Thrissur (formerly Trichur) is a district of Kerala situated in the central part of that state in South India. Spanning an area of about , Thrissur district is home to over 9% of Kerala's population.
Thrissur district is bordered by the districts of Palakkad and Malappuram to the north, and the districts of Ernakulam and Idukki to the south and Coimbatore to the east. The Arabian Sea lies to the west and Western Ghats stretches towards the east. It is part of the historical Malabar Coast, which has been trading internationally since ancient times. The main language spoken is Malayalam.
Thrissur district was formed on 1 July 1949, with the headquarters at Thrissur City. Thrissur is known as the cultural capital of Kerala, and the land of Poorams. The district is known for its ancient temples, churches, and mosques. Thrissur Pooram is the most colourful temple festival in Kerala. The town of Kunnamkulam is a particular centre of the Christian population. Per the 2011 Indian Census, Hinduism is the majority religion in Trissur, at 58.4%; Christians and Muslim form significant minorities.
Etymology The word Kunnamkulam can be derived from the words kunnu (mountain) and kulam (ponds). There are several small hills in this area (Aduputty, Cherukunnu, Kizhoor, Kakkad Mission Kunnu, etc.) interspersed with the numerous ponds of the area (Eeenjakulam, Ayyankulam, Madurakulam, Chattukulam, etc.). One of the major spots within the town is the Parayil Angadi (market among rocks). The terrain condition and geological aspect of the area has led to the name. Kunnamkulam town has its own remote antiquity as is evident from the history. It was a part of Mahodayapattanam, the capital of Chera Dynasty.
History tells about the cross installed by Thomas the Apostle, at Chattukulangara (a part of Arthat in Kunnamkulam). During the invasion of Tippu Sultan the Christians from Chattakulangara migrated to Kunnamkulam town.
Manakulam, Cheralayam and Kakkaad (the suburbs of Kunnamkulam) were the seats of the Nambidis of Manakulam, Ayinikur and Kakkad Karanavappad respectively. They were collectively known as Thalappilli Rajas and belonged to three branches of the same dynasty.
The history of Kunnamkulam goes back to the Paleolithic age. The Kakkaad cave and Chowannur cave support this fact. It is said that this place was part of ‘MahodayaPattanam’ and was known as ‘Kunnamkulangare’. C. Achutha Menon in the Cochin State Manual says that, “it is in fact the chief center of the Orthodox Christians of the State, and there are several of their old churches in the town and its neighborhood”.
Moreover, “Most of the oldest and wealthiest Christian families are to be found in Kunnamkulam”. Cheruvathoor, Pulikkottil, Chungath, Kollannoor, Panakkal, Mekkattukulam, Paramel, Thengungal, Cheeran, Kanjirathingal, Moolapath, Tholath, Kakkassery and Emmatty are the most prominent among them. The competition for ascendancy between these wealthy families, opened up new dimensions in the development of printing and other literary activities. Panakkal Chakku, Cheru, Thengungal Ittoop, Varu and Koothur Paramel Iyyu Uttoop were arbitrators of some of these families. It is said that the Christian families were settled earlier at Chattukulangare shifted to Kunnamkulam after the invasion of Tippu in 1789. They were invited by the Thalappilli Rajas, provided residences and places of worship. They resided on both sides of the street. This may have helped to avoid threat from Tippu against Thalappilli Rajas.
Those settled on both sides of the street started trade and business, and began a new era of transaction.
Etymology A cyber campaign was started that resulted in the changing of the often-misspelt name കുന്ദംകുളം (kundamkulam), to കുന്നംകുളം (kunnamkulam).
Apparently the wrong spelling " കുന്ദംകുളം(kundamkulam) " was being used for the city name on the Buses, Sign boards, Publications etc. This issue was brought into the social medias, where people unanimously opined to correct the spelling to കുന്നംകുളം kunnamkulam. This online debate further developed into a great discussion amongst the public and in all the other medias. The issue finally came in front of the Municipal Council meeting which laid down the rule to not use the wrong spelling കുന്ദംകുളം for കുന്നംകുളം anywhere.
History of Kodungallur It is postulated that the ancient city of Muziris (Muchiripattinam, Mahodayapuram/Vanchi) was devastated by natural calamities—a flood or an earth quake—in 1341, and consequently lost its commercial importance thereafter. Further, it came under military attacks on various occasions: in 1504 by the Portuguese-Kochi allied forces during their movement against Calicut in 1524, by the Mappilas during their attack against the Portuguese, and in 1565 again by the Portuguese.
Etymology The name Kodungallur is derived from Kodi-linga-ur ("the land of 10 million Sivalingas ur-village") according to common belief. Kodungallur was perhaps the revenue collection center of Kuda-kons (the Chera rulers) for the goods coming to the nearby port, hence the name Kudakonallur, which later shortened to Kodungallur.
Historically, Kodungallur has been identified as Mahodaya Puram, Mahavanchimana Pattanam, Thrikulasekarapuram, Jangli, Gingaleh, Cyngilin, Shinkali, Chinkli, Jinkali, Shenkala, and Cynkali, which are all derived from the name of the River Changala (or the Chain river, i.e., Shrinkhala in Sanskrit), a tributary of Periyar.For a large number of such names for Kodungallir down the centuries arranged more or less chronologically cf. K. P. Padbhanabha Menon, History of Kerala Vol. I, quoted by George Menachery in Kodungallur, 1987, reprinted 2000. Columguria, Kotilingapuram, Kudalingapuram, Kodunkaliyur, Thiruvallur, Ravivisvapuram and Balakreetapuram are a few other names, identified as Kodungallur in various related records or literary works.
