Ollur

Ollur
Town

Ollur town seen from a residential building
Ollur

Location in Kerala, India

Coordinates: 10°28′N 76°14′E / 10.46°N 76.23°E / 10.46; 76.23Coordinates: 10°28′N 76°14′E / 10.46°N 76.23°E / 10.46; 76.23
Country  India
State Kerala
District Thrissur District
Government
 • Mayor Ajitha Jayarajan
 • Deputy Mayor Varghese Kandamkulathy
Languages
 • Official Malayalam, English
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 680 306, 680 313
Telephone code 91 (0)487
Vehicle registration KL-08
Website www.corporationofthrissur.org

Ollur is a major suburban area and an old commercial town in the city of Thrissur of Kerala state, South India. It is situated about 5 km away from Swaraj Round on old National Highway 47 (India) towards Kochi. From ancient time onwards, Ollur was a major business centre in Thrissur district. Now, this geographical area is part of Thrissur Municipal Corporation. It is situated between Kuriachira and Thalore on the National Highway. However, a specific identity for this geographical region is still there due to the urban setting of this region and its important religious institutions.[1]

History

The first recorded history of Ollur is the establishment of St. Anthony's Forane Church in 1718.[2] Before India's independence, Ollur belonged to Kingdom of Cochin. Later it was with Travancore-Cochin State. In 1919, Ollur Panchayat was formed with villages of Ollur and Edakunny. The first Panchayat President was E. Ikkanda Warrier, who later became the Prime Minister of Cochin State, succeeded by Chev. Paulose Kallookkaran, Menachery Lonappan Ouseph, Dr. Menachery Erinjery Joseph Antony (twice).The Panchayat has an area of 14.92 km2. The Panchayat comprise mainly areas of Ancheri, Chiyyaram, Kuriachira, Chelakkoottukara, Kuttanellur, Padavaradu, Peruvamkulangara, Panamkuttichira, Edakkunni and Thaikkattussery. The first Panchayat election after India attained Independence was held in 1953. In 1997, the Government of Kerala decided to merge Ollur Panchayat to the Thrissur Municipal Corporation, which newly established on October 1. Ollur Panchayat was completely merged with Thrissur Municipal Corporation.[3]

Education

An evening seen from Ollur town

St. Anthony's Forane Church, Ollur was instrumental in beginning the first primary school in 1896.

Schools

Colleges

A multi-storey apartment building in Ollur town

Hospitals

Museums

Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda Museum St. Euphrasia Museum

Civic Administration

Ollur is administered by Thrissur Municipal Corporation.

Government Offices

Religion

Facade of the St. Anthony's Forane Church in Ollur.

Edakkunni Sri Durga Bhagavathy Temple

Edakkunni Sri Durga Bhagavathy Temple is one of the 108 Durga temples believed to have been built by the great sage Parasurama.[4] The devi in Edakkunni Sri Durga Bhagavathy Temple is Vaishnava. The temple don't have upadevas inside the temple walls. The temple is an important participant in the Arattupuzha Pooram. Edakkunni Uthram Vilakku is the festival celebrated at Edakkunni Temple.

St. Anthony's Forane Church

St. Anthony's Forane Church is situated in Ollur. The church and parish played important roles in the beginning and growth of the Trichur Diocese. Of the four counsellors of Msgr. Dr. A. E. Medlycott the first vicar apostolic one was the vicar of the Ollur church, and another an Ollurian Fr. Marcellinos Erinjery who was also the first vicar of the cathedral church of Lourdes.Feast of Saint Raphael, Ollur, the Archangel, is the most important festival of Ollur church falling on October 23 and 24 of each year.[5] People from distant places areas come here for the festival. The Ollur church, as all old places of worship in Kerala, is situated on top of a hillock, and there are numerous ring roads around this typically Kerala architecture style Devalaya, replete with woodwork, murals and colourful tiles.[6][7][8]

Tomb of Euphrasia Eluvathingal

C.M.C. Euphrasia Eluvathingal's tomb and the convent is located in Ollur. There is a small museum inside the convent where her belongings are displayed.[9][10][11]

Business

A Chimney of tile factory seen in Ollur town

Ollur lies in the central part of Kerala and has financial institutions, industries and a railway station around it. Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala, an ayurvedic pharmaceutical company, is situated in Ollur. It is managed by Thaikkattusseri Eledathu Thaikkattu family, one among the Ashtavaidya families of Kerala. Oushadhi, another ayurvedic medicine manufacturing company is also situated in Ollur. It is directly controlled by Health and Family Welfare Department of Kerala Government. Catholic Syrian Bank has a staff training college in Ollur for its staff.

