Pallipuram
Encyclopedia
Pallippuram Malayalam
: , is a small town in Palakkad District
of Kerala
, India
. Situated in the western extremity ('the western horn') of Palakkad
District, it is 9 kilometres north-west of Pattambi
, a bigger town of the district. Part of the greater Paruthur Gramapanchayat, this place stands near the confluence of Bharathapuza River (Nila
) and Tutha River (Tuthapuzha), and is bounded by these rivers to the south and west respectively. The adjacent villages to Pallippuram are Muthuthala
, Thiruvegappura
, Irimbiliyam
, Anakkara, Pattithara
, and Thrithala
.
Pallippuram is located at 10.52°N 76.02°E.
was once prevalent in Kerala. A Buddhist place of worship, the vihara
, was popularly called palli in Malayalam language and several Pallippurams emerged in the geographic dominion. The Gramapanchayat is named Parudur because of the existence of several other Pallippurams in the state. Once Pallippuram was part of the "reconstituted" Valluvanad Taluk. At another point in time before that, it was also part of Nedunganad. This was when Nedunganad was under King Zamorins of Calicut (Samoothiri). During the British colonial era, this village belonged to the Ponnani
taluk of the British Malabar District. On 1 January 1962, the Cherukudangad and Parudur amsams (an amsam is the smaller denomination of village administration) were merged to form today's Parudur Gramapanchayat.
Actually the pallppuram was the major trading center in this area. All evenings and mornings had large crowd for trading here. The railway station situated here is the major attraction. The people comes for travelling and buy materials from surrounding area like kodikkunnu, karuvanpadi, nadaparambu, pailippuram and chembulangad.
The major hills are:
Red laterite
is the most common soil type. Alluvial soil, rich in clay content, can be found on the riverbanks. The village has more than 20 major ponds/pools, rich in water supply.
from June through September and the North East Monsoon from October through November. The South West Monsoon is usually very heavy and is responsible for nearly 75% of the annual rainfall. The dry season is generally hot and humid, with temperature varying between 20°C and 30 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2800 mm.
,. The population density is high at 1,053 persons per km². Muslims comprise approximately 65 per cent of the population, and Hindus the rest. The birth rate is 246 and death rate is 5.9 per annum. 88.65% of the population is literate (males: 90.24; females: 83.38). This Gramapanchayat might be one of the few areas in Kerala where not even a single Christian is a permanent resident.
)-Mangalore
line. On the 23 September 1861, the first steam locomotive train pulled into the newly built Pallippuram railway station.
The rail link heralded the establishment of a post office in Pallippuram, and anchal (post) was hand-delivered from here to nearby places.
Near Mudappakkad still stands a weather-beaten lamp-post, believed to have been built by Perumthachan
, the mythical Malayali master carpenter and architect who is the stuff of many apocryphal legends.
The village was earlier ruled by the Zamorins of Calicut. In Palathara, the remnants of an old kovilakam (a small feudal mansion) from where the Zamorin-appointed revenue officials used to preside over village governance can still be seen. When the royals visited the Kodikkunnu temple, they were taken on a royal procession from Vedithara (near Palathara) to the temple in great pomp and style, escorted by the Panikkers (royal soldiers) of Paadathuveedu clan. The Panikkers of Karambathur Madom were the trusted officers (padanayars) of the Zamorin’s Royal Army. The trustees of Kodikkunnu and Chirankara temples are appointed by the Zamorin, even to this day. The revenue officials of Parudur amsam were the adhikaris (village officers) of Manjapra family and that of Cherukudangad was adhikaris of Kochi family. The granite pillars (athani) standing in Vedithara, Ambatparamb, Mangalam and Mudappakkad hark bark to the royal rule of yore.
Pallippuram once was part of the "reconstituted" Valluvanad Taluk. At another point in time before that, it was a part of Nedunganad. This was when Nedunganad was under Zamorins kings of Calicut.
The village has a rich history of a bell metal
(four parts copper and one part tin) manufacture which was acclaimed even outside Kerala. The metal work industry produced bell metal deities of the Hindu
iconographic pantheon. Also manufactured were temple lamps that were well known and much sought after. However, this traditional industry has almost disappeared now. The village held its weekly fair on Thursdays in Palathara that used to be the unofficial shopping festival of the entire village. The fair breathed its last in the mid-1950s.
education in Malabar. Kumarampulakal Narayanan Namboothiri ran a school at his residence dedicated to Sanskrit and Veda studies. The scholar also held numerous Sanskrit manuscripts in his private library. The pioneer in the field of modern education in the village was Chellu Ezhuthachan, who succeeded in converting the Kudippallikoodam (crude basic school, presided by a Gurunathan, the master) situated in Mangalam into an independent government-aided elementary school. He eventually went on to establish schools in Palathara, Pallippuram and Karambathur. Cutting across the caste divide, these institutions were open to all students, a revolutionary idea in Ezhuthachan's day. He even established a Muslim school in Palathara and funded the “mullah” (a teacher of Islamic theology) who ran it. Cholapparambil Achuthan Ezhuthachan and Pazhayangadi KK Ramankutty Ezhuthachan were the other noted personalities in the sphere of education in the early days.
