Kudamaloor - Heritage by the River

Stroll along the banks of the Konakiri canal in Kudamaloor which is part of a northern tributary of the river Meenachil and breathe in a whiff of history from the temples, churches and the traditional Nalukettus dating aeons ago that dot the landscape

Once upon a time, this village of Kudamaloor tucked away in Kottayam district was the command centre of the Chembakasserri kings

Near the Eraveeswaram Mahadeva temple stands the Valiyamodam Nalukettu, the traditional wooden structure where the erstwhile royal family still stays

Near the temple can also be seen the ramparts of the old fort pockmarked by canon holes

The chundam valloms that now take part in boatraces once upon a long time ago weighed anchor as a naval fleet at nearby Kottakadavu 

The Chembakasseri kings were secular in outlook so temples and churches received equal patronage. Among the ten temples are:

·      Kudamaloor Devi Temple famed for its murals

·      Vasudevapuram Temple played host only to the women folk of Kudamaloor Chempakasseri Madom. Murals paint its walls

Among the churches of Kudamaloor are:

·      St.Mary’s Forane church dates back 800 years to the time of St. Thomas, the Apostle. It is considered to be one of the seven churches that he established

It is in St.Mary’s Forane church that Saint Alphonsa, a native of Kudamaloor was baptized

Kudamaloor being an important outpost of a royal kingdom also became a cultural hubbub, a tradition that continues till date

The temples like the Karukulangara Sri Bhadrakali temple are renowned for their standout performances of folk forms:

·      Tiyattu – or Teyyatu The word is believed to be a variation on the word Daivamattu which means dancing to please the deity.  It’s a dance traditionally performed for the Goddess Bhadrakali and Lord Ayyappan and commonly to ward off epidemics

·      Bhadrakali Tiyattu 

It begins at noon with the worship of the deity Bhadrakali to the sound of music. In the evening, Bhadrakali’s image is created with black, yellow, white, green and red powders in the traditional Kalamezhuthu form of art. At night the Tiyattuni and his followers sing praises to the deity. One of the performers then assumes the form of Bhadrakali killing the demon Danka. He prays to Lord Siva and then waves the torch, a symbol of the Lord Destroyer around the assembled gathering. This significant ritual ending the dance performance is to ward off the evil eye

Other forms like Garudam Parava (Garuda is the mount of Lord Vishnu) are also performed at Kudamaloor’s temples

Kudamaloor is home to a panoply of artistes from varied art forms:

·      Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, Kathakali artiste hails from here

·      KunchanNambiar spent his boyhood here and rose to become the inventor of Thullal and a favourite of the Chembakasseri king. But this did not mean he spared the king in his satire. In the same breath where he praised the Raja he poked fun at his increasing bald pate!

·      KudamaloorJanardanan self-taught artiste of the flute continues to entrance with his exquisite mastery of the bamboo instrument

Other artistes to be found in Kudamaloor:

·      Folk form Kerrida artistes 

·      Kalaripayyatu performers – the traditional martial art form that is scientific in applying principles of mind-body co-ordination and medicinal practices

In keeping with its acclaimed cultural activity, Kudamaloor hosts centres of learning for Kathakali as well as other arts:

·      Devivilasam Kathakali yogam 

·      Sopanam Kalavedi & Research Centre 

Reaching Kudamaloor 

Take the train to Kottayam and drive down approximately 5.4 km

Drive down from Kochi airport. It takes approx 2 hours and then some