Vaipur
| Vaipur Vayoopuram | |
|---|---|
| town | |
  Vaipur | |
| Coordinates: 9°26′50″N 76°42′25″E / 9.44722°N 76.70694°ECoordinates: 9°26′50″N 76°42′25″E / 9.44722°N 76.70694°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Pathanamthitta |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| PIN | 689588 |
| Telephone code | 0469 |
| Vehicle registration | KL - 28 |
| Nearest city | Mallappally |
| Literacy | 99.99%% |
| Lok Sabha constituency | Pathanamthitta |
Vaipur is located in the banks of River Manimala, in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. There are many myths about the origin of name 'Vaipur'.One of the famous myth says that it has come from the word Vayoopuram, which means Place of Vayu (Air). Second myth says that the name has come from 'Vavarude Ooru' (native place of Vavarusammy, friend of Ayyappan) and it is related to Sabarimala story.
Vaipur port(chanda kadavu) has an ancient trading history, it had links to Purakkad / Alappuzha port and was connected to Manimala, Niranam, Kallooppara, Mallappally, Kaviyoor, Tiruvalla, Nedumkunnam and nearby places. Traders from nearby places used to come to Vaipur market to sell and buy their wares. Vaipur chanda (market) used to function on Mondays and Thursdays every week. Vaipur was part of Alappuzha (Alleppey) district until the creation of Pathanamthitta District and Mallappally Taluk.
Religious Centres
Temples
Vaipur is famous for the seven temples: Vaipur Mahadeva Temple, Kulangarakkavu Sree Bhuvaneswari Temple, Kottangal Sree Devi Temple,Kulathoor Major Devi Temple,Thricherpuram Sree Shankara Narayana Swami Temple, Sasthamkavu Ayyappa Temple, Keethrikka Sree Krishna Swami Temple.nearest temple 'anikkattilammakshethram' The four well-known Nair families are Kaimodathu, Mangalathu Tharavadu, Alancherril and Kolathu.
The kaimodathu tharavadu members are named with surname "Kaimal". All over in Kerala the Kaimal family members are less. The main branches of Kaimodathu tharavadu are Edavassary, Kulathunkal and Thumpooru. The Alancherril Nairs(the main branches are Edoor Pillais and [KARUMALIL]) migrated from Madapally near Changanacherry and their family deity is in Cheruvally Temple. The Kolathu Nairs migrated from the ancient Kolathu Nadu(Malabar).shiva family members ares less( karumalil veershivas)
Vaipur is famous for the Temple Festivals: Vaipur Mahadeva Temple Utsavam (the most famous is the 7th Festival that is celebrated on the 7th day of the festival by devotees of "Cheruthottuvazhi"), Kulangarakkavu Kumbha Pooram, Kottangal Padayani, Kulathur Meena Pooram, Thricherpurathu Karkidaka Vavu Pooja, and the Mandala Poojas during the Sabarimala season. The Vaipur road has been declared as Sabarimala patha.
Masjids & Muslims
Vaipur has two famous Masjids: Vaipur Pazhayapalli Jama-Ath (Estd: 1185AD) and Puthanpally Jama-Ath (Estd: AD 1895). Vaipur Muslim Pazhayapalli was the first Masjid for 18 places (Kara) includes Erumely, Kanjirappally and Vaipur etc.
Muslims in Vaipur are either Rawthers or Labbas (Rawthers and Labbas are following the Hanafi school of fiqh). The word Rawther is said to have come from the word Mauther, which means people in charge of elephants' and horses' divisions of the king's army. The myth says that, Rawthers originally belonged to Pandya Desam near Madurai in Tamil Nadu (currently Chennai). Few of the Rawther families are then migrated to different places of Kerala; including Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Kollam and Eduki districts and Malabar.
Labba families (Amir Khadi's family, Vavar family) at Vaipur claimed to be the 14th or 15th line of descendants of Vavarswami, friend of Sabarimala Ayyappan. The descendants of Vavar Swamy are believed to be Vaidyas practicing the Unani (Greek) system of medicine. [Abdul Rasheed Musliar] from vaipur is holding the main priest position in Sabarimala Vavaru Temple; he is having about 40 years of parikarmi (additional priest) experience in Sabarimala vavar temple.
“Vaipur Chandanakkudam” is a local festival celebrating on every Makaram 15th of Malayalam Calendar, this festival as part of the Perumpara UROOS and it is continuing for maintaining Hindu Muslim brotherhood.
