Chenneerkara
Grama Panchayat

History of the Grama Panchayat

Among the historical records referring to Chenneerkara, the South Indian Inscriptions of Robert Sewell are considered to be of particular importance. Robert Sewell has recorded that the Chenneerkara Swarupam, which included the Kodumon region, was ruled by kings bearing the title of Shakthi Bhadran. Although there are no historical records establishing the exact period when the Chenneerkara royal family shifted its headquarters from Chenneerkara to Kodumon, the Valiyathara house, temple and extensive sacred groves that still exist at Chenneerkara provide grounds to assume that Valiyathara was the ancestral home of the Chenneerkara royal family. The Valiyathara house was constructed according to the traditional architectural principles of ancient Kerala.

Over the course of time, the Chenneerkara royal family became extinct and merged with the Pandya dynasty of the Kingdom of Pandalam. During the reign of Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore, this princely state later became part of Travancore, as it did not have sufficient wealth to pay tribute towards the war expenses of Travancore.

Historians have recorded that Shakthi Bhadran, a Sanskrit poet and Malayali Brahmin born in the Chenneerkara Swarupam in the 9th century AD, was the author of Ascharyachoodamani, considered the first Sanskrit drama in South India. It has also been recorded that he was a contemporary of Adi Shankaracharya.

Although several linguistic interpretations have been suggested regarding the origin of the place name Chenneerkara, the more credible interpretation is that the word Chenneer originated from the contraction of Chemanneer (Chem + Neer). The interpretation that Chenneerkara means a place where wars were fought, or a place where blood was shed, is considered more plausible. This interpretation gains further significance from the historical reference that the Muripparambu ground at Chenneerkara was once a place where soldiers practised warfare techniques.

Chenneerkara Grama Panchayat is a region blessed with natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. The murals, wooden sculptures and architectural beauty of the Thumpamon Vadakkumnatha Temple, constructed by the rulers of the Chenneerkara Swarupam, are evidence of the antiquity of Chenneerkara's cultural history. The murals, painted using naturally sourced materials such as plant extracts, coloured stones and charcoal, have survived without damage for all these years, indicating the excellence of the painting techniques of that period.

The Christian pilgrimage centre at Manjinikkara, where the tomb of Moran Mar Ignatius Elias III Patriarchal Bava is located, has gained international recognition. The Manjinikkara Dayara, which houses this pilgrimage centre, the century-old Thumpamon Bethel Mar Thoma Parish, and the Thumpamon Kadheesa Orthodox Church are the major Christian places of worship in the Panchayat.

Several patriots from this region participated in the great conference held at Muripparambu as part of the Abstention Movement of 1932 and in the Civil Disobedience Declaration held at Ambalathumbattu as part of the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1938. Adv. V. K. Varghese of Nallanikunnu Vettinilkkunnathil was a respected personality who was among the leading figures of the State Congress.

Before the formation of Chenneerkara Panchayat in 1953, this area was part of the Omalloor Village Union. Following the formation of the Panchayat, elections were held in six wards, including one double-member constituency, and seven members were elected.

In earlier times, the paddy fields in the region were cultivated with proper care and attention. Today, many of these fields are gradually giving way to other forms of cultivation and development. Paddy fields are increasingly being filled for the construction of houses and for the cultivation of long-term crops such as coconut and rubber. Such changes can be seen throughout the region.

Modern educational institutions in this village were established mainly by Christian missionaries and private agencies. Before this, traditional Asan Kalari centres and Sanskrit education systems were prevalent in the region. These traditional systems have gradually disappeared.

Based on the available information, Prakkanam C.M.S. L.P. School appears to be the oldest educational institution in the Panchayat. The school was established in 1875 by C.M.S. missionaries.

The people living along the banks of the Achenkovil River in this Panchayat once maintained waterway connections with places such as Alappuzha and Kollam. However, with the development of the Omalloor–Kulanada Road parallel to the Achenkovil River and its connection with the M.C. Road, waterway transportation gradually came to an end.