Recorded
history of this district is available from the 18th century. In
ancient times, this land was ruled by the Rajas of the Veda tribe.
In later days, Wayanad came under the rule of the Pazhassi Rajas
of Kottayam royal dynasty. When Hyder Ali became the ruler of Mysore,
he invaded Wayanad and brought it under his sway. In the days of
Tipu, Wayanad was restored to the Kottayam royal dynasty. But Tipu
handed over the entire Malabar region to the British, after the
Sreerangapattanam truce, he made with them. This was followed by
fierce and internecine encounters between the British and Kerala
Varma Pazhassi Raja of Kottayam. When the Raja was driven to the
wilderness of Wayanad, he organized the war, like people's militia
with the help of Kurichye tribals and engaged the British in several
guerrilla type encounters. In the end, the British could get only
the dead body of the Raja, who killed himself somewhere in the interior
of the forest. Thus
Wayanad fell into the hands
of British and with it came a new turn in the history of this area.
The British authorities opened up the plateau for cultivation of tea and other cash crops. Roads were laid across the dangerous slopes
of Wayanad, from Kozhikode and Thalassery. These roads were extended
to the cities of Mysore and Ooty through Gudalur. Through the roads
poured in settlers from all parts of Kerala and the virgin forestlands
proved a verietable goldmine with incredible yields of cash crops. When
the state of Kerala came into being in November 1956, Wayanad was part of Kannur district. Later, south Wayanad
was added to Kozhikode district. In order to fulfill the aspirations
of the people of Wayanad for development, north Wayanad and south
Wayanad were carved out and joined together to form the present
district of Wayanad. SALIENT FEATURES The
total geographical area and population of Wayanad are 2126sq.kms,
(2,12,560 hects.) and 6,72,128 respectively, which account for 5.48
per cent and 2.31 per cent of the state total. The male and female
population are 3,41,958 and 3,30,170 respectively. The female-male
sex ratio is 966 per 1000 males. The density of population is 315
per sq.km. (1991 census) against 260 in 1981, showing an increase
of 21 per cent. The
literacy in the region is
85.54 per cent Male literacy ratio is 90.28 and female literacy
ratio is 80.80. Its
geographical position is peculiar and unique . The difference in
altitudes of each locality within the district presents a variation
of climatic conditions. Nature has blessed this part of the country
beautifully with mist- clad mountains and sylvan valleys. The idyllic
nature of Wayanad, its nearness to Udagamandalam (Ooty) and Mysore
with well-laid roads to these centers, offer tremendous tourist
potentialities. A visitor may be impressed by the extensive
paddy fields of the districts. Agriculture in Wayanad is equally
divided between paddy and plantation crops, except coconut. The
hills, which are deep blue in bright sunlight and lie mist-covered
most of the time, juxtaposes with the green of these paddy fields.
This, infact, is a splendid spectacle. The east flowing rivers of Wayanad are in striking
contrast to the various rivers of the rest of Kerala. The river
Kabani of Wayanad is a perennial source of water to Cauvery. The
Panamaram rivulet, originating from Lakkidi and the Mananthavady
rivulet originating from Thondarmudi Peak meet six kms. north of
Panamaram town and after the confluence, the river is known as Kabani. Coffee is ubiquitous in Wayanad. It is cultivated
in every panchayat, both in the form of large plantations and small
holdings.Coffee is cultivated in an area of 75,057 hects.with Wayanad having the highest area of 66,999 hectares.
Pepper is grown as an additional crop on trees that are groomed
to give shade to the coffee shrubs. In Pulpally area, there are
exclusive pepper gardens. Tea is cultivated in large estates. Wayanad
has the highest concentration of tribals in Kerala. They form 17.1
per cent of the total population of the district. The aborigines
of Wayanad have a great political tradition. This area was originally
reigned by the Rajas of the Veda tribe. Later, political authority
came to the Pazhassi Rajahs of Kottayam royal dynasty.
The Kurichyas of Wayanad have a great martial tradition.
They groomed to give shade to the coffee shrubs. In Pulpally
area, there are exclusive pepper gardens. Tea is cultivated in large
estates. Wayanad
has the highest concentration of tribals in Kerala. They form 17.1
per cent of the total population of the district. The aborigines
of Wayanad have a great political tradition. This area was originally
reigned by the Rajas of the Veda tribe. Later, political authority
came to the Pazhassi Rajahs of Kottayam royal dynasty.
The Kurichyas of Wayanad have a great martial tradition.
