Local History
The village derived its name Aanad ("Land of Elephants") due to the concentration of elephant herds that once inhabited the area. There is an abundance of place names and personal names providing evidence that wild animals such as tigers and leopards, as well as herds of spotted deer, roamed freely here. Examples include Kaduvakkurup—a recognized hunter who trapped 101 leopards and was awarded silk, bracelets, and a title by the King; Vedathipara, named after the spot where a Vedhar woman killed by a leopard was found; and place names like Chullimanoor, Pulikottukanam, Pulippara, Kaduvachira, and Aaneykonam.
In earlier times, country physicians handled the healthcare sector. Among them, Kizhakkela Kunnumpurathu Veettil Sankaran Vaidyar, Palottukanam Raman Pillai Vaidyar, and Pulikkuzhi Manuel Vaidyar were exceptionally skilled. The first Allopathic Dispensary in the panchayat was established at Chullimanoor by Devadas.
During the period when the present Aanad and Panavoor panchayats functioned as a single entity, a cooperative institution was registered and started operations in Kollam Era 1100 (1925) at Karikkuzhi in Aanad village; this was later elevated into today's Farmers Bank. The first post office in the Aanad region was started at Chullimanoor by D. Chellaraj. Private bus services commenced around the 1940s, and electricity reached the panchayat by 1953.
Around the 1950s, a reading room operated in Aanad under the leadership of Dr. Veluppillai, named Vijnana Pradayini. Once organized efforts took shape in this sector, a series of libraries sprang up across various parts of the panchayat. Notable among them were the Mannoor konam Peoples Library, Aanad Yuvajana Samajam Reading Room, Irinchayam United Library, Attukal Karshakamithram Reading Room, and Panayamuttam K.S.M. Memorial Library. Their contribution to the cultural advancement of this region was invaluable.
Aanad Panchayat was formally constituted in 1952. N. Kunjukrishna Nair was elected as the President of the first governing body, which came into effect in 1953. The administrative staff consisted of K. Bhaskara Pillai (Clerk) and Chellappan (Peon). It is noteworthy that Chellappan, who served as a peon, rendered such dedicated service that he earned the nickname "Panchayat Chellappan." During that era, local infrastructure works such as footbridges, ponds, dirt roads, and small culverts were built using panchayat funds.
An evening market (Anthichantha) was started at Chullimanoor near S.H.U.P.S. on land belonging to M. Chellappan Nadar. Another market was conducted at Iryanaatt on land donated by Nanan Mudalali. In 1964, during the tenure of K. Parameswaran Nair as President and G. Manoharan as Vice President, the statewide Laksham Veedu (One-Lakh Housing) scheme was implemented in the panchayat. Houses were built at Maniyamkottu, Chandramangalam, Vettampally, and Karikkuzhi to rehabilitate families.
The panchayat acquired land for the Chullimanoor Mini Industrial Estate. Using R.D.B. loans, the Chullimanoor Market and Shopping Center, as well as the Panavoor Public Market, were established. The panchayat successfully repaid the R.D.B. loan, and the Chullimanoor evening market was upgraded to the Chullimanoor Public Market. Due to the efficient implementation of activities through the N.E.S. Block, Aanad Panchayat was elevated to the status of a "Jayanthi Panchayat." Grama Sevak Karunakaran Nair and Grama Sevika Krishnamma received awards, and Kumari Vijayamma, a social worker in the women's sector, was recognized as Gramalakshmi.
Over time, new roads were constructed with the cooperation of local residents, leading to improved transportation facilities. However, these initiatives also resulted in criminal cases being registered against several volunteers. The inauguration of the new building constructed for the Ayurveda Hospital was performed by Chief Minister C. Achutha Menon, after which the hospital was shifted to the new premises. Aanad Panchayat, which previously included the area of today's Panavoor Panchayat, underwent bifurcation in 1976, leading to the formation of Panavoor Panchayat.
