Thodupuzha
is a little, picturesque town situated on the banks of the Thodupuzha
river.The name Thodupuzha might
have been derived from of two Malayalam words, "Thodu" (which
means canal) and "puzha" (which means river). The conjecture
is that a canal eventually became a river and that this town is close
to it. There is yet another version that the word "Thodu"
also means "touching' and "puzha" means "river",
which makes it a place that touches a river. It is an ancient town
with a history dating back to many centuries ago. It is a neat, quiet
town and the cradle of religious harmony and peaceful co-existence.,
Christian churches, Hindu temples and Muslim mosques abound in Thodupuzha
and co-exist next to each other. The people of Thodupuzha are hard
working in nature. By sheer dint of hard work, they have converted
the hilly terrains into prosperous plantations of Cardamom,Rubber
,Ginger, Bananas, Coco, Tapioca, P
epper, etc. This
has enabled them to live a prosperous and contended life. Which has
also provided the momentum for their social and cultural attainments. |
The Buddhest and J ain
religions which made their first inroads into kerala in 300 B.C. have
left thier impact on Thodupuzha and neighbouring areas. The Buddhist
religious relics found at Karikodu is ample proof of this surmise.
In 100 A.D. kerala was divided for administrative reasons into several
provinces such as Venad, Otanad, Nanvushainad, Munjunad, Vempolinad
and Keezhmalainad. Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha were in Keezhmalainad
which had its headquartes at Karicodu. Keezhmalainad was in existence
till 1600 A.D. In that year, it lost a battle with Vadakkumcoor and
became part of it. The kings of Vadakkumcoor used to live at Karicodu
for several years. At the time of king Marthandavarma, Vadakkumcoor
became a part of the State of Travancore. The relics of a fort is
still there at Karicodu. The Annamalai Temple which carries the traits
of Tamil architecture is at Karicodu. At this temple, one can see
many statues and lamps made out of stone and metals believed to have
been made in the 14th century.
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