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Pathanamthitta district | |
|---|---|
      Clockwise from top: Thiruvalla town,Aranmula Kottaram,Aranmula kannadi, 33 Kilovolt Substation atRanni-Perunad,Gavi, andElephant Training Center, Konni. | |
 Location inKerala | |
 Pathanamthitta district | |
| Coordinates:9°16′50″N76°52′11″E / 9.28068°N 76.86967°E /9.28068; 76.86967 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| Founded by | K. K. Nair[1] |
| Headquarters | Pathanamthitta |
| Subdivisions | |
| Government | |
| • District Collector | GowrishankarIAS |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,642 km2 (1,020 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 6th |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 1,197,412 |
| • Density | 452/km2 (1,170/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL |
| Vehicle registration | KL-03Pathanamthitta, KL-26Adoor, KL-27Thiruvalla, KL-28Mallapally, KL-62Ranni, KL-83Konni |
| HDI(2005) |  0.795[2] ( High) |
| Website | pathanamthitta |
Pathanamthitta district (IPA:[pɐt̪ːɐnɐn̪d̪iʈːɐ]), is one of the14 districts in theIndian state ofKerala. The district headquarters is in the town ofPathanamthitta. There are four municipalities in Pathanamthitta:Adoor,Pandalam,Pathanamthitta andThiruvalla.
According to the 2011Census of India, the population was 1,197,412, making it the third least populous district in Kerala (out of14), afterWayanad andIdukki.[3] Pathanamthitta has been declared the first polio-free district inIndia.[4] The district is 10.03% urbanised.[5] The district spans 2,652 km², more than half of which is covered by forest.[6]
The district's name is a combination of twoMalayalam words,pathanam andthitta, which together mean 'array of houses on the river side'.[7] The district capital is located on the banks of the riverAchankovil.
It is presumed that the regions that form the district were formerly under the rule ofPandalam, which had connections with thePandya kingdom.[8] WhenPandalam was added to theprincely state ofTravancore in 1820, the region came underTravancore administration. TheNedumpuram Palace nearThiruvalla belongs toValluvanad Royal family.Pathanamthitta district, along with most parts ofAlappuzha district, was part of theQuilon division of theTravancore Kingdom until 1949.[9]
The district was formed on 1 November 1982 as a reward toK. K. Nair, who was the then Pathanamthitta MLA, byK. Karunakaran. The formation was done by incorporating various portions of the erstwhileKollam,Alappuzha andIdukki districts. While thetaluksAdoor,Konni,Pathanamthitta,Kozhencherry andRanni were taken fromKollam district;Pandalam,Kulanada,Aranmula,Kumbanad,Parumala,Thiruvalla andMallapally were taken fromAlappuzha district; andSabarimala fromIdukki district.[7]
Pathanamthitta, being a land of culture and learning, could bring together the literary talents of two centuries in a single volume calledDesathuti: Pathanamthitta Kavithakal. Unnikrishnan Poozhikkad collected 184 poems from different poets of Pathanamthitta starting in the 18th century.[10][page needed]
Pathanamthitta is alandlocked district, located at9°16′N76°47′E / 9.27°N 76.78°E /9.27; 76.78, spanning over an area of 2,637 square kilometres (1,018.15 sq mi).[11] The district is bordered by the districtsKottayam andIdukki districts in the north,Alappuzha district in the west,Kollam district in the south. To the east it borders theTenkasi district of theTamil Nadu state.Devar Mala is the highest point in Pathnamthitta District.[12]
The district can be divided into three natural geographical regions: the highland, the midland and the lowland. The highland stretches through theWestern Ghats, where the hills are tall and covered with thick forests.Western Ghats maintains an average altitude of around 800 m. It descends to the smaller hills of midland in the centre and finally to the lowland. The lowland with its abundance of coconut trees, lies along the eastern borders ofAlappuzha district.[13] (western part of Tiruvalla Taluk)
Pathanamthitta district has a reserve forest area of 1,385.27 square kilometres (534.86 sq mi).[14] This is approximately 50% of the total district area. The forest area can broadly be classified as evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous. The forest is the main source of raw materials for wood based industrial units.Timber is the most important produce.[citation needed]
Three important rivers flow through the district. These rivers originate from various mountains of theWestern Ghats mountain range. ThePamba (176 km or 109 mi), which is the third longest river in Kerala, has its origin in Pulachimala. TheAchankovil river (128 km or 80 mi) originates from Pasukida Mettu, andManimala river (90 km or 56 mi) originates from the Thattamalai hills. A small portion ofKallada river also falls in the southern border of the district.Pamba,Achankovil andManimala rivers together drain more than 70% of the total area of Pathanamthitta.[15][16]
The district headquarters is atPathanamthitta town. The district administration is headed by theDistrict Collector. He is assisted by five Deputy Collectors holding charges of general matters, revenue recovery, land acquisition, land reforms and election.Pathanamthitta town is the administrative headquarters of the Pathanamthitta district. The district is divided into two revenue divisions for land revenue administration—Thiruvalla and Adoor. Each division is headed by a Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), who is either a Sub Collector (IAS) or an officer from the Deputy Collector cadre.[17]Each revenue division consists of several taluks, each headed by aTahsildar, and each taluk comprises a group of revenue villages.
