Marthandam

Marthandam Thoduvetty
—  town  —
Coordinates
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
District(s)	Kanyakumari
Nearest city	Nagercoil & Trivandrum
Parliamentary constituency	Kanyakumari
Assembly constituency	Vilavancode
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Codes • Pincode • 629165 • Telephone • +04651 • Vehicle • TN-75

Vedisasthan Kovil

Vedisasthan Kovil another View

CSI Church in Martandam

Marthandam is a major trade centre in Kuzhithurai municipality across National Highway (NH 47) in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India, at the border with Kerala. Originally called Thoduvetty, it was a portion of Kanyakumari district which was added to the state of Tamil Nadu on November 1, 1956. Marthandam may have been named after the ruler of Travancore, Marthanda Varma.

Manhunt at Marthandam

Deliverance Day programmes started with a public meeting on 11 August 1954 at Marthandam Gandhi Maidan. Sixteen volunteers were selected to picket at Kuzhithurai First Class Magistrate Court. Selected volunteers were garlanded and taken in a procession. Initially nearly 5000 people participated in the procession and at about 11.30 a.m. it approached Kuzhithurai. Those who accompanied the procession shouted slogans like, “Pattom Rule Down Down”, “United Tamilagam will be formed”, “Struggle will be continued until then”, “Struggle started”, etc. When the mob reached the gate of the Magistrate Court, the number of participants doubled to 10,000. Without giving any warning, to disburse the mob, the police resorted to lathi charge suddenly and arrested many. Hundreds of people were injured. From the Magistrate Court the mob dispersed into two and one group went to the Kuzhithurai Bus Stand . At that time the students of Marthandam English High School got out of the School premises and went in a procession. Under the pretext that the students pelted stones, the police initiated lathi charge and arrested two of them. Thus the situation at Marthandam became worse as a result of the wrong approach of the police department.

Many government buses were damaged. In between Marthandam and Thoduvetty the road was blocked by telephone posts, electrical posts and big stones. The police sub-inspector of Vilavancode Station requested the Assistant Superintendent of Police to visit the spot. He came immediately and ordered for firing. Many were shot dead and certain others injured. As per the Shankaran Commission Report, the number of dead was 3 at Marthandam. But actually the number was much more than what was reported by the Commission.

Produce

Marthandam is famous for honey, cashew nut processing, rubber and hand-embroidered motifs. The area is full of greenery, and there is a river adjoining. It is also a major trade centre due to its location bordering Kerala.Lush paddy fields,Coconut trees, highlands, hills and hillocks, rubber plantations and places associated with many legends given Martandam the enviable title.

• In addition to that,the Chips that you get from the Bakeries are tastier than in any other Parts of the World.

Education

• Marthandam is home to the Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Government Higher Secondary School (close to 150 years old) and the Victory Embroidery School. The latter provides work to women skilled in the art of hand embroidery from the surrounding villages. S. Retna Raj, the founder of Victory Embroidery School in the year 1950, was the first industrialist of Marthandam who put this market town on the textile map of Tamil Nadu.
• Christuraja Matriculation Higher Secondary School in North street Marthandam. "Knowledge is to serve" is the main motto of the school. Christuraja School had a modest beginning with just 23 students. Actually the history of the school dates back to 10 August 1971, when the Lions Club of Kulasekaram handed over the ownership and management of its ‘Lions Club Kinder Garten School’ to the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary. Marthandam has to its pride an old church built exclusively of stone by a British architect, John Sinclair, in 1883.
• Marthandam Hindu Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School (near Kotheswaram Temple). Qualitative, man-making education to bring out excellence in man is the prime goal of the Hindu Vidyalayas.
• Good Shepherd School, situated in the North Street, has been known for its excellent features, infrastructure and the quality of education. It is one of the topmost schools in Marthandam.

Transport

Marthandam is strategically located. It is one of the most fertile lands of Tamil Nadu and has the climatic conditions of Kerala. It has a railway line connecting the capital of Kerala, Trivandrum, with the southernmost tip of India, Kanyakumari. The station is still called Kuzhithurai. Marthandam is well connected to chennai,mumbai,bangalore by rail service also bus service setc to all over Tamil Nadu.

Temples

.The main festivals celebrated here are Samivaravu, Sivarathri, Christmas and Onam.

There is a Lord Ayyappa temple in Marthandam at the banks of Kuzhithurai River.

This temple is known as either "Vettuvenni temple" or "Vedi sasthan Kovil". The latter one due to the fire cracker being burst at the temple as a mark of prayer to Lord Ayyappa. This temple is just by the side of National Highway NH-47 connecting Trivandrum with Nagercoil

• The very famous and old temple in Marthandam is KOTHESHWARAM temple.

• Kurumbetti Bagavathi Amman KoVil : famous Amman temple Near to Marthandam New Bus Stand(towards Viricode)
• The famous esaki amman kovil present in the pnp complex..

Alappancode Sree Easwarakla Boothathan Temple is just 4 km from Kuzhithurai Jn to wards Arumanai Road and adjacent to Melpuram Jn. In Tamil Nadu it is the only temple where a large number of caparisoned elephants are participating in the annual festival. Every year more than thirty five decorated elephants are joining for the procession. The procession will start from the Kariyathara Temple in Anducode and finishes in Alappancode and the procession will cover about seven kilometers. Devotees from Kerala and Tamil Nadu are gathering here to see the festival. The festival will be held on the last Saturday of December.

The famous Jain temple known as Malayil kovil is just 4 KM from Marthandam, the exact name of the place is Chitharal. Frequent buses are available from Marthandam to Thikurichy Bhagavathy Amman Temple. A number of foreigners are visiting this temple. Now the temple is under the control of Archealogy department

The famous Trimoorthy temples called Mahadevar, Brahma and Mahavishnu temples are in one compound at banks of famous Tamraparni River just walkable distance from Kuzhithurai Bus stand. The Sree Chamundesari temple is just adjacent to the mahadevar temple. Though the temples are under Devaswam board but these temples are maintained by a best trust called kuzhithurai sree mahadevar shektra samrakshna samithi, with the help of devotees of this surrounding area the committee has spend a huge amount for the renovation of the temples. A large number of devotees from Kanyakumari and Trivadrum District are visiting Sree Chamundeswari Temple for special poojas especially unmaried girls for a good marriage life.

Churches

The CSI Church which is situated in the Main Road at the Junction. It was built by Sinclair, a missionary from Scotland.In the Period of Christmas,they Illuminate the Church and the Church used to Shine with beautiful Lights.They fire Crackers and Celebrate the Festival.

Folk Arts

There are several Folk Arts practiced in temples for Sastha (ayyanar), Sudalaimadan and Isakkiamman. Villupattu is especially for Sastha temples and Kaniankoothu is practiced for Sudalaimadan. Grand Tamil poetess Avvaiyar temples are found along with Isakki amman temples and worship of teachings of Avvaiyar can be observed

Places near by Marthandam

• Kottagom
• Thickurichy
• Viricode
• Kappukad
• Mullanchery
• Unnamalakadai
• pudukkadai
• munchirai
• Karungal
• Irenipuram
• Elavuvilai
• Mukkutukal
• Kuruvilvillai

Gnarakadu

• Melpuram
• pallanvilai
• Kodumkulam
• Thachanvilagam
• Erucka vilai
• Maruthancode
• Palliyadi

Notes

Mukkutukal Kuruvillvillai Manjalumoodu Viricode Chitharal Thundathara Vilai

External links

• Kumari Arivial Peravai

See also

• C. Boaz