Meenachil is the north-eastern region of Kottayam district in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

south India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union terr ...

. The name originates from Meenakshi, the Hindu Goddess.

Pala Pala may refer to: Places Chad *Pala, Chad, the capital of the region of Mayo-Kebbi Ouest Estonia *Pala, Kose Parish, village in Kose Parish, Harju County *Pala, Kuusalu Parish, village in Kuusalu Parish, Harju County * Pala, Järva County, vil ...

is the main city in Meenachil. The arterial river of the district is also named Meenachil.

Geography

The

Meenachil River The Meenachil River or Meenachilaar (Malayalam: ), also known as Kavanar, Valanjar, is a river in Kerala. It is one of the most treacherous rivers in Kerala due to its flash floods, heavy undercurrents and woods and debris it carries from the m ...

, also known as Kavanar, Gauna, Valanjar originates at ''vagamon'' in the Western Ghats of Kerala, flows westward through

Erattupetta Erattupetta is a municipal town located in Kottayam district, close to the place Aruvithura, state of Kerala, India,. It is located 38 km east of Kottayam, the district capital. Erattupetta Grama Panchayath was founded in 1964 and upgrad ...

Palai Pallai ( ta, பளை, si, පල්ලෙයි), also spelt Palai, is a small town in the Kilinochchi District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is located near the coast on the northern peninsula, approximately south-east of Jaffna. ...

, Kidangoor,

Ettumanoor Ettumanoor, sometimes spelled Ettumanur, is a major town and municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India, located 11 kilometers north-east of Kottayam city, 50 kilometers south of Cochin, and 70 kilometers south of Cochin Internation ...

and

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south ...

. Its length is about 87 kilometers. Near Kottayam it splits into a number of distributaries before emptying into the

Vembanad Lake Vembanad is the longest lake in India, as well as the largest lake in the state of Kerala. The lake has an area of 230 square kilometers and a maximum length of 96.5 km. Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Ve ...

Kumarakom Kumarakom is a popular tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam (), in Kerala, India, famous for its backwater tourism. It is set in the backdrop of the Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in the state of Kerala. History Kuma ...

, the bird sanctuary and tourist resort is on one such branch.

History

The current Meenachil taluk was a principality under the local chieftains, the ''

Meenachil Kartha Meenachil Karthas (''also known as Njavakkatt Karthas and medackal karthas'') were members of an aristocratic clan, which ruled the small kingdom of Meenachil from 15th century AD until 1754. Unlike the other aristocratic Nair factions of North ...

s'' (also known as ''Njavakkat Karthas'') before

Marthanda Varma Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ) was the founding monarch of the southern Indian Kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758. He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") (1758–98).Subrahman ...

annexed it to

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. A ...

in 1754. The name of the place comes from Goddess

Meenakshi Meenakshi (Sanskrit: ; Tamil: ; sometimes spelled as Minakshi; also known as , and ), is a Hindu goddess and tutelary deity of Madurai who is considered an avatar of the Goddess Parvati also referred to as Durga. She is the divine consort o ...

, the deity of the ''Karthas''. Veera Kerala Damodara Simhar was a chieftain belonging to this family.Kerala District Gazetteers: Kottayam, Kerala (India) p.34-35 The southern bank of the river was the kingdom of ''Thekkumkoor'', the capital of which was Changanassery, and the northern bank, that of ''Vadakkumkoor'', with its capital at Kaduthuruthy. The

Poonjar Poonjar is a small Indian town located on the eastern side of Kottayam district in Kerala state, India. Before the independence of India, Poonjar had been the part of Travancore princely state.Erattupetta, Teekoy, bharananganam, and vagamon are ...

royal family also held sway over significant areas of the district towards the east.

Economy

Though food crops like

paddy Paddy may refer to: People *Paddy (given name), a list of people with the given name or nickname *An ethnic slur for an Irishman Birds *Paddy (pigeon), a Second World War carrier pigeon * Snowy sheathbill or paddy, a bird species *Black-faced s ...

and

tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America ...

are cultivated, majority of the population depends on cash crops like

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

and

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in dia ...

for income. Turmeric,ginger,cardamom,aracanut, coconut, nutmeg,clove,karuva pattai, jackfruit, tamarind where cultivated here.Recently people had diversified into the cultivation of

vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus '' Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla ('' V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the plants produce the fruit from whic ...

on account of the sudden spurt in prices. However, with rubber prices ruling high and vanilla prices nosediving, the original agricultural pattern is seen reemerging. Though there are families with considerable wealth, a large section of the population are farmers with small and medium agricultural holdings. The Kerala Government has recently (2006) accorded high priority to the implementation of the Meenachil River Valley Project. The project aims at diverting excess water from the

Moovattupuzha Muvattupuzha () is a town in the midlands directly to the east of Kochi in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. It is located about from downtown Kochi, and is a growing urban centre in central Kerala. The town is also the starting poin ...

river into the Meenachil River basin by constructing a tunnel from

Arakkulam Arakkulam is a village in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala. Arakkulam is 16 km from Thodupuzha Thodupuzha (തൊടുപുഴ) is a municipal town located in Idukki district, Kerala, India, that covers an area of . ...

