Wayanad District, in the north-east of Kerala , India , was formed on November 1 , 1980 as the 12th district, carved out of Kozhikode and Kannur districts. The etymology of the word Wayanad is Vayal (paddy) Naad (land); 'Land of Paddy Fields'. There are many indigeneous tribals in this area. It is set lofty on the majestic Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 Metres above mean sea level.

The name Wayanad has been derived from the expression 'Vayal nadu' - the village of paddy fields.

BASIC INFORMATION

Area : 2132 km ²

Population (2001 census) : 780,619

Density of Population : 369 people/km²
No. of Taluks : 3 (Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery, Vythiri)

No. of State Legislative Assembly
Constituencies : 3 (North Wayanad, Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta)

Lok Sabha Constituencies : North Wayanad Assembly Seat is in Kannur Lok
SabhaSeat, the other two in Kozhikode.
District Headquarters : Kalpetta (Municipality, population:29,602 in 2001 census) Other Important Towns : Sulthan Bathery, Mananthavady.

TOPOGRAPHY: Wayanad lies between north latitude 110 27' and 150 58' and east 750 47' and 700 27'. It is bounded on the east by Nilgigris and Mysore districts of Tamilnadu and Karnataka respectively, on the north by Coorg district of Karnataka, on the south by Malappuram and on the west by Kozhikode and Kannur. GEOGRAPHICAL DETAILS Wayanad district stands on the southern top of the Deccan plateau and its chief glory is the majestic Western ghats with lofty ridges interspersed with dense forest, tangled jungles and deep valleys, the terrain is rugged.

HISTORY: In ancient times the land was ruled by the Vedar Rajas. Later Wayanad came under the rule of Pazhassi Raja of Kottayam Royal Dynasty. The modern history of the district is associated with the events that took place during the Mysorean invasion and the long spell of the British rule stretching over a period of about two centuries. There was fierce encounter between the British and Pazhassi Rajah. When the state of Kerala came into being in 1956, Wayanad was a part of Cannannore district; later in 1957 south Wayanad was added to Kozhikode district and north Wayanad remained with Cannannore district. By amalgamating the north Wayanad and south Wayanad, the present Wayanad district came into being on the 1st November 1980 comprising of three taluks; Vythiry, Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery.

PEOPLE: One important characteristic feature of this district is the large adivasi population, consisting mainly of Paniyas, Kurumas, Adiyars, Kurichyas, Ooralis, Kadans,Kattunaikkans are the different aboriginal tribes of Wayanad. The Kurichyar is the most developed among them. They are small land owners, whereas the members of other tribes are mostly labourers. Wayanad district stands first in the case of adivasi population (about 36%) among other districts in the state.

Wayanad has a large settler population. There are people from almost all parts of Kerala who migrated to this fertile land for building up their lives. Wayanad has a small jain community consisting of Gowders who came from Karnataka. They have built beautiful temples all over the district. Almost all sections of Christianity are well represented. One fourth population of Wayanad is constituted by Christians. Muslims constitute another one fourth population and rest of the population belongs to Hindus. Their hard work and sacrifice helped them to prosper. On the other hand, the last few decades have seen the complete marginalisation of the indigeneous people.

TRIBES

The Paniyas: A vast majority of tribes in Kerala State hail from the Paniya tribal sect. About 71.95 percent of the tribal population is found in Wayanad alone. The Paniyan means 'worker' as they were supposed to have been the workers of non-tribes. Gone are the days when Paniya settlement had a headman called 'kuttan' appointed by the land lord. Next in rank to Kuttan was the 'Mudali'or head of the family. Both 'Kuttan' and 'Mudali' are called 'Mooppanmar'. Monogamy appears to be the general rule among the Paniyas. In marriage bride price is practised like many other tribal communities. Widow remarriage is allowed. The Paniyas have only a crude idea of religion. Their major deity, is called 'Kali"is belived to be malignant and so powerful. They also worship Banyan tree. They hesitate to cut such trees and if anyone attempts to cut them, they fall sick.

The Adiyas: The Adiya , like the Paniya , is one of the slave tribal sects in Kerala. In the nuclear Adiya family the husband is the head of the household. Bride price is given to the parents of the bride from the groom. Divorce, widow marriage, etc., are permitted polygamy is also practised. Even if their women commit such offences they are allowed to undergo purificatory ceremony known as 'Kalachu Veypu' to join their community back. The Adiyas call their wanton women as 'Chullachi'. The Adiya tribal community is divided into 20 classes called 'Mandu'. The head of the Mandu is called 'Chommikkaran'or 'Peruman'.

The Kurichyas: The Kurichyas of Wayanad have a great martial tradition. They constituted the army of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja who engaged the British forces in several battles. The descendants of those warriors are still expert archers. The excellence of Kurichya archery has been exhibited recently, at various centres. The Kurichyas are the most developed among the adivasis and they are small land owners. The art performed by Kurichyas is "Nellukuthu pattu"

RIVERS
Kabani river, one of the three east flowing rivers of Kerala, is an important tributary of the river Cauvery. Kabani and its tributaries constitute a powerful river system in the land scape of Wayanad. Panamaram rivulet takes its origin from the perennial lake called, 'Pookode lake'. It flows swiftly through mountain gorges and joined by other streams, tumbles down into Panamaram valley. Six kilometres further from Panamaram, this river joins with the Mananthavady rivulet, originating from the lower regions of the peak 'Thondarmudi'. From this confluence onwards, the river is known as Kabani, a mighty, perennial river which after entering Karnadaka State, joins with the river Cauvery. Almost entire Wayanad is drained by the Kabani river and its tributaries, namely, Panamaram river, Mananthavady river and Thirunelli river.