Sampaloor - History

Sampaloor, by the side of the Chalakudy River is known as the Goa of Kerala. Rightfully called so, this place, like Goa witnessed the arrival of a series of clergy. This comprised St. Francis Xavier, St. John Britto, Fr. Joseph Constantine Buski (Veeramamunivar) and Arnos Pathiri. Among them, the first to arrive at Sampaloor was St. Francis Xavier, who came via Marankuzhi, a place located in Kodungallur (former Muziris). His visits, as per records, were in 1542, 1544, and 1548. At that time the Muziris harbour (present day Kodungallur) connected India to foreign countries via the sea.

Sampaloor was an important center of Jesuits during the time of the Portuguese. Some of the structures still stand testimony to the works of the Jesuits in Sampaloor. They include the St. Paul?s Seminary, the St. Paul?s Monastery and the St. Paul?s Press and a church dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. Gradually San?paul-ur became Sampaloor. Half way though the 17th century St. John Britto, an Italian missionary, came to Sampaloor and lived there for nearly one year. He studied Tamil and Sanskrit and adopted an Indian name ? Swamy Arulananda. The altar of St. Francis Xavier?s church at which St. John Britto used to celebrate the holy mass is now a protected historical monument.

Another member of the clergy, who made his presence felt at Sampaloor after St. John Britto was Arnos Pathiri, who studied at the St. Paul?s Seminary and later got ordained there. He made remarkable contributions to the Malayalam literature through his book ?Puthen Pana.? Next to follow was Fr. Joseph Constantine Buski (Veeramamunivar). He came to Sampaloor, while serving in Madurai Mission and later lived there. Fr. Buski?s final resting place is also at Sampaloor.

The first printing in Malayalam was done at the St. Paul?s Press in Sampaloor, which was set up by Jesuit Priests in 1663. The dictionary of ?Prinsa Pathiri,? Tamil grammar of Dacosta Pathiri, and the books of Dinobili were printed in this press. Sampaloor thus became a great centre for language-nurturing in south India.

The arrival of the clergymen to Sampaloor in the mid 16th century and the developments that took place all later became part of the ecclesiastical history of Kerala. Sampaloor also went through an unfortunate phase in the course of its history, when it was devastated in an attack by Tippu Sultan, who was fighting the British during the middle periods of the 18th century. Later, the church got reconstructed during the time of Bernadian Bechinelly, who was the vicar apostolate of Varapuzha in 1862. The present church was blessed in 1979.

Museums at Sampaloor

Visitors to Sampaloor church would find the Historical Museum located nearby as a source of interesting information, throwing more light on its history. Among the displayed items are major attractions like the cannon balls used by the invading army of Tippu Sultan; the holy vestments of priests; tablets that describe the old liturgical order and the tabernacle of the old church.

Also part of the museum display are statues of saints made of wood and metal, lamps used for adoration, lamp-sticks, the cross made of metal belonging to the 15th century and ?Vazhuthayodukal? of the same century.

And in the Anglo-Indian Cultural museum, visitors are bound to admire the settings of typical Anglo-Indian wedding ceremony, the traditional attire of Anglo-Indian women and men like the Kabaya, Madirasi Thuny, a collection of coat, suit, tie and traditional ornaments of the Anglo-Indian community comprising Cothigna, Arulikka Mala, Pinnu Mala, wedding ring, and of course details of their traditional food.

Sampaloor without doubt occupies a significant place in Kerala history, which would be best remembered for the arrival of the clergy men and their efforts to become part of the native people.



Sampaloor -Kadukutty Bridge