Pictures of Knanaya Nazarene Museum Chairman with Pattanam Excavation Team

Jose Dominic , Chairman of Proposed  Knanaya Nazarene Academy Museum of Knanaya Church along with 
K.P.Shajan,  and Selvakumar at Pattanam

Pattanam Becomes Contentious Issue

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/kochi/should-tourism-bury-history-749

Should tourism bury history?

• October 31, 2011
• By Vinod Nedumudy
• DC
• Kochi

Tags:

Kodungalloor, Muziris, Pattanam

The historical excavation project at Pattanam and Kodungalloor and the state tourism department's role in it, is proving to be a fiercely contentious issue.
Called the Muziris Heritage Tourism Project, the bone of contention is the very name of the project. Not only is it not clear that present day Pattanam is in fact the 3000-year-old port of Muziris, but turning it into a tourism project has raised the hackles of many historians who believe historical excavations and tourism should not be mixed.
Excavation at the two sites has been going on for the past five years. Remnants of amphora and other pottery pieces dating to the Roman, Parthian and Sassanian dynasties as well as some human skeletons have been recovered. Forty lakh artifacts, a majority of them belonging to the 15th century, have also been recovered.
The excavation is being handled by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR), a government body, and some historians say that KCHR does not have the expertise to handle such an important project and it should be handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India.
The Muziris Heritage Tourism Project website goes one step further and establishes that “present Kodungallur had been named Mahodayapuram, Makothevarpattanam Muyirikkodu and Muziris by the Greeks and Romans, Shingly by the Jews, Cranganore by the Portuguese.“
“The present day Kodungallur, situated 30 km north of Cochin and believed to be Muziris of the past, is said to have been first occupied around 1,000 BC and continued to be active till the 13th century AD.”
The website further says: “The prosperous port of Muziris (Muziris Heritage Tour), at the mouth of the Periyar, overlooking the Arabian Sea was engulfed and silted over by the flooding of the river (in 1341), leaving its actual site to conjecture. The excavations (Muziris Heritage Excavations) by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) in 2007 and 2008 unearthed the archaeological and historical evidence which confirmed its location.”
Prominent historian M.G.S. Narayan, questioning the premise that Pattanam is Muziris, says that the KCHR is making tall claims. “There are no archaeologists in the current team except Dr Selva Kumar of Tanjavur Tamil University. There is a hurry to establish that Pattanam is Muziris which is not correct. I suspect there was a politically corrupt design involving the previous LDF government behind the project,” he said.
He, however, added that so far the project has not done any damage, but the Archaeological Survey of India is the competent body to guide the project.
“In the first place Dr Cheriyan, who is the director of KCHR and who is controlling the present excavation, is not an archaeologist. Moreover, at this stage tourism should not be brought into the picture,” he said.
“There is an attempt to establish that Muziris was a Roman colony and had interactions with different nations at different times and hence what evolved was multi-culturalism. They are trying to showcase it as a tourism object. They mean to say that Kodungallur didn’t have a culture of its own,” says K. Satheesh Chandran, co-ordinator of Socio-Cultural and Development Studies, an NGO based in Kochi.
Unmindful of such criticism, the State Government is going ahead with the Muziris project and plans to inaugurate the first phase next April.
Tourism Minister A.P. Anilkumar said that the State Government proposes to showcase this unique project before the ambassadors of various nations in New Delhi in the immediate future.
Prof K.N. Panikkar, chairman of KCHR, said that the tourism component has been included in the project to raise money for it.
He also said that KCHR has not come to any conclusion that Pattanam is Muziris. He said that he stands by his comments two years ago that he was not happy about naming the project the Muziris Heritage Tourism Project.
He said he had expressed his concern that tourism should not be merged with historical heritage. Panicker had said then that “tourism as a possible source of revenue can be disastrous for the culture of a place.”
Director of the project and of KCHR, Prof P.J. Cherian, says there is an attempt to target him saying that he was not an archaeologist.
“I don't know what kind of expertise they mean. Very scientific work is going on at Pattanam. Such work has not been undertaken since 1946. This could be a knowledge-based tourism project,” he said.
Controversies apart, how to raise funds for an archaeological project is a key problem but showcasing it as a tourism landmark even before the artifacts are arranged, raises several questions.

Muziris is at Pattanam- Claim by St' George Forane Church

  http://www.smcim.org/church/angamaly/article/47

Accession Date and Time-31-10-2011; 11.20AM

Archdiocese of Ernakulam - Angamaly

    

Christianity of Angamaly

St. Thomas Tradition –a brief
What we know about the history today, in general, is through that had already been recorded or written. A major part of the other side of the history still remains in the dark. The sleeping history can be explored to some extent and awakened through teamwork, by undertaking field studies, literature collections and analysis. In recent years a number of Christian historical books have been published. The major contents of all these works are almost new version of the old ones and the new inputs are very scanty. Lacks of proper field research, lapses shown in the protection of antique monuments, ignorance of foresight etc. have adversely influenced the quality of outcomes. Did St. Thomas really come to India? What are the authentic evidences available to establish the same? These questions are projected at all times and the solutions put forward are not fully satisfied with the many of scholars and researchers.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, speaking on the occasion of the St. Thomas Day Celebrations at New Delhi on December 18, 1955, said, “Remember, St. Thomas came to India when many of the countries of Europe had not yet become Christian, and so those Indians who trace their Christianity to him have a longer history than many of the European Countries. And it is really a matter of pride that it so happened.”

According to the Malabar tradition, St. Thomas the Apostle, came by sea, and landed at Cranganore (Kodungalloor) in A.D. 52. He preached gospel; converted high caste Hindu families in various places of Malabar and erected a few public places of worship. Then he moved to Coromandel and suffered martyrdom on or near Little mount. His body was brought to the town of Mylapore and was buried in a holy shrine (Santhome church)

St. Thomas tradition might be considered to consist of elements of the traditions of Malabar, Mylapore or Coromandel and the Chaldean church. Some details of this combined tradition may be found in a few folk songs such as Rabban pattu, Veeradiyan pattu, Margam kali pattu etc, and some historical accounts both of which now exist in written records.

Nevertheless, the people of Malabar undoubtedly possessed a rich oral tradition, which reflected fully or partially in their folk songs and even in written annals. And all these various vehicles of tradition were available in the 16th century to the inquisitive Portuguese, who made ample use of these sources and wrote down their accounts in the form of letters, reports, depositions and well-composed histories.

Typical Traces
Of course, we may put aside the testimonies of forefathers of church like St. Ephrem, Ambrose and Gregory etc. However, the first landmark in the realm of tradition, which has solidified itself during the last twenty centuries, is the belief preserved in the Malabar Jews. They affirm that when they landed in Malabar in 69 A.D. they found there a colony of Christians.

One of the source books for the life and mission of St. Thomas, the Apostle, is the work called “The Acts of St Thomas” which dates probably from early 3rd century. It is considered to be an apocryphal work, but serious scholars seem to favour the historical evidences mentioned in the work. According to the Acts, the Apostle St. Thomas preached gospel in the land of Gondaferes. This prince is the Parthian King Guduphara, who was ruler of Afghanistan and the Punjab during the second quarter of the first century A.D. The country called Parthia (B.C. 250-A.D.226) was included Northern and Western India and a large part of Indus valley (Major India). Till the middle of the 19th century even the existence of such a King was considered legendary or a myth. But, the most dramatic discovery in the field of numismatics in India effected a wonderful change in the realisation of this true whole story. In 1857, a large number of coins were discovered in Kabul, Kandahar and in the western and southern Punjab bearing the name of Gondophares. Some of these coins were now kept in the Lahore Museum.

The St. Thomas tradition is not a creation of fancy. On the other hand the co-existence of co-ordinate facts, points to the definite conclusion that the Apostle did come to Malabar to make the earliest beginning for the propagation of Christianity.

Origin of St Thomas Christians – A Topographical Outlook About AngamalyIn the church history, it is generally considered that the St Thomas Christian communities of Cragannore (Kodungalloor) and Palayoor were migrated to Angamaly during early periods of Christian era. Why these Christians selected Angamaly to migrate? Why Angamaly was chosen as the seat of Archbishop House for many ancient centuries? From the ancient period onwards, the highest density of population of St. Thomas Christians was seen at Angamaly, Why? Mar. Francis Ross recorded - the See of Angamaly was the most ancient See of India. - the See of Mylapore which was found by the Apostle Thomas himself, was transferred to Cragannore when the Christians left Mylapore and got themselves established in Cragannore, and the See of Angamaly was the continuation of the Cragannore See.” Why?

According to the traditional belief, the apostle St. Thomas visited India two times and preached gospel. He started his initial journey to India with the traders through the silk route touching Takshasila (the capital of the Parthian Kingdom) and second time through the spice route.

