->Rodw: Disambiguating links to Saint Thomas (link changed to Thomas the Apostle) using DisamAssist.

2021-01-29T17:15:08Z

Disambiguating links to Saint Thomas (link changed to Thomas the Apostle) using DisamAssist.

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{One source|date=October 2013}}[[File:Church at the bottom as seen from Kanakamal hill.jpg|thumbnail|Church at the bottom as seen from Kanakamala hill]]
[[File:Pilgrims_starting_to_climb_Kanakamala.jpg|thumb|right|Pilgrims at 1st station of cross, start point to climb the hilltop shrine]]
'''Kanakamala''' is a village near [[Chalakudy]] town, [[Thrissur district]], [[Kerala]], India, which bears the same name as a hill in the area. It is located 3000 feet above the sea level. There are regular bus services from nearby towns, Chalakudy and [[Kodakara]], to this village. The hill is on the western side of the [[Western Ghats|Ghats]] (sahyadri).

There is a primary aided school which was established in 1940. It includes a government [[homeopathy]] hospital established in 1980's and was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of Kerala. It has a post office pinned 680689.

There is an adoration convent, as well as an [[Ashram]] of Akasaparavakal which is a charitable institution aimed at treating [[Orphan|orphans]].

There is a [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] church in Kanamala, established in 1943 and dedicated to [[Anthony of Padua|St Anthony of Padua]].<ref name=diocese>{{cite web|url=http://www.irinjalakudadiocese.com/parishes_details.php?chrch_id=42|title=St Anthony's Church, Kanakamala|publisher=Diocese of Irinjalakuda|accessdate=14 October 2013}}</ref> It is a place of pilgrimage during the holy week, particularly on [[Good Friday]]. Many pilgrims used to climb the hill as an act of prayer and offering. Most of the hill is covered with forest. Pilgrimage to the hill which has been patronized to [[Thomas the Apostle|St. Thomas]] the apostle of [[Jesus]] came to India in AD 52 was started in 1940 following an insight and vision happened in dream to Rev. Fr. Anthappan Valiyaveettil, the then-[[vicar]] of St. Antony's Church, [[Perambra]]. He started the pilgrimage to the hill as he thought that it was the place that he had seen in his dream, and believed that it had significant spiritual importance, since St. Thomas would have gone through the hill as it is the nearest hill to [[Azhikode and Azhikkal|Azhikode]] where the apostle was banked off the ship and praying at hills was a characteristic of Jesus and his disciples. 2014 marked 75 years of pilgrimage (the platinum jubilee.)

{{As of|October 2013}} the diocesan website states that the population of the parish of Kanamala is 2250.<ref name=diocese />
[[File:Pilgrims_climbing_Kanakamala.jpg|thumb|right|Pilgrims climbing the hill to reach the shrine]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Kanakamala}}

{{coord missing|Kerala}}

[[Category:Geography of Thrissur district]]

{{Thrissur-geo-stub}}

Kanakamala - Revision history

->Rodw: Disambiguating links to Saint Thomas (link changed to Thomas the Apostle) using DisamAssist.