Chingavanam | |
|---|---|
suburb | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Kottayam |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Kottayam municipality |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | KL- 05 |
Chingavanam is a suburb of Kottayam city between Kottayam and Changanassery in Kottayam district of Kerala state, India.
Before the 11th century, Chingavanam was one of the 28 Karas of Nattakom [1] area which was under the ruling of Munjunaadu Dynasty. [2] In 1103AD, Ilayaraja Vimbileeswaran of Thekkumkur Dynasty conquered Munjunad and Nattakom area became under Thekkumkur ruling. [3] Thekkumkur Royal family(Edathil Family) had Kottarams(Palaces) such as Neerazhi Palace in Changanassery, Vennimala Palace, Edathil Palace in Pallom and Thaliyil Kotta in Thaliyanthanam(Present day Kottayam). Pallathu Kottaram(Edathil Palace) is situated in Pallom near Chingavanam. On September 11, 1749 AD, Ramayyan Dalawa, the prime minister of Marthanda Varma, conquered Thekkumkur and merged it to the Travancore Kingdom.
Chingavanam is part of the Kottayam Municipality, Kottayam District, situated between Kottayam and Changanacherry. It is about 9 km from both Changanacherry and Kottayam. The Main Central (or M C) road passes through the middle of Chingavanam. Legend has it that the name Chingavanam is derived from Simhavanam, meaning "forest with lions". The nearest Panchayats are Panachikkadu, Kurichy, Neelamperoor and Vakathanam.
The main religious institutions in Chingavanam is Mor Aprem Seminary, the head office of Knanaya Syrian Jacobite Church and home to the Chief Metropolitan of Knanaya Syrian Jacobite Church, Mor Severios Kuriakose. There are 3 Knanaya churches in Chingavanam; St.John’s Dayara Church, St. John's Puthenpally and St. Mary's Shalem Church. In addition to this, there is also St John's Knanaya Catholic Church and St. John's Cheramer Orthodox Church.
Basis folk stories, this place is named after the famous (but small temple) dedicated to Simhodara Swamy (an associate Lord Shiva) presiding deity of the Parambathu Shiva / Chingavanam Shiva Temple.
Prime Hindu temples are Edanattu Indilayappan Swami Temple, Simhodara Swamy (Shiva) Temple, Arackal Temple, Karimbil Temple, Channanikadu Sree Durga Bhagavathi Temple, Mavilangu Mahalakshmi Temple, Pallom Subramanya Temple and Parambath Siva Temple. SNDP has got its Chingavanam branch and Sree Narayana Guru Temple. The famous pilgrim centre Dakshina Mookambika (Panachikkad Sri Saraswathi Temple) is 7.5KM East of Chingavanam.
Chingavanam is a hub for many small and medium scale industries - rubber, plywood, swa mills, furniture, workshops and machineries.
Food Corporation of India has got a Food Storage Depot at Pannimattom near Chingavanam. The area is also home to several noted schools including Clemis School, St. Thomas LP & High School, as well as the Government UP school.
The nearest local Railway station is Chingavanam and major Railway stations are Kottayam and Changanassery. Nearest Airport is Cochin Nedumbassery Airport. Boat services are available from Kottayam and Changanassery to Alappuzha and other parts of Kuttanad.
Chingavanam is well connected to the rest of Kerala by the M C Road (State High Way 1), connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Muvattupuzha, in Ernakulam District. Chingavanam is connected to Alleppey from Changanassery through A C Road. Chingavanam Railway Station is being developed and will be a future satellite to Kottayam Railway Station. Chingavanam Railway Station is on the Thiruvananthapuram - Kottayam rail route. All major KSRTC buses from Kottayam to Thiruvananthapuram pass through Chingavanam. All KSRTC Buses including Super Fast and Express buses stop in Chingavanam. To high range area of Kottayam can be reached through Vakathanam via Paruthumpara. The Chennai Changanacherry Inter State bus of SETC connects through Chingavanam.
Kottayam and Changanacherry are the major towns near Chingavanam. Chingavanam is the main junction for nearby areas such as Panachikad, Paruthumpara, Pannimattom, Neelamperoor, Era, Pallom, Kurichy, Vakathanam, Njaliakuzhy, Pathamuttom and Nattakom.
