History
Nurturing Faith Through Centuries of Endurance and Renewal.
“Psalms
121:5″
Arakuzha Unniyathiri and Arakuzha Church
The two well known nobles were Arackuzha Unnyathiri and Vallikkada Panicker in the history of Arackuzha. Vallikkada Panicker was the trainer of fighters for the king. Unnyathiri was the subordinate of Chettoor karthakkal, who were the rulers as the second in charge on the ladder of rulers under the the king. Unyathiri was one of the “ida prabhukkal” who ruled over small villages. Unnyathiri was said to be hailed from the famous family of Aromal Chekavar in ancient vadakkan pattukal. There is a traditional story that connects Unnyathiri to the traditional rice pudding offering called ” Pachoru Nercha” on August 15th at the church. The king ruled during the period of 1770 s was Raja Raja Varma. In about 1770 A.D. there was no rain for 18 months. The reason for the drought is said to be consequence of an inhuman act by Unnyathiri who killed a person who sought shelter in Aarakuzha Church.The story goes like this. One man happened to fish from a tree with arrow while the beautiful daughter of Unyathiri was taking bath in the river . Some how she got scared and humiliated by him according to the then existing moral standards and values. Hearing the story Unyathiri got angry and ordered to kill him. He ran to church and had sought refuge in the church. Later Unnyathiri had found him. He was dragged out side and killed at the door step of the church.It is believed that because of the desecration of the church by the bloodshed, Arackuzha was affected by a severe drought and famine for 18 months. Unyathiri called the astrologers to find out the reason behind the drought and famine. The astrologers found that the drought and famine were the consequences of desecration of the church by the murder of the innocent man by Unyathiri. As an attonement Unyathiri made an offering to the church to give food called “pachoru”. Pachoru was prepared with 15 bushels (parra) of rice with enough coconuts and brown sugar. It is the oral story that it rained in an epic proportion just after the offering and the water swelled up to the level that they could not even walk back home. Even today there is this tradition of offering rice pudding (pachoru nercha) on August 15th since then. Nobody knows much about the end of Unyathirir’s rule and what happened to his descendants. It is said that his palace was situated in the property now owned by Jose Erthadathil. According to the parish records Unyathiri gave 2 acres of land called kandathikudy purayidam and 97 cents of paddy field to the church to meet the annual expense of the pachoru offering. The name ” Unyathiri” seems to be a title of a position rather than a name of a person because the same title has been seen in many period in different occasions.
The Panickar family of Vallikada (Pallikadavu) which had migrated from Thulunadu used to conduct a kalari in Aarakuzha. During the Muslim aggression in North Kerala, powerful Hindu families such as Erthadathil (Puthattel) and Muringothil ruled over this area as idaprabhuckal. “Panicker” was also a title given by the king for his service as the one who trains and provides soldiers. It is an oral tradition that Arackuzha nazranees were also faithful brave soldiers trained under Vallikkada Panicker.
Since 999 A.D
Church Placed In 1000 For a Thousand Mappilas
Though it is said about St. Mary’s Forane Arakuzha Church that it was erected in 999 A.D. for 1000 Christians. Etimology of Arakuzha is “Land of Prosperity”Christians had migrated to Arakuzha for cultivation before the 9th century. Families such as Oram, Ozhuka, Mudiyil, Cherukulam, Kalambadan, Kadalikkadan and Cherukadan migrated from Vadakara. It is said that a Nair and a Christian priest had accompanied them. People from Ramapuram, Kadamattom, Mailakombu, Chembu, Edapally, Thenkasi, Vizhakapattanam and Thulunadu had migrated to Arakuzha. The road connecting Kaduthuruthi with Tamilnadu runs through the southern side of Arakuzha. There had been roads to Edapalli, Thruppunithura, Aluva and Angamaly from Arakuzha. It is said that people could travel from Arakuzha to Nediasala at night without light because there were many houses by the side of the road that people could travel at night with the light coming from the houses.
The Panickar family of Vallikada (Pallikadavu) which had migrated from Thulunadu used to conduct a kalari in Arakuzha. During the Muslim aggression in North Kerala, powerful Hindu families such as Erthadathil and Muringothil ruled over this area as idaprabhuckal .
