Kottayam

Kottayam: Dubbed the land of letters, latex and lakes. it is  the nerve centre of Christianity . There are a number of churches. Kottayam took the initial step by becoming the first ever fully literate municipal in India. The first English educational centre of Southern India was set up at Kottayam. The first schools for girls in Kerala, the Baker Memorial School set in Kottayam. As is the first college in the state- originally a grammar school begun in 1821-now known as the prestigious CMS College. Kottayam also took the lead in the world of letters when Benjamin Bailey set up Kerala’s first printing press here. Today, 80%of books published in the state come from Kottayam it is also the centre of newspapers, with five major dailies being published from here.

          Now, Kottayam is known for the presents of large Christian population. Churches of various denominations and names like Jacob, Mathew and Thomas pop up everywhere. Kottayam is now the headquarters of the Malankara Orthodox Church, Syrian church and the Jacobites, as well as the Catholic divisions of the Kanaya church. It has been found that the highest density of Catholics in the world, after Philippines, is in Meenachil (taluk in Kottayam).

          Consider the most prosperous town in Kerala. Vast tracts of the land were devoted to cultivation of rubber. This led to the establishments of plantations and enable people to lead the luxurious lifestyles. Most of India’s rubber originates from here. The head quarters of rubber board is Kottayam Today the planters have invested in crops like cocoa and vanilla, aside from regulars like pepper and coffee. Writer Arundhathi Roy is originally from here, as is KR Narayanan-diplomat and former president of India.  

 

 

History

          Vembanad and its shores have had its impact on Kottayam even in earlier times. Research indicates that in the ancient past, the coastline of Kerala passed through this district. Marine fossils that have been discovered show that a large portion of Kottayam, Changanasseri and Vaikom were submerged under water. Up to the 5^th century, Kottayam was part of the land called Kuttanad –known for being the granary of Kerala. There was international trade.

          During the time of the Second Chera Empire, Kottayam and Ettumanoor were the parts of erstwhile Venpolinadu. There was a time when the place was also called Vembanad, after the Thekkumkoor kings who ruled over the place for a considerable time. They made Thazhathangadi, on the banks of the Meenachil, their administrative headquarters. Then this word Kottayam or kottayakam, meaning interior of fort came in to being. Kottayam became a part of Travancore and a administrative unit in 1860. The main central was built by the Maharaja of Travancore to connect Kottayam to Thiruvanathapuram. In 1949, the Kottayam district came in to being.

 

Sights !

 

Thazhathangadi

          Thazhathangadi was once the most important place in Kottayam. Once it is administrative capital of the Thekkumkoor kings. Thazhathangadi was strategically vital for it had the river nearby Vembanad Lake. When the Dutch captured Kochi from the Portuguese, though the Thekkumkoor kings had cordial relation with the Maharaja of Kochi, the Dutch managed to win them over, mainly for the pepper that grew here in abundance. They signed a treaty with king and got exclusive rights over to produce pepper, Thazhathangadi became the bustling centre of trade. Today we can see the houses that merchants of yore built. Made largely of wood, some two storied. There is also the Thazhathangadi mosque, said to be 1000 years old. It is a compact wooden structure with three roof layers and gopurams atop.

Adityapuram temple

           It is the only sun temple in Kerala and Situated in a small village nearer to Muttuchira. A unique feature of this temple is the rakthachandan (a medicinal herb) that is distributed as prasadam.

Valiyapalli/ St Mary’s Knanaya Church

          A group of 72 families from 7 clans migrated to India in 345 AD from Jerusalem and nearby places, under the leadership of Kana Thomas. They landed at Kodungallur. Much later the, when the descends of this group resettled at Kaduthuruthy near Kottayam. The settlers needed a church and in 1550 the Valiyapalli church established. Built entirely of wood, it was demolished in 1577 and the new one built of stone. Valiyapalli is famous for its woodcarvings, ancient Persian crosses, mural designs and Syrian inscriptions.

          There are two crosses; both crosses have inscriptions in Pahalavi, the official language of the Sassanian dynasty in Persia.

 

Cheriyapally

          It was built in 1579; extensive restoration work was carried out and completed in 1993 without marring its architectural beauty. Inside the church the baptismal found carved out of single granite stone is said to be as old as the church. The sanctum sanctorum, called the madbaha, as a barrel vault built of late rite stones that has been carved and painted.

