Institutional History
The ancient history of Mangalapuram begins with the name of an old ancestral house, Mullamangalam. The region first acquired a touch of civilization with the establishment of a market by a prominent landlord who supervised the income and expenditure of Mangalapuram's agricultural produce.
The Mangalapuram Panchayat (Village Council) was established in 1941. This region is enriched by a brilliant cultural heritage. It is a fact of great pride for this land that it was chosen as their field of action (Karmabhoomi) by figures like Sree Narayana Guru, Kumaran Asan, Ayyankali (who made the upper class bow down), and the litterateur C. V. Raman Pillai.
Key Historical Events and Personalities
An unforgettable event in the history of Mangalapuram was the consecration ceremony (Prathishta Karma) performed by Sree Narayana Guru Swamikal at the Murukkumpuzha Sreekalakandeswara Temple. The S.N.V. Library established in Murukkumpuzha was also formed during this period.
Thonnakkal is the village where the great poet Mahakavi Kumaran Asan bought land and built a house to live in. In his brief life, he excelled in diverse fields of action as a poet, editor, book publisher, SNDP Yogam General Secretary, legislator, farmer, industrialist, and householder.
The Thonnakkal Asan Memorial (Asan Smarakam) is located in a serene and beautiful spot near the National Highway, about twenty-four kilometers north of the capital city in the Thiruvananthapuram district, away from the city's hustle. Passing the roadside and walking a few steps west along the laterite path leads you to the great poet's memorial building. The Asan Bhavanam (Asan's house) is preserved here without a single scratch. The great poet's mud cottage still stands here in its exact original condition.
Economic and Political Milestones
In addition to the marketing of agricultural products and the traditional toddy trade the Mangalapuram Panchayat also had a cashew processing factory half a century ago.
The Mangalapuram Panchayat was established in 1961 (Note: The text states 1941 earlier, and 1961 here, suggesting a re-establishment or first election in '61). In the first Panchayat election, a Harijan, Balakrishnan, took charge as the President of the governing body. The fact that this election happened without the mandate of legal reservation shows how much higher the nationalistic vision and principles of egalitarianism were in that era compared to today.
(Reference: Integrated Development Document - Mangalapuram Grama Panchayat, 1996)
