Delampady
Grama Panchayat

Delampady Grama Panchayat is a land where different religions, languages, and cultures coexist harmoniously. Situated on the Karnataka border, the Panchayat is culturally diverse, with Tulu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Marathi being the major languages spoken here. The Panchayat is home to many historical monuments and places of worship belonging to different faiths that stand side by side in harmony.

The Adoor Sree Mahalingeshwara Temple, which has a historical legacy dating back to the 7th century, is one of the most important temples in the region. It was one of the four major temples under the rule of the Kumbla kings. The names of Adoor and several other places in the Panchayat are closely associated with Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the temple, and with the history of the temple’s construction.

The oldest Muslim place of worship in the Panchayat is the Pallankode Juma Masjid. Large numbers of devotees from outside regions participate in the annual Uroos festival held there. The only Christian church in the Panchayat was established recently in Delampady.

During the reign of Kumbla Jayasimha Raja, when the British captured Malabar, this Panchayat also became part of British rule. The struggles against British imperialism had a strong influence in this region as well. Sarvathodi Manjannare, a freedom fighter from this Panchayat, spent several months in prison as part of the national freedom movement and was instrumental in bringing the message of the Quit India Movement to the Panchayat. Following Mahatma Gandhi’s call for anti-liquor campaigns across the country, a prohibition rally was conducted in Delampady, during which the liquor shop that existed in Adoor at the time was set on fire.

Feudalism prevailed strongly in the Panchayat until the middle of the last century. In the 1940s, inspired by the farmers’ movement demanding “land for the tiller,” the first farmers’ organization in Delampady was formed in 1957 under the leadership of A. K. Gopalan. Agricultural labourers fought and succeeded in struggles for land rights and wages in places such as Chamakkochi, Puthiyambalam, Thalppacheri, and Ballakkanam. Land that had long remained in the hands of a few feudal landlord families was redistributed to farmers following land reform legislation.

The Panchayat also has a rich artistic and cultural heritage. Around 1865, a Kannada Yakshagana troupe known as “Adoor Melam” functioned at Balakkil Illam. In 1935, the troupe established a Yakshagana theatre in Adoor and conducted weekly performances. The income generated from these performances was used to establish schools that taught Sanskrit and astrology. In 1944, the Sree Gopalakrishna Kalasangham was established in Delampady under the leadership of Karikkode Vishnubhat. Gurukulams that taught Bharatanatyam and classical music also existed here.

Traditional folk arts and ritual performances of backward communities, such as Obela folk songs, Thudikottu, Theyyam, Gondhel, Kolkali, and Poorakkali, had already flourished in different parts of the Panchayat by the beginning of the twentieth century. “Uppinatta” was one of the most popular traditional entertainments in earlier times.

To encourage literary interests among the people, a library was established during the tenure of Sree Narayana Rao as President of the Panchayat. In earlier days, the people depended mainly on traditional healers for treatment of diseases, including poison treatment and remedies for serious illnesses.

Under the feudal system, farmers had to seek the landlord’s permission before harvesting the paddy they cultivated, often by offering vegetables and fruits at the landlord’s feet. Exploitative practices such as “Kallappara” and “Vellikol” were widespread. Tenant farmers would receive ten measures of paddy together only during occasions such as childbirth or death in the landlord’s family. The new clothes distributed by landlords during the Adoor temple festival often served as the yearly clothing for many labourers. Even today, in some places, the custom of distributing clothes during the Adoor festival continues.

During Vishu celebrations, agricultural produce was traditionally offered to landlord families, and Vishu gifts were received in return. There was no distinction between Hindus and Muslims in observing these customs.

Formal education in the Panchayat began with the establishment of an LP School in Adoor in 1934. Although educationally backward, schools had started functioning in the Panchayat as early as 1920. The first school in Thampinadukka was established in 1939. The Adoor Primary School initially functioned in a thatched building. In 1964, with the wholehearted cooperation of local people, the Government High School at Adoor was established.

Even before that, in 1925, students in Delampady were taught up to fifth standard at the residence of Katturayar. With the support of local residents, this institution later developed into a high school. Before 1947, people belonging to lower castes were not allowed admission to schools.