Kurumbranad (Kurumbuzhai Nadu or Kurumbiathiri Swaroopam) was a kingdom, located in present-day Kerala state, South India, on the Malabar Coast. [1] Once a powerful kingdom, it had important commercial centres such as Mapayil, Puthuppanam and Vatakara. The area was bordered by the sea on the west side and Karnataka in the east.
On the north side was Kolathu Nadu and in the south lay Polanad (former name of Calicut). [2] Their central power was concentrated in present-day Balussery where they built their capital around their largest fort, the Balussery-Kota flanked by a unique temple dedicated to their family deity, Vettakkorumakan. [3] The famed Malabari warrior and legendary local hero, Thacholi Othenan had ancestors in the Kurumbranad Royal Family.
Lokanarkavu Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated in Memunda 4 km from Vatakara, in Kozhikode District, North Malabar region of Kerala state of south India. Lokanarkavu is a short form of Lokamalayarkavu which means lokam (world) made of mala (mountain), aaru (river) and kavu (grove). The closest railway station is at Vatakara, which is 5 km from temple. The nearest airport is Kannur airport which is 54 km away.
Vatakara, also spelled Vadakara, IPA: [ʋɐɖɐgɐɾɐ], French: Bargaret, is a coastal town in the Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India. Vatakara is located between Kannur and Quilandy. The municipality of Vatakara covers an area of 23.33 km2 (9.01 sq mi) and is bordered by Mahé to the north and Payyoli to the south. It is the headquarters of Vatakara taluk, which consists of 22 panchayats. During the reign of the Kolathiris and Zamorins, Vatakara was known as Kadathanadu. During the British Raj, it was part of the North Malabar region of Malabar District in the state of Madras. The historic Lokanarkavu temple, made famous by the Vadakkan Pattukal, is situated in Vatakara. A new tardigrade species collected from Vadakara coast has been named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.
Kolattunādu was one of the four most powerful kingdoms on the Malabar Coast during the arrival of the Portuguese Armadas in India, along with Zamorin, the Kingdom of Cochin and Quilon. Kolattunādu had its capital at Ezhimala and was ruled by the Kolattiri royal family and roughly comprised the North Malabar region of Kerala state in India. Traditionally, Kolattunādu is described as the land lying between the Perumba river in the north and the Putupattanam river in the south. The Kolathunadu (Kannur) Kingdom at the peak of its power, reportedly extended from the Netravati River (Mangalore) in the north to Korapuzha (Kozhikode) in the south with the Arabian Sea on the west and Kodagu hills on the eastern boundary, also including the isolated islands of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea.
Balussery is a major developing town located about 25 km northeast of Kozhikode city and lies on the sides of State Highway 34 .it is one of the largest 140 assembly constituency in Kerala, and one of the 12 block Panchayats in Kozhikode district. Balussery is the Northeast side entry of Calicut city.
Memunda is a small village near Vatakara town in Kozhikode district of Kerala, south India.
Malabar District, also known as Malayalam District, was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792-1800) and Madras Presidency (1800-1947) in British India, and independent India's Madras State (1947-1956). It was the most populous and the third-largest district in the erstwhile Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Chavakad Taluk and parts of Kodungallur Taluk of Thrissur district, and Fort Kochi area of Ernakulam district in the northern and central parts of present Kerala state, the Lakshadweep Islands, and a major portion of the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu. The detached settlements of Tangasseri and Anchuthengu, which were British colonies within the kingdom of Travancore in southern Kerala, also formed part of Malabar District until 1927. Malayalam was administrative as well as most spoken Lingua franca of Malabar District during British Rule. Jeseri, a distinct dialect of Malayalam, was spoken in the Laccadive Islands. Malabar District merged with the erstwhile state of Travancore-Cochin (1950-1956) to form Kerala according to the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. On the same day, the present Kasaragod district of South Canara District was also attached to Malabar, and the Laccadive&Minicoy Islands of Malabar were reorganised to form a new Union Territory. Malabar was trifurcated to form the districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, and Palakkad, on 1 January 1957.
Marakkar/Maricar/Marecar/Marikkar/Marican/Marecan (Sinhalese: Marakkala), is a South Asian Muslim community found in parts of Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and in Sri Lanka. The Marakkars speak Malayalam in Kerala and Tamil in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The community trace their ancestry to marriages between early Arab Muslim traders of the high seas and indigenous Mukkuvar coastal women. Arab traders have also married with other non-Mukkuvar South Asian women in Sri Lanka and India, but their descendants are not necessarily members of the Marakkar community.
