തിരുനാവായ
ഗ്രാമ പഞ്ചായത്ത്

Tirunavaya was once a territory under the control of the Zamorin of Calicut. The historical and folk-singing tradition of Mamankam took place here, on the banks of the Bharathappuzha. Centuries ago, Mamankam was held once every twelve years for the gathering of people and the election of rulers. It was conducted on the Makam asterism during the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) of the month of Magha.
The "Nilapaduthara", where Mamankam took place, is today located inside the compound of the Kodakkal Tile Factory. It was on this platform that the King, who served as the protector (Raksha Purusha) of Mamankam, would make his ceremonial appearance. Originally, the Thaliyathiris, later the Perumals, and ultimately the Valluvakkonathiris stood at the Nilapaduthara in Perunila (state of supreme position). The formation of the Chaverpad (suicide squads) began after the Zamorin of Calicut forcibly seized the position of protector of Mamankam. After camping at Pattinthara in Beeran Chira from the Mamankathara at Thirumandhamkunnu in Angadippuram, the Chaver warriors rushed toward the Nilapaduthara with strict penance.
The bodies of the Chaver warriors who were cut down by the Zamorin's soldiers were dragged and crushed by elephants into a well known as Manikkanar, which can still be seen today within the Kodakkal Mission Hospital compound. K.C.V. Raja, a member of the Zamorin family who passed away in 1992, noted that the name Kudakkal (Kodakkal) originated because umbrella-shaped carved stones were placed over the burial sites of these heroic warriors. Medieval literary works like Kokasandesam and Unniyadi Charitham highlight the importance Thirunavaya held even 700 years ago. The famous event "Pattathanam", where great scholars from Kerala and Tamil Nadu gathered to showcase their erudition and eloquence, was also hosted here for a long time.
Following these famous histories associated with royalty, Thirunavaya gained renown through Christian missionaries. Long before the arrival of the British, Germans came here and initiated missionary work. This led to the establishment of the Basel Evangelical Mission, as well as the Kodakkal B.E.M. School and the Tile Factory. Significant changes took place in the Thirunavaya region after the arrival of the British. Following Germany's defeat in World War II, all their institutions in India came under British control. This is how the Kodakkal Tile Factory came under the Commonwealth Trust, formed by a few private individuals in Britain, with its headquarters in London. Established in 1906, this factory was the second tile factory in India after the Jeppoo Tile Factory in Mangalore.
During that time, the transport route to the Kodakkal company was a stone-paved road originating from Bandhar (the port). This paved path built in that era is today's B.P. Angadi–Kuttippuram Road. The "Marunnara" (powder magazine / storehouse) is located in the old bungalow compound in front of the company. The entrance to a cave leading to the Bandhar can also be seen here. The first formal educational institution in Thirunavaya Panchayat was the Kodakkal B.E.M. U.P. School. When Dr. Hermann Gundert arrived at Edakkulam Railway Station from Calicut, a person named Puzhakkal Muhammed brought him to Kodakkal in a bullock cart. It was when Thavanur Manakkal Vasudevan Namboodiri served as a District Board member that the name of Edakkulam Railway Station was changed to "Thirunavaya".
During that era, Triprangode Sankaran Moossad was a renowned Ayurvedic physician here. The famous "Changampalli Kalari" is also situated in Thirunavaya. It is said that the Zamorin settled masters (Gurukkals) brought from Karnataka at Thazhathara Changampallikunnu to treat soldiers wounded in Mamankam. Having arrived 400 years ago, their descendants now practice medicine across various lineages.
During Tipu Sultan's military campaign in Malabar, Pathani Shaheed was one of Tipu's military commanders. It is believed that the site where soldiers trained under him is "Idivettippara", located in the 3rd ward of the Panchayat. The water pool and Eembippara present here until recently were famous. During the 1921 Malabar Rebellion, the army camped near Pathani Shaheed's Makhbara (tomb). The office of Thukkidi Saip was located in the adjacent Amshakacheri.
