Meenachil
Grama Panchayat

According to the history of Travancore published in English in 1878 by P. Shankunni Menon, the region of Meenachil Grama Panchayat, located at the northern end of Meenachil Taluk in Kottayam Revenue District, had historical importance from ancient times. Until 1751, when Marthanda Varma conquered these regions and annexed them to Venad, the area was under the rule of the Meenachil Karthas, who were feudatories of the Thekkumkoor kings.

Sree Veera Damodara Simha, one of the Njavakkad Karthas descended from two noble women, Sreedevi and Ambikadevi, who came from Vengalur in Kumbakonam, was the first king of Meenachil. It is believed that the region got the name “Meenachil” from the Meenakshi Temple established here by the Meenachil Karthas, who were descendants of the Pandya dynasty and devotees of Madurai Meenakshi.

According to Vaikom Pachumoothath’s History of Travancore (1867), the Thekkumkoor kings possessed neither strong armies nor weapons apart from local chieftains and their Nair followers, which enabled Marthanda Varma to capture their territories with ease. Historian A. Sreedhara Menon also states in Kerala History (page 357) that Meenachil was annexed to Travancore during 1749–50 without any major war.

The Arackal Menon family, who served as chief ministers of the Meenachil kings, and the Valappil Menon family, who served as finance ministers, have now disappeared. Until the conquest of Meenachil by Marthanda Varma, the Meenachil kings governed through local assemblies known as “Nattukoottams” formed in each region, headed by officials called “Millakkarans.” In Idamattom, the position of Millakkaran was traditionally held by the ancestors of K. N. Ramakrishnan Nair.

In 1888, during the reign of Sree Moolam Thirunal Maharaja of Travancore, the Legislative Council, considered the first representative assembly in India, was established in Travancore. In 1904, it was reorganized as the Sree Moolam Praja Sabha. Later, in 1932, it was divided into two bodies: the Sree Moolam Assembly and the Sree Chithira State Council.

Several eminent personalities from this Grama Panchayat served as members of the Sree Moolam Praja Sabha at different times. These included Thomman Thomman Kuruvinakkunnel Pabaniyil Mathunni, whose grandfather Kuruvila Tharakan had received the title of Tharakan from the Maharaja; Puthenpurackal Govindan Nair, grandfather of the late renowned filmmaker G. Aravindan; Puthuppally Narayana Pillai; and Varakayil Kesava Pillai, who was also a member of the first Meenachil Grama Panchayat committee.