Manimala
Encyclopedia
Manimala is an area in the Kottayam district
of Kerala
in India
. The population is about 10,000, of whom the majority are farmers whose main income comes from rubber
plantations. The people are from several religions and caste
s. Manimala and nearby areas are thickly populated by Syrian Catholics. There are also Latin Catholics, though few in number.pujeya raja thirunal is the biggest festival in manimala its happening between 31dec and 7th of jan.3 Check dams are situated near by manimala one is near police station,another one at cheruvally and third one at pazayidam.
Manimalayar got its name from Manimala only, thiruvithamkur diwan only give the name of manimalayar, at that time manimala was the only town situated near to the river. Manimalayar 92 km in length, originating from Sahyadris (Westernghats). Manimala is sort of divided into two with the Manimala river running in between. We call it "akkare" and "ikkare" (means this side and that side). On one side is the majestic Holy Magi Forane church (Old church) and on the other side, St.Basil's church (Puthan Pally). Forane Church perunal is very famous. It runs for a week and worshipers from all over the neighborhood from all casts attend the procession from Karikkattoor junction all the way to church which is about 4 kilometers.
The nearby town of Kangazha
in Changanacherry is a beautiful place with a serene atmosphere. Other close places under manimala are Karikkattor, Ponthanpuzha, Mukkada, Cheruvally, Kadayanickadu
and Pulickallu.The reserve forest starts at Ponthanpuzha and extends to Sabarimala through Erumely.
Manimala gave birth to few major figures in the society like Cardinal Mar Antony Padiyara. Late Ittiavira Chacko Kallathoore (M L C) Late M.K Joseph 1st I G of Kerala Police, Mr. K J Alphonse Kannamthanam and famous writer James K C Manimala.
Mahadevar Temple is one of the most important temples in this area. The main Deity is Lord Shiva. Kangazha Mahadevar is a very powerful Deity.
KULATHUMKAL SREEDEVI TEMPLE KOTHALAPADI
one of the oldest temple of kerala. many myths and stories are there related to this temple..
, it is about 5 km from Manimala Town.
Kulathumkal Bhagavathy Temple
Kulathumkal Devi temple is a typical example of a Kerala "Nattumpuram" temple. The Temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali
.
The beautiful village ‘Manimala’ is situated on the bank of Manimala river, at the north east corner of Kottayam district and close to the boarders of Pathanamthitta district. Holy Magi Forane Church, Which is the magnificent sign of this village, is a refuge for locals as well as pilgrims from far and wide.
Manimala village became a Christian peopled area around 1300 AD.The then christians had thier spiritual needs served in Niranam Church belived to be established by St. Thomas Apastole,near the then 'Purakadu port'. Later the Kalloopara St.Mary's Church served the purpose. The funeral procesion from Manimala to Niranam and by seeing this 'the declaration of Edappally Raja' to construct a church in between Manimala and Niranam to meet the spiritual needs and the construction of Kallopara church around 1339 AD is well known.Latter the St.Mary's church the now "Pazhayapally" also known as "Akkarapally" was established by the sanction of the Thekkumkoore Rajas of Kottayam and this area was covered by the spiritual administration of Kanjirapally till 1816 AD.(At the time of 'Chothana case' The donation of 'Mulamthanam Cherikal' by Kalathoore family in manimala to St. Mary's Church the now "Akkarapally" to maintain the light "Kedavilakku")shows the interest of the natives of Manimala in the spiritual activities. The faithful had great difficulty in reaching Kanjirapally and attending church services in those days. It was not easy for the people to keep time and reach kanjirapally by crossing rivers and travelling through forest in group. So the Christians of Manimala approached the Maharaja of Thiruvithamkur with the request of permission to establish a church at Manimala. As a result, the permission to establish the church was granted by Dalava Thambi Chembaka Raman Pillai, who had the power equal to the prime minister of the king, in kollavarsham (Malayalam year) 980. (About the permission letter, which was given in 1805 AD, is mentioned in the original leaf writings at Kanjirapally) Though the permission was received on June 7, 1805, the decision to establish a church at Manimala was taken after 11 years in a general body meeting held at Kanjirapally church in 1816.The purchase and donation of obout 420 acres (380Paras) of land by Kalathoore Kochu Eapen and the re-writern agreement between the parishioners of Kanjirapally and Kalathoore family paved way to the existance of the Kanjirapally, Pazhayapalli and establishment of Manimala, Holy Magy Church in this time.