Chingavanam Sisters was a state wide famous Kadhaprasangam troupe in the 1970-1980 period.
Sri Chingavanam Susheelan Bhagavathar was a well known Carnatic Music maestro and a music trainer to many. He was also known by his expertise in Kalarippayattu, an ancient martial art from South India. The two sisters of the famous Kathaprasangam troupe Chingavanam Sisters were trained by Susheelan Bhagavathar.
Sri. Pallom Madhavan was a legendary Kadhakali Musician. Initially, he learned Carnatic Music from Pallathu Edathil Kottaram Asthaana Sangeetha Vidwan Sri Rudra Warrier. Later, he learned Kathakali Music from Kurichy Pichakappally Raman Asaan. He joined Kerala Kalamandalam as Kadhakali Music Instructor and retired as Vice Principal of Kerala Kalamandalam in 1989. He visited many countries such as France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Iran, China, Japan, America etc and has performed his art. He has contributed majorly in converting many epics to Kadhakali form. He died in 2012 at his house in Panachikkadu. He was the winner of many awards including Kalamandalam Award, State Kadhakali Award 2011. [4]
Another well known musician was Sri. V. I. Suku who was the Principal of Thrippunithura RLV College of Music and Fine Arts. The famous musicians (fathen son duo) Abhayadev and Ambilikkuttan are from Pallom near Chingavanam.
Kottayam is one of 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns: Kottayam, Changanassery, Pala, Erattupetta, Ettumanoor, and Vaikom. It is the only district in Kerala that neither borders the Arabian Sea nor any other states.
Changanassery, also spelt Changanacherry, is a municipality in Kottayam district in Kerala, India. It is also the headquarters of the Changanassery Taluk. The town is spread over an area of 14.3 km2 (5.5 sq mi) and has a population of 47,685. Changanassery is located 17 km (11 mi) south of the district headquarters Kottayam and 117 km (73 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Mundakayam, is a town in Kanjirappally Taluk in the Kottayam District of Kerala. It is the doorway to the high ranges of southern Kerala, and is at the border of Kottayam and Idukki districts. The next nearest town, Kanjirappally, is 14 km (8.7 mi) & Erumely is 12 km from Mundakayam. Mundakayam has rubber plantations, and greenery. The Manimala River runs through Mundakayam. It is located 48 km east of the district headquarters at Kottayam and 148 km from the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram. The name Mundakayam is said to be derived from the Mundi cranes that used to be seen along the Manimala River banks.
Aluva is a municipality in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. Aluva is situated 14.5 km (9.0 mi) from Kochi along the banks of Periyar River, and is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area. Aluva is a major transportation hub, connecting North Malabar and Central Kerala to Kochi. The Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery, located 11.7 km from Aluva, is an important aviation hub which hosts both domestic and international flights. Aluva is also the northern terminus of the Kochi metro.
Kaipuzha is a small village in Kottayam District and sub-district in the Indian state of Kerala. As of the 2001 census, it had a population of 6,991 in 1,565 households.
Uzhavoor is an expanding town in Kottayam district, Kerala in India. It is just 32 km away from the administrative capital Kottayam District. Most of its residents are either wealthy farmers or businessmen. Many of the houses belong to NRIs. The tenth President of India, K. R. Narayanan, was born and brought up in this village. The newly expanded road which connects the city of Pala and other destinations such as Sabarimala to the city of Muvattupuzha passes through Uzhavoor. The town is 177 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Pallom is a block situated 6.5 km south of Kottayam town and 12.4 km north of Changanassery, in the Kerala State. The nearest airport is the Cochin Nedumbassery International Airport which can be reached within 2 hours. Nearest local railway station is Chingavanam (3.6 km) and Major railway station is Kottayam (6 km).
