Kummanam

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Kummanam is a village that lies on either side of River Meenachil. Administratively it is in Thiruvarpu and Aymanam Gramapanchayat of Kottayam district in Kerala State India Capital town of [Kottayam] District is 4 km east from here. A bridge named Thazhathangadi palam connects either areas beside river. Kummanam is near the tourist road from Kumarakom to Thekkady.

[edit] Overview

Aymanam means 'the land of five forests'. Ay in Tamil is five and Vanam in Sanskrit is forest. Kummanam means 'the horrible forest'. Ku in Sanskrit means worst and Vanam is forest.

[[Thazhathangadi]] is an ancient River Port in Kummanam. Thazhathe in Malayalam language means 'lower down' and angadi is 'market'.

Early traders from Arabia settled in this river port. Thazathangadi mosque here is constructed with the help of Thekkumkoor kings and is one of the oldest in India. It is built soon after Beemapally in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).

Portuguese traders built houses here on the banks of River Meenachil and a Church dedicated to Saint George.

Thaliyil Kotta near Thazhathangadi was the seat of Thekkumkor kings. Thali was an administratiove division and kotta means fort. King Marthanda Varma annexed Thekkumkoor to Travancore. Vedipurackal is the place where Thekkumkoor kings kept gunpowder. Vanchiyathu is the place where Thekkumkoor kings kept royal canoes. There are houses bearing these names are in Thazathangadi.

Thazathangadi hosts a Boat race or Vallam Kali in August/September every year during festival of Onam. This boat race began about one hundred years ago.

Elamkavu Kaali temple is in Kummanam

Elamkavu Government Upper Primary School is the earliest around here.

Vedippurakkal house was gifted by the Thekkumkoor king to the great Vedipurackal Vaidyan (ayurvedic physician) is one of the old family/house in Kummanam.

Kummanam Govindapilla was a poet who wrote an epical poem about Travancore kings, was a member of Sri Moolam Sahithya Sabha. CK Narayana Pilla chalasseril was a poet. Moothedath Gopala Pilla, Ponnattu Kurian vakkil, and Valavillil Ramakrishnapilla were the advoctes. Kummanam Govindapanicker and Maliekkal Kunjachan were aksharaslkam deliverers.

The breezes of Meenachil river is whispering through the palm fringed shores of kummanam.