Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker was an Ezhava

Ezhava

The Ezhavas are a community with origins in the region presently known as Kerala. They are also known as Ilhava, Irava, Izhava and Erava in the south of the region; as Chovas, Chokons and Chogons in Central Travancore; and as Tiyyas, Thiyas and Theeyas in Malabar...

warrior who lived in the 19th century in Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, south India

South India

South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

and fought against caste oppression by the upper castes. His original name was Kalisseril Velayutha chekavar''.

Early life

Velayutha chekavar (1825 - Jan 1874) was born in an affluent Kaalisseril Tharavadu

Tharavadu

Tharavad is a system of joint family practised by people in Kerala, especially Nairs. Tharavadu was a legal entity like a Hindu Undivided Family as per Indian Income Tax laws, and was entitled to own properties. The others, like Namboothriris, Ezhavas, Christians and Muslims also now refer to...

in Arattupuzha, Karthikappally Taluk. The Chekavar

Chekavar

The Chekavar are a caste with origins in southern India, including Sri Lanka, Kerala and some parts of Tamil Nadu...

s of the family were fierce warriors. The family was famous for their proficiency in Kalaripayattu, Ayurveda

Ayurveda

Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...

, Astrology

Astrology

Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...

etc. The Tharavadu

Tharavadu

was a big matrilinear family following Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

s famous Marumakkathayam

Marumakkathayam

Marumakkathayam is a matrilinear system of inheritance which was followed by all Nair castes including of Royal Families, some of the Ambalavasis, Arayars, Ezhava, some tribal groups and Mappilas in North Malabar of Kerala state, South India. Unlike other Brahmin families, Payanoor Nambootiris...

. His mother's family deity was kaalisseril Kali

Kali

' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...

and followed serpent worship. There were four big Sarpa kavu

Sarpa Kavu

Sarpa Kavu is a traditional natural sacred space seen near traditional homes in Kerala state of South India. The site is believed to be inhabited by snakes, and the area usually contains a representation of Naga Raja and other Naga Devatas , where offerings and rites are performed during special...

's surrounding the Tharavadu

Tharavadu

. His grandfather Vallikadavil Perumal Chekavan(Perumalchekon or Perumalchan) was even proficient in Tulunadan kalari techniques which was not common in southern style of Kalaripayattu . His parents died in his childhood itelf. Little Velayudhan studied Ayurveda

Ayurveda

and Astrology

Astrology

Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...

from family Asans(trainers) in addition to Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

and Kalripayattu(including Tulunadan techniques) from his grandfather. He married Velumpy of Varanapally in 1845. He moved to the house in Mangalam after the Marriage. His wife's matrilinear Tharavadu

Tharavadu

in Mangalam was a traditional teakwood Naalukettu, indistinguishable from rich Savarna

Savarna

Savarna are considered part of the Hindu Varna system. Communities which belong to one of the four varnas i. e. Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra are called "Savarna". In the present-day context, they include all the forward castes and Other backward communities...

houses.. He had been 7 feet tall, muscular, very fair skinned . He caught hold of the thief who robbed Salagramam(Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

sacred stone) from Tharananaloor Namboothiri, during his travel to Padmanabhaswamy temple through Kayamkulam

Kayamkulam

Kayamkulam is a town and a municipality in Alappuzha district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is an ancient maritime trading centre. One of the largest power plants in Kerala, run by the NTPC, is located in Kayamkulam. Krishnapuram Palace is located nearby and an old cashew factory.Kayamkulam is...

lake, as per the request of the Travancore

Travancore

Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...

King. As a compliment the Travancore

Travancore

King gave him the title of Panickan. Later it was modified as Panicker.

Kathakali

He learned Kathakali

Kathakali

Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...

, considered to be a Namboothiri Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

art, from one of his uncles who was a mad Kathakali lover. He started a Kathakali troupe with the help of Tharananaloor Namboothiri who became his close friend after the incident at kayamkulam

Kayamkulam

lake. He started a kathakali yogam (Kallasseril Kaliyogam)to study kathakali belong to ezhave community people in the year 1036. Mritwe patter, a kongana brahamin belong to Ambalapuzha purakkat,was appointed in his kathakali yogam. Mritwe Patter was a famous teacher for teaching Kottayam kathakal. Another kathakali teacher Ambalapuzha Madhava Kurup, an officer of Chemakasseri Raja was also supervise this kathakali yogam. Out of his seven children six of them studied kathakali and one of them studied songs. Many persons got training from this kathakali yogam. Kunhacha Panicker(famous for Kirathathil Kaattalan), Veloor vattam Kesava Marar(Chenda), Manakkadan Kunhambu(Gurikkal), and several others... This kaliyogam existed till his death in the year 1049( Danu 24th).

