Maravankudieruppu

Maravankudieruppu is a Nadar village in the jurisdiction of Nagercoil Corporation, located three kilometres (two miles) south of Nagercoil Centre, the capital of Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The Village settlement was created by Swamy Adiyaar Thirupaappu and his descendants. The younger brother of Chaeran Chenguttuvan settled his family with five sons in Thirupappur near Kaanthaloor Chaalai (15 km en route to Kollam from Thiruvananthapuram) and ruling the south Chaera Kingdom from the Panagaattu Palace in Kollam. The kingdom was later named Vaenaadu, and had control from Nanjil Nadu in the South and just below Kodum Kalloor in the North. Thirupaappu or Thiruvadi is the suffix used by the five Royal clans of the Venad Kings. Thirupaappu is the Royal clan of Venad Kingdom, Eraniel Fort represents the history of Thirupaappu royal clan (sub-caste of Nadar, Tamil people).

From Sangam period, Kottaru (Kottar)(The bended(Kottam) Palayaaru) harbour was a busy trade centre as the entire trade commodities from Chaera Kingdom and Paandiya Kingdom had to be traded in the harbour. There were large storage locations sprawled around the harbour. Much to the threats of the Bandits, south of Kottar, a Pattaalam (United Army of Chaeras and Paandiyas) was settled for the safety of the traders. There was a Chaalai (In 1705 named as Anthoniyaar Chaalai) which was a popular University of Martial Arts and Medicine specially for the Army(Pattaalam) situated in Pattaala Vizhai(Now the name is distorted as Pattasalian Vilai). In later days, after the 1850s the Army base was migrated to Thiruvananthapuram and the Anthoniyaar Chaalai stopped functioning. Years passed on and the public mistook the name Anthoniyaar Chaalai as the Anthoniyaar Road, and now named as Armed Reserve Camp Road.

Vaaniga Vizhai (now in Maravankudieruppu) was a Trade Centre connected to the Kottar Harbour and the Pattaalam was strategically located adjascent to Vaaniga Vizhai for political and Social reasons. South of Vaaniga Vizhai was Thurai Thattu (or Kings Plateau) and on it was a Thomas Cross Kurusady with fame and flavour, and Christians from Paandiya and Chaera kingdoms thronged it. The Pandiya Traders from Ezhasa Naadu, which was a Christian Kingdom following St. Thomas had constructed a roof and facilities for the worshippers.

Vaenaadu with the support of the Thirupappur family member kings in Paandiya Kingdom had reestablished the geographical area of the past and protected the young king Marthanda Varma (the last ever Pure Nadar King) from the Ettu Veettu Nayars (Who had made many attempts to kill the Nadar King). After Victory over Nayars Marthanda Varma has renamed the Kingdom as Thirvancore Kingdom (derived from his family house at Thiruvithamcode after the migration from Thirupappur ). Maara Veera Paandiyan Thirupappur the son of Ezha Marthaandan Thirupappur, the king of Ezhasa Naadu( One of the five Paandiya Kingdoms) was a Cousin of Maarthaanda Varma, had very good relationship with the Portugul Kingdom and many Indian and Lanka Kingdoms was instrumental for mobilising the Pandiya and Chozha Kings belonging to the Thirupappur Royal Clans. Maara Veera Paandiyan's son Ezha Veera Paandiyan Thirupappur was the chieftain of the Army base at Pattaazha Vizhai as well as of the trading convoy from Ezhasa Naadu to Kottar. Ezha Veera Paandian Thirupappur inherited the Leadership of Maathaa Sabai from his Grand Father Ezha Maarthaandan Thurupapput who got it from his Great Grand Father Veera Maarthaandan. Exsel Veera Paandiyan has denounced worldly life, rechristened himself as Swamy Adiyaan and became a Thuravi for continuing the mission of his forefathers left to him to establish Catholic Faith in India. His Soldiers and people fondly were calling him as Swamy Adiyaar Thirupappur and as Veera Thuravi. Ezha Veera Paandian Thirupappur became Veera Thuravi Swamy Adiyaar Thirupappu.

Swamy Adiyaar was also the in charge for the Security of the Revenue collected from Nanjil Naadu as well as the entry tax collected from the Aralvaymozhi National Check Post. In particular, he had to take personal care in the transit storage Mandabam (where the tax money in Gold, Silver and Copper coins were kept in Copper Kalasams) in the northern part of Vaaniga Vizhai(Later called as Kalasamirakkai Kudieruppu after the Soldiers settled in the location) The Kingdom has given him Vaaniga Vizhai and around 7 sq.km of land around it for his family and another 20 sq. km of land for his soldier friends to get settled in. He has established a settlement (Kudieruppu) for his family members adjascent to the Vaaniga Vizhai, and names as Maravan Kudieruppu. He made Maravankudieruppu as his Base for his Maathaa Sabai activities, Anthonyaar Chalai University & the Army Base in Paattazha Vizhai and Security for the National Revenue. He also established his Soldier friends in and around Maravankudieruppu and created many villages both following Christian and Aaseevagam (Ayyanaar) faiths.

In the meantime, the Namboothiries could influence Marthanda Varma and Nairs entered again in to the palace by submitting their women to get him married. They crookedly killed the King's chieftain Anantha Padmanaban Thirupappoor Nadar inside the palace itself, and held the king under their influence. The king, to protect the kingdom from the Nairs had to surrender the entire kingdom to the Padmanabasamy Temple Pandaaram(Store House).

The Thirupappoor Royal Nadar family had drifts with the King when the king was helpless and Namboothiries and Nairs acting against Nadars in the Country. Severe taxes were levied and Nadars were alienated from the Royal Service and Army. Nadars were announced as untouchables and passed many rules to ill treat the Nadar Community. When Nairs did them as the vengeance for the killing of the Ettu veettu Pillaimars by Nadars to save the young King, the Brahmins did it to establish the Four Layer Caste System in Vaenaad as Vaenaadu(Travancore) was the last kingdom fighting against Brahminism in India.

The Week successors of Marthanda Varma Thirupappur Nadar because of the Polluted successions, Nair and Brahmin dominance in Travancore, Non Cooperation of Nadars, dissatisfaction of Thirupappur Royal Family, natural famines, world wars, and the forceful take over of the Travancore Kingdom by the Indian Union had shattered the lives of Vaenaadu Nadars. While Thoma Catholic Nadar villages which were converted to Catholic Faith by Maathaa Sabai led by Swamy Adiyaar Thirupappur could hold their social respect because of their decent Education and international relations.

Now in the 21st century, Maravankdieruppu is predominantly a Nadar caste village, mostly centered on the church of Our Lady of Snows. The shrine refers to the basilica of Saint Mary Major on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, where snow fell in the summertime.

In 1850 is bordered on the west by Vattakarai(Odakkarai), Pattasalian Vilai and Kalasamirakki Kudieruppu to the north, Keela Maravankudieruppu to the east and on the south by a water canal, which flows from Pechiparai Dam. The literacy rate of Maravankudieruppu is 100%. Major employment is in Govt Administration. The prominent businesses are Bulluck Cart Building and repairing and manufacturing and trading of timber. Agriculture is also equally maintained.