My Village-PERAMBRA

My native place is Thanniyode, which is in Perambra Village ,Perambra Desom. The nearest centres are Chembra,Kulathuvayal,Chakkittapara and Thandorapra. Perambra Village was part of Payyormala Nad in the past. Payyormala was subject to the Nayars (Paleri, Avinhatt and Koothali) of Payyrma la. They were independent chieftains, with some theoretical dependence on the Ku rumbrunad family and also on the Zamorin. The Nad was composed of the following modern amsams of Koyilandy Taluk, viz. :Paleri,Kayanna, Cheruvannr. Karayad, M eppayur. Iringath and Perambra. Agreements were, in February-March 1798 , entered into with the Koothali , Avin hat and Paleri Nayars of Payyrmala by the East India Company. The Payyormala Nayars having failed to pay their revenue, their district was taken under the Companys control and the management of that district was undertaken by the Company in 1800. The people of Payyormala actively sympthised with the Pazhassi Raja s fight for independence. Excerpts from the history of Cheruvannur a nearby Village gives interesting info rmation about this area. The area has a long history of human settlements. A hat stone ( ) - meg alithic burial monument - belongs to roughly a period of 300 B.C. to 500 A.D (Ga nesh, K.M., 1990.) is seen in Edakkayil ( ) as a proof. A cave (Innes. C.A , Evans. F.B.(Ed.), 1958) is also present in Moyiloth ( ) near Muyippoth belongs to the same period, now lies under thick soil cover which was carelessly deposited on it during the construction of irrigation canal passing there by, r emains almost forgotten. Before British occupation, the place was included in Payyormala ( ) a feud al principality controlled by three nair families namely Paleri ( ), Avinha tt ( ), and Koothali ( ) and those acknowledged the suzerainty of Za morin of Calicut ( ) (Innes. C.A, Evans. F.B.(Ed.), 1958). Payyor mala is a slightly elevated area near Edakkayil, from where the name of the prin cipality evolved, now remains a place of less importance. Remnants of a small sh rine of payyormala muthassi ( ) the guardian angel of the principal ity, still seen here. Under British administration the area included in Kurumbra nad taluk, Malabar district of Madras presidency (Innes. C.A, Evans. F.B.(Ed.), 1958). At present it find its place in Perambra development block and in Koyilan di taluk, Kozhikode district of Kerala state. The people from the region has a r ich tradition of participation in various important historical events, among the m Pazhassi revolts ( ) against the rule of British East India Company t ook place between 1796 to 1805 and Koothali strike ( ) took place in t he period of 1940 -1950 are most notable. Many of freedom fighters who participa ted in mainstream freedom struggle, and two people who joined in I.N.A and fough t against the British were from this area. The antiquity of civilisation in this area is revealed by two umbrella stones(Or Hat stones) still preserved at pampirikunnu and Pythoth which are within 10 km radius from Thanniyode. Kodakkallus(umbrella stones ) are mentioned by Sewell and Logan in their works. They are deemed to represent the great megalithic civilization in the different

parts of Kerala. The kodakkallus are sparsely located in different parts of Kera la. The ones in Quilandy Taluk represented by the Paithoth Kodakkallus and Pambi rikunnu kodakkallu are deemed to be made by about 1500 BC. The presence of the i ron implements within the Kodakkallus shows that they were made after iron came into use and therefore they represent an advance stage in human development. A t ypical umbrella stone stands like a giant Mushroom in the Kodakuthi compound own ed by Sri Kodakuthiyil Rajan nair of Pambirikunnu in Cheruvannur Panchayath. The term Kodakuthiyil is indicative of the presence of the umbrella stone. Koda mea ns umbrella. There are scholars who believe that Koda pertains to the funeral of ferings; according to them the term is derived from Kodukkal (offering) or Kodu (again, offering) in Malayalam and Tamil languages. They argue that the shape of the stone is that of a mushroom and not that of an umbrella and therefore ident ifying the Kodakkallu with an umbrella is untenable. As the scholars generally a gree that the Kodakkallus were post burial tombs during the megalithic period, t he argument on the shape and etymology of the tomb is not solicited. However, th is is not to deny the right to argue. For the people, the tombs have always been umbrella-like although resemblance to mushroom cannot be ruled out categoricall y. Sri P.C.Mohanan records the following in his family history: Parachottil