In February, 2017, my search for the Joothakkulam (Jew Pond) ended at Kunnamkulam in the west Methala region of Kodungallur. Joothakkulam is the sole relic left from the lost Jewish settlement of Kodungallur (Crangannore), the legendary site of Shingly which supposedly became extinct in 16th century AD. There is also a Joothakunnu (Jew Hill) associated with the Joothakkulam, but the hill has been flattened out and do not exist anymore. I have discussed in detail about Shingly and its Jewish significance here. Not everyone agrees with a Jewish Kingdom in Shingly and they consider its antiquity from first century as a myth invented by the Paradesi Jews to promote their superiority over the Malabari Jews, but I don't think even the strongest critic would have serious objections in accepting the existence of a Jewish settlement at Kodungallur during the Middle Ages. The existence of a still surviving pond named after Jews in Kodungallur or the ritual of using soil from the region for Jewish funeral rites could be an indication that there are some shreds of truth in these legends.
Along with the Joothakkulam and Joothakunnu of Kodungallur there was believed to be a Jewish Cemetery which was considered (mainly the Paradesi Jews) as the burial ground of Rabbi Samuel HaLevi (Father of the famous 11th century Hebrew poet, Yehuda HaLevi), Joseph Raban (the first Jewish ruler/king of Shingly and donee of the famous 11th century Copper Plates) and Sarah Bat Israel (her tombstone has the oldest Jewish epitaph (1269 AD) in India, now at Chendamangalam). The site of the cemetery was known as Cherigandharam in their traditions and scholars like P. M. Jussay and S S Koder believes it was in Kodungallur. To be honest, I wasn't looking for a Jewish cemetery in Kodungallur, but was eager to know if there were any more traditions associated with this story. Since tracing the Joothakkulam itself was a hard task, I didn't want to waste time for a new quest, plus there was no clue regarding where to look for the site. However, out of sheer accident, I came across an article written in 1938 by none other than the staunchest proponent of Paradesi viewpoints, Dr. A. I. Simon on the Jewish Cemetery of Kodungallur! The writeup came in a June, 1938 issue of the 'Jewish Tribune' under the title 'A Trip to Historic Cranganore'.
Let's see the contents of the report briefly. The premise of the article is 'the Feast of Tabernacles' (a Jewish Festival) when a trip was organised by A. I. Simon to Cranganore and its surroundings. They had a visitor from abroad, who is introduced as a Jewish Anthropologist Professor from Yale University, USA. We know that Prof. David G. Mandelbaum, was taken to Joothakkulam in 1937 (personal communications with Prof. Barbara Johnson), but it is not clear if Simon is referring to this particular visit. The main text begins by a description about Cranganore which Simon identifies as Mouziris (ancient Romans), Kodungallur (modern Kerala) and Shingly (Jews of Cochin). He further discusses about modern administrative villages of the area and their importance, viz. Metalla (Jewish Settlement), Azhikodu (Muslim Settlement) and Logamaleshwaram (Royal seat of Hindu King Cheraman Perumal). Next, the site of Shingly is determined as "Kunnamakulam" (meaning Hill and Pond)-an area spread about 4 acres, which was commemorated at his time by the names, "Jewish Hill" and "Jewish Pond". He then adds the crucial information: "Two furlongs to the south of this place (i.e. Kunnamkulam) and bordering the Ottapuram Kayil (i.e. Kottappuram Kayal) or back-water, was a plantation ground called "Chakkam-Parambu" or cemetery field. the old Jewish cemetery and now belonging to a Hindu gentleman Kunhuraman by name, who bought it from a Mahommadan (Muslim) twenty years ago". Simon ascertains the site of the cemetery based on three additional claims: 1) The Malabari Jews of Parur had the custom of removing earth or dust from this place for funeral ceremonies; 2) Tombstones from this field was removed by local boatmen and were used by them as grinding stones; 3) The tombstone of Sarah Bat Israel was discovered from this cemetery. The custom of Parur Jews (1) is mentioned emphatically as if it was a well known fact during his time, but he doesn't provide the source for (2) and (3) but simply adds, "we have authentic information". He was so sure about the site that a minyan was arranged and a prayer service was conducted on the spot ending with the traditional Kadish prayer for the dead under the guidance of Solomon D. Zaccai, who claimed lineal descendancy from Shelomoh Zaccai of Cranganore [referred to in the Nosticias Judeos de Cochin by Mosseh de Paiva in 1686].
