Karukachal

Karukachal
—  village  —
Karukachal Location of Karukachal in Kerala and India
Coordinates	9°30′00″N 76°38′00″E
Country	India
State	Kerala
District(s)	Kottayam
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 81 metres (266 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 686540 • Telephone • +91 48248 • Vehicle • KL -

Karukachal is a small village in Kottayam district of Kerala state in India. Karukachal is 20 km from Kottayam town. The nearest railway station is Changanassery which is 15 km away.

The origin of the name Karukachal is possibly related to the Malayalam words karuka and chal.Karuka is a type of grass and chal means a small stream. Its also said that Karukachal and nearby places were home to many warriors and their chekavans(servants). Although there is no historical evidence to back this, its said that, the warriors used to clean their sword after battles in stream near to this place .(There was a small stream near the present bus stand in karukachal).Thus chances are that Karukachal got its name from the malayalam words vaal kazhuki chaal. vaal(sword), kazhuki (to wash) and chal (stream).Vaalkazhukeechal ultimately became karukachal.

Religious places

The present day Karukachal does not have the stream from which the village got its name. Karukachal is also home to many temples and churches,

• Champakkara Devi temple,
• Champakkara Church,
• St.Thomas Marthoma Church, Champakara
• Nettalloor Devi temple,
• Sri Ayyappa Temple owned by The Ayyappa seva sangham,
• Kootrappalli Church,
• Vetticavumkal Sree Mahadeva Kshetram,
• Chelakompu St.Andrew's CMS Anglican Church,
• Nedumkunnam St.John the Baptist Church,
• Nearest temple *anikkattilammakshethram

Banks

The Federal Bank Ltd The South Indian Bank Ltd The Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd State Bank Of Travancore Kottayam Dt. Co-operative Bank Champakara Co-opeative Bank North Malabar Grammin Bank Dhanalakhmi Bank (Proposed) Madappaly Service Co-operative Bank Punjab National Bank(Proposed)

Sree subhananda Darsana Mandapam.Kuttikkal. (Subhananda Gurudevan, a social reformer among backward caste who have been under slavery for decades) and Four more Subhanandasramams are being situated in Karukachal.

St.Andrew's CMS Anglican Church Chelakompu

St.Andrew's CMS Anglican Church is situated at Chelakompu in the thirteenth word of nedumkunnam panchayath (chelakompu p.o),kottayam district,pin 686540. This is a Protestant church established by the missionaries of the church mission society (in short CMS)in 1857, on the day of St Andrew, 30th Nov. (Now St.Andrews day was transferred to 2nd Dec.)

The missionaries of CMS came to Calcutta first and started gospel work there.As a result of their work a diocese was established.Then their work spread to madras and there too a diocese was established.It was in July 1879, diocese of Travaccore and Cochin was established and St.Andrews CMS Anglican church became one of the churches in Travencore and Cochin Diocese (in short TC Diocese.

Before the formation of TC Diocese, St Andrews CMS Anglican Church was in existence. The Missionary named Thomas Norton came to Alleppey in 1816. A Church existed Mallapally wholly became a church of the CMS missionaries and thereafter the missionaries began their gospel work making this church as their centre place or headquarters. The downtrodden castes enjoyed freedom when they became Christians. Seeing the freedom enjoyed by the converted Christians, almost all members of the downtrodden castes at chelakompu converted to Christianity. Thus a church was Anglican church. In order to educate the converted Christians, a school was also established nearly one kilometer away from this church. This school is "CMS U.p school chelakompu". To express their gratitude to God, the faithful conduct procession (or rassa) every year on 8th vrichikom at 7 PM from the foot of this UP school to their church. Hundreds of faithfuls participate in this grand procession. This harvest festival of this church is celebrated on 8th and 9th of vrichikom.

The faithfuls of this church even today continue to keep up the faith rites and rituals taught by the CMS Missionaries.

Nearest places

• Karukachal Town
• Karukachal-Aniyarappadi-Nathellore Road

The location of Karukachal was very important during Rajavazcha(rule of the king). It was a resting place for Royal Family members who made pleasure trips to Highranges. For their safety, many Kuruppan families settled in Karukachal. The Royal family members enjoyed their hospitality and protection. The earliest Concrete Road runs thru' Karukachal. The present Changanacherry-Kumily Road is laid upon the old concrete Road. Bullock Carts used to ply in convoys to the western market in Changanacherry and back. Karukachal was an assembling point for these carts which were coming from various inlands.

• Kangazha

Kangazha is a beautiful place, having a serene atmosphere in Changanacherry Taluk east to Karukachal. Famous for the MGDM Hospital one of the oldest multispeciality community referral hospitals in Kerala. The first Self Finance Nursing College in private sector in Kerala, Theophilis College of Nursing is also situated at Kangazha. Other educational institutions at kangazha are PGM college of arts and Science, P Geevarghese School of Nursing, School of Laboratory Technology-MGDM Hospital, Baselios Higher Secondary School, St. Thomas School Kangazha etc.

• Panayampala
• Vettikavumkal
• Kochuparambu
• Nedumkunnam
• Nedumkunnam
• manthuruthy
• kallepuram
• kuruppan kavala
• Punnavely
• Nethalloor
• Kaidachira
• Kochukulam
• Puthupally padavu
• Muthiramala
• Champakara
• Koothrapally
• Santhipuram
• Kavalimavu
• Mampathy
• Thommachery
• subhashpadi
• sreerengom
• aasramaom padi
• Peumpettymon
• Nedungadappally
• Plachikal
• Umbidi

Banglam Kunnu

• Perumpanachy/Thengana