MANNAR

MANNAR - $$The bell Metal Town$$

Mannar is a major business town mid way between Mavelikara and Tiruvalla, in Alappuzha District of Kerala state, India, on State highway 6. It is also known as The Bell Metal Town. It is situated on the banks of the Pampa River and Manimala River.

The place is well known for its flourishing Bronze industry. Mannar is traditionally very famous for Vessels, Lamps, Bells etc. made out of Brass, Bronze, Silver and other metals. There are hundreds of traditional 'ALA'S' in Mannar. Also there are many small scale manufacturing establishments engaged in this business, employing traditional workers, where prospective buyers can visit, observe the making and then purchase the artifacts produced. Craftman from this town created a lot of world classic products like Worlds biggest Varpu displayed at Delhi Museum, Worlds biggest Church Lamp at Kuravilangad Church, Worlds biggest Temple Lamp of Chettikulangara Devi Temple, Worlds biggest Temple Bell at Simla Temple, Worlds biggest Church Bell at Cathedral Church New Delhi and Replica of famous Tree of life and Knowledge lamp are few among them. This town boasts the reputation of being second destination in India for these metal products, second only to Market leader manufacturing city Moradabad.

Parumala church, Panayannar kavu devi temple, Thrikkuratti Mahadevar Temple, Mannar Juma Masjid, Kurattikkadu Pattambalam Devi TemplePattambalam, Oorumadom Badrakaali Temple, Vishavarsherikkara Subrahmanya Swami Temple, Pothuvoor Bhadrakaali Temple, Viruppil Devi Temple, Chakkulathu Kavu Devi Temple and Kunnathoor Devi Temple, are some of the important religious places in and around Mannar. Panayannarkavu temple is said to be thousands of year old. The ancient Panayannar Kavu devi temple is famous for its Sarpa kavu and Mural painting drawn on Sricovil. One of this painting became cover page for Sri. E.M.S. Nampoothripad's biography (veteren Communist Leader and Ex-Chief Minister of Kerala).

Stardom due to its intimacy with metals

The metal town

Mannar is one town in Kerala that rose to stardom due to its intimacy with metals. It doesn’t mean that one would be greeted with the incessant clanging sound of metals as soon as one enters Mannar, which has been famous for quite some time as the bell metal town of Kerala. Renowned for its craftsmanship and outstanding feats, the smiths of this town are the most sought after group, when it comes to exquisite creations in brass, bronze and silver. Bet it art pieces or those with utility, metal products from Mannar over the years have crossed the seas and reached different parts of the world.

Mannar is a major business town midway between Mavelikara and Thiruvalla in Alappuzha district of Kerala. It is situated on the banks of the Pamba and the Manimala rivers. Mannar is traditionally very famous for vessels, lamps, bells etc. made out of brass, bronze, silver and other metals. There are hundreds of traditional alas or forges in Mannar. Also, there are many small-scale manufacturing establishments engaged in this business, employing traditional workers, where prospective buyers can visit, observe the making and then purchase the artifacts produced.

Some of the unique feats of the Mannar metal craftsmen include world-class products like the world’s biggest varpu (wide cauldron) now displayed at Delhi Museum, the world’s biggest church lamp at Kuravilangad church, the world’s biggest temple lamp at Chettikulangara Devi temple, the world’s biggest temple bell at Shimla temple, the world’s biggest church bell at Cathedral Church, New Delhi, and the replica of the famous ‘Tree of Life’ and ‘Knowledge Lamp’. Mannar takes the credit in India for being the second destination in India for metal products, second only to the city of Moradabad.

Nearby attractions

Visitors to Mannar, besides the extraordinary skill and application of the metal craftsmen here, would also find some of the nearby attractions worth a visit. These include some of the well known religious centres like the Parumala church, Panayannar Kavu Devi temple, Thrikkuratti Mahadevar temple and Chakkulathu Kavu Devi temple.

Panayannar Kavu temple is said to be thousands of years old and is famous for its Sarpa Kavu (sacred grove for serpent gods) and the mural paintings that adorn the walls of the sanctum sanctorum. The annual Vishu festival here is a colourful affair and attracts lots of devotees.

The annual festival held at the Parumala church is another big attraction in the region. The Orthodox Church of Mar Gregorious (Parumala Thirumeni) is situated by the side of river Pamba. It is here that Geevarghese Mar Gregorios the first declared saint of The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is entombed. The commemoration (Orma Perunal) is celebrated on the first and second of every November, during which a large number of people turn up for worship. A few years ago, the church was declared by the Government of India as an International Pilgrim Center.

