Wayanad District (Malayalam: വയനാട്) in the north-east of Kerala, India, was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district by carving out areas from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. Kalpetta is the district headquarters as well as the only municipal town in the district. The region was known as Mayakshetra (Maya's land) in the earliest records. Mayakshetra evolved into Mayanad and finally to Wayanad. The Folk etymology of the word says it is a combination of Vayal (paddy field) and Naad (land), making it 'The Land of Paddy Fields'. There are many indigenous tribals in this area. It is set high on the majestic Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 m.
- Refer: www.wayanad.nic.in[1] g
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[edit]History
According to archaeological evidence, the Wayanad(Vayal+nadu(Tamil/Malayalam)) forests have been inhabited for more than three thousand years.[2]. Wayanad was originally ruled by Vedar kings. However, after a Kshatriya Prince (Raja of Kumbala), was captured and held hostage in Tirunelli by the Vedars, it was invaded and annexed by a combined force lead by the Raja of Kottayam and the Raja of Kurumbranad. The Vedar king (Arippan) was killed and most of his subjects were massacred. However, the Raja of Kumbala asked a Nair aristocrat, Nanthillath Nambiar to marry the daughter of the Vedar king, who had survived the massacre. Nambiar was appointed as theMoopil Nair of Veliyambam, where the surviving Vedars were resettled. It was decided that Wynad should be partitioned betweenKottayam-Malabar and Kurumbranad. The Kottayam Raja was awarded North West Waynad and the Raja of Kurumbranad was awarded South East Wynad. As a result of disputes between them, the Kurumbranad Raja gave up his country to the Kottayam Raja, except for the palace and some landed properties. The Raja of Kottayam divided Wynad in to 10 Swaroopams (Naads) and appointed the governors (Usually Nairs with the tile of Vazhunnor) to rule each one of them. These swaroopms were again divided into Chiefdoms, which were ruled by Moopil Nairs. The administrative subdivisions of Waynad under the Kottayam rule were as follows[3]:
- (1) Muthornad (Muthakurnad) - This division was placed under the direct control of the senior Raja of Kottayam. Divided in to the following Nair Chiefdoms (The rulers of which were jointly known as Aruvarambath Jenmakkars):
- (1) Vazhathattil Nair
- (2) Tavinjal Nair
- (3) Mulliyankizhil Nair
- (4) Alattil Nair
- (5) Ayiravittil Nair
- (6) Varayal Nair
- (2) Ellornad (Elankurnad) - This was placed under the direct control of the second Raja of Kottayam. Divided in to the following Nair Chiefdoms:
- (1) Edachana Nair
- (2) Vemom Nambiar
- (3) Wynad Swaroopam - Placed under the third Raja of Kottayam. Divided in to the following Nair Chiefdoms:
- (1) Kuppathode Nayar
- (2) Tonder Nambiar
- (3) Pulpadi Nayar
- (4) Chikkalur Nayar
- (4) Porunnanur - Placed under the third Raja of Kottayam. Comprises Porunnanur and Vellamunda Amsams. Divided in to the following Nair Chiefdoms:
- (1) Manchan Nambiar
- (2) Karingari Nair
- (3) Mangalasseri Nair
- (4) Vattathode Nambiar
- (5) Cherukara Nair
- (5) Nallurnad - Placed under the third Raja of Kottayam. Divided in to the following Nair Chiefdoms:
- (1) Manchan Nambiar
- (2) Karingari Nair
- (3) Idachena Nair
- (6) Kurumbalanad - Comprises Kurumbala and Kottathara Amsams. This division was placed under Avinjat Nair of Payyormala. He was the son of the Kottayam Raja, who gave him the title of Vazhunnavar (Ruler). Divided in to the following Nair Chiefdoms:
- (1) Thenamangalath Nair
- (2) Poyil Nair
- (7) Edanataskur - Comprising Amsams of Kottapadi, Kalpetta and Vythri. Divided in to the following Nair Chiefdoms:
- (1) Kalpetta Nayar
- (2) Kanthamangalath Nayar
- (8) Tondernad - Placed under the Tonder Nambiar.
- (9) Muttil-Pakkam - Placed under Bhagiam (Pakam) Swaroopam.