Vadakkan Pattukal are a collection of Malayalam ballads from the medieval period. The songs present stories of heroes such as Aromal Chekavar and Thacholi Othenan, and heroines like Unniyarcha. The stories centre round the fortunes of two families, Puthooram family and Thacholi Manikkoth family. Though two families belong to two different communities Thiyyar and Nair respectively, they share in common the martial traditional. The chief among the Thiyyar chieftains of puthooram was Aromal chekavar, who had | killed by Chanthu in his first duel (Ankam). His sister Attumanamel unniyarcha, is equally adept in the use of arms. The exploits of the Nair chieftain Thacholi Othenan belonging to the Thacholi family form the theme of several ballads. Thacholi Chandu, Palattu Komappan, Putumada Kelu, Karumparambil Kannan are some of the other warriors who figure in the ballads. They exemplify the heights of folk-poetry and are also sometimes associated with deities. Almost all these ballads show strong connections with Kalaripayattu. The oldest compositions do not date earlier than 16th century but their idiom and vocabulary seems older. However, like any other oral cultural forms that are sung by communities even today, these songs show great flexibility and a repetitive pattern in their lexicon that is typical of the simplicity of folksongs in general.
Devala is a town in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. It is situated at about 16 km from Gudalur on the Gudalur–Pandalur road. It is close to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, with Nilambur on the Kerala side.
Kadathanadan Ambadi is a 1990 Indian Malayalam-language sword and sorcery film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Cochin Haneefa. It is a sequel to the 1964 film Thacholi Othenan and the 1970 film Othenente Makan. The film star Mohanlal in the title role, along with Prem Nazir, Swapna, and Raadhu. A few shots from Thacholi Othenan was shown in this film. Kadathanadan Ambadi was released after the death of Prem Nazir.
Naduvannur is a Census town in Kozhikode district in the state of Kerala, India and a part of Kozhikode Urban Agglomeration. The name Naduvannur denotes that it was the centre of the territory of Kurumbranad. 'Nadu' means centre and ur(oor) means place.
Gudalur taluk is a taluk of Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Gudalur.
Kundah taluk is a taluk of Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Kundah and consists of seven revenue villages. Being Balacola, Kil Kundah, Mulligoor, Bikkatty, Kinnakorai, Ithalar and Mel Kundah.
Pandalur taluk is a taluk of Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters of the taluk is the town of Pandalur.
Thacholi Chandu was a warrior and a legendary hero who is believed to have lived during 17 th century in North Malabar region of Kerala, India.He belonged to the Thacholi family of Nair community. Chandu was married to Thayattu Madathu Mattu Kutti. He is praised about in Vadakkan Pattukal. He is the nephew of legendary Thacholi Othenan.
Vettakkoru Makan is a Hindu deity worshipped in parts of Northern Kerala. This deity is alternately referred as Kiratha-Sunu in Sanskrit. Vettakkorumakan is believed to be the son of Lord Shiva by his consort Parvathi, born when he assumed the form of a Kirata (hunter) to deliver a weapon known as Pashupathasthra to Arjuna. He is mostly and exclusively worshipped in Malabar region of Kerala. The most famous temple of this deity is the Balussery-Kotta Vettakkorumakan temple about 25 km from Calicut. This was once the fort of the Rajas of Kurumbranad. Other prominent temples are at Ramanthali, Nileshwar, Kottakkal, Nilambur, Karaparamba and various places in Kannur district and Kasargod district. He is the family deity of the Rajas of Chirakkal, Nileshwar, Kottakkal, Nilambur Kovilakam, Kalathil Kartha's, Aluva, Amarambalam Kovilakam and Randu Illam Vargam Nambiars. Those families among the nobility of Malabar who have Vettakkorumakan as their family deity are connected in one way or other incidentally to either Balussery Fort or Kurumbranad.Later he moved to Kottanachery temple in Vellur, Payyanur in North Malabar. A special type of firecracker called "Kathina" was his favourite.
Othenente Makan is a 1970 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film directed and produced by Kunchacko. It is a sequel to the 1964 film Thacholo Othenan, followed by Kadathanadan Ambadi (1990). The film stars Prem Nazir, Ragini, Sathyan, Sheela and Kaviyoor Ponnamma. The film had musical score by G. Devarajan.
Thacholi Ambu is a 1978 Indian Malayalam-language historical drama film directed and produced by Navodaya Appachan under Navodaya Studio. It was the first anamorphic CinemaScope film in Malayalam. Starring Prem Nazir in the title role, Sivaji Ganesan, Ravikumar and Jayan. Made on a cost of ₹30 lakh, the film grossed more than 90 lacs at the box office.
Kadhirur Gurukkal, also known as Mathiloor Gurukkal, was a martial artist of medieval India. He came from Kadirur, near to Thalasserry in the North Malabar region of present-day Kerala. He operated the Mathiloor Kalari, where Thacholi Othenan trained in Kalaripayattu.
Kadathanat Madhavi Amma was an Indian poet, novelist and short story writer of Malayalam literature. Known for poetry anthologies such as Kalyopaharam and Kanikkonna, she was also the author of two works based on Vadakkan Pattukal viz. Thacholi Othenan and Payyamvelli Chandu. The Kerala Sahitya Akademi awarded her their annual award for overall contributions in 1996.