Aymanam
Grama Panchayat

Aymanam’s history is interwoven with legends and realities. Legend has it that the forest region where the five Pandavas stayed during their exile was known as Aivar Vanam, and that over time this place came to be known as Aymanam. The present-day Aymanam Grama Panchayat was formed by combining Kudamaloor and Aymanam, two territorial divisions that were under the control of the local rulers of Thekkumkoor and Chempakassery. Kudamaloor was a region cleverly obtained from the King of Thekkumkoor with the help of some soldiers from Travancore by the widow of the Chempakassery Mana who had lost the hereditary rights over the Kumaranalloor temple, her son Unni Namboothiri, his grandmother, and their dependent who was known by the name Aymanam. It is said that, understanding the pitiable condition of Unni Namboothiri and others, the King of Thekkumkoor even ordered them to claim from his kingdom as much land as could be cut down in one day with a sword, and that the village or territory thus claimed by the resourceful Aymanam with the help of soldiers using the sword given by the king gradually became known as Kudamaloor. Some records state that Kunchan Nambiar, who was a poet in the court of the Chempakassery king, lived in Kudamaloor and wrote Kiratham Vanchippattu there. While Kudamaloor was the headquarters of the ministers of Chempakassery, Aymanam was the headquarters of the ministers of Thekkumkoor. Thalikotta, where the fort and palace were situated, lay on the southern boundary of Aymanam. The Cheramar Sabha, Bharathar Mahasabha, Vanika Vaishya Sangham, Viswabrahma Samajam, and Viswakarma Sabha, belonging to backward communities, also function in various parts of this panchayat. Aymanam was a region where landlordism remained strong even after royal rule had ended. Even after independence, all the agricultural land in Aymanam Panchayat was in the possession of three landlords. Inspired by the Punnapra-Vayalar struggle, the All Travancore Agricultural Labourers’ Union was formed with Mankombu as its centre. Under the leadership of the All Travancore Agricultural Labourers’ Union, struggles were conducted in various places for wages and shares.

Cultural History

The Ottathookkam offering at the Karikulankara Devi Temple in Kudamaloor is a special ritual found only in a few rare temples in Kerala. The Medam festival at the Parippu Shilakshetra Temple, the Arattu held on the Thiruvonam day in the month of Chingam at the Aymanam Narasimhapuram Temple, and the Kuthiyottam held in connection with the Meenabharani festival at the Kummanam Ilankavu Temple are all festival celebrations that proclaim the cultural heritage of the region. The Neenthunercha held on Good Friday at St. Mary’s Church in Kudamaloor is very famous. Hindus, Christians, and Muslims are the major religious communities in this village. Various distinct and diverse celebrations are conducted according to customary rituals, centred around their places of worship. CVN Kalari in Kudamaloor and Garuda Gymnasium in Kudayampady provide excellent training in the field of sports. Prof. Aymanam Krishnakaimal is a renowned teacher and well-known author. His Attakatha Doctor Faustus is a work that has earned a permanent place among readers. The visual memorial building named Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair Shashtyabdipoorthi Memorial Hall, constructed in connection with the sixtieth birthday celebrations of the blessed artist Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, who presented the eternally youthful female characters of Kathakali stages on stage in an unforgettable manner, stands tall near Ambadikkavala as a recognition of his unparalleled services to the field of art. Narayana Mooss, a successor of Olassa Chirattaman Mooss, who was a Kottarakkara physician belonging to the lineage of the prominent Ashtavaidya physicians, was also a great personality who demonstrated exceptional expertise in the field of medicine. N.N. Pillai, who left his distinctive mark in the worlds of theatre and cinema through his unique style and shone brightly by turning everything he touched into gold, is another pillar of fame of this village.

Aymanam Grama Panchayat is the grama panchayat comprising Aymanam and Perumpaikad (part) villages in Ettumanoor Block of Kottayam Taluk in Kottayam district. The panchayat has an area of 30.03 square kilometres, and its boundaries are Kudamaloor River and Pennarthodu to the north, Kottayam Municipality to the east, Enadi Thodu, Chungam River, and Ilankavu Thodu to the south, and Vembanad Lake to the west.

In a sense, Aymanam can be called a land of temples. There are about thirty Hindu temples, both large and small, ten Christian places of worship, and two Muslim mosques here. In addition, there are four Sree Narayana Guru temples under the SNDP and two Viswakarma temples. Since the period of royal rule, the Nair Service Society had been actively carrying out community welfare activities. Karayogam activities in the panchayat began at Parippu. A high school under the Parippu Karayogam is functioning well. Aymanam is a humid valley region surrounded by the Chungam and Kudamaloor branches of the Meenachil River, which originates in the Poonjar hills of Kottayam district, flows through various areas of Meenachil and Kottayam taluks, and empties into Vembanad Lake. Numerous streams, a part of Vembanad Lake, and the tributaries of the Meenachil River are the water sources. The soil here is generally fertile. In general, the village slopes from east to west. Aymanam was once a region where upper-caste dominance and caste-based inequalities were strongly prevalent. Aymanam is a region that stands at the forefront in the field of education in Kottayam district. British colonial rule and the activities of missionaries subjected the cultural heritage of this region to English influence. During the period of the local kingdoms, Aymanam’s culture developed around temples. Some records state that Kunchan Nambiar, who was a patron of the Chempakassery king, wrote Kiratham Vanchippattu while staying at the northern tower of the Vasudevapuram Temple in Kudamaloor.