- (10) Veliyambam - Placed under Veliyambam Vazhunnavar (Nanthillath Nambiar, who married the Vedar princess).
Senior Raja of Kurumbranadu helped the British in their fight against Tipu Sultan. Following Mysore's withdrawal, Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (the head of western branch of the family) and the British parted their ways. And in 1799, after the fall of Tipu, the British took over Wayanad. Pazhassi Raja engaged in a prolonged guerrilla war with the British until he was killed in 1805. When the state of Kerala came into being in 1956, Wayanad was a part of Kannur district; later in 1957 south Wayanad was added to Kozhikode district and north Wayanad remained with Kannur district. By amalgamating north Wayanad and south Wayanad, the present Wayanad district came into being on the 1st November 1980 comprising of threetaluks; Vythiri, Mananthavady, and Sulthan Bathery.
[edit]Geography
Wayanad district stands on the southern top of the Deccan plateau and its chief glory is the majestic rugged terrain of the Western ghats, with lofty ridges interspersed with dense forest, tangled jungles and deep valleys. Quite a large area of the district is covered by forest but the continued and indiscriminate exploitation of the natural resources point towards an imminent[citation needed] environmental crisis.
[edit]Mountains
Chembra Peak (2,100 metres (6,890 ft)), Banasura peak (2,073 metres (6,801 ft)), Brahmagiri (1,608 metres (5,276 ft)) are some of the important mountains in the district.
[edit]Rivers
The Kabini River, one of the three east flowing rivers of Kerala, is an important tributary of the Kaveri River. Almost the entire Wayanad district is drained by Kabini and its three tributaries, the Panamaram, Mananthavady, and Kalindy rivers. The Banasura Sagar Dam is built on one of tributaries of the Kabini River.
[edit]Climate
The distance from the mean sea level and the amount of forest cover creates a pleasant climate in the region. Generally the year is divided into four seasons; cold weather (December to February) hot weather (March to May) South West monsoon (June to September) and North East monsoon (October to November). During the hot weather the temperature goes up to a maximum of 35 °C (95 °F) and during the cold weather the temperature goes down to 07 °C (45 °F). The greater temperature variation in the last 5–6 years is in the range of 18 °C (64 °F) to 28 °C (82 °F). The average rainfall is 2,500 millimetres (98 in) per year.
[edit]Economy
Wayanad is 3.79% urbanised. Agriculture, is the main stay of the economy. Coffee, tea, cocoa, pepper, plantain and vanilla are the main crops. Besides these cash crops, the most important crop in the district is rice. Dams and aqueducts have been constructed to take water to the otherwise dry areas in the district. Price of land is going up even though Agrarian crisis.
[edit]Agrarian crisis
The district is very susceptible to an agrarian crisis, due to the high dependence of the population on agricultural income. Between 1997 and 2005, more than 150,000 farmers across India have committed suicide, of which nearly 8% were from Kerala (11,516). 90% of these were in Wayanad. A major reason for the high farmer suicide rate was the crash in prices of locally-grown crops such as coffee, pepper, ginger, arecanut, tourisam etc. as well as plant epidemics. The NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) enacted by the current UPA government has helped and Wayanad and Palakkad were the only districts selected to receive the benefits under this scheme because of the acute need in these areas.[4]. The daily wage under NREGS at Rs. 125, regardless of gender, in Kerala is the highest among all the states. Work under NREGS includes building elephant trenches (crop-raiding by wild elephants is another problem in Wayanad), waterbodies, roads, etc. Due to a combination of the NREGS and measures undertaken by the state government, in 2007, the state reported 10 farmer suicides as opposed to 131 in 2004.
[edit]Demographics
 | This section may need to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help by adding relevant internal links, or by improving the section's layout. (March 2009) |
No. of Taluks: 3 (Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery, and Vythiri)
No. of state Assembly Legislators: 3 (North Wayanad, Sulthan Bathery, and Kalpetta)
Lok Sabha Representation: 1 (Wayanad constituency).
District Headquarters: Kalpetta. Other Important Towns: Sulthan Bathery and Mananthavady.
No. of state Assembly Legislators: 3 (North Wayanad, Sulthan Bathery, and Kalpetta)
Lok Sabha Representation: 1 (Wayanad constituency).
