At a glance

  • State: Kerala

  • District: Thrissur

  • Lok Sabha Constituency: Chalakudy

  • Legislative Assembly Constituency: Chalakudy

  • Taluk: Chalakudy

  • District Panchayat: Thrissur

  • District Panchayat Division: Koratty

  • Block Panchayat: Chalakudy

  • Total Wards: 21

  • Villages: 1. Koratty Kizhakummuri, 2. Muringoor Thekkummuri

  • Population (2011 Census): 32,523

  • Area: 23.42 sq. km

  • Boundaries:

    • East: Karukutty Panchayat

    • South: Parakkadavu and Karukutty Grama Panchayats

    • West: Kadukutty and Annamanada Grama Panchayats

    • North: Meloor Grama Panchayat

History of Koratty

The name of the ruler family, "Koratty Swaroopam," eventually became the name of the region itself. Although a local administrative system existed earlier, the Koratty Panchayat was officially formed in 1952. Prior to this, voting rights were restricted to tax-paying citizens who were at least 21 years old and had completed 10th grade (Vth Form) or higher. They elected a President, who then nominated four eligible voters to form a five-member governing body. Their responsibilities were limited to basic civic amenities like installing streetlights, cleaning roads, and maintaining infrastructure.

When the Panchayat officially came into existence in 1952, it had seven elected members. Lacking its own building initially, it functioned out of the premises housing the Koratty Service Co-operative Bank No. 590. No additional land area has been annexed to the Panchayat since its inception.

Similar to other regions, upper-caste feudal dominance prevailed here. The rulers were the Thampans of Koratty Swaroopam, and consequently, the vast majority of land belonged to elite upper-caste families. Prominent landowners included Koratty Swaroopam, Mangalassery Mana, Pootthadi Mana, Thekkedathu Padanayar, and Pallippadan Paulose, along with a few other Nair ancestral families. The remainder of the population lived as tenant workers (Kudikidappukar) or held tiny patches of land. With roughly half the population belonging to upper castes and the rest being impoverished lower castes, feudalism maintained a strong foothold in the village.

As the national freedom movement gained momentum, its impact began reflecting in this Panchayat as well. The rise of the Communist movement and associated labor organizations further accelerated socio-economic shifts.

Originally a purely agricultural village, Koratty had no notable industries prior to independence. In 1952, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the Rajpramukh of Thiru-Kochi, inaugurated the Madura Coats J&P Coats (Jamuna Thread Mills) in Koratty, marking a major turning point. This was followed by the establishment of the Government of India Press in 1965, as well as Carborundum Universal and Woodhouse in 1985. During this era, numerous engineering firms and small-scale industrial units also emerged across the region, gradually transforming Koratty's agrarian atmosphere into an industrial one.

For Koratty—a Special Grade Panchayat—the sudden shutdown of the thread mill came as a major blow. However, a new phase of growth began in 2009 when the State Government established an InfoPark on the former Madura Coats premises to boost the region's IT sector.