Manikandapuram ( ml, മണികണ്ഠപുരം) was the capital of the
Kingdom of Thekkumkur
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
(now part of India). Manikandapuram is a part of
Vakathanam Gramam in the
Changanassery Taluk of
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 ...
. At the beginning of the Thekkumkur princely state, the nearest place,
Vennimala
Vennimala is a small village located in Puthuppally Grama Panchayath of the Kottayam district in Kerala. Vennimala is east of Kottayam. It lies between the towns of Western Kerala and the mountains of the Western Ghats. Vennimala was once a de ...
was established as the headquarters. Vennimala was the most secure place for the enemy. The forests were cut down and developed into habitable areas and the administration is strengthened by the capital city of Manikandapuram.
Manikandapuram Temple
The Manikandapuram Sreekrishna Temple was built in the 12th century by
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 ...
king
Eravi Manikanda Varman (reign: 1150 - 1180 C.E). The construction of the temple and the installation of the idol of Lord Krishna took place on the 25th day of Malayalam month Medam (
Meṣa
Meṣa, or Mesha (मेष), is a month in the Indian solar calendar. It corresponds to the zodiacal sign of Aries, and overlaps with about the second half of April and about the first half of May in the Gregorian calendar. Generally Mesha month ...
) in
Kollam Era
The Malayalam Calendar is a sidereal solar calendar used in Kerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, the beginning of the Kollam Era.
There are many theories regarding the origin of the era, but according to recent schola ...
325 (1150 C.E). The king would take part in the annual festival of
Vennimala Sree Rama Lakshmana Swamy Temple. During the royal hunting (Pallivetta) in the temple, the king Eravi Manikandan shot an animal he saw, but it was a cow. The Manikandapuram Temple was built by King Manikandan for his atonement, knowing that he killed a cow.
There is evidence that the fort and the tunnels were at Manikandapuram, as were the later headquarters of the Thekkumkur monarchy at
Changanassery
Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India.
History
The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...
and
Thaliyanthanapuram (Kottayam). The temple was very popular in the Thekkumkur dynasty. References to this temple are found in
Aithihyamala
Aithihyamala or Ithihyamala ( ml, ഐതിഹ്യമാല) (''Garland of Legends'') is a collection of century-old stories from Kerala that cover a vast spectrum of life, famous persons and events. It is a collection of legends numbering over ...
of
Kottarathil Sankunni
Kottarathil Sankunni (born Vasudevan, 1855–1937) was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature. Best known as the author of Aithihyamala, an eight-volume compilation of century-old legends about Kerala, Sankunni's writings cover prose and poetry ...
and ''
Unnuneeli Sandesam
''Uli Sandam'' is among the oldest works in Malayalam language. It is a '' sandesa kavyam'' (message poem), a message written in poetry, on the lines of the famous ''Meghadūta'' of Kalidasa. In the case of this work, it is a message written by a ...
'', the classics of Malayalam Literature.
''Unnuneeli Sandesam''
The Malayalam poem ''
Unnuneeli Sandesam
''Uli Sandam'' is among the oldest works in Malayalam language. It is a '' sandesa kavyam'' (message poem), a message written in poetry, on the lines of the famous ''Meghadūta'' of Kalidasa. In the case of this work, it is a message written by a ...
'' describes the ancient Manikandapuram and Sreekrishna temple. In this poem, the temple and the underground passages connecting Venimala and Manikandapuram are explicit. There is depression in Manikandapuram, which looks like the entrance to a tunnel. The temple has huge acres of paddy fields in revenue records to feed hundreds of people every day.
[Book Title: Unnuneeli Sandesam
Edited By: Elamkulam P N Kunjan Pillai
Publisher: National Book Stall
Malayalam Poems]
References
{{Reflist
Kingdom of Thekkumkur
Changanassery
Historical Indian regions
Former capital cities in India
Culture of Kerala
History of Changanassery