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Renovated 'Chathuruthy tharavdu' at Perumpilly, Mulunthuruthy
- ST. GREGORIOS was born & brought up in the old house that existed here -
The ancestral background of Parumala Thirumeni can be traced back to one of the brothers of a Metropolitan who reached Malankara from Asia Minor in 17th century. (Source: (1) A book published by Mulunthuruthy church in early 20th century, (2) The history of Kattumangattu family )
It was in AD.1675 during the tenure of Malankara Metropolitan Mor Thoma II, that a bishop named Mor Anthrayos together with his 2 brothers and few others migrated to Malankara. The ancestral background of Parumala Thirumeni can be traced back to one of the brothers of this bishop. According to the famous historian Ittoop Writer and many others, Mor Anthrayos came here as the delegate of the then Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. (However Edavazhikkal E.M.Philip in his book "Indian Church of St. Thomas" doubts the very status of his bishoprics). On reaching Malankara, Mor Anthrayos stayed at the Mulunthuruthy Mar Thoman church. He continued to be there for many more years. But due to some dubious acts of an influential family of the church, he was forced to leave the place. Mor Anthrayos later visited and stayed at the Piravom St. Mary's Church, the Manarcaud St. Mary's Church and the Puthenkavu Church. There he taught Syriac and gave guidance to the clergy. In 1682, Mor Anthrayos while taking bath, slipped into the river at Kallada, and died. His body was laid to rest at the Kallada church. The annual feast of the Holy father is still celebrated in that church. In the Southern districts of Kerala, he is popularly known as "Kallada Appoppen", while northerners call him "Kallada Bava".
A few years after the demise of Mor Anthrayos, his two brothers went to Piravom and stayed at the church building ('Pallimeda' - as it called in Malayalam) which was called as 'Srambi'. Later they returned to Mulunthuruthy and adopted 'Srambikkal' as their family name. Of the two brothers of Mor Anthrayos, one married from 'Palasna' family and had two children. These two children later settled at places called "Kattumangattu" & "Thanagattu" near Mulunthuruthy and adopted these very names for their families. In due course they become prominent families of the area. The two famous "Kattumangattu Metropolitans" were the descendants of the family that stayed at "Kattumangattu". But later on the rift between these two families increased. By around 1800, "Thanagattu" family became more prosperous and the administration of the ancient Mulunthuruthy Mar Thoman Church came under them.
The "PALLATHATTU" family, to which Mor Gregorios (Parumala Thirumeni) belongs to, is a direct branch of this "Thanagattu" family. The "Vettikkal Kurisu Palli" (Chapel) which later become the first dayro of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church, was constructed by Iypora Tharakan-I of this Pallathattu family. Kassisso Geevarghese Malpan Pallathattu was the nephew of this Iypora. Earlier this branch of the family (Pallathattu) had migrated to Kandanad, near Mulunthuruthy and stayed at "Pallipram Kallarakal" house. Pallathattu Kassisso Geevarghese Malpan's brother 'Kochu Mathai' later shifted to "Chathuruthy House" at Mulunthuruthy, few years after his marriage with 'Maria'.
St. Gregorios Geevarghese was born on 15th June 1848 as the youngest son of this 'Kochu Mathai' and 'Maria' of Chathuruthy house. The parents named him GEEVARGHESE and was baptized at the Mulanthuruthy Mar Thoman Church. 'Kochu Iypora' was his pet name.
In the long history of the family, there were many priests including some of the famous 'Malpans' (malfono - a teacher). This great tradition of Priesthood is continuing even today; the Secretary of the Malankara Episcopal Synod & the Metropolitan of Kochi diocese of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church, H.G. Joseph Mor Gregorios belongs to the fourth generation of Parumala Thirumeni's family. (His Grace is Parumala Thirumeni's first cousin's grandson). The present Priest-trustee of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church, Malankara Malpan Very Rev. (Dr.) Curien Corepiscopa Kaniamparambil, who is one of the greatest Syriac Scholar and historian of our times, is another well known descendant (Vanmeli branch) of this Thanagattu family.
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MSCR - Malankara Syriac Christian Resources
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