Kuttichal
Grama Panchayat

Kuttichal, which grew alongside Poovachal until 1968, is today a separate Grama Panchayat. It has been independent for over half a century, gaining strength by standing alone. Kuttichal was a part of the Nedumangad Taluk in the capital district, overseen by the Vellanad Development Block. It has been part of the new Kattakada Taluk for less than ten years. Among the 11 Grama Panchayats in the new Taluk, Kuttichal is one of the top three or four with the highest concentration of Adivasis (tribal people).
The tribal people here belong to the Kottoor and Amala Reserve Forests, which are part of the Paruthippally Forest Range. Some of their settlements (kaṇippattukaḷ) are situated close to Agasthyakoodam. It is likely that Adivasis established their settlements here from around the sixteenth century onwards. Oral songs and stories about people and their deities descending from the hills from Paṇḍi Naḍu (Tamil country) suggest their arrival was from that region.
When compared to other local areas, the name of the Panchayat, Kuttichal, appears to be modern. This name gained recognition outside the area only after the Panchayat was formed. On old maps of Kerala, the place names marked in this Panchayat were Paruthippally and Kottoor. Kottoor was already known as an ancient forest region of the capital district. Paruthippally, on the other hand, gained official status as a Forest Department Range. The Allopathy treatment center currently operates where a temporary camp shed of the Forest Department once stood in Paruthippally. The Panchayat is included in the Mannoorkara Village. The early institutions of the Panchayat were known by the names Paruthippally and Mannūrkara.
In one map, Paruthippally School was mistakenly written as Party Pally. As mentioned, Kottoor was already famous as the ancient forest region of the capital district, and Paruthippally had gained an official position in records as a Forest Department Range. The Allopathy treatment center is currently functioning where the department’s temporary camp shed was located in Paruthippally. The Panchayat is part of Mannoorkara Village. The early institutions in the Panchayat were known by the names Paruthippally and Mannookara. The Kuttichal School, Cooperative Society, Range Office, and CSI Church were recorded under the name Paruthippally, while the Post Office, Sidhāśramam, and Village Office were recorded under Mannūrkara. Some of these names have been changed recently. In the past, Kalloḍu was the most developed area after Kuttichal.
The path that crossed the mountains from the Pāṇḍi (Tamil Nadu) region to Kottoor was known as Paṇḍi Peruvazhi (Paṇḍi Highway). Common people also called it Keera Vaḍathaḍam. The Aruvi Muthiyamma Thoṟṟam, which details the origin of the Aruvi Muthiyamma Temple located near Pankavu, tells the story of a battle between forces that arrived from Pāṇḍi and the local Kāṇi Mooppan (tribal chief). In olden times, a shortcut from Madurai to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple existed via Ambasamudram and Kottūr. The Kaṇiyarathampuran Oṭṭupaṭṭu (ritual song) also documents the journey of a person named Madikkutty arriving via the Pāṇḍi Peruvazhi.
Elders say that Kavyarrumanpuram and Pichchamettan’s Appu (a cave), which were submerged as part of the Peppara Dam reservoir, were resting places for ancient travellers who came down from the forests. Travellers would arrive in Kottoor and Aryanaḍu from the eastern border via difficult paths, carrying loads on oxen (potthikkaḷa). Aryanaḍu had a market then where trade goods arrived. Before roads were built, travelers walked across hilly and uneven terrain, carrying essential food supplies, cooking vessels, and bedding tied to the backs of oxen or donkeys.
Today, the produce farmed and gathered by the Kaṇikkar (tribal people) is auctioned in a building belonging to the Forest Department, under their supervision. In addition to farming, the Adivasis sell various household items made from bamboo and cane in the market.
In the old days, when it was part of Travancore, Kottoor was a center for elephant catching. Two elephant pits (ānakkuḻikaḷ) can still be seen in the areas of Pānkāvu and Śambhutāngi. The place near Kottūr Junction where elephants were tamed was known as Anakuḍu (Elephant Shed).
It is unknown when the settlers who came to farm began interacting with the tribal people, but it is likely that this contact is not very recent. Although the Adivasi accounts of continuous streets existing from Kombai Kāṇi up to the Aryanaḍu Ayyankaala Madam might contain some exaggeration, they should not be completely dismissed. At the very least, settlement must have begun in various parts of Kuttichal before the Athirumala estate came up on the slopes of Agasthyakoodam. People used to say during the time of untouchability and pollution norms that "from Pattar (Brahmin) to Parayar" lived here. Many who came from other villages for hunting were drawn by the virgin soil here and took up farming. Traders who came to buy the Adivasis' agricultural products also settled permanently. Those who were captivated by the forest and the soil and arrived here later became the children of Kuttichal.
There are two roads that connect Kuttichal to distant places: one to Kottoor–Thiruvananthapuram and the other to Nedumangad. The first connects to the state capital, and the second touches the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. Transport plays a major role in economic growth and education. Although plantation farming has caused a loss of biodiversity, it has improved the economy. Grains, including paddy, are facing extinction. The production of tubers has also greatly decreased. The flora of the forest has been destroyed as a result of coupe auctions. Raw materials like bamboo and cane, essential for the main handicrafts of the Adivasis and others, are scarce. The abundance of trees that once provided various types of mangoes has diminished. The changes in the agricultural sector have pushed people toward other occupations.