Kottiyoor Kottiyur | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 The New Narayana Temple, Kottiyoor | |
  Kottiyoor Location in Kannur, Kerala, India | |
| Coordinates:11°52′35″N75°51′15″E / 11.87639°N 75.85417°E /11.87639; 75.85417 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Kannur |
| Government | |
| • Type | Panchayati raj (India) |
| • Body | Kottiyoor Grama Panchayat |
| Area | |
• Total | 155.01 km2 (59.85 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 16,698 |
| • Density | 107.72/km2 (279.00/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 670651 |
| Telephone code | 0490 |
| Vehicle registration | KL-78 |
| Niyamasabha constituency | Peravoor |
| Climate | Pleasant(Köppen) |
Kottiyoor is a village andgram panchayat in the easterly hills ofKannur district inKerala state.[1] Kottiyoor is the twenty third wildlife sanctuary of Kerala, located in the hills ofWestern Ghats.[2] The ancient pilgrimage conducted here yearly, called 'Kottiyoor Vysakha Mahotsavam', attracts around 50,000 devotees every year. TheBavali river flows through Kottiyoor.[3]
Kottiyoor comes from Koodi (Meeting) and Uuru (Precinct); the name comes from the pilgrimage in the region. In mythology, this is the place where the holy trinity (Brahma,Vishnu andShiva),Veerabhadra,Bhadrakali,Shiva Bhutaganas, revered Sages and other holy men came together to complete theDaksha Yaga. It is believed thatSati Devi immolated herself here.[4]
Kottiyoor is a hilly village on the eastern side of Kannur district. The terrain is undulating in nature and the extreme eastern side has forests bordering Karnataka state.
As of2011 Census, Kottiyoor village had population of 16,698 which constitutes 8,239 males and 8,459 females. Kottiyoor village spreads over an area of 155.01 km2 (59.85 sq mi) with 4,156 families residing in it. The sex ratio of Kottiyoor was 1,027 lower than state average of 1,084. Population of children in the age group 0-6 was 1,568 (9.4%) where 786 are males and 782 are females. Kottiyoor had an overall literacy of 94.8% higher than state average of 94%. The male literacy stands at 95.8% and female literacy was 93.9%.[5]
Kottiyoor is a part of the northernWestern Ghats, (WWF code IM0135), it is classified as a tropical broad leaf forest. The region is a transition zone between the moist Cullenia-dominated forest in south to drier Dipterocarp forests in north. The region is classified under Critical biodiversity hot spot. The Kottiyoor forest is a part ofNilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Kottiyoor is connected to Wayanad through the Brahmagiri valley which is rich in wild flora and fauna.[6][7][8]
Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Kottiyoor is declared as a wild life sanctuary by the Government of Kerala in 2011.[9][2] It is the 23rd wild life sanctuary in Kerala. The total area of the zone is 3,037.98 hectares. It is in addition to the Aralam wild life sanctuary in Kannur District.[10] Kottiyoor Wild Life Sanctuary is adjacent to theBandipur National Park, a tiger reserve park in Karnataka border.[11]
Kottiyoor is an exciting tourist spot for biologists, nature sight seers and mountaineering trekkers. Neendunokki, Palukachiyamala, Chappumala, pannyamal, Kelakam are all serene green places suitable for Eco tourism. The forest is serene, a large variety of birds and seasonal butterflies are seen here. Palukachipara's hilltop is a well known location for usual trekkers'.[12]
Kottiyoor Utsavam, the yaga festival in Akkare Kottiyoor Shrine, is conducted yearly for 27 days commemorating the Daksha Yaga. The pilgrimage is on the west bank of Bavali river in a temporary shrine where theSwayambhu linga is present. During the time of pilgrimage the IkkareKottiyoor Temple will be closed. Thousands of pilgrims come to this place, the festival is in the rainy season of June–July.[13]
TheThruchherumana Temple or familiarly known asIkkare Kottiyoor Kshetram is a prominent Shiva Temple, located on the east bank of Vavali river. It special category temple ofMalabar Devaswom Board. The temple is mainly famous due to the yearly pilgrimage of Vysakha Mahotsavam in the other shrine on the west bank. The temple is closed during the Vysakha mahotsavam and open during the rest of the year.
The national highway passes throughKannur town.Mangalore andMumbai can be accessed on the northern side andCochin andThiruvananthapuram can be accessed on the southern side. The road to the east ofIritty connects toMysore andBangalore. The nearest railway station isThalassery railway station on Mangalore-Palakkad line. There are airports atMangalore andKannur.There are road access from Kannur and Thalassery. From Kannur the route is through Chalode,Mattannur and Iritty:Another route is Koothuparamba-Nedumpoil-Kolakkad-Kelakam. Other route is Mattanur-Shivapuram-Maloor-Peravoor; from Thalassery the route is through Koothuparamba. Akkare Kottiyoor temple is open during the annual festival for one month whereas the Ikkare Kottiyoor temple is open for 11 months.
Kottiyyor is 125 km fromKozhikode
Places adjacent to Kottiyoor | |
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