The journey that started from North Paravur was aimed towards Pattanam Kavala, the spot where excavations are going on in full swing, and Kottakavu Old Church.

We learn about far flung places of historical importance from textbooks. But rarely we give importance to places that are near us.  The travel enthusiasts of ‘Let’s Go for a Camp’ are determined to  change that perception. To cater to the love for travel and history alike, the club has started a series of touring camps called Ithihasa, which completed its first leg in Muziris, Kochi, titled ‘In Search of a Lost World’.

Searching for the debris of an old port town buried deep under the earth, the team visited 16 major places of historical importance in a one-day camp that took place a few weeks ago. “Muziris is controversial. While many would undoubtedly claim that a port existed here, others chose to differ. Local people here have found materials akin to pearls shining from under the earth during rains. On close examination, they were found to have arrived from places like Egypt and Iran. Earthenware  unearthed from the spot underscore what is believed to have existed thousands of years ago,” says Geethu Mohandas of Let’s Go for a Camp.

 

The journey that started from North Paravur was aimed towards Pattanam Kavala, the spot where excavations are going on in full swing, and Kottakavu Old Church. The church situated in the heart of Paravur town in Kerala is a significant place of religious importance as one of the seven churches or Christian settlements said to have established by St Thomas, one of the apostles of Christ. It is believed that the Persian Cross, which is preserved in the chapel in front of the church, might have been engraved in rock in 880 AD.

 

The rest of the places were covered in a boat safari. Sahodaran Ayyappan Museum in Cherai,  Manjumatha Church in Pallipuram, Portuguese Fort, Azhikode Marthoma Church, Kottapuram Fort, Knanaya Thomman Church, Chavittunadakam Performance Center in Gothuruth, Kottayil Kovilakam, Chendamangalam Synagogue, Vypeekotta Seminary, Holy Cross Church, Jewish Cemetery, Paliam Kovilakam and Paliam Nalukettu were the destinations.

“It is said the entire Muziris was washed away in one huge deluge. If we dig four feet down, comes water. The writings of the period, dating 2,000 years back, may have been lost in the process,” says Geethu. 

 

Ithihasa would be complete with a visit to the historic places in the state of Karnataka comprising Hampi, Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal and Vijayapura (Bijapur). The itinerary would commence towards the end of summer.