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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Manikandapuram
| native_name = മണികണ്ഠപുരം
| native_name_lang =
| other_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type = Village
| image_skyline = File:Symbol_of_Thekkumkur_Dynasty.png
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Royal seal of Thekkumkur Dynasty engraved in stone (Punchaman Illom)
| pushpin_map =
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kerala, India
| coordinates = {{coord|9.518057|N|76.5784076|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kerala]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kottayam district|Kottayam]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type = Village
| governing_body = Vakathanam Grama Panchayath
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_total =
| population_as_of =
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 =
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics1_title1 =
| demographics1_info1 = [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 686538
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| area_code = 0481
| registration_plate = KL-33
| website =
| footnotes =
}}

'''Manikandapuram''' ({{lang-ml|മണികണ്ഠപുരം}}) was the capital of the [[Thekkumkur|Kingdom of Thekkumkur]] (now part of India).<ref>Book Title: Sthalapurāṇaṅṅaḷ Author: Iṭamaruk Publisher: Royal Book Depot, 1972 Original from The University of California Digitized: 2 Jun 2009 Length: 210 pages</ref> Manikandapuram is a part of [[Vakathanam|Vakathanam Gramam]] in the [[Changanassery|Changanassery Taluk]] of [[Kottayam district|Kottayam District]]. At the beginning of the Thekkumkur princely state, the nearest place, [[Vennimala]] was established as the headquarters.<ref>Book Title: Sthalapurāṇaṅṅaḷ
Author: Iṭamaruk
Publisher: Royal Book Depot, 1972
Original from The University of California
Digitized: 2 Jun 2009
Length: 210 pages</ref> Vennimala was the most secure place for the enemy. The forests were cut down and developed into habitable areas and the administration is strengthened by the capital city of Manikandapuram.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

== Manikandapuram Temple ==

[[File:Manikandapuram Temple (2).jpg|175px|thumb|left|Manikandapuram temple]]

The Manikandapuram Sreekrishna Temple was built in the 12th century by [[Thekkumkur]] king [[Eravi Manikandan Varman|Eravi Manikanda Varman]] (reign: 1150 - 1180 C.E). The construction of the temple and the installation of the idol of Lord Krishna took place on the 25th day of Malayalam month Medam ([[Meṣa]]) in [[Malayalam calendar|Kollam Era]] 325 (1150 C.E).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://manikandapuramtemple.org/index.php/history/|title=MANIKANDAPURAM SREEKRISHNA SWAMY TEMPLE - History|website=www.manikandapuramtemple.org}}</ref><ref>http://manikandapuramtemple.org/index.php/history/ {{Dead link|date=March 2022}}</ref> The king would take part in the annual festival of [[Vennimala Sree Rama Lakshmana Swamy Temple]]. During the royal hunting (Pallivetta) in the temple, the king Eravi Manikandan shot an animal he saw, but it was a cow. The Manikandapuram Temple was built by King Manikandan for his atonement, knowing that he killed a cow.<ref>{{cite book|title=Early History of the Dekkan Hardcover – Facsimile, 1 Dec 1996
|author=R. G. Bhandarkar
|date=December 1996
|pages=Hardcover: 143 pages
|publisher=Asian Educational Services; Facsimile of 1895 ed edition (1 December 1996)
|isbn=978-8120601208}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://manikandapuramtemple.org/index.php/history/|title=MANIKANDAPURAM SREEKRISHNA SWAMY TEMPLE - History|website=www.manikandapuramtemple.org}}</ref><ref>Kottarathil, Sankunni (2018). AITHIHYAMALA (Malayalam). 1 (Issue No. 1 ed.). Kottayam, Kerala, India: DC Books. p. 20. {{ISBN|9780195698893}}</ref><ref>http://lsgkerala.in/vakathanampanchayat/about/history/ {{Dead link|date=March 2022}}</ref>

There is evidence that the fort and the tunnels were at Manikandapuram, as were the later headquarters of the Thekkumkur monarchy at [[Changanassery]] and [[Kottayam|Thaliyanthanapuram (Kottayam)]].<ref>Encyclopedia of Tourism Resources in India; Author: Dr. Manohar Sajnani, Published in 2001, Published by: Kalpaz Publications; Address: C-30, Satyawati Nagar, Phase-III, Ashok Vihar, Delhi-110052, {{ISBN|81-7835-014-9}} (set), {{ISBN|81-7835-018-1}} (Vol II)</ref> The temple was very popular in the Thekkumkur dynasty. References to this temple are found in [[Aithihyamala]] of [[Kottarathil Sankunni]] and ''[[Unnuneeli Sandesam]]'', the classics of Malayalam Literature.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Kottarathil
| first = Sankunni
| author-link =
| title = Aithihyamala (Malayalam)
| publisher = DC Books
| series = 1
| volume =
| edition = Issue No. 1
| location = Kottayam, Kerala, India
| date = 2018
| page = 20
| isbn = 9780195698893
}}</ref><ref>Unnuneeli Sandesam - Thembattu Sankaran Nair; Published by DC Books, Kottayam; 132 pages</ref>

== ''Unnuneeli Sandesam'' ==
The Malayalam poem ''[[Unnuneeli Sandesam]]'' describes the ancient Manikandapuram and Sreekrishna temple. In this poem, the temple and the underground passages connecting Venimala and Manikandapuram are explicit. There is depression in Manikandapuram, which looks like the entrance to a tunnel. The temple has huge acres of paddy fields in revenue records to feed hundreds of people every day.<ref>Unnuneeli Sandesam - Thembattu Sankaran Nair; Published by DC Books, Kottayam; 132 pages</ref><ref>Book Title: Unnuneeli Sandesam
Edited By: Elamkulam P N Kunjan Pillai
Publisher: National Book Stall
Category: Malayalam Poems</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Kingdom of Thekkumkur]]
[[Category:Changanassery]]
[[Category:Historical Indian regions]]
[[Category:Former capital cities in India]]
[[Category:Culture of Kerala]]
[[Category:History of Changanassery]]

Manikandapuram - Revision history

UpdateBot at 08:27, 19 March 2022