History of Grama Panchayat
History of Grama Panchayat
Toponymy
Originally, the Grama Panchayat was known as the "Puthuppally Village Union," and even today, this region remains registered as "Puthuppally Village." One interpretation of the name is that it evolved from "Puthiya Palli" (meaning 'New Church' or 'New Temple').
However, another prominent argument links the name to Buddhism. Buddhist monks used to refer to their monasteries (Viharas) as Pallis. There is fairly reliable evidence suggesting that several parts of the Kollam and Alappuzha districts once housed Buddhist monasteries. It is highly possible that the name "Puthuppally" originated from the region's historical connection to Buddhism.
The current name of the Panchayat, Devikulangara, is derived from the famous Devikulangara Temple. Geographically, before the 4th century AD, this entire area was likely covered in mangrove forests. Organized agriculture began spreading here between the 4th and 8th centuries AD, meaning today's agricultural lands were carved out by clearing those mangroves. This theory is supported by the remains of mangrove trees discovered during excavations in various parts of the Panchayat.
🇮🇳 National Movement
The seeds of the national freedom struggle in Puthuppally were primarily sown by Kadavakkattil J. Raman Menon, B.A., B.L. He abandoned his legal practice and joined the Congress party, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's call to boycott British courts.
Following Gandhiji’s directive to set up local Congress committees across Travancore, a historic meeting was convened in Puthuppally in 1922 at the Vembanaattu property. This was the very first Congress meeting held in Puthuppally.
As a result of subsequent nationalist activities, a National School was established, and vocational handicraft training programs were launched. At this National School, languages like Sanskrit, Malayalam, Hindi, and English were taught alongside subjects like Mathematics, History, and Geography. Pit looms and spinning wheels (charkhas) were actively used to manufacture Khadi and handloom clothing.
Many residents of Puthuppally proudly participated in the historic Vaikom Satyagraha and the Thiruvarppu strike. Furthermore, the speech delivered by the legendary poet Mahakavi Vallathol in 1923 during the anniversary of the Rajarajah Varma Library remains a celebrated milestone in local history, paving the way for extensive local campaigns against untouchability.
🤝 Social Reform Movements
In 1895, during the tenure of Diwan Sankara Subbaiyan, a landmark decision was made stating that special schools should be granted to marginalized (Avarna) communities if they requested them. The school granted under this policy to a member of the Varanappally family is what we know today as the Puthuppally North Government U.P. School.
A student named Velumban, who cleared the 4th standard from this school, was enrolled in the Kayamkulam English School by his father, Kunjan, to pursue English education. One day, henchmen hired by the upper-class landlords intercepted young Velumban on his way to school, mixed cow dung in water, and poured it over his head. In strong protest against this atrocity, a massive protest meeting was organized at the Thottathil School under the leadership of Brahmavidyabhushan P.K. Panicker.
Velumban, who went on to pass his School Final, later founded the Akhila Thiruvithamkoor Thandar Mahajana Sabha (All Travancore Thandar Mahajana Sabha). He became a prominent leader, famously known as Kunjan Velumban I, and was only the second person from the Scheduled Caste community to become a member of the historic Sree Moolam Praja Sabha (Travancore's Popular Assembly).
Later, as part of the 1114 (Malayalam Era) civil disobedience movement, the police denied permission for a political propaganda rally in Puthuppally that was to be attended by Ayyankali. In a brilliant move to outsmart the police, Congress activists lined up country boats in the Kayamkulam Lake (near the T.M. Chira side) to construct a floating platform. Standing on this makeshift stage, leaders like Kariyil E.V. Krishnan, Vellisseri Damodaran, and Kakkanattu Purushothaman successfully delivered their defiant, law-breaking revolutionary speeches.