Sunday, 28 October 2012

ALAPUZHA

                                                             HISTORY

Alappuzha is a Land Mark between the broad Arabian sea and a net work of rivers flowing into it. In the early first decade of the 20th Century the then Viceroy of the Indian Empire, Lord Curzon made a visit in the State to Alleppey, now Alappuzha. Fascinated by the Scenic beauty of the place, in joy and amazement, he said, Here nature has spent up on the land her richest bounties. In his exhilaration, it is said, he exclaimed,Alleppey, the Venice of the East. Thus the sobriquet found its place in the world Tourism Map. The presence of a port and a pier, criss -cross roads and numerous bridges across them, a long and unbroken sea coast might have motivated him to make this comparison.
Alleppey has a wonderful past. Though the present town owes its existence to the sagacious Diwan Rajakesavadas in the second half of 18th century, district of Alappuzha figures in classified Literature. Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala with the unending stretch of paddy fields, small streams and canals with lush green coconut palms , was well known even from the early periods of the Sangam age. History says Alappuzha had trade relations with ancient Greece and Rome in B.C and in the Middle Ages.
Carved out of erstwhile Kottayam and Kollam (Quilon) districts, Alleppey district was formed on 17th of August 1957.The name of the district Alleppey, the anglicized form was changed as ‘Alappuzha’ as per GO(P) No.133/90/RD dated 7.2.90. It is assumed that the name of Alappuzha was derived by the geographical position and physical features of the place which means ”the land between the sea and the network of rivers flowing into it". As per GO (MS) No.1026/82/(RD) dated 29.10.1982, Pathanamthitta district was newly constituted taking portions from the then Alappuzha, Kollam and Idukki districts. The area transferred from the erstwhile Alappuzha district to Pathanamthitta district is Thiruvalla taluk as a whole and part of Chengannur and Mavelikkara Taluks. Thus the present Alappuzha district comprises of six taluks namely Cherthala, Ambalapuzha, Kuttanad, Karthikappllly, Chengannur and Mavelikkara.


The history of the district in the palaeolithic age is obscure. It is presumed that the coastal taluks of Cherthala. Ambalapuzha and Karthikappally might have been under water and these areas were formed by the accumulation of silt and sand later than the other parts of the district. Kuttanad was well known even from the early periods of the Sangam age. The early Cheras had their home in Kuttanad and they were called 'Kuttuvans' named after this place. Some archeological antiques like stone inscriptions, historical monuments etc. found in the temples, churches, rock-out caves etc., and literacy works like "Unninili Sandesam" give some insight into the ancient period of this district. The famous travelers Pliny and Ptolemy of the first and second centuries had mentioned about places like Purakkad(Barace) in their classical works. Christianity had a strong foot-hold in this district even from the Ist century A.D. The church located at Kokkomangalam or Kokkothamangalam was one of the seven churches founded by St.Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. It is generally believed that he landed at Maliankara in Muziris Port, presently known as Cranganore or Kodungallur in 52 A.D and preached Christianity in South India. During 9th to 12th century AD the district flourished in the field of religion and culture under the second Chera Empire. The famous literary work of this period was ‘Ascharya Choodamani’ a Sanskrit drama written by Sakthibhadra who was a scholar of Chengannur gramam.
                                                       16th Century
During 16th century small principalities like kayamkulam (presently Karthikappally and Mavelikkara taluks), purakkad which was often called ambalappuzha or chempakasseri(present ambalappuzha and kuttanad taluk) and karappuram comprising of two principalities called moothedath and iledath (present Cherthala Taluk) emerged into power. In the same period the portugese came into prominence in the political scene of the district. Christianity became popular in all parts of the district and they built several churches of which Churches located at purakkad and arthungal are well known. The kingdom of chempakasseri was at its zenith during the reign of pooradam thirunal devanarayana, a great scholar and a poet who was the author of ‘vedantha retnamala’, a commentary on the first verse of bhagavat Geetha. It is said that Sreekrishna Swami temple at ambalappuzha was constructed and the idol of Lord Krishna installed during that time. It is believed that melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri, Sri Neelakanta Deekshithar and Sri Kumaran Namboothiri were eminent scholars who patronized his court

