Vakathanam is a Panchayat in Kottayam district

Kottayam district

Kottayam is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The district has its headquarters at Kottayam town, located at 9.36° N and 76.17° E. According to the 1991 census, it is the first district to achieve highest literacy rate in the whole of India...

 of Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It is 12 km from kottayam on the way to
changanacherry via puthupally . Vakathanam panchayat consists of two villages

• Vakathanam
• Thottakkad

History

In ancient times Vakathanam was ruled by Kings of Thekkumkur. Njaliakuzhy was the place where the culprits were executed by hanging.

Geography

The terrain is hilly. Western border of the panchayat has vast paddy fields. Fundamentally an agricultural village, earlier vakathanam was famous for Tapioca

Tapioca

Tapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...

 and Jackfruit

Jackfruit

The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...

. Now rubber trees are grown in the place of tapioca. Vakathanam is an important commercial centre of Kottayam. The chief crops are rice

Rice

Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

 and rubber

Rubber

Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...

.

Religion

Religious institutions include temples and churches. Manikandapuram temple (which is mentioned also in Unnuneeli Sandesam, written in the 14th century) is the most ancient religious worship centre, built by the Thekumkur Kings probably in the 14th century. The Orthodox Syrian Church is the numerically biggest Christian denomination in Vakathanam. Among the Christians the Knanaya Christians were the first ones to settle down at Vakathanam, came mostly from Thodupuzha. St. John's Syrian Orthodox Church is the oldest Christian church, built in 1847, until which year the Orthodox faithful had Puthupally church as their parish. Mar Baselius Geevarghese I or Vallikkattu Bava (Catholicos of the Orthodox Syrian Church from 1925 to 1928) was a gift of Vakathanam to the Malankara Church. The Knanaya Christians had their parish in Kottayam Valiyapally and Kottayam Edacattu church, until the construction of Puthussery church for the Knanaya Jacobites in 1870 and St Mathew's Catholic Church for Knanaya Catholics in 1910 at Njaliakuzhy. Besides the members of the above-mentioned Churches, the believers of the Catholic Church, Syrian Orthodox Church (the famous St. Adai's church, Nalunnakal, belongs to this Church), Mar Thomma Church, CSI Church,etc. are also present and active at Vakathanam. Vakathanam is a centre of fine and exemplary religious harmony.

Culture

Nadan Panthu kali is the famous sports in vakathanam. Vakathanam lacks a cultural centre where the youngsters can develop their talents and aptitude for cultural items like traditional dance, music, Indian musical instruments, and the like.

Demographics

Vakathanam has a population of 31,222, of which 15,559 are male and 15,663 are female. The area has a literacy rate of 97% and a population density of 1179/_km².

Education

Schools include:

• CMS L P School,kannanchira
• MDUPS, Pongamthanam
• JMHS, Vakathanam
• Govt. L.P.G.S Vakathanam (Penpallikkootam)
• Govt LPBS, Unnamattom
• MGEM Higher Secondary school Njaliyakuzhi
• S.Geroge U.P.School,Eravuchira
• MD U.P school, Vakathanam (Pazhanchira Pallikudam)
• Govt Hr secondary school, Thrikothamangalam
• Govt LPBS, Marangattu
• NSS U.P School, Eravinallor
• Gregorian Higher Secondary School , Nalunnakkal

Vakathanam has one college: M.G.University College of Teacher Education, Thottakkad.

Notable residents

• Rev. Fr.C.John,Chirathalattu. Former Vicar, St.George Orthodox Church, Puthuppally.
• C N George , Chirathilattu, Industriallist
• Anju Bobby George, Olympian
• Dr. T.N.Purushothaman Namboothiri. He is a very popular physician in the Panchayath.
• Robin C Thomas, CEAT Ltd, Mumbai
• Eldho Reji Mani. Famous Tour Operator
• Joji M George. He is a famous fashion model.

External links

• Vakathanam Official Website
• Govt web site for Local self governing body
• Tourism Website
• Manikandapuram temple wiki mapia
• Mar Beselios Geevarghese I of the East (Vallikkattu Bava)
  Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Geevarghese of the East
  The Beselios Geevarghese I of the East, popularly known as Vallikkattu Bava, was the second Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in India. He was installed in the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas in 1925, and died after a short tenure of three years on 17 December 1928...
  
  
• St. John's Orthodox Church (Vakathanam Valiyapally) Website