route to the venue often prevented him from fulfilling his second commitment.

From this grain of irritation has formed the pearl of an encyclopaedia containing 20,000 place names of Kerala, which he has compiled, edited and published single-handedly.  Deservedly, his effort has been included in the Limca Book of Records.

A retired labour officer, he had been serving the department at Kottayam when his district level directory came out.  Nitpicking on the temerity of a Government employee engaging in such a constructive venture, the authorities had transferred him to distant Malappuram.  But that turned out to be a blessing as Baburaj used the opportunity to ride his scooter through the less known roads between Malappuram and Kottayam.

Fearing that others would doubt his sanity for availing leave for weeks together, staying in lodges in distant places and driving the scooter through rough roads, he had hidden his intentions even from dear ones in the beginning. 

5 lakh kilometers and 6 years later, Baburaj had compiled the list of all places in Kerala, both big and small as well as their relative distances from important points.  He then prepared roadmaps with distances to supplement the textual information and published the venture all alone.  Seeking the help of a proofreader or assistant would have only added errors into the information, he feels.

Now into the 4^th edition, the book has almost gained the stature of a reference volume.  The attestation of Limca Book of Records acknowledges his one-man effort.

Courtesy: Shiju S.Nair (text), Mathrubhumi, December 22, 2008
Contributed by: Administrator

"He that serves well, need not ask his wages."