                                                         17th Century
In the 17th century the Portugese power declined and the Dutch had a predominant position in the principalities of this district. As a result of several treaties signed between the Dutch and the Rajas of Purakkad, Kayamkulam and Karappuram, the Dutch built factories and warehouses in various places of the district for storing pepper,ginger etc. In course of time they inferred in the political and cultural affairs of the district. It was at that time Maharaja Marthandavarma, the ‘Maker of modern Travancore’ interfered in the political affairs of those principalities. The annexation of the Kingdoms of Kayamkulam, Ambalappuzha, Thekkumkur, Vadakkumkur and Karappuram to travancore gave the Dutch a setback from the political scene of the district. Marthandavarma Maharaja had a remarkable role in the internal progress of the district. He gave special attention to the development of Mavelikkara as an administrative as well as a commercial centre. The Krishnapuram plalace, which is now a protected monument of the State Archaeology department, was constructed during that period. It was at that time that the great and talented poet Kunjan Nambiar was installed in the court at Trivandrum
                                                         Modern Alleppey
During the reign of Dharmaraja the district was improved by all means. Raja Kesava Das, the then Diwan of Travancore who was known as the ‘Maker of modern Alleppey’ made Alappuzha a premier port town of Travancore. He constructed several roads and canals to improve communications and built warehouses. He gave all facilities to merchants and traders from far and near. During the reign of Balaramavarma Maharaja, Velu Thampi Dalava took keen interest in the development of the town and port. He brought the whole area of the island Pathiramanal under coconut cultivation and large tracts under paddy cultivation. The role of Velu Thampi Dalava in the development of Alappuzha is worth mentioning. In the 19th century the district attained progress in all spheres. One of the five subordinate courts opened in the state in connection with the reorganization of the judicial system by Colonel Munro was located at Mavelikkara. The credit of having the first post office and first telegraph office in the erstwhile Travancore state goes to this district. The first modern factory for the manufacture of coir mats and mattings was also established in 1859 at Alappuzha. The town Improvement Committee was set up in 1894.
                                                        Freedom Struggle
.This district had a prominent role in the freedom struggle of the country. The campaign for the eradication of untouchability was organized much earlier in this district by T.K. Madhavan, a fearless journalist and in 1925 the approach roads to the temples, especially to Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Swami temple were thrown open to the Hindus of all castes. The district also witnessed the ‘Nivarthana’ movement which was started as a protest against the constitutional repression of 1932. the first political strike in Kerala was held at Alappuzha in 1938.
                                                         Punnapra-Vayalar
The historic struggles of Punnapra and Vayalar in 1946 stiffened the attitude of the people against Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer, Diwan of Travancore, which ultimately led to his exit from the political scene of Travancore. After India became independent, a popular Ministry was formed in Travancore on 24th March, 1948 and on Ist July 1949 Travancore and Cochin states were integrated and the position continue till the formation of Kerala State on Ist November 1956 as per the States Reorganization Act 1956. The district came into existence as a separate administrative unit on Ist August 1957 .


  •  Alappuzha having smallest district in Kerala
  • The population Size 21.09,160 persons ranks the 9th among the district in population
  • Population density 1492 persons per sq.km against in 1415 in 1991-retains in first positions in the state
  • Literacy Rate 93.4% which earns it 3 rd positions in the state 

















PATHANAMTHITTA

                                                         HISTORY

                          Pathanamthitta is a combination of two words Pathanam and Thitta which mean an array of houses on the river side. This district was formed on Ist November 1982 in the interest of the hastening process of development. It is presumed that the regions presently under the district were formerly under the Pandalam reign which had connections with the Pandya Kingdom. Pathanamthitta now includes portions of the erstwhile Kollam Alappuzha and Idukki districts. Pathanamthitta, Adoor, Ranni, Konni and Kozhencherry are some of the important places taken from Kollam district, whereas Thiruvalla and Mallappally are the major places taken from Alappuzha district

The district can be proud of its rich contribution to the struggle for freedom.When Mahatma Gandhi visited the erstwhile Travancore in 1937, he asked his follower Khadar Das T.P. Gopala Pillai to spread the message of Khadi and Charka. Inspired by Gandhiji he founded the 'Mahatma Khadi Ashram' at Elanthoor 1941.He launched a scheme for mobilizing funds for khadi activities known as 'ek paise fund'in order to ensure the participation of the whole people
in the khadi movement. There was strong protest in Travancore against the British in connection with the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1921. In 1922, a student's strike was held which instilled a lot of spirit and enthusiasm among the freedom fighters. During the same period, Congress leaders like Ponnara Sreedhar and K. Kumar, the participants from Kerala in the flag satyagraha at Nagapur were arrested and beatenup by the police. The contribution of lanthoor K.Kumar, Thadiyal Raghavan Pillai, Pandalam KP and N.G. Chacko to the National Movement have much significance in the history of freedom struggle.