During the 17 and 18 centuries when Nediyasala areas were forests, Arakuzha had been an area with “light”. During the second spell of the reign of Chera Dynasty (A.D. 800-1102), Arakuzha was a part of Keezhmalainadu which was one of the many kingdoms (nadu) in Kerala. When Keezhmalainadu was conquered by Vadakumkoor Dynasty in about 1600 A.D. Arakuzha became a part of Vadakumkoor. Foreigners used to call Vadakumkoor as the land of pepper. Vadakumkoor was bounded on the north by River Periyar, on the east by Pandyanadu and on the west by the backwaters. Arakuzha came under the rule of Thiruvithamkoor king when Vadakumkoor was annexed by Marthandavarma, the king of Thiruvithamkoor, in 1750.
Arakuzha which was the cellar of spices that brought plenty of foreign money gained a prominent place in the history of Thiruvithamkoor. King Marthandavarma erected a mundapathumvathil, danavu, and chavuka, etc. on the north east side of Maradikara which was a part of Arakuzha pakuthi. As that area lay on the banks of Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha rivers, it came to be called Muvattupuzha. Nearness to the rivers and the presence of the long fort (nedumkotta) increased the prominence of the place. There had been a palace, fort.temples, bazaars and markets in Arakuzha during the reign of Vadakumkoor Dynasty.
St. Simeon Barsabae
Simeon, bishop of the cities of Seleucia and Ctesiphon in Persia (Iran), was arrested during the persecution of Christians under the Persian king Sapor II. In response to the king’s threats, Simeon responded, “I wish to hold out my head to the sword and die for my people…my sacrifice is not much compared to that of my Master!” After professing his faith and refusing to worship the sun, Simeon was imprisoned together with a hundred other Christians, including bishops and priests. While a prisoner, he persuaded the king’s own tutor to return to the Catholic faith. On the night of Holy Thursday, Simeon kept a vigil, praying that he might be privileged to die on Good Friday, “on the same day, and at the same hour” as his Savior. His prayer was answered the next day, after he was made to watch the beheading of all the other Christians imprisoned with him, whom he encouraged before suffering death himself. The Christian layman Pusicius, a supervisor of the king’s workmen, encouraged one of the priests facing martyrdom. He himself was thereupon executed together with his daughter Askitrea. Every year the feast of St. Simeon Barsabae is celebrated in Arakuzha on February 18. According to Malayalam Calendar this feast is known as ‘Kumbham Ettu Perunal’. In Syro Malabar Church Arakuzha St Mary’s Major Archiepiscopal Church is the only Church Commemorate St. Simeon Barsabae on its major Feastday.
Simeon, bishop of the cities of Seleucia and Ctesiphon in Persia (Iran), was arrested during the persecution of Christians under the Persian king Sapor II. In response to the king’s threats, Simeon responded, “I wish to hold out my head to the sword and die for my people…my sacrifice is not much compared to that of my Master!” After professing his faith and refusing to worship the sun, Simeon was imprisoned together with a hundred other Christians, including bishops and priests. While a prisoner, he persuaded the king’s own tutor to return to the Catholic faith. On the night of Holy Thursday, Simeon kept a vigil, praying that he might be privileged to die on Good Friday, “on the same day, and at the same hour” as his Savior. His prayer was answered the next day, after he was made to watch the beheading of all the other Christians imprisoned with him, whom he encouraged before suffering death himself. The Christian layman Pusicius, a supervisor of the king’s workmen, encouraged one of the priests facing martyrdom. He himself was thereupon executed together with his daughter Askitrea.
Arakkuzha church is said to be “a church built in a thousand for a thousand maples”. The church was originally established in 999. At that time, there were a thousand Christian families here. There is an important Christian community here that belonged to the Kingdom of Keezmalainad and then to the Kingdom of Vadakkukur.
The meaning of the name Arakkhuza is a large area of abundance. The name is a combination of two Tamil words Ara and Kuzhai. Near it is Peringazha (Perum+Kuzhai also means a big area. Arikuzha means a small area, words like Kuzhai, Kot, Komp etc. are the names of the land. Many words with Ara are still used in Malayalam.)
The word Kuzhai is Kuzha in Malayalam. Karai means land. There are many place names and house names that are associated with Kuzhai. Examples are Palakuzha, Thattakukzha, Mangukzha, Dattankuzha etc.