and the neighboring areas were part of the Payyor Mala ruled by s omewhat independent Nair feudal lords during the medieval period. There is no d oubt that the land had been populated since ancient times as seen from the buria l pots discovered here and there, and the Kotthiya para with its carved steps an d the inscriptions. It was on the route of the pilgrims who visited the holy shr ines in the Wynad forests like Tirunelli. The area got depopulated during the military campaigns of Haider Ali and h is son Tippu and for the next hundred years no one came to live there. It was in such circumstances that Niravat Shankara Marar bough lands settled the area wi th his wife and children and other extended families towards the turn of the 20t h century. They all came from Meppayyur and before that from Iruvazhi Nadu near modern day Mahe. He was the caretaker of the estate of some of the naduvazhis an d amassed sizable lands. The region then was inhabited with wild animals including tigers. Parachot til was so called because it was virtually below the great rock formation of V alarunda Para. The house was built in a very simple way with very little ostenta tion, one reason being that the Valarunda para was associated with some divinity and the house was not supposed to be taller. Originally the house was slightly to the north of the present house and was thatched. Later on it was built in its present location. Smt Parvathi Marasiar was a formidable matriarch who was in-charge of the house with her five daughters and one son. The entire neighborhood came to be occupied by her cousins nephews as a lso the workers most of whom settled down to work in the fields. Thus the area b ecame a marar enclave in due course as most of them survived on landed property. Over the years families spilt but even then most of them were never far awa y. The house continues to be a centre point with very little modifications on th e original structure. )is a village in Kozhikode district of Kera Kulathuvayal (in Malayalam : la state, India. Administratively, Kulathuvayal comes under the Chakkittapara pa nchayat, Perambra block panchayat and Koyilandy Taluk. Climate It has a generally humid climate with a very hot season extending from March to

May. The rainy season is during the South West Monsoon, which sets in the first week of June and extends up to September. The North East Monsoon extends from th e second half of October through November. The average annual rainfall is 3266 m m. The best weather is found in towards the end of the year, in December and Jan uary the skies are clear, and the air is crisp. The highest temperature record ed was 39.4 C in March 1975. The lowest was 14 C recorded on 26 December 1975. [1] The St. George s Forane Church, Kulathuvayal records the history of the area as follows: St. George s Forane Church Kulathuvayal During the large-scale migration in 1920 s and 30 s from central Travancore, the whole of Malabar was under the Latin diocese of Kozhikkode. The administrators of the diocese paid special attention to the spiritual needs of the new settlers and gave them all the necessary help. The nearest Catholic Church in those days was at Vadakara. As new Christian settlements were established, the missionarie s of Kozhikkode diocese started paying attention to the needs of the community. The first among those who came to Kulathuvayal had been Rev. Fr. Siaro, Rev. Fr. Rebello, and Rev. Fr. Joseph Peediekkal. It was Rev. Fr. Siaro who celebrated t he first holy mass at Kulathuvayal. That had been in the house of Mathur Cherian , one of the earliest settlers of the area. The bishop of Kozhikkode, Rt. Rev. Dr. Leo Presarpio SJ, understood the problems of the settlers and did everything to help them. In 1941, he authorized Rev. Fr . Joseph Peediekkal, the vicar of Vadakara church, to manage the spiritual needs of the people of Kulathuvayal, Maruthonkara and Padathukadavu, which were part of the Kuttiady settlement area. The Catholics of these places can never forget the great services rendered by Re v Fr Peediekkal who carried out the new responsibility with sincerity and devoti on. Every Sunday he celebrated the holy mass for the settler community at Kulath uvayal, in the house of Chacko Njallimakkal. That was how the spiritual life of the area, which had been kindled by Rev. Fr. Siaro, got rejuvenated in subsequen t years. Fulfillment of the Dreams The church named after St. George was established as early as 1941 under the ini tiative of Rev. Fr. Peediekkal. Janab Moythu Sahib donated 10 acres of prime lan d at Kulathuvayal hill top for the new church. The thatched shed