Hearitage

  The Jews found Kerala as the safe haven & it is believed that they came to these shores much before the Christian missionaries in the 1st century. The Jews who came to Kerala were very enterprising and their truthfulness toward trade earned them a lot of respect from the local rulers & people. The place of worship of the Jews is a Synagogue & the Paravur Synagogue is considered to be the oldest in the commonwealth countries. The synagogue today does not have any members or daily prayers but the existence of this structure is for all to know more about the Jews of Kerala. The Malabar Jews or Black Jews as they were locally called came to the shores of Kodungallur & over the period of time based on their trade moved to other parts of the coast like Paravur & Chendamangalam. The synagogue as per the old members is said to have been built at 1616 AD but it is believed that the earliest structure here was built somewhere in the 10th or 11th century. The current str...

In ancient Kerala, Shiva temples were not just places of worship but they were administrative structures for the rulers. Such temples were referred as Thali & one among the four important Thali temples is the Keezhthali temple near Kodungallur in Thrissur. The temple today has lost most of its glory due to brutal attacks completely destroying its original complex. The story or its origin & its reverence though has stood strong even today after many centuries. Lord Parusarama in his time on earth is said to have consecrated many idols in different temples along the length of Kerala & the Siva idol here in the form of Kirathamurthy is one among them. The idol of Lord Shiva at the temple is the tallest among any other temples in Kerala & the priests have a unique way of conducting poojas in a standing posture. The Perumals who ruled Kerala in the 1st century were Shaivaites & are said to have built the temple which was later restored in the 12th century by the local r...

In the city of Kottayam one can find many important heritage sites belonging to different faiths. One such important heritage are two churches which in many ways describe the lineage of Christians in central Kerala. The Valiyapally & Cheriyapalli have stood guard to changing times and are today one among the most important heritage structures of Kottayam. The existence of these two churches are also based on the affluence of two of the most important congregations of Kerala Christians. The land of Kottayam from the 13th century became a fertile plain for many around as it offered them green pastures for trade. Though the Kottayam Kings ruled the land there were also many princely states around the different plains. One such ruler was the Thekkumkur kings who had their capital at Thirunakkara who endorsed the influx of Christians from other provinces as they were considered honest, truthful & had a good eye for trade. The Christians who were present in these parts of Kottayam be...

Kerala is a land which helped the missionaries to propagate the word of Jesus by spreading the religion of Christianity. The arrival of St Thomas in the 1st century was a stepping stone in this event & his preaching helped in converting a large population to Christianity. His followers grew & all those who followed him were termed as Thomas Christians. One such important group of Thomas Christians is the Malankara Syrian Orthodox church which today is one of the most influential group of Christian’s in Kerala. There are many churches associated with the Malankara church but the existence of the Thumpamon Valiya palli is a testament to their long history. The Christians in the southern part of Kerala in the later centuries after St Thomas were called Nasrani when they affiliated to the Syrian way of preaching & they concentrated themselves in villages near the areas at the foothills of the mountains where they did farming for subsistence. The village of Thumpamon became the ...

The identity of Kerala today comes from the lineage of the Travancore rule as the state emblem & state constitution are all a continuation based on the beliefs of the erstwhile kingdom. It is also known that most of the institutions, monuments, establishments of the Travancore kingdom are the most well maintained & preserved in Kerala. The Travancore kings believed in the well being of its people not just in terms of wealth but also improved social & cultural status. One such establishment which catered to the social upliftment is the Trivandrum Zoo which is inside the large Museum complex. The zoo started as a simple enclosure and became the oldest zoo in the country & one that keeps its inmates in its natural habitat. Swati Thirunal Rama Varma, took the throne of the Travancore Kingdom from his aunt in the year 1829 & initiated a rule for close to 2 decades which is termed as the golden era of the kingdom. Swati Thirunal was a great music composer & a patron h...

  In the social fabric of Kerala, Ponnani has been a place which has always resonated with pride. There have been many important personalities & institutions which still stand strong for people of the current generation to know. One such place which for over 5 centuries has been a beacon of light is the Valia Juma Masjid. Its not just a place where one can come to pray but also a place where they can learn & know more about Allah & Islam.  Ponnani from centuries was a hub of trade with the Arabs & it is believed that the name came from their affiliation to pay gold ( ponu – nanayam ) coins for the products. When Malik Dinar came to Kerala to spread the word of Islam, it was the people of Ponnani & villages around that were first attracted to the way of Prophet & had a sizeable population settled here. The place around Ponnani had many mosques & the reverence to the Prophet was so much here that the place became known as little Mecca which is quite a...

  Kerala has always been blessed by some great souls who made their life an example for all to follow. This has also been a place which values faith & who better to follow than the revered Alphonsamma or St Alphonsa who in many ways manifests the way of God with sincere faith. For people today the life of this sacred soul can be realised at Bharananganam in Pala & it’s a place of solace for all. St Alphonsa is the first Indian woman to have been canonised as a Saint & it is indeed a matter of pride that such a person graced the lands here. Alphonsamma was born in 1910 to Christian articulate parents in 1910 at Kudamaloor & was named Anna. The young girl was born with a clubbed feet deformity but that never stopped Anna to do all her daily chores with a lot of vigour. It is important to know that the young girl from her very young age suffered a lot of hardships. The death of her beloved mother at an early age made her leave the house & live with her maternal aun...