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History of Kavasseri Mana

Kavasseri Mana was one among the powerful and wealthy Nambuthiri manas (ancestral houses), located in the hinterlands of Palakkad, chieftains of which had been given the right to govern the locality. Kavasseri means ‘the abode of Kavu’ (‘kavu’ stands for sacred groves in Malayalam) and is situated in the Alathur Taluk. Kavasseri Mana is located at Kazhani, in Kavasseri, on the river basin of Gayathri River, one of the tributaries of Bharathapuzha, a prominent river in Kerala. In the historical setting of the region, Kavasseri Mana became the center of power for about 150 years before the 20th century.

As was common during that era, the Nambuthiri clans, being the dominant class, were the frontrunners in maintaining communications and trade with far away regions. Kavasseri Mana was built by Sri Neelakandan Nambuthiri, the then head of the family, who was assigned the task of building and protecting many temples and other cultural institutions in the region. This ancestral home was the centre of many milestone events in history, including the freedom struggle. Even while being the seat of power, the mana gave asylum to many who took part in the freedom movement, and placed no class discrimination on commoners, as it existed elsewhere.

Premises

Even though the history of the Kavasseri Kavasseri Nambuthiri clan extents from over 150 years, the edifices of their ancestral home in the present form is about 100 years old. The pride of the mana is a large yard in the front with a traditional gate house on the north side. There was a large pond on the north eastern segment of the property. In the north western segment, a bathing quarter was also built. The kitchen and its service areas were onto the south eastern segment. The granary was also built alongside this. There was a large servant quarters on the southern side of the yard. The cattle sheds associated with the mana had a large herd of livestock, that once brought glory to the place through its products.