Edakkad
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| Country: | India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
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| State: | Kerala Kerala or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions.... |
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| District: | Kannur Kannur Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in... |
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| Block: | Edakkad | |
Edakkad is one of the grama panchayats in Kannur District
Kannur district
Kannur District is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The town of Kannur is the district headquarters, and gives the district its name. The old name Cannanore is the anglicised form of the Malayalam name Kannur. Kannur District is bounded by Kasaragod District to the north and...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state, in southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
History
Edakkad grama panchayat of Kannur in ancient times was referred to as Madhya-adavi (in SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
Madhya means middle and Adavi means forest). Similarly Eda means middle and kadu means forest. Thus the malayalm derivative “Edakkad” is an adaptation of its original Sanskrit name. Edakkad also was historically referred to as Prashnamargapuram(town of Prashnamargam treatise in horary astrology) . This honorary name evolved due to the seminal horary astrological treatise called Prashna Margam being written by Panakkattu Namboodiri (1624-1694 AD) around 1649 A.D at the Lord Narasimha temple (Edakkadappan temple) in this panchayat. The author's first disciple, according to tradition, was a poet known as Kukaniyal, his real name was Sankaran kaniyar who belonged to the Kaniyar community who lived in his family house (Kaniyan Kandiyil) also situated in Edakkad. Kukaniyal of Edakkad is accredited to have later written another astrological treatise Prashna-Ritti.
Sree Oorpazhachi Kavu
A prominent temple in the Edakkad grama panchayat is the Sree Oorpazhachi KavuOorpazhachi Kavu
Sree Oorpazhachi Kavu is a prominent Hindu temple in the Edakkad grama panchayat, a grama panchayats in Kannur District of Kerala state in southern India.-Etymology:...
(ooril pazhakiya eachil kavu or ooril pazhakiya achi kavu). The name of this temple renders itself to two etymological interpretations. The former meaning pazhakiya (ancient) kavu (grove) surrounded by Eachil ( a herb) and the latter meaning pazhakiya (ancient) achi (mother goddess) kavu (grove) . Irrespective of what may be the more authentic interpretation for Oorpazachi Kavu, it is the presence of this temple at Edakkad that imparts historical significance to the area. One finds reference to this famous temple in the Malabar Manual by William Logan
William Logan (Malabar Manual)
William Logan was a Scottish officer of the Madras Civil Service under the British Government. Before his appointment as Collector of Malabar, he had served in the area for about twenty years in the capacity of Magistrate and Judge. He was conversant in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu...
, the British collector of Malabar.The main deity at Oorpazhachikavu is Oorpazhachi Dhaivam locally known as 'dhaivathareeswaran' who was the deified feudal Nair warrior 'Meloor' Dayarappan'. North Malabar Folklore has in its collection of traditional songs described the ferocity of Meloor Dayarappan as the' veeran'[hero] who had killed sixty four within the age of thirtysix including his teacher who beat him during teaching even when Meloor Dayarappan was a boy.The lengthy lore known as'Oorpazhachi Thottam' further narrates that Meloor Dayarappan with his dearest friend Vettakorumakan and twelve thousand friends resided at Oorpazhachi Kaav where Meloor Dayarappan ruled as a kshathriya king for twelve years over a territory extending from ancient Kannur to Wayanad.Meloor dayarappan ,Khshethrapalan,Veerabhadran,and Vettakorumakan were deified nair warriors who were friends.They occupy place among the thirtyfive important'Theyyams' known collectively as 'Muppathaivar'[The thirtyfive]in the Theyyam FolkLore of northernmost Malabar. The Folklore scholar's C M S Chanthera,Professor Vishnu namboothiri,the famous Theyyam performer Manakkadan Gurikkal has written about this Deity and on the lengthy and extensive 'OorpazhachiThottam'.according to ProfessorK .K. N .Kurupp Vice-Chancellor Calicut university 'Oorpazhachi Dhaivam' presided over 18000 sthanams[seats] in Kolathunaad alone.Dr.Sanjeevan Azhikode son of C M S Chanthera also has done extensive study of caste connotations in the Theyyam ambit and states that the title as 'The ruling warrior' was conferred on Meloor Dayarappan by the rulers of 'Nediyirippu swaroopam'known later as the Zamorins of calicut area.
