Harippad
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Haripad is a municipality in ''
Onattukara Odanad (Malayalam language, Malayalam: ''ISO 15919, ōṭānāṭŭ'', also known as Onattukara,Kayamkulam, Onad, Kallikoilon and Chirava Svaroopam) was a feudal state in late medieval Kerala. It was established in the 11th century, and disest ...
'' region of
Alappuzha District Alappuzha district (), is one of the 14 Districts of Kerala, districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It was formed as Alleppey district on 17 August 1957, the name of the district being changed to ''Alapp ...
,
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 ...
located between
Alappuzha Alappuzha (, आलप्पुळ) or Alleppey is a municipality and town on the Laccadive Sea in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the district headquarters of the district, and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvana ...
and
Kollam Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the List of cities and towns in Kerala, fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake ...
on the
National Highway 66 The following highways are numbered 66: International * European route E66 Australia * Barkly Highway (Northern Territory) * Riddoch Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 66 * Highway 66 (Ontario) Cuba * Autopista Sancti Spiritus (4-6 ...
. Haripad is bordered on the east by Pallippad, Veeyapuram and Karuvatta to the north, Kumarapuram and
Karthikappally Karthikappally is a village in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala.Haripad is the headquarter of Karthikappally Taluk. Taluk office is located at revenue tower Haripad. History Karthikappally was once a Buddhist center. Since ...
to the West, and on the south by Cheppad. It is known as the land of art, artists, land of snake boats, land of music, dance and drama. It is also popularly known as Kshetranagari (''Town of Temples'') in which Haripad Temple being the chief one among them.One of the largest thermal power plants in Kerala, the Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant run by the NTPC, is situated at Haripad. Haripad is a primary economic and cultural hub of the
Onattukara Odanad (Malayalam language, Malayalam: ''ISO 15919, ōṭānāṭŭ'', also known as Onattukara,Kayamkulam, Onad, Kallikoilon and Chirava Svaroopam) was a feudal state in late medieval Kerala. It was established in the 11th century, and disest ...
region. It is famous for its religious and cultural heritage, and is a centre for
Hindu culture Hinduism () is an umbrella term for a range of Indian religious and spiritual traditions ( ''sampradaya''s) that are unified by adherence to the concept of ''dharma'', a cosmic order maintained by its followers through rituals and right ...
. ]


History

Earlier it was known as Arippatt, the name Haripad came into prominence only in the 20th century. Some scholars say that it means place near water (ari- arike pat place). During the period of European colonization, In the opinion of the Dutch Governor Gollanez the sea coast between Quilon and Purakkad which the Dutch called "Martha" and which region was known as
Karthikappally Karthikappally is a village in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala.Haripad is the headquarter of Karthikappally Taluk. Taluk office is located at revenue tower Haripad. History Karthikappally was once a Buddhist center. Since ...
consisted of two regions or nation states, Karnoppally (present-day Karunagapally) and Karimpali. More specifically, Haripad was located in Karimpali which was the area between
Kayamkulam Kayamkulam () is a municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Alappuzha and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kayamkulam has ...
and Purakkad and was also known as Vettimana. The capital of Vettimana was Karimpalil palace (near the present-day Haripad Railway Station), but at some point it was moved to
Karthikappally Karthikappally is a village in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala.Haripad is the headquarter of Karthikappally Taluk. Taluk office is located at revenue tower Haripad. History Karthikappally was once a Buddhist center. Since ...
. In 1742 Marthanda Varma defeated Karthikappally region and added it to
Travancore State The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanant ...
. During the period of the kingship, Haripad was a town, the remaining town hall stands as proof. Also during this period, Haripad was the administrative center of
Karthikappally Karthikappally is a village in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala.Haripad is the headquarter of Karthikappally Taluk. Taluk office is located at revenue tower Haripad. History Karthikappally was once a Buddhist center. Since ...
Taluk, and it was from Haripad that the major portion of rice for the state was produced. It is believed that famous poet Kerala Varma Valiakoi Thampuran was kept under house arrest in Haripad Ananthapuram Palace and during his stay at Haripad he wrote 'Mayoora Sandesham' in which he expressed his grief of being separated from his dear wife. In 1921 Haripad got municipal town status, however in 1941 it was downgraded to a non-municipal town. Finally, in 1954 it was changed into a Panchayat. In 2015, it was again upgraded to municipality. Prof. Sudha Suseelan is the 1st chairperson in Haripad Municipality.