for the new chu rch was constructed in no time under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Peediekkal, Rev. Fr. Mathew Kappukattil, and Rev. Fr. John Makkil. It was a modest attempt by th e settlers who had been weakened by malampani. Taking a contribution of 25 paise each during prayer meetings had accumulated the necessary money. The cemetery w as also established near the church by Rev. Fr. Peediekkal in 1941. In 1943 the church building was reconstructed. It was a strong edifice built on granite pillars and was given a tiled roof. The new building was constructed lit erally on the strength of the gold ornaments of about 25 families. They were mos tly the humble offerings of the poor mothers who were struggling in the midst of dangerous fevers and acute scarcity. Very soon Rt. Rev. Dr. Presarpio appointed Rev. Fr. DeCosta to assist Rev. Fr. Peediekkal. He used to come to Kulathuvayal on Saturday, say the mass on Sunday and then return to Kozhikode. On 28 January 1944, the bishop came to Padathukadavu and then to Kulathuvayal through Palery. One result of this journey was that the road to Kulathuvayal from Padathukadavu became a reality after the visit. The road was the result of the hard work of a ll the people of the area who toiled hard day and night, forgetting all the diff erences of religion, caste and class. The work was led by Janab Moythu who contr ibuted food for the workers and two petromax lamps. Utilizing the 6000 Rupees he contributed, a new car was bought from Coimbatore by late Prof. K. M. Chandy (f

ormer Gujarat Governor) and the bishop was taken to Kulathuvayal in that along t he new road. He traveled up to the present Vimalalayam junction in the car and t hen walked to the top of the Kulathuvayal hill. He was thoroughly impressed with the big crowd of believers there and promised them that he would soon give them a new permanent vicar. Accordingly, Rev. Fr. Thomas Ayilloor, of Thampalakkad, was appointed as the first vicar of Kulathuvayal on 25 April 1944. In no time he became the leader and the shelter to all the Christian settlers from Peruvannam oozhy to Kattippara. Those were the days when forest fevers had their heyday, tormenting the settler community continuously. Cries of agony continued to rise up from the huts. The e choes of the knell terrified people. On some days there had been as many as thir teen funerals on a single day at Kulathuvayal church cemetery. In distant places graves were formed under trees and in shrubs. Rev. Fr. Ayilloor went from house to house spreading the message of hope and trust in God. The Koyna tablets he c arried in his pockets saved the lives of hundreds. Rev. Fr. Ayilloor established several churches for the Christian settlers, at Pe ruvannamoozhy, Koorachundu, Kallanodu, Thalayadu, and Kattippara. His contributi on to the education sector was also very remarkable. It was he who started St Ge orge LP School Kulathuvayal, St Antonys LP School Chakkittupara, St Thomas LP S chool Koorachundu, St Marys LP School Kallanodu. The people of Malabar will alw ays remember his significant contribution, which went a long way in helping the educational aspirations of the settler community. The Chakkittappara LP School Fr Ayilloor established had a long and eventful his tory. Avadukka LP School had been the oldest school of the area. The manager of that school, Kelothu Kunjiramakurup, shifted the school to Chakkittappara in Jun e 1944. Rev. Fr. Ayilloor bought that school and renovated it giving it the new name of St Antonys LP School. Today the school is functioning in the land which had been donated by Panamattathil Outha. Another example for Rev. Fr. Ayillor s far-sightedness is the Kayanna Post Office, which was established mainly becaus e of his attempt. Fr. Ayilloor didnt forget to extend a helping hand when the s ettlers faced legal obstacles. Thus, he succeeded in building the foundation for a secure, strong and happy community. At last, in 1949, the karuthachan (that was how people affectionately called him on account of his perennial black dres s) was transferred to Manathavady. Rev. Fr. L.H Miranda from Mangalapuram succeeded Rev. Fr. Ayilloor as the vicar of Kulathuvayal. He was a doctor of Homoeopathy. The main achievement of his ser vice was the opening of the Chempra-Perampra road. He got transferred to Thalass erry in 1951. Then it was the turn of Rev. Fr. C.J. Varkey to serve Kulathuvayal as its vicar. The very long period of sixteen years when he was the vicar was n oted for the innumerable construction works successfully undertaken in Kulathuva yal. He was literally the architect of the