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Odanad (
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
: '' ōṭānāṭŭ'', also known as Onattukara,Kayamkulam, Onad, Kallikoilon and Chirava Svaroopam) was a feudal state in late medieval
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 ...
. It was established in the 11th century, and disestablished in 1746 when it became part of Travancore Kingdom after the King
Marthanda Varma Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ; 1706 – 7 July 1758) was the founding monarch of the southern Indian Kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758. He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") ...
's northern expedition. The last king of Odanad was King Kotha Varma. At the time of its dissolution, it was composed of the present-day
taluk A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative ...
s of
Mavelikkara Mavelikkara () is a municipality in the Onattukara Region of Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Alappuzha and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...
, Karthikapally, Chenganur in the
Alappuzha district Alappuzha district (), is one of the 14 Districts of Kerala, districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It was formed as Alleppey district on 17 August 1957, the name of the district being changed to ''Alapp ...
and Karunagapally in the
Kollam district Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 List of districts in Kerala, districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major La ...
. Another name of onattukara is kayamkulam. In the 15th century, the capital of Odanad was moved from Kandiyoor-Muttom to Eruva and Krishnapuram in
Kayamkulam Kayamkulam () is a municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Alappuzha and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kayamkulam has ...
, which led to the state being called ''Kayamkulam''. After this shift, Kayamkulam became the commercial centre of Odanad, while Mavelikkara remained its cultural centre. Odanad was controlled by
Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...
lords, among whom the ruler of Kayamkulam was the most prominent.


Etymology

The word ''Odanad'' is a transliteration of the Malayalam word ''ഓടനാട്'', ''ōṭānāṭŭ'', which is a portmanteau of ''ഓടം'', ōṭām meaning ''boat'', and ''നാട്'', ''nāṭŭ'', meaning ''land'', so ''Odanad'' means the ''land of boats''. An alternative hypothesis is that the first part of the word derives from ''ഓടമുള'', ''ōṭāmuḷa'', meaning ''
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
'', and that ''Odanad'' means the ''land of bamboo''.
Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran ; (19 February 1845 – 22 September 1914) also spelt Kerala Varma Valiya Koilthampuran and known as Kerala Varma, was a Malayalam - language poet and translator who had an equal facility in writing in Eng ...
's
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
work '' Mayura Sandesam'' describes Odanad as the ''land of vines''. Kayamkulam is the capital of Odanad, the central figure in the festival of
Onam Onam () is an annual harvest and Hindus, Hindu cultural festival celebrated mostly by the people of Kerala. A major annual event for Malayalis, Keralites, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. H ...
. The state was hence known as Onattukara (ഓണാട്ടുകര, ''ōṇāṭṭukara''), which translates to the ''land of Onam''. The state was
metonymically Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something associated with that thing or concept. For example, the word "suit" may refer to a person from groups commonly wearing business attire, such as salespe ...
referred to as ''Kayamkulam'' after the capital was moved to the city of
Kayamkulam Kayamkulam () is a municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Alappuzha and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kayamkulam has ...
.


History


11th – 14th century

Copper plate inscriptions in Thiruvalla, dated to the 11th century, mention Odanad and Mattom, then its capital. These inscriptions, along with the '' Unnuneeli Sandesam'', also note the significance of Chennithala whips in Odanad. Most of the records of the rulers of Odanad come from the temple records of the Kandiyoor Sree Mahadeva Temple.


15th – 18th century

In 1743, Odanad was bordered by the feudal states of
Pandalam Pandalam is a municipality in Pathanamthitta district Kerala, India. Pandalam is known for its connection with Ayyappan and Sabarimala. It recognised ''as the cultural capital of Travancore'', Pandalam hosts educational institutions rang ...
,
Thekkumkur The Kingdom of Thekkumkur () (also transliterated as ''Thekkumkoor'' or ''Thekkumcore'') was an independent kingdom in the southern part of Kerala in India from 1103 CE until 1750 CE.P. Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition ...
, Elayadath, Vadakkumkur, Purakkad and
Thrikkunnapuzha Thrikkunnapuzha is a village near Harippad in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Thrikkunnapuzha is the south-west part of Alappuzha district, Kerala, India. Thrikkunnapuzha is one of the gateway to the inland water ways of Ala ...
, according to records left by Julius Valentin van Gollenesse, Commander of
Dutch Malabar Dutch Malabar ( Dutch: ''Nederlandse Malabar''; Malayalam: ''ഡച്ച് മലബാർ'') also known by the name of its main settlement Cochin, were a collection of settlements and trading factories of the Dutch East India Company on th ...
at the time. By 1746, Odanad had been persuaded by the Dutch to take up the leadership of a new confederation which included Chembakassery, Thekkumkur and Purakkad. In this fourth war known as Battle of Purakkad between the states, Odanad was again defeated and its territories finally annexed to Travancore.


