STORIES from the suburb

Every town, with its unique mix of geography, demography and the destinies of its people, is a goldmine of stories. Inhabitants, most often, are unawareof the fascinating history and heritage they may be part of.

Not Mohandas Suryanarayan, a native of Muvattupuzha, who has painstakingly unearthed local history, catalogued tales of the town on his FB page,Muvattupuzhayude Nagarapuravrithangal,Stories of Muvattupuzha, which he began in June 2017.

What started as a casual search into the roots and migration of his community, the Tamil Brahmins, to the town, it opened the floodgates to a wealth of stories of the land. He ferreted out details, compiled and uploaded them. Surprised and encouraged by the response, the 42-year-old businessman is set to further the parameters of his fieldwork to adjacent regions, and plans to bring out a book in the future. As of now, he says, “I cannot put a full stop. The stories keep coming.”

Located 35 km east of Kochi, Muvattupuzha is situated at the confluence of three rivers-Thodupuzha, Kaliyar and Kothayar. Part of the erstwhile kingdom of Vadakkumkur, its annexation with Travancore, in 1750, resulted in the establishment of government offices that further enhanced its importance. It became a seat of spice trade, had a thriving loom industry and was a hub ofbeedimanufacturing. In those early days, it got a concrete bridge, possibly the first in Asia, a Munsiff Court with a charming hall that...