The district is divided into two revenue divisions which together incorporate sixTaluks within them.[17]
| Thiruvalla | Mallappally | Ranni[17] |
| Kozhencherry | Adoor | Konni[17] |
Pathanamthitta district is divided into 70 revenue villages for the ease and decentralisation of its revenue administration.[17] They are further incorporated into 6taluks as eludicated below.[17]
Under the three tier system ofpanchayat in rural areas, Pathanamthitta has one district panchayat, 9 block panchayat and 57grama panchayats.Under the single tier system in urban areas, there are 4 municipalities in the district.
As per the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008, Pathanamthitta has fiveAssembly constituencies, down from eight. However, the district was unified into a single Parliamentary constituency, thus contributing a seat to theLok Sabha. ThePathanamthitta parliamentary constituency is formed by including all the five state legislative assembly constituencies of the district along with two other assembly constituencies in the neighbouringKottayam district.[18][19]
There is aLok Sabha constituency in Pathanamthitta:Pathanamthitta.
There are fiveKerala Legislative Assembly seats in Pathanamthitta district.[20]
| Sl no. | Constituency | Member | Party | Alliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thiruvalla | Mathew T. Thomas | JD(S) | LDF |
| 2 | Ranni | Pramod Narayan | KC(M) | LDF |
| 3 | Aranmula | Veena George | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 4 | Konni | K. U. Jenish Kumar | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 5 | Adoor | Chittayam Gopakumar | CPI | LDF |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 276,251 | — |
| 1911 | 317,072 | +1.39% |
| 1921 | 375,935 | +1.72% |
| 1931 | 478,345 | +2.44% |
| 1941 | 576,436 | +1.88% |
| 1951 | 719,272 | +2.24% |
| 1961 | 888,272 | +2.13% |
| 1971 | 1,028,208 | +1.47% |
| 1981 | 1,125,345 | +0.91% |
| 1991 | 1,188,332 | +0.55% |
| 2001 | 1,234,016 | +0.38% |
| 2011 | 1,197,412 | −0.30% |
| source:[21] | ||
According to the2011 census Pathanamthitta district has apopulation of 1,197,412,[3] roughly equal to the nation ofTimor-Leste[22] or the US state ofRhode Island.[23] This gives it a ranking of 399th in India (out of a total of640).[3] The district has a population density of 453 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,170/sq mi).[3] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was −3.12%.[3] Pathanamthitta has asex ratio of 1129females for every 1000 males,[3] and aliteracy rate of 96.93%. 10.99% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 13.74% and 0.68% of the population respectively.[3]
Malayalam is the predominant language, spoken by 99.13% of the population. Small minorities ofTamil speakers live in urban areas.[24]
According to theCensus of India 2001, the district had a population of 1,234,016 with a density of 467 persons per square kilometre.[25] This is the lowest density in the State afterIdukki andWayanad.[26] Schedule tribes and castes comprise 13% of the total population. The female to male ratio is 1094:1000, which is the highest among the districts in the State.[27]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 56.93% | |||
| Christianity | 38.12% | |||
| Islam | 4.60% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.35% | |||
Hinduism (57%) is followed by the majority of population of Pathanamthitta.Christians (Malankara Orthodox,Marthoma Church andPentecostal) (38%) form significant minority.[28]
Air Transport
The nearest airports areThiruvananthapuram International airport andCochin International airport.Aranmula International airport was proposed but cancelled in 2018.The Sabarimala International airport is proposed near Erumeli.
Road Transport
The 2 National Highways going through Pathanamthitta district areNational Highway 183 andNational Highway 183A.Other important roads areState Highway 1,State Highway 7,Main Eastern Highway andState Highway 9 (Kerala).
Rail Transport
The only railway station in Pathanamthitta district isTiruvalla railway station. Other nearby railway stations are Changanserry, Chengannur and Kottayam.
The major towns in the district include:
With a number of fairs and festivals, Pathanamthitta district is known as the "headquarters of pilgrimage tourism."[29] The district receives an estimated 3 to 4 million pilgrims during the festival season ofSabarimala temple.[30] The temple is dedicated to theHindu deity,Ayyappan.
The Cherukolpuzha Hindu convention,Kadammanitta devi temple, the 10th centuryKaviyoor mahadeva temple, Parthasarathi temple atAranmula andanikkattilammakshethram[31] are some of the Hindu religious places of interest.