It was decided to establish a filial church at Manimala. The fund for the construction of the filial church was collected from the parishners of Kanjirapally and the accounts and list of contributors is still available. A filial church was built at Paruthapara Cherikallu (west side of the present church)then owned by Kalathoor family and arrangements were made to celebrate the Holy Mass there in 1816 with permission to bury the dead. But, our forefathers who were not satisfied with that arrangements and continued to work for the establishment of a parish and a parish church. Chuzhikunnel land which belonged to 'Othara' a Hindu Janmi (land lord family), earlier purchased by Kalathoor family to establish their warehouse a portion was donated to the church by Kalathoor Kochu Eapen. The foundation stone for the church was laid on the feast of St. George. So the feast of St. George is being celebrated as the foundation day. The newly built church was blessed on Jan. 6, 1825. All the churches in this area were under the diocese of Varappuzha in those days. The then bishop of Varapuzha raised our church to a parish. So, our church, which is named after the Holy Magi, became a parish fulfilling the long standing desire of the Catholics of this area. The land, where the present cemetery and parish hall exist, was donated by Fr. Abraham Kathanar of Kalathoor family from his ancestral share.
The church, which was established in 1825, was renovated twice later. First time some renovation works were done and space was increased without demolishing the church. The church, which was popularly known as ‘Manimala old church’, is alive in the mind of the elders even today. The construction of the present church was began when Rev. Fr. John Thalodil was the parish priest in 1951. The decision to reconstruct the church was taken in a parish council meeting held on May 6, 1951. The parishioners worked hard for the construction of this bigger and the beautiful church. The leadership of Fr. Thalodil was an outstanding one and the pain that he had taken to complete the work deserves a mention. Mar Mathew Kavukattu blessed the new church in 1957. Rev. Fr. Thalodil was transferred in 1962. He encouraged Vocations in a great manner. The construction of the presbytery also was done during the tenure of Rev. Fr. Thalodil. The church was beautified by Rev. Fr. Thomas Thottiyil, who came after Fr. Thalodil. Rev. Fr. John Thommithazham completed the work of mondalam. The Manimala church was under the Forane of Kanjirapally in the Archdiocese of Changanassery. Manimala was raised to a Forane by the then Archbishop of Changanasery Mar Antony Padiyara on August 15, 1974. Around 73 priests have served here as Parish Priests and Asst. Parish Priests since the establishment of this church.
KARIMPANAKULAM SACRED HEART CHURCH
As per the sanction given in 1925 by the Chengancherry diocese the Karimpanakulam Sacred Heart Church was established. The application was given and the land was donated by Ittiavira Chacko Kallathoor It is situated about 5kms from Manimala.The church is totally rebuilt in the modern way and opened in November 2011
VALLAMCHIRA FATHIMA MATHA CHURCH:As per the sanction given by the Changanacherry diociese the Vallamchira, Fathima Matha Church was established in Vallamchira near Pulickallu.The aplication was given by Eapen Joseph Kalathoore (Mannookkara Ousepachen) on sanction the land (about 6 acres) was donated by him to generate income for the church and the land to establish the Church was purchased and donated by the said Eapen Joseph Kalathoore and his daughter Achamma Mathew.
Kottayam district
Kottayam is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The district has its headquarters at Kottayam town, located at 9.36° N and 76.17° E. According to the 1991 census, it is the first district to achieve highest literacy rate in the whole of India...
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....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The population is about 10,000, of whom the majority are farmers whose main income comes from rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
plantations. The people are from several religions and caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s. Manimala and nearby areas are thickly populated by Syrian Catholics. There are also Latin Catholics, though few in number.pujeya raja thirunal is the biggest festival in manimala its happening between 31dec and 7th of jan.3 Check dams are situated near by manimala one is near police station,another one at cheruvally and third one at pazayidam.
Manimalayar got its name from Manimala only, thiruvithamkur diwan only give the name of manimalayar, at that time manimala was the only town situated near to the river. Manimalayar 92 km in length, originating from Sahyadris (Westernghats). Manimala is sort of divided into two with the Manimala river running in between. We call it "akkare" and "ikkare" (means this side and that side). On one side is the majestic Holy Magi Forane church (Old church) and on the other side, St.Basil's church (Puthan Pally). Forane Church perunal is very famous. It runs for a week and worshipers from all over the neighborhood from all casts attend the procession from Karikkattoor junction all the way to church which is about 4 kilometers.
