Hearitage

This simple heritage house in the sleepy town of Keezhattur close to Perinthalmanna is the place where the most revered Malayalam poet Poonthanam Nambuthiri lived his life. The actual name of the poet is not available but the name of his family became the signature of his work. The house is said to have been built around 600 years ago but still stands to recite the story of the most loved devotee of Lord Guruvayoorapan. Born in the 16 th century, Poonthanam wrote his poems in Malayalam different from all his contemporaries who wrote in Sanskrit. This way of writing was to make all understand the poems & recite it during the worship of Lord Krishna. The literary style used by Poonthanam is called Pana which is a use of simple words in Malayalam. His greatest work is the Jnanapana & there is a story of competition with another great poet of the time - Melpathur Narayana Battathiri. It so happened that once the Jnanapana was finished, he wanted Melpathur to recite it & su...

Every person who comes to Wayanad would want to spend some valuable time in the hills of Wayanad. As you ascend the Thamarassery churam & its 9 hairpin bends one would wonder how man could find the way along the Western Ghats to carve such a majestic road system. The ghat road is an example of great British engineering. The Ghats were well mapped & constructed to last a lifetime & true to its vision have been present till today along the beautiful landscape ferrying countless travelers between Kozhikode & Wayanad. Once you travel up the Ghats & arrive at the entry point of Lakkidi, you will find a tree on the side of the road with a chain around it. It is where you can stop & thank the person who innocently was the first martyr of Wayanad. When the East India Company came to Malabar, the most important commodity exported by the Zamorins were spices which were brought from Wayanad. The transportation of these commodities in the 17th century was by way of manual...

This famous temple at the center of Calicut city has its origin in the 11 th century. This beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is present as a deity in the Umamaheswara posture. The sanctum of the temple was built by Parasurama towards the end of Dwaparyuga. Tali temple has a lot of history related to the establishment of Zamorin rule, it’s prosperity & life of erstwhile Kozhikode. The temple was part of the Kovilkota arrangement which gave the name Kozhikode which literally means place which has both temples & palaces, with the city built around it. The temple was built by Swami Thirumalpad.   The temple before the Zamorins was looked after by the Moosads who were part of the lineage of the Namboothiris. Before the Zamorins, the place was ruled by the Kolathunadu & Kolathiri faction who lost power to Zamorins. The temple was taken over by the Zamorins which was resisted by the Moosads. This resulted in an altercation & the Zamorins threw Namboothiris out of...

Traditionally & locally called SM street is the busiest street in Kerala for shopping. As you walk along the street at the entrance from Mananchira you will find the bust of SK Pottekkatt looking over towards SM Street. His statue here is appropriate as this  famous writer of Kozhikode loved this town, and has written a lot about the place, especially in his ‘ Oru Theruvinte Kadha ’ (The Story of a street).   Kozhikode for many centuries was known to be a place where people could enjoy the sweet  - Halwa & this street is labelled to have been the place where you could get the best Kozhikodan Halwa. As per historical records, Zamorin was approached by Gujarathi traders for a place to start business. The goods that they wanted to sell were cloth & sweets, Zamorin raja chose this piece of land for them to start the business along with the Arabs & Zorastrians who were already present in Kozhikode. When the British came, they built the Huzur Kacheri which was...

Anyone who comes to Kozhikode can never miss this iconic spot. Today this place is the center of Kozhikode & has been since the 19 th century. The pond was built in the 14 th century by the ruler Mana Vikraman & so the name MananChira (Pond built by Mana). The pond was not built for storage of water, there was a need to build a palace & laterite stones were needed. So to get laterite, the excavation was done at the site. When the excavation was complete, a natural spring of water was found & it started to fill the area. It was thus used as a bathing pond for the feudal lords. It was the decision of Tipu who conquered Kozhikode to convert the bathing pond into a drinking water source. Thus the pond stays & the natural spring still produces water for us to see & use.    The pond is today surrounded by a beautiful park which is frequented by all to enjoy walks or relax in the lawn. Earlier the place was called Mananchira Maidan as it was a playgrou...

St Thomas, one of the Apostles of Jesus is widely considered to be the founder of Christianity in India and his travel to Kerala is the gateway to these efforts. It is believed that apart from preaching of the gospels, baptizing people he also made churches in places that he stayed at. The set of churches are called Ezharapallikal which constitutes 8 churches along the length of the Kerala west coast. St Thomas did not build any churches, he just placed crosses made of either stones or wood & his people later built churches for worship. The churches built also tracks his travel along the land & sheds light on how he influenced each community with his vision & faith in Jesus. The crosses placed were next to Jewish settlements in most places as they were present in Kerala from long before he came to these shores. It is said that his miracles also made Jews convert to Christianity.  St Thomas is said to have reached the shores of the Kodungaloor port which was known as Muz...