They constituted the army of Pazhassi Veera Kerala Varma Rajah who
engaged the British forces in several battles. The descendants of
those warriors are still expert archers. The excellence of Kurichya
archery has been exhibitted recently, at various centres.
Wayanad has an agricultural economy and it has no major industry
to boast of. Heavy industry will probably tilt the ecological and
demographic balance adversely. The idyllic nature of this district,
together with its colourful tribal life and brazing climate, will
make tourism pay rich dividends.
Development activities are bringing about a change in the
poor man's quality of life. Through the co-operative sector, Adivasis
are provided with a better deal in the economic life. A labour contract
co-operative society for the benefit of Adivasis is also functioning
here.
A notable feature of life in Wayanad is that it is touched
to its very roots by the operation of the nationalised, commercial
and co-operative banks. The branches of these banks located in the
remote areas of the district have a busy time during the marketing
time of cash crops. TOPOGRAPHY Wayanad
lies between north latitude 110 27' and 150
58' and east longitude 750 47 ' and 700
27'. It is bounded on the east by Nilgiris and Mysore districts
of Tamilnadu and Karnataka respectively, on the north by Coorg district
of Karnataka, on the south by Malappuram
and on the west by Kozhikode and Kannur . Placed on the southern tip of the Deccan plateau,
its prime glory is the majestic Western Ghats with lofty ridges
interspersed with magnificent forests, tangled jungles and deep
valleys. In the centre of the district, hills are lower in height,
while the northern area has high hills and they give a wild and
mountainous appearance. Some of the major peaks are Vellarimala,
Banasura, Brahmagiri, Chembra, etc. ranging from 1500 mts. to 2100
mts. height. The eastern area is flat and open. Due to the
peculiar terrain, there are east flowing and west flowing rivers.
The low hills are full of plantations like tea, coffee, pepper and
cardamom while the valleys have a predominance of paddy fields. The altitude of Wayanad varies from 700 to 2100
meters from sea level. The hill ranges of Vythiri taluk, through
which the road from Kozhikode ascends the Wayanad plateau over mind-boggling
bends and ridges, are the highest locations. From the highest altitude
of the Western Ghats on the western boarder of the district, the
plateau of Wayanad gradually slopes down eastward. Further from
Mananthavady, it becomes a common plain of paddy fields with the
swift flowing Kabani coursing through it. Elsewhere, Wayanad offers a panorama of undulating
hills and dales, which are converted into paddy fields. The hills,
which might have been thick forest once, are now plantations of
coffee, tea or cardamom. There is lushy luxuriant green all round.
On a clear day from the river bed of Kabani, Wayanad will seem to
be a fairy land with the deep blue mountains juxtaposed with the
blue sky and white vagrant wads of cottonwools like clouds amidst
them. The soil of the Wayanad district is mainly of
the forest type. It promotes a lushy luxuriant growth of vegetation,
which makes Wayanad clothed in uniform greenery. The district has
787 ha. under forests CLIMATE Wayanad has a salubrious climate. The mean average
rainfall in this district is 2322. mm Lakkidi, Vythiri and Meppadi
are the high rainfall areas in Wayanad. Annual rain falls in these
high rainfall areas ranges from 3000 to 4000 m.m. High velocity
winds are common during the southwest monsoon and dry winds blow
in March-April. High altitude regions experience severe cold. In
Wayanad (Ambalavayal) the mean maximum and minimum temperature for
the last five years were 29°Cand 18°C respectively. This place experiences
a high relative humidity, which goes even up to 95 per cent during
the Southwest monsoon period.
Generally
the year is classified in four seasons, namely, cold whether (December-February),hotwhether(March-May),Southwest
monsoon (June-September)and Northeast monsoon (Octber-Novvember) The
dale,“Lakkidi', nestled among the hills of Vythiri taluk has the
highest average rainfall
in Kerala. The average rainfall in Wayanad is 300 m.m. per year.