The nearby town of Kangazha
Kangazha
Kangazha is a panchayath and village in the Changanacherry Taluk of the Kottayam District of Kerala State in India. It is a beautiful place with a serene atmosphere and is situated 26 kilometers east of Kottayam. It lies midway between the backwaters of Western Kerala and the misty mountains...
in Changanacherry is a beautiful place with a serene atmosphere. Other close places under manimala are Karikkattor, Ponthanpuzha, Mukkada, Cheruvally, Kadayanickadu
Kadayanickadu
Kadayanickadu is a village situated 11 km east of Karukachal, spread out on either sides of Changanacherry - Manimala road in Kerala, India. It is a typical Kerala rural settlement with the nature‘s green covering, ringing rivulets, small hills and slopes, agricultural fields, inhabited by...
and Pulickallu.The reserve forest starts at Ponthanpuzha and extends to Sabarimala through Erumely.
Manimala gave birth to few major figures in the society like Cardinal Mar Antony Padiyara. Late Ittiavira Chacko Kallathoore (M L C) Late M.K Joseph 1st I G of Kerala Police, Mr. K J Alphonse Kannamthanam and famous writer James K C Manimala.
Manimalkkavu Bhagavathi Temple
This is the "Bharadevatha" (Deity of the village) of Manimala's native people. Once the temple owned the whole properties including Manimala and Vellavoor village areas. The Vanjippuzha Palace (Head Quarters situated in Chenganoor) dedicated this landed properties to the Manimalakkavu Devaswam (Temple). This is one of the important temple en-route to Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple. Ambalapuza and Alangattu ayyappa divoties stay one day in this temple during their yearly yatra to Sabarimala and do their Azhypooja. Next day they move on to Erumely for Pettakettu. This Temple has its yearly festival on Pooram Nakshatra in the Malayalam Month of Kumbha Masam. It celebrated in Ten days with Kodiyettam and Arattu. This Temple was under the super vision of Othara Family and now it is with Kerala Kshetra Samrakshana Samity.Kangzha MahaDevar Temple
The KangazhaKangazha
Kangazha is a panchayath and village in the Changanacherry Taluk of the Kottayam District of Kerala State in India. It is a beautiful place with a serene atmosphere and is situated 26 kilometers east of Kottayam. It lies midway between the backwaters of Western Kerala and the misty mountains...
Mahadevar Temple is one of the most important temples in this area. The main Deity is Lord Shiva. Kangazha Mahadevar is a very powerful Deity.
KULATHUMKAL SREEDEVI TEMPLE KOTHALAPADI
one of the oldest temple of kerala. many myths and stories are there related to this temple..
Kadayanickadu Bhagavathy Temple
A Bhagavathy temple dedicated to Mother GoddessMother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
, it is about 5 km from Manimala Town.
Kadayanickadu Dharmashastha Temple
The temple is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa and is located in a beautiful and peaceful place. It is about 4 km from Manimala Town.Kulathumkal Bhagavathy Temple
Kulathumkal Devi temple is a typical example of a Kerala "Nattumpuram" temple. The Temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
.
St. Basil’s Church (Puthanpally)
St. Basil’s Church, Manimala, popularly known as Puthenpally, is a parish under the Changanacherry Archdiocese . This church was founded by Rev. Fr. Joseph Paingotu , Padiyara, in AD 1892. The present building, supposedly the Second, was constructed in 1950 and was reinforced during the year 1992.Holy Magi Forona Church manimala (Pazhayapally)
The beautiful village ‘Manimala’ is situated on the bank of Manimala river, at the north east corner of Kottayam district and close to the boarders of Pathanamthitta district. Holy Magi Forane Church, Which is the magnificent sign of this village, is a refuge for locals as well as pilgrims from far and wide.
