History of Grama Panchayat
Then and now, the signature occupation here—especially practiced by women—is the weaving of Methappaya (traditional handwoven mats). There is hardly any corner of the world where these exquisite and much-loved mats, crafted by this region, have not reached. Perhaps because "Penkaitha" (the screwpine variety used as raw material) grows in abundance here, the locals came to be known as Thazhavakkar, and the village became Thazhava. The basic components of these mats—the bottom layer (adipaya) and top layer (melpaya) woven by the women here then and now—are sold in all the evening markets across the panchayat. However, the unique place where these components are joined together, colorful borders are stitched with thazha fibers, and finished into beautiful methappayas is the Kuthirapanthi Market in the 1st Ward. On Monday and Thursday mornings, traders from various parts of the state arrive here to purchase these mats. Every week on these days, as large bundles of mats moved from here in different directions, the cooperative society numbered 2062, operating in Vadakkummuri East, drew the attention of the whole of Kerala. Today, all of that remains only in memories; in that exact location, the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi Centre now operates.
During the height of the Travancore royal family’s reign, Velumbi was a worker who delivered the local "Methappaya" to the palace. Having sliced the screwpine leaves into thread-like fibers and woven a mat out of them, Velumbi placed it inside a bamboo cylinder and presented it to the Maharaja of Travancore, who grew very fond of it. Later, a similar methappaya from Karunagappalli was presented to India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, alongside a scepter and a crown at the museum.
Once this region gained prominence, the village of Pavumba, formed within the panchayat, was traditionally called "Pambum Vaa" according to elders, which gradually corrupted over time into Pavumba. In the old days, the primary method for identifying wrongdoers was trial by oath, with temples serving as the courts of today. Chieftains and feudal lords conducted these judicial inquiries in Pavumba, and evidence of this still survives today. At the bottom of the northern mandapam of the temple, there is a small hole into which a person's clenched fist can be inserted. The accused person would clench their fist and place it inside this opening. If the person was guilty, a serpent—believed to be a permanent resident beneath the mandapam—would bite their hand; if innocent, the snake would not move, according to belief. The judicial trials conducted here gained immense fame, which is also why "Pambum Vaa" became renowned.
It is extremely rare for Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu to be worshipped simultaneously within a single nalambalam (temple quadrangle). The Pavumba Temple, which dates back around seven centuries, holds this rare and special distinction. Another ancient and prominent place of worship is the Thazhava Sree Krishnaswamy Temple, known as "Kochu Guruvayur." Here, the Muzhukkappu (full sandalwood encasement/coating) of Lord Vishnu—adorning the conch, discus, mace, and lotus—is very famous.
