Chowannur
Grama Panchayat

This panchayat is home to several ancient places of worship and historical monuments that evoke memories of the past. The residence of sages who lived in ancient times, the 1500-year-old Chemmanthatta Shiva Temple, and the temple’s intricate carvings and murals are valuable remnants of an ancient culture. In earlier centuries, Brahmin scholars and spiritual leaders regularly gathered at the Chovannur Sabhamadam. The place known as Porkkalam is believed to have been the battlefield where the kings of Kochi and Kozhikode once fought.

The panchayat also has ancient Christian churches and Muslim mosques, along with educational institutions that are centuries old. Even before the Temple Entry Proclamation, this region initiated a social revolution by opening the Vellattiruthi Sree Vishnu Temple to backward communities. The famous historical incident involving Thathrikutty, who challenged the upper-class elites during a time when Namboothiri women were denied freedom, also took place in this village.

Under the landlord-tenant system, the working class here mainly consisted of farmers cultivating small and large plots of land and laborers who worked tirelessly in the fields and farms throughout the day. Chovannur has traditionally been an agriculture-oriented region, with most of the area once covered by farmland. Three major agricultural tenancy systems were prevalent: Kanam, Janmam, and Verumpattam.

Large portions of the land in this region were controlled by temple administrations such as Sabhamadam, Kadavallur, Punnathur, Koduvayur, Sankarapuram, and Ubhayur Devaswoms, as well as royal families like Chiralayam and Manakkulam, and prominent households such as Chenos and Akazhimanas.

Schools had already been established in the panchayat by the 18th century. Sabhamadam, which functioned as a center for Vedic studies where Rigveda scholars once gathered for discussions, was also located here. Panditarajan Kanippayyur Sankaran Namboothiripad was born in this village.

One of the oldest schools established by foreign missionaries in Kerala is believed to be the Marthoma Syrian School founded in 1881 by Madam Nicholson. Another primary school established around the same period also exists within the panchayat limits. ALPS Payyur was established in 1888, St. Francis LP School Puthussery in 1918, and Devasahayam School Pazhunnana in 1935. The St. Mary’s Magdalene Convent, established in 1976, and the Good Shepherd ITC technical education institution are functioning under Christian missionary management.

Before 1960, the area under paddy cultivation was about 820 hectares, but it later declined to around 560 hectares. Much of the remaining paddy land has since been converted into coconut groves and residential areas. This trend accelerated with the inflow of Gulf money. Before the 1960s, agriculture was widespread because it was the primary occupation of the people, while other employment sectors were minimal.

The Land Reform Act, which came into effect in the late 1960s, brought major economic, social, and educational changes to society. Most of its beneficiaries were small-scale farmers. However, many of them lacked the financial resources to adopt modern agricultural methods and machinery in the following years. At the same time, universal education, improved living standards, and changes in social relations transformed the traditional labor structure of society.

In earlier times, the paddy fields depended on water flowing naturally from higher regions. However, as roadside paddy fields began to be filled with soil for development, the natural flow of water was obstructed.

The major crops cultivated in the panchayat are paddy, coconut, arecanut, banana, cashew, pepper, tapioca, and vegetables. Located near Kunnamkulam, the hub of notebook manufacturing, nearly 50% of the panchayat’s industrial sector is concentrated in the wards adjoining Kunnamkulam town.