Melukavu Melukavu (Melukavumattom) is a village in the eastern part of Meenachil Taluk in Kottayam District of Kerala state, India. Tourism The place is a major tourist attraction for nature lovers with beautiful hills, streams and rubber plantations ...

. Once implemented the project will help in increasing the availability of water in the area.

Festivals

Some of the important festivals celebrated in the region are:
1. Kumaranalloor Thrikarthika
2. The Katappattor temple festival (April)
3. Meenachil Kavu Festival (December)
4. Pala Jubilee thirunal (8 December)
5. The

Cherpunkal Cherpunkal is a small town in the Kottayam district of Kerala State in India on the Kottayam-Palai Road, seven kilometers from Palai city. Cherpunkal is famous for Mar Sleeva Forane Catholic Church, believed to have been established by Thoma ...

Church festival(25 December – 2 January)
6. The festival of

St. George's Church, Aruvithura ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosoph ...

7. The Paika Church festival (19 December)
8. Pala Rakkuly thirunal - Epiphany (7 Jan)
9. Bharanganam Sr Alphonsa's feast (28 July)
10. Bharanganam Sreekrishna Swami temple festival (January–February)
11. Poovarany Mahadeva temple festival (January–February)
12. Ramapuram Church feast
13. Kidangoor Temple Festival
14. Edappady Subrahmanya Swamy Temple festival (January–February)
15. Edappady Vazhanekkavu Devi Temple festival (March)
16. Uzhavoor Church feast
17. Vilakkumadom St. Francis Church feast
18. The Arattu at Lalam Sree Mahadeva Temple. (January)
19. Prathista dinam at Puthuppallil Kottaram Bhagavathy Temple at Edamattom (23rd Thulam)
20. Meenachil Nadeethada Hindu Maha sangamam (Jannuvay 12-18)
21. Payappar sree dharama sastha temple (makaravilaku 14 January)
22. Payappar sree dharama sastha temple (makaravilaku 14 January)
23. Edanattukavu Bhagavathy Temple festival (December and March)

Politics

Traditionally, the region is the hotbed of various factions of the

Kerala Congress Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded at Kottayam, Kerala in October, 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala. The establishment of Kerala ...

. However mainstream parties like the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

Communist Party of India (Marxist) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxist–Leninist communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in terms of membership and electoral seats and one of the na ...

Communist Party of India Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest Marxist–Leninist communist party in India and one of the nine national parties in the country. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur (formerly known as Cawnpore) on 26 December 1925. H ...

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the List of ruling p ...

also have significant following. The prices of rubber and other agricultural prices determine the agenda of many elections. It is alleged that the church influences the political agenda significantly.

Notable people

Jose Panachippuram Jose Panachippuram (born 24 August 1951 in Kottayam District, Kerala, India) is a noted short story writer, novelist and journalist in Malayalam. He is working as the Senior associate editor of ''Malayala Manorama ''Malayala Manorama ...

, associate editor, ''Malayala Manorama'' daily * *

Transport

Meenachil Taluk does not have rail connectivity. The nearest major railway stations are

, 28 km and

Ernakulam junction Ernakulam Junction railway station (also known as Ernakulam South, code: ERS) is the biggest railway station in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Controlling 376 train routes at a time, it is the busiest railway junction station in South Indi ...

, 64 km from palai. The nearest airport is the

Cochin International Airport Cochin International Airport is an International airport serving the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Located at Nedumbassery, about northeast of the city centre, Cochin International Airport is first of its kind which is develo ...

Nedumbassery Nedumbassery, , is a suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Situated around northeast of the city centre, Nedumbassery is also an integral part of the Kochi Metropolitan Area. Location Nedumbassery lies between the two municipaliti ...

