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Thiruvananthapuram, formerly Trivandrum, is {{convert|65|km}} from Mannoor and is the closest airport^[3]. Kollam, formerly Quilon, the district headquarters, is {{convert|46|km}} away.

History

No recorded history of Mannoor is available. The land records kept at government revenue offices are the only documents throwing light into the early settlements in the village. The original inhabitants of the village were indigenous people belonging to the Vedan and other scheduled tribes. They were displaced to the nearby fringes of forests as outsiders started settling in the village.

Early inhabitants

Dalits, mainly Kuravan and Panan castes, are the oldest existing inhabitants of Mannoor with a splendid history of hard labour behind them. The other oldest inhabitants belong to Kurukkal caste. People of Pulayar caste were among the earliest settlers in the village as they came along with the Syrian Christian migrants at the turn of the twentieth century. The House of Pulayar residing on the east side of LMS LP School is one of the first families to settle in Mannoor.

By late 19th century, a few Syrian Christian families arrived in Mannoor from the northern parts of Travancore. It was a time when economic pressures were compelling Syrian Christians of Travancore and the Kingdom of Cochin to seek new pastures for a living. Some of the first Syrian Christian families who came to Mannoor to get a new lease of life were Keezhathil , Cherukkattu, Thadathil, Idayilaveettil and Valiyakarikkathil. Their arrival in Mannoor almost coincided with the Malabar Migration which saw large-scale migration of Syrian Christians to North Malabar.

Hindu upper castes are conspicuous by their absence in Mannoor with the notable exception of the "Mannoor" family of Nairs, who migrated from the northern areas of Travancore. There are no known Muslim settlers in Mannoor.

Geography

Mannoor is a hilly terrain lying on the far-end of the foothills of the Western Ghats. The village has a rich biodiversity. Crow, pigeon, crane, lapwing and common myna are some of the common fowls seen in the area. Peacocks and foxes rarely stray away from forest to the village.

Agriculture

Cashew was once the largest cash crops in the village, and there were several small-stretch plantations. All these plantations were gradually replaced by rubber plantations since 1960s. Rubber is today the most widely seen tree in Mannoor, which has led to decrease in the area under cultivation of essential food crops. The villagers' one-sided emphasis on rubber has resulted in the virtual wipe-out of many other crops and has led to environmental threats. Rubber farmers are facing the brunt of this short-sightedness as prices are falling progressively. Unpredictable intermittent rains obstruct tapping of the trees, leading to further distress for the farmers.

Pezhu, vatta, mango and jackfruit are some of the naturally grown flora in the area. Agricultural crops include rice, coconut and arecanut. Villages cultivate a variety of plants such as tapioca, elephant yam, colocasia and Guyana arrowroot, though the area under cultivation has drastically decreased.

Plantain is the one of the most cultivated trees in the region and there are a number of varieties. Black pepper is also grown.

Environment

A tributary of Ithikkara River flows through Mannoor, dividing the village into two.^[4] Affluent families reside on the western side of the river while most of the impoverished Dalit population lives on the eastern side.

Mannoor has a number of paddy fields. They are:

• Cherukkattu Mele (Near Unnikkunnumpuram)
• Vellaramkunnu - Meenkulam
• Puthar
• Mannoor Veedu - Keezhathil Veedu Stretch
• Perumkulath Ela
• Vazhangottu Ela
• Kovoor

Rice cultivation was once the mainstay of the economy of Mannoor along with coconut and arecanut. The paddy fields and streamlets running beside them are a pivotal element of the ecology of the village. In recent years, affluent people have bought over paddy fields and converted them into dry plain lands for cultivation of cash crops such as rubber in blatant violation of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act.^[5][6]

Politics

The village is traditionally a stronghold of the Congress Party. The Party gained strength in the village in the wake of the struggle for independence from British colonial rule in India. The villagers at large, however, did not take active part in the independence struggle and still keep aloof from the people's struggles that take place elsewhere in the state reflecting very low political consciousness. Mannoor was one of the few villages in Kerala where the Communist movement could not enter.

When A.K. Antony formed Congress (A) in 1980, the vast majority of the village folk aligned with it. The rival Congress (I) led by Indira Gandhi had only a handful of followers. A. K. Antony has a cult following among the Congress workers in Mannoor even now.

It was only in the 1990s that the Communist Parties could gain support in Mannoor. For the past 25 years or so, the Communist Party of India has made some inroads into Mannoor. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also has nominal presence in the village today. Kerala Congress (M) is another political party with active presence in Mannoor. Other major political parties are also virtually absent.

Despite the presence of secular political parties, the public life of the village has resisted secularisation. Public life still revolves around places of worship in the predominantly Christian village.

Institutions

Mannoor has several institutions serving the public. LMS Lower Primary School, founded by the London Missionary Society, is one of the oldest institutions in the village. There is a Taluk Co-operative Hospital in Mannoor but it is struggling for survival as villagers prefer to go to hospitals in Anchal, a nearby town, for medical treatment. Integrated Cattle Development Project (ICDP) of the State government has a unit in Mannoor, catering to the needs of veterinary medicine for livestock.

Co-operative Milk Society and Sahrudaya Arts and Sports Club are the other institutions in the village. A post office was established in 1980s before which neighbouring Vayala used to serve Mannoor.

There was a small-scale khadi spinning unit but it became defunct long ago.

Religion

Christianity and Hinduism are the most prevalent religions in the village. The new Syrian Christian settlers in late 19th century mostly belonged to the Oriental Orthodox faith. They established the St. Mary's Orthodox Church, also known as Cherukkattu Palli, on a land donated by the Keezhathil family. A few prominent families including Cherukkattu Veedu, Thadathil (Panayil Puthen Veedu) and Idayila Veedu were facilitated building the Church.

When the Orthodox Church underwent a split in 1912, the congregation sided with the Indian Orthodox Church.^[7] The other faction, Jacobite Syrian Church has no representation in the entire vicinity till today.

The next denominations to start places of worship were Mar Thoma Church and Brethren. Then came the Malankara Catholic Church and Ceylon Pentecostal Mission. The Pentecostal faith was introduced to the village by two women.

The second church to come up in Mannoor was Salem Marthoma Church and the Brethren Church which was established by keezhathil family . The present St. George Malankara Catholic Church was established soon after. The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) has its presence in Mannoor.

The major Hindu temples of worship are located around Mannoor. Athyshyamangalam Devi Temple and Kuthirapanthi Devi Temple are few of the more prominent of them.

Arts and science

Mannoor is one of the very few villages in Kerala where people's science movements such as Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad are conspicuous by its total absence. There is no organisation or activity aimed at promoting scientific temper in society in Mannoor.

Activities in the fields of liberal arts and literature are also on the ebb in the otherwise economically advanced village.

Climate

Mannoor experiences a tropical climate with little seasonal variation in temperatures. December-March is the dry season with less than 65mm of rain in each of those months. April-November is the wet season, with considerably more rain than during December-March.

References