The land route, which was the common route followed by the traders engaged in oriental trade to fetch Chinese Porcelain and silk, and was able to reach North West India, ruled by the Parthian King Gondophoros. After his evangelization work in North India, St. Thomas is said to have returned to Jerusalem for attending the first Jerusalem council via Barygaza ( Braukaccha or Broach), which is mentioned as an important port-town in Gujarat by Periplus of Erythraen sea.

St. Thomas is believed to have come to South India after the Jerusalem council via Persian Gulf and Socotora.  Attempts to historicize the activities of St. Thomas in South India would necessitate a close at the international developments, against which the apostolic work is depicted in tradition. It was possible to reach Malabar (Kerala) coast from European countries within 42 days through spice route (sea route) with the advantage of monsoon winds. The discovery of the advantage of monsoon winds for navigation, in Northern Indian Ocean sector in A.D. 45 by Hippalus, increased the sea traffic between Roman Empire and Malabar. St. Thomas established seven churches (Communities) at Muzuris(Kodungalloor ), Palayoor, Paravoor (Kottakkavu), Kokkamangalam, Niranam, Kollam and Chayal (Nilakkal) in Malabar. Even though this belief may not be fully realistic, or otherwise if it is so, it can be pointed that there were other nearby places also, like Angamaly, Alangad, Mala, Malayattoor etc, which were enlightened by the Gospel with the visit of St. Thomas, which can be substantiated with the ancient topographical features and tracing the trade centers of that time. The possibility of Angamally as the origin of St Thomas Christians cannot be simply ignored. No doubt, it is a thrust area and needs a serious research studies in this subject.

Angamaly (position 10° 20¢N & 76° 37¢E) was well connected with the rivers and mountains; and it was the one of the main trade junction of spices (mainly pepper) with guardhouse, and path way to Spice route in Malabar. It is believed that St. Thomas traveled from Malabar to Thamizhakam through land route (Ghat route) crossing Western ghats. This route, starting from Muzuris to Madurai /Pandi, connects different places, mainly Angamaly, Manjapra, Malayattor, Kothamangalam, Adimali,Poopara, Bodimeetu, Bodynaikanoor and also via Admali, Munnar, Pollachi, Udmalpettu, etc. Kings, Traders and Missionaries of various religions used this route, for a long period in ancient centuries.

An account about this route, given in the Ernakulam District Gazetter is as follows: “According to tradition, St. Thomas came to Malayattor by the then familiar route, through some passages in the western ghats which linked Kerala with Pandien kingdom”. There is also a narration about the same fact in the famous Ramban pattu.

River valley-civilization
It would be very interesting to know that the mountain route (path to spice route) was actually ended at Angamaly and the river originated from Western Ghats, flowing through Angamaly, was used for inland navigation, which was connected with the Arabian Sea. This wide and long river, later named as Periyar (In Tamil ‘periya are’ means large river), was partially diverted away from Angamaly during the great flood in 1341. This great flood resulted deposition of silt in the various locations of the river (This feature is very evident at the river strip of Naithode-Chethikode regions) and obstructed the river flow by reducing its volume. This river is known as Manjally River now.

The river (Manjally River) almost surrounding Angamaly had great influence in the development of a unique community culture and also a main trade center. Recent years, the topographical structure of this river has been considerably changed again and reformed as a small stream. The olden remarkable memories of non-mechanized sailing vessels means flag vessels (pathamari) for foreign trades, warehouses, guard house, boat jetties, markets (angadies) etc located near the banks of this river are placed today in the history of myth. This was the river, which played a major role in the formation and concentration of ideal location of St Thomas Syrian Christians at Angamaly, from the beginning of Christian era. It could be seen that the peculiar geographical features of Angamaly was the basis of the unique civilization in and around Angamaly during the ancient period. If we go through the Periyar valley civilization, a number of hidden facts can be revealed about Angamaly. From the adjacent regions of Angamaly, namely Kidagoor, Kodussery, Malluserry, Karippasserry etc, megalithic monuments were discovered during the last few decades. In the eastern side of the Angamally, it was unearthed (1986) urn burial jars containing remains of rusted iron tools. From Kodusserry, 783 Roman silver coins were unearthed in 1987. These coins were used in 1st century A.D. in various parts of India, which points that Angamally was well connected with the international and national trades.

An urn burial was discovered in January 2005 while digging for a foundation pit at Karippassery, a small hamlet near Vattaparambu village, lying about 5 km south east of Angamaly town in Ernakulam district. It was found in a plot owned by Mr. Sebi Kavalipadan. No mortuary goods were found in the urn but it was covered with pottery lid. A white sticky organic material, probably the disintegrated and decomposed bones was noticed in the bottom portion of the urn. The burial is datable to the Iron Age-Early Historic period. The site is situated at about 10 m MSL on a sloping laterite flat surrounded by river terraces, palate channels and flood plains of the Periyar and the Chalakudy rivers. A number of urn burials and few solenoid cists are reported in the nearby areas. A punch marked coin hoard and many megalithic burials were earlier found at Kodussery, about 1 km NE of the site (Journal of Centre for Heritage studies, Vol2, 2005)

The foreign traveler Cosmos, who visited in India (A.D. 522) in his Topographia Christiana, stated that, ‘Male was the center of pepper trade, where a Bishop was doing services among a strong Christian community’. Even though there are difference of opinion about the location of Male, it is believed that Male was located in the present place of Angamaly (Anga-Male).

It has come to the notice that most of the historical significances were brought to Kodungalloor by linking the names of historic places such as Cragannore, Mahadevarpattanam, Muzuris, Vanchi, etc. to Kodungalloor during the first few Christian centuries itself. This could not fully be justified; because, the recent archaeological findings at Pattanam (N. Paravoor) such as large scale collection of Italian amphora jars, roulette tiles, Mesopotamian torpedo jar, west Asian glazed potteries, beads and semi-precious red stones, bricks etc used between B.C. (1st century) and medieval periods, projected a high level academic dispute during 2004-07 and finally, experts in this field recognized that , the actual location of Muzuris was at Pattanamm and not at Kodungaloor.

Vanished Nazraney Heritage values
The present Forane Church in the name of St George (West church) was located at the bank of river (Manjally River). There was a boat-jetty locally known as pallikadvu (Church boat-jetty) at northwest side of this church that was used till the end of the 19th century. In 2001, an investigation team identified the remains of laetrite stone steps (padavu). Earlier an extension of the river was directly connected with the boundary of the church plot and later due to the shortage of river water, the riverbed reformed as paddy field. At present, when rainwater floods during monsoon season in the paddy field, reflects the paddy field as river view, which recalls the ancient topographical similarity. Even though this location is not existent now, a clear and real proof is available in the Varthamanapusthakam.

In historical records, it is seen that there was a regional ruler, known as Mangattu Kaimal who resided near the church during the 16th century. An account seen in Jornada is as follows: “Before the Archbishop left Vaipicota the Caimal of Angamaly (Kaimal of Angamaly) came to visit him, whom they call the black king (Karutha tavazhi) of Angamaly because there is another whom they call the white (Velutha tavazhi), and both are reigning, because it is a custom among the Malabaris to have in many places two and three kings of a Kingdom with lands distinct from one another, but all give orders,..” The remains of edifices of the King are still seen in a private property near the church. The king had donated large areas of land to the church, by exempting land tax. The typical boundary stones (thoranakallu) in different locations are still remaining near the premises of the churches.

The documents relating to the lands indicate that a major part of the Angamaly area was assigned to the church in the early period. When the people from the other places migrated to Angamaly, they occupied the properties of church in different periods. Later, during the Revenue settlement done in the mid 19th century and the land rules established during the period 1945-54, the people having the land properties of the church on lease, became the owners of the same.

In the four volumes of Basic Tax Registers (1955-60), kept at village office, Angamaly the details of land properties of churches were available. The survey numbers in the first three volumes were numbered as from 1/1A to 154 C, 155/1cc to 283/7A and from 283/7B to 419/4B respectively. These BTRs of Kothakulangara South Village were prepared based on the division of villages, which took place on 1.10. 1956. Accordingly it is seen that the valia pallai (St. George catholic church) had owned 36.82 acres of land (thandper or tax number 758), comprising, a total number of 75 plots and the cheria pallai (St Marys Jacobite church) had owned 11.65 acres of land (thandper or tax number 762), comprising, a total number of 33 plots in Angamaly.

The cross is the symbol of Christianity in Kerala, especially when it is recalled that there were no images other than the cross in Kerala churches before the advent of the Portuguese. At Angamaly, three tall open air rock crosses installed in front of all the three churches are very ancient ( pre-Portuguese period) and attractive appearance. Out of which, the rock cross with hidden bells in the basement, situated in front of the St. Hormis Church (Eastern Church) was broken when a lorry hit on it in 1969. The experts failed to reinstate the cross in its original form.

