St. George Forane Church, Edathua is the major pilgrim center of the area. The Feast of St. George is a major festival here. People from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and elsewhere attend the feast.
Geography
Edathua is in the Kuttanad region. It lies below sea level: agricultural land (rice farms) in this region are separated from big and small rivers by high mud levees (bunds called Puravaramp). Farmers and agricultural workers build their dwellings on reclaimed land by expanding upon these levees around these paddy fields known as padam. These levees are also often planted with coconut trees, a major commercial crop in the region. The area attracts a lot of foreign tourists.
Attraction
Situated on the banks of a branch of the Pamba river, the massive shrine St. George Forane Church, Edathua, 23 kilometres (14 mi) south-east of Alappuzha and 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south-west of Thiruvalla and built more than 200 years ago resembles the churches of medieval Europe.
The very ancient St. Marys Church, Niranam, believed to have been originally established by Thomas the Apostle, the disciple of Jesus Christ, in the 1st century AD, is 9 km south-east of Edathua.
There are a number of ancient Hindu temples with interesting legends and history in the surrounding villages of Edathua such as Changankary, Pandankary, Mithrakkary, Kozhimukk, Thalavady and Veeyapuram.
The Mannarasala Temple, believed to be more than 3000 years old, is just a few kilometres south of Edathua.
It is said that Edathua got its name because in ancient times it was a "resting spot" (edathavalam), for the king's men and traders traveling by river.
Festivals
The annual feast of the St. George Forane Catholic church starts on 27 April with the hoisting of the flag and concludes on 7 May.
During the feast, the statue of St. George, decked in gold regalia, is carried out and placed on the dais at the center of the church.
Devotees from other states are the main contributors to this Church feast. The feast, known as "Edathua Perunnal", helped Edathua to develop as one of the most important commercial centers in Kuttanad region. During the feast family members from outside Edathua, especially from the southern Kollam, Trivandrum side of Kerala and Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu, come and visit their relatives. During the 10-day feast, many devotees stay and cook food in the church premises and take part in ritual bathing in the river in front of the church. The church is colorfully illuminated, and there is a fireworks display. Apart from Edathua Church, Arthunkal Church and Thumboly Church are the major Christian churches of Alappuzha district where the festival and pilgrimage are held.
Varghese Augustine Punchaichira, the first elected Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the then Thakazhy constituency after India's independence, was from Edathua. He defeated his friend and now famous novelist Thakazhy Shivashankarappilla in the election.
Edathua is the hometown of K. N. P. Kurup, who was also its panchayat president.
Edathua is the home town of the international swimmer Arjuna award winner Sebastian Xavier of Manammal family. It is also the home of Mathews Mar Theodosius, the Metropolitan of Idukki Diocese. Malankara Orthodox Church belongs to Kannammalil family Pandankary .
'Keralaassisi' Puthenparampil Thommachen, the founder of the Franciscan Third order in Kerala, is also from Edathua.
