Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker

Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, also known as Kallisseril Velayudha Perumal (7 January 1825 – 3 January 1874), was a 19th-century social reformer and warrior, known for his fight against many social evils prevalent in the state of Kerala. He was born into an affluent Ezhava family known as Kallisseril, in the small independent province called Mangalam, near Haripad in Alappuzha district.

Early life Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker was born into the Kallisseril Tharavad (also known as the Valiya Kadavil family), in a small independent province called 'Mangalam', in Arattupuzha, Haripad, Karthikapally Taluk of Alappuzha district. Kallisseril was a wealthy and influential Ezhava family of the region, with a martial arts lineage. His maternal grandfather was Valiya Kadavil Perumal Chekon, also known as Perumalachan. Velayudha Panicker's mother was Perumalachan's eldest daughter. His father was Kuttithara Govinda Panicker, who hailed from Eruva, in Kayamkulam.

Velayudha Panicker's forefathers were successful merchants, who had trade relations with Arab, Kutch and Sinhalese traders. The Kallisseril family owned their own cargo ships for foreign trade and, was the owners of acres of coconut plantations, paddy fields and farm lands around the region.

Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker built a temple called the Mangalam Shiva temple (also known as Edakkad Jnaneswara Temple) in Arattupuzha. Built in 1852, the temple opened its door to people of all castes and religions.

Velayudha Panicker headed the Mukkuthi Samaram of 1860 (strike for the right to wear nose studs and other gold ornaments by women belonging to marginalised communities ) in Pandalam.

The successful outcomes of these 19th century struggles, organized and led by Velayudha Panicker, played pivotal role in elevating the dignity of marginalised women in the society.

In 1869, on his way to Padmanabhaswamy temple for the Murajapam (the chanting of prayers and recitation of three Vedas performed for a period of 56 days), Brahmin priest Tharananellur Nambudiri, was robbed of his Salagramam (sacred stone) in the backwaters of Kayamkulam. Both the palace and police officials failed to find Kayamkulam Kochunni, who stole the Salagramam, after which, Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, was enlisted with the task, who eventually captured him and submitted him to the Diwan. Panicker was honoured by the King for capturing the robbers and recovering the Salagramam back to Tharananellur Nambudiri, Velayudha Chekavar was given the title “Panicker” by the king of Travancore.

In 1874, a few upper caste men plotted against Velayudha Panicker and, murdered him in his sleep in the darkness of night during a boat journey, using the help of a converted Ezhava Muslim, Thoppiyitta Kittan. Velayudha Panicker was 48 years old at the time of his death.

Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker was the first martyr of Kerala Renaissance.

In popular culture Indian filmmaker Vinayan directed Pathonpatham Noottandu, a Malayalam-language biopic based on Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker's life, with Siju Wilson in the role of Velayudha Panicker.

Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, released a documentary, Munpe Nadannavan based on the life of Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, directed by U K Sreejith Bhaskar, on 25 August 2022.