Kamanayakkanpatti

History

After the Vijayanagara Kingdom captured Mathurai in 1371, most of the Paandiyan sub-kingdoms followed one by one. Ilasanaadu, on the way from Madurai to Thoothukkudy, though, was not captured or convinced to join. To collect tribute anyway, Vijayanagara had men from Chandragiri near Chithoor become appointed inside Ilasanaadu as Thisaikaavalars to loot and send payment.

In 1415, 1,500 square kilometres (580 sq mi) of Ilasanaadu land was ceded to landowners of Ettappan (controlling Ettayapuram). Ettappan and his descendants had appointed Nayakars as the village heads in the Zameen; among them was captain Kamanayakkan, who captured the army base of Ilasanaadu and named it after himself as Kaamanaayakkan Patti. Due to continued resistance from Ilasanadu kings, though, Ettappan's could not even build his palace until 1565.

The Nayakkars and Paandiya soldiers continuously fought over the base, but when Chegavera Ramakachil took over the Ettayapuram kingdom, he extended peace with Ilasanaadu and protected its Catholics from his cousins. In 1665, he had laid a stone in Kamanayakkanpatti to stop the persecution against Christians.

The death of Aurangzeb in 1707 changed the political scenario of the region. The ruling descendant of the Kingdom of Ilasa Naadu, Maaraveera Paandiyan, had consolidated the kingdom again in 1724. Maaraveeran established relationships with the Travancore Kingdom and with the Nawab of Arcot. With the support of Arcot Nawab Ilasanaadu, he ended the Nayakkar Kingdom in Madurai in 1736. Madurai & Thirunelveli came under Chantha Sahib's control, but in 1751, the British took control of the entire Thamizh Naadu)

Relationship with Travancore Kingdom

Maaraveera Paandiyan sent his army to support Travancore in the Dutch War in Colachel in 1741; it instrumentally threatened with fake tanks made from Palmera trunks. After the war, he was friendly with De Lannoy; he married his second daughter Santhana Maria to a Travancore prince in 1750, and later in 1769 sent his youngest son Prince Swamy Adiyaan as an ambassador with 5000 sovereign gold to Travancore. With his help, De Lannoy stopped the infiltration and plundering of Kallars in the east border of the kingdom. Swamy Adiyaan then took control of the entire Maravan Thattu – Maravankudieruppu route, and ensured the safe movement of taxes of Naajil Naadu and Chunkam from Aralvoymozhi to the palace. De Lannoy later helped open the first Church in Maravankudieruppu.

In 1753, Maarveera Paandian similarly sent his third son to Karur, where the descendants of the defeated Chera Kings were assembled. They fought against the British three times, but in vain, as with all Paandiya sub-kingdoms in the state.

Church

The church at Kamanayakkanpatti is one of the oldest churches in south Tamil Nadu. In 1544, the Apostolic Nuncio to the East and the first Jesuit to India, St. Francis Xavier visited the village in search of the St. Thomas Christians on his way from Kottar to Mayilaappoore to visit the tomb of St.Thomas. In 1610, the தத்துவ போதகர் Roberto De Nobili found a stone cross in Kamanayakkanpatti, and converted the leaders of the kingdom into the Christian faith. In 1679, the entire town redefined themselves as Christians in front of Arul Aanandhar (St. John De Brito), and this first church was built. After several renovations, it gained its modern chapel façade.^[3]

Our Lady of Assumption Church on Feast Night (14 August)

In 1710, Italian Jesuit Priest Veeramaamunivar (Constantine Joseph Beschi) came to Kamanayakkanpatti as the Parish Priest, and he brought back the left-out St.Thomas Christians of neighboring kingdoms. Veeramaamunivar wrote the Paramartha Guru Stories among much more Tamil literature, including Thembavani. He also built two large teak wood cars in the church.

The church is in the parish of RC Diocese, Palayamkottai.^[4] The parish includes nearby villages Ettunayakkanpatti, Kuruvinatham, and Sevalpatti.

Our Lady of Assumption

The miraculous statue of Our Lady of Assumption in the car on the feast day

The miraculous statue of Our Lady of Assumption at the throne over the main altar of the Church is the specialty here. The faith and love of the villagers for Mother Mary (அன்னை மரியாள் in Tamil) is really amazing. However, their faith and love have their own reason that is the grace and mercy of Mother Mary for the villagers.

The migrants from Kamanayakkan Patti like Prince Swamy Adiyaan have taken the legacy of Mother Mary wherever they went and had built Churches for her. The Church for Our Lady of Assumption Built by Swamy Adiyaan in Travancore Kingdom (in Maravan Thattu or Maravankudieruppu) is later converted as the Church of Our Lady of Snows.

Our Lady of Assumption Festival

The car procession on the feast day

The feast day recognizing Mary's passage into Heaven is celebrated as the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary every year on 15 August there. The feast is preceded by hoisting of the flag on 6 August and ends with a Eucharistic procession around the village on 15 August evening. During these ten days of the feast, about 2 to 4 lakhs of pilgrims visit the church. The traditional Car Procession around the village with the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Assumption is the highlight of the feast. The car procession starts with a special Holy Mass on 14 August midnight and ends with a public procession of the Eucharist on 15 August evening.