Kerala India

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Kerala Gallery Page 3 About 31 miles (50 km) southeast of Alleppey, near the town of Chengannur, is Aranmula, where the second of the most famous boat races is held. Aranmula, on the banks of the placid river Pamba, is a pilgrim centre where the temple is dedicated to Lord Parthasara-thy - Lord Krishna in the role of chari-oteer to Arjuna - and its boat race is part of the temple ritual. The annual commemoration of the deity's installation is celebrated on the last day of the week-long Onam festival. It is on this auspicious day (in August September, though the day changes from year to year according to the Malayalam calendar) that the snake boats race against each other on the river Pamba, thousands of singers churning up the calm waters of the river with their short oars that plunge in and out of the waters in time to the chanted beat. Other boat races are held in Kot-tayam, but almost every backwater in this part of Kerala celebrates Onam by taking to the water. The Cochin and Kottayam races are of recent origin and are more in the nature of sport than of religious ritual. But at Payipad, 2 miles (3 km) from Haripad, where there is a famous temple of Lord Subramaniya, the races are associated with the temple festival. The three-day festival starts on Onam day, and on the first 2 days snake boat processions are held on the Acharkovil river. The third day is race day, the climax of the festival. Approximately 15 miles (25 km) as the crow flies from Alleppey is the prosperous town of Kottayam. In fact, it is the first town in India to attain 100 percent literacy. A major commercial centre of Kerala, Kottayam lies in the foothills of the Western Ghats, beautiful backwaters to its west and scenic, fertile mountains to its east. A major centre of the trade in rubber, tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom (Kerala is the original home of cardamom), and other produce from the plantations to its east, Kottayam's prosperity is echoed in the city's facilities. A major educational and Malayalam publishing centre, Kottayam is a city of handsomely built schools, commercial complexes and civic facilities. It also has the most successful writers' cooperative in India, and its publishing activity is phenomenal. But Kottayam has a strong spiritual side to it too. There are several sects and divisions of the Syrian Christian faith due to the influ-ence of history over the years, and many of them have their episcopal seats here. The best known churches are the historic Valia Palli and Cheria Palli, both with colourful frescoes enriching their dim interiors. In the 9th century Valia Palli, there are Pahlavi inscriptions and a stone cross said to have been carved by St Thomas. This cross, it is believed, came from the first church Thomas founded in Kerala, in Kodungallur. Back Kerala  Gallery Page Next Page.....4

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