Locational importance
Arakkuzha, Peringuzha, Arikkuzha etc. are located on the bank of Thodupuzhayar. Fertile land. Places accessible by river. Before the implementation of the Idukki hydropower project, Thodupuzhayar was not overflowing with water in summer. During the year, boats traveled a lot. It used to be Thodupuzha. Due to landslides and violent water flow in the year 1094, the banks collapsed and the gorge became a big river. Thodupuzhayar (Thod+river = Thodupuzha) flows into Vembanatukayal as a large river known as Muvatupuzha. So you can travel in moored boats even in summer till Muvatupuzha. The sea coast can be contacted by water. The ancient trade route from Kadduruthi to the east crossing Sahyaparvata to Tamilnadu is just south of Arakkhuja. Thus the river and the land route helped the trade. The kingdom of Kirmalainad (Near the Sahya Mountain, the land below it), which was dominant since the decline of the Second Chera Empire, had its headquarters on the banks of the Thodupuzha Yar. The capital is known as Karikode. The early headquarters of Kirmalainad was Thrikariyur (Thiru+Kari+Oor) near Kothamangalam.Kirmalainad was a vast country at that time. It was a storehouse of spices and forest products. All these areas were Brahmin sanctuaries before the migration of Christians and others. Epidemics of smallpox, cholera, and malaria, and their celibate lives, destroyed their entire clans. Only the names of some fields and place names remain.
Christian immigration
AD Before the 8th century, a number of Christians had settled in the Arakuzha region in various lands. Edamana, who came from North Paravur, was the first to convert to Christianity here. Today they have their own cross, cemetery and later church. In the past there were many such family crosses in Kerala. The original migration of Christians to Arakkuzha took place from Kurilangat parish. A number of families migrated to Arakkuzha for agriculture, to clear forests and cultivate. On that day there was a cross for praying and burying the dead. The parish church (public church) was Mylakomp. It is not easy to get there. In the 8th century, when the Kadamattam church was relocated from Mylakombu, a part of Arakkuza – the entire western side of the stream west of the present Arakkuza church – was included in the Kadamattam parish. But joining that church is not easy. So they lit the cross and prayed and buried the dead near it. All the immigrant Christians did this in the early days.
More than twenty temples in Madhya Kerala started with crosses and cremation like this. They later became public temples. Christians and Hindus took vows on this cross. In later times, when Arakuzha Pallali was erected, the Christians gave up that custom. But the Hindus continued the vow. The existing chapel (built in 1811) was demolished as it was not proper to take vows in an unconsecrated place without a priest present. It was restored in 1973. Now it remains as the chapel of Arakukhupalli. Due to the difficulty of getting to Mailakombupally on time, a rich man known as Rathapalli Muthi built a small mosque where the high school now stands. (Rathapalli family belongs to Kadalikadan family. They came from Kodungallar to Kurilangat and from there to Arakkuzha.) Establishing a women church (due to lack of historical knowledge) is hard to believe in today’s society. But in the past many mosques were founded by women. Katturutthi Cheripalli (belonging to the northern part), Mudalakodam Palli, Ramapuram Palli and Kotur Palli (near Kolancheri) are just examples. The status of women, especially priests’ wives, among Kerala Nasranis before the 16th century, when Western monks began to rule the Nasranis.
Onattachan
Rev Fr Jacob Onattu was a Catholic diocesan priest from St Mary’s Forane Church, Arakuzha, in the Ernakulam diocese. He was born in the Onattu family on May 10, 1868.Fr. Jacob Onattu was ordained as a priest on March 31, 1895. Despite a short priestly ministry, he served as the vicar of several churches near Arakuzha Forane. His primary focus was on aiding the poor and marginalized in society. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the prevailing caste system treated Dalits and the working class as lower members of society. Despite this social evil, Fr. Jacob Onattu, driven by a zealous heart and the love of God, dedicated himself to working among these Dalits, providing them with the solace of Jesus.He lived in the presbytery of St Mary’s Major Archiepiscopal Church, Arakuzha, until his passing. Revered as the priest of Dalits, many, including fellow priests, recognized him as a man of prayer. A devoted follower of Blessed Virgin Mary (ആരക്കുഴ മുത്തി), he prayed the rosary throughout his travels. People approached him for prayers to recover lost items, solace from sickness, students seeking success in exams, and assistance during pest attacks on paddy fields. Miracles attributed to his prayers were witnessed, illustrating how God worked through him to answer the supplications of those seeking his intercession. He departed to eternal life alongside the eternal priest, Jesus Christ, on January 20, 1949. Many individuals visit Fr. Jacob Onattu’s tomb seeking his intercession with Jesus. Each year, on January 20, the memorial of Fr. Onattu is commemorated with “Nerch Oonu.” Today, the faithful of Arakuzha fervently pray, “Santo subito!” asking for the swift canonization of Fr. Jacob Onattu.
