69-592: Kurichiya or Kurichiyar also known as Hill Brahmins or Malai Brahmins are a matrilineal tribe of Kerala distributed mainly in Wayanad and Kannur districts of Kerala , India . Kurichiyans are one of the Scheduled Tribes of Kerala practicing agriculture. The name Kurichiyan was given by the Kottayam Raja to this class of people as they were adepts in archery and shooting. The word Kurichiyan
138-490: A 'dangerous interpretation of the script'. Varier, who discovered the inscription read it as 'Sri Vazhumi' meaning 'Sri Brahma' in Tamil and dated it to 3rd–4th century CE, whereas Vedachalam, read it as 'Vazhumi' and dated it to 5th–6th century CE. The Mooshaka kings were considered descendants of Nannan. By the 14th century, Mooshaka Kingdom was known as Kolathirinad and its rulers as Kolathiris . The Kolathunad Kingdom at
207-542: A century back, defied British power, and found themselves compelled to earn their living as labourers due to lack of access to education. Today, Kurichiyans are one of the Scheduled Tribes of Kerala. Descendants of the Kurichiya tribes that fought the British alongside Pazhassi Raja have their settlements in and around Banasura Hill . In fact there are four tribal villages lying close to Banasura Hill , three belonging to
276-552: A gross storage capacity of 76.50 M Cum and live storage capacity of 72.00 M Cum. The soil and climate of Wayanad are suitable for horticulture on a commercial basis. For promoting the cultivation of vegetables and establishing orchards, the Kerala Agricultural University is running a regional Agricultural Research Station at Ambalavayal. Elephant, bear and other wild animals from the neighbouring wild life sanctuaries of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, stray into
345-802: A tributary of the Kaveri River , originates at Wayanad. Wayanad district, along with the Chaliyar valley in the neighbouring Nilambur (Eastern Eranad region) in Malappuram district , is known for natural gold fields, which are also seen in other parts of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve . The Chaliyar river, which is the fourth longest river of Kerala, originates on the Wayanad plateau. The historically important Edakkal Caves are located in Wayanad district. Wayanad district
414-544: A year, toddy, meat, etc., are placed in a room for their use and subsequently enjoyed by the Kurichiyans. They occupy the highest status among the Wynad tribes in point of caste, they do not take meals of any castes. Their houses are supposedly polluted if any other caste man should enter the same, and the slightest suspicion is enough to put a man or woman out of the caste. These outcastes have, on such occasion, been taken to
483-737: Is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala , with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta . It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau , the southern portion of the Deccan Plateau . It is set high in the Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2,100 meters. Vellari Mala, a 2,240 m (7,349 ft) high peak situated on
552-413: Is a considerable Kannada speaking population and the reminiscence of centuries old Karnataka rule is omnipresent in Wayanad. Agriculture Cultivation started broadly after 1900 A.D onwards. The British authorities opened up the plateau to cultivation of tea and other cash crops by constructing roads across the dangerous slopes of Wayanad, to Kozhikode and Thalassery . Later, they extended these new roads to
621-404: Is believed that Manikyapuri was at the present day Manichira. The location of Ksheerapuri is not yet identified. Kalpathi may be Kalpetta, the present day Wayanad district headquarters, Anjukunnu was then Hanjugondu, etc. When Wayanad was under Hyder Ali 's rule, the ghat road from Vythiri to Thamarassery was constructed. Then the British rulers developed this route to Carter road. When Wayanad
690-428: Is bordered by Karnataka ( Kodagu , Chamarajanagar and Mysore districts) to the north and north-east, Tamil Nadu ( Nilgiris district ) to the south-east (it is the only district that shares border with both the neighbouring states of Kerala), Malappuram to the south, Kozhikode to the south-west and Kannur to the north-west. Pulpally in Wayanad boasts the only Lava - Kusha temple in Kerala and Vythiri has
