Tharakan is a Hindu community from the Palakkad district of Kerala, South India.
The majority of the Tharakans are located in Valluvanad, with major agglomerations around Vellinezhi, Vayillyamkunnu, Adoor,Kadambazhippuram, Kuttanassery, Sreekrishnapuram, Mangode, Thiruvazhiyode, Chethallur, and Mannarkkad.
They are so called because they were the recipients of 'Tharaku' or writ of social privilege issued to them by the ruling head of the Zamorins of Calicut.
[2] They built four 'nagarams' called Puthanangadi, Thiruvazhiyode, Vayillyamkunnu and Mangode (current names Chethallur, Thiruvazhiyode / sreekrishnapuram, Katampazhippuram and Mangode respectively) for cultivation and trade.
Impressed by the acharya's sivapooja and devotion, Samoothiri gave more land and arranged adiyantharakkar for them (the temple constructed for those adiyanthirakkar - "kammalasserykkaavu" is still there near Thiruvazhiyode) [3] It is believed that the groups consisting of Tharakan along with members of Guptans community reached valluvanad were of Eralpuram, Adithyapuram, Paschimapuram & Ramapuram nagarams under the leadership of the minister SANKARA NAYANAR ( belonging to Eralpuram nagaram) and they took their kuladevatha (Goddess) Bhagavathy and acharya Gyanasivacharya along with them.. Thiruvazhiyode nagaram was considered the "Melnagaram" among the four nagarams and the tradition of giving "Nagarappanam" to Thiruvazhiyode group during marriage (if any one of bride-groom is from Thiruvazhiyode) was followed in earlier days.