THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pappanamcode is just five kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station. Today, it is recognised as an important industrial hub and a critical transit point for buses heading to Neyyattinkara, Kaliyikkavila, and Kanyakumari. And it’s a name that carries various stories behind it.
What makes the name ‘Pappanamcode’ intriguing is its multiplicity. Within the Thiruvananthapuram district itself, three places share this name. In addition to the Pappanamcode within the city corporation limits, there are counterparts in Aruvikkara Panchayat and Palode. What ties these places together is their geography — each is marked by flat, open land, a clue that historians and linguists have noticed in their quest to understand the origin of this name.
Vellanadu Ramachandran, a historian, shares one of the widely accepted theories. “In old dictionaries, the word ‘Pappanam’ is defined as ‘flat land’. This meaning aligns well with the flat terrain of the regions. In Sangam literature, the term ‘Parappanam’ is used similarly to denote open, expansive lands, which might have evolved into ‘Pappanam’ over time,” he says.
For instance, old records show that ‘Parippu’ in Kottayam was historically called ‘Nalparappil’. Likewise, another place called ‘Parappil’ exists within Thiruvananthapuram, hinting at a shared linguistic heritage, he adds. “These areas, known for their open landscapes, strengthen the argument that ‘Parappanam’ likely describes a geographical feature, gradually transforming into its current form ‘‘Pappanam’.”
There’s another theory that carries an air of mystery. Some historians suggest that ‘Pappanam’ could be tied to a tribal community that once lived in these areas. This narrative, though less substantiated, holds an interesting claim: Buddha’s mother belonged to this tribe.
“However, the history of Buddha’s lineage remains elusive, shrouded in fragmented inscriptions and oral traditions. Concrete records only begin with emperor Ashoka’s reign around 250 BCE. Earlier accounts are more myth than history, making it impossible to verify the connection. Still, the possibility adds a layer of cultural richness to the name Pappanamcode,” he says.
The suffix ‘code’ offers a glimpse into another chapter of history. “This part of the name could have been introduced by Jain settlers,” Ramachandran says. In north India, the word ‘Kot’ often denotes a fort or settlement, which has become a common element in place names like the well-known Pathankot. “As the term travelled south, it transformed into ‘Code’ in Malayalam.”
Today, Pappanamcode is an industrial and educational hub. It houses institutions such as the CSIR - National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) and Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering. The different layers of the history behind the place name continue to be difficult to decode.
What’s in a name
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