Akapparambu is one of the early settlement village of Saint Thomas Christians, who migrated from Kodungallur and Aranattukara in the 9th century and they engaged mainly in agriculture and various trades. In ancient times Akapparambu was a well known place for learning the South Indian martial art called Kalarippayattu, Astrology and Ayurveda treatment, and people from different places had visited here for learning these ancient sasthras. Many of the migrated Saint Thomas christians learnt the martial art from Akapparambu. A Saint Thomas christian named Mathoo Chakkarayakathoottu who was a kalari acrobat trained from Akapparambu became the Akambady Nayakan of Alangadu King in 16th Century.
Economy
In the past, people of Akaparambu worked on the land. These region had vast paddy fields and people here were engaged in rice cultivation. Now many of the people work at the airport, which is less than 1 km away. From being quiet rural location about 15 years ago, before the airport was proposed, land has become hot property in this region. Akaparambu and other communities in the area such as Nayathodu, Vapalassery, Avanamkodu, Thuruthussery, Athani and Chengamanad are seeing a huge rise in the price of land. Akaparambu may find itself in the heart of a full-fledged airport city ten years from now.
Churches
Christianity has a long history in the region, coming here long before the religion reached Europe and other places. Tradition is that Saint Thomas the Apostle established the Syrian Church in AD 52.
Akaparambu Mor Sabor Mor Aphroth Church
This is one of the ancient churches of the Ankamaly diocese of the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church. In the title deed of the church and in ancient revenue and tax records the church is referred to as the Akaparambu Valiyapally. Mar Sabor and Mar Proth are said to have been two saintly men who came to Malankara to preach the Gospel with a group of Syrian Christian immigrants led by a merchant named Sapor Esho. They are said to have disembarked at Quilon in c. 822. The church at Akaparambu is believed to have been established in A.D. 825. All the Patriarchs of Antioch who visited India have visited Mor Sabor and Afroth Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Cathedral. The church is noted for its murals, which are of great antiquity. The Malankara Metropolitan bishop St.Mor Athanasius Paulose Pynadath was christened in this church. The Jacobite Bishop and educationalist Mor Gregorios Vayaliparambil Pynadath belonged to this parish church. For centuries the Church at Ankamaly and the Mor Sabor and Mor Afroth chapel at Akaparambu were a united parish and was administered by one council as is evident in the record of a general body meeting of 16-8-1069.
The Akapparambu Kalari has a kalary temple without roof and main prathishta is headed by Lord Virabhadran. The other prathishtas in the temple are Lord Ganesha, SaraswatiBhagawati, Rekteswari and Bhuvaneswari. Kalari vidya, Astrology, mantra-tandra and Ayurveda were the main profession of the members, who did have very deep knowledge inSanskrit and Ayurveda. It is difficult to recruit members of the new generation to this profession.
