 During the rule of the Thekkumkur kings, Manikandapuram was a very flourishing town.There is evidence that the fort and the tunnels were at Manikandapuram, as were the later headquarters of the Thekkumkur monarchy at Changanassery and Thaliyanthanapuram (Kottayam).As part of the growth of the market hubs in "idanadu" (medieval places), it was an intellectual move to have good interventions in the kingdom, the capital shifted to Puzhavathu in Changanassery at the beginning of 15th century.