                                                           LOCATION
The youngest district in the sate of Kerala nestles its head on the slopes of western ghats and stretches to the low-lying rice fields bordering Alappuzha district. The district consist of three natural divisions viz the Lowland the Midland and the Highland.The highland stretches through the western ghats and descends to midland in the
centre, down to the lowland and cocunut gardens on the western borders of Alappuzha disrict. The topography of the district is highly undulating.It starts from the tall hill slopes covered with thick forests on the east along the mountains down to the valleys and small hills to the flat land of coconut trees in the west.
Pathanamthitta engrossed on the hilly terrain of Kerala can rightly be called the headquarters of pilgrimage tourism in the state. Sabarimala, an important Hindu pilgrimage centre attracts crores of pilgrims from the different parts of India and the state.
                                                              CLIMATE

The district has more or less the same climatic conditions as prevalant elsewhere in the state viz, dry season from the Dec to Feb and hot season from March to may. The climate is generally moderate, the temperature rising from 20 C to 39 C. The south west monsoon from June to September and the north west monsoon from October to November provide fairly good rain.
                                                                  CROPS
Pathanamthitta is a true tropical diversity adorned with fertile agricultural land, plantations and forest. Paddy, tapioca, varieties of vegetables and spices like cardamom, pepper etc. are extensively cultivated. The district also abounds in extensive rubber plantations.

KOLLAM

                                                       
                                                           HISTORY

                                       Kollam or Quilon, an old sea port town on the Arabian coast, stands on the ashtamudi lake. Kollam  the erstwhile Desingandu, had a sustained commercial reputation from the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans.Feed by the Chinese  trade, it was re granted by Ibn Batuta, as one of the five ports, which he had seen in the course of his travels during a period of twenty four years, in the 14th century. 

            The rulers of Kollam (Desinganadu) and China , exchange embassies and there was flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. Merchant Sulaiman of Siraf in Persia ( 9th Century) found Kollam to be the only port in India , touched by the huge Chinese junks , on his way from Carton of Persian Gulf. Marco Polo, the great Venician traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kublahan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a trading center at Kollam in 1502. Then came the Dutch followed by the British in 1795. A British garrison was stationed at Kollam in pursuance of a treaty between Travancore and the British.

Velu Thampi Dalawa of  Travancore, did much for the improvement of the Kollam town. He build new bazaars and invited merchants from Madras and Thirunelveli to settle here. Kollam later became the capital of the enlightened and liberal rulers of Desinganad. 

Once a city of palaces, Kollam has been known to the outside world, by the time honoured proverb, "Once you have seen Kollam you would no more need your illam (Home)"

The history of the district as an administrative unit can be traced back to 1835,when the Travancore state consisted of two revenue divisions with headquarters at Kollam and Kottayam. At the time of the integrating of Travancore and Cochin in 1949,Kollam was one of the three revenue divisions in the state. These three revenue divisions were converted into districts. Shencottah taluk was merged with Madras state consequent on the implementation of the state Reorganisation Act of 1956.

When Alappuzha district was formed in 1957, Cherthala, Ambalapuzha, Mavelikkara, Karthikappally. Chenganuur and Thiruvalla Taluks were united to the new district. When Pathanamthitta district was formed on 1st July 1983, the entire Pathanamthitta Taluk and nine villages of Kunnathur Taluk of the district were also removed. Now the district has a single revenue division with headquarters at Kollam. Pathanapuram, Kunnathur, Kottarakkara, Karunagappally and Kollam are the five taluks in the district.


                                       
                                                  GENERAL INFORMATION
                                    
                                                 District Area    : 2491 Sq.Km
                                                District Population : 25,84,118
                                                       Climate : Tropical
                                                 Rainfall : 270 Cms.(Annual )
                                           Mean max.Temprature:36.0 Deg.C
                                           Mean min.Temprature :22.4 Deg.C
                                                        Clothing: Tropical




            The Soil of the District may be classified as sandy loams, larerite and forest soil. The costal belt has sandy loams and the forest soil is found in the eastern forest belt. The rest of the district is laterite soil.

The District has a tropical humid climate with an oppressive summer and plentiful seasonal rainfall. The hot season., lasting from March to May is followed by the South West Monsoon from June to September. The rest of the year is generally dry. 