Ancient churches had mammoth walls (elephant walls) fixing rock lamps which surrounds the churches. These walls are very strong and its peculiar shape meant to resist the attack of elephants and enemies. The attractive mammoth walls of St. George church were demolished in 2005 and constructed new one in place of old mamooth walls.

A huge rock baptismal font (St. George Forane Church), many centuries old, was found to be broken in many pieces and dumped near the priest’s kitchen due to the ignorance of its antique value. Bunches of inscribed copper plates in Tamil and old Malayalam version were also vanished. One of the copper plate remained there, was using as a platform for diesel generator.

During the period of Tippu’s invasion of Kerala, he entered Angamaly in November 1789, by destroying the Nedumkotta (a fort), which was built exclusively aiming to protect Travancore from Tippu’s attack. Tippu Sultan attacked on three ancient churches of Angamaly including ancient edifices attached with the churches. The remains of the laterite foundation stones of the edifices can still be seen in the St George church ground. The façade of the ruined ancient St George church stood as the entrance of symmetry for more than two centuries and was demolished in September 2005. An account available in Dr. Buchanan's letter (1806) is as follows:

“When Tippu waged war with the King of Travancore in 1791, he sent detachments in every direction to destroy the Christian churches, and particularly the ancient edifices at Angamaly; two thousand men penetrated into the mountains, and were directed to the place by the sound of its bells. They sprung a mine under the altar walls of each church, and the inhabitants who had fled to the higher mountains witnessed the explosion. But the walls of the grand front being five feet and a half thick (I measured them yesterday), they did not attempt to demolish them for want of powder. In the mean time Tippu, hearing that Lord Cornwallis had invaded Mysore, Suddenly recalled his church destroying detachments. Next year Tippu was obliged to sign any terms that were offered him; but Lord Cornwallis forgot to desire him to rebuild the Christian churches. The inhabitants, however have rendered them fit for public worship; and have proceeded some way in restoring the Cathedral to its former state. The Archbishop’s residence and all the other public buildings are destroyed. The priests led me over the ruins, and showed me the vestiges of their ancient grandeur, asking me if I thought their Zion would ever be rebuilt. Angamaly is built on a hill. I told them, that their second temple would perhaps, have more glory than their first”

“Two of the churches here are Roman, the third Syrian. But the two former would gladly return to their mother church”.

The renovation work of ruined St George’s church by Tippu was actually initiated by Paramakal Thoma Katanar and the work was completed after his period. This rebuilt church was partially demolished during 2003-04, for making facilities for the construction of new modern church.

Angamaly is an important Diocese of the Syrian Orthodx churches. The present renovated St Mary’s Jacobite church is enriched with ancient mural paintings (17th century) on the walls, are noteworthy; especially the popular wall- paintings of ‘the hell’ and ‘the heaven’. The hell is portrayed with Hindu iconographic codes, which is evident from the Bellzebool devil on the top, looking like a Hindu demon. Most of these attractive paintings are partially spoiled with the electrical wiring works

Pattanam and Portugese-The International undercurrents beneath Pattanam Comes to Light

 The Colonial Portugese who ransacked India, slaughtered Kunjali Marakkar chieftain of Zamorin

received by Pattanam Excavation team  on september 2011

 

 http://uccollege.edu.in/history/news/kottapuram-excavations-visit-of-the-portugal-ambassador-to-india/

 Accession Date and Time- 31-10-2011;11.00AM

Kottapuram Excavations: Visit of the Portugal Ambassador to India

Jenee Peter participated in the discussions and open forum held at Kottapuram Fort, Kodungallur, Kerala on 23^rd September 2011. The session was in connection with the visit of the Portugal Ambassador to India Dr Jorge Roza de Oliveira. The meeting was in attendance of Prof K.S Mathew, Dr Hemachandran, Muziris heritage project and Kottapuram excavations team members, Kerala state department of Archaeology officials and the media. An exhibition was held in the site I connection to the visit. Dr Roza was delighted when Mr. Benny Kuriakose and Prof Mathew pointed out that the Malayalam has more than 400 loan words from Portuguese while Goa which was held till 1974 and seen as the headquarters of the Portuguese empire in the Indies has just five loan words. The oft repeated word in contemporary documents is boss signifying a hegemonic relationship with the natives perhaps.
The visit was followed by a detailed visit of the recently excavated trenches in the site and brain storming. Dr Jenee is archaeological consultant for Kottapuram excavations.

Illegal Trenching and Transfer of Antiquities From Pattanam to U.C College Museum With Knowledge of P.J.Cherian in 1998 Before Licensed Excavations -Documents Speak

 http://uccollege.edu.in/history/about/

 Accession Date and Time-31-10-2011;10.25AM

 

Welcome

History has been always posing new questions about the past and answering old questions in newer ways. We at the department teach students to think critically about how the past is fundamentally similar to the present yet different from the present, and together shapes the present. Hence the past is recalled and remembered in the present.
History has long been a popular field of study, and with good reason. Thinking about how to act in the present and how people have acted in the past…. the forces that shape people’s lives in the present than to understand the forces that have shaped people’s lives in the past… critical thinking, careful reading, energetic researching, analytical writing, and effective communicating ….
The department of History forms an integral part of the Social Sciences stream of Union Christian College. As one of the earliest departments to start a full fledged under-graduate programme in History, this spirit followed in starting a Masters programme in 1965. Since then, the department has grown leaps and bounds and many young scholars joined the department. The highly qualified and dedicated staff on rolls has always been the greatest strength and identity of this department.

Background

• 1921: Union Christian College begins its historic journey
• 1923* – 1965: Clubbed with the department of Economics. Rev. Roger Hicks, a missionary and graduate from Oxford University, and Dr K.I Martandavarma, were among the pioneering teacher- researchers.
• 1965: A separate department was constituted with Dr A.K Baby as the first head of the department
• 1965: Post graduate programme in History began
• 1970s, 80s: The department undertook pioneering research in medieval and modern history led by Dr T.I Poonnen, and Dr A.K Baby. At the same time, the department laid the foundation for interdisciplinary studies which still forms the essence of the department. Young scholars were promoted as teachers who went on to do research in different periods in Indian history. There were luminaries among the students too like P.K Michael Tharakan and others. The eminent historian Prof. Rajan Gurukkal joined the department during this period.
• 1974: Birth of a modest archaeological museum
• 1998: reorganization of the museum, beginning of the Certificate Course in Archaeology, Centre for Cultural and Ecological Studies coordinated by Dr P.J Cherian and Dr K.V Kunhikrishan. The museum enhanced collections from various explorations of archaeological sites in Periyar basin like Kunnukara and Pattanam.
• 2000: Considering the consistent academic credentials, recognized as a Research Centre in History under Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam
• 2002: The UGC Sponsored Advanced Diploma in Archaeology and Museology, a three year programme affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University began.

Mission Statement and Objective of the Department

• Research
• Inter-Disciplinary Initiatives
• Discourses
• Holistic, qualitative student growth

Heads of the Department

• Dr A.K Baby: 1965-84
• Prof. A.K Abdul Kareem: 1984-96
• Dr N.Lakshmikutty    : 1996-2000
• Prof. B.T Joy: 2000-01
• Dr P.D Johny: 2001-03
• Prof. P.M Varkey: 2003-08
• Prof. Annie. M Thomas: 2008 onwards

Former Teaching Faculty

• Dr T.I Punnen
• Dr.K. I Marthanda Varma
• Fr T.K Alias
• T.M Mathew
• Dr Rajan Gurukkal
• Dr K.V Kunjikrishnan
• Dr C.J Varghese
• Prof Abraham Joseph
• Dr. M. P Marykutty
• Dr P.J Cherian

What is the Role of U.C.College, Aluva, Ernakulam District, in Pattanam Excavations?

 http://uccollege.edu.in/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Kottappuram.jpg

Accession Date and Time-29-10-2011;3.00PM

 

 

Home Uncategorized Kottapuram Excavations/ Muziris Heritage Project

Kottapuram Excavations/ Muziris Heritage Project

The Kottapuram Fort (Cranganore Fort or Kodungallur Fort), was constructed by the Portuguese in mid 16^th century CE and was later demolished and rebuilt by the Dutch in around 1663 CE. This fort is situated on the western banks of river Periyar or about five km east off the river mouth in Kodungallur taluk, Thrissur district, Kerala, India. It was briefly the military camp of Tipu Sultan in the Periyar region and was later bought by the newly emerged Travancore state after them defeating the Dutch in the Battle of Colachel. By the eighteenth century, the fort appears to have been in ruins. In the early decades of 20^th century, this fort came in the hands of the Travancore State Archaeological department after Tipu Sultan and the English and has been a protected monument ever since.

