At a glance
Eramam-Kuttur Grama Panchayat is a village panchayat located within the Payyannur Block of Kannur district. Spanning the villages of Eramam, Kuttur, and Vellora, the panchayat covers an area of 75.14 square kilometers. It is bordered by Peringom-Vayakkara Panchayat to the north; Kadannappally-Panapuzha Panchayat and Payyannur Municipality to the south; Alakode and Chapparapadavu Panchayats to the east; and Kangol-Alappadamba Panchayat and Payyannur Municipality to the west. The current Eramam-Kuttur Grama Panchayat was formed in January 1962 through the merger of the Kuttur Village Panchayat (established in April 1955) and the Eramam Village Panchayat (established in April 1956).
This panchayat region is, in the truest sense, an agricultural village. The historical significance of this panchayat is documented in the book *Perum Perumayum* (Fame and Renown), a collection of selected essays by Chirakkal Balakrishnan Nair. The ruling dynasty of Kolathunad was known as the Mushika Dynasty or the Kola Swaroopam. It was the king known as Iramakoodamuvar (or *Ramaghataka Mushika* in Sanskrit) who established that ancient dynasty—with Ramanthali, within the Ezhimala region, as its capital—and extended his influence over Kolathunad. 'Raman' (or 'Iraman') was the dynastic title borne by the kings of the Mushika lineage. In addition to Ramanthali, the dynasty maintained a secondary capital named 'Iramam'; over time, this place came to be known as 'Eramam'. This is the land of Kodillon Raman and Vannathan Raman—men who waged solitary battles against the tyrannical rule of feudal landlords, only to eventually perish, succumbing to feudal machinations. Their struggle stands as a shining chapter in the history of courageous fights against the feudal landlord system. When panchayats were established in Malabar under the Madras Village Panchayat Act, the Kuttur Village Panchayat (comprising eight members) came into existence in April 1955, followed by the Eramam Village Panchayat (comprising nine members) in April 1956.