Manimala village became a Christian peopled area around 1300 AD.The then christians had thier spiritual needs served in Niranam Church belived to be established by St. Thomas Apastole,near the then 'Purakadu port'. Later the Kalloopara St.Mary's Church served the purpose. The funeral procesion from Manimala to Niranam and by seeing this 'the declaration of Edappally Raja' to construct a church in between Manimala and Niranam to meet the spiritual needs and the construction of Kallopara church around 1339 AD is well known.Latter the St.Mary's church the now "Pazhayapally" also known as "Akkarapally" was established by the sanction of the Thekkumkoore Rajas of Kottayam and this area was covered by the spiritual administration of Kanjirapally till 1816 AD.(At the time of 'Chothana case' The donation of 'Mulamthanam Cherikal' by Kalathoore family in manimala to St. Mary's Church the now "Akkarapally" to maintain the light "Kedavilakku")shows the interest of the natives of Manimala in the spiritual activities. The faithful had great difficulty in reaching Kanjirapally and attending church services in those days. It was not easy for the people to keep time and reach kanjirapally by crossing rivers and travelling through forest in group. So the Christians of Manimala approached the Maharaja of Thiruvithamkur with the request of permission to establish a church at Manimala. As a result, the permission to establish the church was granted by Dalava Thambi Chembaka Raman Pillai, who had the power equal to the prime minister of the king, in kollavarsham (Malayalam year) 980. (About the permission letter, which was given in 1805 AD, is mentioned in the original leaf writings at Kanjirapally) Though the permission was received on June 7, 1805, the decision to establish a church at Manimala was taken after 11 years in a general body meeting held at Kanjirapally church in 1816.The purchase and donation of obout 420 acres (380Paras) of land by Kalathoore Kochu Eapen and the re-writern agreement between the parishioners of Kanjirapally and Kalathoore family paved way to the existance of the Kanjirapally, Pazhayapalli and establishment of Manimala, Holy Magy Church in this time.
It was decided to establish a filial church at Manimala. The fund for the construction of the filial church was collected from the parishners of Kanjirapally and the accounts and list of contributors is still available. A filial church was built at Paruthapara Cherikallu (west side of the present church)then owned by Kalathoor family and arrangements were made to celebrate the Holy Mass there in 1816 with permission to bury the dead. But, our forefathers who were not satisfied with that arrangements and continued to work for the establishment of a parish and a parish church. Chuzhikunnel land which belonged to 'Othara' a Hindu Janmi (land lord family), earlier purchased by Kalathoor family to establish their warehouse a portion was donated to the church by Kalathoor Kochu Eapen. The foundation stone for the church was laid on the feast of St. George. So the feast of St. George is being celebrated as the foundation day. The newly built church was blessed on Jan. 6, 1825. All the churches in this area were under the diocese of Varappuzha in those days. The then bishop of Varapuzha raised our church to a parish. So, our church, which is named after the Holy Magi, became a parish fulfilling the long standing desire of the Catholics of this area. The land, where the present cemetery and parish hall exist, was donated by Fr. Abraham Kathanar of Kalathoor family from his ancestral share.
The church, which was established in 1825, was renovated twice later. First time some renovation works were done and space was increased without demolishing the church. The church, which was popularly known as ‘Manimala old church’, is alive in the mind of the elders even today. The construction of the present church was began when Rev. Fr. John Thalodil was the parish priest in 1951. The decision to reconstruct the church was taken in a parish council meeting held on May 6, 1951. The parishioners worked hard for the construction of this bigger and the beautiful church. The leadership of Fr. Thalodil was an outstanding one and the pain that he had taken to complete the work deserves a mention. Mar Mathew Kavukattu blessed the new church in 1957. Rev. Fr. Thalodil was transferred in 1962. He encouraged Vocations in a great manner. The construction of the presbytery also was done during the tenure of Rev. Fr. Thalodil. The church was beautified by Rev. Fr. Thomas Thottiyil, who came after Fr. Thalodil. Rev. Fr. John Thommithazham completed the work of mondalam. The Manimala church was under the Forane of Kanjirapally in the Archdiocese of Changanassery. Manimala was raised to a Forane by the then Archbishop of Changanasery Mar Antony Padiyara on August 15, 1974. Around 73 priests have served here as Parish Priests and Asst. Parish Priests since the establishment of this church.
KARIMPANAKULAM SACRED HEART CHURCH
As per the sanction given in 1925 by the Chengancherry diocese the Karimpanakulam Sacred Heart Church was established. The application was given and the land was donated by Ittiavira Chacko Kallathoor It is situated about 5kms from Manimala.The church is totally rebuilt in the modern way and opened in November 2011
VALLAMCHIRA FATHIMA MATHA CHURCH:As per the sanction given by the Changanacherry diociese the Vallamchira, Fathima Matha Church was established in Vallamchira near Pulickallu.The aplication was given by Eapen Joseph Kalathoore (Mannookkara Ousepachen) on sanction the land (about 6 acres) was donated by him to generate income for the church and the land to establish the Church was purchased and donated by the said Eapen Joseph Kalathoore and his daughter Achamma Mathew.