User:Jojojohn.kakkanadan/Kakkanattu

Introduction
Kakkanattu is an ancient family originated from Aruvithura a place near Erattupetta in Kerala. There is no correct proof for the history to prove when inhabitation took place in Aruvithura. Ancestors and forefathers, came to a rough conclusion that inhabitation took place during BC 200. It is believed that St.Thomas traveled through the Meenachil river and reached Aruvithura to establish one of his first communities.

The St. George’s Church here is one of the oldest churches in Kerala. It is believed that this church was constructed by St. Thomas. He was on his way to Gudallor and he had not enough time to set up a self contained Christian community (Church). This is how the ‘Nasrani’ Christians started up in Aruvithura. He had baptized few families hails from Brahmin and placed a cross and hence this is considered as the ½ church he built out of the 7 ½ Churches in Kerala. Kochuveettil family was one of them who got baptism from St. Thomas. The land which was belongs to the family was called Kochuveettil purayidam. This is the place south to the cross which is facing the St. George church. There is a small water flow between the land and the place where the cross is.

The place Erattupetta and Aruvithura was under the control of ‘Vadakkumkoor’ king in 11th Century. The palace was located behind the bus station now, where we have the market. At that time the kingdom was divided in to ‘Kara’ (Area) for the easy of ruling. Each Kara was under the leadership of a ‘Pramani’ (Leader). ‘Kochuveedan, Valiaveedan, Padippura and Thadickan’ were the four Pramani at that time in Aruvithura. The Kochuveettil ‘Karanavar’(Head of family) was the ‘Manikaran’( Finance Minister) of the king during 16th Century. During the time of this Karanavar, the Church at Aruvithura was renovated.

The history of the Kochuveettil family and the kingdom was engraved on copper strips or plates and made as a book. This was called ‘Chembola grandham’. These plates were placed at the Kakkanattu ‘Tharavadu’ (Parent house) at Thidanadu. During the last quarter of 19th century there was a fire at the Kakkanattu Tharavadu and the copper strips were burnt off. From ancestors who had read these copper plates ‘Chacko Varkey’ had been heard about the writings. In 1986 he spent time with his brother ‘Scaria Varkey' and put it all in writing.

History
There are two sayings about the arrival of Kochuveettil karanavar at Thidanadu. Out of the four Pramani under the Vadakkumkoor king, two were Christians. Once both of them engaged in a heat exchange about some matter. The argument became row between them. The king came to know about this and called up the Kochuveettil Karanavar and scolded him. As he got the ‘Rajkopam’ (Angry of King) he decided to leave the Manikaran position and migrated to Thidanadu. He bought the land Ikaramattom and later the land near to the temple and built the house. The same way there are two stories about how the family name ‘Kakkanadan’ came in to. Vadakkumkoor king gave four kara to each Pramani for governance. Each kara was made of eight ‘Nadu’ (Village). Together these eight nadu called ‘Kakkanadu’. As the Kochuveettil Karananavar was the pramani for Kakkanadu, gradually the family came to be known as Kakkanadan. It is also said to be that the name of the land, the Karanavar purchased near to the Ikkaramattom was Kakkanattu and this became the family name.

Kochuveettil Karanavar had six sons. The first stayed at the Kakkanattu Tharavadu in Thidanadu. Second moved to Pala and is known as ‘Thottumkal’. The third is ‘Aramanoor’ and the fourth is ‘Mannanal’. Fifth son has gone to Kochi state and settled there. The sixth son moved to ‘Chelattu’( Chettuthodu ). He had no children and hence he joined to his eldest brother at his old age. Cheladu was comprised of seven ‘cherickal’ (A lump sum amount of land) like Chettuthodu, Kathamba, Chavara, Kalayatholi, Veluthamala etc. All those and a ‘Cheppukudam Raasi’(The small gold coins of then, in a small can) he brought and added to the property of Kakkanattu Tharavadu. This Raasi had been placed at the basement of the ‘Nilavarakkuzhy’ (An underfloor storage facility attached with old houses. All the stocks after the harvest would be stored at this place. The floor of this area would be of soil. The roof of this 3 feet high storage place will be wooden platform and above which usually a bedroom.) This is still there according to the calculations and assumptions of some ‘Sthanakkar, Asary (carpenter) and Lakshanakkar’ (they are people who do the horoscope and identifying good locations for house). One of the descendant of the family few generations before told his family about this Rasi. He told them that “as long as that remain at the basement there would not be any shortfall for the family. But if anyone try to remove that, the family may be dissolved by that.”

Recent History
At the beginning of the 17th century, the Karanavar at the Kakkanattu family had a son and his name was ‘Kocheppu’. He had a son called ‘Kurian’ and Kurian had one son called ‘Chacko’(James). Chacko had a sister and she had been married to ‘Kannakathu’ family at Thidanadu. Nothing more known about her.