There is a decreasing trend in rainfall in
this area the average rainfall data shows that the lowest rainfall
received from northeast monsoon, is in Wayanad district. RIVERS Kabani
river one of the three east flowing rivers of Kerala, is an important
tributary of the river Cauvery. Kabani and its tributaries constitute
a powerful river system in the landscape of Wayanad. Panamaram
rivulet takes its origin from the Perennial Lake called, 'Pookkode
Lake' it flows swiftly through mountain gorges and joined by other
streams, tumbles down into Panamaram valley. Six kms. further from
Panamaram, this river joins with the Mananthavady rivulet, originating
from the lower regions of the peak 'Thondarmudi' from this confluence
onwards the river is known as Kabani, a mighty, perennial river
which after entering Karnataka, joins with the river Cauvery. Almost
entire Wayanad is drained by the Kabani River and its tributaries
namely Panamaram Mananthavady and Thirunelli . FLORA AND FAUNA The flora of Wayanad are characteristic of the Western
Ghats and the plantation crops grown in the cool climate. A major
portion of the district is covered by coffee. Trees of the wild
type like rosewood, anjili (Artocarpus),mullumurikku ( Erthrina)
and several species of caussia and many other non-descript varieties
are still preserved here and there, to give shade to the coffee
plants. These trees give a semblance of wilderness to the landscape
of Wayanad. In a majority
of coffee plantations, the age-old species are replaced by the silver-oak,
which is suited to the cold climate. This tree grows quickly and
its cultivation is widespread among coffee plantations for shade
and for giving support to pepper. It is used for the plywood industry
and thus is economical to the farmers. Eucalyptus grandis, a shorter
variety of eucalyptus, whose fragrant smell suffuses the very air
around it, is cultivated on a large scale in certain parts of the
district. Eucalyptus oil is extracted on commercial basis from its
leaves. Of the 20,864 hectares of reserve forest, the major portion
is teak plantation. Arecanut palms and jack trees are also grown
here. Tea is grown as an industry in large estates. The soil and climate of Wayanad are suitable for horticulture
on commercial basis. For promoting the cultivation of vegetables
and rising of orchards, the Kerala Agricultural University is running a Regional Agricultural Research Station at
Ambalavayal. With the clearing of forests the diverse and buzzling
animal life, characteristics of the forests of Western Ghats has
vanished from Wayanad. One can still see the bonnet monkeys,loris,
mongooses, jungle cats, squirrels, jackals, hares, etc. in the limited
forest areas. Elephant, bear and other wild animals from the neighbouring
wild life sanctuaries of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, stray into the
Begur forest range and the forests around Muthanga, which is 20 kilometers away from the town of Sulthan Bathery. RELIGION AND CUSTOM No
religion can be said to be predominant in this district. The different
religious groups of the state are more or less equally represented.
A characteristic aspect of Wayanad is a large Adivasi population.
Though they are in the Hindu fold, primitive forms of worship still
prevail among them. Ancestral worship and offerings to propitiate
the spirits of ancestors are still prevalent. Two deities commonly
worshipped by the Adivasis are Thampuratty and Vettakkorumakan.They
also worship the Hindu gods of various temples in the district.
Adivasis do not have any temple of there own. Paniyar, Adiyan, Kurichyar,
Kurumar, Kattunaicker, Kadan and Oorali are the different aboriginal
tribes of Wayanad. The Kurichyar the most developed among them.
They are small land owners, whereas the members of other tribes
are mostly labourers. Some
of the centuries old temples and their Brahmin settlements suggest
the earliest attempts that were
made to bring the Adivasis under the Hindu religious fold. The Thirunelli
and Valliyoorkavu temples, which are known outside Wayanad as the
temples of Adivasis, are in fact of run by Hindu settlers with the
help of Brahmin priests. Adivasis are allowed to worship and participate
in the festivals of these temples. More than anything else the myths
woven around the temples including the one about Sita, Rama's consort
and her two sons Leva and Kusa, have drawn the aboriginal mind to
the Hindu system of belief. Wayanad
has a small Jain community consisting of the Gounders who came from
Karnataka. They have built beautiful temples all over the district.
Almost all sections of Christianity are well represented.
The Syrian Catholics have their Bishop's house at Sulthan Bathery
and the Roman Catholics have their own at Mananthavady. The Bishop's
house of the Jacobite Syrian Church is at Meenangadi. One forth
of the population of Wayanad is constituted by Christians.They are
the largest religious group in Wayanad. A Section of Kurichyas
of Mananthavady has been converted to Christianity. Muslims constitute another one forth of the population.
They are Mappilas who came from Malappuram and Kozhikode districts.
A large number of them are labourers. Muslim women labourers are
usual sight here. Hindus of different castes like Nairs, Thiyyas,
etc. who settled here from different parts of Kerala, form the rest
of the population. The major tribal arts performed in the district are Vattakali
and Koodiyattam using thudi and kuzhal by Paniyas,
Gadhika by Adiyas, Kolkali by Kurumas and Nellukuthu pattu by kurichias.
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