Cherpulachery
Encyclopedia
Cherpulassery or Cherplassery/Cherpalchery(ചെര്പ്ലശ്ശേരി Malayalam) is a small town in Palakkad
district of Kerala
state, south India
. It is in Ottapalam
taluk, known for its eminent and prolific contributions to the world of culture. Geographically, it is a tri-junction of roads converging from three towns -- Ottapalam
, Pattambi
and Perinthalmanna. A couple of kilometres north of the place, at Kacherikkunnu, the semi-hilly road also branches off eastwards to the district headquarter town of Palakkad. Cherpulassery has a known government school, the foundation for which was laid by Mahatma Gandhi
.
The heart of Cherpulassery typically bustles with business and hotels, but the place is better known for its vintage temples (Ayyappan
Kavu, Puthanalkkal Bhagavathy shrine and the Shiva
Kshetram) and as the home of several Kathakali
and traditional Kerala percussionists with expertise in playing instruments like the chenda
, maddalam and the edakka.
The focal point of the town, however, is the Ayyappan Kavu Temple, known as Malabar's Sabarimala
. The predominant deity is "Shree Dharmashasta", who is thought to be the son born from the mind of Lord Shiva when he gazed upon the unparalleled beauty of Mohini-murti (Lord Vishnu in the form of a woman). This son was called Dharma‑shasta. Dharma-shasta had two wives, Purna and Pushkala, who were daughters of a demigod. Once they asked their husband Dharmashasta if they could visit their father, but he refused. Learning of this, the father angrily cursed Dharma-shasta to spend time on earth as a human being, in order to experience separation from his wives. This is how "Dharma Shasta" was born as "Lord Ayyappa". The Ayyapan Kavu temple is peculiar in that the deity here is "Dharmashasta" and is one of the few temples where marriages take place in the presence of "Lord Ayyappa", who is considered to be a bachelor. Cherpalchery is also known for its Palada pradhaman (a dessert) that is served at weddings that are conducted at the temple. Gopala Warrier and Unni Warrier seem to be pioneers in the art of making this dish.The Ayyappan Kavu also hosts a temple art called Ayyappan Thiyyattu performed by a Thiyyadi Nambiar family in the vicinity.
Cherpulassery has made seminal contributions to the traditional chenda percussion concert called thayambaka
through its late brothers -- Alipparambu Kesava Poduval, Krishna Poduval and K P Sivarama Poduval. Another late artiste from the place is Kathakali musician Kalamandalam Ramankutty Varrier. The leading artistes among the younger generation from Cherpulachery include Cherpulachery Haridasan (timila
), Krishnakumar Poduval (chenda) and his young disciples Rajesh, Jayan and Vijayan (thayambaka). Also promising are Cherpulassery Jayesh, Vijesh, Sreeju, Sudhi and Hariharakrishnan. Of the above mentioned names, Jayesh seems to have proved his caliber in the supporting act called "vattampidi".
Prominent among today's artistes hailing from Cherpulassery are Kathakali artiste Sadanam Krishnankutty
and Cherpulassery Sivan, a drummer having specialised in maddalam.
The place, in the earlier days, also boasted of Carnatic music
artistes like Puzhikunnathu Sankunni Nair, Madhavan Nair, Kuttikrishnan Nair and Sankaran Nair (all nadaswaram
pipers) besides thavil
percussionists like Valpparambil Kunhan Nair and Chazhiyattu Appunni Nair. Late novelist T.A. Rajalakshmi also belonged to Cherpulassery.She had received Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for her Novel"Oru Vazhiyum Kure Nizhalukalum".
"Kurumappally Kesavan Namboothiri',"Sreedharan Namboothiri","Prof.Purushothaman Namboothiri" and "Prakash Kurumappally" are also the other noted writers.
Cherpulachery is also famous for its "magicians". Cherpalchery Shamsudheen(Street magician and a snake charmer),Vijayan kadagode(won the national award)
, Cherpulassery had a population of 30730 with 14617 males and 16113 females.
