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Nirmalagiri
Aramana & Chapel
On
the Occasion of Consecration and Dedication of Aramana Chapel and Aramana
June 2nd-3rd, 1999 |
The
Church in India and the beginnings of Parishes in Malabar
Christians
in India are proud of our faith and tradition which have remained alive
and vibrant through nearly 2000 years. The ancient church has its
beginnings in this part of Malabar only recently.
The 1930s
witnessed the exodus of settlers from Travancore - Cochin area to Malabar
(Wayanad is a part of it). The hard working agriculturists from these
places left their native lands and settled in the virgin land of the hills
and valleys of Wayanad. |
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Unmindful of the vagaries of nature they toiled in
the farmlands and occasionally longed for the church bells. They started
establishing worshipping places here and small parishes developed.
St. Thomas
Orthodox Church of Malankarakkunnu near Sulthan Bathery was the first
Church in Wayanad and soon churches started coming up in different centers.
At the beginning, Bishop Paulose mar Sevariose of Cochin and Malabar
Diocese reined the churches here. In 1958 the churches of this area came
under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan of Malabar Diocese Pathros Mar
Osthathios, popularly known as Mookkancheril Thirumeni. Then Thomas Mar
Themothios Metrapolitha, the president Catholicos designate took charge of
the Malabar Diocese and it is during this period that we saw wide spread
growth of parishes and His Grace was our Bishop till the formation of
Sultan Bathery Diocese.
Formation
of Sultan Bathery Diocese
When the
Sulthan Bathery Diocese was constituted by the Church on November 28,
1985, at first the Diocese was under the direct rule of His Holiness the
Catholicos of the East, and his nominee Fr. Mathai Noornal became the
administrator. The Diocese headquarters started functioning at St. Mary's
Orthodox Cathedral, Sulthan Bathery. With the coming of Kuriakose Mar
Clemis Thirumeni on June 14, 1991 we get a Bishop for this Diocese and the
parishes here see rapid progress after his coming.
The
Diocese Today
Sulthan
Bathery Diocese is spread over two revenue districts of Kerala - Wayanad
and eastern parts of Kannur, the Nilagiri District of Tamil Nadu and Coorg
area of Karnataka State. We have over 60 churches. St Mary's College,
Sulthan Bathery, Kariampadi Eye Hospital, Sulthan Bathery Karuniya Balika
Bhavan, Ulikal Mission Center, Mananthavady St. Mary's Home, Nirmala Matha
Public school are some of the proud institutions of our church in the
Diocese. By 1993 the Diocese headquarters moved to its own building at
Nirmalagiri (Poomala), Sulthan Bathery. In 1996 construction started for a
new Aramana Building. Now the Aramana an architecturally distinctive three
storied building and the Aramana Chapel towering over it - Sulthan
Bathery Diocese Center is the result of the vision and the untiring work of
Clemis Thirumeni and the prayers and financial help of all the good minded
people of our Diocese and the people outside the diocese all over the
world - American Parishes and parishes in Muscat, Sharjah, Kuwait, Salalah
and other places of gulf countries and some of the parishes outside Kerala
in India.
Aramana
and its locate
The Aramana
is located in Sulthan Bathery, a fast developing town, bordering the
states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and lies on the Calicut - Bangalore
Highway. Once the land of adivasis - aborgines - it now is a
conglomeration of different cultures. Three hours travel from Calicut on
the way to Mysore - Bangalore you reach Sulthan Bathery Diocese
headquarters - Nirmalagiri Aramana. the land called Wayanad (the mist
covered mountains, the never ending green of the tea, coffee and pepper
gardens, the lush forest) is part of Kerala, yet sublimely different from
the rest of the State. it is believed that human life existed in Wayanad from pre-historic times. the Edakal caves at Ambalavayal - 12 kilometers
south of Sulthan Bathery - are clear evidence of Neolithic Civilizations.
At the height of 700 meters to 2000 meters above sea level wayanad has
pleasant climate throughout the year. The thick forests here are the home
of elephants, spotted deer, bison, tiger and exotic varieties of orchids
and flora.
People of
different communities - Hindus, Muslims, Christians, adivasis - all live
happily here, making this beautiful land of God more beautiful.
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