Politics


Government

Odanad was controlled by
Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...
lords, among whom the ruler of Kayamkulam was the most prominent.


Foreign relations

Odanad maintained friendly relations with the Portuguese and the Dutch empires since the 16th century.


Military

Odanadu Dynasty was one of the strongest Military powered state in ancient Kerala. One among the strongest and brave army power, Kayamkulam provided mortal support to the surrounding local states and helped them to lead war against their rivals. The identity Weapon was " Double side sharpen Sword" commonly called Kayamkulam Vaal.


Economy

The King of Kayamkulam had trade relations with foreigners in the backwaters west of Pullukulangara, as proof of this, the huge trade can still be seen in the Pandikashala. From this the king had unprecedented financial reserves. When Marthanda Varma attacked Kayamkulam, the king escaped to Iringlakudak through this port.


Demographics


Religion


Chettikulangara Temple

The
Chettikulangara Devi Temple Chettikulangara Sree Bhagavathi temple is one of the most renowned Hinduism, Hindu temples in Kerala. Main deity is Sree Bhadrakali. The temple is located at Chettikulangara in Mavelikkara taluk of Alappuzha district in the Indian States of In ...
in Chettikulangara, Mavelikkara thaluk near kayamkulam is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Chettikulangara Amma, . It is believed to have been consecrated by Padmapadacharyar, a disciple of
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and h ...
, on the Uthrattathi day of Makara month in AD 823. The goddess worshipped here is believed to have been a family deity, and later emerged as the
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
and then the regional deity. Local historians oppose the argument that the temple is not as ancient as the nearby Kandiyoor Sree Mahadeva Temple or Mavelikkara Krishna Swamy Temple and Kannamangalam Mahadeva Temple as it had not been mentioned in the ''Unnuneeli Sandesam''. written in the 14th century. Also, there is no mentioning of the temple in the British survey records. According to late Kandiyoor Mahadeva Shasthri, Samudra Bandhan, a leading courtier of Ravi Varman, an ancient King of Venad had visited this temple and wrote poems on Bhagavathi. They also hold that Aadithya Kulasekharan, the King of Venad (1374 to 1389) had also visited the Chettkulangara temple. The mythology surrounding the temple has it that after
Parasurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Virarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. Hindu tradition holds him to be the destroyer of the evil on Earth. According t ...
created Kerala. He had established 108
Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...
temples, 108 Shiva temples, numerous
Sastha Shasta (IAST Śāstā) is a Hindu deity, described as the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini, Vishnu's female avatar. In South India, he is identified with the Ayyanar, Nattarayan or Sattan in Tamil Nadu, as Ayyanayake in Sinhala and the A ...
temples, besides 108
Kalari A kalari is a gymnasium or training space primarily associated with the martial art of Kalaripayattu. The word ''kalari'' comes from Tamil. In the past, village schools in Tamilnadu, typically run by the traditional astrologer families, were k ...
s (place to learn traditional martial arts in front of the deity), Shakthi Kendras and five Ambalayas, one of which was Jagadambika of Chettikulangara, the Goddess of Odanad. The myth behind the temple's origin is related to clash between local landlords and it is clearly mentioned in the kuthiyotta pattu. The actual paradevatha dtas built by Kayamkulam Rajas (king). Lord Krishna is the Aradhana Moorthy (worship) of kayamkulam rajas. Makaram Festival one of the largest festivals in middle travencore. This festival is celebrated in 10 days (ulsavam). The seventh and eighth days festivals are very important. 7-ulsavam celebrated in temple's west region (padinjare kara) and 8-ulsavam celebrated in temple's east region (kizhakke kara). Eruva Sreekrishna's Arattukulam is one of biggest ponds in middle Kerala. The Valiya Kakkanadu Madom near to Eruva Sree Krishna swamy temple is famous for the Gandharva temple, warriors who trained the military arts for Odanadu army and army heads of King belonged to this family. The ancient temple at the place Evoor is in the Onattukara region. This temple had originated in the presence of Bhagavan Sri Krishna himself. This temple is one of the most important 26 Maha-Vishnu shrines in the world. The myth is linked to 'Khandava-dahanam' (burning of Khandava forest), described in 'Mahabharata'. The remains of burnt trees being widely found here, confirm this. Further evidence are, nearby Mannarassala and 'Pandavarkavu' temples. (The research conducted by the archeology dept. of Kerala reveals that the fossils remains found in the fields near to the temple are not burned one. The forest cover fell down centuries back due to excessive sea level increase and flooding the area under sea. Carbon dating is also done to determine the time period.) The great Kanva Maharshi (one of the top 7 Rishis), had been living in this part of Onattukara. 'Kannamangalam' (Kanva-mangalam) is nearby. His 'Ashramam' (hermitage) later became a temple. Evoor Krishnaswamy's yearly 'Arattu' (ceremonial bath) is held in this temple's tank.