Presently this village has many government-run/government-aided schools up to higher secondary level. They are: Parudur Higher Secondary School at Nadaparamb; GLP School at Parudur; CEUP School at Pazhayangadi; AUP School at Karambathur; GMLP School at Kariyannur; GUP School at Kodumunda; CELP School at Pallippuram; SVA LP School at Chembulangad and ALP School at Kulamukku. Besides these the village has a number of Muslim religious schools called "Madrassa".
Since 1985, the village has witnessed the establishment of a few unaided English-medium lower primary schools too.
The nearby colleges are Government Sanskrit
College at Pattambi
, MES College at Valanchery and MES College of Engineering at Kuttippuram
.
in the country had a significant impact in the village too, fortunately, sans any violence and many Muslims of the village served long terms of imprisonment in various jails throughout South India. With the suppression and the eventual demise of the Movement, the village saw the strengthening of the nationalist sentiments. The youth of Chayillath Rayikulath Tharavad (upper-caste Hindu extended family) spearheaded the fight against the British colonial rule in the village, against sheer opposition from even within the family. CR Balakrishnan Nambiar assumed leadership of the movement. His sister, CR Devaki Amma became one of the early organisers of Mahilasangam, an associate organisation of the Indian National Congress
. CR Narayanan Nambiar of this family participated in the Salt Satyagraha
in 1930, and spent a six-month term in jail. He made major forays into the literary arena as well, and his single most notable achievement was the translation of K Damodaran’s work Indiayude Athmave (The Soul of India) into English. CR Devaki Amma led a campaign against ‘Mrigabali’ (the ritual slaughter of animals) in the nearby Muthassiar Temple, leading into the eventual disbanding of the custom. She served an 18-month jail term during the Salt Satyagraha along with her brothers and continued her crusade against the British rule after her release too. Devaki Amma, who died in 1996, was married to Padmanabhan Nambiar (the elder brother of veteran Communist leader, AK Gopalan). Women’s movement also caught the imagination of the village in the early 1940s, and K Madhavi Amma was instrumental in forming the first mahilasamajam (women's club and co-operative) in the village.
C Rajagopalachari visited the village in 1932 and addressed a gathering in Kodikkunnu. His mission was to garner support of the upper caste Hindus in the upcoming referendum on admittance of lower caste Hindus into the Hindu temples of Malabar. Muhammad Abdurahiman Sahib was also in attendance. The year 1939 saw Kasturba Gandhi
and Urmila Ben come calling the village and attending a public meeting near Mudappakkad. When Congress Socialist Party
was formed in the later years of the freedom struggle as an offshoot of the Indian National Congress
, several political lights of the village, like Manjapra Appukunja Menon, joined it. This clan later founded Muhammad Abdurahiman Sahib Memorial Library in Kodikkunnu.
After India gained independence in 1947, Pallippuram continued its resistance against true-blue feudalism and casteism. Communists earned a victory in the election to the Malabar District Board in 1952. The ‘Eviction Barring Ordinance’ in 1957 by the EMS Namboodiripad-led Communist Government of Kerala
naturally invited the ire of the village's feudal landlords. Yet, anti-feudalism vibes only strengthened with the successful implementation of the ordinance.
maestro, Njaralathu Rama Poduval, Naduvilappad Shankunni Adigal and Puthan Veetil Krishnan Nair. The early 1930s saw the emergence of two theatre outfits in the village presided by Kochiyil Appu Menon and Karumathil Govinda Menon and they staged highly popular musical dramas like Bhakta Prahlada and Nalacharitam.
Prof. Vazhakkunnam
, the legendary magician, regarded as the grandfather of magic in Kerala state was from this area. His birth place is referred as Thiruvegappura as his birth place was in that region before forming the panchayat. He was well-known for his magic called Jalavidya and kankettu. Every elder from the village has at least one amazing story about Vazhakkunnam's magic and tricks. His son Thulasi Master is also a known magician.
Bharath Circus, which toured many parts of India successfully, was founded, owned and managed by KS Menon of this village.
Pallippuram has a rich legacy in the field of traditional Ayurveda
medicine. Puliyappetta Velukkuti Vaidyar, Balakrishnan Vaidyar, Mukkadakkatil Krishnan Vaidyar, Appu Vaidyar, Kodikkunnath Krishna Pisharody, Chappan Vaidyar, Kunhunni Vaidyar, Hyderkutty Mullah, etc. were the skillful Ayurvedic exponents of the village. Kunnath Veetil Narayanan Nair, LMP was the first registered allopathic practitioner.
The mid-1960s witnessed the establishment of Brothers’ Arts Club in Pallippuram which enacted theatrical plays aimed at the empowerment of the poor and the downtrodden. Poverty and the injustice instigated by the uneven distribution of agricultural land and wealth in the society were the dominant themes of these dramas.