District Headquarters: Kalpetta. Other Important Towns: Sulthan Bathery and Mananthavady.
There are tribal populations in the area who still practice age-old customs and rituals and live a nomadic life. Some of the tribal populations include Paniyas, Adiyas, Kattunayakan and Kurichiyans. It is the district with the highest share in the adivasi population (about 36%) of Kerala. Wayanad also has a large settler population. The Jains from Karnataka came in the 13th century. The Hindu Nairs from Kottayam-Kurumbranadu, in Kannur district, made an entry in the 14th century and established their feudal system. They were followed by Muslims. There were large scale migrations from southern Kerala in the early 1940s. Christians came in the 1950s from Travancore region. In the last few decades there was a complete marginalisation of the indigenous people. Alienated from their land, exploited by the settlers and neglected by the state, their struggle for rights to the land has so far been unsuccessful.
[edit]Major Towns
- Kalpetta
- Meppadi
- Mananthavady
- Sulthan Bathery
- Chundale
- Vythiri
- Meenangadi
- Pulpally
- Panamaram
- Padinharathara
[edit]Politics
"Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies" (PDF). Kerala. Election Commission of India. Retrieved 2008-10-18.</ref>
All the three legislative constituencies in Wayanad Distinct (Kalpetta, Sulthan Bathery and Mananthavady)are part of the newly constituted Wayanad parliamentary constituency. The erstwhile North Wayanad constituency is now renamed as Mananthavady.
[edit]Access
The Kozhikode - Mysore National Highway 212 (NH 212) passes through Wayanad district. The nearest railway station is at Kozhikode, 75 km from Kalpetta. Kozhikode airport at Karipur is the nearest airport. Wayanad is well connected by road to various parts of Kerala and other neighbouring states. Buses go frequently between important centres. While travelling from Mysore on NH 212, at a place called Gundlupet the road forks, one goes to Ooty and the other goes to Sultan Bathery, which is a prominent town of Wayanad.
NH 212 passes through Bandipur National Park and then through the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary which is the Kerala state border. The roads are good except for some sections inside the Bandipur Forest.
[edit]Culture
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[edit]Places of importance
There are various places of touristic, ecological, religious, and historic importance in the district.
- Thirunelli Temple is a very old temple on the foothills of Brahmagiri.This temple is dedicated by Brahma to Vishnu in the form of Chatturbhuja. The Thirunelly Temple embodies classical, traditional Kerala architecture.This temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu-the god who maintains life, attracts hordes of devotees especially for performing ancestral rites. The shrine is shielded with 30 granite columns and the ground is paved with huge square pieces of granite.It is believed that a ritual dip in the stream Papanasini, running crystal clear downhill, wash one away of all worldly sins.This temple is often referred to as the -Kasi of the south.Puthari (October), Chuttuvilakku (January), Navarathri, Sivarathei and Sree Krishna Jaynthi are the festivals conducted in this temple.Karkidakavavu, offerings to the spirits of the departed are made, in August. ph: 04935-210201
- Edakkal Caves, 32 km from Kalpetta near Ambalavayal, is famous for its pre-historic carvings and paintings.
- Muthanga wildlife sanctuary. It is on the way from Mysore to Sulthan Bathery. Wild animals such as bison, elephant, deer, and tiger has been spotted. There are also quite a few wild birds in the sanctuary.
- The Jain Temple near Koottamunda and the Ananthanatha Swami Temple.
- Valliyoorkav is a temple of historic and social significance.
- Pallikunnu Church, 14 km from Kalpetta is a famous Pilgrim centre in north Kerala.
- Varambatta Mosque is one of the oldest mosque in wayanad and it's famous for varambata nercha.
- Mazhuvannur Maha Siva Kshethram is an ancient Shiva temple near Tharuvana. Karat Siva Temple is a very old temple near Kommayad.
- Sulthan Bathery is famous for its fort, which was built by Tipu Sultan.
- The tomb of the king Pazhassi Raja, who fought the British with the help of Kurichiya warriors, is in Mananthavady.
- Lakkidi, the entry-point to Wayanad on the road from Kozhikode, receives the highest rainfalls in India.
- Pookode lake is a famous tourist centre near Lakkidi.
- For the adventurous: Chembra peak, Banasura peak and Brahmagiri peak will provide a tough trek experience.
