Chennas Narayanan Namboothiripad

Puzhakkara Chennas Narayanan Namboothiripad was born in ME 603 (AD 1428) in Chennas Mana of Vanneri near Ponnani in the present Malappuram district.

He created an exhaustive treatise on Thanthram, and  there has never been another Granthham to equal his "Thanthra Samuchayam", which has been the reference manual not only for all Thanthram-related matters, but even for Thachu Saasthram (architecture). Another major work of his is "Maanava Vaasthu Lakshanam".

He is said to have had a special talent to create beautiful poems and to express a lot in just a few words. The story goes that while writing Thanthra Samuchayam, Uddanda Saasthrikal visited him at home and offered to write two Slokams (couplets) on any matter specified by Chennas. But after much struggle, he stopped with one-and-a-half Slokams, with much matter uncovered, which Chennas completed with ease, much to Saasthrikal's admiration.