Kollam, 71 km away from Trivandrum is fairly important for the State's trade and commerce and is the centre of the country's cashew trading and processing industry.
It is also an important hub for the State's marine products industry, with the port of Neendakara being the centre for trawlers and ice plants.

Kollam District has a large area under forest. Pathanapuram, Anchal, Kottarakkara and Chadayamangalam are blocks having large areas of forest. The forest divisions are at Thenmala and Punalur.
For all its natural gifts of wide rivers, dominant hills and forest, lakes and plains, there is the throb of a vibrant industrial activity that combines with equanimity the wonders of the modern age with the traces of a bygone era.














THIRUVANANTHAPURAM


                                                      HISTORY

Thiruvananthapuram, the jewel in the emerald necklace that Kerala is for the Indian sub-continent, must surely have Parasuramanbeen a "must see" destination for ages, long before National Geographic Traveller classified it as one. Surely long before Sage Parasurama, according to local legend, threw his divine battle axe from Kanyakumari to Gokarnam to wrest Kerala, God's own land, from the Varuna the sea god; before the times of Mahabali  the democratic and justruler of this wonderful land who was sent down to the netherworld through deceit. It doesnt take any flights of fancy to imagine that this land fired the imaginations of intrepid travellers and explorers like Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Marco Polo, Fa Hien, and quite possibly, countless others from the pages of history, recorded or not.

Thiruvananthapuram, or Trivandrum, as it was conveniently re-christened by the English, is the southern-most district and Thiruvananthapuram city is the  district headquarters as well as the State capital of Kerala. Thiru Anantha Puram, or the city of the Holy Anantha,  is named after Ananthan, the cosmic serpent with a thousand heads, on whose coils Lord Mahavishnu reclines. This iconic representation is theSri Padmanabhaswamy  chief deity in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The temple was built by King Marthanda Varma  of the Travancore Royal family when, in 1745, he shifted the Travancore capital from Padmanabhapuram  in the south (today in the neighbouring State of Tamil Nadu) to Thiruvananthapuramand started reigning as 'Padmanabha Dasa', the servant and representative of Lord Padmanabha--perhaps a nobler variant of the 'Divine Right Theory' that the West is familiar with . The vast temple complex, with its tall 'Gopuram' decorated with detailed carvings reflected in the huge temple tank, is today a centre of attraction for the pious, the tourist and the merely curious. 

Thiruvananthapuram, built on seven hills, has today growninto a sprawling metropolis; but thankfully the city still retains her past glory and charm, and in spite of the frenetic pace of modern life, perhaps it is the most sedate of the big cities of the State. The people too have retained their friendliness and hospitality, and communicating in English, Hindi or Tamil is as easy as it is in the native Malayalam, whether one is talking to a retired professor or to the man in the street. But be prepared for a 'dose' of highly individualistic observations though-- a hallmark of the Malayali that has enabled him to adapt and to survive the Tsunamis of alien cultures and ideas, and all things 'modern'. The old quarter East Fortof the city clusters in and around the East Fort, a protected landmark that dates back to the Royal days. The rightly famous Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple , the navarathri mandapam, where the annual musical fest is held as an offering to saraswati, the Goddess of Learning , kuthira malika, a uniquely wonderful example of traditional architecture and the venue of the annual swathi thirunal music festival honouring the composer-king of travancore are the best among the traditional structures that adorn the Fort enclave. The Mahatma Gandhi Road, the chief artery of the city, is lined by traditional mansions that proclaim the grandeur of the times past and modern high-rises that testify to the city's newfound affluence and a brashly commercial taste --red tile and timber vying with concrete and glass. What perhaps is special about the ambience of Thiruvananthapuram is the wonderful blend of the strongly traditional, the nostalgically Colonial and the outright modern elements, be it in architecture, in food or in the dress and manners of her people. The city's spirit of 'live and let live' is nowhere more evident than at Palayam (the Garrison, the seat of the old Cantonment), where threeConnemara Market centres of worships of three faiths rub shoulders--the ancient Ganapathy Temple (ostensibly built by the Maharajah for the prosperity of the Connemara Market nearby), the Palayam Muslim Mosque (get the correct name) and the Palayam Christian Cathedral (get the correct name) church with its distinctive Gothic tower.

