First phase of Manimala river cruise held

The first phase of the river expedition titled `Cruise on a pepper boat’, organised as part of the Manimala River Basin Heritage Project, was held on Tuesday. The journey, organised by the Perumbranad Regional History Study Group, is aimed at studying the flow, history, and cultural heritage of the Manimala River through an exploratory boat trip along its course.

Mallappally panchayat president S. Vidyamol flagged off the voyage while Rajeev Pallikkonam explained the objectives of the river journey.

Led by Captain Manish Kuzhuvelil, the expedition team comprised twenty members. They visited several important heritage spots along the river, including Pulinkunnu church, Pulinkunnu market, Mankombu Devi Temple, Temple Entry Proclamation Memorial, the ancestral home of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Perumparayan Memorial at Chathurthyakary, Aarupank, where the river joins the backwaters and the various traditional houses along the Kavalam Canal.

The Manimala River Basin Heritage Project aims for a deeper exploration of the river’s legacy, shedding light on the role of the waterbody in the pepper trade as early as the first century. Historical records, including those of Portuguese and Dutch traders, reveal that pepper from the Kallooppara market made its way to the ancient inland port of Nelkinda via this waterway.