Kavalappara Swaroopam
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[edit] Kavalappara Swaroopam
KAVALAPPARA PALACE
Kavalappara Palace is belong to the former ruler of Kavalappara,( North Kerala, India)Kavalappara Muppil Nairs. Kavalappara Muppil Nair was originally a ruling chief of Kerala. Like all other kings of Kerala he also claiming that the right to rule is got from the Cheraman Perumal the last Emperor of Kerala who is believed to converted to Islam or Buddhism and donated all his land to his relatives and Generals .
Template:Kavalappara Muppil Nair was ruler of 96 village from Muttangal to Thottungal and from Bharathappuzha River to mandakkottukurasi near Shoranur. unlike other Kings of Kerala he use only the Muppil Nair sir name.The Junior members in the family known as name then Unni Elaya Nair, female members are known as Nethiyar.T he biggest pooram festival in Malabar used to take place at the Arayankavu Temple of Shoranur, the Temple was owned by Kavalappara Swarupam and the Deity is their “paradevatha”.The present Muppil Nair is Sathyanathanunni Muppil Nair.
'Shoranur'
Shoranur Railway Junction bordering Cheruthuruthy.
Shoranur Railway Junction is very near to kerala kalamandalam a famous cultural school wherepeople from around the world come for learning different dance forms.
History
Shoranur municipality is named in revenue records as ‘Chiramannur’ and in railway records ‘Cherumannur’. Chiramannur was transformed into Shoranur. This name Chiramannur might have derived from the relation of this place to Bharatappuzha.
The history of Shoranur which is on the banks of Bharatappuzha is mainly related to the landlord feudal system. It is mainly the history of rise and fall of Kavalappara Swaroopam. Shoranur province was under the rule of Kavalappara Mooppil Nair. Kavalappara Swaroopam’s geographical limit was from Kaniyamburam canal in the east to Ongalloor in the west, Bharatappuzha in the south and Mundakkottukurussi in the north. Even though authentic records are not available about this feudal period some stories in the ‘Eithihyamala’ of kottarathil Sankunni gives us some idea about their rule. Only the oral history transcended through generations is available. he predecessors of Kavalappara Swaroopam belonged to the race of Karakkal Amma of Parayipetta Panthirukulam. If anybody from Mezhathur Agnihotri family dies Kavalappara Mooppil Nair does the death rituals and if anybody dies in the Kavalappara Swaroopam the family head of Agnihotri family does the death rituals. The origin of Kavalappara Swaroopam was at the Pallickal alias Pallithodi near Shoranur. One courageous Nair youth who was an expert in martial arts established his rule within the earlier mentioned geographical limits using his intelligence and capabilities and with the help of 999 (Aayirathilonnukuravu) Nair army became the feudal ruler. In the beginning Mooppil Nair was loyal to Valluvakkonathiri but afterwards he shifted his loyalty to the Samoothiri. Due to some misunderstanding Samoothiri turned against Mooppil Nair. He defeated Kavalappara Nair and took away the badges of sword and bucklers, the symbol of feudal rulers. It is said that a cunning young Nair went to Samoothiri’s Kovilakam and cleverly took back the symbol of authority and took asylum of Venadu Raja. Afterwards he took the post of Ayyazhippada Nair and with the backing of Nair army maintained his power. Mooppil Nair had also some rights in conducting certain customs like “Smarthavicharam” and ‘Yagaraksha” of Brahmin communities. Besides Kavalappara Mooppil Nair, the main mighty landlords were Brahmin landlords of Akkirathu Mana, Kozhisseri Mana, Thekkeppattu Mana, Desamangalam Mana etc.But Kavalappara had the absolute power to kill. During this period division of labour and discrimination based on caste,, dominated the society. It was only during the Second World War this region gradually got rid of these customs. Only upper caste people had the right to cover their body. Yogakshema sabha and later Yuva Jana Sankham fought against bad customs of the Brahmin community. Till Namboodiri act of Madras govt. came into existence only the marriage of the elder member of the Brahmin family was considered as legal. The activities of Yogakshema Sabha in Shoranur were led by Shri. Kummini Mana Raman Namboothiri. The famous social reformist late V.T.Bhattathirippad at his young age spent his time as the priest of Mundaya temple. It was from there he started his career as a literary person. Shoranur was also the field of activity of the famous communist leader and the first chief minister of Kerala, Shri. E.M.S Namboodirippad. Kavalappara Vayanasala (library) was established at the time of taking office of Kavalappara Appukuttanunni Mooppil Nair. He constructed a road to the Neelamala kunnu in front of Kavalappara palace and a bungalow for the stay of foreign guests. He also constructed many roads in and around Kavalappara palace. It was Mooppil Nair who first brought a motor car to this region. Kavalappara palace conducted a Kathakali Yogam and many famous Kathakali artists enacted their plays there. Kavalappara Narayanan Nair Asan became a scholastic artist of Kathakali through this kaliyogam.
Shoranur has the prestigious tradition of giving birth to many famous Kathakali artists. Moothedathu Namboodiri, Mundaya Venkidi Krishna Bhagavathar etc were from Shoranur. Mooppil Nair encouraged music, drama, painting, tholpavakkoothu, sports and games. He also concentrated his attention to the field of education. He started a school inside the palace for the education of the people belonged to the palace. Later it was upgraded to a school for educating upper castes. For the education of backward castes he started a Thiyya school and for the education of scheduled castes a panchama school at vadakkekkara. orest area in the name of Anthimahakalan kotta was used for the stay and practice of Nair army of Kavalappara Mooppil Nair. It was for their use Anthimahakalan temple and a 3 ½ acre wide Anthimahakalan kulam (pond) was constructed. For the use of low castes he constructed Kollanchery pond. Aryan kavu, Anthimahakalan kavu, Kayiliad kavu are also temples related to Kavalappara.
Even though the old history of Shoranur is the history of strong Kavalappara Swaroopam, after the Second World War the social reform movement strengthened here. The reforms in the agricultural sector and land reforms act cleared the remnants of the feudal system to a great extent. The changes from the old village atmosphere were brought by the entry of railway in Shoranur in 1860. In 1890 Cochin railway was established and Shoranur was connected through Cochin Bridge. Shoranur railway junction became one of the most important railway junctions in Kerala.Even before the railway junction was formed, thousands of people were working in the railway loco shed.There was also a railway police station. When the junction came into existence the workshop developed and with the beginning of Nilambur railway in 1920-21 once again the junction and workshop speedily progressed. t was with the arrival of Railway, Christian religious communities started to migrate here and they constructed a Roman Catholic Church. Muslims were not allowed to live in the kingdom of Kavalappara Nair. It was only in the middle of last century land was allotted to Kanikkavu Moideen kutty Musaliyar for his stay and for burying the body.
In 1890 modern industry was started in Shoranur by Shri. T.K.M.Namboodiri. He established Shoranur tile works .In 1928. Chengalath kunjirama Menon alias C.K.Menon’s took degree from Sheffield in England in Metallurgy and came to Shoranur. He organized skilled blacksmiths (karuvan) who did their work in small sheds adjoining to their home as hereditary work and started Shoranur Metal Industries. The metal company still exists in Shoranur and is very famous all over India.
The developments in metal Industries, the progress in education from the beginning of 19th century, the reformation in social and agricultural fields etc made many changes in the social and economic life in Shoranur.
[1]http://www.hinduonnet.com/2007/04/15/stories/2007041501630200.htm
http://www.cheruthuruthy-ecogardens.in/whattosee.asp
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