Geography
Mayyanad Grama Panchayat, spread across an area of 1762 hectares, has a slightly elevated northeastern region, while the southwestern part belongs to the coastal belt. The northeastern areas exhibit hilly and midland characteristics. Mayyanad is located about 8.180 meters away from the National Highway and around 79.50 meters from the railway route, with the railway station situated nearby. The region is rich with backwaters, water bodies, forests, and lakes. The low-lying areas of the Panchayat are close to the sea, while the northeastern regions are elevated and suitable for agriculture.
The soil in this Panchayat is generally a mixture of alluvial and sandy soil. To enhance groundwater storage, which is the main source of water resources in the elevated areas, there are backwaters extending about 3.2 km in length, along with the Umayanoor stream connected to the Pattinam canal, and the Kavuchira stream flowing about 2 km before joining the National Highway. These water bodies merge together, and another stream from the northern Ela region passes through Mayyanad Panchayat for about 1.7 km before joining the Umayanoor lake after flowing another 1 km within the Panchayat. Apart from biodiversity components, numerous small canals extending nearly 3 km also contribute to the geographical uniqueness of Mayyanad.
The Panchayat consists mainly of fertile soil suitable for cultivation, and agriculture is the primary occupation of the majority of the population. Measures are taken to ensure clean water availability in all water sources, including Umayanoor Kayal and Paravoor Kayal. The area of Umayanoor Kayal is 0.825 square kilometers, while Paravoor Kayal covers 0.426 square kilometers. About 44 ponds are distributed across various wards of the Panchayat. The major agricultural crops here are coconut and paddy. The total cultivable area of Mayyanad Panchayat is 1247 hectares. Mixed farming practices are partially followed in the dry land areas. After coconut cultivation, paddy cultivation is the most important agricultural activity in the Panchayat. The largest and most scenic paddy field is the Umayanalloor Ela.
As an agricultural village, Mayyanad Panchayat is highly suitable for farming and livestock-related activities. Many families here depend mainly on cattle rearing. Mayyanad is a coastal village in Kollam district, situated in the central part of the erstwhile Venad kingdom that stretched from Kollam to southern Paravoor. It is believed that this is how the place came to be known as “Mayyanad.”
Due to the continuous pressure from local organizations, Village Unions as local self-governance institutions were established in a few villages of Travancore during the 1940s. Consequently, the Mayyanad Village Union was established in 1945.
Panayil Krishnan Muthalali was the first President. The establishment of the post office in 1880, the railway station in 1900, the telegraph office in 1946, and a government hospital in 1948 in this Panchayat was made possible through the efforts of socially committed public leaders of Mayyanad. In 1953, democratic Panchayats were introduced in all villages of Thiru-Kochi, and the Mayyanad Village Union became Mayyanad Panchayat. Professor K. Ravindran was its first Panchayat President. In 1962, Panchayat reorganization took place, and one ward of Mayyanad Grama Panchayat was merged with Eravipuram Panchayat.
At the site where the railway station now stands, the Panankavu royal palace existed during the sixteenth century. From there, a historic route led toward Thiruvananthapuram through Cheroor and eastward via Alumoodu, passing south of the Umayanalloor Temple. This ancient route, which extended through Kollam and Chirakkara, was known as the Kollam Peruvazhi. Dr. Edgar Thurston, in his book Castes and Tribes of Southern India, recorded Shasthamkotta as a major center of the Ezhava community. The history of this community is also described in C.V. Kunhiraman’s Grama Samudayam and C. Kesavan’s Jeevitha Samaram. In 1895, around 13,000 Ezhavas submitted a petition signed collectively to Dr. Palpu demanding rightful access to school education and government employment. Since the government did not permit them access to public schools, it allowed grants for schools established independently. Consequently, in 1896, two schools were sanctioned — one at Vellamanal and another at Paravoor. The first headmaster of the Vellamanal school was C.V. Kunhiraman. It was from such humble beginnings that the ancestors transformed this land into a developed region.
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, many people from Mayyanad have migrated abroad for employment. A recent survey indicates that around ten thousand people from this village work outside the Panchayat, of whom about three thousand work within India and seven thousand abroad. However, this income does not have a permanent or stable nature and remains dependent on external sources. Sustainable and progressive development is therefore essential, and the use of foreign income for the development of agriculture, industry, and technology should become part of our planning vision.
The people of Mayyanad have developed the strength to face complex challenges. They are efficient in their work and uphold strong human values. About 66% of the population here is educated, while 31% work in the service sector. Around 31% are graduates, and 8% possess professional degrees. The health standards and practices of the region are also commendable. On this occasion, we gratefully remember the wise and virtuous ancestors whose hard work and dedication enabled society to attain this level of progress.