Institutional History
Melukavu is a beautiful rural region located on the eastern border of Meenachil Taluk in Kottayam district, Kerala, at the foothills of the Western Ghats. Today it is known as a Grama Panchayat and has a rich historical heritage in the fields of agriculture, society, religion, and culture. The major details of its history and background are described below.
History of the Place
According to local tradition, an ancient temple that once stood at Kodithoppil, near a place called Kulathikkandam, was repeatedly attacked by wild elephants. As a result, the temple was relocated uphill to a place known as Kallu Vettam. Since the sacred grove (kavu) was moved from a lower area to a higher one, it came to be called “Mele Kavu” (Upper Grove), which gradually evolved into “Melukavu.” Similar historical explanations can be found for many place names within the Panchayat.
The area known as Vakakkad was so named because it was densely covered with vakka trees. Kulathikkandam derived its name from the ponds and mangrove-like vegetation found there. Uppidupara was a place where hunters preserved game meat by salting it. Idamaruk was situated between two hills; the word maruk is also understood to mean a hill. Erumappara was a rock where herds of wild buffaloes rested together; over time, the name evolved into Irumapra.
Another locality, Mudivachamaruth, is associated with a legend about a king. It is said that when the king descended to meet his subjects, he placed his turban on the branch of a tree and rested beneath it. Consequently, the place came to be known as “Mudivachamaruth” (the place where the crown/turban was placed).
Legends of Kulappurath Bhiman
In the 9th century of the Kollam Era, there lived an extraordinarily strong man known as Kulappurath Bhiman in the Kulappurath Nair family of Kayyoor Desam in Meenachil Taluk. According to Aithihyamala by Kottarathil Sankunni, Bhiman possessed superhuman strength. It is said that for a single meal of gruel, he required twenty-five and a quarter idangazhi of rice along with various side dishes. He would hunt deer, wild boar, monitor lizards, rabbits, and other animals, boil them in large copper vessels, and hang the cooked meat near the swing cot where he rested during the day, eating it at leisure.
The place where Bhiman leaned the huge wooden planks he carried became known as Palakachari (“the place where planks were rested”). Another location where a stone was shaped like a boat came to be called Thonikkallu (“Boat Stone”).
Ilaveezhapoonchira
Local legend further states that Bhimasena created a reservoir on top of the hill for Panchali (Draupadi) to bathe in. This reservoir later became known as Ilaveezhapoonchira, a famous hilltop destination whose name literally means “the valley where leaves do not fall.”
This blend of history, folklore, and local tradition continues to shape the cultural identity of Melukavu and its surrounding regions.