Thumpoly

Thumpoly
town
Thumpoly
Location in Kerala, India
Coordinates: 9°31′08″N 76°18′57″E / 9.5188°N 76.3158°E / 9.5188; 76.3158Coordinates: 9°31′08″N 76°18′57″E / 9.5188°N 76.3158°E / 9.5188; 76.3158
Country  India
State Kerala
District Alappuzha
Languages
 • Official Malayalam, English
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN 688 008
Vehicle registration KL-04
Lok Sabha constituency Alappuzha
Vidhan Sabha constituency Alappuzha

Thumpoly is coastal town in the Alappuzha District of Kerala. It is located 90 km from Kochi International Airport and 6 km from Alappuzha. The National Highway 47 cuts through the middle of this town. With the Arabian sea on one side and a small lake on the other, Thumpoly is blessed with beautiful sandy beaches. It is a natural habitat of many rare birds. Thumpoly is famous for its canals, which end their course in the Arabian Sea. There are fishing villages on the beaches. The local population are also involved in coir making.

Etymology

It is believed that the name 'Thumpoly' came from 'Thoma Pally' which means Church of St. Thomas. During the period of Portuguese, the place was also called 'Thompolis' which means 'The town of St. Thomas'.[1][2]

Thumpoly Church Feast

The parish of Thumpoly is renowned for its beautifully constructed church, called after St. Thomas and also dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The main feast which lasts for 11 days, is that of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated on 8 December every year. The statue of 'Our Lady' of Immaculate Conception in the church is called 'Kappal Karathi Amma' or 'the mother who came by ship.[3][4][5]

Sites of interest

The landmark of the place is a 500-year-old church called St. Thomas Church, which was built by Portuguese.

Thirthassery temple is another important monument in Thumpoly. The typical Kerala architectural beauty can be seen this small temple.

Thumpoly is connected by road and rail. The beach at Thumpoly is a major tourist attraction.

Coir handicrafts is a major cottage industry of the area.

Poomkavu is situated in the out-skirts of Alleppey town. It belonged once to the parish Thumpoly. In the parish of Thumpoly there were about 200 families belonging to the community of the seven hundred. On 8 March 1855, 1 acre and 73 cents of land situated in Sy No.325/14 B was donated by Mr. Kochako Thomas Valiaveettil for the construction of a Church. Rev. Fr. Jorris Alvarez Alumkal from Chellanam was the parish priest of Thumpoly. With the interest he had shown, the people collaborated and constructed first a thached shed for devotional gatherings Poomkavu Church

References

  1. ↑ "Thumpoly India Tourist Information". Archived from the original on 2013-07-11. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  2. ↑ "Alleppey - The Venice of The East". Archived from the original on 2013-07-11. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  3. ↑ Indian Christianity
  4. ↑ Fairs and Festivals of Kerala
  5. ↑ Kala Keralam::Festivals
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