Manarcad (pronounced Ma - nar- cad) is a small town in Kottayam district of Kerala state, South India. It is known for the Manarcad Perunnal, the annual feast at the St. Mary's Church, which is usually held from September 1-8 (during the 8-Day Lent). It is located about 9 km from the town of Kottayam and is on the way to tourist town of Thekkady.

People

The majority of the population depends on agriculture, but recently there is not much agricultural land. Manarcad has now become a suburb of the Kottayam town, and a good residential area. Manarcad is one of the most densely populated villages in Kerala. The ''Rasa'' (a type of religious procession) during the feast of the St. Mary's Church here, which is held in September of every year is known as one of the biggest ''Rasas'' in Asia. Manarcad Temple festival is in the month of January and April (Pathamudayam) every year.

Culture

Manarcad church has been declared as a pilgrimage center of the

Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...

. Majority of its population is Christian, belonging to the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox,

Malankara Orthodox The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in Devalokam, near Kottayam, India. The church serve ...

Marthoma Thomas the Apostle ( arc, 𐡀𐡌𐡅𐡕𐡌, hbo, תוֹמא הקדוש or תוֹמָא שליחא (''Toma HaKadosh'' "Thomas the Holy" or ''Toma Shlikha'' "Thomas the Messenger/Apostle" in Hebrew-Aramaic), syc, ܬܐܘܡܐ, , meaning "twi ...

, Pentecostal and Brethren communities. Main Churches are Manarcad St.Mary's Jacobite Church, Vadakamanoor Orthodox Church, Church Of God Gilgal Maalam and Brethren Assembly Maalam.

Economy

Nowadays, NRIs (Non Resident Indians) act as the financial backbone for this small urban village.

Agriculture

Rubber, pineapple,

pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

and

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

plantations A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

contribute to the agricultural income. Few paddy fields remain unaltered.

Media

Kolo Suryoyo
is a publication by St Mary's youth association, Manarcad. It is a popular Christian Magazine. Margadeepthi magazine is also publishing from Manarcad. Hospital Ministry Of India Manarcadu Cell published "Neeravu".

Main attractions

Manarcad St. Mary's Church, Manarcad Devi Temple, Vijayapuram Srikrishna Temple Vennimala, ''Paalamuri'' bridge and ''Nalumanikatu'' (a road side recreational park near Manarcaud).

Festivals

Main festivals in this area are Manarcad palli perunnal (the

Ettu Nombu Ettu Nombu (Malayalam: എട്ടു നോമ്പ്) or the Eight Day Lent of Mary, mother of Jesus is a solemn remembrance of Mother Mary for Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala, India. The custom is observed in the Oriental Orthodox ( Ja ...

at Manarcad church). Pathamudayam (a ten-day festivity at Bhagavathi temple), Nadathurakkal ( Manarcad church), Pattukalam Koodicha (a 41-day festival at Bhagavathi temple), Kumbha Bharani ( a one-day festival at Bhagavathi temple) and Meena Bharani (a one-day festival at bhagavathi temple), procession during Sreekrishna Jayanthi at vijayapuram sreekrishna swamy temple. The bhagavathi temple is believed to be older than 2000 years. People from all religions take part in church and temple events with harmony. Other attractions is a procession (''Rasa'') in the Manarcad St. Mary's church, which is considered to be one of the longest and heavily packed ''Rasas'' in Asia. On the seventh day of the feast, a very old icon of the Virgin Mary is unveiled in a ceremony known as ''Nadathurakkal.'' Masayogam held in Church Of God Gilgal Bhavan Maalam is a festival of Pentecost communities. Another attraction in this town is 'Naalumanikaatu' on the Manarcadu-Ettumanoor Bypass. The word 'Naalumanikaatu' means evening breeze. In the evening, many people in this town spend some time at this place. ''Ammaveedu'' (literally, "Mother's house") a charitable organisation very near St. Mary's church, an organization for aged and sick people who are lonely in life .

Schools

* St . Mary's English Medium School * St Mary's Higher Secondary school * St. Mary's College, Manarcad * St Mary's I T C * St Mary's Hospital * St Mary's School Of nursing * Infant Jesus Bethany Academy * Govt.UPS Manarcad * Govt UPS Maalam

Transportation

Buses provide the main public transportation and are available 24/7. The nearest railway station is the Kottayam railway station (about 8 km away). More than 200 other buses operate in this route.

Getting there

Nearby Places

Maalam, Oravackal, Areeparambu, Ayarkunnam, Pampady , Puthuppally, Panikkamattom, 6th Mile, Palamuri, Kuzhippurayidom, Vadavathoor, Thiruvanchoor, Amayannor.

Sports and games

Manarcad has its own sports history. There is a variety of football Naadan panthukali in which they use a small leather ball the size of a cricket ball. This game has five innings, and normally it will take three hours to get finished.

External links

{{commons category, Manarcaud
Manarcad St.Mary's Church, Official website

Manarcad churchManarcad Sri Bhagavathy Temple
Cities and towns in Kottayam district