The Pallippuram Desom, earlier it was known as Ai-raanikkulam, is on the western bank of the Vembanad Lake. It is also on the northern part of the ancient extented village cluster Kokkamangalam, where in St. Thomas founded one of the earlier seven churches in Kerala. In 50 AD this extended village cluster including Iraanikkalam was a Nambuthiri & Brahmin settlement. Ai-raanikkulam (Kalathil) temple is about 1 km away on the western side of the Cherthala- Arookkutty raja patha. The now Pallippuram Forane Church, which is a pre-Catholic Monument, is on the east side adjacent to this road. This church is also on the north side of a theruveethi (village lane) that is lying down from 1st centuary onwards, and it is from the Iraanikkalam temple to the vallakadavu on the east . Both side of this theruveethi was a big commercial centre and it was thickly populated in AD 50. It was a famous and big matta-chantha or market place, where in barter system is practiced.
The vallakadavu at the east end of this theruveethi is now the pallikkadavu/Pallippuram boat jetty, which is on the western bank of vembanat kayal. This vallakadavu was on the popularly used commercial waterway, from the northern ports at Kodungallor & Kochi to the southern ports at Alappuzha and Kollam etc. At that time kettu valloms or kevu valloms and Uru/wooden vessel (after the establishment of the British East India company, their vessels are known as company vallom), were commonly used for transportation through this commercial water way. The deepest portion lying as a channel in the lake through out is still known as Kappal chal.
Since it was a main vallakadavu in the commercial waterway, the Arabs,Westerners and native business men, used it for transportation of goods like paddy, coir, coconut, coconut oil, Jack fruit, mango, bananas, pepper, ginger, and all spices etc for exporting. People from desoms of Panavally, Poochakal, Thyckattussery, Poothotta, Vaikom, Thalayolaparambu, Kaduthuruthy, Kuravilngad, Athirampuzha etc. brought their agricultural products to this chantha by Vallams.
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Kallarackal Kadavil Family, Pallippuram, Cherthala
| History of Syro-Malabar Christians (part 1) |