759-403: Is derived from two words kuri (target) and chiyan (people). Generally their houses are found in clusters and cluster of houses in one settlement is called Mittom also known as Tharavadu . A lineage head called Karanavar heads a Mittom . In addition to Karanavan , Kurichiya society includes medicine man, and other social functionaries such as Pittan . Joint family system is common among
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#1732779726381828-581: Is ideally placed in the foothills of Banasura hills, which got its name from 'Banasura', the son of King Mahabali, the famous ruler of Kerala. The dam here was constructed on behalf of the Banasurasagar project in 1979, to support the Kakkayam Hydroelectric power project and to meet the water demand for irrigation and drinking purposes. The dam, located around 21 km away from Kalpetta is a tourist destination in Wayanad. Banasura dam
897-648: Is made up of massive stacks of stones and boulders. Karapuzha Dam is considered to be one of the biggest earth dams in India, which has been constructed on the Karapuzha River, a tributary of the Kabini River. Vazhavatta in Vythiri taluk of Wynad district for providing irrigation to an area of 5580 ha (CCA) say 5600 hectare in Vythiri and Sultan Bathery taluks of Wynad district of Kerala. The reservoir has
966-615: Is said to be 148. During colonial era, the Kurichya tribe has been well documented in their help of King Pazhassi Raja of Wayanad to fight against the British (during the last decades of the 18th century). Subsequent to the death of Pazhassi Raja, the Kurichiyars and Kurumbers in 1812 unsuccessfully revolted. Kurichiyas thus represent a tribal community that was brought into the Wyanad as mercenary soldiers, settled there as agriculturists
1035-651: The Badami Chalukyas under their founding emperor Pulakeshin I (reign c. 540-567 CE), claim to have defeated the Cheras and the Ezhil Malai rulers, which could be a Pandya dynasty reference, and also annexed the entire Malabar region to their empire. The Pandya , Chera and Chola powers strategised and combinedly attacked the Chalukyas as an alliance in order to avoid repeated reversals. However,
1104-540: The Bayalu Seeme region (highland) of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve . Geographically it is similar to the neighbouring districts of Kodagu and Mysore of Karnataka , and Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu . Wayanad plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau . During the British Raj , Wayanad was a taluk in the erstwhile Malabar District . The regions included in the taluks of Gudalur and Pandalur in
1173-455: The Muppen -headman cutting a bamboo piece full of toddy. Then all similar bamboo pieces in which toddy will have been brought are emptied and the contents consumed. In the offering known as Koll , beaten rice, plantains and jaggery are placed on a plantain leaf at the shrine and the Muppen , after prayers, distributes them. According to tribal myth, in the distant past before creation, they sky
1242-452: The natural resources point towards an imminent environmental crisis. There are a lot of trekking points in this district. Chembra Peak (2,100m) is the highest peak in the Wayanad district. Banasura Hill (2,079m) is also similar to height of Chembra Hill . Brahmagiri Hill is also another trekking point in Wayanad. Wayanad district is bounded by protected area network of different biological reserves such as Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary in
1311-729: The 16th century. In 1610 CE, Udaiyar Raja Wadiyar of Mysore drove out Vijayanagara General and became the ruler of Bayalnad and the Nilgiris. This Bayalnad is the native Kannada name from which Wayanad, its Malayali version, the present name of the district, is derived. Historian Sanu Kainikara states that with the end of the Sangam period , the 4th and 5th centuries brought trouble for the Cheras (who ruled entire Kerala and Kanyakumari District and adjoining areas), in that they lost control over some parts of Kerala which included Wayanad District due to
1380-519: The Begur forest range and the forests around Muthanga, which is 20 kilometres away from the town of Sultan Bathery. Franky's narrow-mouthed frog was recently discovered in Wayanad district. The Wayanad laughingthrush is named after this region, but unlike other South Indian laughingthrushes, has a wide distribution through the Western Ghats. It is the least populous district in Kerala. Unlike
