Athirampuzha
Grama Panchayat

Athirampuzha - Social and Historical Background

There are many historical stories about the origin of the place name Athirampuzha. Vedagiri is a sacred and ancient hill located north of Athirampuzha. It is said that there was a river that originated from the foot of this hill and flowed westwards. There is also evidence that this river used to flow into the Chanthakulam pond in the heart of Athirampuzha. It is said that this river, which was the border of the then Thekkumkur kingdom, thus evolved into Athirampuzha by dropping the words "Atirakanu Puzha".

A.D. Historian Dr. P.I. Thomas has substantiated that the port town of Athirampuzha, which is mentioned in the geography of Ptolemy, a Greek geographer who lived in the second century, is Athirampuzha. It is said that the travelogue of the famous tourist Marco Polo of the 13th century also mentions Athirampuzha. Athirampuzha flows into the Vembanad Lake by joining Chanthakulam. All the lands to the west of it are black soil, and the stream and the land lying on its border were named Athirampuzha. The place names here now, such as Maniyakari, Moolekari, Purakari, are identified with Athirampuzha. Athirampuzha was once famous for maritime trade. It is said that in the past there was a sea here and it was a commercially important area, and that places like Vaikom, Vechur , and Kaduthuruthy emerged from the sea, and that the sea eventually turned into land .

There is another legend regarding the place name. It is said that the famous demon Varan lived here and that the river Asuranpuzha, meaning the river where the demon lived, became Athirampuzha.

After the reign of the Chembakassery royal family, a border dispute arose between the kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Vadakkamkur. The Parangis, who had trade relations between the two kingdoms, helped resolve the dispute and built a mud fort and a moat three meters high on the border of the two kingdoms from Vembanadtu Kayal to Poonjar. The remains of this fort still exist in many parts. In addition, house names such as Kothalam, Kottayil., Kottayarik and place names such as Kottavathil , Kottamuri, and Kottakkupuram are also associated with this fort.

It is assumed that this area was inhabited even before the beginning of the Christian era. Small settlements increased by A.D. 800. Athirampuzha is a land that has witnessed many great events that have found a place in the pages of history . It was in the Athirampuzha church that Joseph Malapan of Kariyat and Thomas Kathanar of Paremak gathered before being sent to Lisbon and Rome, the administrative centers of Padruddha and Propaganda, in A.D. 1778. The gold rate for this journey was measured by Puthayil Ittikuruvila Tharakan, a prominent merchant of Athirampuzha. The travelogue of Thomas Kathanar of Paremak called Vartamana Pusthakam is the first travelogue in Indian languages. It was first printed in 1963 at St. Mary's Press, Athirampuzha. Yasha: The body was published in the flat garden outside the Athirampuzha fort by Luke Matthew.

Commercial history

Until recently, Athirampuzha was the most famous commercial center in Central Thiruvananthapuram. Athirampuzha was a place where there was export and import trade not only with other places in India but also with foreign countries. Athirampuzha had all the facilities to make this trade possible. Plani and the Periplus describe the export of large quantities of pepper from Kottanara and Bareka, which existed at that time. Historians believe that Kottanadam and Bareka were outback forests south of Alappuzha. During those times , pepper and other things came here in large quantities from Athirampuzha. The holy image of the miracle worker V. Sebastianos, which is enshrined in the Athirampuzha church, was brought from Portugal to the Athirampuzha market three and a half centuries ago.

In the old days, the market used to be active the night before the market day. Hundreds of bullock carts would carry agricultural crops like kappa, yam , and kachil, as well as spices like pepper, cloves, cardamom , and turmeric for sale. Rice, salt, coconut oil , and other ingredients not available in the country would arrive here in large kettuvallas. The emergence of the Athirampuzha Lalam Road (now the Athirampuzha Pala Road) is a testament to its commercial importance. Trade relations were established mainly with eastern regions like Pala, Erattupetta, and Poonjar, and with western regions like Alappuzha, Cherthala, Vaikom, and Kochi. The Chumadhangi stones, which stand as symbols of commercial culture, are the remains and direct evidence of the commercial glory that indicates that a large number of agricultural products were brought here in large quantities for sale. These load carriers were very helpful in unloading the goods carried on the head without any assistance and in carrying them on the head after resting . The main export items were pepper, turmeric , turmeric powder, and groundnut powder. Food items like kappa , yam, and kachil were taken to Alappuzha and Cherthala . Paddy, husk, salt, tobacco , coconut oil , and kerosene were imported.

Geographical features were also the main reason for the commercial development of Athirampuzha. This development was facilitated by the transportation facilities by land and water . The Athirampuzha road connecting these areas with ports like Pennarthod, Poonjar , Erattupetta and Pala also meets at Athirampuzha Chanthakkadav. These facilities were not available in other areas during those times, so they sold their products here and bought the daily necessities they needed.

