Erattupetta () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

https://lsgkerala.gov.in/system/files/2017-10/localbodies.pdf in the

Kottayam district Kottayam () is one of List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns: Kottayam, Changanassery, Pala, Kerala, Pala, Erattupetta, Ettu ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, 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 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is located east of the district headquarters in

Kottayam Kottayam () is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kottayam has a population of ...

and about north of the state capital

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

. As per the 2011 Indian census, Erattupetta has a population of 34,814 people, and a population density of .

Etymology

The "Eraaru" part in all the variations of the names arose from the geographical location where the two rivers (''aaru'') merge as a single one. Erattupetta is situated in the foothills of the High Ranges. 'Peta' means town in Dravidian languages. Earlier, it was known as 'Erapoli' or 'Erapuzha'. It was the commercial capital of the Poonjar principality until 1949.

People

Tamil Immigrants: The most important of these were the ( Rawther) Khan family

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

who came from

Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

in the twelfth century, along with the Poonjar royal family and their loyal servants and bodyguards. This group also includes Hindus belonging to the Chetti tribe and the Rowthers who left Tamil areas in the 14th century. They still speak Malayalam mixed with Tamil. Additionally, there are families who are converted to Christianity. Malayali Immigrants: This group includes Christians who migrated from Kodungallur with the advent of Christianity, and from Nilakkal in the fourteenth century, Muslims who came from

Edappally Edappally or Idappalli is a region in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is a major commercial centre as well as a prominent residential region. Edappally junction is one of the busiest junctions in the city. History Edappally in English li ...

near

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

after the advent of Islam, the Mehtar sect, and later Muslims from various families who came from Malappuram and Ernakulam districts. Apart from this, there is another sect with roots in Saudi Arabia, known as the Labbas, descendants of Shaikh Saeed Bawa. While the Muslims, who depended on trade, settled in Eratupetta itself, the Christians moved to the nearby hills in search of fertile farmlands. Other laborers moved to different areas depending on the availability of work. This is the reason why Eratupetta became a Muslim-majority area.

Economy

In the past, the Muthuvan people brought hill produce from the Cardamom Hills down for trade. Today, Erattupetta serves as a trading center for spices, rubber, areca nut, and other agricultural products. The hill station of Wagamon lies approximately 22 km east of Erattupetta. The town also has a significant expatriate population living in Gulf countries, particularly in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Demographics

According to the Population Census 2011, there are a total of 7,686 families residing in Erattupetta. The total population of Erattupetta is 34,814, of which 17,555 are males and 17,259 are females, resulting in an average sex ratio of 983 females per 1,000 males. The population of children aged 0-6 years in Erattupetta is 4,474, which is 13% of the total population. There are 2,294 male children and 2,180 female children in this age group. As per the Census 2011, the child sex ratio of Erattupetta is 950, which is lower than the average sex ratio of 983. According to the Census 2011, the literacy rate of Erattupetta is 95.5%, which is lower than the 97.2% literacy rate of Kottayam district. The male literacy rate in Erattupetta is 97.39%, while the female literacy rate is 93.51%.

Geography

Erattupetta can be easily accessed from north Kerala via the Angamaly- Muvattupuzha-

Thodupuzha Thodupuzha () is a municipality and taluk in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. It is located west of the district headquarters in Painavu and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Thodupu ...

- Muttom route. It is also well connected to Tamil Nadu via the Kottayam-Kumali Road(KK Road) to

, through the nearest town, Mundakkayam, via Parathanam, which is 27 kilometers from Erattupetta. The town has an average elevation of 36 meters (118 feet).

Politics

Erattupetta is a municipality. The current municipal chairperson is Suhara Abdul Khader(IUML).Vice chairperson ansar pullolil (INC). Erattupetta falls under the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency and the Poonjar assembly constituency. It is represented in the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

by Anto Antony (UDF) and in the Kerala Legislative Assembly by Sebastian Kulathunkal (LDF).

Localities

* Vadakkekkara * Thekkekkara * Nadackal * Karakkad * Pathazhapadi * Mullooppara * Mundakkaparambu * Eelakkayam * Edakalamattam * Aniyilappu * Kaduvamoozhi * Elppunkal * Mattakkad * Aruvithura

References

External links

* https://erattupettamunicipality.lsgkerala.gov.in/en/ * http://lsgkerala.in/erattupettapanchayat/ {{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311063025/http://lsgkerala.in/erattupettapanchayat/ , date=11 March 2016 * https://www.citypopulation.de/en/india/kerala/ Cities and towns in Kottayam district