Churches & Christian settlements
Vaipur had Christian/Nazrani settlements dating back to the 13th century. St. Mary's Church, Vaipur was established in AD 1212, according to the records of Changanacherry Archdiocese. The only Syrian Catholic churches that were contemporaneous with Vaipur St.Mary's Church, were Champakulam (Kalloorkad) St.Mary’s (Estd:427 AD), Athirampuzha, St.Mary’s (Estd AD 835),Changanaseri St. Mary’s (Estd AD 1017), Kudamaloor St. Mary’s (Estd: AD 1125). The Nazranis of Vaipur belonged to Niranam Church (which according to tradition was one of the 7 churches established by St Thomas in the first century AD). The Nazranis of Manimala, Vaipur and Kallooppara, had to travel to Niranam using the waterways of River Manimala. Later, the Kallooppara Church was established and Vaipur Christians used to be members of that Church until Vaipur pazhaya palli was established.
Vaipur (Pazhaya Palli) is listed (along with Niranam, Kalloopara, Changanassery and Kanjirappally in the nearby places) among the 180 parishes that had representatives at the Synod of Diamper (Udayamperoor) in 1599, that was held by the Portuguese Archbishop Menezes of Goa to unite the Indian Syrian Christians/Nazranis/ Saint Thomas Christians to the Latin Catholic Church of Rome and its practices. This later led to division of the Indian Christian church into mainly the Jacobite Orthodox Church and the Syrian Catholic Churches after the Koonan Kurisu Sathyam(Coonan Cross Oath) of 1653. After this period of dissension and division within the Christian community, the Christian communities of various denominations, appear to have migrated from Vaipur, to other places. The Catholics mostly migrated to Nedumkunnam and nearby places. Christians from Vaipur area settled to different locations of Malabar area. In the mean time more parishes were settled to nearby places namely Kulathur, Chunkappara etc.
The Edoor Tharakans belonging to the Syrian Christian/Nazrani Community, were powerful traders and landowners in the area. They are reported to have originated from Kalikavu Illam, whose members migrated to Vaipur from either Kuravilangad or Nilackal. The Pulincunnu Vachaparampil family website tracing their ancestry to AD 1760, mentions about Eliamma from their family being married to Thommy Tharakan of Edoor, Vaipur and the couple being childless. The Edoor tharavad, had 9 branches: 1) Edoor (Vaipur), 2) Karuthaparackal (Vaipur), 3) Kallooprayat (South Anicad), 4) Mecherimannil (Vaipur), 5) Cheranayil (Kottangal), 6)Edoor Marungottil (Vakathanam), 7) Plakizh (Eraviperoor) 8)Kozhimannil (Morani South Anicad), 9) Puthuparampil Peedika (Vaipur). Other major sub branches of these divisions are Kuppumadathil (Manimala), Akkattu(Manimala), Edoor Karuthaparackal family migrated to Nedumkunnam and formed the Thathakatt and Nechikatt families in Nedumkunnam. The Karathaparackal Nechikatt family history, records the family roots 250 years back to Thathakatt-Nechikatt families, settled in Nedumkunnam.
Nedumkunnam temple and church had connections to the Vaipur Christian and Hindu communities.
Notable residents
Dr.Chitrathara MD (Gynec) MCh (Uro), is a reputed cancer surgeon, specializing in urological, gynecological and breast cancer. She is also the wife of the famous Oncology Physician "Dr. V.P. Gangadharan". Her fields of interest also include oral cavity cancer and soft tissue sarcoma surgeries. She was trained in basic cancer surgical training at India's Premier Cancer Institute - Tata Memorial Hospital. She also underwent ICRETT Fellowship training in Jewish General Hospital Montreal, Canada. In 1990 she joined Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram. She worked there for 13 years as Asst. & Associate Professor and as Surgical Oncologist and Chief Surgeon of Genitourinary & Gynec Services. Later she worked as Sr.Consultant in Lakeshore Hospital, Kochi and at "Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences" as Professor of surgical & Gynec Oncology. She has published in peer reviewed journals, contributed chapters to many books and authored the book "The Ovarian Cancer-Comprehensive and Contemporary Management". She is currently President of Onco-Care Charitable Society and Chairman elect of KFOG Oncology Committee".
K.E.Abdul Rahiman, President, Muslim League District Committee.
Jenimol Joy, International Athlete
Joseph Sebastian, President, Kottayam Press Club and Senior Researcher, Malayala Manorama.
Dr. Ashok Neuro Surgeon, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ernakulam.
Advocate Melazhakathu Thomas Joseph practicing law in Bombay High Court.
'Dr. Shanavas Musaliar', Orthpaedician
Dr. Shahina Mol S. Associate Professor, Govt. Ayurveda Medical College, Trivandrum
Ms. Shanida Mol S. Air Traffic Controller, IGI Airport, New Delhi
References
- The Pulincunnu Vachaparampil family website
- Nedumkunnam Puthiaparampil family history
- PJTomy, 'Portuguese Contribution to Kerala' lists Vaipur parish as one of the 180 parishes that were represented at the Synod of Diamper, 1599.
- Kallooppara Church History
- Niranam Church