Centuries before it became a hub of vernacular print houses and educational institutions, Kottayam had served as the citadel of a princely State and a major marketplace.
From the Thaliyil Mahadeva temple to the Thazhathangadi Juma Masjid, and the Valiyapalli and the Cheriyapalli, this is a place where one can stumble upon nuggets of history, almost at every other corner.
Lying buried in the oubliette of history for centuries and largely forgotten by the books on Kerala history, ‘Old Kottayam’, flanked by the Meenachil river, will now be the focus of history enthusiasts who are making attempts to revive its heritage.
As part of it, they are set to walk down this little visited corner of the town on June 30 to get an insight into its rich history and admire the architecture. The journey, scheduled to begin from the Cheriyapally at 10 a.m, will cover the centuries-old temples, churches, and mosques that dot the region.
Rajeev Pallikkonam, a local historian researching on Old Kottayam, said the region was a true melting pot of varied cultural and religious influences as testified by the presence of such large number of religious establishments that have survived the test of time.
Move objective
“The objective is to uncover the history of a place that was an important trade centre of spices in the early centuries. It underwent a major change in the post-Chera period and then grew onto become the capital of Thekkumkoor kingdom in the 15th century. This region is believed to have lost its prominence with its annexation to the Travancore kingdom three centuries later and the focus gradually shifted to the Thirunakkara region,” he noted.
The region is also surmised to have hosted one of the first foreign language schools, established by Herman Hasancamp, a Dutch linguist, in 1668. The school operated for about two decades from the Thali Fort at Thazhathangadi under the patronage of Kothavarma Raja, then head of the Thekkumkoor kingdom.
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MLA, will flag off the heritage walk, organised by the administrative council of the Cheriyapalli church and Nattukoottam, a Kottayam based history and heritage group.
The organisers also plan to follow up the walk with projects to draw visitors to the location.