Kaipuzha is a small village in

Kottayam District Kottayam (), is one of 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns: Kottayam, Changanassery, Pala, Erattupetta, Ettumanoor, and Vaikom. It is the only district in Kerala that neither borders the A ...

and sub-district in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions. History Pre-indepen ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. 2001 census, it had a population of 6,991 in 1,565 households.

Geography

The name Kaipuzha is derived from the two words Kai (which means "hand") and Puzha (which means "river"). This is a testament to the many small canal-like rivers found in the vicinity and it is a tributary of meenachil river . It is bounded by

Ettumanoor Ettumanoor, sometimes spelled Ettumanur, is a major town and municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India, located 11 kilometers north-east of Kottayam city, 50 kilometers south of Cochin, and 70 kilometers south of Cochin Internatio ...

to the east and Mannanam to the south. Nearby villages also include

Athirampuzha Athirampuzha is a town in Kottayam district of Kerala state, South India. It is famous as the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University is situated here. Athirampuzha is situated 10 km north of Kottayam town, 3 km f ...

Neendoor Neendoor is a very small town in the Kottayam district in Kerala, India. The town is located 8 km north of Kottayam town, and is bordered by the towns of Kaipuzha, Athirampuzha, Kallara, Manjoor, Vechoor, and Onamthuruthu. Geograp ...

, Kurumulloor, Manjoor, Kallara, and

Vechoor Vechoor is a village in Vaikom taluk, Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. Vechoor is a short drive away from one of Kerala's tourist destinations, Kumarakom. The Vechur Cow breed of cattle is named after this village. Geograph ...

which gave its name to the

Vechur cow The Vechur Cow ( ml, വെച്ചൂര്‍ പശു ) is a rare breed of ''Bos indicus'' cattle named after the village Vechoor in Vaikom Taluk, Kottayam district of the state of Kerala in India. With an average length of 124 cm ( ...

, smallest breed of cattle found anywhere in the world.

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south- ...

Town is located 7 km south.

History

Kaipuzha,

, and

were popular places for trade purposes because of the navigable rivers found all over the area. In the olden days, Kaipuzha was believed to be one of the border villages between the

Thekkumkur The Kingdom of Thekkumkur ( ml, തെക്കുംകൂർ രാജ്യം) (also transliterated as ''Thekkumkoor'' or ''Thekkumcore'') was an independent kingdom in the southern part of Kerala in India from 1103 CE until 1750 CE.P. Shung ...

and Vadakkumkur kingdoms. When Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur were defeated by the Travancore kingdom, Kaipuzha came under Travancore. K.E. College, which was founded and named after the Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara was once believed to originally be planned to be built in Kaipuzha, but politics within the community changed that location to nearby Mannanam.

Religion

The majority of people are either Hindus or Christians. One ancient temple found in Kaipuzha is Sri Dharma Sastha temple, which is located near the Sasthankal junction. Legend proclaims that it was Sree Parasurama who consecrated the idol of Lord Ayyappa in this temple, facing to the West. Kaipuzha has its place in the famous book "EITHIHYAMALA" by Sri Kottarathil Sankunni. Historical scripts reveal that during the region of the Edathil Royal family, this temple gained fame, and Pujas and rituals were held with all of its grandeur. St. George’s Forane Church was built in 1813. Bishop Thomas Tharayil, the third bishop of the

Knanaya The Knānāya, (from Syriac: ''Knā'nāya'' (Canaanite)) also known as the Southists or Tekkumbhagar, are an endogamous ethnic group found among the Saint Thomas Christian community of Kerala, India. They are differentiated from another part of ...

Kottayam Archdiocese was born here. Hindus are a minority and there are no Muslims in this village.

Notable residents

Thomas Tharayil 3rd Bishop of Knanaya Kottayam Archdiocese Justice

Cyriac Joseph Cyriac Joseph (born on 28 January 1947 at Kaipuzha, Kottayam District, Travancore) was a Judge of the Supreme Court of India from 7 July 2008 to 27 January 2012. Early life He was born in Kaipuzha, Kottayam Kerala on 28 January 1947. He compl ...

was born in Kaipuzha.

References

{{Kottayam district Villages in Kottayam district