Ooralar
In the pre-British era and to some extent through the British era local political and jurisdictory administrations were performed through hereditary village assemblies and temple committees called Ooralar. The term Oor means village and Ooraalan (Ooraalar, if joint partnership) means master (masters) or proprietor in these villages. The Sree Oorpazachi Kavu temple was the seat of such a socio-political body that enjoyed partial autonomy and administered the region. Nine prominent NambiarNambiar
-Communities:The name Nambiar applies to several Hindu communities from South India:-Kerala:*Nambiar - the Royal families and the subdivision within the Nair caste from the North Malabar region of Kerala....
families were Ooraalar and constituted the village and temple assembly that arbitrated local administration. They belonged to a further endogamous denomination among Nambiars called Randu Illam Vargam (As they derive their ancestry from Mullapalli Illom and Velloor Illom).
After the Land Reforms Ordinance
Land Reforms Ordinance
Due to the ancient land relations and taxation and regulation under the British Raj, at the time of independence, India inherited a semi-feudal agrarian system, with ownership of land concentrated in the hands of a few individual landlords. Since independence, there has been voluntary and state...
was enacted by Kerala State Government and the breaking of Janmi- kudiyan (feudal tenancy relationship) system Sree Oorpazhachi Kavu and the Ooralar families do not have any socio-political influence in the area. However the eldest-male from these matrilineal families still perform their role as de facto Ooralar in the Sree Oorpazhachi Kavu temple administration during ceremonial events. Like most villages in Malabar, Edakkad has also suffered extensively during the invasion of Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
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Edakkad Bathakka
Traditionally the Edakkad area was famous for its local variety / landrace of watermelonWatermelon
Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...
(Citrullus lanatus, Family Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
The plant family Cucurbitaceae consists of various squashes, melons, and gourds, including crops such as cucumber, pumpkins, luffas, and watermelons...
) referred to as Edakkad Bathakka.
Demographics
This grama panchayat has a mixed population of the Hindus (mainly Ezhavas /Thiyyas and Nambiars) and a minority Muslim population.Local information
Sathyan Edakkad; Is a Policeman of Kerala Tourism Police. He is a well known historian and an author. He has written and published three books. 1. Vasco da Gama and the Unknown Facts of History. 2. Vasco da Gamayum Charithrathile Kaanaappurangalum (Malayalam)3. Kannur; kaanaan ariyan.(Malayalam). He has got many Awards.
Apart from the Sree oorpazachi Kavu and Edakkadappan temples Sree Ganapathy temple in the west of Edakkad and Indery Ambalam near Edakkad bazaar are other popular destinations of Hindu worship. There is also an ancient mosque at Edakkad bazaar. The panchayat also has a Saliya-theruvu (weaver's street) where traditional weaving is still performed in several households to date.
Educational institutions
1. There are two primary schools at Edakkad. There are secondary schools at Kadachira and Thottada (within Edakkad Block).2. Govt. Polytechnic college is situated in Thottada. This college is under the department of technical education of Kerala and has different branches such as Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, textile and Wood technology. The Diploma is awarded by Technical education Board, Kerala.
3. The Edakkad block also has one prestigious industrial training institute under state government.
4. one of the most famous sree Balabhadra worshiped temple named sree poothrikovil temple is also positioned in the same juridictory which is the second temple in India of the same lord
Politics
Edakkad belongs to Dharmadam Assembly constituency is part of Kannur (Lok Sabha constituency)Kannur (Lok Sabha constituency)
Kannur is a Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala. Previously named as Cannanore, it was created in 1977.-Assembly segments:Kannur Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments:#Irikkur#Azhicode#Kannur#Edakkad#Kuthuparamba#Peravoor...
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External links
- Edakkad website
- KukaniyalPD Sharma Hindu Astronomy Global Vision Publishing Ho, 2004 page177