The Chettuva River – The boarder; the gateway and the Lifeline

The Chettuva River, the historical waterway, for some reason is now known as Canolly Canal - or the Canoli Canal whichever way you spell it – provided the secure line of boarder at the western part of our village. So the Canal does to so many other villages along its route.

The canal runs almost parallel to the Arabian Sea Coast from Chettuva to Kodungallore – the nearest coast point being roughly some 5 – 6 kilometers away to the west from Padoor. The water is saline; and have for centuries helped the military troop and material movements as well as the commercial inland waterway shipping.

In fact the waterway was originally called by the name "Chetwai (or Chettuvayi, Chetuvay, Chetva or Chetuva) River" and used to be one of the three important seaports under the Zamorins (Samuthiris); Calicut and Ponnani being the other two. The river and Chetwai port were the scenes to some historic events and battles involving the Zamorins, the Cochin State, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British.

How this river came to be associated with Henry Valentine Canolly (1806 - 1855) who was the Collector and Magistrate of Malabar District during the period 1841 - 1855.



Another canal goes by the same name which on record was ordered built by H V Canolly, which was completed at 1848, according to Malabar Manual Vol. I. This latter canal connected Nilambur (where Kerala’s first teak plantations were situated) with the commercial port of Beypore during the imperial time.

The Chettuvayi river connected with the large fresh water lake previously called the Trichur Lake. In fact today this lake is come to known as the Kole Lands extending from todays Thrissur Taluk to Chavakkad Taluk. The Malabar Manual describes the Chetwai River thus:-

"N. Lat. 10o 31', E. Lon. 76o 6'. The mouth of this river and about six miles on its course lie entirely in British territory and for about two miles more it forms the boundary between British territory and the Native State of Cochin. At the end of this eight miles the river widens out into a lake, partly natural and partly artificial."

A dam separating the saline river from the fresh water lake, thus protecting the valuable agricultural land, was said to have been built by the joint efforts of the Rulers of Cochin and Zamorin. Incidentally the Trichur Lake formed the border between the Zamorin's and the Cochin territories at the time. This masonry dam was later breached by the British during 1802 but filled the following year. Attempts were made at rebuilding the dam 1823 & 1842. This happens to be todays Enamakkal Dam (or bund). The surrounding locality is now come to known as Kettungal (Kettu - കെട്ട്- meaning a bund).

The Malabar Manual also described about proposals to construct a new dam down the river at Chetwai between 1855 and 1858 which were later abandoned.

The canal brought us merchandise up until the late 1970’s. There was a thriving production of coir fiber industry along the canal. In fact lot of land was reclaimed out of the canal by filling with the coir fiber waste, don’t ask me if that was legal, by private owners who did coir processing alongside. The coir products were for most part transported through the waterways. The main commercial centre - in my memory - was Kandassankadavu, but I heard elders telling me that in their times the canal used to connect us with such cities as Kodungallore, Thrissur and Ponnani.

Perhaps the only merchandise that still comes through the canal is some supply of fresh fish. In our younger ages it used to be the sole route for the fish to get to Padoor. The fish vendors bought their stuff from Puthiya Kadappuram where the sea going timber boats brought their catches. Our retail fish vendors would bring the fish using their canoes. They then carry the load in their shoulders to sell it in the village market or by going round the village. The male vendors used “kavu” (a wooden shoulder balance from either side of which a pair of “kotta” hanged) and “kotta” (basket). The females used a “kotta” which they carry on their head.

History: Where do we fit (3)

After flourishing during the 4 – 8 Centuries AD the Jain and Buddhist influence was present in Kerala society until they completely disappeared by the 12 C. The famed Kodungallore temple itself is said to be a deconsecrated Buddhist shrine. Some have claimed that the Parampan Tali, situated at Mullassery (a few kilometers east of Padoor) to be a surviving ancient Tali temple (Tali temples were originally Buddhist, before the 8th century). 

That makes the Paramban Tali (or Parambamthali) Temple as perhaps the oldest surviving religious shrine around the area. The temple is situated in a hilly area; which conforms to the hypothesis that the earliest people were residing in the hills and higher terrains.

The emergence of Southern Indian Brahmanism has led to the introduction of caste system, altering the social, ritual and political positions within the society. The system was prevailing until the mid-part of the 20^th Century. Although the system was named chathurvarnya (four castes system) a three tier caste system existed in Malabar. The Brahmins themselves, the ruling chieftains as kshathriyas and the Nair warriors as shudras. The third tier of vanikas were absent. All others were reduced to the position of Avarnas or Mlechas.

History: Where do we fit (2)

During the 14^th and 15^th Centuries B. C. the Zamorins  (Samuthiris or the Nediyirippu Swaroopam) extended their authority to whole of Malabar area. Villages in our area (up to the Enamakkal Lake) appear to have been formed the most secure boarder (at the south) of the Zamorin’s Kingdom for a long time.

Under the Zamorins a feudal set up was evolved out between political administration, religious activities and temple centered Ara and Tura political power structure. Zamorins implementation of all types of ruling factors was based on temple set up. The largest administrative unit called Cherikkal is an almost equivalent to the present-day taluk. Cherikkals were subdi­vided into  Desom, Tara, Angadi etc. for maintaining the revenue system, toll collections, local law and order, village army system (Lokar) and village treasuries (Ara). There were Koymas, Talakkappu nayar, Patanayar and numerous other officials to collect tolls, revenue and to look after law and order. All these official duties were distributed to a large number of aristocratic families living far and wide in the kingdom. These families with the right to collect revenue, maintain local army men, look after law and order and administer the temples enabled them to centralize money, land, control of religious activities and customs to themselves. 

History: Where do we fit (1)

Padoor lies in the immediate vicinity of some of the earliest known historical points in the state.

The ancient sea port of Kodungallur (see note 1 below) is not far.

The important port of the yesteryears, Chettuwai, which played a crucial role in trade and had been of strategically vital for the Zamorin’s Kingdom is barely few kilometers away down through the Chettuwai River.

As we all know, there is very limited information available about the ancient period of Kerala history. This is because there is hardly any written record left behind our ancestors. Many of the facts passed as history are words of mouth, myths or speculations; not enough evidence ever found to prove them. 

There are geologists who believed that Kerala was formed by some seismic activity, gradually or suddenly. Some researchers say that the Arabian Sea once extended as far inland as the Kalladikkodan mountain ranges. Geological changes resulted in recession of the sea, leaving dry large tracts of land. 

About the underlying areas of Padoor, the seismic or environment changes appear to bear particular relevance. There is an argument that a part of Chavakkad Taluk had been under the sea prior to the flood of 1341 and these parts of land were formed as a result a geographical drift following the 1341 nature’s event.