1449-477: The Christian fold. The Kurichiyas worship some of the same deities as other Hindus in Kerala, such as Kuttichathan and Vettakkaran , and Kali (also called Mariamma ). The Kurichiyas worship their deceased ancestors, called Nizhal (shadows) as well as a number of deities unique to their tribe. They worship Malakkari ( Kari of the hills) and the fierce Mother-Goddess Karimpili (the dark one from
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#17327797263811518-516: The East India Company by the treaty of 1792. Consequently, the British troops withdrew from Wayanad conceding to Tipu's rule. When Wayanad was under Hyder Ali 's rule, the ghat road from Vythiri to Thamarassery was invented. Then the British rulers developed this route to Carter road. After Hyder Ali, his son Tipu Sultan took control over the territory. Initially the British had to suffer local resistance against their rule under
1587-611: The Edakal Male (hill) caves, Kannada inscriptions belonging to Canarese chieftain Vishnu Varma of Kutumbiya (Kudumbiya) clan of Mysore dating to c. 5th century CE were discovered which read – Palapulitaanamtakaari (or Pala pulinânam ta-kâri ), Sri Vishnu Varma Kutumbiya Kulavardhanasya li..it..a.. As per Hultzch, a Chennai epigraphist, it speaks of the glorious descendant of Kutumbiya clan, Kannada chieftain, Vishnu Varma, as one who killed many tigers. The inscriptions of
1656-606: The Iruvazhinadu Nambiars and were in possession of North Wayanad and the small Village of Thamarassery which formed the Eastern portion of the present Vadakara, Quilandy and Thamarassery taluks. Thamarassery pass which connects Wayanad with the city of Kozhikode was laid in the 18th century by Tipu Sultan , the ruler of Mysore . In 930 AD, emperor Erayappa of Ganga dynasty led his troops to south west of Mysore and after conquering, called it Bayalnad meaning
1725-528: The Kurichiyan. Society is divided into lineages headed by lineage heads. A female initiation ritual called the pandal pattu is performed before a girl’s menarche and after the ear boring ceremony among the tribe. Wives stay with the husband, but children only until 5–6 years, then they go to their mother's house. Wives stay Among the Kurichiyas, a husband may divorce his wife any time he likes, but
1794-547: The Kurichiyas and one belonging to the Paniyas. The Kurichiyas present here helped in the construction of Banasura Hill Resort . The Kurichiya consider themselves higher than all other social groups around them, to include even the Brahmin. They observe the "highest levels of ritual purity", considering even the touch of a Nambuthiri Brahmin to be polluting. Wayanad Wayanad ( Malayalam: [ʋɐjɐnaːɖɨ̆] )
1863-471: The Mysore inscriptions (alluding perhaps to the treacherous beauty of the country, which attracted the stranger and then laid him low with malaria) says "an adulteress with black waving curls, as adulteress with full-moon face, an adulteress with endless side-glances, an adulteress with adorned slim figure was this storeyed mansion, the double Bayalnad" . Kadamba Bayalnad rule emerged in the 11th century under
1932-465: The Raja of Kottayam set up a semi-independent principality of his own at the expense of Kolathiris. In the 10th century CE, the region comprised erstwhile Taluks of Kottayam, Wayanad and Gudallur was called Puraikizhanad and its feudal lord Puraikizhars . The Thirunelly inscriptions refer to the division of Puraikizhar family into two branches viz., Elder ( Muthukur ) and Younger ( Elamkur ) in
2001-545: The States Reorganisation of 1956 after the independence of India, the Mysore state (present-day Karnataka ) claimed Wayanad due to its historical and geographical peculiarities. However the linguistic survey of the 1951 census of India found that 87.5% of the total population of Wayanad were native speakers of Malayalam at that time, while just 6.2% of the total population spoke Kannada . On 1 January 1957,
2070-516: The Wayanad hills in the 5th century CE when he was lost to Cheras , just before his death in battle, according to the Sangam works . Wayanad was part of the Karkanad, which included the eastern regions of the Ezhimala kingdom (Wayanad- Gudalur areas including part of Kodagu (Coorg)). Karkanad along with Poozhinadu, which contained much of the coastal belt wedged between Mangalore and Kozhikode
