KOCHI: At the intersection of Banerji Road and Chittoor Road is the heart of Kacheripady, a link to the arterial MG Road. How did this bustling area get its name? The common hunch among the current generation is that the place had something to do with Carnatic musical concerts or ‘kacheri’.
No, that’s not the case. Rather, the toponymy is linked to the judiciary. “Kacheripady evolved from the terms ‘cutcherry’, which means an administrative office or a courtroom, and ‘paadi’, which meant an area,” says Johann Kuruvilla, founder of The Kochi Heritage Project.
Citing the Merriam-Webster dictionary, he adds that ‘cutcherry’ is an English word derived from the Hindi term ‘kachahri’, which, in turn, has its origin in the Sanskrit words ‘krtya’ (action) and ‘karman’ (work).
“The current Excise Zonal Complex compound near the junction once used to house the diwan’s cutcherry,” says Johann. “It was later split into the magistrates’ and munsiff courts.
The ‘cutcherry’ later shifted to the current site of the Government Law College. Considering the Law College was founded in 1874, the ‘cutcherry’ must have existed before that. Meanwhile, the building at Kacheripady continued to be under the government’s control and used for various purposes.”
Cherian Mathew, a chartered accountant familiar with the place, says ‘kacheri’ was a commonly used term for courtrooms across Kerala in earlier times. “The bus stops next to these courts were called ‘Kacheripady’,” he adds.
Former councillor Leno Jacob says the magistrate’s court functioned where the excise office stands today, and was later shifted to its current location near the Ernakulathappan temple.
what’s in a name
Weekly column on the history of place names. Got any suggestions? Write to cityexpresskoc@newindianexpress.com