Ponkunnam is a census town in Kerala, India, part of Kottayam district under Kanjirappally taluk. Ponkunnam literally means golden mountain (ponn = gold, kunn = mountain). Nearby towns are Kanjirappalli, Manimala and Pala. This part of Kerala is famous for its fertile land and rubber plantations. It is at an altitude of 495 ft (151 m) above mean sea level. The town is at the junction of two major roads in Kerala: NH 183 and Main Eastern Highway. The climate is moderate with timely cold breezes and the town is the gateway to the Western Ghats. The town is famous for its volleyball traditions and customs. Almost every year there is an ever-rolling volleyball tournament happening in Ponkunnam Mahatma Gandhi Mini Stadium.
The Panachikkadu Temple, also known as the Dakshina MookambikaTemple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Saraswati. The temple is located in the southern region of the Indian Peninsula, in Panachikkad in Kottayam District, Kerala, India. It is one of the most prominent Saraswati temples for devotees in Kerala. But, the main deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu, who was installed long before Goddess Saraswati. Still the temple is known as Saraswati temple, due to the popularity of the Goddess. There are sub-shrines for Lord Shiva, Lord Ganapathi, Lord Ayyappan, Snake deities and Panachikkattu Yakshi inside the temple.
Kurichy is a village in Changanacherry Municipality in Kottayam district, in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
Vazhappally is a suburb of Changanasserry Municipality, Kottayam District, in central Kerala. The famous Vazhappally Shiva Temple is situated in Vazhappally. Vazhappally is a part of Changanacherry Taluk in Kottayam District. It is located in the city of Changanacherry and Vazhappally Panchayath. The ancient Vazhappally gramam (village) was shifted to the Changanassery Municipality, so small portions of the village were reunited in the Municipal Town of Changanassery, while the rest were reconstructed in the Vazhappally Gram Panchayat.
The Kingdom of Thekkumkur was an independent kingdom in the southern part of Kerala in India from 1103 CE until 1750 CE. It was ruled by the Thekkumkur Royal Family. Thekkumkur lies between the Meenachil River and the Pamba River, from the Western Ghats to the Vembanad Kayal. Thekkumkur emerges as a result of administrative changes in the princely states at the end of the Chera Kulasekhara dynasty of Mahodayapuram. The literal meaning of the title is the southern regent and the attribute southern distinguished them from another kingdom known as Vadakkumkur which bordered it in the northern side. The royal household, Thekkumkur Kovilakam, were at Vennimala and Manikandapuram near Puthuppally, later it shifted to Neerazhi Palace at Puzhavathu of Changanassery and Thalilkotta at Thaliyanthanapuram (Kottayam).
Chathannoor is a town in the Indian state of Kerala situated at the Kollam District on the banks of Ithikkara River. It is about 16 km (9.9 mi) from Kollam(Quilon) City. Chathannoor is around 55 km (34 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum). Chathannoor is a Special Grade Panchayath and is one of the fastest developing towns in Kerala.. Shri Diju is the current president of Chathannoor Grama Panchayat.
Kangazha is a panchayath and village in the Changanacherry Taluk of the Kottayam District of Kerala State in India. It is located 21 kilometers east of Kottayam and 10 kilometers north of Karukachal. It lies midway between the backwaters of Western Kerala and the misty mountains of the Western Ghats.
Neelamperoor is a village in Kuttanad Alappuzha district, Kerala. It is famous for its backwaters, lakes and paddy fields. People comprises both Hindu and Christian denominations.
Vakathanam is a Panchayat in Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Kottayam on the way to Changanassery via Puthupally. Vakathanam panchayat consists of two villages: Vakathanam and Thottakkad.
Panachikkad is a village in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India.
Pathamuttom is a village in the Kottayam district, in the Indian state of Kerala. Stephanos Mar Theodosius, the bishop of the Calcutta Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Church, was born there.
Changanasseri railway station is a railway station in Kottayam district, Kerala and falls under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division of the Southern Railway zone, Indian Railways. Changanassery is the second largest railway station in Kottayam district. It is an NSG 4 category station. There is a chance to halt few more trains in Changanacherry due to the increase in the number of the rushing passengers in Kottayam and Thiruvalla station from Kanjirappally, Changanassery and Kuttanad regions.
The Battle of Changanacherry was a battle between the kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Travancore in September 1749. Defeat in this decisive battle led to Thekkumkur losing its dominance and expanding the Tranvancore empire to the southern border of the river Meenachilar.