                  In 2007, the State Department of Archaeology, government of Kerala explored this site systematically and laid out few trial trenches. As a result of this debris clearance and excavation, ruins of the fort along with many artifacts both of indigenous and foreign origin were unearthed.  Since 2009, excavations have been carried out under the Muziris Heritage Project. The recent archaeological excavations from April 2010 have revealed at least four structural phases along with many antiquities and non local ceramics. Many of these pottery types will go into forming a ceramic sequence for the region which also includes known sites like Pattanam. Important antiquities found at Kottapuram include, canon balls, local and foreign coins, smoke pipes, tiles, bricks, nails, terracotta animal figurines, beads and glass bangles. These artifacts help in relatively dating the different periods of occupation in the site.

This site has also yielded number of faunal remains along with one human extended burial and other osteo-archaeological remains.  Ceramics belong to various categories namely; celadon, porcelain, turquoise glazed pottery, Sanjan type and torpedo jar etc indicate that this area had played a vital role in the Indian Ocean trade perhaps from 9^th, 10^th century CE onwards. Archaeological evidence from pre-fortification levels suggests an early occupation in the site and its environs. 

Muziris Heritage Project (MHP) is a large project initiated by the Gov’t of Kerala and supported with a major grant from the central government’s Ministry of Culture. The project aims at restoring the ‘Muziris Heritage’ and making it an attractive area for those who are interested in the history and heritage of a country. The recent attempts include a high diplomatic level discussion on devising “Spice Route Tourism’. The Heritage site covers the Kodungalur Taluk in Thrissur District and the North Paravur Taluk in Ernakulam District. The project aims at renovating and maintaining different old structures there, so that they can be opened to the public. In the first phase, the Paliyam Kovilakom, Paliyam Nalukettu, two synagogues and two archaeological sites (Pattanam and Kottapuram) are expected to be made accessible to the public. 

Twenty seven museums are planned in the first phase and will educate public and students in the history of this part of the country particularly cultural history. The ancient art and cultural forms also will be rejuvenated as part of the project. The plan is to make the Muziris a living heritage and interpretation centre rather than a mere tourist attraction.  Excavations continue in the two archaeological sites under this project; Pattanam is in the sixth season of excavation and Kottapuram is in the second season of excavation. Site museums are planned in both these sites after conservation applying current global standards.

The Department of History is a major consultant to this project and students attended the field school at Kottapuram and other MHP sites

 Dr. Jenee Peter, Department of History

Pattanam is Muziris-Tehelka Reports on Version by Benny Kuriakose of Muziris Heritage Project

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main46.asp?filename=Bu110910Muziris.asp Accession Date and Time 29-10-2011;3.40PM MUZIRIS: FIRST CENTURY PEPPER HUB TO BE TURNED INTO TOURIST HOTSPOT BY HIGIO ZARNGAM IT WAS once a trade hub and the gateway to Rome and Egypt from India. In its heyday, Muziris was a popular commercial centre, where merchants from overseas came to trade gold and gemstones in exchange for “black gold” (pepper), and other spices. Then it fell off the map. Now, courtesy the Kerala government, efforts are being made to turn this 1st century BC port, that remained buried for centuries, into a hot new tourist spot. The location of Muziris had long been a mystery for archaeologists and historians. It appears in historical documents as a business and cultural hub with strong international ties, and finds mention in Tamil Sangam literature from 600 BC to 300 AD. The discovery was made during the 2007-08 excavations, when Roman remains almost 2,000 years old, were found some 220 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. “At the moment, the monuments are in decay and barely tourist-worthy,” rues Benny Kuriakose, director of the Muziris heritage project. Its rehabilitation will also mean jobs for locals and traditional artisans. The project’s first phase will be opened to tourists by December. “Our department is planning the Muziris project on a global scale to attract more foreign tourists to the state,” says Unni Krishnan, planning officer of Kerala’s tourism board. But infrastructure is weak, and roads need to be broadened, feels Anish Kumar, CEO of Travel Planner, a Thiruvananthapuram- based tour operator. Kuriakose says the excavation has also shed new light on the Periyar basin, and the historic towns of Kodungallur, Pattanam and Paravur.

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 7, Issue 36, Dated September 11, 2010

Pattanam is Muziris-Claim By Kochi Biennale Foundation

Source: www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org
Organisation: Kochi Biennale Foundation
Year founded: 2011 

 

http://www.biennialfoundation.org/biennials/kochi-muziris-biennale-india/

Accession Date and Time 29-10-2011;2.00PM

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to invoke the latent cosmopolitan spirit of the modern metropolis of Kochi and its mythical past, Muziris, and create a platform that will introduce contemporary international visual art theory and practice to India, showcase and debate new Indian and international aesthetics and art experiences and enable a dialogue among artists, curators, and the public.
* The Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to create a new language of cosmopolitanism and modernity that is rooted in the lived and living experience of this old trading port, which, for more than six centuries, has been a crucible of numerous communal identities. Kochi is among the few cities in India where pre-colonial traditions of cultural pluralism continue to flourish. These traditions pre-date the post-Enlightenment ideas of cultural pluralism, globalisation and multiculturalism. They can be traced to Muziris, the ancient city that was buried under layers of mud and mythology after a massive flood in the 14th century. The site was recently identified and is currently under excavation. It is necessary to explore and, when necessary, retrieve memories of this past, and its present, in the current global context to posit alternatives to political and cultural discourses emanating from the specific histories of Europe and America. A dialogue for a new aesthetics and politics rooted in the Indian experience, but receptive to the winds blowing in from other worlds, is possible.
* The Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to establish itself as a centre for artistic engagement in India by drawing from the rich tradition of public action and public engagement in Kerala, where Kochi is located. The emergence of Kerala as a distinct political and social project with lessons for many developing societies owes also to aesthetic interventions that have subverted notions of social and cultural hierarchies. These interventions are immanent in the numerous genres and practices of our rich tradition of arts. In a world of competing power structures, it is necessary to balance the interests and independence of artists, art institutions, and the public.
* The Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to reflect the new confidence of Indian people who are slowly, but surely, building a new society that aims to be liberal, inclusive, egalitarian and democratic. The time has come to tell the story of cultural practices that are distinct to the Indian people and local traditions, practices and discourses that are shaping the idea of India. These share a lot with the artistic visions emerging from India’s neighborhood. The Biennale also seeks to project the new energy of artistic practices in the subcontinent.
* The Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to explore the hidden energies latent in India’s past and present artistic traditions and invent a new language of coexistence and cosmopolitanism that celebrates the multiple identities people live with. The dialogue will be with, within, and across identities fostered by language, religion and other ideologies. The Biennale seeks to resist and interrogate representations of cosmopolitanism and modernity that thrive by subsuming differences through cooption and coercion.
* The Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to be a project in appreciation of, and education about, artistic expression and its relationship with society. It seeks to be a new space and a fresh voice that protects and projects the autonomy of the artist and her pursuit to constantly reinvent the world we live in.

Pattanam is Muziris-International Lobbying

Photo by: Jay A. Waronker, artist   Jerusalem Post     A revival of Jewish heritage on the Indian tourism trail By SHALVA WEIL 16/07/2010 Reconstruction of the beautiful Parur synagogue is proceeding at a dizzying pace, and underlines the special ties Jews enjoyed with other faiths in south India.

