Wadakanchery
Block Panchayat

NES blocks were formed as part of the implementation of rural social development activities during the First Five-Year Plan. Agriculture, animal husbandry, cottage industries, and the development of rural infrastructure constituted the scope of the blocks' operations at that time.

There is ample evidence suggesting that the areas under the Vadakkanchery Block possess a historical background stretching back to ancient times; however, much of this history remains to be fully uncovered. Relics of an ancient civilization—such as *Thoppikkallu* (hat-stones/umbrella stones), *Nannangadis* (megalithic burial urns), and caves—have been discovered in areas like Kadangode and Iyyal, which were part of the Vadakkanchery Block. With its diverse landscape of rivers, hills, and plains, this region likely provided fertile ground for the flourishing of an early civilization. Remains dating back to the Megalithic Age have also been found in various parts of the Block.

This region was once part of the ancient Chera Empire, a fact referenced in *Pathitruppathu*, a major literary work from the Sangam era. Many kings of the Chera dynasty patronized Buddhism and Jainism. The rock-cut temple found at Irunnilamkode in Mullurkara Grama Panchayat is believed to have originally been a Jain temple.

The recorded history of this region is closely linked to the Kingdom of Kochi. Sharing a border with the erstwhile Valluvanad, this area was considered strategically important by the rulers of Kochi. It is said that the King of Kochi maintained a holiday residence in Vadakkanchery. The present-day Vadakkanchery Government Boys' Higher Secondary School and the Government LP School... It is said that the schools of that era were akin to the palaces of the local chieftains; indeed, the road in front of the Government LP School is still known as 'Palace Road'. The tradition of two police officers escorting the *Pooram* procession continues to this day—a practice that originated when the then-Raja of Kochi dispatched soldiers to provide security for the Uthralikavu Pooram, one of the region's major festivals.

Many individuals from this area made significant contributions to the Indian national movement and the struggle for independence; Madambu Narayanan Namboodiri and R.M. Manakkalath are just a few examples. Vadakkanchery Neelakanta Iyer was a key leader of the Kochi Prajamandalam, which was formed in 1941. The areas falling under the Block Panchayat became part of the Thiru-Kochi state following the merger of Travancore and Kochi in 1949, and subsequently part of the Kerala state when states were reorganized on a linguistic basis.