Old photos from Kannur 1901-02

കണ്ണൂരിൽനിന്നും

 

Anybody can identify this places and its situation now?

 

 ഈ ചിത്രങ്ങൾ കണ്ണൂരിൽനിന്നും 1 9 0 1 ൽ ഒഎടുത്തതാണ് . ഇപ്പോൾ ഈ സ്ഥലങ്ങൾ എവിടെ ആണെന്ന് ആര്കെങ്കിലും അറിയാമോ

Road from Mahe to Chombala  in 1855



Title: "An alley of coconut palms behind Mahé, leading to Chombala."
Creator: Richter, Christian Georg (Mr)
Date: 05.07.1855-31.05.1860

Road from Mahe to Chombala  in 1855

Now NH 17..



തെയ്യം, 1901.



തെയ്യം, 1901.



ദൈവത്താര്‍ , കാനത്തൂര്‍ അമ്പലം, കണ്ണൂര്‍



നെയ്ത്തുശാല, കണ്ണൂര്‍, 1902.

 

Solved ones

മുസ്ലീംപള്ളി, ചിറക്കല്‍ , കണ്ണൂര്‍ MUSLIM MOSQUE@CHIRAKKAL-MADE IN ORIGINAL KERALA FASHION 1901

Title: "Mosque in Tshirakal."
Creator: unknown
Date:

 

 

 

1910
payyambalam Bridge

 

Payyambalam Beach and new bridge 2010

Iritty Bridge 1940

 

 



Iritty  bridge 1933

 

 

Wayanad History

As  a local Young man I thought Wayanad covered with   full of forest and there may be a minimal human interaction and so historical importance will be less. But  when studied and  I reached the bottom, I feel it is so vibrant and  there are a number of tales to tell by these mesmerising hills.

We got evidence  from Edakkal cave- prehistory

Then numerous  narrations under Pazhassi and British rule- written history

I think most important3  books on modern Wayanad  are Logan’s Malabar Manual 1887,T.K.Gopala Panikkar’s Malabar and Its Folk 1900 ,C. Gopalan Nair,  Malabar Series : Wynad, Its Peoples and Traditions (1911).I depend  mainly these three books.

 

Logan’s Malabar Manual (1887) has inspired many of his successors to study the customs, traditions and the economy of the area in great detail. The most notable of these were Malabar and Anjengo (1905) by Evans and Innes; Malabar Gazetteer (1908) by C.A. Innes; and A Descriptive Memoir of Malabar (1906) by Lts. Ward and Conner.

Local writers were also inspired by Logan’s example to write on Malabar. The pioneering work in this vein was T.K.Gopala Panikkar’s Malabar and Its Folk (1900

A work, more in line with Logan, was that of Rao Bahadur C. Gopalan Nair, Deputy Collector, Malabar, published with a foreword from Mr.R.B. Wood, ICS, then Collector of Malabar. The book, Malabar Series : Wynad, Its Peoples and Traditions (1911) attempted a detailed study of the political and social history of the place, its people (both the rulers and the ruled) and a study of the beginnings of plantation in Wynad. The most valuable portion of this book is an anthropological study of the tribals and a good summary of the various non-tribal communities of Wynad. The author, who was posted at Mananthawady (Manantoddy, as it was then called) as the Deputy Collector, reveals the instinct of a social scientist in his analysis of the symbiotic relationships in this remote part of Malabar which had known peace only for a generation, after the bloody Pazhassi wars.

POLITICAL HISTORY

Wynad stands unique in its political history. This was the only taluk in Mala- bar which never bowed its neck to the Mysore yoke and which defied the British power until its ruler fell, fighting against thetroops of the East India Company. This ruler was the Kerala Varma Raja of Pazhassi Kovilagam (Pazhassi palace) of Kottayam dynasty and his history is practically the political history of Wynad from 1786 to 30th November, 1805.

Hyder Ali's hordes were devastating Malabar in 1766 and the rulers of Kottayam(North) had fled for safety to Travancore where the child Kerala Varma was living* with his relations. Wynad remained undisturbed until 1773, when a Mysorean army passed through the country by the Tamarasseri ghat on its way to Calicut.