The place's economy is mainly based on money from abroad, mainly the Persian Gulf
. It has a glorious history of the legendary Malabar storm ,in which people from Kacherikunnu took part in. There is the famous 'Dargah' of the sufi, Sheikh Muhammedsalih Arabithangal, in Kacherikunnu.
kacherikkunnu
kulappada oravakizaiy- 11 km
kulappda ayapankave talppery
The Cherpalcheri English Medium Central School was founded by Dr.P.S.Krishnadas, in the year 1978. To ensure the effective management of the institution the “Cherpalcheri Education Trust” was formed and registered in the year 1984. After the Trust had taken up the administration, it procured approval of Middle class syllabus from the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi, in 1988. Later the school obtained affiliation for secondary classes in 1991 and for Senior Secondary classes in 1993. Their first batch of students appeared for the class X examinations, conducted by the CBSE, in 1993 and for class XII, in 1995.
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
district of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state, south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. It is in Ottapalam
Ottapalam
Ottapalam is a town in Palakkad District of Kerala state in India. It is also the headquarters of Ottapalam taluk. Situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river , it has a rich cultural heritage and has played host to many historic events. It is famous for having several films shot here...
taluk, known for its eminent and prolific contributions to the world of culture. Geographically, it is a tri-junction of roads converging from three towns -- Ottapalam
Ottapalam
Ottapalam is a town in Palakkad District of Kerala state in India. It is also the headquarters of Ottapalam taluk. Situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river , it has a rich cultural heritage and has played host to many historic events. It is famous for having several films shot here...
, Pattambi
Pattambi
Pattambi is one of the major town in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala, South India. The place got its name from Batta Nambi. Once under Nedunganad Samanthas of Chera Kings. Later on Zamoothiri Raja annexed this place to his country and kept under the control of Eralpad Raja, the second...
and Perinthalmanna. A couple of kilometres north of the place, at Kacherikkunnu, the semi-hilly road also branches off eastwards to the district headquarter town of Palakkad. Cherpulassery has a known government school, the foundation for which was laid by Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
.
The heart of Cherpulassery typically bustles with business and hotels, but the place is better known for its vintage temples (Ayyappan
Ayyappan
Ayyappan is a Hindu deity worshiped in a number of shrines across India. Ayyappan is believed to be an incarnation of Dharma Sastha, who is the son of Shiva and Vishnu . The name "Ayyappan" is used as a respectful form of address in the Malayalam language, spoken in the Indian state of Kerala...
Kavu, Puthanalkkal Bhagavathy shrine and the Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
Kshetram) and as the home of several Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
and traditional Kerala percussionists with expertise in playing instruments like the chenda
Chenda
The Chenda is a cylindrical percussion instrument used widely in the state of Kerala, and Tulu Nadu of Karnataka State in India. In Tulu Nadu it is known as Chande....
, maddalam and the edakka.
The focal point of the town, however, is the Ayyappan Kavu Temple, known as Malabar's Sabarimala
Sabarimala
Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage center located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta District in Kerala. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in India with an estimated 45–50 million devotees visiting every year. Sabarimala is believed to be the place where the Hindu God Ayyappan...
. The predominant deity is "Shree Dharmashasta", who is thought to be the son born from the mind of Lord Shiva when he gazed upon the unparalleled beauty of Mohini-murti (Lord Vishnu in the form of a woman). This son was called Dharma‑shasta. Dharma-shasta had two wives, Purna and Pushkala, who were daughters of a demigod. Once they asked their husband Dharmashasta if they could visit their father, but he refused. Learning of this, the father angrily cursed Dharma-shasta to spend time on earth as a human being, in order to experience separation from his wives. This is how "Dharma Shasta" was born as "Lord Ayyappa". The Ayyapan Kavu temple is peculiar in that the deity here is "Dharmashasta" and is one of the few temples where marriages take place in the presence of "Lord Ayyappa", who is considered to be a bachelor. Cherpalchery is also known for its Palada pradhaman (a dessert) that is served at weddings that are conducted at the temple. Gopala Warrier and Unni Warrier seem to be pioneers in the art of making this dish.The Ayyappan Kavu also hosts a temple art called Ayyappan Thiyyattu performed by a Thiyyadi Nambiar family in the vicinity.
Cherpulassery has made seminal contributions to the traditional chenda percussion concert called thayambaka
Thayambaka
Thayambaka or tayambaka is a type of solo chenda performance that developed in the south Indian state of Kerala, in which the main player at the centre improvises rhythmically on the beats of half-a-dozen or a few more chenda and ilathalam players around.A thayambaka performance on the chenda has...
through its late brothers -- Alipparambu Kesava Poduval, Krishna Poduval and K P Sivarama Poduval. Another late artiste from the place is Kathakali musician Kalamandalam Ramankutty Varrier. The leading artistes among the younger generation from Cherpulachery include Cherpulachery Haridasan (timila
Timila
Timila is an hour-glass shaped percussion instrument used in Kerala, South India. It is made of polished jackwood, and the drumheads made of calfskin are held together by leather braces which are also twined round the waist of the drum...
