Kulangattil Family

"Kottoor Kulangattil" is a family name used by some christian families in the state of Kerala in India. The family have a history that starts with the conversion of a brother and a sister from a Hindu Brahmin (Nambudiri) family into the Christian faith. This is believed to have occurred in or around 4th or 5th Centuries of Gregorian Era.

Inspired by the teachings of the disciples of Christ, stated with the acts of Apostle Thomas in India, many a number of Hindus, Buddists, Jains and Jews, who were living in Kerala converted to the Christianity. This family was also the result of the same movement, that might have got more momentum during the 4th and 5th centuries.

Christian Conversion

The family by name “Pazhoor Mana” was a traditional Hindu Brahmin family, situated near the present town of Piravom. The family had many lands and estates through out the kingdom. Though, most of the family members preferred to stay with their old customs, two within the family started to think differently. They were inspired by the acts of Christ and were baptised.

The brother and sister, converted were not allowed to mingle with their parental community in those days. They were thus forced to leave the ancestral house at Piravom. Tradition says, that their father though was objecting to their conversion, with deep love to his children gave lands as their share in the family.

Kottoor Family and Kottoor Pally

One such land they got as share in their ancestral house was the land known as “Kottoor”. This land is presently near to the Kolenchery town. They constructed a house in this land and started residing there. From that time this family members, were called by the name of the land as Kottoor. They constructed a church for their religious needs towards the east of their house. Though reconstructed, this church still exists in the old place and is popularly known as "Kottoor Pally". Kottoor Pally though called a church, is not a full church. It functions as a chapel of the St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Jacobite Orthodox Church.

The Kottoor Pally is said to be a chapel of Pallikkavu Church in the initial periods. When Mattanchery Church was established, it became the chapel of that church. From there, it was transferred as a chapel of Piravom Church at its establishment. In the 10th Century AD, when the famous Kadamattom Church was established nearby, it became its chapel. At last, when the Kolenchery Church was constructed in the 15th Century AD, Kottoor Pally became its part as a chapel.

Offshoots of Kottoor Family

The above said Kottoor family was the first Christian family in and around the Kolenchery region. When a set of Kottoor family members changed their house to a near by land famous for an ‘Aal’- (Banyan tree), they came to be known as ‘Aalackal’. Thus from that period the family members are known by two family names- Aalackal and Kottoor, with respect to the land they stayed. Later, with the passage of time, three sub families-Kulangattil family, Vandanathil family and Karingattil family, within the Kottoor family came into existence.

Family split as Catholics and Orthodox

The 17th century is of great importance in the Christian history of India. It is during this period, the church in India split into two halves, one supporting the Pope of Rome and another the Patriarch of Antioch.

All the family members who kept the family name as Kottoor, with the exception of its three offshoots, migrated to Udayamperoor during the late 16th or in the first half of the 17th century. Among the competition between the Churches, Udamperoor sided the Roman Pope, and thus Kottoor family members became part of Uniate Assyrian (Syro-Malabar) Catholic Church, since 1663 AD.

But, the situation in Kolenchery region was different. There the people supported Antiochene Patriarch. All those remained in their ancestral land thus became part of Oriental Orthodox Church.

Kulangattil Family It is not evident from any references, when this offshoot of Kottoor family evolved. The period of evolution of this sub group may be around the late 15th or early 16th centuries of Gregorian era. This is because of the following conclusions:
 None of the Kulangattil families have gone with their relatives to Udayamperoor.
 None of the Kulangattil families have accepted Uniate Catholic faith.
 None of the Kottoor family members stayed back in Kolenchery region.

It is unknown in history, why the family is called Kulangattil family. It may because, a new house of kottoor family have changed their house near to a pond in a forest region, some where in Kolenchery that time. But it is not evident now, exactly where this house was situated.

The Kulangattil family grew in the Kolenchery region. Not long after, a family or a set of few families have changed their residence to a place called Mazhuvannoor. Mazhuvannoor is very near to Kolenchery and is only 5 km away.

At present, most of the Kulangattil family members are located in Kolenchery region (Mazhuvannoor, Kadakkanad, Puthuppanam, Kinginimattom). Many have migrated to Malabar regions (Wayanad) of North Kerala. Some families are located in Perumbavoor region (Kodanad) as well.

When the family became big, the offshoots with in the family also evolved. The offshoots of Kottoor Kulangattil Family are:
1. Kammamkuzhy
2. Valyaveedu
3. Velammolel
4. Nedumkottil
5. Pampakolil
6. Kizhakkakara (5 houses)
7. Padinjakkara (3 houses)
8. Vadakkekudy
9. Puthuppanam

The Kulangattil family was blessed with three priests from the Nedumkottil branch during the last two centuries. Two priests from Vadakkekudy branch and Puthuppanam branch serves the church at present. A Decon from the Nedumkottil branch also serves the church at present.

Most of the family members in the Kolenchery region are parishes of St. Thomas Jacobite Orthodox Church, Mazhuvannoor and St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Jacobite Orthodox Church, Kolenchery.

Thou, almost all members follow the Oriental Orthodox beliefs, very few of the members have recently converted to Protestant Low Church faith.