For years, visitors to the Parur synagogue in south India would be led into the gatehouse with a rusty key borrowed from a Christian neighbor. They would make their way across a dim, empty entrance hall, flanked by rooms including one which used to function as a Hebrew class, and they would then tread warily on a path with a garden full of snakes on either side leading to the synagogue. On the wall facing them on the side of the inner synagogue building, the visitors would distinguish a large plaque with Hebrew writing engraved in stone in 1616 by one David Ya’acov Castiel Mudaliar. Inside the two-story building, dusty chandeliers and wooden rosettes on the ceiling would testify to the astonishing beauty of the Parur synagogue. In the center of the sanctuary stood a round podium with a holy book still open on the cantor’s stand. Visitors could then go up a special spiral staircase leading from the sanctuary to the abandoned women’s gallery, where the Torah was read in front of the women and the portion of the law reached the ears of the men downstairs. The women themselves entered the gallery by a special staircase from behind, but this was long ago destroyed. Last month, the government of Kerala, India’s southernmost state, armed with a matching grant from the central government, started the reconstruction of the Parur synagogue that used to be frequented by Cochin Jews before they came on aliya, largely in the 1950s. The last of the community immigrated in the 1970s, leaving behind a mere handful of people, and the synagogue has remained in disuse since then. Today, fewer than 40 Cochin Jews remain on the Malabar coast. The conservation is progressing at such a pace that the chief architect in charge of the project, Benny Kuriakose, believes it will be completed by the autumn. This governmental and federal project could be a beacon for other countries, which pay lip-service to the preservation of Jewish heritage. “I was very excited to hear that the Kerala government is renovating the Parur synagogue and restoring it to the glory of its past,” said Tirza Lavi, a native of Parur, and a today a curator of the Heritage Center for Cochin Jews at Nevatim, south of Beersheba. “We hope that Parur will be a showcase to the younger generation, displaying our communities’ rich and interesting history. I am sure that Cochin Jews in Israel will be glad to take part in the project and share their knowledge and memories.” INDIA’S JEWS, though a minuscule minority (numbering only 28,000 at their peak in 1948), were loyal citizens and contributed to the development of India in all walks of life. India is fully aware of the special relationship with Israel and the love of that country by thousands of young Israelis, who go on the almost mandatory India trip after the army, and are often joined there by their parents. The reconstruction of the Parur synagogue celebrates the extraordinary relationship the Jews enjoyed with members of other religions in India, including Muslims, Christians and Hindus in the south. Despite a brief period under the Portuguese, the Jews of India never suffered anti-Semitism. The reconstruction of the Parur synagogue is only a small cog in the wheel of a huge project called the Muziris Heritage Project, which includes archeological excavations and the reconstruction of other historical monuments in the area, such as temples, churches and mosques. The idea is to create a tourism trail from the ancient port of Muziris, today known as Kodungallor, through Cochin, Parur and other nearby areas, and develop the already-existing tourism boom. Today, Kerala is the eighth most favorite tourist destination in the world. The seeds of the monumental project were planted only a few years ago. The beautiful Paradesi synagogue in Jew Town, Cochin, constructed in 1568, has been a well-known tourist site ever since Indira Gandhi attended its quatercentenary celebrations in 1968 and the Indian government issued a special commemorative stamp on the occasion. In more recent history, however, the Kerala government agreed to undertake the renovation of another abandoned Cochin Jewish synagogue belonging to the Malabari Jews in the village of Chendamangalam, near Cochin. In February 2006, the synagogue was reopened with an exhibition on the Cochin Jews, and the synagogue has become a popular tourist destination. “The Chendamangalam Synagogue Museum opening in 2006 gave me the courage, hope and joy that the restoration of others of Kerala’s synagogues may be possible during my lifetime and indeed, shaping the legacy of my community is my passion,” Galia Hacco, who grew up in Chendamangalam, said. “Communicating this legacy in India to Indians is the purpose of this involvement.” In the same year, the Cultural Department of the Kerala government embarked upon an ambitious heritage- preservation-cum-tourism project in the area known as Muziris, embracing both Chendamangalam and Parur. Muziris was a thriving port in the first century BCE that used to have trade contacts with Rome, Greece, China and the Middle East. Cargo vessels from West Asia, the Mediterranean and East Africa used to drop anchor at the port. St. Thomas, the apostle, is believed to have set foot in Kerala through Muziris. It is here that India’s first church, Mar Thoma Church, and first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, are located. The development project, which is already well on its way, will include the establishment of a maritime museum, a historic museum on Indian independence from the British and museums dealing with Syrian Christian, Islamic and Jewish heritage. In Cochin Jewish tradition, the port of Muziris, which is known as Kodungallor today and was called Cranganore in the past, is legendary, and was the site where many Jews lived until a tsunami caused a fatal flood in the middle of the 14th century. All the surviving Jews and the other inhabitants moved over to Chendamangalam, Cochin and other centers. Jewish songs in the local Malayalam language still recall the incident. Archeological excavations at the site of Pattanam, near Muziris, now in their fourth consecutive season, have unearthed definite evidence of the port of Muziris, mentioned by the Romans, as well as in local Tamil texts. Sundeep Abraham, an independent Christian researcher from the Cnanite (Knanya) community, which migrated from Edessa to Muziris in the mid fourth century CE, said: “The Muziris Heritage Project will document the rich heritage of the ancient port city of Cranganore. One can witness the causes for the rise and fall of this once prosperous capital of ancient Kerala as it showcases the heritage of the ancient era beginning with the Muziris archeological site at Pattanam up to modern-era social reformers, who worked to emancipate the struggling underprivileged societies which bore the brunt of the ancient caste system of Kerala society.” THE DISCOVERY of the ancient port of Muziris within one kilometer of the Parur synagogue has caused increased interest in Kerala among scholars, who are speculating about the connection between the commercial port and the ancient settlement of the Jews in the area. Dr. P.J. Cherian, a researcher and director of the Pattanam archeological research since 2007, is optimistic of finding some material evidence of Jewish or Middle Eastern trading links. “One of the interesting finds of the last season,” he said,” was the turquoise glazed pottery of West Asian origin in the pre-Roman layers. We are awaiting its analytical report and hope it will be of help in tracing the early Jewish links with the Malabar Coast.” The present synagogue was erected in the 17th century, but probably stands on an older structure dating to the 12th century. “As with other Cochin synagogues, the synagogue is made up of not one building but a collection of parts forming a distinct compound,” explains Jay Waronker, who teaches architecture at the Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia, and is writing a thesis about Cochin synagogue architecture. “Parur is notable for having the greatest number of connected and consecutive pieces which have survived fully intact, albeit rotting and crumbling. Unique to this synagogue is the way its parts are formally arranged and linked in a highly axial and ceremonial fashion. This same organization is also seen in some Hindu temples of Kerala and at later churches in the region.” Benny Kuriakose, the Chennai architect directing the reconstruction of the Parur synagogue and other historical monuments, has made every attempt to conserve the former synagogue structure, and goes to great pains to try to reconstruct features that disappeared long ago. A case in point is the disintegrated stairway that once was connected to the second entrance, where the two square storerooms are located and adjacent to the breezeway that led up to the women’s gallery. He is turning to members of the community to aid him to sketch it as it once was in order to produce an authentic reconstruction. Another example is the entry door of the gatehouse, where the original ground floor had wooden shuttered windows, but today there are only rolling shutters covering the windows. The newly reconstructed ark will be a work of art. The previous one, which was beautifully gilded and painted in Kerala Jewish tradition, was taken to the Israel Museum in the 1990s. Marian Sofaer, the project director of the exhibition on the Cochin Jews, which was introduced in the renovated Chendamangalam synagogue in 2006, summed it up: “The Kerala synagogues create an opportunity to present Jewish life and culture to Indians in the context of their own history and culture, to add to the diversity of the eco-tourism circuits in the Muziris Heritage Project and to remind us of the safe haven that India has provided to Jews during the 2,000 years of Jewish life in India.” The writer, a Hebrew University researcher, is a specialist on Indian Jewry. She co-curated the exhibition on Cochin Jews in the synagogue of Chendmangalam.

Revealations-P.J.Cherian and Links With Knanaya Church

 http://knanayafamily.googlegroups.com/attach/7a27cd2d39272dcb/My+quest.pdf?view=1&part=4

Accession Date and Time-29-10-2011; 11.40 AM

My Quest to unravel the Antiquity of the Knanaya Community

In my quest to uncover the truth behind the legacy of the Knanaya heritage while
recognizing the sad truth that we are not in possession of any original source evidence
to put forth the proof of the legacy, I began by identifying important milestones of the
legacy since AD 345 and have been engaged in understanding the circumstances of the
period since AD 345 which ought to have influenced the migration of our ancestors and
their immediate environment which shaped their lifestyles as well as their heritage over
the last 16 and more centuries.
To understand the circumstances that influenced the culture and the important turning
points during the history of Knanaya community since ancient times, one must study
ancient source records which have been documented during the contemporaneous
period by recognized historians and other authors. These sources are to be found
documented in Greek, Latin, Syriac, Aramaic and Hebrew texts. I began my studies in
the year 1996 studying the English sources beginning with a very brief construction of
the general history of the Middle East in the late ancient period beginning from the 4th
century onwards. After analysing the broad outline of the chronology of historical
events, I began studying each historical event in detail which were relevant to the
migrationary legacy held by our ancestors and codified in our ancient songs. Since
2005, I have been engaging myself in discussions with scholars regarding the historical
milestones of the Middle East and I was encouraged to study the affairs of the nation of
Israel since ancient times and also to analyse the migrationary pattern of the 12 tribes of
Israel. By coincidence, Dr.P J Cherian of the Kerala Council of Historical Research and his

team comprising of Dr. K P Shajanand Dr.Selvakumar had hit upon an archaeological site near Kodungallur atavillage called Pattanam. On a detailed analysis from the archaeological dig commenced from the year 2007, theydiscovered that this site was an ancient port and that it was a part of the ancient port of
Muziris which has been talked of at length in the ancient Roman period beginning from
the middle of the 1st century BC till the 4th century AD. Three successive years of
archaeological excavations from that site has thrown up much evidence of remains of
that trading period. I have visited that site in 2008 and 2009.
The existence of the site reveals to us that there was a strong trading activity in this part
of Kerala since the 1st century BC and the trade was mainly between Egypt and Kerala.
While Kerala exported pepper and other products from the Gangetic region, Sri Lanka,
China and South East Asia, it imported wine and Roman Gold coins or Cestaes and
Dinarii. While big Roman ships visited Muziris during September each year by cruising
with the Monsoon trade winds, they departed from Muziris before the 13th of January so
as to catch the North East monsoon winds which blows them towards South Arabia.
Cana was a port in South Arabia from where the ships embarked on the oceanic voyage
to Muziris. Cana was a mercantile haven which provided ships with drinking water,
Frankincense, and Myrrh and also, it was like a tavern where one could hire navigators
and other skilled mariners who have expertise handling the Monsoon winds as well as
the pirates near Muziris. Besides, there were also local translators and other
intermediaries who were available for hire as this port had a rich blend of Indian, Semitic
and Greek mariners and traders as evidenced from all the household vessels
discovered from archaeological sites. It may have been a trader/mariner’s mercantile
cosmopolitan city as it lay in the cross roads of the land route between India and the
Mediterranean Sea and Egypt as well as the two sea routes – the Egypt - Barygaza
(Indus/Broach) trade route and the Egypt - Muziris pepper trade route.

