KOCHI: Thevara is a lakeside area located southwest of the Kochi mainland, close to the Cochin Shipyard. Though the place doesn’t need much of an introduction to Kocchiites, questions on its nomenclature leave many stumped.
The first plausible theory comes from P J Mathew, 62, whose family, ‘Manat Polaparambil’, has been residing in Thevara for several decades. “The name ‘Thevara’ comes from dhe varambu, a reference to the muddy pathways between farming lands. The area appears like a varambu,” he says.
“This was an island, known for pokkali krishi (rice cultivation). Parukutty Nethyar Amma, the consort of Cochin maharaja Rama Varma XVI, had given her land here on lease to the people for farming. Later, she had to give away the land to the farmers. The farmers used to refer to the place as dhe varambu, and this later evolved into Thevara.”
However, P Prakash, president of Changampuzha Samskarika Kendram, offers more perspectives. “Thevara appears like a thin strip. People used to call it ‘nere vara’ (straight line). This could have become Thevara,” he says.
Another possibility, Prakash says, is that the name came from the word thevaram. “There were many Namboothiri manas in the area, where the Brahmins used to worship (thevaram — a dreviate of daivakaryam) in the evenings. The place where thevaram was held could have become Thevara,” he explains.
The third theory traces back to the time when the Ernakulam town region was known as Anjikaimal Desham. “The northern end or ‘Vadakkethala’ of the region came to be known as Vaduthala. The southern end, Thekkethala, became Thevara,” says Prakash.
Former Kochi mayor K J Sohan backs the thevaram theory. “The name came as the Namboothiris in the locality used to conduct pooja (thevaram) regularly,” he says. He adds that Thevara got road connectivity only after maharaja Rama Varma built a bungalow here.
Well, there are more theories. One is that Thevara was once described as the ‘Land of Thevar’. Thevar means God and is used to refer to Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna in Kerala. However, there is little proof to back this take.
Another link is to the Dheevara fishing community which had settled in Thevara. “Yes, the community still exists in Thevara. But I have not come across any such reference in history books,” says Sohan, who is the state convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.
What’s in a name
Weekly column on the history of place names. Got any suggestions? Write to cityexpresskoc@newindianexpress.com