Thavinhal
Grama Panchayat

Thavinhal is one of the villages in Wayanad that is associated with the historical lives of the Vedan Dynasti   and Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja. Legend has it that Iravimala (Irumanathoor) in Thavinhal is one of the three temples established by the Veda Dynasti princess Irav after selling her own ear canals. British military posts existed in Periya and Thindummal to repel Pazhassi. Thavinjal stands out among the Wayanad people who helped the King Pazhassi Raja , who defeated even Wellesley , and who terrified Napoleon . The heroic stories of Edachana Kunkan and Talakkal Chanduv are their own history for the people of this country. The Kurichya soldiers, a prominent tribal community of Wayanad, fought with Pazhassi, risking their lives. There are many temples and Devaswom lands related to Pazhassi in various areas of Thavinjal Panchayat. The fort and temple of King Pazhassi existed at a place called Ghugkottur. This place was known as Ghugkottur because it was the place where criminals were hanged. It is believed that the Nair family tombs came to Wayanad during Pazhassi's time. Muslims also came to Wayanad during this time. It is believed that the tomb at Periya Churam belongs to Siddhan, who brought Islam to Wayanad. Coffee cultivation began in Wayanad with the arrival of the British. Coffee cultivation was started to utilize the rest time of the soldiers. The place called Kapikalam, where coffee was dried at that time, still exists here, evoking memories of the past. European companies started coffee and tea plantations in Wayanad on an industrial basis in the first half of the 18th century. The British had stopped the slave trade that existed at that time to get workers to work in the plantations, but since the slaves were reluctant to leave the landlords, people were brought in from Mangalore and Tamil Nadu. Their descendants still work in the tea gardens. The migrant farmers who arrived here in the fifties brought about a significant change in the agricultural and social map of Thavinjal. The migrants have left their mark in the fields of transportation and education. Father Braganda is a notable personality in this area. The Land Reform Act made the farmers the owners of the land. Various labor movements had gained strength here from the very beginning. C.H. Bhaskaran and P.P. Ali were the frontrunners of the labor movements. Thavinjal Panchayat has a culture of harmony of diversity. 16.29 percent of the tribals belong to the Kurichya, Kuruma and Paniya groups and 3.86 percent are Scheduled Castes. 35 percent of Christians, 15 percent Muslims and 29.85 percent Hindus live here as brothers and sisters. The first Kutipallikkudam was started in the panchayat in 1923. In 1942, in the present-day Thavinjal area, P.J. Mathai Master taught Akshara in the Kutipallikkudam of the house of Ilampool Kunjiramannanayar of Meethale, which was then known as Arangathumchal. The school also started functioning in 1944. Although the Muslim community had established itself in this area during the time of Pazhassi, it is known that the Christian community arrived only after many years. The ancient Valad Sreekurukilal temple and its festival are very special. The celebration attended by thousands and the friendly participation of people of all religions keeps this area in a festive mood for weeks. The very ancient Jamaat Mosque, Chungam Jamaat Mosque, 44th Mile Makham, and Valad Pazhayapalli can also be considered as sufficient evidence to point out the antiquity of Muslim settlement. St. Thomas Latin Church was established at Chungam, Thalappuzha in 1940-42 under the leadership of Father Diaro. Subsequently, 27 more churches came up. The Paniya community is the last among the tribals. Agricultural history According to the ancients, Wayanad became the name of the place due to the loss of the word Vayalnaid. Therefore, the people of Wayanad, especially those in the Thavinjal area, have a special attitude towards the agricultural sector. Here, you can see the typical Wayanad farmer who tries out different farming methods and crops by learning from his failures. Since about seventy percent of the land area is hilly, paddy farming could not take root here like in other parts of Kerala. Until the arrival of migrant farmers in the 1980s, only about thirty percent of the field areas were suitable for farming. There were also marginal crops like coffee and pepper in the areas adjacent to their own homes. At that time, plantations of wealthy plantation owners were also started. A radical change in the agricultural sector occurred with the migration in the 1950s. It was the migrants who brought new crops and farming methods to Thavinjal. In addition to traditional paddy farming, other crops were also first introduced by the migrants.Apart from traditional paddy cultivation, other areas that the settlers first took up were cassava cultivation and horticulture. The settlers started this cultivation as part of making the hilly areas suitable for agriculture. Coffee cultivation was started in Wayanad by the British East India Company. Coffee, which was cultivated on a small scale, became widespread in the 1950s. Tea cultivation, which was an area accessible only to large farmers, is now accessible to small and marginal farmers. The Thalassery-Mananthavady State Highway, built during the British era, is the first road in the panchayat. This road helps the people of the panchayat to connect with the outside world. Until 1970, the health sector in the panchayat depended on a few local doctors. In 1979, the Porur Government Ayurveda Dispensary was established. Subsequently, an allopathic dispensary was established in Periya in 1989. In the 1950s, livestock was used as a measure of economic status in rural areas. At that time, all the ancient families living in Thavinjal panchayat raised cattle in the Vanthopatil. The vast paddy fields cultivated during the rainy season and the grazing landscape suitable for abundant grazing maintained the livestock in the panchayat. In all the old ancestral houses, unlike today, the Ptawa-Ala, which kept more than 500 cattle together, were universal.