The Kaithakkara Juma Masjid in this Panchayat is estimated to be around 400 years old. Zainuddin Makhdoom, the Qazi of this mosque, laid the foundation stone for the Konnallur Mosque. The site where the 150-year-old Randattur Mosque once stood was also originally part of this Panchayat; after it was destroyed by fire, the Matham was shifted to Thavanur.
Formerly, two-thirds of Thirunavaya Panchayat consisted of paddy fields. Kaliyadakka (areca nut), betel leaves, and lotus flowers were the main export items of that time. The lotus flowers from the vast Parappur Lake were famous both within and outside Kerala. The tiles manufactured at the Kodakkal Tile Factory were shipped to various parts of the country via the Bandhar ferry and railways. Local elders recall that until the mid-1940s, a large fish market functioned to the west of present-day Thirunavaya market, from where fish was carried on heads to nearby areas for trade. The Kuttilangadi market was also famous, mainly for betel leaf trade. History records that rice from Burma and sugar from Java were brought via Ponnani commercial centers and unloaded at Thirunavaya Kadavu on the Bharathappuzha using boats.
The festivals at the Thirunavaya Navamukunda Temple have held immense significance since ancient times. Known as the Dakshina Kashi (Southern Kasi), numerous believers from inside and outside the state arrive annually at the Trimurti Sangam in Thirunavaya for Pithru Tharpanam (ancestral rites). The ashes of the Father of the Nation, along with national leaders and cultural icons such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, K.P. Kesava Menon, and S.K. Pottekkatt, were immersed here in the Nila at the Trimurti Sangam.
The school established in 1946 by Sankunni Menon at the Thirunavaya Kadavu choultry (Sathram) under the name Vidyapeetham is today's Navamukunda High School. He also constructed and donated a prayer mosque for Muslims near the Edakkulam Railway Station free of cost.
During the 1921 Malabar Rebellion, soldiers arrested numerous people from Edakkulam, Kodakkal, Thirunavaya, Ananthavoor, Valiya Parappur, and Pallar. Many of them died in Bellary and Coimbatore jails. Parayil Ahammadkutty was killed by gunfire in the Malabar Rebellion. Among those jailed, Edakkulam Chittakath Pottammal Moydeen Haji was honored post-independence with a Thamra Patra (bronze plaque) by the Government of India.
Although rioters from outside attempted to destroy the Vairankode Bhagavathi Temple, a prominent pilgrimage center in Thirunavaya Panchayat during the Malabar Rebellion, local Muslim brothers resisted and protected the temple.
During that period, land ownership in Thirunavaya was confined to a few feudal (Janmi) families and the Thirunavaya Devaswom. The Kodakkal Tile Factory was established on land leased for 99 years from Athavanad Azhvanchery Manakkal, which later came under the company's ownership.
Muslims of this Panchayat actively participated in the Khilafat Movement. As anti-British sentiment grew in their minds, leading to a policy of opposing anything brought by the British, opposition to the English language arose, and English education was viewed as Haram by the Muslim community at that time. Examining the history of Thirunavaya from three-quarters of a century ago shows that this became a major reason for the educational backwardness of Muslims in the Panchayat. Additionally, the notion that education was the exclusive right of the upper class and the wealthy persisted here to some extent. Consequently, a large section of lower-caste people were treated as untouchable and unapproachable, excluding them from education. Social reformers and various cultural organizations later brought about changes through continuous reform efforts.
The natural beauty and rich mythology enhance Thirunavaya's potential as a tourist destination, making it well-suited for development as a pilgrimage tourism center.
On the southern bank of the Nila stands the Shanthi Kudeeram founded by Kelappaji. Living in this Shanthi Mandiram, Kelappaji carried out Sarvodaya activities for nearly forty years. The Navodaya Mela is held here today. The Thirunavaya Navodaya Mela began in 1948, the year the Father of the Nation's ashes were immersed in Thirunavaya. With the onset of summer, various species of migratory birds also arrive as guests on the banks and sandbanks of the Nila River.