I began my seriousresearch studies by first trying to define the word Knanaya from historical sources beginning with the description of the zealots as per the ancient works of Flavius Josephus. I began engaging myself in discussions with International scholars regarding interpretation of these ancient source texts. First I had discussions in the year 2005 with Dr. Shalva Weil a renouned Anthropologist of the Hebrew University who has done a comparative study between the Knanaya community and the Cochin Jews in 1982. I continue to have discussions withher. The following year, I engaged in discussions with Dr. Robert Eisenman, an archaeologist and historian who has done extensive research on the Dead Sea scrolls
as well as the Zealots. He has done a thorough study regarding the migration of the zealots out of the nation of Judea and their flight to Edessa and has hypothesized that they would have reached South India and merged within the Syrian Christians of Keralabesides the remaining being converted into Islam. Though he was scheduled to address the Knanaya youth during the KnaZeal 2007 Conference, he was not able to make it due to certain personal commitments back home on the occasion of the birth of his
grandson. But eventually, he did make the trip in early April of 2008 thanks to voluntary
contributions from committed members of the Knanaya community such as Thomas
Elias Paarel, Abe Abraham Vazhayil (Kunjavarachayan), Monsy Chemmachan, Joe
Thomas Vadasserikunnel, Celia Vazhayil who supported my endeavor and shared with
me the cost of making arrangements for the commutation of this scholar. I must also
thank Mr. Jose Dominic of CGH Earth who has taken great interest in my activities
beginning with the tour of Dr. Shalva Weil and has supported me on every occasion to
engage scholars in meaningful discussions in the pursuit of unravelling the ancient
history of the founding of Christianity in Kerala. I met Dr. P J Cherian for the first time
during the visit of Dr. Eisenman at KCHR at Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan in
Thiruvananthapuram and we had a meaningful discussion then. Later in November that
same year, Dr. Cherian hosted a Seminar on the Muziris Heritage Project which was
addressed by atleast four ministers as well as historians. I had meaningful discussions
with Dr. Steve Sidebotham (in the picture below) who is an archaeologist currently
exploring the ancient Egyptian port of Berenike and is tipped to do an excavation in
Cana of South Arabia (presently Yemen). I also met Dr. Federico De Romanis of the
University of Rome and Dr. Roberta Tomber of the British Museum.

In January of this year, I attended a two day seminar on Indo-Portuguese era trade
history organized by the Vasco Da Gama Research Institue at Cochin.This seminar
was inaugrated by the Portuguese Ambassador in India and the keynote address was
by the Portuguese Architect and Art historian Paulo Varela Gomes. In the keynote
address, the influence of Portuguese architecture in the design of Syrian Christian
Churches were explained. It was a well organized seminar and many aspects of Indo-
Portuguese heritage were deliberated. I have made a suggestion that the VGRI must
explore the influence of the Portuguese on the Syrian Christians as well as the glorious
period of trade and goodwill between these two people during the major part of the 16th
century until the advent of Dom Alexis Menezis. It must be said in favor of Menezis that
he tried to work for the benefit of the Knanaya community until the Inquisition was
initated during his governorship. He had infact demanded the King of Kodungallur to
restore the land of the Thekkumbhagakkar which was gifted to them by Cheraman
Perumal since ancient times. He also intended to have that site turned into the center of
Indian Christianity and that is why the Vicarate of Kodungallur situated very close to the
Portuguese Fort was given high importance till the 17th century. Unfortunately, events
turned for the worse and the relations between the Syrian Christians and the
Portuguese Governor turned very bad and hence these promises where not followed
up. The evidence of this incident is provided in the Journal of Alexis Menezis. I
interacted with Dr. Varela Gomes regarding the dating and restoration of the Portrait of
Mother Mary and Infant Jesus which is today at the Sanctum Sanctorium of the St.
Mary’s Knanaya Valiyappally at Kallissery. I sent him a picture of the portrait and
looking at the picture, he explained that the portrait did not appear to be more than 80
years old. But he did admit that he could not say whether there was an even earlier
picture behind the present painting and that that would have to be ascertained using Xray
and laser technologies. His assessment is correct as the Portrait was last painted by
therenouned artist K M Varghese in the 1930s. He has also explained to me that if an
Indian organization such as INTACH were to certify that the painting is to be dated and
restored and a cost estimate could be prepared, he would try and arrange for the funds
to meet this expenses. I have informed our Bishops and priests about this offer and I
await their decision.

