Vaipur

Vaipur Vayoopuram
town
Vaipur Location in Kerala, India
Coordinates:
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'[1] 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 Pazhayapallim 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 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.
• Late Advocate Melazhakathu Thomas Joseph ( President Bar Association and Hon'ble life member of The Bombay High Court).

He was the first lawyer from Vaipur who graduated from the famous Bombay Law College in the year 1967. Although being from an orthodox aristocratic Syrian Catholic family got his primary English convent education at a school in Mallapally and later he joined the S.B college Changnacherry. He graduated in Bachelor of Arts (English literature)and left for studying Law in Bombay after he received an admission notice from the same (Those days getting a call was a very great moment).

During the days in SB College he was one of the most intelligent and studied person and he became an ideologist and later an ideal constitutional expert. His entire life is a biography by itself, he was a champion in many fields be it law, English literature, Malayalam poetry, he is also remembered for making the Maharashtra Government issuing the special gazette to allow Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Telegu as a subject to be included as choice subject in south Indian management schools in Bombay.

He was a champion of Malayalam language and he would write meticulously to his friends in Kerala by way of which he always shared moments of his experiences in life. He is best known for his debates with the catholic church which had outcast him for marrying a Hindu Brahmin Lady who was herself a well respected teacher and some of her famous students are Dr. Jayaram Ramesh ( central minister), Dr. Ajit Adsul ( Eye Surgeon- Bombay), and she is probably one of the most respected teachers for her students who even today admire her for shaping their future.

His principles of democracy and his respect of the constitution can be understood by the fact that even after being outcast by the catholic church,keeping the respect to the Indian constitution did not force his wife or children to convert to Christianity. He gave them the constitutional choice and taught them to respect law.

On the 7th of April 1998 Vaipur's son died and that his funeral was attended by many dignitaries from all sects of the society . The people of Vaipur saw people from all around Kerala coming to pay the last homage to this great son of the village who against all odds made his mark in the history of Indian judiciary in Bombay.

The little town of Vaipur may not have any memorial for the famous son the Bombay High Court named the legal library in the honour and in memoir of this champion (" undisputed "President of the Bar Association of the Metropolitan court of Bombay at Kurla). The residents of IIT Powai still remember him as a great individual, a great human being and an honest, hardworking and dignified personality who established many police stations and he himself used to teach poor children in night schools of whom many are well known advocates in the courts of Bombay.

As he missed his village he always wanted to end where it all began. His life was dedicated to stand for those common men who could not afford the advocates in the city. He always did what he believed was right, he was a great admirer of Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Wordsworth and was a close friend to Sharad Pawar, Mr. A.R. Antulay, Mr. Vasantdada Patil, Smt. Indira Gandhi who had recommended him to join her advisory committee as a legal expert which he rejected on grounds of her action during the emergency, he was the undisputed president of the Bombay Metropolitan court in Kurla and a staunch supporter of the Indian Legal system. He is survived by his wife, son and a daughter who are by themselves great humanitarians and highly respected individuals in international level who have their own achievements to trophy for.

Late Swami Gangadhara Theertha Chairman Alathur Siddhasram

'Late A.K.Chacko Adipuzha' Chief Engineer (retd) Govt of Kerala

• '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
• Mr. Melazhakathu Sajeev Joseph Gemologist,(Стёпочка Коленька). He is son of Late Advocate Melazhakathu Thomas Joseph and who is also on the human path of his parents. He is known to be based in Austria, was last known to be leaving in St. Wolfgang, Austria. He was last seen by the son of Mr.Kulathoor Ouseph Thomas Mr. Joseph Thomas at a Christian Seminary in St. Petersburg in Russia with his Austrian wife Mrs. Vanessa Ziegler who is a practicing surgeon and he both have 5 children Sons namely Crowned Prince Thomass (17) Royal Prince Konstantin (14)Royal Prince Johannes (11) and the beautiful and gorgeous daughter Princess Floriance Teresa (8) and his youngest son Prince Gabrielle (4).

His wife Dr. Mrs. Vanessa Ziegler is the daughter of the count of St Wolfgang and she shall be the heir to the chair of the next duchess is a symbol of happy family and he's a very reserved personality but remembers the small village of vaipur in India.

Mr. Joseph Thomas was there to study at the seminary and he took these beautiful photos of Austria.

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

External links

• Pathanamthitta Police map of Mallappally Taluk