Revolt against caste subjugation

He had personally flouted caste prohibitions and restrictions from childhood onwards, requiring ezhava

Ezhava

s who lived in his area under his protection to do likewise, for example by using public roads. At the time of the 1850s breast cloth controversies, he had commanded all Channar

Channar

Channar or Channan was a surname used in Kerala till early 20th century. It was used by members of the Ezhava community and concentrated around Kollam and Allappuzha Districts.Tharisapalli plates issued by the king Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal of Ay kingdom at 849 AD promised Mar Sapir Iso the Persian...

women in his area to defy royal prohibition upon covering upper body and had bought and distributed upper cloths to all Avarna

Avarna

Avarna in the Sanskrit language of India means one who does not have a varna. The term denotes those sections of people in the Hindu fold who do not belong to the four major castes or Varnas. The four major castes are Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra...

women in Kayamkulam

Kayamkulam

market. When some high status Namboothiri men later intimidated covered Ezhava

Ezhava

woman, tearing breast-cloth away, Panicker

Panicker

Panicker is an Indian title or last name used by members of various communities in the state of Kerala. The Kaniyars community of Kerala, particularly central and northern region, by virtue of their traditional occupation as teachers of a martial art are commonly known as Panicker...

killed them with Sword.. On another occasion, dressed like a Brahman

Brahman

In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...

he had gone to Guruvayur

Guruvayur

Guruvayur is a municipal town in Thrissur District, of Kerala State in India. It houses the famous Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple, the fourth biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees per day.-History:Guruvayur, according to the legends may be 5,000 years old as the Guruvayur...

temple (even today's context it's the most Orthodox

Orthodoxy

The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...

Hindu

temple), and Panicker

Panicker

had spent ten days of learning puja and installion of temple deities. During that period, non-Namboothiris(Brahmin) were never allowed to learn puja and installion of temple deities. When his identity was uncovered by a horrified and furious Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

, he threw a bag of Gold

Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

onto the table saying, Yes, i am a Panicker

Panicker

; take this Gold

Gold

for your services. He ran off after attacking some Savarna temple officials. The irate temple officials chased him as far as Cherthala

Cherthala

Cherthala is a town located in the district of Alappuzha, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located 30 km south of the city of Kochi and 22 km north of Alappuzha town, on the Kochi-Alappuzha streatch of both the National Highway 47 as well as the costal Rail-route.lt is 85 km from the...

(not caught).. In 1852 he travelled to Goa

Goa

Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...

where he learned Brahminical rites used for temple worship. In 1854, he founded a temple in Mangalathu village. Viswanathan Gurukal of Kandiyur, Mavelikkara installed Sivlinga. And panicker

Panicker

himself did the pooja. All castes and tribes were allowed to worship there. Panicker

Panicker

built another temple in Cheruvaranam in 1855.(Aruvippuram installation by Sree Narayana Guru was only in 1888) Panicker

Panicker

organised strike for Achipudava (Achipudava is a cloth or Mundu that covers the portion below the knee) and succeeded. Another contribution was the permission granted to lower class women to wear gold ornaments following Mookkuthy Chantha incidence in Pandalam

Pandalam

Pandalam is one among the fastest growing towns in Kerala, India. Known far and wide for its legendary connection with Lord Ayyappa and Sabarimala, Pandalam is considered to be a holy town...

. Panicker

Panicker

also founded a school and a library in Arattupuzha. He was killed in January 1874 during a boat journey by a group of upper class people
who attacked him from behind during the darkness of night.

Memorials

A Research Foundation was created under the name of Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker
Panicker
Panicker is an Indian title or last name used by members of various communities in the state of Kerala. The Kaniyars community of Kerala, particularly central and northern region, by virtue of their traditional occupation as teachers of a martial art are commonly known as Panicker...

is Arattapuzha Velayudha Panicker Research Foundation and Cultural Centre at Mangalam, Alappuzha
Alappuzha
Alappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum...

.
Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker Memorial HS Link http://www.kerala.nic.in/sslc/schoolist.aspx?dcode=44

"Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker Research Foundation and Cultural Center" was organised by a group of intellectuals named Adv.T.D.Kavirajan, Dr.Babuvijayanath (S/o T.K.Madhavan), Bhaskaran Channar, Adv.A.K.Prasanth, S.L.Puram Sadanandan, P.R.Vasu, M.Indira etc as a registered body under the charitable society act.

"Smaranika - 2005" issued by Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker Research Foundation and Cultural Center in their Alappuzha district meeting held on 10 April 2005.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.