In the month of May of 2009, I took my family to the Pattanam archaeological site when
Dr. Cherian and his team where doing their 3rd season of dig at the site. It was a great
experience visiting this site and seeing for oneself the environment in which people of
the 1st to 4th century AD had lived while engaging themselves in Maritime trade.We saw
pottery items and jewelry used during that period, besides, the layout of dwelling units,
wells etc. The ropes of that period were apparantly made from the fibres of Aloe Vora
and these ropes are used even today to handle elephants. We also saw iron nails of
that period and it is said that ironsmiths of Muziris had a very advanced technology in
metallurgy. It was a good experience for my family. There is another project involving Muziris heritage. The
second project is a tourism project by the Tourism department and is the brainchild of Dr. Thomas Isaac,
our Finance Minister. The project is intended to highlight the heritage of the ancient port city of Muziris and covers the region from Chettuva to Paravur. This project is being coordinated by Mr. Benny
Kuriakose, a well reputed Conservative Architect who is based at Chennai and
he has prepared a very detailed heritage conservation oriented tourism project with a
budget of Rs. 140 Crores meeting International standards of conservation as well as
tourism promotion. A two day camp was held at Kodungallur on the 27th and 28th of June
2009 under the watchful eye of Dr. Thomas Isaac and the project was explained to the
members of the Panchayats which came under this conservation project. I attended the
Seminar and was very impressed to see the commitment of the State to promote
Kodungallur and it’s surrounding areas as part of a new wave of Kerala tourism initiative
as a Heritage Tourism model.
Dr. Cherian organized a Greek and Latin training program under Dr. Federico De
Romanis of the University of Rome from 27th of July till the 31st of August. There were
two batches consisting of 30 students. The students constituted historians, Engineers,
Linguists, and even a Dentist with a passion for history. I attended this program and we
covered the grammar and syntax of ancient Greek and Latin used between the 1st
Century BC till the 4th Century AD. We read ancient texts of Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis
Historia, Strabo’s Geography, Arrian’s Anabasis and History of Alexander’s Expedition,
Costas Indicopleustes, Periplus Maris Erythraei, Tabula Peutingeria, Ptolemy’s
Geographia VIII, the Vienna Papyrus, Charition (an ancient drama involving a language
once spoken in ancient Kerala). We did nearly 100 hours of reading and our Professor
empowered us with the necessary skills and tools required to read ancient documents
on our own even after the course was completed. During our course, we realised that all
translations of these ancient documents are done by European scholars who are not
aware of the ground realities that existed in Kerala during the period when these texts
were composed. Hence, the Professor, Dr. Athiyamman, a marine archaeologist and
myself embarked on a discovery tour to identify the places in the ancient Venad region
mentioned in these texts which were connected with ancient spice trade. The Professor
and the archaeologist came to Kallissery on 22nd of August. We visited the ancient
Syrian Church at Chengannur, our Kallissery Valiyappally, and did a boating expedition
across the Vembanad lake upto the St. Thomas Church at Kokkamangalam beyond the
Thaneermukham bund which is believed to be the site of one of the seven churches
reportedly founded by St. Thomas. We feel that this region could be the location of an
ancient port recorded as Bacare which is still elusive. I have hypothesized that Bacare
is a corruption of ‘Ba Akkare’. This hypothesis is based on an ancient narration where in
it is stated that Roman ships unloaded the goods that were imported to the ancient port
of the Kingdom of Nelkynda on the Eastern bank of the back waters and berthed there
till the end of Autumn. For loading spices into these large ships, the ships had to be
ferried empty to the Western bank of the river from where the spices would be loaded.
This was necessitated because, if these ships were loaded at the port on the Eastern
bank, then the weight of the spices would cause the ships to be submerged more into
the waters and if they were to cross the backwaters, the bottom of the ship would get
stuck in the clayey bottom of the back waters which was so hard that the ships could not
be wrenched free. This phenomenon can be experienced even today. Hence, the ships
had to be as light as possible so that the major portion of the ship would be above water
while crossing the shallow mid region of the backwater lake. The local traders those
days would have used the expression Ba Akkare to inform the Roman ship captain to
take the ship to the port on the opposite bank of the Vembanad so as to load spices into
the ships. Also, these ports are reported to be nearly 22.2 Km upriver from the sea.
Besides, Vembanad is fed with water by the rivers – Muvattupuzha river, Manimala river
and Pampa besides Achenkoil until it was redirected in the 19th century by the
Tranvancore ruler. These rivers formed the channels through which spices was
transported from the hilly regions of the Western Ghats to the sea ports. The Periyar
and the Pampa are the main source of spice transportation as they originate at the heart
of pepper growing regions of Idukki and Pathanamthitta rain forests. The region from
Kottarakkara to Kothamangalam could have been part of an ancient principality namedKottonara where pepper and elephants are reported to grow. We reached Thekkady on
the night of 22nd from Coconut lagoon at Kumarakom and stayed at Spice Village. On
the 23rd morning, the naturalist at Spice village explained to us how pepper is harvested
and also took us through the spice garden of the resort owned by CGH Earth. We were
also given a walking tour through the vast expanse of the vegetation being maintained
by this eco-friendly resort which includes a bio-decomposition plant for generating
organic fertilizer, a waste paper conversion plant for manufacturing recycled paper, an
organic kitchen garden where all the vegetables required by the resort kitchen are
grown besides the natural spice museum cum botanical garden. From Thekkady, we
drove to Ranni via Kanjirappally, Manimala. We stopped at Aythala to have a view of
the Pampa. The Professor was shocked to know that river which appears very calm
rises during the monsoon season to scale the banks and encroach into the houses
located at the Banks and considering how high the Thamarappally Aapeesil house is
located from the river bed, he could not believe that the river water has entered into the
house many a times. After being entertained by the lady of the house, Pennamma
Thomas, with juice and information, we travelled further eastwards towards Nilakkal
forest. By the time we crossed the Lahai Estate and entered into the Rajampara forest,
we accosted an accident site and the traffic was blocked during an attempt to recover a
tractor that had skidded off the road and fell into a ravine. As it was getting dark with the
sun setting fast and the Italian Professor not being comfortable at the thought of
confronting a wild elephant in the forest, we decided to turn back and headed for
Thiruvananthapuram via Pathanamthitta – Kottarakkara route. It was a memorable
weekend for us and the Professor admitted that all the ancient works regarding Kerala
will have to be retranslated keeping in mind the ground realities of Kerala which have
not been taken into consideration thus far by European scholars. In short, there is much
work to be done regarding studying the ancient trade with Muziris and other ports of
Kerala.
Besides this expedition, we travelled together again the following weekend to meet Mr.
Benny Kuriakose and also during the Onam break to visit the Athirappally water falls
and the Sholayar forest from where the spices could have been transported to Muziris
via the Chalakkudy river. We stayed at Hotel Brunton Boatyard this time which is based
on a historical theme of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British influence in Fort
Kochi. We look forward to explore the possibility of having regular cruises from this hotel
to Kodungallur to relive the ancient trade between Fort Kochi and Kodungallur which
was engaged by the Syrian Christians until they migrated southward to Kottayam and
Kallissery. We also studied the varies events which influenced the spice trade from the
1st Century BC to the 4th Century AD. We read the evidence regarding the presence of
Christianity in Kerala in the 5th Century which I quote below from Cosmas Indicopleustes
in Greek original
ÆEn Taprobavnh/ nhvsw/ ejn th'/ ejswtevra/ ÆIndiva/, e[nqa to;
ÆIndiko;n pevlagov" ejsti, kai; ÆEkklhsiva cristianw'n ejstin ejkei'
kai; klhrikoi; kai; pistoiv, oujk oi\da de; eij kai; peraitevrw.
ïOmoivw" kai; eij" th;n legomevnhn Malev, e[nqa to; pevperi givnetai,
kai; ejn th'/ Kalliavna/ de; th'/ kaloumevnh/, kai; ejpivskopov" ejstin
ajpo; Persivdo" ceirotonouvmeno".

[There are Christian priests and believers in Taprobane (ancient Sri lanka) and India,
There is a Christian Bishop at Male (ancient name of Kerala which became Malabar
during Arab times) where the pepper grows and the Bishop who is elected and sent
from Persia has jurisdiction over Kalliana (Kalyan), interior India or mainland India and
Taprobane (ancient Sri lanka).]
We also read the works of Zosimus, Socrates as well as Codex Theodosiani where the
circumstances during the reign of Constantinople, the Roman Emperor in the early part
of the 4th century is explained and which narrates events which would have borne a
strong influence on the Knanaya ancestors during the period that influenced their
migration to Kerala. Many a hypothesis is possible regarding the Knanaya origins. The
fact that Cana was the port from where the ships sailed for Muziris, there was a very
strong Jewish and Christian settlement in the towns of Cana from the 1st century AD till
the time of Muhammad and their subsequent conversion into Islam, there was a tribe in
that region known as Kinaidokolpitas (or people of the Gulf of Kinai), there is the
possibility of a Zealot migration to Cana of Yemen from Cana of Galilee during the
period of Herod the Great and Augustus Caesar. The Ethiopian King conquered this
place towards the end of the 3rd century or early 4th century, there was a major
recession during this period and the Roman economy was revived in the 1st quarter of
the 4th century by Emperor Constantine, there was a very high inflation and the prices of
pepper reached phenomenal levels during this period making it extremely profitable for
those merchants who could secure an assured quantity of pepper per year so as to reap
the benefits of the revival in Roman economy. These circumstances and many more
and their related hypothesis have to be explored in the future.
After a three day stay at Cochin, we returned back to Kallissery and he returned to
Thiruvananthapuram from where he flew back to Italy. During my course at KCHR, I
also met Dr. Shinu Abraham, an Anthropologist from the University of St. Lawrence in
New York who was here to study the glass beads discovered at the site of the dig. She
is specialising on the society that habitated at Muziris and also their interactions with
other cultures by way of trade in commodities of that period and influences of these
interactions. Her parents were originally from Kollakadavu near Chengannur and
migrated to the US in the 1970s. They are good family friends of Dr. A C Thomas and
Mariamma, Elamkulam currently settled at Long Island. She had come to Kallissery and
we spent a day in discussion regarding the Knanaya and Syrian Christian culture and
ancient society. I am hoping that during her next visit to Kerala we could explore the
possibility of enlarging the study of ancient society to the gatherers of pepper from the
ghats, the intermediaries who conveyed the pepper from the ghats to the plains through
the river channels as well as the influence of the Western traders in Muziris during theirfour month stay in Muziris from September to January. But these matters are to be
decided by Dr. Cherian who is coordinating the activities of the scholars associated with
the Muziris Archaeological research.
I intend to study the ancient records and also study semitic languages such as Hebrew,
Aramaic and Syriac over the next one year so that I can go as deep as possible while
exploring the evidences that seem to be propping up at various archaeological sites at
Cana, Berenike and Muziris. I also hope to be involved in discovering the elusive ports
of Bacare, Nelkynda and the ancient pepper growing region of Kottonara. I also want to
involve as many Knanaya youth from all parts of the globe who are interested in joining
me in this historical study and also those who will be interested to learn Archaeology
under Dr. P J Cherian.


:

Professor MGS Narayanan Vehemently Criticize Pattanam Excavations and Muziris Heritage Project

Professor MGS Narayanan  eminent historian and former Chairman of Indian Council  for Historical Research  has vehemently criticized Pattanam excavations and Muziris Heritage Project. In an article written by Professor Narayanan in leading journal -MALAYALAM - published  on October 28-2011,  he has pointed out  that the incompetency , lack of knowledge and selfish motives of KCHR and the excavation panel has led to the blacklisting of Pattanam archaeological excavations. Professor Narayanan has requested the Government of Kerala to hand over Pattanam to the Archaeological Survey of India

Indian Orthodox Diaspora Secretariat Publishes Malankara Orthodox Claim For Pattanam as ST' Thomas Site

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianOrthodox/message/29244
Accession Date and Time-27-10-2011;3.05PM

*Keynote Address by Fr Dr K.M. George at the Public meeting �Malankara
Orthodox Church in the New Millennium�, and Reception for HH Catholicos
Marthoma Paulose II, Tyaga Raja Stadium, March 13, 2011, New Delhi*

* *Today, as we gather together in the national capital of our nation, in
the presence of some of the distinguished leaders of our country, let us in
all humility give thanks to God Almighty and bless his holy name. For
marvellous are the ways in which the ancient Orthodox Church of Malankara
has been guided by divine providence for the last two millennia. From a
rather small community, in the south west Malabar coast, of faithful and
hardworking Christians, loyal to the country and friendly to the neighbours,
the Church has now spread her wings far and wide over the face of the earth
by this third millennium.

