Kanjoor

Kanjoor (Malayalam: കാഞ്ഞൂർ) is a small town near to Aluva. It is in Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala, India.

Kanjoor is a panchayat in the Ernakulam District. It has as many as 15 wards.

The estimated population is 19,712[Source : Census data 2001].

River Periyar that separates neighbouring panchayats from it helps to meet not only the water needs of the people but also provides employment. The crass consumerism and short-sighted greed of the populace has sounded the death knell of this once beautiful river that meandered through the plains.

The panchayat has four high schools and seven lower division schools. Among these, St. Sebastian's High School, Kanjoor is the oldest in the panchyat.

Just as the case for most other Gram panchayats in kerala, the main occupation of the people of this panchayat is agriculture and allied works. NRI population of the panchayat is not comparable with many other panchayats and is in fact, very low. Inter religious ratios are much in alliance with the state ratio in this regard. Ezhavas and Nairs in that order remain the most prominent Hindu communities in this panchayat.

The main religious centres in this village are Kanjoor Church and Puthiyedam Temple.

Kanjoor Church: St. Mary's Church Kanjoor, one of the historic Churches in India. The Saint Sebastian at kanjoor, The Kanjoor Punyavalan is the Living saint who removes all the diseases and epidemics.St. Sebastian is known for his quick reply to those who call on him in distress especially those who seek the assistance of the saint for deliverance from incurable diseases, epidemics, and shattering problems of life. A lot of incidents illustrating the power and the divine nature of the Saint of Kanjoor, still live on in the minds of the locals and devotees. The festival in the church comes on 19 and 20 January every year, and is celebrated by all in Kanjoor irrespective on religion or cast.

Puthiyedam Temple: The main deity is standing posture of "parthasarathy" strangely holding butter in his right hand rather than a weapon. However, the temple is renowned for its bhagavathy temple. Legend has it that this bhagavathy was worshiped by one among the many maternal branches of the then-local kings of kochi dynasty as their mother goddess, when they lived in this part of the village. Sakthan Thampuran, probably the only king worth his name in kochi dynasty, was born in this place. Old timers say that the temple was constructed in this current shape during his time of rulership. This temple had the now defunct and detestable practice of 'aal thookkam'. 'All Thookkam', when translated to English would mean dangling of human beings, This was a religious practice in which the man either opted or identified by the community to do the performance would at first allow himself to bear the inscrutable pain of piercing his flesh on the back of his body with iron hooks and then dangle in the hooks. Thereafter the man thus dangling would then be taken for circumambulation in a specially made wooden structure. Kodungallor Kunjukkuttan thampuran has written few slokas on this deity.

...
Wikipedia