Kuttanad
Kuttanad
Kuttanad | |
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Taluk |
Kuttanadu(കുട്ടനാട്) is a region in the southern state Kerala, India, well known for its picturesque vast paddy fields and its geographical peculiarities. It's the region with the lowest altitude in India, and one of the few places in the world where farming is carried out below sea level. It’s also one of the historically important places in the ancient history of South India.
History
There is no recorded history on the origin of this land. But the oral history among local people, transferred from generation to generation is a blend of myths and legends. There is reference to Kuttanad in the epic Mahabharata of ancient India. During their exile, the five Pandava princes are said to have traveled through this land. In those days, Kuttanad was part of a dense forest, later destroyed by a forest fire which is also mentioned in the epic. Thus came the place name Chuttanad or the burnt place. In course of time Chuttanad became Kuttanad. One can still see kari or coal if we dig deep into the soil of Kuttanad, pointing to the fact that the place was once a forest, destroyed by wild fire. In Kuttanad most of the place names end in kari. Some familiar place names are Ramankary, Oorukkary, Mitrakkary, Kainakari, and Chennamkari.[1]
During the reign of Chera dynasty that ruled over ancient Kerala, Kuttanad attained an important place in history. One of the powerful kings in the dynasty: Cheran Chenguttavan is said to have ruled his vast kingdom from Kuttanad, when it was also a famous centre of Buddhism. There is another version for its place name. The Buddhist centre Buddhanad later became Kuttanad.[2]
Divisions
The Kuttanad region is broadly classified into three divisions:
Lower Kuttanad comprises taluks of Ambalapuzha taluk, Kuttanad (excluding Edathua, Thalavady and Muttar, and the northern half of Karthikapally taluk in Alappuzha district.
Upper Kuttanad comprises Veeyapuram village in Karthikapally taluk, Edathua, Thalavady, Kidangara and Muttar in Kuttanad taluk; Chennithala village in Mavelikkara Taluk, Mannar, Kuruttissery, Budhanur, Ennakkad villages in Chengannur taluk of Alappuzha district; and Parumala, Kadapra, Niranam, Pulikeezhu, Peringara, Chathenkeri, Nedumpuram, villages of Tiruvalla taluk in Pathanamthitta district.
North Kuttanad comprises Vaikom taluk, western parts of Kottayam taluk, and western parts of Changanacherry taluk in Kottayam district.
Villages
A few of the major villages which form Kuttanad are:Kainakary, Ramankary, Chennamkary, Nedumudi, Niramom, Kaipuzha, Kumarakom, Edathua, Mampuzhakkary, Neelamperoor, Kainady, Kavalam, Pulincunnoo, Kannady, Veliyanadu, Veeyapuram, Vezhapra, Kunnamkary, Kumaramkary, Valady, Kidangara, Mithrakary, Muttar, Neerattupuram, Thalavadi, Changankary, Champakulam, Nedumudi, Moonnatummukham, Melpadom, Payippad, Karichal, Ayaparambu, Anary, Vellamkulangara, Pilappuzha, Pandi, Cheruthana, Karuvatta, Chennithala, Narakathara, Venattukad, Kayalppuram, Mankompu, Chathurthiakary, Manalady, Koduppunna, Thayankarry and Pullangadi among others.
Paddy Cultivation
The major occupation in Kuttanadu is farming. Rice is the important agricultural product, giving Kuttanadu the moniker of "The Rice Bowl of Kerala". Three crops are grown every year now instead of the traditional two per year. Large farming areas near vembanad Lake were actually reclaimed from the lake. The king decreed that whoever reclaims land from water can own it leading to massive redemption of land from the lake. Many enterprising farmers took up the challenge.The first among such reclamation was lead by Pallithanam Lukka Mathai (alias Pallithanathu Mathaichen) who reclaimed the Cherukara Kayal and Pallithanam Moovayiram Kayal. Pallithanam Lukka Mathai who had served as member of Moolam Thirunal of Travancore's Praja Sabha (Popular Assembly) was considered as the pioneer of cooperative agricultural movement in Kuttanadu.Later on many joined him in the reclamation activity. Out of them Joseph Murickummoottil (Muricken Outhachen) is considered to be the most outstanding. He did cultivation in a very large extent of reclaimed area and achieved such a success that he was crowned as "Krishi Rajan" (farmer king) by the then prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
As the farming in the area increased farmers felt themselves constrained by the two cycles a year for rice cultivation. The reason for which is the limited availability of potable water in Kuttanadu. During the monsoon seasons, the water from the mountains flow through the rivers to the sea, bringing potable water to Kuttanadu. But during summer, due to the low level of the region, seawater enters Kuttanadu and makes the salt content of the water high making it unpotable.
