A ‘heaven’ like Indra’s abode in Fort Kochi

KOCHI:  Amaravathy, a sweet and old-fashioned part of Fort Kochi, is a treasure trove of history and heritage. The trading town of yore, apparently, got its name from the Vaishya community, who found the place ‘heavenly’ akin to Lord Indra’s abode, ‘Amartavathy’, the capital of ‘Svarga’.  

“This place is home to settlements of 15 communities –  mainly the Vanika Vaishyas – making it a mosaic of various cultures,” says former mayor K J Sohan, who is currently the Kerala convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.   

According to local lore, Amaravathy was a place where traders would sell their goods, and share their stories. “Also, because of the presence of several temples, Amaravathy has been considered a blessed place. It is said people born in this land are lucky,” says popular writer R S Bhaskar, who shares several articles on the locality.   

One of the articles, by former Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industries president T Tharanath Shet, notes that a large number of Saraswaths and Vaishyas had migrated to Cochin following the Portuguese persecution of Hindus in the Konkan region, back in the 16th century. 

Tracing the origin of the name Amaravathy, he adds: “In the case of the Vaishya refugees, the then maharaja of Cochin gave them asylum, and they occupied the area west of the present Mattancherry town. It is surmised that the new settlers called this place ‘Amaravathy’ (Indra’s city), probably because they felt as if they were transported to a new heaven under the protection of Raja of Cochin.” 

An elderly resident of Amaravathy, Supran, says the settlers turned the place into a temple town. “Many merchants from Goa settled here. Though they did not know Malayalam, they managed to gel well with the local community,” he adds. “They built many temples here. We mainly worship Lord Vishnu in the form of ‘Janardhana’ and Bhagavathy.”

Bhaskar also notes that Amaravathy is home to one of two shrines of Lord Janardhana in Kerala. The other one is located in Varkala, he adds. “The other important shrine in this area is the Mahabaleswara temple. There are also temples dedicated to Goddess Amman, Krishna, Hanuman, Ganesha, Ayyappa, Nagadevathas, and Navagrahas,” he says.