Poyya
Grama Panchayat

Formation and Early Administration

Poyya Panchayat came into existence even before the Travancore-Cochin unification. To be precise, on the 29th of Mithunam, 1093 (Malayalam Era), by the order of the Tahsildar, Ambookan Itteera Lonappan became the first Panchayat President on the 15th of Karkidakam. All members of the governing body were nominated representatives of the King of Cochin. During that period, Thirumukkulam and Kakkulissery villages of Kuzhur Panchayat were also part of Poyya Panchayat. Ambookan was the first president of this nominated Panchayat.

Subsequent Panchayat governing bodies came into power through adult franchise. P.T. Kochouseph was the first Panchayat President to come through elections. He was followed by K.A. Thomas, Itteera Ambookan, V.R. Raman, P.K. David, M.A. Itteera, and P.K. Velayudhan, who all led the administration of the Grama Panchayat. R.K. Bhargavi Teacher was the first woman President here.

Historical Legal and Royal Systems

There used to be a Village Court (Village Munsiff Court) at Madathumpady in the Panchayat. This court was established to settle minor cases in the village. It was customary to nominate the judges to this court. Later, this village court was abolished and merged with the Munsiff Court.

There was a palace (Kovilakam) of the Cochin Royal Family located on the western side of the Poyya Karthikakkavu Temple. This was used as a residence for the Kings who visited Karthikakkavu for worship and bhajanam (devotional retreats).

Infrastructure Development

At the beginning of the century, there were no motorable roads in this Panchayat. The first road, the Chettiparambu-Valiyaparambu Road, was cut during the administration of Aphrem Ambookan. It is understood that the old roads of the Panchayat were also constructed during his tenure.

The History of Nedumkotta (The Travancore Lines)

Nedumkotta, a historical marvel that stretched from the Arabian Sea to the Anamala mountains, effectively dividing Kerala into two, passes through this Panchayat. To prevent continuous attacks from the Zamorin, the King of Travancore, Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma Maharaja, built this 56-kilometer-long fort in a very short span of days, with the permission and assistance of Cochin.

This fort served as a barrier against the invasions of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Nedumkotta, which now remains only in memory, was constructed after 1761 AD. Eustachius Benedict D'Lannoy, the commander-in-chief of the Travancore army, prepared the blueprint for this construction project. At Krishnankotta, where the fort begins, there was a cave capable of hiding around a hundred people. Its remnants were discovered recently when foundations were dug for house construction. It is said that two thousand of Tipu’s soldiers perished after falling into the ditch of this fort, and Tipu himself sustained a leg injury here.

Land Reforms and Socio-Economic Changes

In the early days, most of the land in this Panchayat was held by a handful of feudal landlords (Janmis) and Devaswoms (temple authorities). When the Land Reform Act came into effect, those who tilled the land became owners of 10 cents of land.

A rigid caste system was once highly prevalent in this Panchayat. The social atmosphere here was filled with masters and slaves, walls of religion and caste, superstitions, and social evils. It was a time of local managers (*Karyasthas*) who would offer their own mouths instead of a spittoon for the upper-class lords to spit betel juice, an elite class that found satisfaction in blaming their own faults on the weak, and upper-caste lords who practiced "social service" by digging holes in the courtyard to pour kanji (rice gruel) for those working in the fields. It was a village filled with hills and narrow dirt paths, where Aksharaslokams (poetic verses) echoed from the Illams (mansions) of those who had monopolized education. This was the sight Poyya village would have presented when the sun opened its eyes at the dawn of the 20th century.

Namboothiri landlords were the primary group that held the land. However, with the implementation of the Land Reform Act, the economic status of the Namboothiri community transformed. Except for a small portion of Devaswom land, the majority of the places in this Panchayat were under the control of three prominent Manas (feudal mansions): Thamarassery Maykkad Mana, Kizhiyedath Mana, and Meledath Mana. Today, this is a region where Hindus, Christians, and Muslims live together in harmony.

Art, Culture, and Literature

The 'Kattookaran Chanthu Sannappan Memorial Kathakali Natya Sangham' (KCSM), an institution exclusive to the Kudumbi community, has been functioning here since 1920. Ezhikkara Padmanabha Pillai (Nair) was the first Kathakali Guru to come here. This dance troupe still exists today.

Puthiyedath Raman Menon, a profound scholar of Ashtanga Hridayam, is a person who will always be remembered in this Panchayat. He wrote Sararthabodhini, a commentary on Sutrasthana—the most important among the six sections of Ashtanga Hridayam—as well as Shirassekadividhi, a text detailing Panchakarma treatment.

Geography and Boundaries

Poyya Grama Panchayat is situated in Mala Block under Kodungallur Taluk of Thrissur District. Spread across the villages of Poyya, Madathumpady, and Pallippuram, the Poyya Grama Panchayat covers an area of 19.78 square kilometers.

The Panchayat has 16 wards and its boundaries are:

East: Mala and Kuzhur Panchayats
South:Puthenvelikkara and Kuzhur Panchayats
West: Puthenchira Panchayat and Kodungallur Municipality
North: Mala and Puthenchira Panchayats

The northwestern part of Poyya Grama Panchayat is connected to the Arabian Sea and the Periyar River. Consequently, this region is a waterlogged area filled with backwaters, canals, Pokkali fields, and marshes, while the southeastern part of the region forms a freshwater zone.