Blessed with a pleasant climate virtually throughout the year, Thiruvananthapuram city sparkles after the monsoon rains. After the 'hot' summers, which thankfully pale in comparison to the 'hotspots' of India, the welcome summer showers augur the festival season when Kerala decks herself out, and traditional colours and rhythms and characters straight from the pages of her ancient lore entice the visitor to another world. The festivities are crowned by onam , the Spring harvest festival, today marked by traditional fare throughout the State, KADHAKALIincluding the spirited race of the picturesque and majestic snake boats , the grand elephant parade, when hordes of caparisoned pachyderms lend an air of fantasy to the setting, and the special presentations of Kathakali , Mohiniyattom , Koodiyattom  and other traditional arts of Kerala.  etc etc 







                                                LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES

Thiruvananthapuram district is situated between north latitudes 8º 17' and 8º 54' and east longitudes 76º 41' and 77º 17'. The southern most extremity, 'Parasala', is 56 kms away from Kanyakumari, the "land's end of India". The district stretches along the shores of the Arabian sea for a distance of 78 kms. District boundaries are:
East:Thirunalveli District, Tamilnadu.
South:Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu
West:The Arabian Sea.
North:Kollam District.
District Area:2192 km².
Taluks:4.
Villages:116.
Main Towns:Thiruvananthapuram City,
Neyyattinkara,
Nedumangad,
Attingal,
Varkala.
Population:3234356(as per 2001 census). 




                                                              MAP


























Saturday, 20 October 2012

KOZHIKODE

Kozhikode District: Once the capital of the powerful Zamorins and a prominent trade and commerce centre, Kozhikode was the most important region Malabar in the days gone by. Today lush green countrysides, serene beaches, historic site, wildlife sanutaries, rivers, hills, a unique culture and a warm, friendly ambience make Kozhikode a popular destination.   
vagaindia.blogspot.in

vagaindia.blogspot.in

Kozhikode District found a place in the World History with the discovery of sea Route in India in 1498 by the Portuguese Navigator Vasco Da Gama. Vasco Da Gama landed at the Kappad sea shore with three vessels and 170 men. A monument in constructed here to commemorate the historical landing. Kozhikode is a historical town with a hoary past. From time immemorial, the city attracted travellers  with his charming physical features and prosperity. 

                                                              HISTORY
Calicut is the anglicised form of Kalikut. The Arabic for the Malayalam, Kozhikode. It is also called the Cock Fort. According to the historian, K.V Krishnan Iyer, the term means koyil (Palace) Kodu (Fortified). Anyhow, it is a historical town with a hoary past. From time immemorial, the city attracted travellers, with its charming physical features and prosperity. Even today , the glory that was Calicut has not faded.  The political history of Kozhikode is a story of treacherous and ill conceived conspiracies hatched by the Western powers. Vasco De Gama landed at Kappad in May 1498, as the leaders of a trade mission from Portugal and was received by the                     Zamorin himself.
The history of Kozhikode district as an administrative unit begins from January 1957. When the states of the Indian Union were reorganized on linguistic basis on 1st November, 1956, the erstwhile Malabar district was separated from Madras state (Tamil Nadu) and added to the new unilingual state of Kerala. But malabar district was found to be too unwieldy for administrative purposes. Consequently the state government ordered the formation of three districts with certain changes in the boundaries of some of the taluks. The Kozhikode district thus came into existence on 1st January 1957, orginally consisting of five taluks, Viz, Vadakara, Koyilandy, Kozhikode, and Ernad & Tirur. With the formation of malapuram district on 1st June 1969 & Wayandu on 1st November 1980, kozhikode district now consist of one revenue division, three taluks, twelve blocks, 78 panchayats and 117 villages.




                                                              CLIMATE


During December to march, practically no rain is received and from October onwards the temperature gradually increases to reach the maximum in May, which is the hottest month of the year. The highest maximum temperature recorded at Kozhikode was 39.40 C during the month of March 1975 and lowest temperature was 14C recorded on 26th December 1975. Humidity is very high in the coastal region.


                                                  DISTRICT PROFILE
                                                                                                          
                                                     Area 2,206sq.km
                                                 Population  : 2,613,683
                                                    Literacy   : 85%
                                                         Topography
                                  Between Latitude : 11’ 08’ & 11’50’north
                                       Longitudes   :75’30’ & 76’08’ east
                                                 Climate    : Tropical
                                                  Rainfall     : 254 cm
                                                Attitude   : Sea level
                                                     Temperature
                                  Summer : 35’C-22.5’C Winter: 32’C-22’C