In 1780 on the outbreak of the second Mysore War, Ravi Varma the senior Raja, returned from Travancore with his nephew Kerala Varma and assisted the beleaguered English factors at the seige of Tellicherry with an army of 2,000 Nayars, and in 1786 when Ravi Varma visited Tippu Sultan inCoorg, he the Sultan exacted from him a deed of relinquishment of all his rights over Wynad.

The Kottayam family had then three
branches :

1. Kizhekke Kovilagam Eastern Palace.

2. Patinhare Kovilagam Western Palace.

3. Thelcke Kovilagam Southern Palace.

 

PAZHASSI RULE

Wynad was under the sovereignty of the Western branch of which Kerala Varma was the head. Heresented the action of the senior Raja and refused to submit to the Mysoreans with whom he was engaged in desultory warfare from 1787 to the beginning of the Third Mysore War in 1790. On 4th May of that year, Robert Taylor, chief of the English settlement at Tellicherry granted a cowle to Kerala Varma Raja that the English East India Company would assist and protect him and do every thing in their power to render him independent of Tippu if he would enter heartily into  the war against the Sultan. The war was waged, and under the treaty of peace dated 18th March, 1792, Malabar was ceded to the Company by the Sultan of Mysore. It was a disputed point whether Wynad was included in this cession and it was not decided until the arrival of Lord Mornington in India in 1798, when it was finally settled that Wynad had remained part of Tippu's dominions.

East India Com pany

As soon as the treaty of Seringapatam was signed in 1792, the East India Com pany appointed Joint Commissioners for the administration of Malabar. They committed the initial mistake of entrusting Kottayam to the Kurumbranad Raja, who had no influence in the country, and Kerala Varma Raja, who was all-powerful in Kottayam, promptly showed his contempt for both the alleged authority of his uncle the Kurumbranad Raja and the regulations of the East ndia Company by stopping all collections of revenue in the district and by taking the law in his own hands against erring Moplas.

Efforts were made by the Company to surprise the Raja in his palace at Pazhassi, in Kottayam Taluk, but the Raja had a secure retreat in the wilds of Wynad. The troops sent against him were hamper- ed by difficulties of transport and lack of supplies, and a series of minor revers- es culminated on March 18, 1797, in a detachment of 1,100 men being cut to pieces in the Peria pass. The Governor of Bombay and the Commander-in-Chief visited Malabar to investigate the state of the District and cancelled the agree- ment with the Kurumbranad Raja; peace was restored through the good offices of the Chirakkal Raja, Kerala Varma being- paid Rs. 8,000 a year as pension.
In 1799, after the fall of Seringapatam, Wynad had been ceded to the British but Kerala Varma Raja resisted all attempts of the Company to take possession of the country and persevered in hostilities until 1805.

 

Baber, Sub-Collector

 

On November 30th of that year, Mr. Baber, Sub-Collector of North Malabar Division surprised him in his retreat in the neighbour- hood of the Pulpalli forest and had the "infinite satisfaction " of reporting to Govern- ment that he had " the good fortune to come up with the Cotiote Kerala Varma Raja alias the Pyche Eaja and with the assistance of Captain Clapham and 50 Se- poys and 100 Kolkars 1 to chastise this rebel chieftain by destroying him and five of his followers." The rebellion died a natural death afterwards.

The following extract from Mr. Baber's letter 2 dated 31st December, 1805, to the Collector of Malabar explains the events immediately preceding the Raja's death and contains the writer's views as regards the Raja's character. To the student of Wynad history it is interesting reading.

" Having said this much of the plan of
operations that had been adopted, I now
come to those which terminated the career
of the Pyche (Palassi) chieftain."

