Vaipur

Vaipur Vayoopuram
town
Hanging Bridge, Vaipur
Coordinates: 9°26′50″N 76°42′25″E
Country	India
State	Kerala
District	Pathanamthitta
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	689588
Telephone code	0469
Vehicle registration	KL - 28
Nearest city	Mallappally
Literacy	99.99%%
Lok Sabha constituency	Pathanamthitta

Vaipur is a village located on the banks of the Manimala River, in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India.

Vaipur port (chanda kadavu) has an ancient trading history. It had links to Purakkad and Alappuzha port and was connected to Manimala, Niranam, Kallooppara, Mallappally, Kaviyoor, Tiruvalla, Nedumkunnam, and nearby places. Traders from nearby villages used to come to the Vaipur market to sell and buy their wares. Vaipur chanda (market) functioned 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 many 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 and Keethrikka Sree Krishna Swami Temple. The nearest temple is 'Anikkattilammakshethram.

Vaipur is also famous for some Temple Festivals: Vaipur Mahadeva Temple Utsavam (famous is the 5th Festival which is celebrated on the 5th day of the festival by "chettimukku"), 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 had 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) including Erumely, Kanjirappally, Vaipur, etc.

Muslims in Vaipur are either Rawthers (Rawthers or Rowther are follow the Hanafi school of fiqh). The word Rawther is derived from Rajaputra (Rajputs). They are famous for their bravery and commanders of Cavalry divisions of the king's army. The myth says Rawthers originally belonged to Pandya Desam near Madurai in Tamil Nadu (currently Chennai). A few of the Rawther families migrated to different places of Kerala; including Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Kollam and Eduki districts and Malabar.

"Vaipur Chandanakkudam" is a local festival celebrated 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

Much of Vaipurs population dates back to Christian settlements, going as far back as 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. 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 meantime more parishes settled in nearby places namely Kulathur, Chunkappara etc.

There are many pentecostal churches here they include India Pentecostal Church of God, Assemblies of God in India 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 10 branches: 1) Edoor (Vaipur), 2) Karuthaparackal (Vaipur), 3) Kallooprayat (South Anicad), 4) Mecherimannil (Vaipur), 5) Cheranackal (Kottangal), 6) Edoor Marungottil (Vakathanam), 7) Plakizh (Eraviperoor) 8) Kozhimannil (Morani South Anicad), 9) Puthuparampil Peedika (Vaipur), 10)Kulathunkal (Anicad). 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.

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