St. Catherine Church, Eraviputhenthurai, Kanyakumari
St.
Catherine Church is located at Eraviputhenthurai Village on the coast of
the Arabian Sea in Thoothoor Village Panchayat in Vilavancode
Taluk in Kanyakumari District of Tamil
Nadu. This village is bounded in the north by the A.V.M (Anantha
Victoria Marthandam) Canal, south by the Arabian Sea, east by Chinnathurai
village and west by Thadeupuram village.
History
The
History of Eraviputhenthurai can be traced from the legend. In the 16th century
this region was ruled by King Kalinga. People say that this village changed
after the legendary story happened in the Kingdom of Kalinga. Kalinga arranged marriage for his daughter. He invited
well-wishers from everywhere and also invited Mother Sea, who instructed him in
a dream that if she came, the kingdom would be no more. But the king compelled
her to attend. In return Mother Sea sent a Tsunami in the 16th century which destroyed his dynasty.
After
some years King Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma decided to make this village the capital calling
it Aadhithyanthurai (Aadhithya-name of King Aadhithya Varma, King's
father and Thurai—Coastal Village). Later in the 19th century Maharaja Marthanda
Varma succeeded Swathi Thirunal
Rama Varma. The Varma's reign was an important stage in the history of Travancore. Marthanda Varma's policy towards the Dutch and English
had no support from his own people and was obliged to depend on foreign
mercenaries.
The
armies which led him to victory owed their efficiency and fighting skill to
Flemish soldier D'Lannoy's discipline, who built Travancore forts after he was
taken captive at the battle of Colachel. When Marthanda Varma ascended the ancestral throne,
the Dutch were powerful in the east. They had settlements in the Pacific and
the Indian oceans and a number of fortified places in Ceylon and the Coromandel and Malabar
Coasts. Most Malabar rulers were under
their influence while some were their acknowledged vassals. Varma's successes
flowed from a steady policy of national political expansion.
The
suppression of the Poligars of Tinnevelly and the buttressing of the authority
of the Nawab of the Carnatic were achieved by the East India Company with the active help of the Maharaja who sent
large armies to fight the enemy at Vasudevanallur, Nellithankavila and many
another places. However, the Maharaja was obliged to recognize the formal
precedence of the Nawab. King Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma planned to dig a
canal from Poovar to Erayumanthurai connecting river Neyyar in Poovar and river
Tamirabarani in Eraiyumenthurai.
In 1860,
he named the canal AVM canal (Anantha Victoria Marthanda Varma) canal. Here
Anantha stands for King Anantha Varman—Father of UTM Varman, Victoria refers
to Queen Victoria who ruled over India during this time and
Marthanda refers to Marthanda Varman, the King. Soon after this the King
constructed the first Bridge above this canal for free traveling and named it
Aadhithyanthurai Bridge which still remains, ruined at E.P. Thurai Edappadu,
justifying the history.
Later an
epidemic took many lives. Many people moved towards east and settle down there
and called that village as Puthenthurai (Puthen-New., Thurai- Coastal
Village). Later on, Puthenthurai was attacked by great tsunamis and many people lost their lives. During this
flood, a soldier named Eravikuttipilla helped to rescue many people so the
people named the village Eraviputhenthurai. Portuguese missionaries invaded
this village and built a Church under the Patronage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. People were very much happy to call this village
honoring the Patroness
as Santacatherinaputhenthurai (Stcatherineputhenthurai.).
The
Church
St.
Catherine Church plays a vital role in the day-to-day life of
Eraviputhenthurai. The village's conversion may be traced back to not later
than A.D. 1544 when St. Francis Xavier converted nearly 10,000 Mukkuvars (fishermen and
women) living in thirteen villages along the coast from Pallam to Poovar.
Immediately thereafter they pulled down their Hindu
temple and idols. A cross was built
and thatches were made for worship. In due course, they were converted into
churches.
In 1600,
the existing Thoothoor Parish Church was brought under the Padroado. Thoothoor Parish came under the Diocese
of Cochin. In 1838, St. Thomas Church,
Thoothoor and other adjacent coastal Churches from Pallithura to Erayumanthurai
were brought under the Diocese of Varapuzha. Ultimately Thoothoor was brought
under the Diocese of Cochin in 1850.
Under
the Diocese of Cochin St. Catherine Church was Built at Adthiyanthurai
(Eraviputhenthurai). The Patroness was St. Catherine of Alexandria. The church
was constructed by English missionaries. Later in the 19th century this village
was flooded. The new village was named Puthenthurai (Puthen =New. Thurai =
Coastal Village). The name of the village became Santa Catherina Puthenthurai)
(St catherineputhenthurai). In the 1860s a new Church was constructed, followed
by another in 1886. The tower of this Church was destroyed by a storm.
In the
middle of the 20th century, Rev. Fr. Rayyapan Parithyal started to build
another new Church. In 1968 Rev. Fr. Francis Neetany wanted to reconstruct the
Altar, which was completed on February 4, 1990. It was blessed by Rt. Rev. Dr.
Soosai Pakiyam, Bishop of Diocese Trivandrum. In 2003 the tower was destroyed
by a storm. Maintenance was started in 2003 by Rev. Fr. Stansilaus Theesmas and
completed during the period of Rev. Fr. John Churchill Bas on November 2004.
St. Joseph's Shrine:
In 1972,
Dennis Kanakkapillai initiated to construct a Shrine for St. Joseph at Eraviputhenthurai.
Mr. Alphonse Pirisant cooperated with him for the construction work and
provided the fund for construction. They opened the Shrine that year and it was
blessed by Rev. Fr. Francis Neetany. Later on, reconstruction was started
during the period of Rev. Fr. John Churchill Bas in 2004. The Face for the
Shrine was planned by Mr. Robert Singh of Eraviputhenthurai. The work was
started and new Shrine was opened on 1 May 2005 by Rev. Dr. Youhannon Mar
Chrisostom, Bishop of Marthandam.
Connectivity
The
Church is located at about 5 Kms from Kollamkode, 15 Kms from Marthandam, 17
Kms from Kuzhithurai, 15 Kms from Nattalam, 13 Kms from Parassala, 40 Kms from Nagercoil,
60 Kms from Kanyakumari, 23 Kms from Colachel, 26 Kms from Thuckalay and 45 Kms
from Thiruvananthapuram. Nearest Railway Station is Parassala (11.2 Kms),
Kuzhithurai (15.6 Kms) Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station
(38.9 Kms) and Nagercoil Junction Railway station (43.5 Kms). Nearest
Airport is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (41.7 Kms).