), Krishnakumar Poduval (chenda) and his young disciples Rajesh, Jayan and Vijayan (thayambaka). Also promising are Cherpulassery Jayesh, Vijesh, Sreeju, Sudhi and Hariharakrishnan. Of the above mentioned names, Jayesh seems to have proved his caliber in the supporting act called "vattampidi".
Prominent among today's artistes hailing from Cherpulassery are Kathakali artiste Sadanam Krishnankutty
Sadanam Krishnankutty
Sadanam Krishnankutty is a popular Kathakali exponent reputed for his skill in donning a wide range of characters of the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India. A native of Cherpulassery in Palakkad district, the 1942-born Krishnankutty is primarily a frontline disciple of the late...
and Cherpulassery Sivan, a drummer having specialised in maddalam.
The place, in the earlier days, also boasted of Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
artistes like Puzhikunnathu Sankunni Nair, Madhavan Nair, Kuttikrishnan Nair and Sankaran Nair (all nadaswaram
Nadaswaram
The nadaswaram, also spelt nadhaswaram, and also called nagaswaram , is one of the most popular classical musical instruments in the South Indian culture and the world's loudest non-brass acoustic instrument...
pipers) besides thavil
Thavil
The thavil or tavil is a barrel shaped drum from South India. It is used in temple, folk and Carnatic music, often accompanying the nadaswaram. The thavil and the nadaswaram are essential ingredients of traditional festivals and ceremonies in South India.The thavil consists of a cylindrical shell...
percussionists like Valpparambil Kunhan Nair and Chazhiyattu Appunni Nair. Late novelist T.A. Rajalakshmi also belonged to Cherpulassery.She had received Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for her Novel"Oru Vazhiyum Kure Nizhalukalum".
"Kurumappally Kesavan Namboothiri',"Sreedharan Namboothiri","Prof.Purushothaman Namboothiri" and "Prakash Kurumappally" are also the other noted writers.
Cherpulachery is also famous for its "magicians". Cherpalchery Shamsudheen(Street magician and a snake charmer),Vijayan kadagode(won the national award)
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Cherpulassery had a population of 30730 with 14617 males and 16113 females.
The place's economy is mainly based on money from abroad, mainly the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. It has a glorious history of the legendary Malabar storm ,in which people from Kacherikunnu took part in. There is the famous 'Dargah' of the sufi, Sheikh Muhammedsalih Arabithangal, in Kacherikunnu.
Nearest Places
- veeramangalamVeeramangalamVeeramangalam is a village in theAvadaiyarkoilrevenue block of Pudukkottai district, Tamil Nadu, India.- Demographics :As per the 2001 census, Veeramangalam had a total population of...
- 4 km towards east - Thootha - 7 km towards west
- PattambiPattambiPattambi is one of the major town in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala, South India. The place got its name from Batta Nambi. Once under Nedunganad Samanthas of Chera Kings. Later on Zamoothiri Raja annexed this place to his country and kept under the control of Eralpad Raja, the second...
- 17 km towards west - OttapalamOttapalamOttapalam is a town in Palakkad District of Kerala state in India. It is also the headquarters of Ottapalam taluk. Situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river , it has a rich cultural heritage and has played host to many historic events. It is famous for having several films shot here...
- 17 km towards south - PerintalmannaPerintalmannaPerinthalmanna is a city and municipality in Malappuram district of Kerala. Perinthalmanna's name is derived from Perumthallu . It was the capital city of Valluvanad, a princely state ruled by the Valluvakonathiris, a suspected branch of the Pallava dynasty of the ancient Tamil kingdoms...
- 17 km towards north west - CoimbatoreCoimbatoreCoimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
- 101 km towards east - KaralmannaKaralmannaKaralmanna is a south Indian village in the erstwhile state of Valluvanad along the banks of the Thootha, a tributary of the river Nila in Palakkad district of Kerala...
- 3 km towards north east - PalakkadPalakkadPalakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
- 45 km towards east - Mangode - 3.5 km towards east
- VellinezhiVellinezhiVellinezhi is a small but culturally crucial village located in Palakkad district of Kerala in southern India. The sylvan, rugged land is located on the banks of the Kunti, a slender rivulet that forms tributary to the broad, west-flowing Bharatapuzha that criss-crosses central Kerala in southern...