" I before said that one of my objects
by getting in the inhabitants of Pulpally
was to obtain accurate information
of the rebels. This I did not think prudent
to commence upon too early lest they
should take the alarm. I preferred trying
all my persuasive means to gain their con-
fidence and to wean them from their
connections. For this purpose I had them
before me and took every opportunity of
representing the folly of countenancing
a body of men so truly contemptible, and
who had no other end than to involve
them in one common ruin. I pointed to
them in the strongest colours the power
and lenity of the British Government, and
at last, what with exhortation and occasional
presents, had succeeded in inducing several
of these, who had been of most essential
service to the Raja's party, to send their
Paniyars (Paniyar agricultural labourers) out
in quest of information. I took the pre-
caution of swearing all whom I employed
to secrecy. With many agents, I could not
fail of success in some one of them. On
the 30th ultimo, three of them at last
brought me intelligence of the Pyche
(Palassi) Raja and all the rebel leaders,
with the exception of Palora Jamen (Pallur
Eman) being then in the opposite side
of the Kangara river, a short distance in
Mysore, and this so unequivocally that I
determined to act upon it. I accordingly
requested of Lieutenant-Colonel Hill to
assist me with 50 Sepoys and an Officer,
with which force and about 100 kolkars,
half Captain Watson's Police, half my own
locals, I marched at nine o'clock at night ; and
such was the secrecy in which we set off that
our guides even did not know my intention
until the moment we took our departure.
Previous to this I had deemed it expedient to
make a feint to divert the attention of the
rebels (who I thought it probable might
have their spies in camp) by detaching
70 of my kolkars, under the Sheristadar,
under the pretext of going in pursuit of
Palora Jamen who was reported to be in
the Komanpany Mala in the South-eastern
direction, while they had secret instructions
after marching half-way to this mountain
to strike off eastward to the Kallir Mountain
and there lie in ambush near to paths to
cut off the retreat of any fugitives who
would, in most probability, go off in that
direction in the event of our party coming
up with the rebels.

" Such was the nature of the country that
although we kept marching the whole
night we did not reach the Kangara river
until seven the following morning. Here we
divided ourselves into two parties, and pro-
ceeding along the banks, observed a vast
number of huts, all of them bearing every
appearance of recent habitation : we continued
marching until nine o'clock, when the
detachment being fatigued, a halt was pro-
posed. We accordingly halted, and having
taken some refreshment, we again started,
with the determination of tracing every
jungly path : so fully pursuaded was I,
as well from the earnestness of our guides
as the consideration that this was a part
of Mysore that our troops had at no time
penetrated or perhaps even thought of
doing, that the rebels must be concealed
in some parts of these jungles. After
proceeding about a mile and a half through
very high grass and thick teak forests
into the Mysore country, Charen Subedar
of Captain Watson's armed police, who
was leading the advanced party suddenly
halted and beckoiming to me, told me
he heard voices. I immediately ran to the
spot, and having advanced a few steps, I
saw distinctly to the left about ten persons,
unsuspecting of danger, on the banks of the
Mavila Toda, or Nulla to our left. Although
Captain Clapham and the sepoys as well
as the greater part of the kolkars, were
in the rear, I still deemed it prudent
to proceed, apprehensive lest we should
be discovered and all hopes of surprise
thereby frustrated. I accordingly ordered
the advance, which consisted of about
thirty men, to dash on, which they ac-
cordingly did with great gallantry, with
Charen Subedar at their head. In a
moment the advance was in the midst
of the enemy, fighting most bravely. The
contest was but of short duration. Several
of the rebels had fallen, whom the
kolkars were despatching, and a running
fight was kept up after the rest till we
could see no more of them. Just at this
time a firing was heard to the right;
we accordingly returned, when we saw the
sepoys and kolkars engaged with a fresh
body of rebels, who proved to be of
Ooongan's (Kungan's) party, but who fled
after a few shots had been fired at them
and though pursued, were seen nothing
more of. From one of the rebels of the
first party to the left, whom I discovered
concealed in the grass, I learnt that the
Pyche (Palassi) Raja was amongst those
whom we first observed on the banks of
the Nulla, and it was only on my return
from the pursuit that I learnt that the
Raja was amongst the first who had fallen.
It fell to the lot of one of my Cutcherry
servants, Canara Menon, to arrest the flight
of the Raja, which he did at the hazard
of his life (the Raja having put his musket
to his breast) and it is worthy of mention
that this extraordinary personage, though in
the moment of death, called out in the
most dignified and commanding manner to
the Menon, " Not to approach and defile
his person ". Aralat Cootty Nambiar, the
only one remaining of those rebels pro-
scribed by Colonel Stevenson and a most
faithful adherent of the Raja made a most
desperate resistance, but at last fell over-
powered by the superior skill of one
of the parbutties (pravritti) in Wynad ;
four other followers of the Raja were
also killed, two taken prisoners together
with the Raja's lady and several female
attendants. There was no other property
discovered, but a gold Cuttaram (Katharam
or Kattaram dagger) or knife and a waist-
chain ; the former I have now in my pos-
session, the latter I presented to Captain
Clapham. And from the accounts of the
Raja's lady, they had been reduced to the
greatest distresses in particular for the last
ten days. The Raja's body was taken up
and put into my palanquin, while the lady
who was dreadfully reduced from sickness
was put into Captain Clapham's. Finding
any further pursuit of the rebel useless,
we made a disposition of our forces and
returned to Chomady which we reached
about six in the afternoon without having
met with any further occurrences on the
road. The following day the Raja's body
was despatched under a strong escort to
Manantoddy, and the Sheristadar sent with
it with orders to assemble all the Brahmins
and to see that the customary honours
were performed at his funeral. I was
induced to this conduct from the considera-
tion that although a rebel, he was one of
the natural chieftains of the country, and
might be considered on that account rather
as a fallen enemy. If I have acted injudi
ciously, I hope some allowances will be made
for my feelings on such an occasion.