2139-728: The West, Mudumalai National Park in the South, Bandipur National Park in the East, Nagarhole National Park in the North East, Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in the North and Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in North West which is linked with Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary . The district has rich water resources. There are east flowing and west flowing rivers in the region. One of the major rivers in
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2208-586: The Western Ghats fell under the Kannada speaking area as per the linguistic survey and history by Colonel Mark Wilks . Languages of Wayanad district (2011) At the time of the 2011 census, 90.64% of the population spoke Malayalam , 1.82% Paniya , 1.11% Tamil and 0.91% Kannada as their first language. Pazhassi Raja Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
2277-426: The beginning of the 11th century. In the 17th century Kottayam-Malabar was the capital of Puraikizhanad (Puranattukara) Rajas. It was divided into three branches i.e., Eastern, Western and Southern under separate dignitaries known as Mootha, Elaya and Munnarkur Rajas. The Kottayam Rajas extended their influence up to the border of Kodagu . By the end of the 17th century, they shared the area of Thalassery taluk with
2346-533: The best access from all corners of Wayanad, while Tavinjal Panchayath is on the northeast border with Kannur district. The edicts found in the caves of Ambukuthi Mala are evidence that occupation dates from the beginning of the New Age Civilisation. The name 'Wayanad' is derived from 'vayal nāḍŭ' ( Malayalam ) which translates to 'the land of paddy fields ' in English. Wayanad district lies in
2415-456: The chief Raviyammarasa with Kirttipura, Punnad, as its capital. Kanthirava (1090 CE) was described as ruling Chagi-Bayalnad. Iravi-Challamma (1108 CE) was the ruler of Bira-Bayalnad. Under emperor Tailapa II (973–997 CE) many Jain Basthis were built in south India. The Jain centres and agricultural villages of Wayanad came in to existence during this time. There are many proofs, which justify
2484-578: The cities of Mysore and Ooty through Gudalur. Settlers emigrated from all parts of Kerala and the fecund lands proved a veritable goldmine with incredible yields of cash crops. When the State of Kerala came into being in November 1956, Wayanad was part of Kannur district. Later, south Wayanad was added to Kozhikode district. To fulfil the aspirations of the people of Wayanad for development, North Wayanad and South Wayanad were carved out and joined to form
2553-533: The confederacy was defeated and the Chera king was forced to pay a heavier price, in tribute and indemnity, than his two allies for their misadventure as the Chalukyas had gotten to know the identities of the persons responsible for forming the confederacy. The recorded history of the Wayanad district exists only from the 10th century onward. In 930 CE, emperor Erayappa of Ganga dynasty led his troops to south west of Mysore and after conquering, called it Bayalnad meaning
2622-505: The dangerous slopes of Wayanad, to Kozhikode and Thalassery . Later, they extended these new roads to the cities of Mysore and Ooty through Gudalur. Settlers emigrated from all parts of Kerala and the fecund lands proved a veritable goldmine with incredible yields of cash crops. Agriculture Cultivation started broadly after 1900 A.D onwards. Wayanad eventually became part of Kerala despite its geographical delimitations and political descent in 1956 on State's reorganisation. Even now there
2691-484: The district is Kabini River , a tributary of River Kaveri ; it is also one of the only three east flowing rivers in Kerala. Kabani has many tributaries including Thirunelli River, Panamaram River and Mananthavady River. All these rivulets help form a rich water resource as well as a distinct landscape for the district. Various streams flow into the Panamaram rivulet while it passes through the mountain gorges and finally
2760-467: The erstwhile Malabar District was divided into three: Kannur, Kozhikode, and Palakkad. On the same day Wayanad taluk was split up into North Wayanad and South Wayanad. Initially both of the taluks of Wayanad were included in newly formed Kannur district. However, two months later on 15 March 1957, South Wayanad taluk was transferred into Kozhikode district . The North Wayanad Taluk was transferred to Kozhikode district on 1 January 1979. Wayanad district
