Murickassery

The history of Murickassery can be divided into the pre peasant migratory period and the post peasant migratory periods. The landmass now known as Murickassery and its surrounding regions were once thickly inhabited by the indigenous populace called the Mannans. The term Murickassery is itself derived from the Mannan dialect. There are two contradictory views regarding how the place got the name Murickassery. In the opinion of the first group the name Murickassery is derived from the term Muikkencheri or the Chery or the residential place of the Mannan Kani or headman of the region named Murikken. On the other hand, it has been said that, there was a large Kattu Mulmurikku or a thorny plant in Murickassery. The Mannans of the region named the Chery or the place or region where the Kattu Mulmurikku grew as Murickkin Chery and in the course of time it became Murickassery. The non-existence of a Mannan kudi in Murickassery and the non-usage of Chery as the suffix of their kudis by the Mannan (instead, the Mannan used the term kudi to specify their settlements, as in Thopramkudy, Vathikkudy, Maniyarenkudy) shows that the second argument may probably be more convincing.

Murickassery is 19 km away from Painavu, which is the district capital of Idukki district. Murickassery is well connected with all parts of highranges. It serve as a connecting point of various major highrange roads including:

• Murickassery – Adimali – Munnar
• Murickassery – Thopramkudy – Kattappana – Kumily
• Murickassery – Thopramkudy – Nedumkandam- Cumbam
• Murickassery – Karaimban – Cheruthony – Painavu – Moolamattom – Muttom – Thodupuzha
• Murickassery – Rajapuram
• Murickassery – Vannapuram – Thodupuzha
• Murickassery – Chempakapara – Perinchamkutty – Melechinnar – Nedumkandam
• Murickassery – Vannapuram – Muvattupuzha /Kothamangalam – Cochin
• Murickassery – Chempakapara – Perinchamkutty – Melechinnar -Kattappana
• Murickassery – Kattappana – Elappara – Kottayam
• Murickassery – Kattappana – Kumily – Thekkadi
• Murickassery – Adimali – Munnar- Eravikulam National Park
• Murickassery – Adimali – Munnar – Chinnar Reserved Forest

The people of the region consider Murickassery a centre of education which is affordable to them. Pavanatma College is the backbone of this small centre of education. St Mary's Higher Secondary school has enlightened two generation of students. Now they live in the various parts of the world. This was also a place for private tutorial colleges and tuition centres. Unemployed youths found bread from these small educational institutions. Lower middle class farmers of Murickassery and nearby villages including Thopramkudy, Padamugham, Moongappara, Parathode, Mannathara, Rajamudy, Pathinaramkandam, Poomamkandam, Kambilikandam, Melechinnar etc. find a better place for school and college education in Murickassery.