beautiful church and the school, whic h stand majestically today at Kulathuvayal. It was his leadership qualities and his foresight that helped Kulathuvayal parish reach its heights in so short a pe riod. The new church building was consecrated five years after the laying of the foundation stone. That was also the silver jubilee year of the parish. The chur ch building he constructed was peculiar with its balcony, priest home, and the e ighty feet tall tower. Rev. Fr. C J Varkey succeeded in implementing his plans p erfectly and quickly because he had the willingness to work very hard and the de termination born out of his unflinching faith and confidence. [2] The elementary school had to be shifted from where it stood when the new church was constructed. The school was elevated to the status of a High School on 28 Ju ne 1954. St. Georges High School Kulathuvayal, which has grown to become a prou d possession of the Vadakara Educational District, was mainly the brainchild of Rev. Fr. Varkey. He also established Pushpa L P School, Narimada, and St. Joseph s Lower Primary School, Oonjil.

It is to be specifically mentioned that the only swimming pool associated with a school in north Kerala is at Kulathuvayal. It was also the result of Rev. Fr. V arkeys imagination and hard work. He had always been a great sportsman and a lo ver of various sports and games activities. The rich sports tradition of Kulathu vayal High School is a fitting memorial to him. He had always been at the forefr ont of all the attempts to train the youth of the area. The volleyball lovers of Chakkittappara still have fond memories about the net and ball he bought for th em. That is why they still conduct a volleyball tournament for a rolling trophy in his name. Fr. Varkey was also interested in encouraging and sponsoring adventurous enterpr ises. An attempt made by Mr. Thomas Madukkavumkal brought the attention of the K erala government and the Electricity ministry to the Oorakkuzhy waterfall, which became the source of the Kuttiady hydroelectric project that later became the l ighthouse of Malabar. Rev. Fr. Varkey was also behind it. It was a team includin g Fr. Varkey and Thomas Madukkavumkal that went very near the waterfall for the first time and took photos. The photos taken by Fr. Varkey were incorporated in the report Mr. Thomas published in Mathrubhumy. The government initiated the pla ns about the Kuttiady project after the publication of that report.[3] The Sacred Heart convent on the eastern side of the Kulathuvayal hill was establ ished mainly because of the attempt of Rev. Fr. Varkey. The settlers still remem ber fondly the great services rendered by the sisters in the fields of education , medical care and spirituality. Another invaluable contribution of Fr. Varkey w as the establishment of the Vimala Mary Congregation, which later became MSMI, w hich now has more than fifty branches in different places. Rev Fr. Varkey paid attention to the medical sector and the technological sector as well. Two institutions that bore witness to that are the Mount St. George Ho spital and the Georgian Institute of Commerce. Although they have disappeared in course of time, their service to the people in the days when no such facilities were available had been immeasurable. We can say that they disappeared only aft er fulfilling their goals in full measure. During his tenure, the post office, w hich had been established under his initiative, was elevated to the level of a s ub post office. In 1953, when Thalasserry diocese was established, Rev. Fr. Varkey joined hands with the diocese and continued to render his invaluable service to Kulathuvayal. That shows his love and commitment to the people here. He succeeded in supporti ng the activities of the diocese in a significant manner. It was he who helped t he bishop, Mar Sebastian Velloppilly to establish the Corporate Management for t he schools that came under the diocese. Thus, after putting in a lifetimes serv ice for the parish and people of Kulathuvayal, Rev. Fr. Varkey departed the plac e to become the corporate manager of the Thalasserry diocese. Later he returned to Kulathuvayal as the director of Vimalalayam, thereby becoming the supporter o f Kulathuvayal once again.[4] The vicars who succeeded him found the parish ready in every sense to receive fu rther developmental drives. By that time the initial hardships of the settlers h ad almost come to an end. However, there were areas where their services were ne cessary. In 1967-69, Rev. Fr. Francis Aarupara led the parish. It was Rev. Fr. M athew Kottukappally who was the vicar after that and he remained in charge until 1974. It was during his tenure that Kulathuvayal and Chakkittappara became elec trified. The construction of the first floor of the High School including the of fice, and the widening of the Perampra-Koorachundu road were the major developme ntal activities undertaken under his leadership. The next vicar had been Fr. Kuriakose Chemblany who remained until 1978. Rev. Fr . Mathew Panachippuram was the vicar until 1981 and Rev. Fr. Joseph Koottarappal

