Kadamattathu Kathanar was a kathanar (priest) who, according to legends, possessed magical powers. He was an ordained deacon of Kadamattom Church in the 9th century, now affiliated to the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church, Kadamattam near Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district, Kerala. According to legends, his real name was Poulose and he was the disciple of bishop Mar Abo. The church's history is undocumented, surviving solely through local legends. The tales surrounding Kathanar encapsulate the experiences of the local populace, conveyed through elements of magic and sorcery. These tales portray him as a priest with supernatural powers, employed for the common good. [1]
In medieval legends, history and fables were combined inextricably. [2] The story of Kadamattathu Kathanar might be a mixture of history and fables. Currently there is no certain proof that he really existed, but the fact that a real priest lived in that area in the ninth century cannot be denied. [3] Tradition points out the existence of Christians in the area from 5th century of the Christian Era. [4]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(September 2023) |
Poulose, later known as Kathanar, was born to a poor family in Kadamattom, a small village in North Travancore (now part of Kerala). People fondly called him Kochu Poulose. He had no siblings and his parents died when he was a child. He was taken care of by his mother for a short period before her death, after which he came under the patronage of the Persian priest Mar Abo (also known as Mar Sabor). [5]
Poulose was given a good education under Abo. The priest taught him Syriac and Liturgy of the Mass. In due course he was ordained as a deacon and people began to call him deacon Poulose. The legend of Kadamattathu Kathanar goes that a priest entrusted a servant boy with his cattle. A tiger killed one, causing panic. The community searched, finding the cattle except one. But Poulose, who was in search of the cattle himself went missing. Fears arose that he, too, fell prey to the tiger. The priest remained hopeful despite evidence against the deacon. Poulose was indeed alive, having lived among a tribal community called the Mala Arayas. He learned mystical arts and secrets during his time there but eventually escaped, evading the tribe's attempts to recapture him, including a devilish storm aimed at the church where he sought refuge. [6]
Legend tells of Kathanar seeking refuge inside the church when the cannibalistic tribes summoned a storm to destroy it and capture him. They conjured iron hot chains and whipped at the church door in their pursuit. Kathanar prayed to Mother Mary for deliverance, and the church doors remained shut until the townspeople arrived, scaring the Arayas away. The scars on the church doors testify to the power of the Mala Arayas and Kathanar's miraculous escape.
Mar Sabor the bishop who ordained him as a priest left from Kadamattom after the arrival of Paulose. The Bishop built many churches. [7] Sabor settled at Thevalakkara. [8]
Some stories of Kathanar are presented in the collection of legends, Aithihyamala . [9] [10]
The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, often shortened to Mar Thoma Church, and known also as the Reformed Syrian Church and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, is an autonomous Oriental Protestant Christian church based in Kerala, India. While continuing many of the Syriac high church practices, the church is Protestant in its theology and doctrines. It employs a reformed variant of the West Syriac Rite Divine Liturgy of Saint James, translated to Malayalam.
Baselios Marthoma Mathews II was the primate of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. He was the 6th Catholicos of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and 19th Malankara Metropolitan.
Kottarathil Sankunni was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Best known as the author of Aithihyamala, an eight-volume compilation of century-old legends about Kerala, Sankunni's writings cover prose and poetry, including verses for Kathakali and Ottan Thullal. He was one of the founding members of Bhashaposhini Sabha founded by Kandathil Varghese Mappillai and was also involved with Bharata Vilasam Sabha, another literary initiative. He died on July 22, 1937.
Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma XX was an Indian prelate who served as Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church from 1999-2007 and Valiya Metropolitan from 2007 until his death. He was the world's longest serving bishop, serving for −67 years, 11 months and 12 days. He was addressed and referred to as Chrysostom Thirumeni or Valiya Thirumeni after his retirement. He was also a known humorist. He was awarded India's third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan, in 2018.
Mar Thoma I, also known as Valiya Mar Thoma and Arkkadiyakkon Thoma in Malayalam, and referred to as Thomas de Campo in Portuguese, was the first native-born Metropolitan bishop of the Malankara Church in the 17th century. He was the last Archdeacon of the undivided St. Thomas Christians of Malankara.
