The Payyanur Poduvals are often categorized along with the
large ambalavasi community by the same name, residing in Thrissur and neighboring
districts. In fact Payyanur Poduvals are distinct and forms a separate
community without any connection between poduvals elsewhere. Payyanur poduvals
have their origin with the establishment
of Payyanur Subramanya temple. History reveals us that the first Brahmin settlement in Kerala is Payyanur
which was a leading village or gramam which eventually enjoyed the position of
the Brahmin capital in Kerala. Before
Brahmin settlement the population of Payyanur was small. The land was waterlogged and devoid of
any cultivation. That is why we cannot find any remains of prehistoric
habitation in and around the present day Payyanur, barring , of course the
stone drawings and burials cites at places like ettukudukka and ezhimala. The
Brahmins easily made a domination over the local inhabitants with their
knowledge of paddy cultivation and astrology. They dug canals for draining
water to the rivers and made the fields suitable for paddy cultivation. They
brought alongwith them the plough , paddy and some insights regarding the
advent of monsoon beforehand so that the land and paddy saplings could be made ready before the fields get
flooded. The entire era of subjugation, with the land owners slowly converting
to laboureres and the foreigners as their masters thus began. The Brahmins
easily accessed all land and made it the property of the main deity,
Payyanur Subramanya swamy. The land
became devaswom with the landlord at the
helm of affairs and the Brahmins started to rule the land in the name of God.
In fact the migration of Brahmins
started much earlier and the male foreigners
married the women from higher castes like Nairs and Nambiars. The offsprings
from such unions are believed to be the forefathers of Payyanur Poduvals. The
temple administration needed help from the local community for its day to day functioning.
The search for a community which is predominantly vegetarian finally zeroed on
Poduval families. Ten families were brought from neighboring places for the
purpose. Besides marars as drummers and their women folk for making garlands
for the deity, the entire duties connected with the temple were entrusted with these ten families. Keeping
the temple accounts, providing security, cleaning the sanctum sanctorum etc
were given to these families in turns called oozhams
These families later became the heart
of the main poduval community. They are
POONTHURUTHI, UTHAMANTHIL, EDICHERY,
KARANTA, KURUNTHIL, PARANTHATTA, KARIPPATH, VELLORA, THEPPATH, KELAN
Later on all these ten families grew
in number and several new groups originated with new names. Even now the
payyanur temple is administered by a committee comprising of six
representatives of Brahmin families, viz Thelakkat mana, Kunhimangalath mana,
Thaliyil mana, Rayaramangalath mana (called Ooralanmar) and 15 representatives
from Poduval community (Two each from
Poonthuruthi, Uthamanthil, Edichery, Karanta, Kurunthil and one each from
Paranthatta, Karippath, Vellora, Theppath and Kelan(Kaaralanmaar)
When the gramam grew Poduval
community emerged very strong as the landlord appointed them in chief positions.
Payyanur is a typical village with all communities living in harmony. Every
community has a mother deity and a kavu revered by all members. Usually a
poduval is appointed as a Koima to these kavus. The koima acts as a mediator
for the community.
In modern times, When Tippu marched
to Malabar almost all the Brahmin landlords escaped to Travancore. Tippu authorized
their powers to Poduval chieftains. Thus they grew very powerful until the
death of tippu. When the British gained power, the Brahmins were brought back and
the land was again assigned to them.
https://youtu.be/eTb1YUtDXSQ