2829-483: The existence of Jainism in Wayanad. In 1104 CE Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala invaded Bayalnad and Nilgiris and annexed them followed by Vijayanagara dynasty in the 14th century. A Kadamba king, Mukkanna-Kadamba ruled Bayal-nad in and around 1138 CE. A feudatory chieftain of Sangama dynasty of Vijaynagar, Immadi Kadamba Raya Vodeyayya of Bayalnad Kadambas, is said to have ruled Bayalnad. In 1610 CE Udaiyar Raja Wadiyar of Mysore drove out Vijayanagara General and became
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2898-726: The growing Kadamba power and superiority. This is indicated by the Kadamba inscriptions in Edakal caves of Wayanad. A contemporary Buddhist work claims that the Kalabhra king Achuta Vikkanta defeated the 3 traditional southern dynasties – Pandya, Chera, and Chola, and even held all their three kings captive. For nearly five centuries, from 5th–10th century CE, the Cheras were reduced to the status of insignificant rulers due to their inability to avoid foreign invasions. They barely clung on to power with very minimal territory and had to survive at
2967-542: The hills god created and placed 18 human castes, different types of animals and plants. Kurichiya believe that they are one among them. The traditional account of the Kurichiyars advent into Wyanad is that the Kottayam Raja brought them for fighting the Vedar rulers Arippen and Vedan. Their caste-men would not take them back and they settled in Wynad and in the hilly parts of Kottayam. The number of families so settled
3036-560: The hills throughout the present-day Wayanad district. The Edakkal Caves have 6000-year-old rock engravings from the Neolithic age. The recorded history of this district is available only from the 18th century. In ancient times, this land was ruled by the Rajas of the Veda tribe. In the earliest part of the recorded history of Wayanad District, Kasaragod-Kannur-Wayanad-Kozhikode Districts in
3105-451: The hills). Offering to the deities is given after the harvest in either of the two methods Thera or Koll . For the Thera , the platform or shrine where the puja (worship) is to be performed is purified by holy water from a Brahmin's hands, and a Kurichiyan dressed up for the occasion, with a white head-dress, acts as an oracle. The KumbTiam-Vettal (cutting the vessel) then takes place,
3174-571: The inscription are Arepathra, Bennegodu, Palagondu, Hanneradubeedhi, Puthangadi (Muthangadi) and Hosangadi. The Arepathra Chaityalaya is not yet identified. It is believed that it was at the hilltop near to the Panamaram river. The other Kannada touch place names are identified with their present Malayalam version names as Venniyode, Palukunnu, Sultan Batheri, Puthangadi and Mananthavady respectively. Raghava Varriar says that there were seven Jain centres in Wayanad viz. Manikyapuri, Ksheerapuri, Kalpathi, Vennayode, Palagondu, Hosangadi and Hanneradubeedhi. It
3243-449: The land of swamps. After Erayappa, his sons Rachamalla and Battunga fought each other for the new kingdom of their father's legacy. Rachamalla was killed and Battunga became the undisputed ruler of Bayalnad. In the 11th century AD, Gangas were dethroned from Bayalnad by Kadamba dynasty of North Canara. Wayanad, called Bayalnad (Kannada) since beginning, was at that time divided into two portions – Bira Bayalnad and Chagi Bayalnad. One of
3312-403: The land of swamps. After Erayappa, his sons Rachamalla and Battunga fought each other for the new kingdom of their father's legacy. Rachamalla was killed and Battunga became the undisputed ruler of Bayalnad. In the 12th century CE, Gangas were dethroned from Bayalnad by Kadamba dynasty of North Canara. In 1104 CE, Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala invaded Bayalnad followed by Vijayanagara dynasty in
3381-566: The leadership of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja , who had popular support in Thalassery -Wayanad region. In the end, the British could get only the dead body of the Rajah, who killed himself somewhere in the interior of the forest. Thus, Wayanad fell into the hands of the British and with it came a new turn in the home of this area. The British authorities opened up the plateau to the cultivation of tea and other cash crops by constructing roads across
