Kadamattathu Kathanar was a '' kathanar'' (priest) who, according to legends, possessed magical powers. He was an ordained

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

of Kadamattom Church in the 9th century, originally affiliated to the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, in Kadamattam near

Muvattupuzha Muvattupuzha () is a Municipalities of Kerala, municipalityhttps://lsgkerala.gov.in/system/files/2017-10/localbodies.pdf in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. It is located east of the district headquarters in Thrikkakara and a ...

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 ...

district,

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 ...

. 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.

Historicity

In medieval legends, history and fables were combined inextricably. 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. Tradition points out the existence of Christians in the area from 5th century of the Christian Era.

Legends

Poulose, later known as Kathanar, was born to a poor family in Kadamattom, a small village in North

Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...

(now part of

). 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). 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

and people began to call him deacon Poulose. Mar Sabor the

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

who ordained him as a priest left from Kadamattom after the arrival of Paulose. The Bishop built many churches. Sabor settled at Thevalakkara. Some stories of Kathanar are presented in the collection of legends, ''

Aithihyamala Aithihyamala or Ithihyamala () (''Garland of Legends'') 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 ...

''.

Gallery

Nasrani cross.jpg, Famous Persian Cross- front view Persian Cross Kadamatam church.jpg, Persian Cross-side view കടമറ്റം‍പള്ളി-അൾത്താര.jpg, Altar of the church Kadamattomchurch.jpg, External view of the church Tomb of Marthoma IX.jpg, Tomb of Marthoma IX Malika.jpg, Bishops rest room built in the late 1940s or earlier Writingonthewall.jpg, Unknown inscription on the wall of the church

In popular culture

* In the 1984 film '' Kadamattathachan'',

Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 6 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the hist ...

played the lead role. * A TV series '' Kadamattathu Kathanar'' was telecast on Asianet in which Prakash Paul played Kathanar. * A TV series was produced by Jai Hind and

Surya TV Surya TV is an Indian Malayalam language Indian general entertainment pay television channel owned by Sun TV Network. which is headquartered at Kochi. Surya TV HD became the third Malayalam language high-definition channel. Current broadcas ...

titled ''Kadamattathachan''. Prakash Paul played the title role in both. * In the film '' Megasandesam'',

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

plays the role of a descendant of Kadamattathu Kathanar. * The 2025 film '' Kathanar - The Wild Sorcerer'' based on the character stars

Jayasurya Jayasurya (born 31 August 1978) is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, and impressionist who works in Malayalam films. He has appeared in more than 100 films and has won several awards, including a National Film Awards, National Fi ...

as Kathanar.

Historicity

Legends

Gallery

In popular culture

See also

References

Further reading