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About 75 years (1935) ago Kunnamkulam
was reeling under a devastating epidemic of plague.
Since it was unprecedented, the people of the
locality or civic authorities were totally in the dark
about how to contain it, treat it or take care of the
affected lot. It assumed proportions of a ravaging fire,
consuming families in its wake. Life came to stand
still. Business stopped, streets wore a deserted look.
People started fleeing from the town to the village
areas. Schools were closed, institutions of all sorts
including social and charitable ones, stopped
functioning. Priests and pastors disappeared from the
scene. Solace, if any, came in the person of C.V.Iype,
MLC, O.K.Menon, Health Inspector, R.D.Pai (Doctor),
Joseph and Achamma (Bethany order). There was none else
to give some words of comfort or encouragement let alone
concrete action which was the need of the hour. Cochin
government did all it could by way of containing act.
Inoculation was the only possible preventive step. When
a boy died following inoculation, it caused a scare.
Faith in God seemed the only way out.
Adupputty Pally in Kunnamkulam
Map of Kunnamkulam
Arhat (Kunnamkulam) church informed Bava Thirumeni of
the desperate situation. Thirumeni at the time was
engaged in his annual ayurvedic treatment. But he
informed his people of the desperate situation. "If no
one is volunteering to go to Kunnamkulam I will have to
discontinue my treatment and go myself to them". But the
news from Kunnamkulam had been so scary that no one
seemed willing to volunteer. That was when Pampady
Thirumeni reached Pazhaya Seminary. Immediately
Thirumeni told Bava Thirumeni that he was going to
Kunnamkulam. Paramel Kuriakose Semmassen (Parel Achen)
who was a student of the Seminary volunteered to
accompany Pampady Thirumeni. Even though many tried to
dissuade them all the way, they went ahead boldly,
braving all odds, trusting the Lord.
"We have come to live or die with you. If you are in any
sort of need let us know, weak as we are, we will come
ourselves and try to relieve you. We want you to pray
incessantly and go on a three day fasting so that this
scourge is removed from us. May the Almighty relieve you
of this." said Thirumeni to the thousands who had gone
out of their houses for the first time in a week.
Thirumeni started visiting houses where people had been
grievously ill and prayed for them. There was no
distinction whether they belonged to the church or no.
Bethany church on Trichur road was converted into a
plague hospital. Though it was a difficult decision for
Thirumeni to make, he visited the place often and prayed
for them, whether they believed in the Lord or not. All
the houses visited by Thirumeni found the healing touch.
Whoever he laid his hands on, were healed and relieved.
That they were not forlorn, they felt, because they had
a man of God with them. They were filled by faith and
hope that they were not alone, God being with them. The
stories of Thirumeni holding the 'sleeba' , swinging the
censer making 'doopa prardhanas' and walking through the
streets of Kunnamkulam chanting prayers are passed on
from one generation to another. He used to stay in the
attic of a church here. Thirumeni had
gone to Kunnamkulam without even his bedding and stayed
there for about a month and a half, soothing troubled
minds and healing sick bodies. Ho would not even take
prevention inoculation, even though doctors advised him.
Only just before he left for Pampady he took one.
The devotion of the people of Kunnamkulam still prevails
strongly. Every year a group of devotees from
Kunnamkulam reaches Pampady. Usually they bring packets
of 'papads' which is used for the lunch and also to be
sold to the numerous other devotees who come to Pampady.
After the Heavenly abode of Thirumeni,
a Kursihu Pally was started in Kunnamkulam in 1967. It
is as a part of the St. George Orthodox Church,
Adupputty. The devotees of Kunnamkulam (Chemmanur
Pathrose Achen, E.V.K Kurian) approached Yohannan Ramban
and requested that they required the Holy Remains
('Thirusheshippu' ) of Thirumeni. They got the
permission from Bava Thirumeni to take the Tooth of
Pampady
Thirumeni back to Kunnamkulam. The devotees in
Kunnamkulam refer to the Adupputty church as the 'second
kabaridom of Thirumeni'.
Tooth of Thirumeni
is kept in Kunnamkulam pally
Devotees come every year to
Pampady The tooth was
initially placed inside the St. George Church. But
Yuhannan Mar Xevarious Thirumeni stated that a separate
church had to be built to keep the Holy Remains of such
a saintly person. Thus a church was built in front of
St. George Orthodox Church. There are two rooms to the
church. A large photograph of Thirumeni is seen as soon
as one enters the church. After that is the main church
where the Holy Qurbana takes place. It is a small church
which can hold upto 50 members. The tooth is now placed
inside the thronose. A small photograph of Thirumeni is
kept to depict the place where the Tooth is kept.
Numerous miracles continue to occur in Kunnamkulam, when
the devotees seek the intercession of Pampady Thirumeni.
It is believed that if we ask anything by looking onto
the eyes of Thirumeni, it would be granted to us. It was
a common site to see evil spirits being driven away by
making them kneel down infront of Thirumeni's photo and
forcefully opening the eyes of the diseased to make them
look onto the face of Thirumeni.
Several non-Christian brothers and sisters come
regularly and pray here. All problems of evil spirit and
black magic put on the innocent are removed by
faithfully praying here. The Holy Qurbana is conducted
in this chapel on all Saturdays from 0200 to 0300. Many
miracles occurred to people who came here, were marriages
took place, business improved and children were born to
those who regularly took part in the Qurbana and prayed
reverently.
Pampady Thirumeni's Photo in the Adupputty Church, all
our prayers are heard if we believe and ask for it
earnestly.... May the intercessory powers of
Thirumeni continue to bless each one of us. Dear
Thirumeni, please remember us in your prayers...
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