3450-654: The mercy of their northern powerful imperial empires from Karnataka like the Kadambas , the Badami Chalukyas , the Rashtrakutas and the Kalyani Chalukyas , who invaded and moved through their realm as and when they pleased. The two caves of Ampukuthimala (Edakal Caves) in Sulthan Bathery , with pictures on their walls and pictorial writings, speak volumes of a bygone civilisation. At the foot of
3519-599: The northern part of present-day Kerala were ruled by the Nannans ( Mushika dynasty ) who later came to be known as the Kolathiris . Politically the area was part of the Ezhimala Kingdom, with its capital at Ezhimala in present-day Kannur district. The most famous king of Ezhimala was Nannan, whose kingdom extended up to Gudalur, Nilgiris and northern parts of Coimbatore . It is said that Nannan took refuge in
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#17327797263813588-581: The only mirror temple in Kerala, which is a Jain temple. Varambetta mosque is the oldest Muslim mosque of Wayanad. Wayanad is famous for its role in the Cotiote War , where Pazhassi Raja with the help of the Kurichya tribe in association with Hindus and Muslims of the Malabar region launched a revolt against the British. Kaniyambetta and Muttil Panchayaths are the centrally located Panchayaths with
3657-477: The other districts of Kerala, in Wayanad district, there is no town or village named same as the district (i.e., there is no "Wayanad town"). According to the 2018 Statistics Report , Wayanad district had a population of 846,637, roughly equal to the nation of Comoros . 2011 Census of India gives district a ranking of 482nd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 397 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,030/sq mi). 3.86% of
3726-549: The outcome of internal dissensions. The Nileshwaram dynasty on the northernmost part of Kolathiri dominion, were relatives to both Kolathunadu as well as Zamorin of Calicut , in the early medieval period. The origin of Kottayam royal family (the Kottayam referred here is Kottayam-Malabar near Thalassery , not to be confused with Kottayam in Southern Kerala) is lost in obscurity. It has been stated that
3795-678: The peak of its power reportedly extended from the Netravati River (Mangalore) in the north to Korapuzha (Kozhikode) in the south with Arabian Sea on the west and Kodagu hills on the eastern boundary, also including the isolated islands of Lakshadweep in Arabian Sea. The Kolathiri Dominion emerged into independent 10 principalities i.e., Kadathanadu ( Vadakara ), Randathara or Poyanad ( Dharmadom ), Kottayam ( Thalassery ), Nileshwaram , Iruvazhinadu ( Panoor ), Kurumbranad etc., under separate royal chieftains due to
3864-429: The population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 3.87% and 18.86% of the population respectively. This is the highest SC/ST percentage in all of Kerala. Paniyas , Uraali Kurumas, and Kurichiyans comprise the tribes in Wayanad. Badagas are present in 21 hamlets spread across Wayanad. The entire Wayanad plateau and all the hilly regions above the plains (above 500m MSL altitude) above
3933-408: The present district of Wayanad. This district came into being on 1 November 1980 as one of the twelve districts of Kerala, consisting of three taluks ; Vythiri , Mananthavady , and Sulthan Bathery . In 2024, landslides in Wayanad killed at least 336 people and 78 are missing. Many of the people killed were workers in the farms, or were members of their families. Wayanad district stands on
4002-477: The present-day Nilgiris district , also known as Southeast Wayanad, formed part of the erstwhile Wayanad taluk. Southeast Wayanad was part of Malabar District until 31 March 1877, when it was transferred to the neighbouring Nilgiris district due to the heavy population of Malabar and the small area of Nilgiris. Wayanad was a separate revenue division within the Malabar District until 1924. During
4071-478: The remuneration before examining the quality of the work. God created a bird called Chenthamarapakshi ( bird form a red lotus ) and asked the bird to fly around the Earth and find out the quality of the work. After examination the bird found out a fault that in one place the work was incomplete. Two hills were standing close to each other without touching one another. There was also water in between these hills. On both
4140-585: The river falls down into Panamaram Valley. After flowing through the district for a certain distance, River Panamaram joins Mananthavady River, which originates from the lower regions of the peak called 'Thondarmudi'. Banasura Sagar Dam across the Karamanathodu River, a tributary of River Kabini, in Kalpetta, is considered to be the largest earth dam in India and the second largest in Asia. The dam