Chera period
Kodungallur was an integral part of Mahodayapuram, the capital city of the Later Chera dynasty.
The Roman empire had a continuous trading connection with this region. Along with pepper, commodities such as pearls, muslin, ivory, diamond, silk and perfumes were exported using the maritime facilities of Kodungallur. Sulaiman, an Arab visitor to Mahodayapuram during this period, recorded the economic prosperity of the region and also testified to the high morals kept by its people. Also, he describes the Chinese traders in the city; they are described as purchasing articles such as pepper, cinnamon, ivory, pearls, cotton fabrics and teak wood, while selling fishing nets, silk and porcelain goods.
In the 11th century, Mahodayapuram (Now it is known as Kandanad) was captured by Rajendra Chola I of Chola dynasty. For the next few centuries, Kodungallur was a principality, named Padinjattedathu Swaroopam, under the control of a royal family, Kodungallur Kovilakam, allied either to kingdom of Cochin or to Calicut. Muziris is supposed to be destroyed by massive flooding of Periyar in the 14th century and consequently, the trade got diverted to other ancient ports of the Malabar coast, such as Kochi.
The tradition of Thomas the Apostle
Traditional belief of Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala is that Thomas the Apostle landed in or around Kodungallur in the middle of the 1st century and founded Seven Churches, or Ezharapallikal: Kodungallur, Niranam, Nilackal (Chayal), Kokkamangalam, Kottakkavu, Palayoor and Thiruvithamcode Arappally – a "half church". According to one view, a Cochin Jew colony in Malabar Coast (later named Anjuvannam near Kodungallur), probably established before the 6th century BC, attracted the Apostle to this region.
Cheraman Juma Masjid
The tradition holds that Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kodungallur, built in 629 AD by Mālik bin Dīnār, is the oldest mosque in India and the second oldest mosque in the world to offer Jumu'ah prayers. Constructed during the lifetime of Muhammad, the bodies of some of his original followers are said to be buried there. Unlike other mosques in the region that face westwards this mosque faces east. The legend has it that a group of Muhammad's Ṣaḥāba (companions) visited Kodungallur. An unknown Chera dynasty ruler had witnessed a miraculous happening — the sudden splitting of the Moon, the celebrated miracle of Muhammad — and learned on inquiry that this was a symbol of the coming of a Messenger of God from Arabia. Soon after, the Chera ruler traveled to Makkah, where he embraced Islam, and accepted the name "Tajuddin". On his way back to India he died at Salalah in Oman. On his deathbed he is said to have authorised some of his Arab companions to go back to his kingdom to spread Islam. Accordingly, a group of Arabs led by Mālik bin Dīnār and Mālik bin Habib arrived in northern Chera kingdom and constructed the Cheraman Juma Masjid at Kodungalloor.
Recent history The glory of Kodungallur, as a global trade centre, is believed to be destroyed by natural calamities. According to one view it was heavy floods in the river Periyar that destroyed the city in 1341, while others point out to an earth quake in this regard. The floods further split the left branch of the river into two, just before the city of Aluva. The flood silted the right branch (known as River Changala) and the natural harbour at the mouth of the river to make it poorly navigable for large ships. The misfortune of Kodungallur helped other major ports of Malabar coast, such as the one at Kochi, to rise to prominence.
Colonial period During Portuguese period, Kodungallur was a tributary state in the kingdom of Zamorin, the most powerful of independent rulers of Malabar region. Since the location of Kodungallur sandwiched between the kingdom of Zamorin and the kingdom of Kochi, it was often a matter of dispute for both the kings and sometimes the chieftain of Kodungallur switched the allegiance. Portuguese landed in Calicut in 1498 and soon they reached in an agreement with the Zamorin for establishing their trade with his subjects and also to open a factory in Calicut. Nonetheless, Portuguese forces tried to establish monopoly in spice trade using violent methods against the Arabs and other Muslim merchants from the Middle East, who had a longstanding loyal relation with the Zamorin. In fact, encouraged by foreign Muslims afraid of losing their monopoly on the spice trade (that also benefited the Venetians)Calicut was the only independent state in the Indian Ocean region at that time to militarily meet the Portuguese transgressions in the region, whereas Kochi opted to ally with the foreign Christians to contain the aggression of the Zamorin.
Zamorin's period The tussle between Zamorin and Portuguese, though started arising in 1500, broke into the form of a regional war in 1504. Portuguese forces extended their attack on Calicut to allied coastal states, including Kodungallur. The town was almost completely destroyed by the Portuguese (Suarez de Menezes) on 1 September 1504.
Kodungallur, being a port city at the northern end of the Vembanad lagoon, was a strategic entry point for Zamorin's army and fleet into the Kerala backwaters. Hence, in October 1504 Zamorin dispatched a force to fortify Kodungallur. Reading this movement as a preparation for a renewed attack on Kochi, the Portuguese commander, Lopo Soares, ordered a preemptive strike. A squadron of around ten fighting ships, accompanied with numerous fighting boats of Kochi, headed up to Kodungallur. The heavier ships, unable to make their way into the shallow channels, anchored at Palliport (Pallipuram, on the outer edge of Vypin island), while smaller frigates progressed to the destination.