Cherai is a small coastal town in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, south India. It is about 20 km from Ernakulam. Cherai which is a part of the greater Vypin Island came into existence as a result of the great flooding of 1341. Cherai is home to a picturesque beach - Cherai beach. It is on the northern end of Vypin Island.
For a land which has a history of less than 700 years since formation, Cherai boasts of a rich cultural heritage with monuments which stand out prominent in India’s history. This land has the story of invasion by many foreign regimes. The Portuguese, Dutch and British dynasties had ruled Munambam area, marks of which remain even now. The hexagonal fort built by the Portuguese in 1503 still stands as one of the oldest European Monuments of India.
A little South of this fort, by the lakeside, the Portuguese had built a theological school called “Vypikotta Seminary”. The printing press built at this School in 1577 is claimed to be the first printing press in Kerala by some historians. In 1661, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese, as a result of which the Seminary, which was under Jesuit priests, was transferred alongwith the press to Chendamangalam. The Dutch converted the Seminary to a Leprosy centre.
In 1728, the Dutch sold Pallipuram to the King of Travancore. However, the Leprosy Centre and some adjoining buildings were excluded from this sale and continued to be with the Dutch. These properties came under British authority, eventually, when the British defeated the Dutch in 1795. Till recently, this area was known as “British”. As per the agreement between the Dutch and British, the Leprosy Centre continued to be run till 1921. Afterwards, they were handed over to missionaries to establish a Nunnery and School, which are still functioning.
Cherai has played an important role in the history of modern Kerala by becoming the birth place of two prominent political personsages of modern Kerala - Mathai Manjooran and Sahodaran Ayyappan.