ly occupied the position till 1984. Rev. Fr. Sebastian Kanjirakkattukunnel was t he vicar from 1984 to 1989 and Rev. Fr. Thomas Kochuparampil served the parish a s the vicar for a short period from 1989 to 1990. All of them served the parish in different ways, helping in the development of the parish and its institutions . It was during the tenure of Rev. Fr. Chemblany that new rooms were built for t he High School, near the ground. The silver jubilee celebrations of the school w ere organized under the initiative of Rev. Fr. Panachippuram and a new hall was built as the jubilee memorial. The water supply scheme for the school was also e stablished in that period. All those years, the vicars showed interest in variou s agricultural activities as well in order to ensure continued income to the par ish. The growth of the parish continued uninterruptedly during the tenure of Rev. Fr. Koottarappally and Rev. Fr. Kanjirakkattukunnel. Both showed much interest in t he development of the agricultural activities of the parish. The present buildin g of the Karikandanpara chapel was built under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Kootta rappally. It was in his time that the compound wall was built around the church and the main gate was placed. Another unforgettable contribution from him was hi s initiative in building a migration memorial at Chembra. The services of Rev. Fr. Kanjirakkattukunnel were mostly aimed at rejuvenating t he spiritual enlightenment of the parish. His oratory skill, tactfulness and the ability to pay attention to each member of the parish were contributing factors in his great success. He was instrumental in uniting a lot of the parishioners who stood aloof and showed a dissenting mentality. He also succeeded in drawing several people to a spiritual reawakening. The parish came to view the implement ation of Gods words through his actions. Rev. Fr. Thomas Kochuparampil had only one year to serve the parish. Rev. Fr. Ja cob Puthenpura came to the parish after that as the new vicar. He has been here to lead the golden jubilee celebrations of the parish. It was his success that t he jubilee celebrations turned out to be grand and became an opportunity for the entire parish to remember the services rendered by the forefathers who toiled h ard for the establishment of a parish here and a strong and Catholic community a s well. He was followed by Fr. Arakaparambil who served the parish for six years continuously. One of the notable things during his tenure was laying the founda tion of a Higher Secondary School. It was Fr. Thomas Kadhalikattu who came after him completed the construction of St. George s Higher Secondary School Kulathuv ayal. It currently holds students in Science, Commerce and Arts scheme. Six year s of his service to the parishners are immense. He constructed a compound wall a round the church, built a new staircase that would take to the front portion of the church, and above all did maintenance work in the church. He also laid the f oundation of a renewed cemetery. Fr. Mathew Choorapoykayil came after him and co mpleted work at the cemetery. It was blessed by Mar Paul Chitilapally, the then bishop of Thamarashery, in the year 2008. At present Fr. George Karukamalil serv es as the vicar and manager of both the school and the higher secondary. At first Kulathuvayal had been part of the Kozhikkode diocese. It became a part of the Thalasserry diocese from its inception. The first bishop of the new dioce se, Mar Sebastian Velloppilly, had always been a great support and inspiration t o Kulathuvayal. In 1986, when Thamarasserry diocese was formed out of Thalasserr y, Kulathuvayal got affiliated to it. The parish spreads through the panchayats of Chakkittapara, Koorachundu, Perambr a and Kayanna in Kozhikkode district. The land is made wet and fertile by the re servoir of the Kuttiady irrigation scheme, and the Chembrapuzha that springs fro m Chakkittapara, flows east until it reaches Koorachundu, and then turns west an d flows around Kulathuvayal till it reaches Kuttiadypuzha. There are about six h undred families in the parish who are mostly agricultural families.

