Pallippuram, Palakkad

Pallippuram, Palakkad

Pallippuram
Pallippuram, Palakkad Pallippuram
city
Population
• Total	21,809 (2,001)

Orientation

Pallippuram pronunciation^ⓘ Malayalam: പളളിപ്പുറം‌‌, is a small town in Palakkad District of Kerala, India. Situated in the western extremity ('the western horn') of Palakkad District, it is 9 kilometers north-west of Pattambi, a bigger town of the district. Part of the greater Parudur Panchayat, this place stands near the confluence of Bharatapuzha (Nila) and the Tutha River, or simply, the Tuthapuzha. It is bound by the Bharatapuzha to the south and Tuthapuzha to the west. During the British colonial era, this village belonged to the Ponnani taluk of the British Malabar District. On 01 January 1962, the Cherukudangad and Parudur amsams (an amsam is the smaller denomination of village administration) were merged to form today's Parudur Gramapanchayat. The adjacent villages to Pallippuram are Muthuthala, Thiruvegappura, Irimbiliyam, Anakkara, Pattithara, and Thrithala.

Etymology

Buddhism was once prevalent in Kerala. The Buddhist places of worship, the Viharas were popularly called palli in Malayalam and several Pallippurams emerged in the geographic dominion. The Gramapanchayat is named Parudur because of the existence of several other Pallippurams in the state.

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

Red laterite is the most common soil type. Alluvial soil, rich in clay content, can be found on the riverbanks. There are almost 22 ponds scattered across the village. Every year in June through September, the South-western Monsoon downpour lashes through the place, as it does in all of southern India.

Demography

This village has a population of 24,499 people (1991 census), where 12,154 are males and 12,345 females. The population density is high at 1,220 persons per sq km. 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.

File:Pallipuram Railroad.jpg

A view of the Pallippuram railroad, seen from a railcar

This grampanchayat 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 Chennai)-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 Keralite architect/carpenter/sculptor who is the stuff of many apocryphal legends. The Pooram (annual ritual festival after the harvest) in Chirankara Bhagavathy Temple in Parudur Gramapanchayat is celebrated by the entire village comprising of 13 different desoms (a desom is a geographical unit in village administration bigger than an amsam). They are: Mangalam, Kodanthur, Pazhayangadi, Parudur, Kariyannur, Karambathur, Cherukudangad, Chembulangad, Kannad, Kodumunda, Pallippuram, Kulamukku and Mudappakkad. It is incumbent upon each desom to dispatch at least one pair of ‘Poothan and Thira' (traditional mask dancers) for performance at the temple during the festival.

The village was earlier reigned by the Zamorins of Calicut. In Palathara, the remnants of an old kovilakam (a kind of 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 officer) of Manjapra family and that of Cherukudangad was adhikaris of Kochi family. The granite pillars (athanis) standing in Vedithara, Ambatparamb, Mangalam and Mudappakkad hark bark to the royal rule of yore.

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).

The village claims of 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 and temple lamps that were 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 Sanskrit 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 is 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''s 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 the Pallipuram has some government-run/government-aided schools like; Parudur Higher Secondary School and 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

Since 1985, the village has witnessed the establishment of a number of unaided English-medium schools.

The nearby colleges are Government Sanskrit College in Pattambi and MES College at Valanchery.

Freedom Struggle

The Freedom Struggle raging across the country created ripples in this village too. The launching in 1921 of the Khilafat Movement in the country had a significant impact in the village, fortunately, sans any violence. Many Muslims of the village served long years of imprisonment in various jails throughout south India. With the suppression and the eventual demise of the Movement, the village also saw the strengthening of the nationalist sentiments. The youth of Chayillath Rayikulath Tharavad (upper-caste Hindu extended family) spearheaded the freedom movement 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 Congress. CR Narayanan Nambiar of this family participated the Salt Satyagraha in 1930, and spent a six-month term in jail. He made important forays into the literary arena as well, and most notable of his 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, forcing the disbanding of the custom. She served an 18-month jail term during the Salt Satyagraha along with her brothers. She continued her crusade against the British rule after her release from jail. 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 or 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 in temples of Malabar. Muhammad Abdurahiman Sahib was also in attendance. The year 1939 saw Kasturba Gandhi and Urmilaben 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 created Muhammad Abdurahiman Sahib Memorial Library in Kodikkunnu.

