Place:Angamaly, Kerala, India

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Angamaly (Aṅkamāli), , Malayalam : അങ്കമാലി is a municipality and the northernmost tip of Ernakulam district. Situated about north of the city centre, the town lies at the intersection of Main Central Road (MC Road) and National Highway 544. MC Road, which starts from Thiruvananthapuram ends at Angamaly at its intersection with NH 544. Also Known as the 'Airport City', as Cochin International Airport is less than 10KM away from the town of Angamaly.

Originally established as a panchayat in May 1952, Angamaly became a municipality in April 1978 and is also a Legislative Assembly constituency from 1965 in the Ernakulam district.

The area is known for the Angamaly police firing in 1959, when police opened fire on protesters who had been demonstrating against Kerala's communist government.

Angamaly is one of the ancient Christian centres of Kerala. There are eighteen and half "Sharries" around Angamaly and there is a history of Buddhist monks in the area.

Nayathode near Angamaly is the birth place of Great poet G. Sankara Kurup, (3 June 1901 – 2 February 1978) better known as Mahakavi G, who was an Indian poet, essayist and literary critic of Malayalam literature. Known as one of the greats of Malayalam poetry, he was the first recipient of the Jnanpith Award―the highest Indian literary honor, when it was instituted in 1965.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Although recorded history does not exist about the origins of Angamaly, legends and local folklore attribute the name Angamaly to the grounds where battles (Ankam in Malayalam language) were conducted at a myal (attributed as a plain ground). Hence a very old battle ground.

Another legend is that the word Angamaly is derived from Akamaly I.e.inland port area.

Several old coins and other artefacts found from the region tells this area was predominant with Buddhists and Jains in very old time. The 18 and a 1/2 'viharas' around Angamaly is a proof for this. Malayatoor, which is Christian devotional centre, is very near to Angamaly. It is said that St. Thomas, the Apostlte who was deputed to the region by Jesus Christ came via Angadikadavu in Angamaly using Manjali Thodu to come from Kodungaloor port at AD 58. There are evidence for the churches in the locality built as early as AD 409 and AD 822. It was the headquarters of Mar Abraham, Assyrian-Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Angamaly and Hind in the sixteenth century.

Kalady, the birthplace of Adi Sri Sankara is only 7 kilometers from here, it is there the Sanskrit University situates.

Historians records that a massive flood around the 16th century AD made the Angamaly river to change the course forced itself to flow through Aluva area. Now the river is called Chalakudy River and is the fifth longest river in Kerala. Meanwhile, the river in Angamaly became a lesser canal and there by got the name Manjaly Thodu.

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