Ithikkara Pakki (or Ithikkara Pakky / Ethikkara Pakki / Ethikkara Pakky) was an Indian outlaw who lived in the

Travancore Kingdom The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

in the 19th century. He is said to have plundered from the rich and distributed to the poor. Pakki, whose real name was Muhammad Abdul Khader, hails from Ithikkara village. He is said to have moved as swiftly as a bird or butterfly, meaning ''Pakki'' in

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

, hence he was known by the name Ithikkara Pakki. Legends on him are part of the

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

where he is represented as a heroic outlaw. Stories about him often include his friend and fellow bandit

Kayamkulam Kochunni Kayamkulam Kochunni (born 1818) was a heroic outlaw from Kayamkulam, who lived during the late 19th century. He was active in the Travancore area in the present-day Kerala, India. He is said to have stolen from the rich and given to the poor. L ...

. Ithikkara Pakki is depicted in various films, television and literature.

History

Pakki was born to a fisherman, in Umayanalloor, Kollam in

Kingdom of Travancore The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...

(present-day

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. He was raised in Ithikkara village on the shore of Ithikkara River. He was skilled in water sports from childhood and is said to have saved many from drowning. Pakki began stealing due to the prevailing social structure, as the country was under British rule. Farmers and the lower class were treated poorly. They were discriminated against, denied rightful wages and paid high taxes, levied by the landlords and ruling officials. Pakki stole from them and gave to the poor. It is said that the police never captured him. Pakki died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

at age 45. His remains were buried at the Kottumpuram

Juma Masjid A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...

in Mylakkadu,

Kollam district Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 List of districts in Kerala, districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major Lac ...

Pop culture

*''

Vellayani Paramu ''Vellayani Paramu'' is a 1979 Indian Malayalam-language period drama film directed by J. Sasikumar, written by Pappanamkodu Lakshmanan, and produced by E. K. Thyagarajan. It is based on the life of Vellayani Paramu, an outlaw active in the Cen ...

'', a 1979

film,

M. G. Soman M. G. Soman (28 September 1941 – 12 December 1997) was an Indian actor and former Indian Air Force officer who appeared in Malayalam films. He was one among the leading star actors doing hero roles in Malayalam Cinema during the late 1970s an ...

portrayed Pakki. * Pakki was a character in the TV serial ''Kayamkulam Kochunni'' aired on Surya TV. * ''Ithikkara Pakki'', a graphic children's story book was published in April 2010. * Pakki was portrayed by

Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically app ...

in the 2018 Malayalam film ''

''. *TV series of the same title was aired on Surya TV in 2020.

References

{{Reflist Indian outlaws Indian robbers People of the Kingdom of Travancore Kerala folklore Indian highwaymen Indian Muslims

History

Pop culture

See also

References