The Kunthipuzha River is a waterway located in the state of

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 flows through the

Silent Valley National Park Silent Valley National Park is a national park in Kerala, India. It is located in the Nilgiri hills and has a core area of . It is surrounded by a buffer zone of . This national park has some rare species of flora and fauna. Silent Valley Natio ...

. This river is also called the

Thuthapuzha Thuthapuzha River is one of the main tributaries of the Bharathapuzha River. The source of the river is in the Silent Valley hills. It flows through Malappuram-Palakkad district border. In Mannarkkad region the river is named as the Kunthipuzha ...

by the local population. Kunthipuzha is one of the main tributaries of the

Bharathapuzha River The Bharathappuzha ("River of Bhārata"), also known as the Nila River, is a river in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. With a length of 209 km, it is the second longest river that flows through Kerala after the Periyar. It flo ...

, the second-longest river in Kerala. This river is mainly used by the people of Mannarkkad taluk and Pattambi Taluks of Palakkad district and Perinthalmanna Thaluk of Malappuram District.

Etymology

This river is known for the story of bathing of Kunthi devi, the mother of pandavas and so it is named as Kunthippuzha. Another theory is that Kunthippuzha is the shortened form of "Kunthirikkappuzha" (). "Kunthirikkam" is the Malayalam word for

Boswellia serrata ''Boswellia serrata'' is a plant that produces Indian frankincense. The plant is native to much of India and the Punjab region that extends into Pakistan. Sustainability ''Boswellia serrata'' is currently at risk of being eradicated because of n ...

which is a kind of frankincense tree seen in this region. In Mannarkkad region this river is called the Kunthipuzha, while when it reaches Malappuram- Palakkad border , locals call it as Thuthapuzha, after a border town, Officially the river is Kunthipuzha

Course

The Kunthipuzha River originates from the

Anginda peak Anginda peak (അങ്ങിണ്ട മുടി) is a mountain in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats on the border of the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu and Palakkad district of Kerala, India. It has an elevation of and is the high ...

in the

part of the Western Ghats in

. Initially it flows through the tropical evergreen forests and mountainous terrain of the

. Then it enters into the Palakkad plains where it passes several towns namely, Kottopadam, Mannarkad, Kumaramputhur, Karimpuzha,

Sreekrishnapuram Sreekrishnapuram is a town within the Ottappalam Tehsil of Palakkad district in the state of Kerala, India. Demographics * Total population: 27,597 As of the 2001 Indian census The 2001 census of India was the 14th in a series of censuse ...

Vellinezhi Vellinezhi is a small yet culturally crucial village located in the Palakkad district of Kerala in southern India. Geography The sylvan, rugged land is located on the banks of the Kunti, a slender rivulet that forms tributary to the broad, we ...

, Thachanattukara, Aliparambu, Marayamangalam, Elamkulam,

Pulamanthole Pulamanthole is a Panchayath in Malappuram district of Kerala, India. It is situated on the banks of the Kunthippuzha (also called Thoothappuzha). The river separates Malappuram and Palakkad districts, a new bridge has been built across it rece ...

, Moorkkanad, Vilathur and Kodumudy. The Kunthipuzha River then merges with the

Irimbiliyam Irimbiliyam is a census town near valanchery in Malappuram district in the state of Kerala, India. There are many small villages like Mankery, Angadi, Thirunilam, Kalarikkal, Shapumpadi, and Palli Padi. Demographics India census, Irimbiliya ...

Other tributaries of the river Kunthipuzha

*Nellipuzha * Kanjirappuzha * Ambankadavu * Thuppanadippuzha

References

Rivers of Palakkad district Bharathappuzha {{Kerala-river-stub