What is "alanchi"

Alanchi (or Alanchy) is a tiny village about 25 km from Nagercoil, the headquarters of Kanyakumari District, and about 45 km from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, India. The name "Alanchy" is derived from the Tamil words "Aalu" (Banyan tree) and "Anju" (Five). The whole area was owned by Alanchi Tharavad family and hence the name. There are Coastal Villages in the North-west (Midaalam) and South-west (Kurumabanai). Most of the people of Alanchy are Nadars among them 99% are Roman Catholic Christians.