Pathanamthitta district has places known for its historical importance. Among them are, ancient Valiyakoickal Temple and Palace atPandalam, monument ofVelu Thampi Dalawa atMannadi and theMuloor Smarakom (Muloor memorial). Pandalam was the capital of the ancientTravancore kingdom.
TheCherukolpuzha Convention, in Pathanamthitta is an important religious convention of the Hindus. It is held atCherukole on the sand banks ofPamba River, usually in February every year. It is organized by the Ayroor-Cherukolpuzha Hindumatha Maha Mandalam at Vidyadhiraja Nagar at Ayroor village.[32]
The district is a host to Asia's biggest and the world's second largest Christian convention, theMaramon Convention[33] It is an eight-day Christian gathering in the month of February, conducted by theMalankara Marthoma Syrian Church and dedicated to gospel preaching by renowned Christian missionaries from all over the world, and held atMaramon on the sand-bed ofPamba River. The three-day Christian gathering is held at Makkamkunnu, Pathanamthitta known asMakkamkunnu Convention byMalankara Orthodox Church.
The most important and famous Christian center is Parumala St Peters, St Paul's and St Gregorios Orthodox Church (http://parumalachurch.org) famous for the tomb of Saint Gregorios (Parumala Thirumeni). Millions of Pilgrims visit this church annually.
St. George Orthodox Church, Chandanapally or Chandanapally Valiyapalli is one of the biggest churches in South India, located at a village named Chandanapally, Pathanamthitta District.
St. George Orthodox Church, Mylapra or Mylapra Valiyapalli or Chakkittayil palli (ചക്കിട്ടേൽ പള്ളി) is one of the famous Georgian pilgrim centre which is very close to Pathanamthitta District headquarters.
Some of the other Christian places of interest are St. Mary's Orthodox church atNiranam,St. Thomas Ecumenical Church atNilackal, theMor Ignatius Dayro Manjinikkara of the Syriac Orthodox Church of India, St Stephen's Jacobite Church,Parumala Seminary and St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral,Thumpamon also known asThumpamon Valiya Pally, headquarters of Thumapmon Diocese ofMalankara Orthodox Church. The churches at Niranam andNilackal (Chayal) are believed to be among the seven churches founded bySt. Thomas the Apostle.[34][35] TheMuslim colourful Chandanakkudam festival of the Jama — Al Mosque atPathanamthitta town attracts many visitors. Although these places are religious in nature, they attract people from all faiths.
TheMaramon Convention, one of the largest Christianconvention in Asia, is held atMaramon, Pathanamthitta,Kerala,India annually during the month of February on the vast sand-bed of thePampa River next to theKozhencherry Bridge. It is organised by Mar Thoma Evangelistic Association, the missionary wing of theMar Thoma Church.
TheChurch of God (Full Gospel) in India, Kerala State, holds its annual convention in Tiruvalla town center. This is usually held in the month of January and is a large gathering of Pentecostal Christians.
The district has other tourist attractions.Aranmula is a major attraction for its famousmetal mirrors andsnake boat race. The school of traditional arts attracts foreign visitors. Founded by French artist Louba Schild, the school teacheskathakali, classical dance, classical music as well askalarippayattu. The palace at AranmulaAranmula Palace has a history of 100 years.[36]
The district is known for its reserve forest and wild life.Perunthenaruvi water falls,Kakki reservoir surrounded by forest and wild animals, dam sites at Moozhyar andManiyar, elephant training centre atKonni, Charalkunnu hill station are ideal locations for nature enthusiasts. Trekking to the Sabari Hills during January to March is also organized by Pathanamthitta District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC).
The forests of the district have excellent wild life habitats. A variety of animals and birds can be found.Tigers,elephants,gaur,deer, monkeys and other wild animals are found in the forest.Giant squirrel,lion-tailed macaques,barking deer andbear can also be spotted in the reserve.Malabar grey hornbill andgreat Indian hornbill are found. Wide variety of other birds such assunbirds,woodpeckers andkingfishers can also be seen.
The existence of the wildlife habitat is under threat from various areas.Pollution fromfertilizer and industries andillegal sand mining are the major threats. Issues connected toSabarimala pilgrimage such as clearing of forest land and large amount of waste discharged also threatens the habitat.[15][37]
TheAranmula Boat Race is part of a festival celebrated during the month of September. Though the snake boat race is also performed at nearby places, the race held atAranmula is unique because of the boats' shape and design. Maramadimatsaram (Ox Race) is another such seasonal sport. This is held as part of the largest annual cattle fair ofCentral Travancore region. The race is held in three categories.[38]
Timor-Leste 1,177,834 July 2011 est.
Rhode Island 1,052,567
Pathanamthitta travel guide from WikivoyagePlaces adjacent to Pathanamthitta district | ||||||||||||||||
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