Many eminent persons in and around Kazhakuttam have left their mark on the sands of time. The first and foremost must be that of saint and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru who hails from Chempazhanthi about 5 km south of Kazhakuttam. The ‘Vayalvaram’ house, where he was born, has been well-preserved. Chembazanthi Gurukulam and Manakkal Temple, founded by the Guru, are nearby. South of Manakkal temple is Kallarathala, where Chembazhanthi Pillai’s residence, armoury and ‘Elankkam’ are claimed to have existed.
Sree Narayana Guru consecrated a Siva temple at Kolathukara near Kazhakuttam, following the revolutionary consecration at Aruvippuram. He has composed a hymn (‘Kolatheesava sthavam’) for the temple deity. He also stayed in the temple and did some writing. The place where Sree Narayana Guru stayed is now a memorial building and houses his furniture. His memory is also attached to Aniyoor Temple. Apart from temples, a library blessed by him, which was started in 1920 by his disciples Sasthavilakam Kesavan and Venth Vilakom Narayan, exist in Kulathoor. In 1925, the saint visited the library which now exists in a modern building as ‘Kulathoor Sree Narayana Memorial Library’. At Pangappara, mid-way between Chembazanthi and Kolathukara, stands Sree Narayana Guru Mandiram, founded in 1971 by Adarshananda Swami.
A few km ahead of Kazhakuttam, on the National Highway, is Pallippuram, where a camp of the Central Reserve Police Force is situated. Technocity is coming up in Pallippuram. The place is famous as the home of Barrister G.P. Pillai. G.P. Pillai, popularly known as G.P., was a mentor figure to Mahatma Gandhi. He is often reckoned as the father of political agitation in erstwhile Travancore. He hailed from ‘Valava Kunnath’ in Pallippuram. His parents were Valavakunnathu Karthiyayani Amma and Harihara Iyer. He was expelled from University College for political activism and had to leave Travancore. He was a moving force behind the ‘Travancore Memorial’ of 1891, which called for representation of all communities in government jobs, in proportion to their population.
Barrister GP Pillai | Photo Credit: special arrangement
The Hindu wrote an editorial on January 20, 1891, supporting the arguments of the movement. GP succeeded in raising the issue of Tiyas and Ezhavas in the British Parliament. GP was a critic of Lord Wenlock's administration, which he called a “quinquennium of blunders”.
Gandhiji has paid handsome tribute to GP in his autobiography. He wrote: “The greatest help here (in Chennai) came to me from the late Sri Parameswaran Pillai, the Editor of Madras Standard... He invited me to his office and gave me guidance...and placed the columns of Madras Standard entirely at my disposal...”.
In the Universal Magazine (London) in 1900, G.P. described the beauty of his own country [Travancore] as follows: "It is a land of mountains and of flood, full of picturesque hills and dales, lovely lakes and rivers, magnificent waterfalls and cascades. It is covered with a robe of florid and exuberant vegetarian throughout the year”.
Mahatma Gandhi’s letter to Barrister G.P. Pillai | Photo Credit: special arrangement
Gandhiji himself visited Kazhakuttam during a brief stopover during his journey to North Kerala.
After the establishment of Kerala University campus and Technopark, the place naturally attracted both political leaders and intellectuals and professionals.
Towards the north of Kazhakuttam, at Thonnakkal, we can find the house of renaissance poet Kumaran Asan, who was also a close associate of Narayana Guru. Asan chose to settle down in Thonnakkal towards the end of his life. He also established Saradalym Book Depot. He lived only a couple of years in this place.
Kumaran Asan | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Another landmark is Thonnakkal Devi temple, which is famous for hosting the legendary musician Shadkala Govinda Marar, who could sing in six tempos, almost two centuries ago.
There are many other prominent people hailing from the region or domiciled in the the region, some well-known, some forgotten. Boniface, a member of the fisher community of St. Andrews area, was a hero of Subash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army who collaborated with Vakkom Abdul Khader in the freedom struggle.
Sree Neelakanta Guru Padar (1897-1965), a native of Njarndoorkonam, and Sree Sathyananda Saraswathy are both spiritual leaders from the area. Great artist A. Ramachandran, author Varkala Sivan Pillai, who also wrote a booklet on Karyavattom, poets Karyavattom Sreekantan Nair and Pangappara Kesava Pillai, Kathaprasangam artiste Ayilam Unnikrishnan, film actor Premkumar and Dr Thangavelu, former Medical College Principal who gifted land in Puthenthope to TBGRI, are just some of them.
The fourth part of the series tracing the history and development of Kazhakkuttam