History of Grama Panchayat

History of the Place Name

Peerumedu has a history closely connected with Kerala’s plantation industry. The British recognized the fertility of the soil here and began tea cultivation during the closing decades of the last century. The settlement and subsequent growth of Peerumedu took place through various stages in the development of these plantations.

The place name is believed to be associated with a saintly fakir named “Peeru Bava,” who lived here long ago. Kuttikkanam, where the tomb of Peeru Bava is situated, is considered a sacred place by Muslims. Peerumedu was also known by the name “Azhutha.” It is said that this name originated because the medicinal plant called Azhutha, used in traditional remedies for children’s illnesses, was found abundantly in this area.

Social Development History

Plantation workers in the region were subjected to several hardships, including working 12–13 hours a day. As wages, they received only four-and-a-half measures of rice per week, a few food items, and small coins.

During this period, a workers’ organization called Sanmargodhayam Koolivela was formed with Mundakkayam as its center. The late George Kakkanad was its founder. In 1940, the All Travancore State Workers Union was established with Punalur as its center. T. V. Thomas, who later became Kerala’s first Industries Minister, served as its president. During this time, workers received their first employment benefit in the form of a small cash allowance.

In 1946, at the tripartite conference convened by Diwan Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer, workers were granted a 4% bonus for the first time.

The market functioning at Pambanar in the panchayat area was originally located in Old Pambanar during the late eighteenth century. In the early nineteenth century, a deadly plague spread through the area, causing hundreds of deaths. During the plague outbreak, Cook Sahib, the then estate manager of the T.T. Company plantation, offered a reward of two annas for every rat killed.

In the flood of 1924, the second bridge on the K.K. Road was washed away, after which the road route was diverted through Kuttikkanam. In the early days, bullock carts were used for transportation along the K.K. Road. Later, during the 1950s, a bus service named Swaraj was introduced.

Most of the cultivable land consisted of large plantations growing commercial crops such as tea, cardamom, coffee, and pepper. Since it is a high-range region, tea, cardamom, pepper, and coffee remain the major agricultural products. Apart from the large estates owned by a few companies and medium-scale plantation owners, the newly developed regions between them came under the ownership of small farmers.

A primary school was established in Peerumedu during the 1930s. In 1935, it was shifted to the building where the C.P.M. Government High School now stands. Education among migrant Tamil workers at that time was minimal. In 1946, the primary school in Peerumedu was upgraded to a high school.

Cultural History

This region has always maintained a high cultural standard. Since it served as the summer retreat of the Travancore royal family, several government offices functioned here for administrative convenience.

People from different parts of the country who came here for government service and related occupations formed associations for recreation and intellectual activities. A meeting held near the Peerumedu Taluk Office led to the formation of the Sreemoolam Shashtyabdapoorthi Memorial. What began with festival celebrations and community feasts gradually expanded into sports, arts, and cultural activities.

By the Malayalam Era year 1104, the original grass-roofed structure had been replaced by a small tiled building. The present building was constructed in 1967.

Major places of worship in the heart of Peerumedu include:

  • Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
  • St. Mary’s Catholic Church
  • Peeru Muhammad Juma Masjid
  • Orthodox Jacobite Church
  • CSI Church Pallikkunnu
  • Pattumala St. Francis Mount
  • Pambanar Muslim Mosque

The Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is situated in the central part of Peerumedu. Places of worship for various communities are found across most areas of the panchayat.

The earliest church in Peerumedu was the CSI Church Pallikkunnu, established by foreigners in 1850 during the beginning of the tea plantation industry. Later, churches were also established at Kuttikkanam and Azhutha in Peerumedu.

In 1948, a Muslim mosque was established at Pambanar. In 1935, the Sree Krishna Swamy Temple was established.