Kummanam

Kummanam is a village that lies on either side of river Meenachil. Administratively it is in Thiruvarpu and Aymanam Gramapanchayat of Kottayam district in Kerala State, India. Capital town of Kottayam District is 4 km east from here. A bridge named Thazhathangadi palam connects either areas beside river. Kummanam is near the tourist road from Kumarakom to Thekkady.EtymologyAymanam means 'the land of five forests'. Ay in Tamil is five and Vanam in Sanskrit is forest. Kummanam means 'the horrible forest'. Ku in Sanskrit means worst and Vanam is forest.HistoryThazhathangadi is an ancient river port in Kummanam. Thazhathe in Malayalam language means 'lower down' and angadi is 'market'. Spice traders from pre Islamic Arabia settled in this river port. Portuguese traders built houses here on the banks of River Meenachil and a Church dedicated to Saint George.Thaliyil Kotta near Thazhathangadi was the seat of Thekkumkoor kings. Thali was an administratiove division and kotta means fort. King Marthanda Varma annexed Thekkumkoor to Travancore. Vedipurackal is the place where Thekkumkoor kings kept gunpowder. Vanchiyathu is the place where Thekkumkoor kings kept royal canoes. There are houses still bearing these names in Thazhathangadi.