Mar Thoma V was the 5th Malankara Metropolitan who served puthenkoor from 1728 to 8 May 1765. He was born as Ousep to the Pallippuram branch of the Pakalomattom family, situated in Andoor, Marangattupilly, where his father served as administration chief of Vadakkumkur Kings. He was ordained in 1728 and served as Malankara Metropolitan for 37 years until his death on May 8, 1765. His final resting place is Niranam St. Mary’s Church. His tenure faced numerous challenges and conflicts with bishops sent from the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate in Antioch, resulting in some of these Syriac bishops being banished from the country and forced to return.
Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan, was an Indian cleric and theologian known for the Reformation movement within the Malankara Church during the 19th century. He was born in the ancient Syrian Christian Palakunnathu family which practiced West Syriac Rite Oriental Orthodoxy after the Coonan Cross Oath of 1653.
Titus I Mar Thoma XV, better known as Thithos Mar Thoma Metropolitan, was the second Mar Thoma Metropolitan (1893–1909) after the Malankara Church split as the Orthodox and reformist factions.
Mar Thoma VII was a Bishop of the Malankara Church from 1796 and the 7th Malankara Metropolitan from April 1808 to July 1809. Born in Pakalomattom family in Kurichithanam, Pala, he was well known as an efficient administrator, deeply religious but was a quiet and reserved person. During his time, a difficult period in the history of Travancore State, the church was able to help Travancore government by depositing an amount as fixed deposit, which came to be known as Vattipanam.
Mar Thoma IX was the ninth Metropolitan of the Malankara Church in Kerala, India for a brief period in 1816. That year, he was consecrated Metropolitan by Mar Thoma VIII, but soon after his ordination he was dethroned by Pulikkottil Joseph who was appointed by the then British resident Colonel John Munroe.
Kottoor Church or Kottoor St. George Orthodox Syrian Church is an ancient chapel of Kolenchery Church. It is situated 0.5 km south of Kolenchery town, towards Karukappilly road and Muvattupuzha river. This Church is considered as the oldest of all structures founded in Kerala, India after Saint George. Kottoor church is believed to be the second oldest Christian structure constructed in Ernakulam District after Kottakavu Church at Paravoor.
Kadavil Malika is a historic place in India, associated with the origin of the Maramon Convention. It is a house in Kallissery on the banks of River Pamba and was built by Unnittan Kathanar (1767–1852) and his son Abraham Kathanar (1822–1884) also known as Kadavil Achen, in the early 19th century.
Kadamattom Church is an ancient Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, located in Kadamattom, Kolenchery near Muvattupuzha, in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India.
St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Puthencavu is one of the important churches in South India, located at a village named Puthencavu, Alappuzha district in Kerala state of India. The church is one of the oldest Christian churches in the Central Travancore region of Kerala.
St. Mary's Orthodox Syrian Church, Kottayam, commonly known as Kottayam Cheriapally, is a Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church located in Kottayam, Kerala, India. Cheriapally meaning ‘small church’, whose appearance contradicts its name, is one of the oldest and well-preserved churches in the state. Cheriapally is located on the way to Kumarakom from Kottayam. The church is dedicated to mother Mary. Kottayam Cheriapally, built in 1579, has retained its old world charm today as well even after so much of environmental changes. The length and breadth of the church is constructed with innovative paintings, mural, and architecture. Before the inception of the Old Seminary in 1815, Kottayam Cheriapally was the Headquarters of the Church and Malankara Metropolitans for a long time.
Aithihyamala or Ithihyamala is a collection of century-old stories from Kerala that cover a vast spectrum of life, famous persons and events. It is a collection of legends numbering over a hundred, about magicians and yakshis, feudal rulers and conceited poets, kalari or Kalaripayattu experts, practitioners of Ayurveda and courtiers; elephants and their mahouts, tantric experts.
The Saint Thomas Christian denominations are Christian denominations from Kerala, India, which traditionally trace their ultimate origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. They are also known as "Nasranis" as well. The Syriac term "Nasrani" is still used by St. Thomas Christians in Kerala. It is part of the Eastern Christianity institution.
Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos aka Puthencavil Kochu Thirumeni was an administrator, orator and an advocate of Orthodox and the Catholicate of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India. He served as Metropolitan of Thumpamon Diocese from 1930 to 1951.
Kadamattathu Kathanar is an Indian Malayalam-language supernatural drama television series that originally aired on Asianet from 2004 to 2005. Asianet retelecast the series on Asianet Plus from March 2016. Prakash Paul plays the title character.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)