" Thus terminated the career of a man
who has been enabled to persevere in
hostilities against the Company for nearly
nine years, during which many thousand
valuable lives have been sacrificed and
sums of money beyond all calculation
expended.

" Notwithstanding that every effort of
moderation and lenity was pursued towards
the Kaja, nothing could get the better of
his natural restlessness and ferocity of dis-
position, which, aided by the evil counsels
of his advisers, impelled him to the most
desperate acts and produced an infatuation
which rendered him insensible to the dictates
of humanity or reason. His annihilation
became necessary for the stability and
security of the Government and its subjects.
While this severe necessity existed, the re-
collection of the services he has performed
during the infancy of our Government can-
not but inspire us with a sentiment of
regret that a man so formed should have
pursued a conduct that should have thrown
so insuperable a bar to all kinds of accommoda-
tions. To temporise further than was done
would have been to yield, and to have
yielded would have afforded a precedent
which might have been fatal to the British
Government in India.

"But it will not be necessary for me to
enlarge to you who are so well acquainted
with this chieftain's history, on the leading
features of so extraordinary and singular
a character. The records in England and
India will convey to posterity a just idea
of him."

Mr. Baber admired the great qualities of the Raja and remarked that the inhabitants entertained towards the Raja " a regard and respect bordering on veneration which not even his death can efface." These words were prophetic; more than a century has passed and his name is still cherished by the people as the Saktan 1 Raja.

 

VALLIYURKAVE SHRINE,MANANTHAVADY

It  is festival time in my homeland.Valliyoorkavu utsavam. Everybody might have enjoy.

 

 

The pictures are taken from the historical book of CN Gopalan Nair, first publshed on 1911.That was the only kind of book that gives some glimps of old Wayanad rather than Malabar Manuel. I read the MAlabar Manual in my age 30 and regreted of been late. My birth place is Mananthavady and Wayanad is a favourite to me always. But negleted the histoy and thought there is full of forest, and any historical importance will be minimal.I think we all study the local history more importantly from childhood curriculam.

I also regret I been studied sceince, and duze preciuos years in Medical College Calicut. I think I enjoyed a few months learning Arts in parellal college as an art student for BA.

Valliyoorkavu Melekkavu.

THE VALLURKAVU SHRINE

It is located 2 km from Mananthavady on bank of R.Kabani. In my childhood Valliyoorkave festval was the grand Celebration of all wayanad.I saw hundreds of Tribal population on the last 3 days of the festival.I noted noe of them entered in Melekave due to some strange reason. we. with our family members visited this Shrine frequently and they lies deep in my heart as golden specs.

I remember all the years the festival and annual exam in school came together and we boys could not enjoy the full freedom of celebration.

Now my friend Prajith VM posted a new photo in FB,thanks for his effort.

The following brief account of the above

shrine appears in the Malabar Gazetteer :

"About two miles from Manan toddy on the banks of the river is the Vallurkavu, the famous fish pagoda, dedicated to Durga a,nd supposed to have been one of the four shrineserected to protect the Tirunelli temple. The Carnatic carp and other fish in the pool of the river adjoining the temple are sacred, and to feed them is a method of acquiring merit. This fact points to a Dravidian origin of the temple. Possibly it was at one time a temple of the Valluvars, a servile caste of labourers and fishermen. Thousands of pilgrims come for the temple festival which is held in March."

