Kanichar
Grama Panchayat

The picturesque Kanichar Grama Panchayat is located in Peravoor Block within the Iritty Taluk of Kannur District. Spanning an area of 51.96 square kilometers in the hilly Western Ghats region, it is bounded by Kelakam Panchayat and the Aralam Central State Farm to the north, Kannavam Reserve Forest and Wayanad District to the south, Kelakam Panchayat and Wayanad District to the east, and the Kolayad, Peravoor, and Muzhakkunnu Panchayats to the west. Rich with hills, rivers, and streams, the name Kanichar is tied to a famous myth: when Goddess Sati Devi sat and wept on her journey to Kottiyoor for the Daksha Yaga because Lord Shiva was excluded, her flowing tears formed a stream called Kanneerchaal ("stream of tears"), which over time evolved into Kanichar.

Historically, the region was primarily home to indigenous tribal settlements of the Kurichya and Paniya communities. Modern administrative organization began in 1963 when Kanichar, Kelakam, and Kottiyoor were grouped under the newly formed Kappad Panchayat, whose first governing council assumed office in 1964 led by Georgekutty Mukkad. As the region grew, Kottiyoor Panchayat was separated in 1970, and in 1972, Kappad Panchayat was divided further to officially establish Kelakam and Kanichar as independent Panchayats, with Prabhakaran Nair serving as Kanichar's first president.