Chendamangalam (or Chennamangalam) is a small town and a panchayat in Paravur Taluk,

Ernakulam district Ernakulam (; ISO: ''Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ'') is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, and takes its name from the Ernakulam, eponymous city division in Kochi. ...

in the state of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Location

It is about 23 km from

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge ...

. It has three rivers, seven inlets, hillocks and large expanses of green plain. The historic city of

Kodungallur Kodungallur (; formerly also called as Cranganore (anglicised name), Portuguese language, Portuguese: Cranganor; Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of Per ...

is about 9 km from the village.

Attractions

The Paliam Palace, residence of the

Paliath Achan Paliath Achan or Paliyath Achan is the name given to the male members of the Paliam family, a Nair'', Menon royal family from the Indian state of Kerala who ruled over Chendamangalam, Vypin, parts of Thrissur and regions that were under the ...

s, hereditary Prime Ministers and Raja under the former Maharajas of

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

, is one of the architectural splendours of

. The Palace is over 450 years old and houses a collection of historic documents and relics.

History

The hillocks at Kottayil Kovilakam are unique as the site of a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

, a Syrian Christian

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

and a restored

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, all within 1 km of each other. The

was built in 1614 AD and is in a peaceful wooded area. In the courtyard behind the synagogue, it is possible to find old

ish

grave A grave is a location where a cadaver, dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is burial, buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of buria ...

s, including one of a Jewish woman, dated 1264 AD. The Jews arrived in Chendamangalam after the destruction of the second temple and the final desolation of

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

in (AD 69) and founded a colony. They moved to

Fort Kochi Fort Kochi ( , ; Cochin Portuguese: ''Cochim de Baixo'', , Tamil: ''Koçhé Kōtàì''), formerly also known as Fort Cochin or British Cochin or Old Kochi, is a region of Kochi city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the For ...

in 1341 AD after the Great flood. All the 8 synagogues in Kerala built during the recent centuries — located at Chendamangalam, Paravoor, Mala,

and

— have similar traditional

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

features: * a central bimah of brass or

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

metal on a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

or stone base * an ark on the western wall * a balcony above the eastern entry to the sanctuary that is used by the reader on certain holidays. * a women's gallery behind the balcony, with a stairway leading up to it, usually from outside the building. Also here are remains of the Vypeenakotta Seminary built for Syrians in the 16th century by the Portuguese. Adjacent to the

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

is an old Syrian Catholic Church built in 1201. It is also the site of the first

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in whi ...

. Chendamangalam was part of Kanayanur taluk, of the erstwhile Cochin State. The panchayat was formed in 1914. Bordered by rivers on the north, east and south, it is a meeting place of cultural diversity. Jews, Christians, Muslims and several of the distinct Hindu castes lived here harmoniously. The presence of immigrant communities like Konkinis (Gowda Saraswatha Brahmins) Moopans (Kudumbis) and the craftsmen categories viz. Kallasari (masons), Marassari (carpenters), Moosari (moulders), Kollan (blacksmiths), Thattan (goldsmiths), Chalian (weavers), and Kusavan (potters) to this day reminds of past industrial and business importance. The Jewish community migrated to Israel in the 1950s and 1960s. Their synagogue is presently maintained by the archaeology department. There is also an abandoned Jewish cemetery behind the mosque, about 400 m from the synagogue, which has not been restored yet. Mar Sleeva Church was established in 1075. The special fortified construction of the old block of the church is believed to have been constructed at the time of Tippu Sultan's invasion of Malabar. Paliyam Satyagraha resulted in the temple entry proclamation in Cochin State. Mattachanda (Barter Market), an annual fair conducted every year on the eve of Vishu, is reminiscent of past history when people came from near and far to buy their domestic needs such as food ingredients, condiments, cutlery, pottery and furniture in exchange for their agricultural produce or hand made products, even though now all transactions are in cash. The Paliam kovilakam of the Paliath Achan's, the hereditary Prime ministers and Raja under the

Maharaja of Cochin The kingdom of Cochin or the Cochin State, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It originated in the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until i ...

lies here.

Places of Worship

Chendamangalam Synagogue The Chendamangalam Synagogue (; ) is a former Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Chendamangalam, a village in the Ernakulam district, Ernakulam district of the coastal state of Kerala, in India. Com ...

* Sree Venugopala Krishna Swami Devasthan was established in 1900 AD at Chennamangalam (earlier known as Jayantha mangalam), the main deity is Venugopalakrishna Swamy. The main idol is ''Shila Vigrah of Venugopalakrishna Swamy''. There is also an Utsav idol of the Lord and the idols of ''Garuda'' and ''

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

'' at His feet. The temple celebrates a six-day-long annual festival in the month of Vaisakh
Sree Venugopla KrishnaSwami Dewasthan
* Holy Cross Church, Kottayil Kovilakam * St. Sebastian's, Gothuruth * St. Threasa at Little Flower Church (koottukad) feast * Little Flower Church, Kuttukad * St. Sebastian Chappel, Paruvathuruth * Chendamangalam Juma Masjid * Parayil Ayyappa Temple, Vadakkumpuram, an ancient temple * Kunnathuthali Sree Mahadeva Temple * Kuttikkattu Bhagavathy Temple * Kangolikattu Madapathi Temple * Kokkattu Nagayekshi Temple * Sree Krishna Swamy temple, Kottayil Kovilakam * Kottattal Bhagavathy Temple * Paliam Bhagavati Temple, Chendamangalam * Paliam Sree Krishna Temple * Paliam Ayyappa Temple * Paliam puthiyathrikkovu shiva temple

Demographics

India

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Chendamangalam had a population of 28,133. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Chendamangalam has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 87% and female literacy of 85%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education

* Paliam Govt. HSS, Chendamangalam * St. Sebastians HSS, Gothuruth * Dharmaposhani Sabha School, V P Thuruth * Santacruz LP School, Kootukad * Govt. LP School, Chendamangalam * St. Joseph's High school, Chathedam * St. Mary's LP School, Chendamangalam * O.L.M.S, Kurumbathuruth * H.I.J.P School, Chathedam

Health

* Gothuruth PHC

Localities

Manakodam, Chendamangalam, Gothuruth, Kottayilkovilakam, Vadakkumpuram, Karimbadam, Kochangady, Kurumbathuruth, Valiya Pazhampilly Thuruth, C P Thuruth, Kizhakkumpuram, Thekkumpuram, Chathedam, Kootukad, Kadalvathuruth, Palathuruth, Kunjvarathurth, Bharanimuku, Kottatal.

Places of interest

* Paliam Kovilakam * Kottayil Kovilakam * Jew Market The synagogue has been restored and has an exhibit open to visitors from 9:30 to 5:00 during the week
Chendamangalam Synagogue

References

{{Ernakulam district Cities and towns in Ernakulam district Tourism in Kerala Suburbs of Kochi