Kadangode
Grama Panchayat

Each area here has unique, intriguing place-name legends tied to local history and folklore. Mallankuzhi got its name from “Mallan,” a tribal man whose giant footprints left depressions; similar pits are still seen today. Vellarikkad was once a forested wetland; legend says sage Agastya installed a Vishnu idol found in a waterbody, naming the place. The Sree Ramaswamy Temple there is believed to be over 1,400 years old. Cheramanangad, linked to Chera kings, likely became Chiramanangad; it may also mean “land of ponds, Brahmin homes, and forests.” Chiramanangad has many kudakkallu megaliths from Jain culture, now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and part of govt tourism circuits. Eyyal Kotta, now in Choondal Panchayat, was either a Talappilly king’s seat or built by Tipu; Eyyal is widely...