On a hillock at Illikunnu, a suburb of Thalassery one can find a colonial styled bungalow which is named after a famous German - Herman Gundert .  This sprawling bungalow was built in the 19th century with wide verandas & huge doors but what attracts visitors is the life of the man who stayed here. As you walk along the verandah or the grounds around one gets to know the man himself. The person who is credited for compiling the first Malayalam Dictionary has many other publications to his credit. Gundert was a known missionary but his linguistic prowess is what made him known.    Born in Stuttgart, Germany Herman Gundert always liked dialects which made him learn Hebrew, Latin, English & French. He was also a good musician playing the organ, piano & violin with ease. His father was a votary and so under his influence pursued doctoral degree in Philology. The Basel Mission started its missionary work in Switzerland in 1815 and they considered India as an im...

The first suspension bridge of South India has a beautiful history as its structure. The bridge constructed during the reign of Travancore King - Ayilam Thirunal Rama Varma took around 6 years to construct. The work on the bridge started in 1872 under the supervision of the Scottish architect Albert Henry. It was finally open for use in 1877. The bridge over the Kallada river was an architectural marvel like none other during its time. Most of the materials for the construction were brought from England & only the wood was procured from Kerala. The Kambam wood was used & is still used for making renovations.   The bridge is supported on both sides by four wells which are over 100ft deep and the chains are anchored using discs. The wells itself are a marvel as the construction of these are a mystery till date. The whole bridge is supported on 2 spans made with stones & iron arranged in a gate design. The bridge is 400ft long and has railings on both sides with wood pan...

T he Parassinikadavu temple in Kannur district of Kerala  does not fit into the ambit of a normal temple & so is locally called a Kavu or Madapura. The customs & rituals followed here are different from any other temple in Kerala. The ancient culture of Vasudeva Kutumbakom which literally means the world is one single family is followed  here by allowing everyone entry to the temple irrespective of caste, gender, creed, religion or age. The Muthappan as he is fondly called belongs to the poor & toiling masses, is a rebel to all traditions that existed in old times. He is happy when offered toddy or dry fish which were staple of the poor. His existence in the world is also as a hunter carrying a simple bow & arrow. The unique customs can also be found in the way things function here. The prices of offerings are the lowest when compared to other temples & the temple provides free meals & accommodation to devotees. The custom of providing every devotee ...

Situated along the banks of River Madhuvahini, the Madhur Temple is believed to have been constructed by the Mypadi rulers of Kumbla in the 10th century. The current temple structure is renovated by rulers in the 15th century. The temple is a combination of Jain & Hindu architectural styles. The 3-tier structure is divided into two forms of construction with the lower tier having normal terracotta tiles while the upper 2 tiers have copper tiles on the outer structure. Inside the temple one can find beautifully carved wooden pillars & beams which are well placed by artisans. The walls & roofs also are adorned with beautiful stucco images depicting the scenes of the Hindu Mythology. The carvings inside the namaskara mandapam also relate to Ramayana stories.   The temple is also known by the name Madanantheswara & is based on the legend which relates to the event when Lord Shiva killed Kama, the lord of desires. The temple may be dedicated to Lord Shiva but devote...

The ancient temple is one of the existing 108 Shiva temples consecrated by Lord Parasurama & has the tallest Shikhara among any temples of its time. The temple as per legends was a simple temple with only the namaskara mandapam, but it was completed to its current form by the great King Raja Raja Cholan I in the early 11th century. There is no flagstaff which is an integral part of all the South Indian temples as the deity here is considered to be the emperor or Lord Supreme and is in the form of Sadashiva. The flagstaff or Kodimaram is part of the temple architecture to facilitate the people around to know whether there is a festival happening. At the Rajarajeswara temple , there is no such event as no annual festival is conducted here. Also, the deity is never taken out of the shrine which is done in most temples as a ceremonial affair. In most Shiva Temples, one will find the dhara which is said to keep the Lord calm at all times but here no such ritual is performed as here the ...

Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja or Lion of Kerala as he was popularly known was part of the Kottayam royal clan & was the lone resistance in the Malabar area against the powerful British Empire. The name Pazhassi was a title given to him as he was a native from the place which is now close to Kannur. The British journals give him the name as Pychy Raja or Cotiote Raja which is anglicizing the word Kottayam. Kerala Varma was instrumental in keeping the powerful Mysore empire from annexing the Kottayam rule by engaging in warfare with both Hyder Ali & later his son Tipu Sultan. Pazhassi raja was a great exponent of the guerrilla warfare which was quite a strategy as he successfully waged a war with both the Mysore empire & later with the British who had better supply of artillery & guns. His strength was the landscape & his aura over the locals. Kerala Varma took over the throne from his uncle at the age of 21 as his uncle with many other rajas in Malabar fled to Trava...