The Muhammad Abdurahiman Sahib memorial library in Kodikkunnu was registered with Kerala Grandhasala Sangh (Kerala Library Association) in 1957. In 1968, it was rechristened Parudur Library and Recreation Centre, which still maintains a well-run library.
The first Malayali
judge in the Supreme Court of India
, Justice Parakkulangara Govinda Menon hailed from Parudur Gramapanchayat. So is the acclaimed Sanskrit scholar KP Narayana Pisharody.
Among the few who are still remembered fondly in the village are Paadathuveetil Aboobacker (the boatman of Velliyamkallu Kadavu), Govindan Velichappad of Kodikkunnu (who had the unusual legacy of possessing two ritual swords), Panangadan Chattappan (who excelled in witchcraft), Perumkollan Chattu (the chief blacksmith), Karuvan brothers of Karuvanpadi (exponents of a performing martial art, Paricamuttukali), Mannan Govindan and Parayan Chennan (stalwarts of odividya, a crude form of sorcery).
The major temples of the village are Sri Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple
(കൊടിക്കുന്ന് ഭഗവതി ക്ഷേത്രം), Sri Krishna Temple at Pallippuram, Chirankara Sri Maha Vishnu Temple and Vanadurga temple at Palathara. Of these, Sri Kodikunnu Bhagavathy Temple is very famous and people from even other states come and pay obeisance to the presiding deity, Bhagavathy. The temple is undergoing a grand renovation now.
The temple festival of Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy (കൊടിക്കുന്നത്തമ്മ) is conducted at Chirankara Temple which is known as the “Keezhekkavu” (alternate sanctorum) of the former. The festival is called “Chirankara Pooram” (ചിരങ്കര പൂരം) (annual harvest festival). The village is divided into 13 desoms (a desom is a geographical unit in village administration bigger than an amsam)and it is incumbent upon each desom to dispatch at least one pair of Poothan and Thira
”(തറ, പൂതന്) ” (traditional mask dancers) for performance at the temple during the festival. The 13 desoms are: Mangalam, Kodanthur, Pazhayangadi, Parudur, Kariyannur, Karambathur, Cherukudangad, Chembulangad, Kannad, Kodumunda, Pallippuram, Kulamukku and Mudappakkad. This is by and large the chief festival of the village, with the whole village participating. The village also has a number of Muslim mosques. Kodanthur mosque Nercha(നേര്ച്ച) (the annual feast and festival) is famous.
The village has a C-class cinema, which these days draws less crowd as Malayalam soaps and films broadcast by the local TV Channels have taken hold as the primary means of family entertainment.
Sports culture of the village is associated with Football and Cricket mainly. Football was the main game of the village for decades and village has some good talented football players. Sevens Football which is famous in Malabar is the favorite in this village also. With the boom of cricket in India, the youth here are showing more interest towards cricket. Village has many small clubs for both types of games. Volleyball is also played in some part of the village.
Though the village was connected by railways in 1861, viable road transport did not take off for over another full century, till 1970. Rivers bounding the village to the south and west and the railroad almost diagonally dividing the village remained major obstacles in the development of a paved road network. The earliest unpaved road in the village was built during the British Raj
, connecting Pallippuram with Thrithala
, terminating at Mudappakkad. Following the commissioning of a manned railroad level-crossing in Palathara in 1969, the road link opened and the first bus started plying between Pallippuram and Cherpulassery. After the inauguration of the Chembra Bridge in 1985, Pallippuram was connected to Valancherry to the north-west by road. Anchumoola-Thiruvegappura road was initially built in 1957 by volunteer work of the village community. A new road is under construction, along the banks of Bharathapuzha, linking Pallippuram with Pattambi
. This would cut the distance between the towns by 5 km.
A new bridge is built over the Bharathappuzha that connects Pallippuram and Trithala called Velliyamkallu regulator-cum-bridge. The regulator-cum-bridge was officially opened for road traffic on 2 September 2007, and is the largest such project over Bharathappuzha
. A river-water regulator is also an integral part of the Velliamkallu project. When operational, this regulator is expected to help irrigate the region’s agricultural areas, which often lacks proper water supply.
The construction of an additional platform and new station building at Pallippuram Railway Station has been completed. This was done in connection with the introduction of double track of railway between Mangalore
and Shoranur
. Although there are many places having the name 'Pallippuram' in India, this is the only one with a Railway Station. Railway is considering Pallippuram also to make a shortcut to Kochi side via Guruvayur. If the Pallippuram-Guruvayur railway line comes to existence, Pallippuram will be a major station and junction in the railway map and that will be a boost to the village.
, an Indian public sector bank.
Athanikkal Mayan, Mampulliyalil Kuni Ahamed, Pakkath Zainudeen Haji, Parambath Raman Nair, Velath Appu Nair, Panikkaveetil Cheku, VP Aithruman Haji,PT Abu Kariyannur, etc. were the early noteworthy traders in the village.
, coconut
, areca nut and tapioca
. Rice is the staple crop occupying about 487 hectors of land. The yield of rice, the crop staple, according to the 1991 estimate, is 1255.6 metric tones.
