One of the
localities in Kankanādi area in the southern part of Mangaluru city (formerly:
Mangalore) is known as Valencia. Very few of our readers may be aware of the
history relating to how the place name was derived.
In fact, the
Valencia happens to be the name of a famous metropolitan city located
in the east coast of Spain in Europe.
A website of
the Valencia Church of Mangaluru throws
light on the history of this place and the origin of the interesting place
name. The hilly area surrounded by dense vegetation was also known as Beary-palke
or Gorigudda. The old name Gorigudda
reveals that it was used for burial of the dead bodies.
In the
beginning of the 20th century, there was no church for the villagers
of Kankanādi and Jeppu region. People had to depend on Milagres
or Rosario churches for their religious needs.
The Madras Government of the period sanctioned 5.73 Acres of land in an area used
for burial ground in Beary - palke or Gorigudda in the Kankanādi
village. Accordingly, the Muncipal council
handed over the land to Bishop of Mangaluru. Initially, Rosario cathedral erected boundary
walls around the burial ground and later the Milagres parish authorities
renovated the cemetery in the year 1923 followed by erection of a wooden cross in
the premises by the Rosario
administration in the year 1928.
Later in the
year 1935, Bishop V.R. Fernandes approved the proposal for building a
church in the Beary palke cemetery
plot. He decreed that the new church be named in honour of St. Vincent Ferrar,
a European Saint, who hailed from the city of Valencia in Spain. The foundation
of the church was laid on September 24, 1942 and the construction was completed
and religious ceremonies were begun since January 1944.
The rest is part
of the history. Along with growth of the Mangaluru city, the name of the church
spread to the entire surrounding area which is now known as Valencia. Along with Valencia the old
name Gorigudda also survives even to date.
Reference
http://www.valenciachurch.org/
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