In my continued search,for the traces of the three clans of Passaiyoor, the account, I have on hand, is that of the Vadaliyar clan. While I present what I have on hand, I request my fellow passurians to submit any information you may have about your ancestors, and especially the Kuttiyar and Maatham Valavar clans, so that I can have this page updated. By doing so you and I will have gathered all passurians under one umbrella through this website Thank you.
Year: 1749 - Place: Nallur - Around 70 Saivaites get converted and baptized by Rev Fr. Leonard Roberia. Some of these coverted people move to Passaiyoor. Later another group of Saivaites were converted by Rev Fr. Gananapirakasar and brought from Mattuvil, Navatkuzhi, Chavakar Ceri (Chavakacheri) and surroundings.
Name :Santhirakulothunga Kanthappu Sattambiar. His brother Sinnathamby Pandithar and pandithar's wife, Alagaledchumy
Nallur Sinnathamby Pandithar's son Paavilupillai and his son Murugavel Vaithiyar - Migration to Passur -
1810 Passur - Murugavel Vaithiyar's son, Swampillai Pulavar - His Seven Children, Simion Pandithar,(his spouse; the daughter of Muthuthamby Adappanar) Clement, Raasenthira Pandithar, and four others whose names are not known.
1918 Passur - Thiyagarasa - and siblings, four of them in total
In addition to the above list, I was able to get the list of the well known VADALIYAR CLAN of Passur
The Vadaliyar Clans origin is believed be between 1845 and 1850. Three siblings respectively, LEDCHUMY, SINNATHAMBY VADALIYAR, and ANNALEDCHUMY have been instrumental in the growth of todays passur.
Unknown Passur - The Vadaliyar clan
The Vadaliyar clan is said to have populated most of passur. This clan originates with three siblings namely, Ledchumy,Sinnathamby Vadaliyar and Annaledchumy. The following are the names of the children of these three siblings and their decendants;
Ledchumy had seven children Sinnathamby Vadaliyar had five children and Annaledchumy had three children.
This article may benefit the people who are interested in finding thier roots in Paasur
The Writer:
The writer, Jenarick Seyon is a member of the Vadaliar clan was relocated from Mannithalai to Paasur (Passaiyoor) in the year 1565 by the Portuguese Missionaries to serve them, in their travel within the Jaffna Lagoon by Catamaraan (Kattu-maram) without paying any compensation for their services.
European Arrival :
The fishermen who lived in the Kalladi to Poonakarie Peninsula were the first group of people who were converted to Roman Catholicism by the Prtuguese Missionaries, shortly after they landed in Mannar in 1505 and invaded Jaffna Kingdom in 1560. It was during this time, The Vadaliar who were living in "Kalladi to Poonakarie" peninsula became Christians.
The Portuguese soildiers and missionaries began to use the "Katai Aalhar"(Karai Aalar) clan called "Vadaliyar", for their travelling needs in the lagoon without any compensation. In 1565, some of these Vadaliar were permitted to settle at the west end of Paasur.
Saint Anthony's and Chanthiomyo'r (St.Thomas) churches were built at Paasur and Kilaaly respectively in 1620 by Portuguese Missionaries. It was in the year of 1628 The "Verti Maatha" statue was relocated from Jaffna Fort to "Karaiur"(Present Kurunagar) and renamed as "Puthumai Maatha" kovil.
During CHANKILIAN's reign Aariya Traders lived in Paasur. They changed the name to PASSAIYOOR, a word coined by mixing Thamilzh and Sanskrit called "Manipitavaalam" (Pearl and Coral). They built big houses and called Paachur, "Pitapukkalh Maalikai". (Paasur Piapukkal Maalikai) After Chankili 1 gave Paasur to Portuguese by agreement The Aariyan Traders left Paasur. People were brought into Paasur by Rev. Fr. Lenord Roberio 1794-1798; who, at that time was serving at the St.Mary's Church, Jaffna. And Rev. Fr. Victor De Landes 1907-1918, at that time was serving as the Parish Priest at St. Antony's Church at Paasur, permitted the new converts to live in the houses built by the "Aariyan Traders".
During The Dutch rulers period the Catholic Churches were destroyed. The statue of Saint Anthony and the Statue of Puthumai Maatha were sent to Goa and Rome respectively for safe keeping. The bigger statue of Saint Anthony which decorates the center of the alter was given as a gift to Paachur (Passaiyoor) in 1948, when the Church was renovated. The small statue in the "Koodu" was found in the pond in the, north of the Church. The present statue is made of "manchamanna" wood and placed in the "koodu" for worship. The Paasur people remained strong in their faith all the time.
In those days, the fishermen travelled in Catermaraan (Kaddu-Maram) to catch fish. It was not much later they began to use the boats hewed out of a single tree from "Koddata Katai",( Koddara Karai) Kerala. These boats were traded by Muslims, a clan of fishermen called "Mata-kaayar"(Marakaayar) in Kerala. Some of these sail boats were upto twenty feet in length, used in fishing and transporting various goods.