Agriculture, once the mainstay of the local economy, has turned out to be least attractive in recent times. It has also become, and as many farmers complain, less profitable too. The result is that there is a steep decline in agriculture as the only source of income in any given family.
Many old-timers lament the hard fact that agriculture as an occupation has lost its prestige among the educated youth and the status-wary. The outcome is predictable: the area of arable land is rapidly eaten away by the house construction spree fuelled by the money earned in the Persian Gulf
countries. Various government-run projects aimed at reviving agriculture appear to have failed to reverse the trend in this village.
Urbanisation coupled with the exodus of the young workforce primarily to the oil-rich Persian Gulf states and to other parts of Kerala and the country is also seen as a reason to downfall of agriculture. The early 1980s saw the agrarian economy shifting to ‘Money Order Economy’ and then to "Demand Draft Economy". It would not be far-fetched to surmise that the local economy would collapse but for the remittances sent by expat community working in the Persian Gulf.
Pallippuram has now become a leading centre of leather bag manufacturing. This cottage industry provides occupation to the unemployed youth of the village. Besides, it now also contributes to the village economy substantially. This village also provides considerable unskilled/semiskilled workforce to the construction and sand-mining industries in the area.
Indiscriminate river sand-mining in the area has led to the drying of the riverbeds and destruction of breeding grounds of fish stock in both the Nila and Tutha rivers, limiting fresh water and fishing opportunities. Livestock levels have also fallen considerably.
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
: , is a small town in Palakkad District
Palakkad district
Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...
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....
, 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...
. Situated in the western extremity ('the western horn') of Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
District, it is 9 kilometres north-west of Pattambi
Pattambi
Pattambi is one of the major town in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala, South India. The place got its name from Batta Nambi. Once under Nedunganad Samanthas of Chera Kings. Later on Zamoothiri Raja annexed this place to his country and kept under the control of Eralpad Raja, the second...
, a bigger town of the district. Part of the greater Paruthur Gramapanchayat, this place stands near the confluence of Bharathapuza River (Nila
Nila
Nila can refer to:* Nila River or Bharathapuzha, is a river in the Indian state of Kerala.* Nila Håkedal* Meera Chopra - a.k.a Nila, a South Indian actress* Pulau Nila, a small Indonesian volcanic island in the Banda Sea...
) and Tutha River (Tuthapuzha), and is bounded by these rivers to the south and west respectively. The adjacent villages to Pallippuram are Muthuthala
Muthuthala
Muthuthala is an agrarian village northwest of Pattambi in Palakkad district, Kerala, India. It is located on the banks of the Bharathapuzha River. The adjacent villages to Muthuthala are Pallippuram, Koppam and Pattambi....
, Thiruvegappura
Thiruvegappura
Thiruvegappura is a Valluvanad village on the bank of river Thutha, a tributary to the Bharathapuzha River, serving as the gateway to Palakkad District, for inboard traffic from the northern Malabar districts of Kerala....
, Irimbiliyam
Irimbiliyam
Irimbiliyam is a village in Malappuram district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Irimbiliyam had a population of 27075 with 12898 males and 14177 females....
, Anakkara, Pattithara
Pattithara
Pattithara is a village in Palakkad district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, Pattithara had a population of 30819 with 14660 males and 16159 females....
, and Thrithala
Thrithala
Thrithala is a village in Ottappalam taluk in Palakkad District of Kerala state, South India. The village is located along the banks of Bharathapuzha and is famed for its Shiva temple.-Legends:...
.
Pallippuram is located at 10.52°N 76.02°E.
History
BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
was once prevalent in Kerala. A Buddhist place of worship, the vihara
Vihara
Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....
, was popularly called palli in Malayalam language and several Pallippurams emerged in the geographic dominion. The Gramapanchayat is named Parudur because of the existence of several other Pallippurams in the state. Once Pallippuram was part of the "reconstituted" Valluvanad Taluk. At another point in time before that, it was also part of Nedunganad. This was when Nedunganad was under King Zamorins of Calicut (Samoothiri). During the British colonial era, this village belonged to the Ponnani
Ponnani
Ponnani/Ponani is an ancient port, a coastal town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 9.32 km2. Ponnani taluk is the smallest Taluk in Malappuram district. This tiny, picturesque town is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west...
taluk of the British Malabar District. On 1 January 1962, the Cherukudangad and Parudur amsams (an amsam is the smaller denomination of village administration) were merged to form today's Parudur Gramapanchayat.
Actually the pallppuram was the major trading center in this area. All evenings and mornings had large crowd for trading here. The railway station situated here is the major attraction. The people comes for travelling and buy materials from surrounding area like kodikkunnu, karuvanpadi, nadaparambu, pailippuram and chembulangad.
