Manarcad (pronounced Ma - nar- cad) is a small town in

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-we ...

district of

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 ...

state,

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

. 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

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

town, and a good residential area. Manarcad is one of the most densely populated villages in

. 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 St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Cathedral, Manarcad, is cathedral located in Manarcad, about 9 km from the town of Kottayam in Kerala, India. It is a destination for people on annual pilgrimages for the uncanonical 8 Day Lent of the ...

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,

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 Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

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 Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

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 A paddy field is a flooded field of arable land used for growing semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in southern China, associated with pre-Aust ...

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 ...

). Pathamudayam (a ten-day festivity at Bhagavathi temple), Nadathurakkal (

), 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 Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

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 Pampady is a fastest growing town in Kottayam district of Kerala, Southern India. It lies midway between the backwaters of Western Kerala and the mountains of the Western Ghats. Etymology The meaning of Pampady as per Malayalam Dictionary ...

, 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