The recent archaeological findings of the remains of an ancient city
called *Pattanam* near the ancient port of Kodungalloor in Kerala where the
Apostle Thomas is believed to have arrived are sensational. It has begun to
unveil for us the great confluence of cultures- Roman and Greek, Aramaic
and Arab, Chinese and Persian- that took place in the spice country. The
Indian Church was founded in this setting of the dynamic interplay of
diverse cultures.

Five hundred and thirteen years ago, precisely in 1498, when Vasco da Gama,
the adventurous Portuguese navigator landed near Calicut in Kerala, the face
of Asia began to change. That momentous event inaugurated the massive
colonial era for India and the rest of Asia. The Christian community in
Kerala founded by St. Thomas, the apostle of Christ, thousand five hundred
years before that event, was the first in Asian history to bear the brunt of
the colonial invasion. The Indian church was deprived of her language and
liturgy, her indigenous social customs, and her eastern spiritual ethos and
autonomy for over half a century of direct Portuguese-Roman Catholic rule.
But the indomitable Indian church rose in a historic revolt against the
foreign yoke, in the celebrated pledge of Coonen Cross in Kochi in 1653.
This culminating event, after a long struggle with foreign domination,
anticipated the beginning of India�s political movement for liberation and
independence some two hundred years later.

Today, as we receive in the national capital the new head of the Orthodox
Church of India, H.H. Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II, we celebrate the
freedom of the church and of the nation in humility and hope.

Let me very briefly indicate some aspects of the hope that we cherish for
the new millennium.

First, the Church has no model to follow except that of Christ who loved the
world and who gave himself up for the world. So the Church�s involvement in
any human field be it social, educational, or healthcare, is to transform
the world to its pristine harmony and integrity, to redeem it. The strength
of the Christian Church is to be perceived, as many do, not in the power of
its institutions, nor its political clout, but in its capacity for
compassionate and self-giving love to all humanity. Metropolitan Paulos Mar
Gregorios of blessed memory, the renowned theologian, philosopher and
spiritual leader, the first Orthodox bishop of Delhi, wrote on the occasion
of the 50th year celebration of the Orthodox presence in Delhi: �For the
Orthodox, the true worship of God with genuine compassionate love for all is
more important than dogma or creed. When there is a failure of love, there
is the failure of the Church, for the Church�s main task is to manifest that
love� Divisions and wars, oppression and exploitation, corruption and
injustice � these are basic failures of love, whether in the Church or the
lives of nations.�

It is in this spirit that his successor, the present Metropolitan of Delhi,
H.G. Job Mar Philexenos leads the social and charitable activities of the
Diocese. In spite of his health problems, he dreams great dreams and ably
brings together a team of competent lay people and clergy to implement his
dreams. His new coadjutor bishop HG Dr Yuhanon Mar Demetrius, well known
biblical scholar, teacher and ecumenist, is God�s gift to the Diocese to
continue the great work.

Secondly, it is a privilege for the Christian Church to be closely
associated with the life of our great nation. The richness of our country�s
cultural traditions, the diversity of its religious beliefs and practices,
are unique in the world. Look at the nations of the world, travel across
the globe, criss-cross the cultures of the earth; you see that India is
truly incredible. Yes, the Incredible India, as they say, the *Atulya
Bharat* !

It is now that the mono-cultural western world begins to speak about
religious pluralism as if it is a new discovery, but our country has lived,
and lived well, that reality for ages. The Orthodox Church rejoices in this
great diversity and subscribes fully to the ancient principle of *�sarva
dharma samabhavana.�* As our prophetic Orthodox bishop Metropolitan
Geevarghese Mar Osthathios continues to teach, we believe in the conversion
of minds, and not of religion � in *manasantharam *and not in *mathantharam.
* The millennium policies of the Church are to be governed by these
principles.

* *Thirdly, what is the mission and the task of the Church in this unique
setting? Is it simply to bargain for the bits and pieces of the political
pie? Is it to seek exclusive privileges on the basis of some numerical
minority status? The answer is an emphatic no from the Christian
perspective. The Church has to exercise its critical prophetic ministry
towards governments and authority structures whenever any citizen in this
country is deprived of his or her constitutional rights and not simply when
Christians are in trouble. The Church, by its very nature, is called upon to
work together with all people of goodwill to improve the quality of freedom
and democracy that we enjoy today, to give voice to the voiceless, and to
listen to the cry of the poor, so that every man and woman in this country
should enjoy equal rights, freedom and dignity gifted by God. This is
nothing but what Jesus announced at the beginning of his earthly ministry.
(Luke 4:18).

Fourthly, India and China are generally perceived by others to be emerging
superpowers. Some of the richest of the world, according to the Forbes
Magazine�s latest count, are from our country. But we Indians, we know the
other side � the inside story: the incredible poverty and misery of millions
of own our brothers and sisters. St. John Chrysostom, 4th century father of
the Church and the fiery prophet of social justice, spoke about the two
altars of the Church: the one on which we offer the holy sacrifice of
praise and thanksgiving, the holy Qurbana, and the other, the altar is
that of the poor, the homeless, the disabled, all those who are oppressed
and marginalised of our society. It is with them and for them that the
Church worships the living God. These two altars need to be set up side by
side, even to be constantly exchanged with each other.

Fifth, according to recent statistical surveys, our country of over one
billion people have the largest number of youth nationwise. While rich
nations of the world are now desperately aging, it is certainly a boon for
our country to have young adults constituting the significant chunk of the
population. The Church�s future priority, therefore, is to give adequate
care for the youth- both boys and girls, their proper education and
employment, their training in human values, and the channeling of their
creative energy for the common good.

Our new Catholicos, H.H. Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II, himself coming from
a solid background of pastoral work among the youth and students of the Mar
Gregorios Orthodox Students Movement, raises high hopes for the Church�s
policies favouring the emerging young generation.

Sixth, the Orthodox Church�s care for Mother Earth through various
environmental policies and programmes is already mapped out by the Church�s
Ecological Commission. Nature, long enduring the injuries inflicted on her
by our industrial- technological- consumerist culture, has now begun to
strike back. We have a great Indian tradition of respecting nature, since
every trace of it can manifest the *chaitanya* of the divine. This goes
very well with the Indian Orthodox Church�s sacramental understanding of
God�s creation.

Here is a major question for our nation as well for Indian religious
communities regarding the dialectic of environment and development:

India and China together, with their 2.2 billion people, constitute one
third of present day humanity. If these huge populations simply imitate the
greedy, competitive and consumerist culture of the west in the name of
progress we will end up in terrible catastrophe simply because that model is
not a sustainable one for over two billion human beings, let alone the rest
of Asian population.

The question is: are we able to propose a new paradigm, a new model of
development, a more sustainable human lifestyle, more in common with our own
Gandhian model than with the exploitative, profit-oriented, globalised
market model. This question is crucial for the future of our nation and of
all the peoples of Asia. Ultimately the test is: can we all share the gifts
of God, the resources of Mother Earth in justice and peace, with gratitude
and mutual respect, with care and love for our future generations.

Seventh, the Church is called to be a peacemaker in the world. Our society
is becoming increasingly violent and insecure, especially for women and
children, for the less powerful and the older generation. No measure of
high-tech and high-cost security systems can counter the surging spectre of
violence that is endemic to globalized societies. Pope Benedict XVI in his
brand new book on the life of Jesus says �Violence does not build up the
Kingdom of God, nor the kingdom of humanity.� We can unequivocally say that
the Church�s urgent task is to collaborate with all people of goodwill, and
with appropriate government agencies to uphold the rule of law, rights of
every citizen, especially women and children, and human dignity and welfare
of all. This sets an important millennium goal for the Orthodox Church.

To conclude, it is generally perceived that the great overarching western
civilization of the last millennium is fast declining. People all over the
world look up to Asia for leadership. Here again is the challenge for the
Asian church, numerically small as it may be, and particularly for the
Indian Orthodox Church with its positive experience of centuries of living
with the tolerant and benevolent Indian religious traditions.

The biblical vision of �new heavens and a new earth where justice dwells�
and our unshakeable faith in the One who �makes everything new� are the
driving force for the Church to outline the contours of a new civilization-
a civilization of love and human dignity, of peace, justice and care for
God�s creation.

God bless our nation. Namaste. Jai Hind.

Rino Rachel Joy
E -Volunteer
Indian Orthodox Diaspora Secretariat.