- 6 km South East - Kuruvattoor - 3 km East from vellinezhi
- ShoranurShoranurShoranur is a town and a municipality in Palakkad district, Kerala,located on the banks of the Bharathapuzha River spread over an area of 32.28 km2.it is a major transport hub , having the largest railway station in the state .Kerala Kalamandalam which is the premier centre for the learning...
- 18 km towards south west - Karumanamkurussi - 4 km towards east
- KaakkaThodu Bridge 1 km towards east
- MannarkkadMannarkkadMannarkkad , formerly known as Mannarghat is a town in Palakkad district of Kerala State, South India. It is the headquarters of Mannarkkad Taluk, and is one of the largest revenue Taluks in Kerala. It is situated 40 km north-east of the district headquarters Palakkad, on the way to...
- 28 km towards east - 26-mile - 2 km towards east
- Kuttikode - 3 kilometers
- Trikkaderi - 5 kilometers
- kothakurrussi - 7 kilometers
- Anamangod - 10 km towards north
- Parassery - 23 km
- kulappulliKulappulliKulappulli, located in the Palakkad District of Kerala, India, is adjacent to the town of Shoranur, which is one of the railway junctions in Kerala.- Geography :...
- 15 km towards south west
kacherikkunnu
- kulappada -12 kilometers
kulappada oravakizaiy- 11 km
- Manjakkal - 2 km: towards west on Pattambi Road
Festivals
- Puthanalkkavu Kalavela
- Ayyappan kavu Ulsavam (especially, ettam vilakku)
- Mangode Pooram - with 30 to 35 caparisoned elephants
- Thootha pooram - with decorated elephants
- Pakal Pooram
- Aaramkunnathu Kavu Kalavela (2.6km from Cherpachery, Chalavara Road) - May
kulappda ayapankave talppery
- Uroos mubarak in Durga of the sufi Sheikh Muhammedsalih Arabithangal in kacherikunnu.
Banks
- Canara bankCanara BankCanara Bank is a state-owned financial services company in India. It was established in 1906, making it one of the oldest banks in the country. As on 2009 November, the bank had a network of 3057 branches, spread across India...
- State Bank of IndiaState Bank of IndiaThe State Bank of India is the largest Indian banking and financial services company with its headquarters in Mumbai, India. It is state-owned. The bank traces its ancestry to British India, through the Imperial Bank of India, to the founding in 1806 of the Bank of Calcutta, making it the oldest...
- State Bank of TravancoreState Bank of TravancoreState Bank of Travancore , is a subsidiary of the State Bank Group and also has private share-holders. It is the premier bank of Kerala State, India, where it has 700 branches...
- Punjab National BankPunjab National BankPunjab National Bank , was founded in 1894 and is currently the second largest state-owned commercial bank in India ahead of Bank of Baroda with about 5000 branches across 764 cities. It serves over 37 million customers. The bank has been ranked 248th biggest bank in the world by the Bankers...
- South Malabar Grameen Bank
- HDFC Bank (earlier, Lord Krishna Bank)
- Federal BankFederal BankFederal Bank Limited is a major Indian commercial bank in the private sector, headquartered at Aluva, Kochi, Kerala. As of March 31 2011 it has 743 branches spread across 24 states in India and 803 ATMs around the country.-History:In the year 1931, Travancore Federal Bank was inaugurated at...
- The Cherpalcheri Service Co-Operative bank
Schools
- C.E.M.C.S (Cherpalcheri English Medium Central School)
The Cherpalcheri English Medium Central School was founded by Dr.P.S.Krishnadas, in the year 1978. To ensure the effective management of the institution the “Cherpalcheri Education Trust” was formed and registered in the year 1984. After the Trust had taken up the administration, it procured approval of Middle class syllabus from the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi, in 1988. Later the school obtained affiliation for secondary classes in 1991 and for Senior Secondary classes in 1993. Their first batch of students appeared for the class X examinations, conducted by the CBSE, in 1993 and for class XII, in 1995.
- Government Vocational Higher Secondary School
- Government Upper Primary School
- Government LP School, Kacherikunnu
- South ALP School, Ems road, Cherpalchery
- A.M.L.P School kulappa, mavundirikkadavu
- National L P School, Kulappada