Thanneermukkom Bund
During 1968, government of India proposed a project, in which a bund (Dam) will be made across the river so that seawater will not be allowed to come inside Kuttanad during summer, allowing farmers to cultivate an extra cycle per year. The project was planned in three phases, the south side, the north side and another phase to join the two sections. The project was delayed and by the time the first two phases were complete the entire money allotted for the project ran out and left the final phase in limbo. The farmers who were expecting lots of financial benefits after the completion of the project decided to take matters into their own hands and one night in 1972, a large group of farmers filled the gap between the north and the south side with earth. To this day, the earth embankment between the two sections of the bundh remains.
Even though the bund has improved the quality of life of the farmers, the bund is alleged to have caused severe environmental problems. The backwaters which were abundant with fish and part of the staple food of the people of the region require a small amount of salt water for their breeding. The bund has caused deterioration of the catch of fish in the region and the fishermen are opposed to the bund as of 2005. The bund has also disrupted the harmony of the sea with the backwaters and has caused problems not foreseen before the bundh like the omniprescence of the water weeds. Earlier the salt water tends to cleanse the backwaters but this does not happen any more leading to the pollution of the backwaters and the entire land nearby.
As the farming in the area increased farmers felt themselves constrained by the two cycles a year for rice cultivation. The reason for which is the limited availability of potable water in Kuttanadu. During the monsoon seasons, the water from the mountains flow through the rivers to the sea, bringing potable water to Kuttanadu. But during summer, due to the low level of the region, seawater enters Kuttanadu and makes the salt content of the water high making it unpotable.
Notable Natives and Residents
- Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Botanist, well known as the Godfather of the Green Revolution.
- Dr. I C Chacko, Physisist and Geologist, State Geologist of Travancore State from 1906-1921
- Dr. Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, Novelist, Jnanpith Scholar.
- Fr. Kuriakose Elias Chavara,
- Dr. K. Ayyappa Panikkar
- Prof. Kavalam Narayana Panikkar
- John Abraham, Film Director
- Vinayan, Film Director
- Nedumudi Venu, Film Actor
- Ramesh Chennithala, Politician
- Thomas Pallithanam, Scocial activist
Cultural Personalities
Kuttanad is known for its contributions to the field of Malayalam literature and cinema besides the classical dance-drama of Kathakali. Jnanpith-winning novelist, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, hailed from Kuttanad, so is late Malayalam poet Dr K. Ayyappa Panikkar. Scholar-folklorist Kavalam Narayana Panikkar and his musician son Kavalam Sreekumar are natives of this place, so was late filmmaker John Abraham. Renowned film actor Nedumudi Venu too hails from this belt. Another famous film personality hailing from Kuttanad is filmmaker Vinayan.Lopa Kottarathil(Malayalam poet)- Ayaparampu.
Among the leading Kathakali exponents from Kuttanad today are Mankompu Sivasankara Pillai, Mathoor Govindankutty, Thalavadi Aravindan, FACT Padmanabhan and Kalamandalam Shanmughan. Its Kathakali masters of earlier days include Mathoor Kunhukunhu Pillai Panicker, Chennithala Kochu Pillai Panicker, Mankulam Vishnu Nambuthiri, Champakkulam Pachu Pillai, Guru Gopinath, Pallippuram Gopalan Nair, Harippadu Ramakrishna Pillai, Chennithala Chellappan Pillai, Ambalappuzha Sekharand Kalanilayam Mohanakumar. Dr.Aju K.Narayanan, Lecturer in Malayalam, U.C.College, Aluva published a research book on the Buddhist Cultural Heritage of Kuttanadu- Alappuzha.
Politics
Kuttanad assembly constituency was part of Alappuzha. After the Lok Sabha delimitation in 2008 it now belongs to the Mavelikkara constituency.[3]
See also
References
- Thirst Below Sea Level, M Suchitra, The Hindu, 15 July 2003
- ^ http://www.kuttanad.info/about.html
- ^ http://www.kuttanad.info/about.html
- ^ "Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies" (PDF). Kerala. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
External links
