Punnayoorkkulam, a village at Chavakkad in Thrissur district, came into the limelight with the emergence of Kamala Suraiyya, the poet and short story writer. The place can rightly be said as the ancestral home of the Malayalam literary world. Earlier, the land had been made famous by the Nalappat house, which made splendid contributions to the field of Malayalam literature, through the works of Nalappat Narayana Menon and Balamani Amma. The Cherai kalari, the most famous among the training arenas in south Malabar, was established in Punnayoorkkulam. This coastal village is rich in kaavus [sacred groves] and ponds that continue to preserve the beauty of the countryside in all its pristine glory.

Location

Punnayoorkkulam Grama Panchayat is located in the Chavakkad block of Chavakkad taluk in the Thrissur district. The Punnayoorkkulam Grama Panchayat in Punnayoorkkulam village is spread over an area of 18.71 sq km. The panchayat, with 19 wards, is bounded on the north by Perumbadappu panchayat in Malappuram district, on the east by Kattakambal and Vadakkekkadu panchayats, on the south by Punnayoor and Vadakkekkadu panchayats and on the west by the Arabian Sea. The earlier part of the Malabar district board, Punnayoorkkulam is now spread over Attupuram and Andathodu panchayats. Today's Punnayurkulam was shaped in 1962. First, it was part of Kozhikode district, then after 1956, the panchayat was part of Palakkad district and after the 1970s, it was brought under Thrissur district. The road and transport system took shape in the panchayat in the 1940s. Before road transport took shape, people depended on the Conolly Canal for going to far bound places. There was a canal system to commute to Kozhikode and Chavakkad. Those going to Kunnamkulam-Thrissur travelled using country boats till Kattakambal and from there took the bus.

Other highlights

Besides being the home of Malayalam literature, the place is also known for the cultivation of indigenous crops and its rustic village life.

Vetiver (Ramacham) grown in this area is famous all over the world. Punnayoorkkulam is one of the villages in Kerala where the Ramacham or Vetiver plant is cultivated most and exported to other states.

Punnayoorkkulam, with its scenic seashores and vast paddy fields, is also a bird lover's paradise. The Uppungal fields at Punnayurkulam are home to many different types of birds. It is also the meeting place for thousands of migratory birds.