Former Vikars 1. Rev. Fr. Joseph Peediyeckal 2. Rev. Fr. Thomas Ayillor 3. Rev. Fr. Miranda 4. Rev. Fr. C.J. Varkey 5. Rev. Fr. Francis Arupara 6. Rev. Fr. Mathew Kottukapalli 7. Rev. Fr. Kuriakose Chemplani 8. Rev. Fr. Mathew Panachipuram 9. Rev. Fr. Joseph Kuttarapalli 10. Rev. Fr. Sebastian Kanjirakattukunnel 11. Rev. Fr. Thomas Kochuparambil 12. Rev. Fr. Jacob Puthanpura 13. Rev. Fr. Ephrem Pottanani 14. Rev. Fr. Arakaparambil 15. Rev. Fr. Thomas Kadhalikattu 16. Rev. Fr. Mathew Choorapoykayil 17. Rev. Fr. George Karukamalil (Current) [5] Vocation Kulathuvayal is very rich in vocation. A good number of its children serve the c hurch and humanity from different places on earth. Some of them are outside the state and quite a few serve abroad. There are a dozen priests and half a dozen s eminary students from the parish. There are also about a hundred sisters from th is parish who belong to various congregations and bear witness to Christ from th eir various places and the various missions. Priests from the Parish 1. Rev. Fr. Philip Kanakkacherry 2. Rev. Fr. Thomas Oswald Kappukattil CMI 3. Rev. Fr. Jose Kappukattil CMI 4. Rev. Fr. Sebastian Embrayil 5. Rev. Fr. Thomas Vattottutharappel 6. Rev. Fr. George Moolayil 7. Rev. Fr. Sebastian Panamattomparambil [6] Devotional organizations 1. Sunday school The Sunday school of Kulathuvayal was established right at the beginning of the parish. Now it has grown considerably and there are as many as 26 catechism teac hers today. There are also more than 600 students going through the different cl asses. In order to make it easy for the children, catechism classes are being ta ken now at Kulathuvayal, Chakkittapara, and Narinada schools. Kulathuvayal Sunda y School is one of the best in the whole diocese. The teachers there render inva luable and selfless service to the children. Among them the name of Sri T M Abra ham Thoomkuzhy is to be particularly mentioned as he has been serving the parish as the headmaster of the Sunday school for more than twenty five years. 2. Mission League The mission leagues branch has been functioning admirably with the intention of moulding young men and women who motivated in mission work. They approach every house in the parish and convey the message of Christian mission. They also teach the great value of prayers and renunciation. Monthly meetings and seminars are being conducted to develop leadership qualities among children. The members visi t hospitals to console the patients and extend financial help to the needy. In t he various cultural competitions held annually in the regional level and diocesa n level, the Kulathuvayal branch puts in very good performance every year. 3. Society of St Vincent de Paul The society has been functioning very admirably for the last fifteen years. Ther e are nine active members in it today. It gives different kinds of financial sup port to the needy such as marriage aid for poor girls, free medical treatment fo r the poor, providing thatched roof for houses, and financial help for buying fo

od or clothing, educational scholarship to pupils, etc. These are only a handful of the various activities the society undertakes. 4. Mathrusangham Mathrusangham is functioning in an exemplary manner in the parish. At present th ere are about thirty members in the organization. They assemble after the holy m ass on second Saturdays, and conduct Bible readings and prayer sessions. They al so take up marriage help for poor girls, helping the patients, and visiting home s. 5. Sodality Sodality prepares children to be devoted to the Virgin Mother. The members assem ble every Saturday after holy mass and conduct prayer sessions. There are more t han one hundred members in it now. 6. KCYM KCYM is an organization that helps Christian youth to come together, and