= Origin

= According to local mythology,
Agni Agni ( ) is the Deva (Hinduism), Hindu god of fire. As the Guardians of the directions#Aṣṭa-Dikpāla ("Guardians of Eight Directions"), guardian deity of the southeast direction, he is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. ...
deva, the Hindu god of fire, had been suffering from a severe stomach ailment. As a remedy, Lord Brahma advised him to consume the herb-rich
Khandava Forest The Khandava Forest or Khandava Vana (Sanskrit: खाण्डव वन, ) or Khandavaprastha (; ) is a forest mentioned in the epic ''Mahabharata, Mahābhārata.'' It lay to the west of Yamuna river. The Pandava, Pandavas are described to have ...
. The forest was home to serpent-king Takshaka, a close friend of
Lord Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war.  volumes/ref> Indra is the most frequen ...
. Whenever Agni tried to consume the forest, Lord Indra's thundershowers dutifully extinguished the fire. Agni appeared in the form of a
brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
to seek the help of
Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
and
Arjuna Arjuna (, , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɾd͡ʒun̪ə is one of the central characters of the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the third of the five Pandava brothers, and is widely regarded as the most important and renowned among them. ...
, who were visiting the area. They set up a fire to consume the forest. Maharshi
Kanva Kanva or Kanwa (, ), also called Karnesh, was an ancient Hindu rishi of the ''Treta Yuga'', to whom some of the hymns of the ''Rig Veda'' are ascribed. He was one of the Angirasas. He has been called a son of Ghora, but this lineage belongs to ...
arrived to save his 'Archa Murti'. a four armed image of
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
. Krishna granted a boon that the
murti In the Hinduism, Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' (, ) is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a Hindu deities, deity or Hindu saints, saint used during ''Puja (Hinduism), puja'' and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing d ...
would not be harmed by fire. Soon, Agni started consuming Khandava Forest. Lord Indra used thundershowers promptly but on Krishna's advice, Arjuna constructed a canopy of arrows to prevent the rain from disrupting Agni's consumption of the forest. Thus Agni's ailment was cured. As a sign of thankfulness, Agni sought permission to install that murti in a new temple there to facilitate worship. As instructed by Krishna, Arjuna fired an arrow to determine the location. A new temple was soon consecrated where the arrow had landed. Evoor is the shortened form of 'Eytha ooru', meaning the place from where the arrows were showered to make the canopy of arrows. Krishna infused his divine power into the murti and Arjuna performed its first puja. A murti of Bhootha Natha Swamy ( Kiratha Murti form of Lord Siva), together with Yakshi Amma (Devi
Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...
) were consecrated as the sub-deities. The ancient trees roofing them are the survivors of Khandava Forest.


= Fire and re-construction

= In the 1880s, the temple was destroyed in a fire. When the 'Sree Kovil' (sanctum sanctorum) was caught fire, so many people tried to remove the Deity, but failed. At last, an old Brahmana-devotee of the adjacent house, after taking a dip in the temple tank, entered the raging flames and brought out the Deity, safely. Sri
Moolam Thirunal Sir Sri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma VI (1857–1924) was Maharajah of the princely state of Travancore between 1885 and 1924, succeeding his uncle Maharajah Visakham Thirunal (1880–1885). Moolam Thirunal is considered as the first in India ...
, then king of Travancore, was in Kasi at that time. Appearing as a Brahmana-boy in his dream, Sri Krishna asked the king to re-construct the Evoor temple. Immediately, the king returned home and constructed a huge temple complex. It contained royal facilities such as security trenches atop the roof all around and underground drainage network to discharge the 'abhishka water' from 'Srikovil' to adjacent temple tank. The renowned 'Tharananalloor Tantri' (whose ancestor had been brought to Kerala by Sri Parashurama) was appointed as the traditional 'Tantri'. Immense wealth (including lands and other assets) was arranged to ensure self-reliance. Also, extensive neighbourhood facilities and all necessary infrastructure were put in place for the temple.


