Changanassery

Changanassery Changanacherry
Town
Top left: Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple. Top right: Anchu Vilaku Lamps. Middle left: Saint Berchmans College. Middle right: Saint Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral. Bottom left: Vandipetta Boat Jetty. Bottom right: Main gate in Nair Service Society Headquarters.
Changanassery Changanassery Show map of KeralaShow map of IndiaShow all
Coordinates: 9°28′00″N 76°33′00″E / 9.466667°N 76.55°E / 9.466667; 76.55Coordinates: 9°28′00″N 76°33′00″E / 9.466667°N 76.55°E / 9.466667; 76.55
Country	India
State	Kerala
District	Kottayam
Government
• Body	Municipality
Area
• Total	13.5 km2 (5.2 sq mi)
Elevation	11 m (36 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	47,485
• Rank	16th
• Density	3,500/km2 (9,100/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	686101
Telephone code	0481
Vehicle registration	KL 33

Changanassery Marth Mariam Metropolitan's Cathedral

Waterways

Railway station

Boat jetty

Bus station in Changanassery

Road network

Changanassery, IPA: [t̠͡ʃɐŋːɐn̺ɐːʃːeːɾi], (also known by its former name Changanacherry) is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. Changanassery is the gateway to the Western Ghats and Kuttanad. It is one of the major educational and religious centres of Kerala, with nearly 100% literacy. There are five colleges, eight higher secondary schools, one vocational higher secondary school and ten high schools within a four-kilometre radius of the town.

Changanacherry Pin Code is 686101. Pin Code is also known as Zip Code or Postal Code. Changanacherry is located in district Kottayam, Kerala, INDIA.

Geography[]

Changanassery is located 18 km south of Kottayam on the Main Central road. With a population of 127,987 as of 2011,^[1] its population was already 36,000 as early as the 1951 census. The town is situated near the tripoint of Kottayam, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts. It had one of the leading markets in Kerala connecting the main three districts. It is located in between the low level paddy fields of Kuttanad and the sloppy midlands of the eastern parts of the Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts.^{[citation needed]}

History[]

The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era documents, Uthiyan Cheralathan (Perum Chorru Udiyan Cheralathan, Athan I, or Udiyanjeral - AD c. 130) is the first recorded Kera (Chera) dynasty ruler of the Sangam period in ancient South India. ^[2][3] He had his capital at a place called "Kuzhumur" in Kuttanad and expanded the kingdom northward and eastward from his original homeland (izham or illam in Tamil). His lifetime is broadly determined to be between the first and third century AD. His queen was Veliyan Nalini, the daughter of Veliyan Venman. Present-day Changanacherry and Kuttanad was the capital of the Kera (Chera) dynasty at that time until it was burnt down by Karikala Chola, changing the name of Kuzhumur to Chutta-nadu ("burnt-land"), which became Kuttanad. Similarly, "Keralathan" is the Malayalam pronunciation of Tamil "Cheralathan" and the world "Keralam" may be a derivative version of "Chera-izham" or "Kera-illam", meaning "Chera-homeland" in Tamil). Keralathan's descendant was Senguttavan Cheran (Chenguttavan means "brave-hearted" in Malayalam); the towns of Chenganacherri and Chengana are named after him). Sengana-cherri means "Sengan's town" in old Tamil. After the Chera dynasty defeat, the word cherri took on the concurrent meaning of "the land of the defeated" and eventually was equated to mean a slum in Chola kingdom.

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Governance[]

The city is governed by the Changanacherry Municipal Council. Sri. Saajan Francis is the chairperson of the municipality and the vice chairperson is Smt. Ambika Vijayan.^[4]

It heads the taluk Kachery (office). It also heads the Munsiff's court and the judicial first class magistrate's court.^[5] Changanacherry assembly constituency was a part of Kottayam (Lok Sabha constituency).^[6] However, after the Delimitation Commission's Report in 2005, in order to retain Mavelikkara Lok Sabha Constituency, Changanacherry segment in Kottayam and the neighbouring constituencies in Alappuzha and Kollam districts were put together under Mavelikkara constituency. Sri. Kodikunnil Suresh represents Mavelikkara constituency in Parliament and Sri. C. F. Thomas has been representing Changanacherry Constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly for almost the last four decades.

Demographics[]

Syro-Malabar Catholic Archbishop's house

As of the 2011 India census Changanassery municipality has a population of 47,485;^[7][1] the total population of Changanassery UA/Metropolitan region is 127,987. The male population was 61,807, while the female population was 66,180.

The literacy rate of Changanassery Agglomeration is 97.56%, which is higher than the national urban average of 85%. The literacy rates for male and female for Changanassery stood at 98.19% and 96.98% respectively. Total literates in Changanassery UA were 113,597, of which males were 54,901 and the remaining 58,696 were females.

The child population (age 0–6) of Changanassery UA is around 9.02% of the total Changanassery UA population, which is lower than the national urban average of 10.93%. The total number of children in Changanassery urban region was 11,550, of which 5,895 were males while the remaining 5,655 children were females.

