Kulasekharam is a town located in the district of

Kanyakumari Kanyakumari (Tamil; / kəɳjɑkʊmɑɾiː/; referring to Devi Kanya Kumari, officially known as Kanniyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin) is a town and a municipality in Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the ...

, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the most important business centres in the district, after

Marthandam Marthandam is a major trade centre in Kuzhithurai municipality across National Highway (NH 47) in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. Formerly known as Thoduvetty (another name for the Marthandam market region), it was a portion ...

. Kulasekharam has many

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. Types of polyisoprene ...

plantations that yield high quality

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...

, which is the town's major revenue source. The town is making inroads and valuable contribution in the field of healthcare, by providing impeccable medical facilities to the semi-rural crowd from nearby places. Kulasekharam has three medical colleges for medical sciences, Homeopathy and Naturopathy. Kulasekharam has a mix of

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, and

Muslim 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 ...

communities and has historically been a peaceful town. Malayalees and Tamilians form the majority of the population.

Etymology

Kulasekhara is the name of a dynasty that ruled over Kerala, from which the name may have been derived. Kulasekharam and its nearby places holds great royal heritage. Kulasekharam was a part of Travancore kingdom.

Administration

Kulasekharam is a town panchayat located in Kanyakumari district, and comes under Thiruvattar Taluk. It has 18 wards in the panchayat. The elected

Councilors A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or regio ...

are responsible for the development of their wards. Drainage facilities, local roads, and water facilities are maintained by them.

Police station

The Kulasekharam Police station is located at Arasumoodu.

Fire control

The Fire Control Station is located in Eenchacode.

Tourism

Although Kulasekharam is named for its scenic views, it doesn't have any important tourist spots within the town limits. However, it serves as a key place to reach various tourist destinations in Kanyakumari district, such as

Thirparappu Thirparappu is a town located in the Kanyakumari District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a popular tourist destination. It is located from the nearby town Arumanai, from Kulasekaram, from Nagercoil, headquarters of the Kanyakuma ...

, Mathur Aqueduct, Pechiparai Reservoir, Perunchani Dam, and Kothayar. The Thirparappu waterfalls and Pechiparai Dam are the main tourist attractions in the state. Kothayar has a hydroelectric power plant located in a dense forest area. In addition, it has one more nature-viewed place called Kalikesam, with waterfalls, rocks, and a historical temple.

Education

Kulasekharam is home to three medical colleges, four nursing colleges, and other colleges and schools.

Medical colleges

* Sree Mookaambika Institute of Medical Sciences (SMIMS) * Sree RamaKrishna Medical College of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences * Sarada Krishna Homeopathic Medical College * Sree Mookambika College of Nursing (SMCON) * Sree RamaKrishna College of Nursing

Dental colleges

* Sree Mookaambika Institute of Dental Sciences

Arts & science

* Sri Ramakrishna College of Education

Polytechnic college

* BWDA polytechnic college, Vendalicode

Agricultural college

* TNAU Institute of Horticulture Research Station There are also more than 20 private education institutions in Kulasekaram, which offer education in various fields.

Location and significance

Kulasekharam is located 50 km south of the Trivandrum Metropolitan Region and 30 km from Nagercoil the nearest city. Kulasekharam is only 12 km away from the commercial towns of Marthandam, 18 km from Thuckalay, Kaliyikkavilai and 22 km from Monday Market. The younger generations of Kulasekharam either migrated or commute to Trivandrum due to its proximity to Kerala's state capital. Two major motorways connect kulasekharam to Trivandrum; the National Highway 66 and the Vizhinjam Harbour – Beach Road. The Hill Road which runs through Nedumangadu is also used by some commuters due to heavy traffic congestion in the 2 main roads particularly during peak hours.

Demographics

India

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Kulasekharam had a population of 17,267. Males constitute 49.5% of the population and females 50.5%. Kulasekharam has an average literacy rate of 90%, higher than the state average of 80.09%: male literacy is 92.54%, and female literacy is 88.91%. In Kulasekharam, 9.39% of the population is under 6 years of age. Majority of population holds Nair and Nadar community. Also other castes such as Panikker( Ezhava), Viswakarma, Vannan, Paraya etc. are living here. Once upon a time, Nair community possessed majority of land and other properties. They are very aristocratic and respectable community during the early period. Now all communities leading a peaceful life in Kulasekharam.