Athirampuzha Market

The Athirampuzha market was started in the year 1042 during the reign of Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja. At that time, the Diwan Sir T. Madhavarau gave permission to start the market. Sankunni Menon, who was a Peshkara of Cherthala Division, and Vaikom Narayana Pillai, who was the Tahsildar of Ettumanoor, helped a lot in establishing the market. The early traders were Kuruvila in Kallungal, Mathai in Chakkala, Devasya in Vadakkedath , Mani in Kutti, Cheriyath in Pandarakkal , Cheriyath in Rukkal , Ummini Pillai in Naduvuledath, Uthup in Kollapally , etc.

The Golden Jubilee of Athirampuzha Chanda was celebrated with pomp and show in 1917. The stalls were decorated for the celebrations and it was a festival in Athirampuzha. Celebrations. The procession to conclude the celebrations started from the church grounds. After the procession, the meeting held at Chandakkadava was presided over by the then District Judge V.N. Ramachandra Iyer. He lit the lamp post installed at Chandakulakkara as a jubilee memorial. Later, in 1967, the centenary of the Chanda was also celebrated . The centenary memorial pillar was built by raising a pillar twenty feet higher than the Golden Jubilee memorial pillar.

On the path of progress

In the early 20th century, Athirampuzha, which was the most active marketing center in central Kerala, was brought here with the arrival of a new generation of educated people. The marketing sector expanded and products were brought here at great expense . Food items such as chillies, onions, saola, potatoes, various types of tobacco and textiles were brought here from other states of India and sold here. Athirampuzha market also has a history of going directly to the tobacco plantations and staying for 30-40 days, curing the tobacco and selling it. The close trade relations with Tamil Nadu have attracted many Tamils to this place and have led many locals to acquire the Tamil language.

Due to the proximity of the Pennarthod, imported goods were brought from the western regions in boats. Just as today, traders had their own vehicles, so the merchants of those days had three or four boats and boatmen. Goods for sale were brought and transported by land, and were carried by bullock carts and head-carts. The fact that there were two carts that could accommodate more than two hundred bullock carts was in operation, indicating the abundance of bullock carts and the rush of trade, the bullock carts would arrive the day before. This is why cattle fodder and kutchi were the main trade items.

Green fish was the main trade in the Athirumpuzha market. The fish caught from the sea was brought to the market stall in boats from Cherthala and traded. From here, many men and women would carry the fish to the homes in the eastern areas .

Athirumpuzha market was an important market for pottery. In addition to the local pottery made in Kattachira and Kudamaloor , pandichatty and pandikalam from places like Kottar Marthandam would arrive at the quay in large kettuvallams. Although pottery lost its glory with the advent of steel and aluminum pots, Athirumpuzha still continues to be an important market for pottery. The main market days were Mondays and Thursdays in those days. That continues to be the case today. The market would be active from the day before the market. The main items sold were agricultural products such as betel, yam, yam, kachil, sweet potato, kurka , pawpaw , vendaka , banana, kappa, coconut , etc. The main item sold was the mat woven from the leaves. Coir products were another important item. Jaggery and sugar were also sold. In addition, street trading was also active. After the Panchayat came into existence in 1953, a vegetable market was started in the area outside the Panchayat. However , the Athirampuzha market, which was at the peak of progress at one time, is now on the verge of decline. The main reasons for the decline were the increase in road transport facilities, the lack of water transport, the growth of nearby areas, the fall in the prices of agricultural products, low productivity, and the exclusion of the new generation from agriculture, which led to the decline of the market. The cessation of traffic through the market pond also contributed to the decline of the market. Excessive intervention by middlemen has also contributed to the decline to some extent.

Cultural history

Athirampuzha is a cradle of ancient cultural traditions. These areas were inhabited even before the year of Christ. As a panchayat located in close proximity to the literary city of Kottayam , it has made unique contributions in the fields of education, religious harmony and brotherhood . Educational institutions started centuries ago, pilgrimage centers like Athirampuzha and Mannanam, ancient places like Vedagiri and the Athirampuzha market, a prominent commercial center in Thiruvithankur, have played a decisive role in shaping the unique culture of Athirampuzha. The agricultural culture of Athirampuzha, an agricultural region, is still maintained today. The focal point of culture is the religious harmony in Athirampuzha. The historic Athirampuzha Pally Thirunal, where people of different castes and religions participate, is a prime example of this. Rural libraries and clubs have played their part in shaping our rural culture. The first Malayalam daily, Nasrani Deepika, was published at St. Joseph's Press in Mannanam, on the borders of Athirampuzha Panchayat.

