Koduvayur
Grama Panchayat

The ancient history of Koduvayur, which was part of the Madras State until 1956, is closely linked to the Kuthiravattu Swaroopa. Koduvayur and the surrounding areas were under the rule of Kuthiravattu Nair, a vassal of the Kozhikode Samoothiri. The Ettukettu Fort, which was the administrative center of the Kuthiravattu Thampuran, existed until recent times. Only the gopuram in the western entrance of his paradeity, Thiruvilayanadu Bhagavathy temple, remains as a historical witness to its past glory. Kettamala in Kakkayur, adjacent to Koduvayur, was once a cultural center. It is believed that Kottavayil may have been renamed Koduvayil and later Koduvayur. In the past, a border toll called “Magma” was strictly collected by stopping travelers. This money was used for temple expenses. With the beginning of British rule, the English East India Company issued a notification to abolish the border tax in Koduvayur. Most of the land in Koduvayur was owned by Kuthiravattom. The rest belonged to the Keralapuram Devaswom. The unrest in the land tenure relations with the land reforms also affected the well-being of the fort. When the burden of the debt for completing the stonework in the Kalladikol hills was added, the last ruler, Kunjunnithampuran, handed over the administration of the fort to the receiver and went to Pulappetta. As dependents of the Palakkadtussery king, Brahmins in Thanjavur, Chidambaram, Salem and Tirunelveli have greatly influenced the history and culture of Koduvayur. The beautiful initiates who were honored by the Zamorin Maharaja and the musicians who made the agraharas a musical center are part of this brilliant history. The Keralapuram Vishwanathaswamy Temple, built in the architectural style of the Chidambaram temple, and the chariot of Sambasiva, which gives the dawn darshan in the Dhanumasakuli, show the rich cultural harmony of this place. The chariot festival associated with the temple in the Nochur agraharam belonging to the Koduvayur panchayat, the Shurasamhara festival held every year in the Koymar paddy field, and the lamp festival held since ancient times in Kakkayur Kottamala are cultural features of Koduvayur. The Kanyarkali and Porattuvesha performed by the Mandams, the local groups that existed during the Second Chera Empire, point to the history of the old social system. Kanyarkali is the martial and ritual art of the people here. Kanyarkali, which has a spiritual theme, and Purattupat, which presents other material themes, are also popular here. The remains of Tipu's military campaigns can be seen at the Narikottu temple, the Odukampara Thirunagakurussi temple and Kottamala. The cultural and social changes that came with the beginning of the 20th century have also occurred in Koduvayur. This change was first visible in the field of education. The Koduvayur Govt. The Higher Secondary School, the Girls' School started in 1912, the Kakkayur School started by Chathukutty Menon in the church, and the MMMSBS started by Parameswara Iyer to the north of the present High School and later established by Malumandadiyar near the altar, have also made significant contributions to the progress of education in Koduvayur. After being upgraded to a High School in 1918, the Higher Secondary School, which has contributed many talented and famous personalities, plays a crucial role in the field of education. The District Board School, which started as an L.P. School in Ethanur in 1912, is now functioning as a Government U.P. School. In addition, A.L.P. School Nochur, L.P. School Vettumpulli, L.P. School Ethanur, and A.L.P. School Vadakkumpadam are also important educational institutions in this panchayat. The revival brought about through education also ignited the sense of freedom. With the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi, the message of the freedom struggle reached Koduvayur, an important center of the British. Mahatmaji, who arrived in Koduvayur in 1932, spoke from the raised stage on the western side of the altar. Paraparambath Kuttikrishna Menon, an AICC member, guided the freedom struggle in the thirties. The beedi workers' strike that took place in Koduvayur during 1938-39 is proof that the message of Mahatmaji's arrival was more absorbed by the common people here. The strike carried out by the beedi workers here, imbibing the enthusiasm of the freedom struggle, is a decisive chapter in the history of Koduvayur. With the slogan of getting a bundle of leaves and two-quarters more wages, the workers openly attacked the British imperialism that stood strong behind capitalism. The suffering and pain experienced by the protesters cannot be forgotten. Many people lost their lives when the British army tried to suppress them with guns and lathicharge. The remaining