Medical facilities

Kulasekharam has one government hospital, 3 medical college hospitals and more than 15 hospitals, which serve people in almost all kind of treatments. There is also a government veterinary hospital located within Kulasekharam. People also do visit medical facilities available in Nagercoil, Marthandam and

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the 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 largest and ...

in which it includes Trivandrum Medical College, General Hospital, Thar Salvation Army Catherine Booth Hospital (CBH), KIMS, NIMS, Ananthapuri, Cosmopolitan Hospital, PRS, Lord's Hospital, Aster Medicity, etc. There is a homeo medical College Namely Saradha Krishna homeopathy medical College with a 100bedded hospital.

Shopping

Kulasekharam Market is one of the important shopping centres for Kulasekharam and the nearby towns. Some 8000-10000 people gather there daily to buy their basic needs.

Climate

Kulasekharam has a pleasant, though humid, climate for a majority of the year. The maximum temperature during the summer hovers around or 30 °C, with extremely high humidity at times. Kulasekharam receives both the north-east monsoon and the south-west monsoon. It rains more often in Kanyakumari district than in any other part of Tamil Nadu, with the exception of Chennai.

Culture and Religion

Malayalam and Tamil are spoken by the people. Tamil language along with English is used as a medium of teaching in all major schools. The Tamil spoken here is a mix of Malayalam and Tamil, sometimes unintelligible to the people of North Tamil Nadu. The culture is a mixture of Malayalam and Tamil. Hinduism, Christianity and Islam are the major religions in Kulasekharam. Here there is a lot of Nair families holding Kerala culture. Once upon a time they are the royal aristocratic community in the region. There are many temples managing by different Nair families. Kulasekharam holds a great Nair community background. Nadar community is also a highly populated community here. Different communities keeps a good relationship between them. Here Keralite communities follows Kerala life style & culture and Tamil communities follows tamilian life style & culture. Food prepared here is also a mix of Kerala/Tamil Nadu traditions.

Idly Idli, iddena, iddali or idly (; plural: idlis) is a type of savoury rice cake, originating from South India, popular as a breakfast food in Southern India and in Sri Lanka. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented de-h ...

Dosa Dosa may refer to: Belief * Dosa or dvesha, a Buddhist concept of hate or aversion People * Bogoljub Mitić Đoša (1968 - 2017), Serbian actor * Csaba Dosa (born 1951), Romanian athlete * Dosa ben Harkinas, Jewish Tanna sage * Dosa ben S ...

Puttu Puttu (; ; ; ) is a dish native to the Southern Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Karnataka, as well as Sri Lanka. It is made of steamed cylinders of ground rice layered with coconut shavings, sometimes with a sweet or savory f ...

Appam An appam or vellayappam is a type of thin pancake originating from South India. It is made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, traditionally cooked in an ''appachatti'', a deep pan similar in shape to a wok. It's a popular dish in Indi ...

, and

Idiappam Idiyappam, also known as indiappa, noolappam, noolputtu, santhagai, or ottu shavige, is a string hopper dish originating from southern India. It consists of rice flour pressed into noodles, laid into a flat disc-like shape and steamed. The dis ...

are popular food items, and so are rice murukku and achu-murukku.

Curries Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internation ...

here are made with

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

and

coconut oil Coconut oil (or coconut fat) is an edible oil derived from the kernels, meat, and milk of the coconut palm fruit. Coconut oil is a white solid fat below around , and a clear thin liquid oil at higher temperatures. Unrefined varieties have a disti ...

which is now considered

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 ...

style cooking.

Festivals

Some of the festivals celebrated here are

Onam Onam () is an annual harvest and Hindus, Hindu cultural festival celebrated mostly by the people of Kerala. A major annual event for Malayalis, Keralites, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. H ...

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

, Pongal

Deepavali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual ...

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...

, Ramzan (Eid ul fitr) and

Bakrid Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the ...

