Cherukara appoppan had an elder brother Keshava Pillai. He acquired two attributes that never go together. He was a Sanskrit and Malayalam scholer as well as had a great toned physique with a height of around 7 feet. A generation marveled at his physical appearence and strength. There are many stories about him floating in the mid-Travancore area.

Though Keshava Pillai was a gigantic figure, he had a calm disposition. Once he had to walk from Kayankulam to Haripad by a road. On the way, two goons attacked him from behind with weapons. Keshava Pillai was a martial art expert, with in seconds he grabbed both their hands and squeezed them in under his armpit. He continued his walking toward Haripad as if nothing had happened. Both the goons were begging and crying all their way to free the hands. He didn’t leave them until he reach home. The entire public on the road witnessed this event and Keshava Pillai’s physical strength became the talk of the town.

Keshava Pillai had a friend Chennattu Kunju Pillai who was known for his physical strength and arrogance. Kunju Pillai unlike Keshava Pillai used to manhandle whoever comes on his way and the people were scared of him. As friends, both Keshava Pillai and Kunju Pillai used to go for a bath in the river. Sometimes one goes before the other one. To inform the other one, the one arrived first removes the stone beam of a chumaduthangi on the way and keeps it on the ground. Chumaduthangi is a heavy structure used by loader persons to offload the luggage and take rest on the way. The stone beam was so heavy to be lifted even by 5 strong people and it was believed widely that in the entire region, only these two friends were strong enough to lift the stone beam. When the second one sees the stone beam kept down, he would know that his friend has already left for the bath. He keeps the stone beam back in place and continues his journey to the river.

Keshava Pillai has written many books in Sanskrit and Malayalam. Famous Kuthiyotta Pattu in Sanskrit is one of them.