, 85 km from Palai. The

State Highway (SH 32) traverses across the Taluk in the easterly direction connecting major centres like Kidangoor,

Bharananganam Bharananganam, an important pilgrimage centre in South India, is located on the banks of the Meenachil River, away from Pala and from Plassanal, in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala. Bharananganam and surrounding places are hilly a ...

and

. In the north- south direction, the

Main Eastern Highway The Main Eastern Highway is the lifeline of the high range townships of the Travancore region of Kerala state, India. It is also known as Punalur-Muvattupuzha Highway. Main Eastern Highway is categorized as State Highway - 08 ( SH-08 ) ...

(

Muvattupuzha Muvattupuzha () is a town in the midlands directly to the east of Kochi in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. It is located about from downtown Kochi, and is a growing urban centre in central Kerala. The town is also the starting po ...

- Punalur- SH 8)passes through

Kollappally Kollappally is a developing town in Kottayam district near Pala Kerala. It is located between two major cities of Kerala, Pala and Thodupuzha, on the Main Eastern Highway (state highway-8). It connects Kottayam to two towns in Idukki district - ...

, Palai and Paika. The

Peerumedu Peermade, also spelt Peerumedu (Malayalam: പീരുമേട്) is a village, Grama Panchayat and hill station in the state of Kerala, India. It lies above sea level in the Western Ghats (Sahyadri) about east of Kottayam on the way to The ...

State Highway (SH 14) passes through

Teekoy Teekoy is a southern Indian village, situated in the eastern part of Kottayam district in Kerala state. Teekoy is located 18 km east of the town Pala, and is 44 km north-east of the district capital Kottayam. It is between the towns of Vaga ...

and Wagamon. The Sabarimala - Kodaikanal Highway passes through Erattupetta. The

Main Central Road The Main Central Road, better known as MC Road is the arterial State Highway starting from Kesavadasapuram in Trivandrum city and ends at Angamaly, a suburb of Kochi city in Ernakulam District, in the state of Kerala, India. It is designated ...

(SH 1) from

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its List of renamed Indian cities and states, former name Trivandrum (), is the Capital city, capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as ...

Angamaly Angamaly (''Aṅkamāli''), , Malayalam : അങ്കമാലി Situated about north of the city centre, the town lies at the intersection of Main Central Road (MC Road) and National Highway 544. MC Road, which starts from Thiruvanantha ...

passes through the western boundary of the Taluk.

Major Colleges

Alphonsa College, Palai Alphonsa College, Pala, is a women's degree college located in Pala, Kottayam district, Kerala. It was established in 1964. The college is affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi University. This college offers different courses in arts, commerce and ...

(for girls) *

St. George College, Aruvithura ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosoph ...

College of Engineering, Kidangoor The College of Engineering, Kidangoor (CEKGR) is a college in Kidangoor, Kottayam, Kerala, India. It is affiliated with the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and is recognized by the All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi ...

(CEKGR) *

College of Engineering, Poonjar The Government College of Engineering Poonjar (established in 2000), is an engineering institute in the state of Kerala, India. Till completion of 2014 Admissions, the college was affiliated to Cochin University of Science and Technology and ...

Devamatha College, Kuravilangad Deva Matha College, Kuravilangad, is a college for higher education, located at Kuravilangad, Kottayam, Kerala. It was founded on 3 April 1964, under the inspiration of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palai, by St.Mary's Forane Church, ...

* St Joseph College of Engineering and Technology, Palai (SJCET Palai) *

St. Stephen's College, Uzhavoor St. Stephen's College, Uzhavoor, is a general degree college located in Uzhavoor, Kottayam district, Kerala. It was established in the year 1964. The college is affiliated with Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala Mahatma Gandhi University ...

St. Thomas College, Palai St. Thomas College, Pala is a government aided college of higher education located in Pala town, Kerala, India. It was founded on 7 August 1950 by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palai. The college is affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi Unive ...

BVM Holy Cross College, Cherpunkal BVM may refer to: * Blessed Virgin Mary (), a title for Mary, mother of Jesus * Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, a university degree * Bag valve mask, a device used in resuscitation procedures to assist patients in breathing * Birla Vishvakarma M ...

Government Polytechnic College, Pala A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government ...

Henry Baker College, Melukau Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

Mar Augusthinose College Mar, mar or MAR may refer to: Culture * Mar or Mor, an honorific in Syriac * Earl of Mar, an earldom in Scotland * MAA (singer) (born 1986), Japanese * Marathi language, by ISO 639-2 language code * March, as an abbreviation for the third month ...

, Ramapuram (MAC) * Mar Sleeva College of Nursing, Palai * MES College Erattupetta, Thidanadu

References

{{Kottayam district Villages in Kottayam district