4209-455: The ruler of Bayalnad and the Nilgiris. Bayalnad is the present Wayanad. An inscription discovered from a Jain Basti at Varadur near Panamaram dated to Saka era 1606 which is 1684 CE, shows that Jainism was still very powerful even in the 17th century. The inscription which was noticed by noted epigraphist and historian M. R. Raghava Varriar, has reference about the earliest Jain settlements and temples in Wayanad. The copper plate inscription which
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#17327797263814278-403: The southern tip of the Deccan plateau and includes part of the Western Ghats . The western parts of the district bordering Kozhikode district consists of the Western Ghats covered with dense forest. The district forms a part of the south western Deccan plateau , and is sloped to the east. Quite a large area of the district is covered by forest but the continued and indiscriminate exploitation of
4347-462: The trijunction of Wayanad, Malappuram , and Kozhikode districts, is the highest point in Wayanad district. The district was formed on 1 November 1980 as the 12th district in Kerala, by carving out areas from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. An area of 885.92 km in the district is forested. Wayanad has three municipal towns — Kalpetta , Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery . There are many indigenous tribes in this area. The Kabini River ,
4416-405: The wife has to bring her case before the elders if she wants to leave him, and they decide the case. The Kurichiyans bury their dead; an arrow is buried with the body if a male, and a scythe if a female. The funeral ceremony on a grand scale is observed at any time convenient in the year. They have no priests, instead the elders act for the occasion. The deceased ancestors are remembered and once
4485-514: Was formed by incorporating the taluks of North Wayanad and South Wayanad on 1 November 1980 as the 12th district of Kerala . On the same date, North Wayanad Taluk was renamed as Mananthavady , and South Wayanad was split to form the taluks of Sultan Bathery and Vythiri . Kalpetta in Vythiri taluk became the headquarters of the new district. Historians believe that human settlements have existed in these parts from at least 1,000 BCE. Much evidence of New Stone Age civilisation can be seen in
4554-432: Was on the top and the Earth lies far below covered by the sea. At that time Vadakkari Bhagavathi , the Kurichiya deity had a dream in which the almighty ordered her to find out a place to create 1001 castes. God also allowed her to move the sea side wards and then starts work. Young virgins were given as labourers. On completion of the work the worker went out to meet the God and asked for remuneration. But he objected to give
4623-521: Was placed under a water fountain at Varadur Ananthanatha Swami temple deals with the grant of various ritual materials to the Jain Basathis of Wayanad by Lalithappa, the younger son of Bommarasa of the Karkala Aremane Basathi. The Kannada inscription dated Sakavarsha 1606 (i.e., 1684 CE) Rakthakshi Samvatsara Jeshtabahula Shukravara reads:Karkala aremane basthiya bommarasanu mommaga lalithappanu devapooje chinna belli thamra kanchu upakaranagalu madisi kotta bibara. The Jain Chaithyalayas or temples referred in
4692-425: Was under Ezhimala kingdom with a headquarters at Ezhimala. Some linguists say that an inscription found in the Edakkal Caves in Wayanad, from the 3rd century CE (approximately 1,800 years old), is the oldest known inscription in Malayalam , as it contains two modern Malayalam words, Ee (this) and pazhama (old). Historian M. R. Raghava Varier , a specialist in Edakkal cave inscriptions, stated that this would be
4761-495: Was under Tipu Sultan's rule British invasion started. Tussle and turbulent times followed. The British claimed Wayanad under the 1792 treaty of Srirangapatna citing it was part of Malabar. Tipu Sultan went in appeal before the governor general . Considering his arguments, relying on the successive Karnataka rule for centuries in Wayanad and its geographical detachment from Malabar, in 1798, Governor General Lord Mornington declared by proclamation that Wayanad had not been ceded to
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