Geography

Haripad is a town and municipality in Alappuzha District of Kerala State in India. Its coordinates are Latitude: 9°18′0″N and Longitude: 76°28′0″E, and lies at an elevation of 13 meters. It is bordered on the east by Pallippad, Karuvatta to the north, Kumarapuram and Mahadevikadu to the West, and on the south by Nangiarkulangara. Haripad is close to the Arabian Sea and connects Mavelikkara and Thrikkunnappuzha. Haripad Railway station is located in the heart of the town. Kayamkulam Junction is one of the major Railway stations which is at a distance of 14 kilometers. The nearest airport is at
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 ...
which is at a 3 h 5 min away (114.1 km) via NH66. Being located in southwestern India, the summer months are characterized by moderately high temperature and high humidity. Monsoon brings rains between late April and July with the best weather being from November to March. As Haripad locates close to the coast heavy annual rainfall is received.


Arts and culture

The two most famous temples in Haripad are Subrahmanya Swamy temple and Mannarasala Temple. The Subrahmanya Swamy temple in Haripad is one of the oldest temples in
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 ...
. Dedicated to Subrahmanya Swamy, it is believed that the temple was established even before the advent of
Kali Yuga ''Kali Yuga'' (Devanagari: कलियुग), in Hinduism, is the fourth, shortest, and worst of the four '' yugas'' (world ages) in a '' Yuga cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. I ...
. The temple was consecrated on the
Pushya Pushya (Sanskrit: पुष्य) is a nakshatra in Indian astrology. Some texts refer to it as Tishya, meaning "to look". It corresponds to γ, δ, and θ Cancri in the Cancer (constellation) Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of th ...
star of Makara Masa. This day is celebrated as the founding day of the temple every year. It is believed that Lord
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
appreaded as a saint to consecrate the temple. In 1096 of the
Malayalam calendar The Malayalam Calendar, or the Kollam Era (), is a sidereal solar calendar used in Kerala. The origin of the calendar has been dated to 825 CE, commemorating the establishment of Kollam. There are many theories regarding the origin of t ...
, the temple caught fire, but the golden flag mast (erected 1067) and the
Koothambalam Koothambalam or Kuttampalam (Kuṭṭampalam) meaning temple theatre or play house by scholars is a closed hall for staging '' Koothu ( (Kūttu)'', ''Nangiar koothu( (Kūttu)'' and '' Koodiyattam(Kūṭiyāṭṭam)'', the ancient ritualistic art ...
were saved from the fire. The current temple was built during the period of King
Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma , popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal (7 November 1912 – 20 July 1991), was the last ruling Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and ...
, who reigned from 1930 to 1949 (
Gregorian Calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...
). This temple holds three festivals yearly. The Chithira Ulsavam which starts on the day of Vishu and lasts ten days. The
Mannarasala Temple Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple () in ''Haripad'' is a very ancient and internationally known centre of pilgrimage for the devotees of serpent Gods (Nagaraja). The famous Nagaraja temple "Mannarasala" in Haripad is nestled in a forest glade, ...
is a
Nagaraja A Nagaraja ( ', ) is a king of the various races of the nāga, the divine or semi-divine, half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld ( Patala), and can occasionally take human form. Rituals devoted to these supernatural being ...
temple situated near Haripad. Like most snake temples, it is nestled in a forest glade, and has over 30,000 images of snakes along the paths and among the trees. It is the largest such temple in Kerala. Women seeking fertility come to worship there, and upon the birth of their child, they come again to hold thanksgiving ceremonies, often bringing new snake images as offerings. Sri Ramakrishna Asram at Haripad is the first one in the State of Kerala established in 1913. Another main feature of Haripad which attracts even the foreigners is the Payippad Jalolsavam, a three-day water festival conducted on the nearby Payippad Lake. It is believed the current idol of Lord Subrahmanya was brought from Kandalloor with escort of snake boats and vallasadya. Payippad Jalolsavam is conducted to renew this memory.


Government

Haripad is the headquarters of
Karthikappally Karthikappally is a village in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala.Haripad is the headquarter of Karthikappally Taluk. Taluk office is located at revenue tower Haripad. History Karthikappally was once a Buddhist center. Since ...
taluk, which includes 18 small villages: Arattupuzha, Cheppad, Cheruthana, Chingoli, Haripad, Kandallor, Mahadevikad, Karthikappally, Karuvatta, Keerikkad, Krishnapuram, Kumarapuram,
Muthukulam Muthukulam is backwater village and census town near Haripad in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a major village between Kayamkulam and Haripad and headquarters of the Muthukulam Block Panchayat. Demographics India ...
, Pallippad, Pathiyoor, Puthuppally, Thrikkunnapuzha and Veeyapuram. These all places come together to form the Haripad Legislative Assembly Constituency. The current MLA of Haripad Assembly Constituency is Shri Ramesh Chennithala of
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
. The Haripad Assembly Constituency is part of
Alappuzha (Lok Sabha constituency) Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 20 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Kerala state in southern India. Assembly segments Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments: Former Assembly ...
. K. C. Venugopal of
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
is the current MP of Alappuzha.