Topography
The village is 20.14 km² in area. It can be divided into six topographical categories:- Hills
- Valleys
- Even plains
- Low-lying paddy fields
- Riverbanks
- Marshy wetlands
The major hills are:
- Mangalam Kunnu
- Kol Kunnu
- Kaitha Kunnu
- Odupara Kunnu
- Thekke Kunnu
- Mundyara Kunnu
- Ponmala Kunnu
- Thattara Kunnu
- Puliyappatta kunnu
- Kurungattu kunnu
Red laterite
Laterite
Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...
is the most common soil type. Alluvial soil, rich in clay content, can be found on the riverbanks. The village has more than 20 major ponds/pools, rich in water supply.
Climate
This place has by and large the same climatic conditions prevalent elsewhere the state: a dry season from December through February, a hot season from March through May; the Southwest MonsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
from June through September and the North East Monsoon from October through November. The South West Monsoon is usually very heavy and is responsible for nearly 75% of the annual rainfall. The dry season is generally hot and humid, with temperature varying between 20°C and 30 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2800 mm.
Demography
This village has a population of 21,809 people, where 10,536 are males and 11,273 females India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
,. The population density is high at 1,053 persons per km². Muslims comprise approximately 65 per cent of the population, and Hindus the rest. The birth rate is 246 and death rate is 5.9 per annum. 88.65% of the population is literate (males: 90.24; females: 83.38). This Gramapanchayat might be one of the few areas in Kerala where not even a single Christian is a permanent resident.
Recent history
A major railroad project undertaken by the erstwhile South Indian Railway, the precursor to the present Southern Railway, is the 905-KM (562 mile) long Madras (now ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
)-Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
line. On the 23 September 1861, the first steam locomotive train pulled into the newly built Pallippuram railway station.
The rail link heralded the establishment of a post office in Pallippuram, and anchal (post) was hand-delivered from here to nearby places.
Near Mudappakkad still stands a weather-beaten lamp-post, believed to have been built by Perumthachan
Perumthachan
Perumthachan also spelled as "Perunthachan" meaning is an honorific title that is used to refer to an ancient legendary carpenter, architect, woodcarver and sculptor from Kerala, India...
, the mythical Malayali master carpenter and architect who is the stuff of many apocryphal legends.
The village was earlier ruled by the Zamorins of Calicut. In Palathara, the remnants of an old kovilakam (a small feudal mansion) from where the Zamorin-appointed revenue officials used to preside over village governance can still be seen. When the royals visited the Kodikkunnu temple, they were taken on a royal procession from Vedithara (near Palathara) to the temple in great pomp and style, escorted by the Panikkers (royal soldiers) of Paadathuveedu clan. The Panikkers of Karambathur Madom were the trusted officers (padanayars) of the Zamorin’s Royal Army. The trustees of Kodikkunnu and Chirankara temples are appointed by the Zamorin, even to this day. The revenue officials of Parudur amsam were the adhikaris (village officers) of Manjapra family and that of Cherukudangad was adhikaris of Kochi family. The granite pillars (athani) standing in Vedithara, Ambatparamb, Mangalam and Mudappakkad hark bark to the royal rule of yore.
Pallippuram once was part of the "reconstituted" Valluvanad Taluk. At another point in time before that, it was a part of Nedunganad. This was when Nedunganad was under Zamorins kings of Calicut.
The village has a rich history of a bell metal
Bell metal
Bell metal is a hard alloy used for making bells. It is a form of bronze, usually approximately 4:1 ratio of copper to tin...
(four parts copper and one part tin) manufacture which was acclaimed even outside Kerala. The metal work industry produced bell metal deities of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
iconographic pantheon. Also manufactured were temple lamps that were well known and much sought after. However, this traditional industry has almost disappeared now. The village held its weekly fair on Thursdays in Palathara that used to be the unofficial shopping festival of the entire village. The fair breathed its last in the mid-1950s.
Education
Pallippuram was an important centre of 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...
education in Malabar. Kumarampulakal Narayanan Namboothiri ran a school at his residence dedicated to Sanskrit and Veda studies. The scholar also held numerous Sanskrit manuscripts in his private library. The pioneer in the field of modern education in the village was Chellu Ezhuthachan, who succeeded in converting the Kudippallikoodam (crude basic school, presided by a Gurunathan, the master) situated in Mangalam into an independent government-aided elementary school. He eventually went on to establish schools in Palathara, Pallippuram and Karambathur. Cutting across the caste divide, these institutions were open to all students, a revolutionary idea in Ezhuthachan's day. He even established a Muslim school in Palathara and funded the “mullah” (a teacher of Islamic theology) who ran it. Cholapparambil Achuthan Ezhuthachan and Pazhayangadi KK Ramankutty Ezhuthachan were the other noted personalities in the sphere of education in the early days.
Presently this village has many government-run/government-aided schools up to higher secondary level. They are: Parudur Higher Secondary School at Nadaparamb; GLP School at Parudur; CEUP School at Pazhayangadi; AUP School at Karambathur; GMLP School at Kariyannur; GUP School at Kodumunda; CELP School at Pallippuram; SVA LP School at Chembulangad and ALP School at Kulamukku. Besides these the village has a number of Muslim religious schools called "Madrassa".