Culture

Meanwhile, 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 Chenda 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.

Bharath Circus, which toured many parts of India successfully, was founded, owned and managed by KS Menon of this village.

Pallippuram claims a rich heritage of the traditional Ayurveda medicine. Puliyappetta Velukkuti Vaidyar, Balakrishnan Vaidyar, Mukkadakkatil Krishnan Vaidyar, Appu Vaidyar, Kodikkunnath Krishna Pisharody, Chappan Vaidyar, Kunhunni Vaidyar, Hyderkutty Mullah, etc. were masters among the skillful Ayurvedic exponents of the village. Kunnath Veetil Narayanan Nair, LMP was the first registered allopathic practitioner.

After India gained independence in 1947, Pallippuram continued its resistance against true-blue feudalism and casteism. The election in 1952 to the Malabar District Board earned Communists a victory. 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.

The mid-1960s witnessed the establishment of Brothers’ Arts Club in Pallippuram which enacted theatrical plays aimed at the upliftment of the poor and the downtrodden. Poverty and the injustice flowing from the uneven distribution of agricultural land in 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 temples of the region are Sri Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy Temple(കൊടിക്കുന്ന്‌ ഭഗവതി ക്ഷേത്രം‌), Pallippuram Sri Krishna Temple, Chirangara Sri Maha Vishnu Temple. Of these, Sri Kodikunnu Bhagavathy Temple is very famous and people from even other states come and pay obeisance to the presiding deity, Bhagavathy. Now the temple is undergoing a grand renovation. The temple festival of Kodikkunnu Bhagavathy(കൊടിക്കുന്നത്തമ്മ) is conducted at Chirankara Temple which is known as the “Keezhekkavu” of Kodikkunnu. The festival is called “Chirankara Pooram”(ചിരങ്കര പൂരം). The pooram is by and large the largest festival, with the whole village participating. This pooram is a type of “Kalavela”(കാളവേല) and also “thara”(തറ), “poothan”(പൂതന്‍) and “parappothan”(പറപ്പൂതന്‍) will be coming from all parts of the village. 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 brocast by the local TV Channels have taken hold as the primary means of family entertainment.

Transportation

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 tarred road network. The earliest unpaved road in the village was built during the British Raj, connecting Pallippuram with Trithala, 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 being built over the Bharathapuzha to connect Pallippuram and Trithala (Velliyamkallu regulator-cum-bridge).

The work is almost finished. Nowadays visitors throng to the bridge overlooking a scenic background, as this is the largest such project in Bharathapuzha. For many years, the bridge was a longstanding demand of the people. Even though the bridge is still not open to mass road transport, but when it comes shortly, it will be a great shot in the arm in the history of the village's development. The construction of 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..

Trade and Commerce

The first bank 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 Bank, a public sector bank.

Athanikkal Mayan, Mampulliyalil Kuni Ahamed, Pakkath Zainudeen Haji, Parambath Raman Nair, Velath Appu Nair, Panikkaveetil Cheku, VP Aithruman Haji, 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 rice, coconut, arecanut and tapioca. Rice is the staple crop occupying about 487 hectors of land. The yield of rice, according to the 1991 estimate, is 1255.6 metric tonnes.

Agriculture, once the mainstay of the local economy, has turned out to be least attractive in recent times, 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 appeared 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 say 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 emigrants working in the Persian Gulf.

However, changes are happening. Pallippuram has now become a centre of bag industry. This is a cottage industry which provides occupation to many youngsters here.

This village provides significant workforce to construction-related jobs and sand-mining in the area. Indiscriminate sand-mining in the area has led to drying of the riverbed in both the Bharathapuza and Tutha, limiting fresh water fishing opportunities. Livestock levels have also fallen considerably. The village was electrified in 1981.