Notable people

* Ashokan (1960–), actor * Ramesh Chennithala, present MLA of Haripad, Former Home Minister * V. Dakshinamoorthy (1919–2013), carnatic musician * K. S. Harisankar (1993-), singer * Lopamudra R., poet, translator, Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar and OV Vijayan Sahitya Award, Thunjan Smaraka Award Winner * Meena Joseph (1941–1997), actress * T. K. Madhavan (1885–1930), social reformer * K. Madhu (1953–), director * Madhu Muttam (1951–), script writer *
Navya Nair Navya Nair (born Dhanya Veena; 14 October 1985) is an Indian actress who has appeared predominantly in Malayalam cinema along with a few Kannada and Tamil language films. Early and personal life Navya Nair was born Dhanya Veena on 14 October ...
(1985-) film actress * Nirmalananda (1863–1938), a direct monastic disciple of
Sri Ramakrishna Ramakrishna (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886——— —), also called Ramakrishna Paramahansa (; ; ), born Ramakrishna Chattopadhay,M's original Bengali diary page 661, Saturday, 13 February 1886''More About Ramakrishna'' by Swami Prab ...
(1836–1886) * K. Omanakutty (1943–), musician * K. S. Harisankar (1993-), singer *
Padmarajan Padmarajan Padmanabhan Pillai, better known as P. Padmarajan (23 May 1945 – 23 January 1991) was an Indian film maker, screenwriter and author who was known for his works in Malayalam literature and Malayalam cinema. He was the founder of a ...
(1945–1991), Malayalam film director and writer *
Rajesh Pillai Rajesh Raman Pillai (7 October 1974 – 27 February 2016) was an Indian film director best known for his work in the Malayalam cinema. He is credited with setting a new trend in Malayalam cinema with his thriller, ''Traffic (2011 film), Tra ...
(1974–2016), film director * M. G. Radhakrishnan (1940–2010), carnatic musician *
Sangeeth Sivan Sangeeth Sivan (1958/59 – 8 May 2024) was an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked in Malayalam film, Malayalam and Hindi film, Hindi film industries. He is best known for directing ''Vyooham (1990 film), Vyooham'' (1990), ''Yodh ...
(1959–2024), film director *
Santhosh Sivan Santosh Sivan ISC (born 8 February 1964) is an Indian cinematographer, film director, producer and actor known for his works in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi cinema. Santosh graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India and has, to d ...
(1964–), cinematographer * M. G. Sreekumar (1957–), musician, singer, music director *
Mallika Sukumaran Mohamallika Pillai (born 4 November 1954), better known as Mallika Sukumaran is an Indian actress and businesswoman, known for her works in Malayalam cinema. She debuted in 1974 with the Malayalam film ''Utharayanam'' by G. Aravindan. Since th ...
(1954–), actress * Erickavu N. Sunil (1977-), National award-winning
Mridangam The ''mridangam'' is an ancient percussion instrument originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is the primary rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic music ensemble. In Dhrupad, a modified version, the pakhawaj, is the primary percussion in ...
artist, author *
Sreekumaran Thampi Sreekumaran Thampi (born 16 March 1940) is an Indian lyricist, music director, film director, director, film producer, producer and screenwriter in Malayalam cinema. He also writes poetry and is a recipient of the Vallathol Award. In 2017, he w ...
(1940–), writer, lyricist *
Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran ; (19 February 1845 – 22 September 1914) also spelt Kerala Varma Valiya Koilthampuran and known as Kerala Varma, was a Malayalam - language poet and translator who had an equal facility in writing in Eng ...
(1845–1914) author of ''Mayurasandesa,'' stayed in Haripad while writing the ''Mayura Sandesam'' which were love letters to his wife sent using peacocks. * A. P. Udhayabhanu (1915–1999), Congress leader, writer * C. B. C. Warrier (1932–2013), Ex-MLA, CPM Leader * Nishadh Yusuf (1981-2024), film editor


References


External links


About Karichalchundan
– Snake boat races in Haripad
Sociocultural History
– History of Haripad
Haripad
– Haripad {{Authority control Cities and towns in Alappuzha district