The keyword here is the name 'Chakkam-Parambu' (ചക്കാ൦ പറമ്പ്) which Simon translates as 'Cemetery Field'. Parambu in Malayalam means field, but how does one relate Chakkam to cemetery? What is interesting is that the term "Chakkam" has been associated with two other sites of Jews, both related to cemetery. The old Jewish cemetery in Mattancherry (site of Nehemiah Motta's tomb) is still known as 'Chakkamadom Colony' and one of the side streets bordering Ernakulam New Jewish Cemetery located in Kathrikadavu is called 'Chakkamadom Lane'. The closest analogue of Chakkam to death is Chakkala (ചാക്കാല), a term used among Hindus (eg. Panikker community) generally for death or specifically to pollution caused by the death of a close relative or simply for a house where death has occurred. The famous poem 'Chakkala' in Malayalam by M. R. Ramakrishna Panikkar (Kadammanitta, 1935-2008) which has the theme based on death comes into picture. Thus, Chakkamparambu could be an alternate form of Chakkalaparambu, but a Jewish connection to the word Chakkala still could not be ascertained. Another possibility, which is more convincing is the speculation that Chakka (ചാക്കാ) is the spoonerism (a verbal mistake, often intentional in which the initial consonant sounds of two words are transposed, ചൊറിച്ചുമല്ലൽ in Malayalam) of Kocha (കൊച്ചാ)-the colloquial word for "Jew" in Kerala until recently. Chakkam-Parambu is therefore a derivation form Kocham Parambu which means the 'Jew's Field'.
However, Simon himself admits that the field has "nothing in it characteristic of a cemetery" and it was "barren in appearance". Remember, this was the condition of the area in 1938 and you can imagine how different it would be more than eight decades later and any positive expectations are remote. I therefore had not much hope of finding anything related to a cemetery, but the name Chakkamparambu, its location two furlongs (approximately 400m) south of Kunnamkulam near Kottappuram Kayal and Kunhuraman, the owner's name, were certainly clues that can be used to see if at all there is or was a place in Kodungallur by that particular name. Having these clues in hand, I decided to scan an area south of Kunnamkulam. I set out my journey on 16th October 2019 and Edamukku Juma Masjid was selected as a starting point because 1) it is located about the same distance to the south from Joothakulam as Simon had described in his article; and 2) the location of the mosque was near the Kottappuram Kayal which was also a marker point in Simon's travelogue. I started with not much hope, but didn't realise how wrong I was with my snap judgement. The very first person I asked about Chakkamparambu was not only happy to answer the query but knew the exact site! He suggested me to search near Santhome Special School which was less than half km east to Edamukku. It wasn't difficult at all to locate the spot once the special school was tracked. Unlike Joothakkulam, which became Kunnamkulam, the name Chakkamparambu somehow remained unaltered even almost a century afterwards. One should remember that despite being a personal property which could have been easily renamed, it was a luck that the original name stayed on.
I was informed that Chakkamparambu belonged to a prominent Hindu family in the area and it was later sold to the current owner, also a Hindu. There was an easy access to the plot from the special school through private properties of a few neighbouring families and they were happy to let me pass through their compound. The plantation ground which Simon saw perhaps have not changed at all, as Chakkamparambu is still a coconut plantation with a small house in the middle of a heavily overgrown plot. I was welcomed by the owner who stays alone in the small house, but has plans to sell the property. Initially, he was a bit skeptical with where I am getting into, but as we talked, he was amazed to hear about a Jewish legend attached to his place. I shared the story and enquired if he has come across anything similar to what Simon suggested. None of the locals including the owner have heard about the Jewish angle and it was entirely new information to them, but the legend of Jewish Kunnamkulam was familiar to all. The current owner (I prefer to keep him anonymous for privacy reasons) shared about the history and nature of the site and how he acquired the plot. Let me summarize what I learned from my visit to Chakkamparambu.
1) The original owner of the plot was a person named Kumaran from Vallavaparambathu Panikkassery family, who was a boat mechanic by profession. The present owner from Nelliamparambathu family purchased the land from Kumaran's son in 1980s. Is Kumaran and Kunhuraman (owner according to Simon) the same individual or was he the son of Kunhuraman needs to be found out.
2) The Panikkassery family owned the land for decades as far as the current owner remembers, but if it was purchased from a Muslim around 1918 as Simon says, has to be validated from the previous owners.
3) The area of the land at the time of purchase in 1980s was 65 cents and out of which the current owner sold 30 cents.