In 1846, The British gave titles to the settlers and the Vadaliar inturn were able to give titles to their future generations. * When I was an Alter boy during Rev. Fr. Antony Theodore Wassenberg as Parish Priest, I wittenessed The Babtismal Record Book dating back to 1750.
The few names known to the writer are "ANTHO", his son "JAKKO" and his son-in-law "MUNDO". The dates of birth is not known to the writer. "ANTHO" divided the land between the children, giving the rectangular parcel to the daughter (shaded in orange colour),{ insert Map} leaving the bigger parcel of land to the son "JAKKO". "MUNDO" and wife had two children, son CHELLAKUDDY and daughter CHELLAMMAH. "JAKKO" inherited larger share of land as he had five children. Their names were KUTUSAAR (1866-1967), MARIAKANNI, RAASAKANNI, THAEVAKANNI and PITAKAASI (Pirakasi). PITAKAASY was married to CHINNAPPAR, an Ayurvedic Vaithiyar from Trincomalee. They lived in the house next to the Villa built by Portuguese soldiers, and served the medical needs of the community.
Fr. Leonard Roberio, Fr. Victor Des Landes and Fr. S. Nganaprakaasar brought newly converted Christians fron Nallur, Madduville, Naavartkulzhi and many other places from Jaffna and all over Ceylon. At the same time they did the Social Engineering of keeping the men in Paasur for fishing and marrying off the women into other Parishes. Three men from Vadaliar clan took wives from outside of Paasur and their widowed wives Elaiyapillai, Thankammah and Chinikutty lived in Vadaliar's homestead, from the late 1800's.
During the Dutch period they needed wealth to establish The Protestant Churches. The fishermen were taxed 25% of their daily catch, instead of the 10% of their catch by the Roman Catholic Church.
Aariyan Lords only were living at Passaiyoor until Chankiliyan lost to Portuguese. Then, Passaiyoor was known as "Pirapukal Maalkikai", the Palaces of the Lords. After the defeat of Chankilian, Some of the Vadaliyar were allowed to move to Passaiyoor to perform their civic duty of transporting the government officials from Columputhurai to Kaladi, Kilaaly and Pullaaveli where there was a St. Sebastian Church. The people from Karaiyoor (now called Kutu Nakar){Kurunagar} took active role at this Church. The reason for this name change for the village is, that the people of Karaiyoor are from the "KUTUKULA VAMSAM". (Kurukula Vamsam)
The Vadaliar continuously lived at Paasur from 1565, until the newly converts brought in by the Jaffna Diocese in 1881.
Additional update from the writer:
The Naming of Passur
The word Paachur made of two "Otu Achai Pathankalh" (ஓர் அசைப் பதங்கள் ) Paa and Chu, together with one "Itu Achai Patham" (ஈர் அசைப் பதம்) Ur. பா + சு + ஊர் = பாசூர், (ச் + ஊ = சூ). The word Paa means; Poem,Song, Shade and Beauty. The word Chu means; Good, Beneficial, Healthy and Comfortable. The earlier Thamilzh scholars thought carefully in coining this name for this coastal village.
This port was called Paachur in the Tenth Century by The Cho'lar; bounded at east by O'da-katai (odaikkarai) and at west by Alai Vaai Katai,(Alaivaai Karai) in Alzhakan Kudi Ituppu. (Azhakan Kudiyiruppu) It was deeded to the Portuguese by Chankilian in 1565 to build the Naval Post to patrol Jaffna Lagoon.
During Aariyan ruling of Jaffna, Bharamins from Malayaalam lived at Paachur and they called it "Pitapukalh Maalhikai".(Pirapukkal Maalikai) They tried to create an off spring from Thamilzh Language naming it "MaNi-Pravalam", (மணிபிரவளம்) saying it "corals and pearls". It was at this time the name Paachur was changed to Passiyoor, adding the Sanskrit "S" sound which does not exist in the Thamilzh Language. They even attempted to add Sanskrit letters into Thamilzh alphabet.
All their efforts of creating "MaNIPravalam" died a terrible death; when Rev. Fr. Constantine Joseph Beschi, also known as Veeta Ma Munivar, (Veera Ma Munivar) introduced a dot on consonants and called them "kutelzhuthukalh". (குற்றெழுத்துக்கள்)But the "MaNipravalam" name "Passaiyoor" remained alive to this day.
The continuous flow of variety of fish enter at the mouth of the lagoon between Kalladi and Mandai-Theevu. The shoreline of Paachur was clean, beautiful, and free from dead sea vegetations, silt, and mud. The four winds such as Cho'lakam, Vaadai, Kachchaan. Ko'ndal keep washing the shoreline year around, not allowing anything to deposit remain along the shoreline.
The fishermen of the community built culverts in the break-waters at both sides; east and west to allow the water pass freely. This allow carrying water weeds, silt, and mud. More importantly allow the fish stock also reach other locations in the lagoon. As a result of this, the shore remains smelling fresh air and free of foul odor.