= Prayoga Chakra Prathishta

= Evoor Bhagavan's Deity is the unique Prayoga Chakra Prathishta. Live 'Sudarshana Chakra' in rear right hand; Panchjanya Sankha in rear left hand; Butter in frontal right hand; and the frontal left hand is held on the hip as a ''mani-bandham''. Bhagavan is in a combative mood ready to release 'Sudarshana Chakra'. He is the 72-year-old Sri Krishna at His peak glory and power. Vedic experts have confirmed the extremely rare divine presence of "Sri Chakra" on this deity. Consequently, "Raktha-pushpanjali" is a special offering here which is unavailable in Vishnu temples elsewhere. Evoor temple is popularly known as the "Guruvayoor of Onattukara". Evoor temple is situated near the Cheppad Railway station between Kayamkulam and Harippad. The railway line is called the "Theera Desa" (coastal route which is not the main railway route). It is easier to reach there by bus. Cheppad is about 7 km north of Kayamkulam bus stand. From Harippad Bus stand Evoor is about 5 km south. You can get down at Cheppad Junction and go by an auto-rickshaw to Evoor temple. Alternatively, one can get down at the bus stop (south of Cheppad and north of Ramapuram Devi temple) on NH-47 and walk up to the temple which is about 1 km east of NH-47.


Buddhist legacy

Mavelikkara was once a flourishing centre of Buddhist culture, and an ancient Buddha statue currently raised in Mavelikkara town, at Buddha Junction in front of the Krishnaswamy temple, was excavated more by accident in the early 1900s from a paddy field near the Kandiyoor temple. It is possible that a lot more of the vanished Buddhist civilisation of Onnattukara still lies buried in history, yet to be unearthed. Names of towns and villages in the Onattukara region carry the ''palli'' suffix, which was common usage in
Pāli Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a classical Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Therav ...
, the language of
Hinayana Hīnayāna is a Sanskrit term that was at one time applied collectively to the '' Śrāvakayāna'' and '' Pratyekabuddhayāna'' paths of Buddhism. This term appeared around the first or second century. The Hīnayāna is considered as the prelim ...
Buddhism. Karunagapalli, Karthikapalli, Pallickal, Pallippuram, Puthupalli are examples of such historical and present names of places in the Onattukara region. The Portuguese had a factory in Odanadu in the 16th century, but Odanad was the earliest ally of the Dutch in Malabar..


Ramapuram Bhagavthi Temple-Odanadu Dynasty Temple

Ramapuram Bhagavathy Temple amapurathamma is considered as the Kingdom deity temple of Odanadu(Kayamkulam Kingdom) danadu Rulers After stealing the Sreechakram, sanctified at sanctum of Ramapurathamma, the then Trippappur king Marthandavarma and his Chief alavaRamayyan had conquered Kayamkulam .The absence of the most sacred Sreechakram rendered them powerless and it paved the way for Marthanda Varma to establish his supremacy over Kayamkulam dynasty .


Syrian Christians of Odanad

The Syrian Christians of Odanad existed even before the establishment of the Kingdom. Chengannur being the earliest centre where the Chengannur Old Syrian Church was established in the 4th century by the Syrian Christian migrants from Niranam and Nilakkal. Later in the 7th century a church was built in Haripad but was demolished in the 11th century and half of the Syrian Christians of Haripad joined the Karthikapally Syrian Church which was built in AD 829 AD by the Syrian Christian migrants from Chengannur, and the other half established the Cheppad Syrian Church in 1175 AD. Kayamkulam became a commercial capital owing to its port merchantry and many Syrian Christians migrated to Kayamkulam. These Syrians relied on the Kadampanad Syrian Church (built in AD 325) till the establishment of the Kayamkulam Kadeesha Syrian Church in AD 824 by Mar Sabor and Mar Aphroth. In AD 943 the Syrian Christians of Mavelikkara built the Mavelikkara Puthiyakavu Syrian Church when they split from the Kayamkulam Kadeesha Syrian Church.


Culture

Festivals in Odanad include the '' Jeevatha Nritham'', a traditional form of dance, and the '' Kettukazhcha'', which has its origins in Buddhism.


See also

*
History of Kerala ''Kerala'' was first epigraphically recorded as ''Cheras'' (Chera dynasty, Keralaputra) in a 3rd-century BCE rock inscription by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka of Magadha (Mahajanapada), Magadha. It was mentioned as one of four independent kingdoms ...
* Battle of Purakkad


References

{{Kerala History of Alappuzha district Feudal states of Kerala