Mannanam is located in Kottayam district, famous for its rich history, and especially for its religious significance. It is a beautiful place, filled with greenery and backwaters, which many visitors come to see. Kottayam’s District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) provides an enchanting boat journey through the Pennar Canal to the picturesque backwaters of Alappuzha and Ernakulam.

Excluding this, Mannanam was where the first daily newspaper in Kerala, Deepika, started in 1887; and the first printing press in the state, the CMS Press, was also made here by Rev. Benjamin Bailey in 1846. St Joseph’s Church, which is also known as Mannanam Palli, has history dating back to the 19th century and boasts beautiful architecture and scenery.

St. Chavara Kuriakose Elias
Mannanam is a famous religious site of Kerala primarily due to the fact that it was there that the first house of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, the C.M.I Congregation, had its foundation stone laid on the 11th of May, 1831, by Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who was the congregation’s founding father. The first Catholic Sanskrit School was also built in Mannanam in 1846, by the St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, who spearheaded social change, even in the school. St. Kuriakose also built St. Joseph’s Monastery, inside which the saint’s remains are preserved. He also established St. Joseph’s College, one of the oldest institutions of Kerala. Thousands of Christians come to worship every day. The Chavara Bhavan is the home of the saint’s family, and is now converted into a museum dedicated to him, displaying artefacts, documents, and personal belongings from his life. 

Monuments of Mannanam
The St. George Orthodox Church is located on the banks of the Kodoor river, and along with the Kottayam Cheriapally has some beautiful murals. They are done in the traditional Malayali technique of using vegetable dyes as paint, and the Kottayam Cheriapally was restored recently. It has a relic of St. Mary’s, and has a ceiling with 99 painted tiles. The Vaikom Sree Mahadeva Temple has unique architecture, and its Vaikom Ashtami festival is very famous. The Thazhathangadi Juma Masjid is one of the oldest masjids in Kerala, almost a millennium old, and distinguished for its traditional architecture.

The best time to visit Mannanam is during the winter months (November to February), when the weather in Kottayam is pleasant.