History of Maravankudieruppu

Kamanaickenpatti
Kamanaickenpatti is situated at 14 Km North East of Kovilpatti, Thoothukudy District. Nadar and Naicker communities are living there. During 16th century (nearly 1600 AD) in Kayatharu, nearly 45 families got baptized and followed the Catholic faith. After that, St. John De Britto a Jesuit priest baptized the people of Kamanaickenpatti and he built a Church at Kamanaickenpatti in 1685 AD. After 1688 AD Kamanaickenpatti developed into a permanent settlement to Jesuit Priests for their religious works. Rev. Fr. Joseph Constantine Beschi (Veerama Munivar) served as the 7th parish priest of the Kamanaickenpatti parish.

Name of Kamanaickenpatti
The name of Kamanaickenpatti was derived from the name of a king. There were two brothers Ettapa Naicker and Kama Naicker who ruled these places during 1600 AD. One village was named as Kamanaickenpatti and the nearby village was named as Ettu Naickenpatti.

Migration
Due to religious persecution (vedakalapanai) in the 17th century, (1700-29) Kamanaickenpatti was fully destroyed ; even now the destroyed place can be seen in the north side of the cemetery. During the persecution (Vedakalapanai) King Chegavera Ramakachil Ettapa Naicker laid a stone in 1665 AD to protect the Catholics from the enemies. The said laid stone is now erected in front of the said Church. The persecution against Christians was very severe, and there was no safety for them to survive. This made the people to think of migration to other places. Hence, Thiru. Swamiyadian Thirupappu Nadar and four of his family members migrated to Maravan Thattu now called as Maravankudieruppu.

Maravan Thattu
At that time in Maravan Thattu some thieves and robbers were staying there and the said Thiru. Swamiyadian Thirupappu Nadar and four members of his family fought with them and finally Thiru.Swamiyadian Thirupappu Nadar established and put up his habitat at Maravan Thattu, now called as Maravankudieruppu.

After Migration
Thiru. Swamiyadian Thirupappu Nadar and the member of his family had arrived at Maravankudieruppu in 1781. He married Perianachi @ Peria Nadachi, a woman from the neighbouring Kalasamirakki Kudieruppu and settled there. They had no children so they adopted four children of his brother from Kamanaickenpatti and made them as their heirs. They are the origins of this village.

Maravankudieruppu
Thiru Swamiyadian Nadar with four members of his family established and possessed the entire area in Maravankudieruppu and near by locality. He was a tax payer to the Travancore Samasthanam, (Travancore Kingdom). So he was called to attend the marriage of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma and Panapillai Amma Srimathi Ayikutty Narayani Pillai Kochamma of the Thiruvattar Ammaveedu family in 1829. Thiru. Swamyadiyan Nadar also attended the function and presented 1001 ponnu (ponnu-paun-Sovereign of Gold) which was a big presentation in that period. So the king was pleased and honoured him by awarding him 5 acres of land in Trivandrum with one of the greater award of Title “Thiru Mugam Parpu”. The meaning is Seeing the face of the King. The people who got this award can meet the king without prior an appointment. This can be found from the records of Travancore Cochin Samasthanam available at Trivandrum. “Thirupappu” is the short name of “Thiru Mugam Parpu”. Thereafter from Thiru. Swamiyadiyan Nadar was called as “Thiru. Samyadiyan Thiru Mugam Parpu Nadar” in short as Thiru. Swamadiyan Thirupappu Nadar.

Evidence and facts
The main evidence of migration of Thiru. Swamiyadian Thirupappu Nadar from Kamanaickenpatti to Maravankudieruppu available as follows :-

1. When people of one custom and beliefs migrate from one place to another, they will take over their respective Gods with them. Similarly Thiru. Swamiyadian Thirupappu Nadar took over the wooden statue of Our Lady from Kamanaickenpatti to Maravankudieruppu. Now the wooden statue is worshiped in the cemetery Chapel.

2. A unique drama named “Kallarai Vaassaappu” was staged in Kamanaickenpatti and also in Maravankudieruppu till 1965. This shows the similarity between both the places of Kamanaickenpatti and Maravankudieruppu.

3. Thiru Swamiyadian Thirupappu Nadar died in the year 1838 at the age of 84 and his tomb is still preserved in the cemetery behind the chapel. There is a conventional program followed on every Easter and Christmas day, the Village people accompanied by bands and trumpets visit the cemetery to honor him by garlanding his tomb and the tomb of his family members following the midnight Holy Mass. They also smear the cross of his tomb with coconut oil and milk to honor him. There is another tomb said to be, one of the heir in which the epitaph is written in Devanagiri Language as Mr. Savarimuthu Nadan buried. Now the epitaph stone is underneath the Cemetery Chapel.

Location of the Maravankudieruppu
Maravankudieruppu is part of Nagercoil Municipality, situated 3 km from Nagercoil, the administrative headquarter of Kanyakumari District in the Indian State of Tamilnadu. Originally Kanyakumari District was part of Kerala the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom till almost a decade after India’s Independence from Britain in 1947. In 1956, it was merged with Tamilnadu. In its earlier days, the town and its surroundings were known as "Nanjilnadu".

The Maravankudieruppu village is bordered on the West by Vattakarai Village, North by Pattakasalian Vilai and Kalai Nagar (Kalasamirakki Kudieruppu) East by Keela Maravankudieruppu and on the South by Vannanvilai. There is one water canal, which flows from pechiparai Dam, which divides the Maravankudieruppu village; one side comes under Municipality and another side is in village panchayat. The village people are mainly agriculturists, coconut growers and timber merchants.

Well (Drinking water)
Originally the villagers had to bring drinking water from the fountains situated at the southern side of the village. Hence the villagers dug a well for drinking water in the centre of the village in front of the second church. It was dug by the villagers nearly for 10 years at a depth of 85 feets, namely from 1904 to 1914. The water is sweet and it fulfills the needs of the villagers and also neighbouring villagers.