- Kuruva Dweep (10 km from Mananthavady) is a unique and fragile delta system on the Kabini River.
- An important and unusual pilgrim centre for sociologists and educationists is Kanavu a centre for alternative education which help the adivasis (tribals) to adapt to the challenges without losing their cultural moorings.
- Ananthanatha Swami Temple, (also known as ParswanathaSwamy Jain Temple at Puliyarmala) is a beautiful Jain temple located at Puliyarmala, 6 km from Kalpetta.
- Pakshipathalam is a very popular trekking spot on the Kerala-Karnataka border.
- Soochipara, Kanthapara, and Meenmutty are waterfalls in the Meppadi-Ambalavayal region.
- Thovarimala Ezhuthupara is 5 km from Sulthan Bathery have 400M trekking to reach Thovarimal Ezhuthupara we can see stone age pictorial writing on a rock
- Meenmutty Falls is 29 km from Kalpetta in Wayanad District . It is Kerala's second largest waterfall and the one most unspoiled in its natural setting.
[edit]Flora and fauna
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The flora of Wayanad are characteristic of the Western Ghats and the plantation crops grown in the cool climate. A major portion of the district is covered by coffee. Trees of the wild type like rose-wood, anjili (Artocarpus), mullumurikku (Erthrina), several species of caussia and many other non-descrip varieties are still preserved here and there, to give shade to the coffee plants. These trees give a dembalance of wilderness to the landscape of Wayanad. In a majority of coffee plantations, the age-old species are replaced by the silver-oak which is suited to the cold climate. This tree grows quickly and its cultivation is widespread among coffee plantations for shade and for giving support to pepper. It is used for the plywood industry and thus is economical to the farmers. Eucalyptus grandis, a shorter variety of eucalyptus, whose fragrant smell suffuses the very air around it, is cultivated on a large scale in centain parts of the district. Eucalyptus oil is extracted on commercial basis from its leaves.
Of the 20,864 hectares of reserve forest, the major portion is teak plantation. Arecanut palms and jack trees are also grown here. Tea is grown as an industry in large estates. The soil and climate of Wayanad are suitable for horiculture on commercial basis. For promoting the cultivation of vegetables and raising of orchards, the Kerala Agricultural University is running a Regional Agricultural Research Station at Ambalavayal.
With the clearing of forests, the diverse and buzzling animal life, characteristic of the forests of Western Ghats, has vanished from Wayanad. One can still see the bonnet monkeys, loris, mongooses, jungle cats, squirrels, jackals, hares, etc., in the limited forest areas. The World's longest venomous snake, King Cobra is also found here. Elephant, bear and other wild animals from the neighbouring wild life sanctuaries of Karnadaka and Tamil Nadu, stray into the Begur forest range and the forests around Muthanga, which is 20 kilometres away from the town of Sulthan Bathery. Karapuzha dam near menangadi-10 km, Banasurasagar dam 20 km from vythri. Today large game is found only in region that border with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Here there is the one of the largest concentration of wild Asiatic elephants in whole world. Tiger, bison, sambhar, spotted deer, boar, leopard, wild dog and other large mammals are also present in fairly decent numbers.
[edit]Education
The Kerala government says: The recently established professional colleges like the Government Engineering College in Mananthavady and Veterinary College in Pookode is set to change the traditional way of life of Wayanad in the professional education sector.
There are many educational institutions in Wayanad. A few are
- Oriental School of Hotel Management, Lakkidi
- Fr.G.K.M.H.S Kaniyaram, Mananthavady
- NMSM Govt. College, Kalpetta
- Pazhassi Raja College, Pulpally
- Govt. Engineering College, Mananthavady
- St.Mary's College, Sulthan Bathery
- WMO Arts & Science College, Muttil
- Kendriya Vidhyalaya, Kalpetta
- WMO CBSC School, Muttil
- Mary Matha Arts & Science College,Mananthavady
- St.Catherine's Higher Secondary School, Payyampally
- Govt. Higher Secondary School Meenangadi
Schools - 297 High Schools - 67 Vocational Higher Secondary Schools - 10 Higher Secondary Schools - 41 Colleges - 06 Polytechnique - 02 Industrial Training Institutes(ITI) - 02
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