Since 1985, the village has witnessed the establishment of a few unaided English-medium lower primary schools too.
The nearby colleges are Government Sanskrit
Sanskrit
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...
College at Pattambi
Pattambi
Pattambi is one of the major town in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala, South India. The place got its name from Batta Nambi. Once under Nedunganad Samanthas of Chera Kings. Later on Zamoothiri Raja annexed this place to his country and kept under the control of Eralpad Raja, the second...
, MES College at Valanchery and MES College of Engineering at Kuttippuram
Kuttippuram
Kuttippuram is a town and is situated in the Malappuram district of Kerala state, India. The Bharathappuzha river flows through Kuttippuram. Kuttippuram railway station is an important railway station in Malappuram district...
.
Freedom Struggle
India’s Freedom Struggle raging across the country post World War I created ripples in this village too. The launching in 1921 of the Khilafat MovementKhilafat Movement
The Khilafat movement was a pan-Islamic, political campaign launched by Muslims in British India to influence the British government and to protect the Ottoman Empire during the aftermath of World War I...
in the country had a significant impact in the village too, fortunately, sans any violence and many Muslims of the village served long terms of imprisonment in various jails throughout South India. With the suppression and the eventual demise of the Movement, the village saw the strengthening of the nationalist sentiments. The youth of Chayillath Rayikulath Tharavad (upper-caste Hindu extended family) spearheaded the fight against the British colonial rule in the village, against sheer opposition from even within the family. CR Balakrishnan Nambiar assumed leadership of the movement. His sister, CR Devaki Amma became one of the early organisers of Mahilasangam, an associate organisation of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. CR Narayanan Nambiar of this family participated in the Salt Satyagraha
Salt Satyagraha
The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagrahah began with the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, and was an important part of the Indian independence movement. It was a campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, and triggered the wider...
in 1930, and spent a six-month term in jail. He made major forays into the literary arena as well, and his single most notable achievement was the translation of K Damodaran’s work Indiayude Athmave (The Soul of India) into English. CR Devaki Amma led a campaign against ‘Mrigabali’ (the ritual slaughter of animals) in the nearby Muthassiar Temple, leading into the eventual disbanding of the custom. She served an 18-month jail term during the Salt Satyagraha along with her brothers and continued her crusade against the British rule after her release too. Devaki Amma, who died in 1996, was married to Padmanabhan Nambiar (the elder brother of veteran Communist leader, AK Gopalan). Women’s movement also caught the imagination of the village in the early 1940s, and K Madhavi Amma was instrumental in forming the first mahilasamajam (women's club and co-operative) in the village.
C Rajagopalachari visited the village in 1932 and addressed a gathering in Kodikkunnu. His mission was to garner support of the upper caste Hindus in the upcoming referendum on admittance of lower caste Hindus into the Hindu temples of Malabar. Muhammad Abdurahiman Sahib was also in attendance. The year 1939 saw Kasturba Gandhi
Kasturba Gandhi
Kastürbā Gāndhi was the wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, marrying him in an arranged marriage in 1883.-Early life and background:...
and Urmila Ben come calling the village and attending a public meeting near Mudappakkad. When Congress Socialist Party
Congress Socialist Party
The Congress Socialist Party was founded in 1934 as a socialist caucus within the Indian National Congress. Its members rejected what they saw as the anti-rational mysticism of Mohandas Gandhi as well as the sectarian attitude of the Communist Party of India towards the Congress Party...
was formed in the later years of the freedom struggle as an offshoot of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, several political lights of the village, like Manjapra Appukunja Menon, joined it. This clan later founded Muhammad Abdurahiman Sahib Memorial Library in Kodikkunnu.
After India gained independence in 1947, Pallippuram continued its resistance against true-blue feudalism and casteism. Communists earned a victory in the election to the Malabar District Board in 1952. The ‘Eviction Barring Ordinance’ in 1957 by the EMS Namboodiripad-led Communist Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala
The Government of Kerala is a democratically elected body that governs the State of Kerala, India for a period of 5 years. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state...
naturally invited the ire of the village's feudal landlords. Yet, anti-feudalism vibes only strengthened with the successful implementation of the ordinance.
Culture
The village's cultural firmament was dominated by music experts like Kunnathveetil Madhavan Nair, Meluveetil Echunni Menon, Kodikkunnu Karunakara Marar [who was a guru (teacher)] of the ChendaChenda
The Chenda is a cylindrical percussion instrument used widely in the state of Kerala, and Tulu Nadu of Karnataka State in India. In Tulu Nadu it is known as Chande....
maestro, Njaralathu Rama Poduval, Naduvilappad Shankunni Adigal and Puthan Veetil Krishnan Nair. The early 1930s saw the emergence of two theatre outfits in the village presided by Kochiyil Appu Menon and Karumathil Govinda Menon and they staged highly popular musical dramas like Bhakta Prahlada and Nalacharitam.