 

 

 

FROM GOPALAN NAIRS BOOK OF WAYANAD

 

Local tradition points to a quite different

origin which, as will be seen from the

following account, is traced to Kotungallur

(Cranganore) in the Cochin State.

Nalveettil Nambiars (lit., Nambiars of four

houses) are the Velichapads (oracles) attached

to the Cranganore temple. They lead an

itinerant life and live on the offerings

they receive from the Hindu houses. In

their perigrinatioiis they carry with them a

sword, which as an emblem of the deity,

serves as an easy passport for their livelihood.

In the olden days, two such men arrived

in Wynad, with the object of visiting the

holy shrine at Tirunelli. One morning they

left Maiiantoddy for the temple, but having

missed their way found themselves in a

thick jungle. The heat of the sun was

intense and the stream in the vicinity tempted

them to take a plunge therein. They per-

formed the usual puja to the sword, took

light refreshments and leaving the sword

in the adjoining ant-hill, rested in the

delightful shade of the thick foliage of trees

and were soon in the arms of Morpheus. When

they awoke they found the sword missing

and a search was made with no effect.

Meanwhile a Kurichiya boy who was grazing

his cattle brought the happy tidings that

a sword was seen suspended on a creeper on

the adjoining hill. The pilgrims hastened to

the spot and tried to take hold of the sword.

It would not leave the creeper in spite

of their efforts and they noticed the sword

rising higher and higher in the air the

moment they attempted to touch it. In

appealing terms they addressed the sword

and repeated several times the words

" Valliyur Amma " x (0 Mother ! disentangle

thyself from the creeper). These entreaties

were not responded to and the pilgrims

left the place in sad disappointment. The

matter was reported to the local chieftains,

Edachana Nair and Vemoth Nambiar, on

whose visit to the place, the sword was

found in the same position. They attempt-

ed to touch the sword and it dropped

down, sticking fast in the ground.

 

The

miraculous incident was reported to the

Raja of Kottayam, then the ruler of Wynad.

The Raja's visit to the spot was followed

by oracular utterances from a Velichapad

(oracle) in the following terms : " I desire

to settle in the locality in three different

places and in three different forms : first

as " Vana Durga " in the place where the

sword fell, as " Jala Durga " in the pool of

the adjoining stream and lastly as " Bhad-

rakali " in the middle of the above two

places and a temple should be erected

with the four eaves of the roof projecting

into the four oceans." The Raja express-

ed his utter inability to undertake the

construction of a temple in the manner

indicated ; whereupon the goddess declared

that no edifice was then necessary and

she would prefer to remain exposed to

the sun and rain.

 

 After this incident, the

Raja made arrangements for the daily

puja, which was entrusted to Cherangote

Nambidi, Edachana Nair and Vemoth Nambiar

who were appointed Managers. The three

centres specified in the divine message are

to this day held sacred and none ventures to

pollute their sanctity either by hunting in

the adjoining jungle, being the abode of

Vana Durga (i.e., Durga of the forest) or

fishing in the stream below, wherein the Jala

Durga (Durga of the water) is supposed to

reside. The ant-hill on which the sword rest-

ed prior to its disappearance, is known as

Maniputtu (Puttu ant-hill) where puja is

performed during the days of the annual fes-

tival. Just in front of the Maniputtu is the

Kali's shrine which remains closed, except

during the fourteen days of the festival.

 

 

OPPANA.

As a boy , I was atrracted some othe rituals too.There are small valliyurkaus in earest villages of MAnanthavady .I saw from near places of valliyur kavu temple, on the last days of festval a brach of tree PALA being  brougt to main temple It is here that during the last three days of the festival the Cherangote Nambidi (priest) exhibits to the public the exact form of the goddess, as appeared to him in a vision, hence the name "Oppana" by which the exhibition ceremony is termed. It is interest- ing to note that people from all parts of the Taluk, nay from the plains also, throng to the temple with the most anxious expecta- tion to have a look at the " Oppana," the prevailing idea being, that one blessed with the sight of the deity in this form will be free from all epidemic diseases during the year.

Other posts related to  Wayanad in this blog

 

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KALLI VALLI : VALLIYURKAVE SHRINE,MANANTHAVADY

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