Athirampuzha

Athirampuzha is a town in the Kottayam district of Kerala state, South India. It is famous as the Mahatma Gandhi University is situated here. Athirampuzha is situated 10 km north of Kottayam town, 3 km from Ettumanoor and from Main Central Road S.H.1 of Kerala. St. Mary's Forane Church (Syro malabar Catholic) is well known for the feast of St. Sebastian every year on Jan. 24 and 25. Along with the church, there is a school with classes up to 12th standard for girls and boys separately - St. Aloysius school for boys and St. Mary's School for girls.

==History== It is believed that Athirampuzha was a well-established developed village and settlements were there even in 1200 AD. The famous traveler Marco Polo's travel descriptions, "The description of the world", have some references about അതിരമ്പുഴ. While he was traveling through Kerala he reached a port town called 'athiramkari'. The description of this place closely matches to അതിരമ്പുഴ. According to Marco Polo Athiramkari was a trade center famous for Pottery, Cattle's, vegetable market (ചന്ത) (still exists) and clothes. 'Chantha Kulam (ചന്തകുളം)' was the center of trade where boats could dock. It is believed that mappilas (Christians) and Hindus (nairs) were settled in Athirampuzha during that period. Athirampuzha was now established by the Mathirampuzha - Kollappallil family and Thekkedathu family (at Velamkulam), which is present yet Athirampuzha remained as a famous port town till the mid-1900s. Later more roads were developed which reduced the importance of backwater trade routes. The old boat shed (renovated later) still exists near the Chantha kulam.