Prof. Vazhakkunnam
Vazhakkunnam
Vazhakunnam Neelakandan Namboothiri or Prof. Vazhakkunnam is known as the Grand Father of Kerala's Magic. He gave a new meaning to magic in Kerala. He is praised as the patriarch of magic in the State. He played an important role in bringing Magic as an Art...
, the legendary magician, regarded as the grandfather of magic in Kerala state was from this area. His birth place is referred as Thiruvegappura as his birth place was in that region before forming the panchayat. He was well-known for his magic called Jalavidya and kankettu. Every elder from the village has at least one amazing story about Vazhakkunnam's magic and tricks. His son Thulasi Master is also a known magician.
Bharath Circus, which toured many parts of India successfully, was founded, owned and managed by KS Menon of this village.
Pallippuram has a rich legacy in the field of traditional Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
medicine. Puliyappetta Velukkuti Vaidyar, Balakrishnan Vaidyar, Mukkadakkatil Krishnan Vaidyar, Appu Vaidyar, Kodikkunnath Krishna Pisharody, Chappan Vaidyar, Kunhunni Vaidyar, Hyderkutty Mullah, etc. were the skillful Ayurvedic exponents of the village. Kunnath Veetil Narayanan Nair, LMP was the first registered allopathic practitioner.
The mid-1960s witnessed the establishment of Brothers’ Arts Club in Pallippuram which enacted theatrical plays aimed at the empowerment of the poor and the downtrodden. Poverty and the injustice instigated by the uneven distribution of agricultural land and wealth in the society were the dominant themes of these dramas.
The Muhammad Abdurahiman Sahib memorial library in Kodikkunnu was registered with Kerala Grandhasala Sangh (Kerala Library Association) in 1957. In 1968, it was rechristened Parudur Library and Recreation Centre, which still maintains a well-run library.
The first Malayali
Malayali
Malayali is the term used to refer to the native speakers of Malayalam, originating from the Indian state of Kerala...
judge in the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
, Justice Parakkulangara Govinda Menon hailed from Parudur Gramapanchayat. So is the acclaimed Sanskrit scholar KP Narayana Pisharody.
Among the few who are still remembered fondly in the village are Paadathuveetil Aboobacker (the boatman of Velliyamkallu Kadavu), Govindan Velichappad of Kodikkunnu (who had the unusual legacy of possessing two ritual swords), Panangadan Chattappan (who excelled in witchcraft), Perumkollan Chattu (the chief blacksmith), Karuvan brothers of Karuvanpadi (exponents of a performing martial art, Paricamuttukali), Mannan Govindan and Parayan Chennan (stalwarts of odividya, a crude form of sorcery).
The major temples of the village are Sri Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple
Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple
The Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple or Kodikkunnu Ambalam is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Durga located in the village of Pallippuram, near Pattambi, in Palakkad district of Kerala, India. The goddess is commonly referred to as the Bhagavathy or Kodikkunnathamma.The word “kunnu” means...
(കൊടിക്കുന്ന് ഭഗവതി ക്ഷേത്രം), Sri Krishna Temple at Pallippuram, Chirankara Sri Maha Vishnu Temple and Vanadurga temple at Palathara. Of these, Sri Kodikunnu Bhagavathy Temple is very famous and people from even other states come and pay obeisance to the presiding deity, Bhagavathy. The temple is undergoing a grand renovation now.
The temple festival of Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy (കൊടിക്കുന്നത്തമ്മ) is conducted at Chirankara Temple which is known as the “Keezhekkavu” (alternate sanctorum) of the former. The festival is called “Chirankara Pooram” (ചിരങ്കര പൂരം) (annual harvest festival). The village is divided into 13 desoms (a desom is a geographical unit in village administration bigger than an amsam)and it is incumbent upon each desom to dispatch at least one pair of Poothan and Thira
Poothan and Thira
Poothan and Thira is a ritualistic art form found in the South Malabar region of Kerala in India, in which people dance in costumes representing Poothan, Shiva's lieutenant, and Thira, the goddess Kali, to the accompaniment of drummers....
”(തറ, പൂതന്) ” (traditional mask dancers) for performance at the temple during the festival. The 13 desoms are: Mangalam, Kodanthur, Pazhayangadi, Parudur, Kariyannur, Karambathur, Cherukudangad, Chembulangad, Kannad, Kodumunda, Pallippuram, Kulamukku and Mudappakkad. This is by and large the chief festival of the village, with the whole village participating. The village also has a number of Muslim mosques. Kodanthur mosque Nercha(നേര്ച്ച) (the annual feast and festival) is famous.
The village has a C-class cinema, which these days draws less crowd as Malayalam soaps and films broadcast by the local TV Channels have taken hold as the primary means of family entertainment.
Sports culture of the village is associated with Football and Cricket mainly. Football was the main game of the village for decades and village has some good talented football players. Sevens Football which is famous in Malabar is the favorite in this village also. With the boom of cricket in India, the youth here are showing more interest towards cricket. Village has many small clubs for both types of games. Volleyball is also played in some part of the village.
