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Pampady is a small town located in the Kottayam district
of Kerala, the southern state of India. The development
of Pampady is closely connected to KK (Kottayam - Kumily)
Road, which came into existence in AD 1038, as a graded
road. This road is now a national highway, from Quilon
to Theni at Tamil Nadu.
Pampady is situated 18 kilometers east of Kottayam along
the KK road. It is by this road side in the heart of
Pampady town, where the 'kurishu pally' of Pampady
Dayara locates. Pampady Dayara is situated in the
Pothepuram Hill, about 5 kilometers from Pampady town.
Location of Pampady
Map of Kerala showing Pampady
The phenomenal growth and development
of Pampady dayara and its ancillary units have been such
that it would be better to call the place Puthenpuram
(New Township) and its institutions a Multipurpose
complex. A forbidding patch of inhospitable and
inaccessible forest land a few decades ago, Pothenpuram
is a Cannan where milk and honey of love, learning and
compassion flow. A city built on a hill with the dove of
peace left behind by the departed Thirumeni still flying
about makes Pothenpuram a handsome dream fulfilled.
Dream of an Abou Ben Adam, who loved man as much as he
loved God. Only the eyes undimmed by materialistic
scales can see it being fulfilled. Eye trained on a
spiritual vision can only comprehend it.
Pothenpuram dayara, Pampady dayara or Mar Kuriakose
dayara as it is variously called, with the spirit of a
saint inhabiting and inspiring it, is now well known,
far outside the bound of Kerala or India.
Pampady Dayara
It was on May 24, 1914 that Pampady Kuriakose Ramban
moved into a mud hovel for the first time on Pothenpuram
hills, infested with wild animals. He would spend his
day time there, but would get back to the comparative
safety of Pampady Valiya Pally at night, the church and
surroundings being equally forlorn after night fall.
Later on he put up a small building barely sufficient
for human habitation. A thatched roof on uncompleted
four walls served for a church to help him continue his
'thapsya' (life of prayer and meditation).
The foundation for the new dayara church was laid by
Yuyakim Mar Iranios, Metropolitan of Kandanad Diocese on
May 26, 1920. It was completed within three years.
Kuriakose Rambachan continued his fasting prayer
everyday during this long period.
Dayara Church and the Verandha as seen from
Thirumeni's Kabar
In 1929 he was ordained as the Metropolitan. The veranda
on both sides of the church were put up in 1947. His
tomb was to be on the eastern end of the northern
verandha. It was his practice to prepare himself for his
life with the lord in the vault of his. A living saint
absolutely unafraid of death was Pampady Thirumeni. The
place continued to be blessed even after his death, due
to his intercession. Hundreds of devotees visit his tomb
and gets blessed. Sick gets healed and barren mothers
gets her children to fondle, and then in many cases, to be
dedicated to the service in the church.
On 5th April, the day of the feast thousands of devotees come, many
from far away Kunnamkulam where Thirumeni served the
sick and the dying, who were languishing due to the
plague, to pray at his tomb and get blessed abundantly.
Because the church that he built in 1920 remained too
small to contain the many who used to throng there,
construction of the new church was begun on July 15,
1988. It was provisionally dedicated in 1991. Mar Thomas
Mathews 1, Bava Thriumeni, had provided the inspiration
for the new church finding the old one too small. The
church which was constructed under the guidance of
Diocesan Metropolitan Geevarghese Mar Ivanios was
dedicated on July 15th 1993 by Baselius Mar Thoma
Mathews II. The church 129 ft long and 40 ft wide,
incorporates all the features of the old church
satisfying the young and the old alike. the construction
of the church was under the supervision of P.C. Cherian,
Padinjarekara. Late Sri. Philip Mathew was the
architect.
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