 

Good Shepard church

          This is the first church of the diocese of Vijayapuram built in Italian style. Its construction was completed in 1882 and it was renovated in 1964. The annual feast of good Shepard is held in the month of April.

 

Thirunakkara Temple

          The temple, believed to have be built by a Thekkumkoore king and is located in the heart of the town. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple, repaired in 1956, is covered with pictures from the epics. The highlight is the low roofed stage of koothambalam, one of the finest in the entire state. Three festivals are celebrated here in October-November, June-July and March to April of which the last one is the most important. For the araat, conducted on the last of the festival, nine caparisoned elephants take part in a procession. For arts like mayilattam (peacock dance), and Velakali are presented in the temple compound. All night Kathakali performances and Hindu conventions are the integral part of the festival. In connection with the festival, the municipality of Kottayam conducts an all India industrial exhibition every year.

 

St Mary’s Jacobite Church 

          An important centre of pilgrimages. Stone inscriptions found at this church reveal that the structure was built more than a thousand years ago. Archeologists have also fond that these stone inscriptions were actually memorial stones set up at tombs between 910 and 920 AD.

Ettumanoor Shiva temple

          The Shiva temple in Ettumanoor is a huge temple with excellent woodcarvings and 16^th century murals depicting deeds of Krishna and scenes from the Ramayana. Another attraction is the depiction of Lord Shiva’s thandava.

Kumarakom

           It is derived from ‘Kumaraham’.Kumara and aham main the house of the Lord Subrahamanya.There is a Murugan (another name of Subrahamanya.There) temple in a place, 6Km from Kumarakom. Located 15 Km west of Kottayam town the village of Kumarakom is a cluster of Small Island on the eastern banks of Vembanad Lake. Once Kumarakom was known for its Baker connection. Hentry Baker, a missionary from Essex in Britain, came to Kerala in 1880 and settled here with his family. There after, his son George Alfred Baker , built baker hose at5 Kumarakam., which was home to four subsequent generations of the family Kumarakom has evolved into a niche destination for the long lovfing independent travaller. Places like Taj garden retreat , of which baker  Bunglaw is a part. Others ,like coconut lagoon , that gives a down to earth experience life in the backwatersThe best thging aboutb Kumarakam is that there is in’t much to do inthis lazy , idyllic

Drift wood Museum 

           This is a museum that has on display a large collection of elegent drift wood scluptres, collected from the island of Andaman and Nicobar. Apart from the tribal Jarawa woman handicapped family , monkey , lion and elephant there are also pieces , focusing on the Kargilwar and Subhash Chandhra bose’s “Chalo Dilli campaign. There is the crocodile that , in its ‘ferocity  sports and almost real look

Bird sanctuary

           Spread across 14 acres in a former rubber plantation that was previsously known as baker’s estate.There are also large populations of breeding darters , purpole herons , little cormorants , Indian shag , white ibis , local waterfowl and pond heron. June to august  is the breeding season of the birds.

Ayemenem

          Famous for being the setting of Arundhathi roy’s Booker prize winning book ‘the god of small things’.Ayemenem house is both fact and fiction. Those embarking on aliterary pilgrimage will not find any such house , but there are two old buildings in the village . Puliyampallil house and Shanthi house , which together are believed to have become the sight for the story.

Cruise Experience

          Travelling along the backwaters in a’Kettuvallom’ transaletes into a unique holiday. Kettu Valloms , originally built to consignment of rice , bricks and other produce along the region’s Myriad water ways. With in a few years they gained immense popularity and  tourism  in kreal’s back waters came to be associated with trhe house boat experience. Travallers swore it was a majical feeling ; an over night cruise on a house boat. You also get the kind of treatment that makes this a majical event . A toddy tapper scambering up a coconut tree , vendors peddling their wares and cement laden boats gliding by are some of the common sigths along the backwaters. Meals , which are generally typical Kerala faire, are prepared on board using the best raw produce including freshly caught fish from the lake. Aside from the superlative food, the level of comfort on offer in these house boats in the form of the well furnished bedrooms accompanied by sizeable bathrooms with all convinces. House boats come in a variety of sizes.

Pala

          It is situated on the banks of the Meenachil River, close to the high ranges of the Western Ghats.Famous for its huge plantations; Pala’s prosperity comes largly from rubber, its main cash crop. It was an important6 trde junction for spices. It is believed that the Pala market eas established in 1736. pepper produced from this region was popular in the international   market; known as Pala pepper , it is reputed to be higher quality.