grow to gether. There are more than one hundred and fifty members in the organization no w. Seminars and debates are held regularly by them. It is also a forum for the c ultural and spiritual activities of the children. The strength and energy of the youth is very useful often in social service activities. KCYM is the strongest and the most active organization in the parish. It has a relatively large number of christian/catholic population. Fathima Matha Catholic church, which comes under St.George s Forane Church Parishes Under the Forane 1. St. Antony s Church, Chakkittapara 2. St. Sebastian s Church, Kakkayam 3. St. Mary s Church, Kallanode 4. St. Joseph s, Church, Karikandanpara 5. St. Joseph s, Church, Kariyathumpara 6. St. Mary s Church, Kattullamala 7. St. Thomas Church, Koorachundu 8. St. George s Church, Kulathuvayal 9. Christ the King Church, Muthukadu 10. St. Joseph s, Church, Pathipra 11. St. Francis Assisi Church, Perambra 12. Fathima Matha Church, Peruvannamuzhi [7] St. George s Higher Secondary School Kulathuvayal St. George s High School Kulathuvayal St. George s Lower Primary School Kulathuvayal Pushpa Lower Primary School Narinada Syro-Malabar Religious Houses In Kulathuvayal 1. Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate (MSMI) Generalate Kulathuvayal The Congregation of the Missionary Sisters Of Mary Immaculate (MSMI) was started by Fr. C.J. Varkey also known as "Varkeyachan" in1962. At present, it has 800 p rofessed sisters working in one hundred communities in India, U.S.A. Germany and Italy, engaged with different apostolic activities like teaching, nursing, orph anage, leprosy center, old age homes, family apostolate, social work, pastoral c are, prayer and counseling. He was one of the most admired figures in Kerala Chu rch and a leader of the charismatic renewal movement in the state. [8] Monsignor Varkey, popularly known as Varkey Achan (Father Varkey) was based in Kulathuvayal, about 50 kilometers east of Kozhikode town, and for 58 years he w orked across four northern districts of Kerala. He came to Kulathuvayal in 1951 when the region was an underdeveloped hill area with no roads, schools or church es. Most Christians in Malabar are migrants. Migration began during the economic Depression of the 1930s and continued for decades. He started the first school in Kulathuvayal in 1954 and encouraged other parishes in the diocese to open sch ools before building churches. In 1976, Monsignor Varkey started the Malabar reg ions first charismatic retreat center that now attracts thousands of people. Po pe Benedict XVI gave the priest the honorary title of monsignor in 2007 in recog

nition of his service to the Church. [9] He passed away on 24 June 2009 at the age of 88. The funeral services were held at Nirmala Retreat Centre in Kulathuvayal. Retired Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy o f Trichur, Archbishop George Valiamattam of Tellicherry and Bishop Lawrence Mukk uzhy of Belthangady joined Bishop Chittilappilly at the services, along with hun dreds of priests and nuns. [10] 2. Sacred Heart (S.H) Convent Kulathuvayal References 1. ^ "Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary C onstituencies". Kerala. Election Commission of India. http://archive.eci.gov.in/ se2001/background/S11/KL_Dist_PC_AC.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 2. ^ "Parish history". Kerala. Thamaraserry Diocese. http://www.smcim.org/k ulathuvayal/history.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 3. ^ "About the parish". Kerala. Thamaraserry Diocese. http://www.smcim.org /kulathuvayal/about.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 4. ^ "Parish at a glance". Kerala. Thamaraserry Diocese. http://www.smcim.o rg/kulathuvayal/glance.