(Eid ul alha),

Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi () or Vinayaka Chavithi () or Vinayagar Chaturthi (), is a Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of Hindu deity Ganesh. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's ''m ...

(Vinayagha Chaturthi),

krishna Janmashtami Krishna Janmashtami (), also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. In certain Hindu texts, such as the '' Gita Govinda ...

(Krishna Jayanti),

Sivalaya Ottam Sivalaya Ottam (Tamil: சிவாலய ஓட்டம், Malayalam: ശിവാലയ ഓട്ടം) is a ritual marathon undertaken by the devotees to the 12 Siva shrines in the district of Kanyakumari on the day of Sivarathri. From ...

Vishu Vishu (Malayalam: വിഷു) is a Hindu festival celebrating the Malayali New Year in Kerala, Tulu Nadu, and Mahe of India. Vishu falls on the first day of the month of ''Medam'', the first month of the Solar calendar used in Malabar of ...

Karthikai Deepam Karthika Deepam () is a Hindu festival of lights. It is mainly observed mainly by Tamils in India, Sri Lanka and other regions with significant Tamil diaspora. The festival is celebrated on the first full moon day of the month of Kartika coi ...

, Karkkadaka Vavu. Also other days such as Pradosham, Vaikunda Ekadashi, Aayilyam, Navarathri etc. are celebrating here.

Transport

Road

The only mode of transport in Kulasekharam is by road. SH90 &

SH45 The following highways are numbered 45: International * Asian Highway 45 * European route E45 Burma * National Road 45 (Burma) Canada * Alberta Highway 45 * Manitoba Highway 45 * Ontario Highway 45 * Saskatchewan Highway 45 China * G ...

pass through Kulasekaram from major spots like Aralvaimozhi and Marthandam. SETC is operating a bus to Chennai daily at 3:00pm. It is also connected with

Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...

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 ...

Tirunelveli Tirunelveli (), also known as Nellai and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirunelveli District. It is the fourth-largest munici ...

Nagercoil Nagercoil, natively spelt as Nāgarkovil (, "Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a Municipal Corporation city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the ...

Nedumangadu Nedumangad is a municipal town in the Thiruvananthapuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the headquarters of Nedumangad Tehsil and Nedumangad Revenue Division. It is a suburb of the extended metropolitan region of Thiruvananthap ...

Thiruchendur Tiruchendur (Tamil: ''Tiruccentūr'' �t̪iɾɯtːʃen̪d̪uːr also ''jayantipuram'') is a municipality in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. Geogr ...

Thoothukudi Thoothukudi (formerly called Tuticorin) is a port city, port industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is capital and headquarters of the di ...

and

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

. In Thumpacode there is a bus stand that serves the public. Auto rickshaws, private cars, vans, and mini buses are the other modes of transport.

Train

The nearest railway station from Kulasekharam is Kuzhithurai (KZT) which is just 10 km away. Several trains to Trivandrum, Nagercoil, Chennai, Madurai, and Mumbai are operated. One must reach Nagercoil (NCJ) or Trivandrum (TVC) for getting long-distance train and the trains which don't have halt in Kuzhithurai.

Air

Kulasekharam is served by

Trivandrum International Airport Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is an international airport that serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and the fifth international airport of ...

which is approximately 45 km away. Kulasekharam Town is only 16 km away from the southern border of Trivandrum Metropolitan Region and hence considered one of its suburbs even though it lies across the state border. Both Kerala and Tamil Nadu government operates several bus services between the two cities apart from numerous private bus and taxi operators.

Communication

Telecommunication

State owned

BSNL Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (commonly known as BSNL) () is an Indian central public sector undertaking, under the ownership of Department of Telecommunications, which is part of the Ministry of Communications, Government of India with its he ...

is offering land line, mobile, wireless and wired internet facility. Private companies include

Airtel Bharti Airtel Limited is an Indian multinational telecommunications company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. Currently, Airtel provides 5G, 4G and LTE Advanced ...

, Vi nowiki/>Vodafone Idea Cellular">Idea In philosophy and in common usage, an idea (from the Greek word: ἰδέα (idea), meaning 'a form, or a pattern') is the results of thought. Also in philosophy, ideas can also be mental representational images of some object. Many philosophe ...