History of Grama Panchayat
The rulers of the Koyikkal Palace of Pandalam divided their kingdom into two administrative regions for the convenience of governance. The area comprising Pandalam and its surrounding regions was known as Valiya Koyikkal (Greater Koyikkal), while the eastern part of the kingdom was known as Kochu Koyikkal (Lesser Koyikkal). Kochu Koyikkal, one of the principal areas of the eastern division, is located within the present-day Seethathode Panchayat.
The sacred hill shrine of Sabarimala, where Lord Ayyappa, the adopted son of the King of Pandalam, is believed to have attained his divine abode, lies within the region of Kochu Koyikkal. Ponnambalamedu, an important site associated with the Sabarimala pilgrimage, is also situated within this panchayat.
Historical records indicate that St. Thomas the Apostle, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, arrived at Nilakkal in A.D. 52 and erected a Christian cross there. Nilakkal is also believed to have been an important ancient trade centre, maintaining commercial links with Kodungallur and other parts of Kerala.
During the food shortage of the early 1940s, the then Diwan of Travancore, Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer, opened the dense forest lands for cultivation under a lease system in 1942. Settlers from places such as Ranni, Omalloor, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvalla, and Elanthoor were brought to the area for agricultural development. These settlers were organised into cooperative groups known as Mutual Aid Societies.
The first high school in the area was the SNDP School, established by Advocate Thalachira Narayanan Vakkeel of Kochu Koyikkal. Today, the land reclaimed through the struggles of the farming community is predominantly used for rubber cultivation.
Seethathode Grama Panchayat was officially constituted on 20 November 1968, with T. K. Raghavan serving as its first President.
Located at the easternmost edge of Pathanamthitta District, Seethathode Panchayat is bounded by Reserve Forests to the east and north, Chittar and Perunad Panchayats to the south and west, and Vandiperiyar in Idukki District along its forest boundary. A significant portion of the panchayat consists of dense forests.
Seethathode is situated approximately 35 kilometres from the district headquarters. The Kakkattar River, the only major river flowing through the panchayat, runs for about 22 kilometres before joining the Pamba River at Perunad. Flowing through the heart of the region, it serves as the lifeline of the area.
With a total area of 651.94 square kilometres, Seethathode is one of the largest grama panchayats in Kerala by geographical extent. Of this, 602.7 square kilometres is covered by forest, while 4,924.18 acres are suitable for human habitation. The entire panchayat forms part of the Kakkad River watershed and is characterized by rugged terrain featuring towering mountains, rolling hills, steep slopes, and deep valleys, creating a landscape of remarkable natural beauty.