Transportation
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, connecting Pallippuram with Thrithala
Thrithala
Thrithala is a village in Ottappalam taluk in Palakkad District of Kerala state, South India. The village is located along the banks of Bharathapuzha and is famed for its Shiva temple.-Legends:...
, terminating at Mudappakkad. Following the commissioning of a manned railroad level-crossing in Palathara in 1969, the road link opened and the first bus started plying between Pallippuram and Cherpulassery. After the inauguration of the Chembra Bridge in 1985, Pallippuram was connected to Valancherry to the north-west by road. Anchumoola-Thiruvegappura road was initially built in 1957 by volunteer work of the village community. A new road is under construction, along the banks of Bharathapuzha, linking Pallippuram with Pattambi
Pattambi
Pattambi is one of the major town in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala, South India. The place got its name from Batta Nambi. Once under Nedunganad Samanthas of Chera Kings. Later on Zamoothiri Raja annexed this place to his country and kept under the control of Eralpad Raja, the second...
. This would cut the distance between the towns by 5 km.
A new bridge is built over the Bharathappuzha that connects Pallippuram and Trithala called Velliyamkallu regulator-cum-bridge. The regulator-cum-bridge was officially opened for road traffic on 2 September 2007, and is the largest such project over Bharathappuzha
Bharathappuzha
Bharathappuzha , also known as River Nila, is a river in India in the state of Kerala. With a length of 209 km, it is the second-longest river in Kerala, after the Periyar River. The word "Nila" indicates the culture more than just a river. Nila has groomed the culture and life of south...
. A river-water regulator is also an integral part of the Velliamkallu project. When operational, this regulator is expected to help irrigate the region’s agricultural areas, which often lacks proper water supply.
The construction of an additional platform and new station building at Pallippuram Railway Station has been completed. This was done in connection with the introduction of double track of railway between Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
and Shoranur
Shoranur
Shoranur is a town and a municipality in Palakkad district, Kerala,located on the banks of the Bharathapuzha River spread over an area of 32.28 km2.it is a major transport hub , having the largest railway station in the state .Kerala Kalamandalam which is the premier centre for the learning...
. Although there are many places having the name 'Pallippuram' in India, this is the only one with a Railway Station. Railway is considering Pallippuram also to make a shortcut to Kochi side via Guruvayur. If the Pallippuram-Guruvayur railway line comes to existence, Pallippuram will be a major station and junction in the railway map and that will be a boost to the village.
Trade and Commerce
The first commercial bank in the village was stated in 1940 by Cheukudangad Chuvaakkat Madathil Mani Iyer. Pallippuram Co-operative Society is the predecessor of Pallippuram Service Co-operative Bank. The society was formed in 1961 with KR Nair as its president. Pallippuram now has a branch of the Punjab National BankPunjab National Bank
Punjab National Bank , was founded in 1894 and is currently the second largest state-owned commercial bank in India ahead of Bank of Baroda with about 5000 branches across 764 cities. It serves over 37 million customers. The bank has been ranked 248th biggest bank in the world by the Bankers...
, an Indian public sector bank.
Athanikkal Mayan, Mampulliyalil Kuni Ahamed, Pakkath Zainudeen Haji, Parambath Raman Nair, Velath Appu Nair, Panikkaveetil Cheku, VP Aithruman Haji,PT Abu Kariyannur, etc. were the early noteworthy traders in the village.
Economy
According to the official estimates, there are 728 hectares of land under cultivation of various crops like riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
, areca nut and tapioca
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...
. Rice is the staple crop occupying about 487 hectors of land. The yield of rice, the crop staple, according to the 1991 estimate, is 1255.6 metric tones.
Agriculture, once the mainstay of the local economy, has turned out to be least attractive in recent times. It has also become, and as many farmers complain, less profitable too. The result is that there is a steep decline in agriculture as the only source of income in any given family.
Many old-timers lament the hard fact that agriculture as an occupation has lost its prestige among the educated youth and the status-wary. The outcome is predictable: the area of arable land is rapidly eaten away by the house construction spree fuelled by the money earned in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
countries. Various government-run projects aimed at reviving agriculture appear to have failed to reverse the trend in this village.
Urbanisation coupled with the exodus of the young workforce primarily to the oil-rich Persian Gulf states and to other parts of Kerala and the country is also seen as a reason to downfall of agriculture. The early 1980s saw the agrarian economy shifting to ‘Money Order Economy’ and then to "Demand Draft Economy". It would not be far-fetched to surmise that the local economy would collapse but for the remittances sent by expat community working in the Persian Gulf.
Pallippuram has now become a leading centre of leather bag manufacturing. This cottage industry provides occupation to the unemployed youth of the village. Besides, it now also contributes to the village economy substantially. This village also provides considerable unskilled/semiskilled workforce to the construction and sand-mining industries in the area.
Indiscriminate river sand-mining in the area has led to the drying of the riverbeds and destruction of breeding grounds of fish stock in both the Nila and Tutha rivers, limiting fresh water and fishing opportunities. Livestock levels have also fallen considerably.