4) There was an ancestral bungalow (Tharavadu) of the Panikkassery family on the site which was quite impressive.The house was demolished and a humble modern building was erected by the current owner.
5) The land along with the bungalow remained shut as the owners moved to new places. The large trees and thick vegetation of the otherwise empty plot remained a green patch in the surroundings.
6) There was a fresh water pond in Chakkamparambu when Panikkasserys were living in the land. As they left and the land remained abandoned, the pond was filled and dumped with waste and became unusable. The conditions changed only when the new owner moved in, but the original glory of the pond has not been retained.
7) Bordering Chakkamparambu is a small canal connected to the a branch of Periyar River. At the heydays, the canal was big enough for easy navigation of large country boats (Kettuvallam) that brought supplies to the region. The canal stretched up to Kunnamkulam and was used for public transport.
8) From the river to Kunnamkulam was a hill landscape and was flattened out during modern times. Names of two such hills are remembered, viz. Makyamakunnu and Chembarapookkalkunnu.
9) In earlier days (mid 20th century and before), most of the land from the Periyar River to Kunnamkulam were owned by Hindu landlords, mainly Aanattu Warrier, Subhramaniyan Swamy and Koder Swamy. He is not aware of any Jewish land owners, but if the later is a member from the Koder family can be established only if we verify that the Koder's had land in this area.
10) Finally, the Kunnamkulam legend of two brothers is repeated. Kunnamkulam is not Kunnu+Kulam (Hill+Pond), but Kunnante Kulam (Kunnan's Pond, where Kunnan is the name of a person). The brothers, Cheria Kunnan (Small or Younger Kunnan) and Valiya Kunnan (Big or Elder Kunnan) made two ponds viz. Cheriya Kunnante Kulam (Cheriyakulam) and Valiya Kunnante Kulam (Valiyakulam). The Cheriyakulam is Joothakulam or the modern Kunnamkulam, whereas Valiyakulam was levelled and is lost. More about the Kunnamkulam legends see here.
It was necessary to confirm if the modern Chakkamparambu is the the same site Simon visited. Geographically, the place identified is around 600m south-east of Kunnamkulam and the nearest water body, Kanjirapuzha (a branch of the Periyar River passing through Kottappuram region) was 200m further south, almost matching Simon's description. In addition, the villagers attested that there was no other Chakkamparambu in the vicinity and it was the only candidate available. All these added up to the conclusion that this was indeed the place where Simon concluded the Jewish Cemetery was located.
Identifying Chakkamparambu
1) Chakkamparambu; 2) Kunnamkulam or Joothakkulam; 3) Edamukku Juma Masjid; 4) Santhome Special School; 5) Kanjirapuzha (Periyar River). See also my earlier post for a more detailed map of the region here.
Chakkamparambu today
Pond inside Chakkamparambu
The canal near Chakkamparambu
Kanjirapuzha (Periyar River)
Santhome Special School
Edamukku Juma Masjid
KUNNAMKULAM OR JOOTHAKKULAM (JEW POND) REVISITED
Today, there is nothing in Chakkamparambu to prove a Jewish connection, neither is there any local legends to support the hypothesis. The only person we know who vouched strongly for the place was A. I. Simon whose theory was challenged even by the Paradesis. For instance, S. S. Koder believed that Simon just assumed an old man was right when he said the place was a Jewish cemetery, because the name was similar to one they use for cemeteries (personal communications with Barbara Johnson who visited Joothakulam with Koder in September, 1974). However, Koder did believe in the existence of a Jewish cemetery in Kodungallur as evident from his writings (Saga of the Jews of Cochin, 1986, Footnote: 43), but it has to be understood that he discarded his colleague's version. Anyway, Simon was able to convince members of his community and arrange a minyan for conducting prayers on the site. The prime reason he took the place for a cemetery was obviously because of its local name, but if the tradition of Parur Jews visiting the site is validated, it could be a strong case for his theory. Having said so, many Malabari Jews would disagree with his conclusions or reject outright his theories as he is notorious for his anti-Malabari viewpoints. When there is relative scarcity of historical data on the Jewish history of Kerala prior to pre-Portuguese era, oral traditions are important source of information available to us. I would prefer to include both Paradesi and Malabari traditions, no matter how deeply they contradict each other. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the conclusions is a different matter, but this blog is a platform to share diverse traditions even if it is a pure myth or contains only a fraction of truth. It is for the historians and archaeologists to verify the authenticity of such folklores and legends.
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