Tirur
Tirur, Central Junction,
Tirur
,
Tirur
City
Tirur is a municipal town in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala spread over an area of 16.55 km. It is one of the most important business centres of Malappuram district and is situated 26 km west of Malappuram and 41 km south of Calicut, on the Shoranur – Mangalore Section of the Mangalore-Madras railway line. Tirur is also a major trading centre of fish and betel leaf in the region. It is located at 10°55′05″N 75°55′30″E / 10.918027°N 75.925022°E / 10.918027; 75.925022 and has an average elevation of 2 metres (6 feet). As of 2001 India census, Tirur had a population of 53,650. Males constitute 48% of the population and females 52%. Tirur has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 78%. In Tirur, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age. Tirur assembly constituency is part of Ponnani (Lok Sabha constituency).
Tirur was in the kingdom of Vettattnad in medieval times. Tirur is a part of the first laid railroad by the British in Kerala. Tirur is the birthplace of the 16th century poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan, who is considered to be the father of the Malayalam language literature. Thunchan Parambu in Tirur is highly venerated and its sand is believed to be sacred. The sand is used in Vidyāraṃbhaṃ, especially on Vijayadashami.
Places and Events of Cultural & Social Importance
Thunjan Paramba
Main article: Tuncan Parambu
The birthplace of Thunjathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language. The famous "Thunjan Utsavam" is held here every year in the first week of February. During this festival many literary luminaries, singers and classical dancers gather here.
Thunjan Paramba is located in Annara, 1.5 km away from Tirur railway station. A memorial for the great poet has been built at Thunjan Paramba, where a week long literary mela is organised in the last week of December. This place is sacred for all who speak Malayalam.
Thunjan Paramba is a hallowed ground where hundreds of children are introduced into the world of writing, soon after infancy, when they first trace the letters of the Malayalam alphabets in sand taken from that revered spot which was Ezhuthachan's home. People in thousands reach Thunjan Paramba with their children, to initiate them into the world of letters on the Vijayadasami day. Children are made to write on the white sands of Thunjan Paramba with their fingers. Also young poets of Kerala come on that day to offer their first poem. A Nux vomica (Kangiram) tree, the leaves of which are not bitter, is a surprise at the Thunjan Paramba.
he gate of thunjan parambu from behind
Thunjan's bird(Thunjante Kili,a significant figure in the "Kilipattu Prasthanam")
Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan Malayalam University
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the Thunchathu Ramanujan Malayalam University at Tirur Thunchanparambu on November 1 2012. There will be nine schools. MA courses in Malayalam language, literature, comparative literature, translation, theatre, visual arts and traditional architecture studies, culture, media and knowledge heritage will begin in the months of June and July.
Thirunavaya/Mamankam Festival
The land of ancient Mamankam, Thirunavaya is 7 km south of Tirur. Situated on the banks of Bharathapuzha River, it is a place of historical importance.
The place has three temples, dedicated to the Trimurtis, the gods of creation, sustenance and annihilation of life, according to the Hindu belief strewn on the banks of the Bharathapuzha. The famous vedic Vidyalaya Othanmar Madom of ancient times, is on the bank of Bharathapuzha, near the Siva Temple. This madom was a centre of Aryanisation through Sanskrit and Vedic education, as Thirunavaya was believed to be the main centre, where Parasurama brought and settled Brahmins.
The Palace (Mana) of Puranic fame Azhvanchery Thamprakkal is 2 km north of Thirunnavaya.
Chandanakavu, the birthplace of the great 16th-century Sanskrit poet and grammarian Melapthur Narayana Bahttathiri, is 10 km from Tirur in Thirunnavaya and Kottakal road. A memorial has been built there for the poet, where small children are brought for their formal initiation into learning, on Vijayadasami day, as in Thunjan parambu.
Navamunkuda Temple, believed to be constructed by Nava yogis on the right bank of Bharathapuzha, is an important Vishnu temple of Kerala. Pitru Tharpanam is a ritual, held here on the day of Amavasi in Karkidaka (July). Balikarma is offered by people in their wet clothes, after a dip in the river, for the salvation of sins and to appease the manes.
A marital art festival of Kalripayattu, is conducted during summer on the sands of dry Bharathapuzha. The famous Changampalli Kalari, is near Thirunavaya.
During the second week of February a Sarvodaya Mela is conducted in Thirunavaya where the Gandhians of Kerala used to assemble. The Santikudeeram established by the national leader K. Kelappan, is the centre place of this mela.
Wagon Tragedy
The Wagon Tragedy was the death of a large number of prisoners on 10 November 1921 in the Malabar region of Kerala state of India. The prisoners had been taken into custody following unrest known as Moplah rebellion in Malabar, and their deaths through apparent negligence discredited the British Raj and generated sympathy for the Indian independence movement.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and the national leaders of India, there was a widespread and peaceful uprising against the British colonial rule of India. After a series of events that culminated in violent clashes between police and protesters, Martial law was introduced and the rebellion mostly crushed. The British packed 70 prisoners into a railway goods wagon at Tirur railway station to be sent to the Coimbatore jails. By the time they reached their destination 61 of the prisoners had died from suffocation. A monument to this notorious tragedy can be now seen in Tirur.
Places of Worship
Garudan Kavu
Situated 6 km from away Tirur, Garudan Kavu is the only temple in India dedicated to Garuda, the bird deity. This Garuda Temple is about 1800 years old. Worshipping here is mainly meant for easy recovery from diseases and for relief from serpent poisons. All Sundays are important here especially the 41 days of Mandalakalam (From 16 November to 28 December).It is said that the legendary Perumthachan was the architect of this Garuda statue in the temple.Permuthachan made this temple for the king of Vettathunad. A rare ecological practice Live snakes are offered before Lord Garuda here. People affected by snakes arrive at the temple with live snakes caught in earthen pots covered by cotton clothes. When the temple is open from the gopura the pot is thrown to the temple. The snake will stand up aggressively after this event. The shanthi of the temple will come with Garuda Panchaksari manthra theertha and anoint the arrived snake with it. Then the snake will crawl to the south and is seen no more thereafter. It has become the food for Garuda as it were! It is a miracle that the temple or its neighbourhood does not get infested with poisonous snakes gradually as could logically be deduced. There is no story of any body receiving a snake bite from the temple for hundreds of years, in spite of this strange practice from devotees.
Alathiyur Hanuman Kavu
Main article: Alattiyur Hanuman Temple
The Alathiyur Hanuman Kavu temple is about 8 km from Tirur railway station. Thousands of pilgrims from all over India come here to worship lord Hanuman. This is supposedly the place where Lord Rama described Sita, and gave Hanuman his ring to authenticate Hanuman as his messenger, and sent him off to visit Sita in Lanka, where she was being held captive by Ravana. This is supposedly the spot where Hanuman took a huge leap towards Lanka. The speciality of this temple is that Lakshmana, Lord Rama’s brother, has a separate Sanctum. It seems that Lord Rama asked Lashmana to leave the room when he was describing Sita and giving Hanuman his ring. Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana were inseparable, and so this temple is sort of unique in that they are n
