Thrikkannamangal is a suburb around the city of Kottarakara in the Kollam District of Kerala, India. This town is named so because it was the direction that the Kings of old, standing in their palace, would face in the morning. The city of Kottarakara is named so because it served as a place for the kings’ “kottaram,” or palace. It has people of many faiths and political leanings. There is a strong Hindu presence as well as a strong Christian presence. The Muslim population, though significant, is not as large the Hindu or Christian.
Catalyst for Pentecostal Movement in India
One of the unique points of modern history tied to Thrikkannamangal is that it served as the launching pad for the Pentecostal movement that has now spread throughout India. The American missionary, Robert F. Cook, was received into Kottarakara by the late Kalloor Chacko, one of the patriarchs of the Kalloor family in Kottarakara. Beginning his work in Thrikkannamangal, Cook later moved to Mulakuzha and established the headquarters of the Church of God in India there. The founders of the India Pentecostal Church as well as many other Pentecostal organizations were co-workers with Cook in the early days, before going separate ways for political or doctrinal reasons. The oldest registered Pentecostal church in India is located in Thrikkannamangal.
Thrikkannamangal has its own Kathakali Museum. Kathakali is a dance form that originated in Kerala.
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