Nilamel
Grama Panchayat

Most of the panchayat was ground and the rest was high ground. It is believed that the place got the name ‘Nilamel’ because it was a place that was built on top of the ground. Some old-timers also believe that the name ‘Nilamel’ was given because the Sri Dharma Shasta temple was located on a high (above) area near the ground. Locals over the age of eighty-five remember that the original name was ‘Nilakkal’ and that it became ‘Nilamel’ over time. The name of the family that owned most of the area was ‘Nilamel Veedu’. It is also believed that that family name later evolved into a place name. In any case, this area, which was known as ‘Kottarakara Taluk’ in the past, can be considered to have had a glorious past. The caste names of the people who inhabited the area later came to be known as place names. Examples are Panankonam and Parayarukonam in the panchayat. Kaithodu, where there were many kaithodu, Kodikonam, which was the center of betel leaves, and Mulayakonam, Murukkuman, Kaithakuzhi, and Aharantakuzhi, which are related to the names of trees, are also included in the list of place names. There is a beautiful bungalow built by American missionaries on the high ground in Nilamel in connection with the Lutheran mission. This place is known as ‘Bunglavukunnu’ - now Banglamkunnu -. Veikkal, Karunthalakode, Kannankodu, Paruthiyil, Manalayam, Nettayam, Cheradukuzhi, and Vellari are all place names related to nature and society.

History of the Freedom Struggle

The brave warriors of this panchayat actively participated in the struggle for freedom. The presence of soldiers from Nilamel panchayat was notable in the legendary ‘Kadakkal Viplavam’ and the Attingal Uprising that took place as part of the freedom struggle. On 18th Kanni 1114, trees were cut across the road to block the movement of the British army and the culverts were broken, effectively blocking the advance of the army. Among those convicted for participating in the freedom struggle, Companymala Viswanathan, who was sentenced to 7 years and 7 months in prison, became the pride of Nilamel. Raghavan Vaidyan, Ramankutty, Chayakada Narayan, Paramu Meshiri, Eeti Haneefa, Krishnan Meshiri, Muthukudyil Abdul Karim, Mamoottil Shahul Hameed and many other unknown names have been the links of this panchayat in the freedom struggle.

Socio-cultural history

There are many individuals who have played a significant role in the socio-cultural progress of this area. Nilamel has NSS College, Panchayat Office, Govt. U.P. The names of Nilamel Ramanunnithan and Valiyathammala Velayudhanunnithan who donated land for many other public institutions including schools can only be remembered with gratitude. Mattapally Majeed, who worked at the forefront of the emergence of high schools, colleges, hospitals and cooperative societies, which are the basis of social progress of the country, former MLA V. Prabhakaran, Navaikulam Rasheed, Anappuzhakkal Raghavan, who has contributed to the fields of art and literature, and S. Krishna Pillai, who took the initiative to establish Anchalapis on Nilamel and served as the first Anchal Master, are the names that should be mentioned separately. The main temple on Nilamel is the Sri Dharmasastha temple, the family temple of the Unnithans. Old-timers remember that the idol found when digging the ground at a place called Shastavu Poyka (Perungunnam) near the town was installed here. This is a Panchaloha idol worth lakhs. The idol is depicted holding a bow and arrow. A grand festival is celebrated every year at the Murukkuman Shastha temple. Festivals are held every year at Kaithode, Kaithakuzhi and Tuttuvalli. People of all castes and religions participate in these festival programs with a cooperative spirit. The important Kavus in Nilamel Panchayat are Kaithakuzhi Chavaru Kavu and Kodikonam Kavu. Festivals are held in these places too. There are four temples, six mosques, two Christian churches and a Sree Narayana Guru Mandir in Nilamel Panchayat. The ‘Souhardha Samiti’ library, which has been operating since 1949, was an important link in the cultural sector here. There are voluntary organizations working in the field of art, sports and culture in the panchayat. Clubs such as NASS and Vishwadarshan have been working in this field for more than 20 years. The Vekkal Maramadi Mahotsavam is held every year. Veikkal is the only place in Nilamel panchayat that hosts the agricultural festival Maramadi competition. This competition was started by Jamal Sahib in Muthukudy, Muhammad Kunju in Poonkodi, and others. Under the supervision of Vavakunju Sahib in Poonkodi, this grand festival is celebrated every year with more enthusiasm and enthusiasm. The Veikkal Maramadi Festival, which has captured the attention of people all over Kerala, has become a magnet for agricultural Kerala and tourists.