The unique festivities held at the Thrikkuratti Mahadevar temple are of great interest. The antique wooden carvings at this temple are admired by many art lovers, even by those from abroad. At one of the entrances of the Thrikkuratti temple, other religious members, in particular, Muslims, present offerings on a regular basis. This practice is believed to be centuries old and is considered to be a true embodiment of religious harmony.

The Eramathoor Soorya temple is believed to be centuries old and is known for being one of the three known temples in Kerala dedicated to the Sun God. The Adithya Pongala conducted at this temple attracts lots of women devotees.

The nearby Chakkulathu Kavu Devi temple attracts devotees, even from far off places and the annual pongala festival is a much awaited auspicious event, participated in by thousands of women.

Places in and around Mannar are famous for boat races and the Mahatma Boat Race is one such event. Also famous is the ayurvedic and herbal treatment, especially practiced by certain families in the region.

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Devaswom Board Pampa College

Collages

Devaswom Board Pampa College is one of the best collages at mannar.Devaswom Board Pampa College, Parumala was established in 1968 to offer quality higher education to the students in and around Mannar and the nearby areas in various taluks of Aalappuzha and present Pathanamthitta districts.

Seeds of this educational edifice were sown by a group of optimistic, broadminded social workers of this locality (Parumala, Kadapra and Mannar) and the visionary administrators with the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). A committee headed by Sri. Vaidyan Chandrasekhara Pillai as Secretary, Sri. Kadapra Sadasivan Nair as President and Sri.Kottakkal Sreedharan Nair as Treasurer were formed to realize their dream of setting up an institution for higher education at Parumala. Their efforts were well supported by the locals of the region and the

then TDB President Sri.Prakkulam Bhasi, Sri.P.K.Chandranandan and Sri.Harihara Subrahmanya Iyer (the then TDB Members). Thanks to their efforts and initiative of the then Revenue Minister K.R.Gowri Amma, an area of 25 acre campus was allotted beside the Pampa river by the Kerala Government on a nominal lease arrangement for a period 99 years.

The college was started as a Junior College affiliated to the University of Kerala in 1968 managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board. Foundation stone for the college building was laid down by Late Sri.M.K.Madhavan Nair I.A.S., and the building was inaugurated by Sri.Prakkulam Bhasi. Four years later, the college was upgraded as a first degree college in 1978-79 attaining affiliation for B.Sc.Mathematics and B.A.Economics. Later, degree courses on B.Sc.Physics (1979), B.Sc.Zoology (1980), B.Sc.Chemistry (1981) and B.Com.(1983) were started. In 1983, when the Kerala University was bifurcated, Pampa College opted for affiliation to Mahathma Gandhi University, Kottayam. The college became a Centre of Post Graduate studies with the affiliation of M.Sc.Mathematics course in 1984-85 and in 1995-96, M.Sc. Physics course was started. In 1997-98 a vocational B.Sc. course was started with Botany main and B.A.English vocational was started in 1998-99, followed by M.Sc. Chemistry in 2000-01.

With the addition of new courses, the college was expanded from time to time to provide enough infrastructure. The New Building Block was inaugurated in 1985 by Sri.N.Bhaskaran Nair, the then President, Travancore Devaswom Board. A new Arts Block and the College Ladies Hostel was started in 1988. In 1991, a full-fledged auditorium named C.P.R.Nair Auditorium in the name of former principal C.P.Ramachandran Nair was inaugurated. Year 1993 was an important landmark in the history of the college on completion of its 25th year of inception, and befitting programmes were conducted to celebrate the Silver Jubilee year. Very Next year, the college was affiliated to 12(f) of University Grants Commission, paving way for high standards in education and infrastructure.

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Pattambalam devi temple Eramathoor-festival 2009

Temple festivals

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Kurattikkadu Pattambalam Devi Kshethram, Mannar-Festival

Temple festivals

The Anpoli festivals, Anpoli Areeppara Mahothsavam of Kurattikkadu Pattambalam Devi Kshethram is one of the most famous one, attracting thousands of devotees on 24th of Medam(7th of May).Here both Bhuvaneswari and Bhadra are worshipped with equal importance.The festival at Pattambalam starts on Medam 10th(April 23rd) and ends on Medam 25th(May 8th).The festival includes several ritauls like AttilChattam , Changayilottam , Vithideel etc which we won't find anywhere else in the world.Among these AttilChattam attracts Muslim devotees also.To know more about visit pattambalam and click on legends.Here the Goddess Bhuvaneswari is also called as "Valiya Amma" which means Great Mother. File:Bhuvaneswari school.jpg Sree Bhuvaneswari School The place also has well known educational institutions like Sree Bhuvaneswari Higher Secondary School managed by Kurattikkadu Pattambalam Devi Temple.