Chacko married from ‘Naduvakkattu’ family at Thidanadu. He had a son called Varkey and three sisters. At that time there was no one in Thidanadu who had any kind of education and literacy. So Chacko arranged a Nair ‘Asaan’( A teacher who teaches at his house or students house. This is not a formal school education. The place where the teacher sits and teaches at his house was called ‘Kalari’. It was very common in Kerala even up to 1970s and early 80s and rarely seen now a days. During 1960s and 1970s one year Kalari education was considered equivalent to nursery for children for the admission to 1st standard) from Edamattom (A place about 5 Km from Thidanadu) to give literacy to Varkey and his 3 sisters. The salary for the Asaan was 6 ‘Para’ grains per month. Other than Malayalam they had learnt Tamil, Sanskrit and Naanammoonam. On a later time, after their study, the neighbours at Thidanad requested to have a class conducted for their children. So Varkey started to conduct the class for the same aged and younger to him. When he was 14, the brides parents came to the kalari to see the groom and fixed the marriage. ‘Mangalathu’ family was a branch of ‘Vayalil’ family hails from Parappillil. His bride was ‘Anna’ who hails from Mangalathu. Vayalil Manichan was younger brother of Anna’s father. Manichan had only one daughter and her son is the Late His Highness Bishop Sebastian Vayalil. Later Chacko had two more sons called ‘Ouseppu’ and ‘Ittiyavira’. Then Chacko decided to give the ‘Tharavadu’ to Varkey and he built a house at Ikkaramattom and moved with other siblings of Varkey. Later he built a house at ‘Thenganal’ field and gave to Ouseppu. He married from ‘Pallattukunnel’ family at Ambara near Bharananganam. Ittiyavira married from ‘Kunnumpurathu’ family at Thambalakkadu near Kanjirappalli. Three sisters of them were married to ‘Poovathinal’ family at Ambara, ‘Pezhumkattil’ family at Thidanad and ‘Kollamkunnel’ family at Poonjar respectively. Chacko had dispersed his property to the sons as follows:

Varkey: Kakkanattu Purayidam and Thaithakidiyel chery. Ouseppu: Thenganal Purayidam and Thulissery Ittiyavira: Ikaramattom and Ponthanal Cherickal. Chelattu purayidam (Chettuchodu) sold to ‘Kallivayalil’ family for Rs.700 during last quarter of 19th century. This decision might have taken because of the fire burn out at the Kakkanattu Tharavadu.

Chacko married from Naduvakkattu. The Karanavar at the ‘Pulikkeel’ family in Aruvithura was ‘Unniyappooppan’. He had relationship with Naduvakkattu family and that made Chacko and Unniyappooppan brother in laws. One day Unniyappooppan requested chacko to send Varkey to give literacy to his son ‘Kunjouseppu’. So Varkey started to give class for him. Pulikkeel Kunjousepu, Puthenveettil Kunjouseppu and Kuruvachan, Vazheparampil Achan (Fr. Vazheparampil) etc were his students. During this time, Varkey and Valiaveettil Achan were ‘Kaikkaranmar’ of the St.George’s Church Aruvithura continuously for 18 years. (Kaikkaran is the minister of the church, where he is in charge of the implementation of parish council decisions). The two younger brothers of Varkey, Ouseppu and Ittiyavira sold their property at Thidanad and they have gone to other places. (Recently, the famous writer George Kakkanadan claimed that he is the heir from the family of Ittiyavira.) Nothing more known about Oseppu and Ittiyavira.

Even until the late years of his life, Varkey continued his Kalari to teach children due to the request of the neighbours and other villagers. Varkey passed away at the very beginning of 20th Century. Varkey had three sons and two daughters. Kurian, Chacko and Varkey were the sons and Anna and Marium were the daughters. He bought two more lands Chankolickal and Kunnumpuram (Uthiyanaani ).

Eldest Anna had been married to Thekkumthottathil family in Thambalakkadu near Kanjirappally. Kurian married Annamma from Vellathottathil family at Thidanadu. He had been given the land of Chankolickal. Chacko married Marium from Thottakkara family at Ampara. He had been given the land ‘Thaithakidiyel’ at Chemmalamattom. He acquired the near by land Panachikkal which is behind Thonikkavayalil land where the Thuruthiyil family is staying. Marium had been married to Vellathottathil family at Thidanadu. Varkey married from Velanathu family at Thidanad and stayed at the Kakkanattu Tharavadu. Even though Kurian and Chacko moved to different land with different name, the family name was always Kakkanattu. The memebers of Kakkanattu family are scattered now but majority are around Thidanadu and Chemmalamattom.