Athirampuzha St. Mary's Church

The historic St. Mary's Forona Church in Athirampuzha was founded in 835 AD . The church is built on a land donated by the Namboothiri family of Ettonnuri Illaka. The paintings on the altar of this beautiful church are a sight that captivates everyone. The historic feast of St. Sebastianos in the Athirampuzha church is a national festival of this country. These feast celebrations are a perfect example of religious harmony. The active participation of people of different religions conveys the message of brotherhood. The main feast celebrations are held on 24th and 25th of January every year . The procession associated with the festival is world famous. This is a beautiful sight that continues to attract even foreigners. It is a traditional practice for those who migrated from here to Malabar and other foreign lands, and their descendants, to visit their relatives' homes in Athirampuzha during the festival, participate in the festival, pay their respects to the saint, and then return.

Mannanam Ashram Temple

Mannanam, which became the place of worship for the blessed life of Saint Chavara Kuriakose Eliyasachan, is a world-famous pilgrimage center. This holy land is part of the Athirampuzha panchayat. The physical remains of this holy saint reside in this ashram. When Pope John Paul visited Kottayam on February 6, 1986, our area was fortunate enough to touch his feet by stepping on the ICH grounds in our panchayat . The view from the front of Mannanam church towards the west is very beautiful. The western backwaters and the blue of the Arabian Sea can be seen in the distance.

May 11, 1931. The land for the church was donated by families like Thachil, Kalambukattu , Perumalil , Pattasseril. The paintings of the Mannanam church amaze everyone. The CMI Sanyasabha of Kerala was established at the Mannanam Ashram Devalaya and various outreach and social welfare activities were carried out in Mannanam under the leadership of Venerable Chavara Yachan. He has also led a great contribution to the cultural upliftment of the area. The first daily newspaper in Kerala, Nasrani Deepika, was published in 1887. The first privately owned press in Kerala was St. Joseph Press, which was established in Mannanam in 1887. The newspaper was printed in this press. The printing of the early spiritual magazine, Karmala Kusumam, was also done at this press.

Vedagiri Dharmashasta Temple

Vedagiri Dharmashasthakshetra is a famous temple established on the plains of Vedagiri hill located in the northern part of the panchayat. The main ritual here is the Vavubali, which is held on the day of Karutavavu in the month of Karkkadaka. Thousands of people visit the temple to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. There are legends that Veda Vyasa Maharishi and the Pancha Pandavas lived in Vedagiri, which is near the temple, during the month of Kadaru. There is also a legend that they also lived in Chathunni Para, which is part of this panchayat. A stone inscription inscribed with the words Vedagiri is a sacred place can be seen on the road in front of the K.S. Cattle Feed Factory, which is installed on a part of the hill.

The five six-foot-tall stones and small stones seen around the Vedagiri hill may be the central stones that are part of the Mahashila culture of Kerala. It is evidence that the area including Athirampuzha was inhabited between 700-400 BC, which is considered to be the period of the Mahashila culture. It can be assumed that a systematic way of life existed in this area. These stones are also considered evidence that the Pancha Pandavas lived in the unknown period. In addition, an endless spring can be seen on the top of the Vedagiri hill. If you look from the top of this hill, you can get a view of the nearby villages.

Juma Masjid Athirampuzha

Located in the heart of Athirampuzha, the Muslim Jumamatpalli is the main place of worship for the Muslim community. This mosque was established in 1138. The daily call to prayer from this holy place is a spiritual trance.

This mosque, which inspired the spirituality of Athirampuzha, was supervised by a group called Etta Dar . The Etta Dar group included Kasthuri Ismail Rawathar Kallungatra, Thaimatthil Muhammad Khani Rawathal, Inchikulam Ahmed Kann Rawathar, etc. Another Jama Masjid and mosque have been established near Mahatma Gandhi University.

Formation of Athirampuzha Panchayat

Athirampuzha Panchayat was formed and started functioning in January 1953. Initially, the Panchayat Office was functioning in the building belonging to Athirampuzha Church. It continued to function in the same place till 1959.The current Panchayat Office building was constructed in 1959. The land required for the construction of the office building was donated by the then Panchayat President, Haji T.M. Hassan Rawathar.

He was a planter, a business tycoon, a social activist and a well-wisher of the weaker sections. He was also the founder president of the Athirampuzha Cooperative Bank. It is rare for a person to have achieved such a lasting impression in the hearts of the people of Athirampuzha. The present Panchayat Office was inaugurated on 11th January 1959 by the then Panchayat Director, Shri. K.T. Michael. In 1976, this Panchayat was upgraded to Special Grade.