Attempting to narrate the history of Ullanat family in terms of exact periodic details and accuracy is an extremely difficult task. Family history documentation is generally based on legends, traditions, information passed from earlier to the subsequent generations and available information from the existing senior members of the family. History in that case, may miss authenticity and may inherently contain the loopholes of contrasting conclusions and opinions. Same limitations may be found in this attempt also.

The idea of creating this Website came to me 15 years ago when I was shown by Late Janardhana Panicker (Kunjettan) a manuscript of an unbroken genealogy of the entire family members both prior to the divarication of the five collateral branches in the matrilineal descent group (Thavazhi-s) and after the divarication till the last generation. It was being preserved and periodically updated by the seniors of our earlier generations for the purpose of certain Astrological Consultations through Ashtamangalya Prasnam and for the remedial rituals thereafter. To complete this genealogy chart the present task then was just to add the names of all the members belonging to my generation and to some extent the next one also.

Though we do have certain general information about the family elders of olden days in the books published by certain historians, information about the members of the early five Thavazhi-s of Ullanat Tharavad is not available. We no more have any senior member who can give information about the past accurately. I could not have access to old family documents or legal records in the form of writs and court petitions and their annexures, if at all they were preserved by any of our family members. What I have presented here to a great extent is something derived and generated out of my direct search and also based on the information I had gathered when I was young from my mother, late Ullanat Saraswathy Amma (132)* and grand uncle late Ullanat Balakrishna Panicker (76). Besides, the following senior members of the family (none of them is alive now) also helped me with information and details and I had presented all those information and details in a Web Site prepared by me earlier in 2006.

Late Ullanat Leelavathi Amma (156)

Late Ullanat Madhava Panicker (141)

Late Ullanat Bhaskara Panicker (164)

Late Ullanat Krishnanunni Panicker (158)

Late Ullanat Janarddana Panicker (121)

Late Ullanat Radha Amma (150)

I owe my gratitude to these elders.

After 14 years since the creation of the first Website now I am in a position to update it with some more authentic historic details about the Mootha Panicker-s (Karanavar-s) of early period from a rare old book called "The History of Guruvayur" by the celebrated author Late Prof. K.V. Krishna Iyer, who is considered as an authority on the history of Malabar. This book throws more light on the role of Ullanat Panickers in the management of Guruvayur Temple during the period of invasion by Tipu Sultan in Malabar. Prof. Iyer’s other famous book “The Zamorins of Calicut” also gives some information on the Ullanat Panicker at the time of the last Cheraman Perumal’s abdication of his kingdom. The period of the last Perumal king Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal is estimated to be AD 1089-1122 (source: Perumals of Kerala by M.G.S.Narayanan). Therefore this is a further proof that the history of Ullanat Panickers stretches back to antiquity. We are able to clearly identify now the names of all the Mootha Panicker-s since the illustrious Ikkanta Panicker Karyakkar, thanks to the information available from the book – “The History of Guruvayur” - by Prof. K.V. Krishna Iyer.

Also, I could gather some new and valuable information from the book – “The History of Nedunganad” (നെടുങ്ങനാട് ചരിത്രം) by my friend and scholar Mr. S.Rajendu. It says that since around 1771 AD the Zamorin had entrusted a large portion of territory known as Nedunganad to the then Ullanat Mootha Panicker to rule as a royal functionary (Karyakkar) and even after the fall of Zamorin, the British Government also entered into an agreement in the year AD 1797 with Ullanat Ikkanta Panicker (who was already the Karyakkar of Nedunganad, Naduvattam and Chavakkad as per the earlier appointment by the Zamorin) to collect tax on behalf of the British Government. The text of the agreement entered between the British Government and Ikkanta Panicker, given in that book is also reproduced in this site.

I present this web site with the hope that this may enable the present-day generation of this family, scattered around the country and also the future generations, to know each other and to get inspired from the history of this great aristocratic Nair family which flourished for a long time with nobility, affluence, glory and honour.

U.R.Giridharan (191)

20-02-2020 (Kumbham 7, 1195).