Tile factories

Ollur houses around 20 tile factories. These units cater mainly to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In the pre-independence period, tiles were exported from Ollur railway station to different parts of the country by rail network.[12]

Timber and wooden packing boxes

Ollur fish and vegetable market seen from municipal building

Ollur has timber and wooden packing boxes, around 300 units of wooden packing boxes units. Before India’s independence, the British used to source sleepers and wooden platforms for railways from Ollur. During the First World War, wooden packing cases were built in Ollur for military purposes also. The business grew and now, the wooden packing cases of Ollur reach all parts of India and are even used for export. The boxes are made from rubber wood, which is taken on auction from different parts of Kerala. Another main business which goes with wooden packing case is the timber industry which is highly concentrated in Ollur. There are many saw mills also in Ollur.[13][14]

Rolled gold ornaments

Ollur manufactures rolled gold ornaments sold in all over India. The rolled gold industry employee around 6,000 people and is 200 years old. The ornaments are made with designs imported from Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and other parts of India. Rolled gold jewelries are also exported to Middle East countries which have a large Indian diaspora. Rolled gold is a very thin sheet of gold that is laminated to a lesser metal (usually brass). The two layers of metal are heated under pressure to fuse them together. The sheet is them rolled into a very thin sheet and then used to make jewelry or other objects.

Restaurants and Bars

Banks

Transportation

Ollur is well connected to other cities in Kerala by both rail and road. It is located 50 km from the new Cochin International Airport and 85 km from the Kozhikode International Airport. Ollur lies on NH 47. Both KSRTC and private bus services connect Ollur to Thrissur, Amballur, Kodakara, Cherpu, Irinjalakuda and Chalakkudy, Angamaly and Ernakulam. It is well-connected to nearby cities and towns like Kochi, Kozhikode and Palakkad.

Ollur Railway Station

Main article: Ollur Railway Station
Front side of the Ollur Railway Station in Ollur town

Ollur Railway Station traces its history to 1902, when Shoranur-Cochin Railway line was built during the rule of Sir Sri Rama Varma of Cochin Royal family. Now, this railway line in the Central part of Kerala is considered as one of the busiest railway route in Kerala and handles very high traffic intensity including passenger and goods. Ollur railway station falls between Thrissur Railway Station and Pudukad railway station in Shoranur-Cochin Harbour section electrified Railway double line.

Only eight trains stops at Ollur railway station. They are Guruvayoor - Ernakulam Passenger, Ernakulam - Guruvayoor Passenger, Shoranur - Ernakulam Passenger and Ernakulam - Shoranur Passenger. Shoranur-Cochin Passenger runs between Cochin Harbour Terminus Railway Station and Shoranur Junction Railway Station. The train operates daily except on Sundays and covers a distance of 113 km. Second class seating coaches are available. Guruvayoor - Ernakulam Passenger runs between Ernakulam Junction Railway Station and Guruvayoor Railway Station.

Politics

Ollur Assembly Constituency is part of Thrissur (Lok Sabha constituency). The present MLA of Ollur is M.P Vincent.

Controversies

The 2015 film Spotlight, which depicted the exposé of the Catholic Church sexual abuse cases by The Boston Globe in 2002, mentioned Ollur as one of the places where abuse(s) have taken place under the Church.[15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Home". Ollur.com. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  2. ↑ "About the Parish". St. Antony's Forane Church, Ollur. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  3. ↑ "Home". Ollur.com. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  4. ↑ "About Temple". Edakkunni Sri Durga Temple. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  5. ↑ "Home". St. Anthony's Forane Church Parish. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  6. ↑ "Ollur church festival begins today". The Hindu. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  7. ↑ Great Church of Ollur and the Angel Raphael - A Photo Feature Prof.George Menachery/ retrieved May 18 2014
  8. ↑ You Tube Ollur Church https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6VKHPWhPyw
  9. ↑ "Sister Euphrasia Eluvathingal, the "mother who prays," is Saint". EINEWS. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
  10. ↑ "Faithful Packing their Bags for Canonisation". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
  11. ↑ "Blessed Mother Euphrasia". CMC Sisters. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
  12. ↑ "LDF hopes rice scheme will work in its favour in Ollur". The Hindu. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  13. ↑ "Packing boxes with a 200-year tradition". The Hindu. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  14. ↑ http://www.indianchristianity.com. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ "Spotlight shows clergy abuse in Ollur". Deccan Chronicle. March 22, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
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