Education[]

There was a Vedic school at Vazhappally Salagramam (Vazhappally Shala) in ancient times during the rule of the Thekkumkur. It was run exclusively for Brahmins. It is the oldest educational institution in Changanassery on record. The Vazhappally Sala was destroyed by army of Ramayyan Dalawa during the Battle of Changanassery between Thekkumkur and Travancore in 1790.^[8]

1. L.P. School, Perunna (1880); started by Kainikara Govinda Pillai
2. St. Joseph's School, Changanassery (January 16, 1888) : It had been the long cherished dream of Blessed Chavara to open a school for the education of girls at Changanassery. St Joseph’s Girls Higher Secondary School, a realization of this blessed priest’s dream, is situated at the heart of Changanassery town known for its religious tolerance, and rich cultural heritage
3. St. Mary's L.P. School, Changanassery (October 15, 1888)
4. Government English High School, Puzhavathu (1889); Later this school become Government High School - Changanassery
5. St. Berchman's High School, Changanassery (February 3, 1891); Poet Ulloor S. Parameshwara Iyer, Kainikkara brothers, Mar Antony Padiyara and Mar Joseph Powathil studied in this school.
6. St. Berchmans College, Changanassery (June 19, 1922); The college was initially started in a building (now it is a museum) near to St. Mary's Parel Church. It was a junior college affiliated to Madras University. In 1927, graduate courses were started. Travencore University was founded on November 1, 1937 to which the college was then affiliated. Postgraduate courses were started in 1957. St. Berchmans College situated in Changanacherry , Kottayam District, Kerala, is an independent instructive organization associated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. This establishment was established in 1922 and is perceived under the UGC Act, 1956. In the fourth pattern of accreditation in 2017-2022, the school was evaluated at A by the NAAC. It was positioned 79 in All India Ranking by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2020 in the class of College.
7. NSS Hindu College, Changanassery (June 1949); The college was started in the rooms provided at the N.S.S. High School and it was shifted to a new building subsequently in 1955. NSS Hindu College, Changanassery, one of the biggest and most seasoned establishments of advanced education in Kerala. Set up in 1947, it is licensed from UGC, NAAC and it is associated to Mahatma Gandhi University. NSS, Changanassery offers 30 courses across 5 streams specifically Vocational, Arts, Hotel Management, Science, Commerce and Banking and across 8 degrees like BA, BSc, B.Com, MA, MSc. Hostel office isn't accessible for its understudies.
8. Assumption College, Changanasserry (1950); This college dedicated for Women. Assumption College, affiliated to University of Kerala in 1949, is at present affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Included under section 2(f) and 12 B of the UGC Act, the College was accredited by the NAAC in the year 2000.
10. NSS Homeo College, Kurichy
11. St. Joseph College of Communication, Kurisummood ----St. Joseph College of Communication, Kurisummoodu Changanacherry - 686104 (SJCC) located at - Kottayam Kerala is one of the popular colleges in India. The College has been rated by 7 people on CBSE. The St. Joseph College of Communication, Kurisummoodu Changanacherry - 686104 has been viewed 21 times by the visitors on CBSE. This College is counted among the top-rated Colleges in Kerala with an excellent academic track record.
12. Kristu Jyothi College, Chethipuzha
13. Biswas, Institute of management studies, Thegana, Changanacherry

Transport[]

The state-run Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs bus services to nearby towns. Separate private bus terminals are available for those traveling to Eastern areas. Also, a combined bus station facility for both private and state buses travelling to Western Changanassery (Kuttanad), Southern Changanassery (Mavelikara) and Northern Changanassery (Kottayam) is available. There is a dedicated KSRTC bus station in the heart of the town. Govt Water Transport facilities are available to remote places and major towns nearby. Changanacherry railway station serves Western Changanassery (Kuttanad) and Eastern Changanassery (Karukachal). Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport, which is 106 km away from Changanacherry.

Centres of worship[]

Notable worship centres in Changanacherry are Perunnai Sree Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Anandasramam, St. Mary's church (Parel palli), Valiapally (Metropolitan Church), India Pentecostal Church of God [IPC], Assemblies of God Church [Pentecostal church], Kavil Bhagavathi Temple, The Holy Trinity Church, Puthoorpalli Muslim Juma-ath and Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Changanassery

Mary's Church, Parel (Changanacherry) Established in 1981, this is a designated pilgrim centre which attracts multitudes disregarding social divisions on religion and caste.

Marth Mariyam Metropolitan Cathedral, also known as Valiyapally, is the cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery and also a Marian pilgrimage centre in Kerala,

Notable people[]

See also[]

• Thottackad

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Changanassery.

• About Changanacherry
• Archdiocese of Changanacherry
• NSS HINDU COLLEGE CHANGANACHERRY
• St Joseph College of Communication
• St. Berchmans College
• Changanassery Municipality