History of Grama Panchayat
Thidanad Grama Panchayat – History and Cultural Heritage
Thidanad Grama Panchayat is situated in Meenachil Taluk of Kottayam District, under the Erattupetta Block, and includes Kondoor Village. The Panchayat has an area of 37.19 square kilometres. It is bounded by Erattupetta, Bharananganam and Thalappalam Panchayats in the north; Poonjar, Erattupetta and Parathodu Panchayats in the east; Parathodu and Kanjirappally Panchayats in the south; and Elikulam and Meenachil Panchayats in the west.
Thidanad Panchayat has a rich cultural heritage. The people of Thidanad mainly belong to the Hindu and Christian communities, along with a few Muslim families. The ancient Thidanad Mahadeva Temple and the historic St. Joseph's Church, Thidanad, are among the prominent religious and cultural landmarks of the Panchayat.
The first elected governing committee of Thidanad Panchayat was formed on 15 August 1953. At that time, Erattupetta Panchayat had not yet been formed, and the area under Thidanad Panchayat was considerably larger than it is today. The area extending southwards from the present location of Aruvithura St. George Higher Secondary School was also part of Thidanad Panchayat during that period.
V. C. Devasia Chittappanatt was elected as the President and R. Narayana Pillai as the Vice-President. This marked an important milestone in the history of the local self-government administration of Thidanad.
The social and cultural life of Thidanad Panchayat was enriched by various traditional folk art forms such as Kurathiyattam, Garudan Parava, Koladikali and Villadichan Pattu. These traditional art forms formed an integral part of the cultural heritage and social life of the region and were passed down through generations.
Thidanad village has a long and ancient cultural heritage steeped in history. It is believed that the name “Thidanad” originated from the geographical character of the region, which is surrounded by hills on all four sides and forms a naturally enclosed or basin-like area, traditionally referred to as a “Thadapradesham.” Thus, Thidanad stands as a region where nature, history and cultural traditions are closely intertwined.