Located in North Paravoor, where narrow roads lead to sleepy little junctions and the backwaters that never seem far away, Vedimara is more than just a dot on the map. The place name carries some firepower.
It is a name that makes people pause, chuckle, speculate, and, sometimes, reflect. Ask local residents where the name comes from, and you are likely to hear a story. Or five.
Vedimara municipal councillor Jahangir T Y starts off with an amusing tale. “I hail from the Rowther Muslim community. There were just five to ten Rowther families living here at one time,” he says.
“Our elders say the name ‘Vedimara’ came from an action-packed moment that no one from their generation could forget. Once some of them were playing cards near the waterbody behind the Panikkarachan’s temple.
“On spotting a police patrol team, the men ran helter-skelter. In panic, one of the men fastened a rope around his waist and jumped into the water. The story goes that an officer shot the rope with his revolver, and the man was forced to come up. So the name evolved from — gunshot (vedi) and hiding (mara).”
Jahangir adds that the Vedimara junction looks almost the same, but life around it has changed completely. “Things were tough back then,” he adds. “People had no means, there was little education. But today, we have 24/7 transport, well-settled families, and students aiming high.”
Not everyone gives the name as much weight as Jahangir. “I always thought it had something to do with fireworks,” smiles Reshma Salim, who runs a tailoring shop near the main road. “Maybe our place was once known for festivals and celebrations.”
Bijoy Thomas, a school bus driver, offers a more straightforward take. “Vedi means gunshot. Mara could mean something that hides or covers,” he says. “So maybe it was a place where people took cover from firing? Perhaps there is some link to some old war.”
Another oldtimer, Sulekha, a fish vendor, says she grew up in the area but never thought about the name. “But when someone asks, one does start to wonder — why Vedimara and not something else?” she smiles. “Let me know if you get to know.”
Francis Joseph, who has lived in Vedimara for over five decades, echoes Bijoy’s view. “Older folks used to say there was once a raised sandy area here — maybe a small hill or dune,” he says. “Could be that it had something to do with hiding or taking cover. The name always felt like it hinted at some danger or urgency.”
The most credible theory, however, comes from Changampuzha Samskarika Kendram president P Prakash, whose book Kochiyile Sthalanamangalude Charithram offers interesting nuggets about place names in the city.
Bijoy and Francis were right. According to Prakash, the name Vedimara traces back to Tipu Sultan’s invasion in 1790. “It unfolded over three months in this region. This place witnessed heavy cannonfire,” he notes, adding how the Travancore forces resisted the raids.
“It was said to be one of the most fatal zones, with cannon fire causing numerous casualties. The dead were buried here. In those days, a small hill existed in the area… a sand mound that rose naturally — as if to protect the soldiers under attack. Many cannon balls were excavated from the area later. Thus, it was that mound, which was later flattened, that led to the name Vedimara.”
Well, from Tipu’s cannon to the police revolver, Vedimara has a story at every corner. While the truth behind the name may have got buried with time, the echoes refuse to fade.