Chavara Kuriakose Elias: Leaders of Kerala Renaissance

Jan 2021|๐ŸŸขCurrent|4 min read|21 entries

Key Takeaway

Saint Chavara Kuriakos Elias was a great social reformer, educator, publisher, and visionary.

Last verified: 12 Feb 2026ยทSource: www.pscarivukal.com

Chavara Kuriakose Elias: Leaders of Kerala Renaissance(12)

Basic FactsBirth
February 10, 1805, Kainakary, Alappuzha
Family
Parents โ€“ Iko(Kuriakose)Chavara & Mariam Thoppil
Nicknames
Father of literacy in Kerala, Daivadasan,เดšเดพเดตเดฑเดฏเดšเตเดšเตป
Founder
First Catholic Sanskrit School, Mannanam(1846).CMI Church(Carmelites of Mary Immaculate)in 1831
EstablishedFirst Printing Press in Kerala without foreign support
Mannanam(Kottayam)
Status of Venerable
1984(by Pope John Paul II)
Beatified on(เดตเดพเดดเตเดคเตเดคเดชเตเดชเต†เดŸเตเดŸ)
February 8, 1986(by Pope John Paul II)
Canonized in(เดตเดฟเดถเตเดฆเตเดงเดจเดพเดฏเดฟ)
November 23, 2014(by Pope Francis, St Peters Square)
Commemorative feast
January 3
Death
January 3,1871
Tomb
Mannanam
Books
Atmanutapam(เด†เดคเตเดฎเดพเดจเตเดคเดพเดชเด‚),Nalagamagal(เดจเดพเดณเดพเด—เดฎเด™เตเด™เตพ;Autobiography),Marana Parvam(เดฎเดฐเดฃเดชเตผเดตเตเดตเด‚),Dhyanasallapangal(เดงเตเดฏเดพเดจเดธเดฒเตเดฒเดพเดชเด™เตเด™เตพ),Oru Nalla Appante Chavarukal(เด’เดฐเต เดจเดฒเตเดฒ เด…เดชเตเดชเดจเตเดฑเต† เดšเดพเดตเดฐเตเตพ),Anathasyayudae Rakthasakshyam (เด…เดจเดธเตเดคเดพเดธเตเดฏเดฏเตเดŸเต† เดฐเด•เตเดคเดธเดพเด•เตเดทเตเดฏเด‚;ย เดตเดžเตเดšเดฟเดชเตเดชเดพเดŸเตเดŸเตย ย โ€“ เดจเดคเต‹เดจเตเดจเดค เดตเตƒเดคเตเดคเด‚),Syro Malabar Sabhayude Calendar(เดธเต€เดฑเต‹ เดฎเดฒเดฌเดพเตผ เดธเดญเดฏเตเดŸเต† เด•เดฒเดฃเตเดŸเตผ)

Priesthood

He joined the seminary in the year 1818 in Pallipuram under the rectorship of Father Thoma Palackal.

He was ordained on November 29, 1829, at Arthunkal and presided over the Holy Qurbana(Eucharist)for the first time at Chennamkary Parish Church in Alappuzha.

He along with the co-founders Palakkal Thomas Mappila(เดชเดพเดฒเด•เตเด•เตฝ เดคเต‹เดฎเดธเต เดฎเดพเดชเตเดชเดฟเดณ)& Porukara Thomas Kathanar(เดชเตŠเดฑเตเด•เดฐ เดคเต‹เดฎเดธเต เด•เดคเตเดคเดจเดพเตผ)founded theCarmelite of Mary Immaculate(CMI)on May 11, 1831,for men and in collaboration with Father Leopold Beccaro, founded theSisters of Congregation of the Mother of Carmel(CMC), in 1866for women.

CMI & CMC were the first native religious congregation for men and women in India.

First monastery of CMI congregation in India โ€“CMI(Mannanam, 1831).

He became thefirst Vicar General for the Syro- Malabar Catholic Church in 1861.

Efforts in the field of Education

Father of literacy in Kerala.Founder of the first Catholic Sanskrit School in Kerala(1846).A teacher from Thrissur warrier community was brought to teach children Sanskrit.First to introduce the system called โ€œA school along with every churchโ€(1864)which was successful in making free education available for everyone. Thus schools in Kerala are also called โ€˜pallikudamโ€™(โ€˜Palliโ€™ means church).Founded schools for all weaker sections of the system regardless of caste.He built a school near Arpookaraย village of Kottayam for the lower caste people.Also responsible for introducing lunch in schools, a practice later adopted by the Rulers of Travancore.

Pidiyari System(2)

Name
St. Joseph Press
The first book published from Mannanam printing press established by Chavara Kuriakose Elias
Jnanapeeyusham(เดœเตเดžเดพเดจ เดชเต€เดฏเต‚เดทเด‚)

Museums

Chavara National Museum, Vazhakulam.Chavara Museum and Art Gallery, AlappuzhaSt. Chavara Kuriakose Elias Museum, Koonammavu.St. Chavara Museum, Archives and Research Centre, Mannanam.

Works on Saint Chavara Kuriakose Elias(4)

Akashadeepangal Sakshi
John Antony.A Pearl Truly Indian(A Brief Biography on Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara)โ€“ F.R
Chavara Achan: Oru Rekha Cithram
K.C. Chacko
Blessed Chavara: The Star of the East(Biography)
Fr.ย Z.M. Moozhur
Jeevitham Thanne Sandesham: Vishudha Chavarayuda Jeevitham(Biography)
M.K. Sanu

๐Ÿ“SideNotes(3)

Father of Printing
Johannes Gutenberg
First To Establish Printing Press in India
Father Gasper Caleza
The former name of Deepika Newspaper
Nasrani Deepika(เดจเดธเตเดฐเดพเดฃเดฟ เดฆเต€เดชเดฟเด•)