▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁built ▁by ▁St ▁Thomas ▁the ▁Apost le ▁is ▁nearby . ▁ ▁Also ▁fl anged ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁is ▁the ▁Bh ag av ath y ▁Temple . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 3 8 ▁an ▁exponent ▁of ▁mart ial ▁art ▁" Ad i ▁Mur ai " ▁ ▁named ▁Mall an ▁As an ▁of ▁A rap ur ai ▁family ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁palace ▁grounds ▁of ▁U day a ▁Mar th anda ▁Var ma ▁and ▁won ▁many ▁f ights . ▁So ▁the ▁king ▁gave ▁a ▁silver ▁ch est ▁arm our ▁and ▁a ▁sil vers word . ▁He ▁renamed ▁his ▁native ▁village ▁as ▁Vel lic ode ▁( V elli ▁means ▁Silver ▁and ▁code ▁means ▁cut lass ). ▁ ▁Major ▁family ▁group ▁Nad ar ▁Catholic ▁Family ' s , ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁known , ▁history ▁traces ▁back ▁its ▁legacy ▁to ▁ 1 0 th ▁century . ▁During ▁those ▁period ▁the ▁P and ya ▁kingdom ▁was ▁ruled ▁by ▁K oon ▁P and ian . ▁He ▁got ▁converted ▁to ▁H indu ism ▁from ▁j ain ism ▁. ▁Its ▁a ▁custom ▁in ▁H indu ism ▁to ▁give ▁a ▁girl ▁as ▁offering ▁to ▁the ▁priest ▁who ▁does ▁the ▁hom am . ▁Raj appa ▁& ▁Dev appa ▁who ▁were ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁courts ▁of ▁p and ya ▁king ▁were ▁also ▁requested ▁to ▁convert ▁into ▁H indu ism ▁and ▁give ▁there ▁sister ▁as ▁offering . ▁The ▁Brothers ▁never ▁liked ▁the ▁idea , ▁So ▁they ▁Kil led ▁there ▁sister ▁and ▁fled ▁down ▁south . ▁ ▁They ▁reached ▁the ▁place ▁called ▁Sar