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 5. ^ "Former Vicars". Kerala. Thamaraserry Diocese. http://www.smcim.org/ku lathuvayal/former.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 6. ^ "Priests from the parish". Kerala. Thamaraserry Diocese. http://www.sm cim.org/kulathuvayal/priests.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 7. ^ "Parishes under the Forane". Kerala. Thamaraserry Diocese. http://www. smcim.org/kulathuvayal/parishes.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 8. ^ "Priests from the parish". Kerala. Thamaraserry Diocese. http://www.sm cim.org/kulathuvayal/priests.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 9. ^ "MSMI". Kerala. Catholic Action Worldwide. http://www.catholicactionwo rldwide.org/index.cfm/NewsItem?ID=140344&From=Home. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 10. ^ "Church mourns death of Malabar monsignor". Kerala. UCANEWS. http://ww w.ucanews.com/2009/06/30/church-mourns-death-of-malabar-monsignor/. Retrieved 20 08-10-19. ) is a panchayat as well as a big panchay Chakkittapara (in Malayalam : ath town in the Kozhikode district of Kerala state, India.Chakkittapara shares i ts easter boundary with Wayanad district.Administratively, Chakkittapara comes u nder the Perambra block panchayat and Koyilandy Taluk, containing 15 wards and t he destinations like Kulathuvayal, Peruvannamuzhi,Chempanoda, Poozhithode, Muthu kadu, Koovapoyil, Narinada, Chempra, pannikkottoor etc. Geography Chakkittapara is a beautiful hill side village. Kuttiady dam a part of Kuttiady Irrigation project is located at Peruvannamuzhi which is near to Chakkittapara t own. Its vast resorvoir gives a panoramic view of water lakes which spreads arou nd the Chakkitapara panchayath as well as the nearing Koorachund panchayath. Per uvannamuzhi is a growing tourist destination, which is included in the tourist m ap of the Malabar region. Major attractions are the dam site, garden, water rese rvoir, crocodile farm ,snake farm, irrigation bunglow(IB) etc. Boats are availab le on rent for water safaris through the kilometers long water reservoir. Educational Institutions Calicut University B.Ed. College, Chakkittapara St. Antony s UP School, Chakkittapara Educational Institutions arround St. George s Higher Secondary School(HSS), Kulathuvayal St. Joseph s High School(HS), Chempanoda. Fathima Upper Primary(UP) School, Peruvannamuzhi. St. Mary s Lower Primary(LP) School, Narinada. Places of worship

Christian(Catholic)churches St.Antony s Church, Chakkittapara. St.George s Forane Church Kulathuvayal. St.Fathima matha Church, Peruvannamuzhi. St.Joseph Church, Chempanoda. St. Mary s Church Poozhithode.. Christian(Non-Catholic)churches IPC Hebron Pentacostal Church.Chempanoda CSI Church, Ponnmalapara. Seventhday (Sabath)Church, Ponnmalapara. Hindu Temples Peruveel Sree Krishna Kshethram, Chakkittapara. Subrahmanya Kshethram, Thanniyode. Omcareswaram Kshethram, Pillaperuvanna. Islamic Mosques Chakkittapara Masjid. Govt.Offices Grama Panchayathu Office. KSEB Assistant Engineer s(A.E.) Office. Krishi Bhavan. Milk Society. BSNL Telephone Exchange. KSEB 30 Mega Watt Sub-station. Village Offices (Thanniode, Peruvannamuzhi, Chempanoda). District Krishi Farm, Koovapoyil. Spice Researach Center, Peruvannamuzhi. Post Offices (Kayanna, Chakkittapara, Peruvannamuzhi, Chempanoda). Santhosh Library, Chakkittapara. Other Govt.Projects JBIC drinking water project (Koovakkunnu). 110 KV Electricity substation (Parathara mukku Road). Hospitals Public Health Center, Peruvannamuzhi. Ayurvedic Asupathri, Chempanoda. Homeopathic Hospital, Muthukadu. Commercial Places There are many grocery stores and convinent stores in Chakkittapara angadi(small town)also few fish and meat stores in and around angadi.

Acknowledgement: The above Information is copied from Wikipedia