Detailed History

The word Vattavayalil is derived from the Malayalam words 'Vattam' which means round and 'Vayal' which means field. Thus our family name translates to 'round-field'. The name derived from the circular plot of land settled by the founders of the Vattavayalil family in the early 1800s. 

Let us travel back in time, all the way back to AD 52 when the Apostle St Thomas visited South India. Also known as 'Doubting Thomas' (because he doubted Jesus' resurrection), St Thomas is the patron saint of India. He was martyred in AD 72, near Mylapore. However, during these 20 years of missionary work in the Indo-Chinese regions, St Thomas was able to conquer the language divide, preach and influence some of the prominent families and local chieftains in present-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is to this group of early Nasranis (people who believe in Jesus of Nazareth) that the Valiyaveettil Family and the present day Vattavayalil Family trace their lineage to. These families settled around Nilakkal, Aruvithara and later in Palai. The establishment of the Vattavayalil family can be traced to the time when Ouseph Valiyaveettil moved from Aruvithara to Edamattom and married a girl (Anna) from the Kuruvinakunnel family. They settled down in the circular plot of land and constructed the traditional wooden house which still stands to this day.

Starting from around the time St Thomas landed in Kerala, until the time of Indian independence in 1947, Kerala was ruled by feuding dynasties like the Cheras, Kalabhras, Cholas, Pandyas, Chera Perumals and finally the Kingdom of Travancore. In spite of the constant political upheavals, the region of Kerala saw strong maritime trade links with the Middle East, China and other trading ports in India. There were many important reasons for this trade: 1) Favorable monsoon winds which helped sail ships travel quickly from the Gulf countries to Kerala 2) The presence of exotic spices in the mountainous regions of the Western Ghats 3) The many rivers flowing from the Western Ghats to the sea which made movement of goods easy (think Meenachil river in Palai) This maritime trade was very important to the fortunes of the early Catholic families around Kottayam; especially for a family like Vattavayalil. Most of the rice, spices, timber and later the rubber cultivated in our 'Round-Field' was quickly loaded on small house-boats at Edamattom, transported down the Meenachil River, loaded on larger sailing ships waiting at the Cochin Port and found its way to Europe, Middle East, China and other far-away places across the globe. This trade helped the Vattavayalil family and other Syro Malabar Catholic families in and around Palai to prosper. The Vattavayalil family was also popular as a family that helped the laborers working the fields and treated them with dignity and respect. Agriculture was the main occupation of several generations of the Vattavayalil family. In pursuit of setting up large plantations they migrated to different parts of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in Idukki (central Kerala), Malabar (north Kerala) and erstwhile Mysore state (South Karnataka). This is testament to the daring, grit, ambition and entrepreneurial skills that have carried forward to this day.
The early members of the family recognized the importance of modern education and the benefits associated with professional skills. Thus the newer generation has given greater importance to professional education and have excelled in that field. The earliest recorded evidence of an established professional in the family is when Advocate Joseph Vattavayalil established his law firm in the 1930s from the ancestral house in Edamattom. The Vattavayalil family has then produced IAS and IPS officers who have occupied the highest position in Government, Managing Directors of public limited companies, Senior Executives in public and private sector etc. The new generation of businessmen, engineers and doctors have set sail to various continents across the world and occupy high positions in Information Technology, Healthcare and various fields of business. All along, the agricultural roots of the family have been sustained (sometimes out of the pure satisfaction that it brings) and family members still own plantations. The current generation stands proudly on the shoulders of these pioneering ancestors, who have helped to shape our lives today. The Vattavayalil family has been lucky to always look inwards for stories of inspiration.