Kuthiathode is a

gram panchayat Gram Panchayat () is a basic village-governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as cabinet of the village. The Gram Sabha work as the general bo ...

in Alappuzha district in the

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

n state of

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 C ...

Geography

The Kuthiathode or the river stream was once the major waterway for transporting goods to the local market from

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of ...

via the

Vembanad 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 ...

lake.

History

The name Kuthiathode comes from Kuthia (dug)+ thode (canal) means a dug-canal. The Panchayat has a

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

memorial inside its office dedicated to Mahathma Gandhi who visited this place during the Pre-Independence period.

Demographics

India

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

, Kuthiathode had a population of 22,880 with 11,098 males and 11,782 females. The population consists of

Ezhavas The Ezhavas () are a community with origins in the region of India presently known as Kerala, where in the 2010s they constituted about 23% of the population and were reported to be the largest Hindu community. They are also known as ''Ilhava' ...

Nairs The Nair , also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom histo ...

, Nampoothiris, Gouda Saraswat Brahmins,

Tamil Brahmins Tamil Brahmins are an ethnoreligious community of Tamil language, Tamil-speaking Hindus, Hindu Brahmins, predominantly living in Tamil Nadu, though they number significantly in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, in addition to other ...

, Pulayas, Kudumbis,

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

, and

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

living harmoniously together.

Administration

Kuthiathode is under the Pattanakkad development block. Kuthiathode, Vallethode,

Parayakad Parayakadu, Ernakulam is also known as Parayad or Parayakad within the Chittatukara Village Panchayat, North Paravur Paravur Taluk, Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. There is also a village known as Parayakad in Alappuzha (Alleppey) district u ...

, Nallukulanagara, Pallithode, Chapakadavu, Tirumalabhagom, Thazhuppu, Thuravoor North, and Valamangalam North are the local areas under the

panchayat The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical menti ...

. The panchayat office has a library and a community hall. The excise range office is next door. As well as the Kuthiathode village office, a Krishi Bhavan office, a government veterinary clinic, and a sub-treasury are also located in Kuthiathode. The BSNL telephone exchange is near the Kuthiathode Jamat mosque. Kuthiathode is within the

Aroor Aroor is a census town at the northern end of Alappuzha district and the southern suburb of the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. It is a seafood related industrial area of Alleppey district, and acts as the Southern entry point ...

state assembly constituency.

Schools

* Changaram Government Upper Primary School, Vallethode * E.C.E.K. Union High School, Kuthiathode * Government Primary School, Kodamthuruth * Government Primary School, Tirumalabhagam * Government Upper Primary School, Parayakadu * St. Anthony's Primary school, Ezhupunna South * St. Sebastian High School, Pallithode * St. Thomas Lower Primary School, Pallithode * Spring of Arts Academy * T.D. Higher Secondary School * V.V. Higher Secondary School, Kodamthuruth

Transportation

The village is well connected to the nearest towns by NH-47, Thuravoor-

Ezhupunna Ezhupunna is a village in the taluk of Cherthala in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. It lies between Alappuzha and Kochi, near National Highway 66. There is also a railway station, where only passenger trains halt. This is a ...

road and the Pallithode-

Chellanam Chellanam is a village and a suburb of Kochi city in the Indian state of Kerala. History Chellanam formed the southern border of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Cochin. In 1510, Goa was captured by the Portuguese general Alfonso Albuquerque fr ...

beach road. The

Alapuzha Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in state of Kerala, India. The Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India which attracts millions of domestic and internat ...

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation ...

Railway has a crossing station at Thuravoor.

Economy

The local market on both sides of the river was a major commercial hub around the locality. Even now the market exists with few wholesale traders selling vegetables and provisions. The vast agricultural lands on the western side or the Thuravoor Kari where large scale paddy cultivation and shrimp farming is done annually and serves as the seasonal livelihood for many of them. A large number of shrimp peeling sheds operating in this panchayat provides large scale employment.

Industrial Units

* Steel and Heavy Industries Kerala Ltd. * Higasimaru Feeds * Veepack Industries

Tourism

The landscape of

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 sh ...

fields on both sides of the Pallithode-Chavady road is really splendid. One can enjoy the evening panoramic view of Chinese fishing nets across the Pallithode

backwater Backwater or Backwaters may refer to: Music * ''Backwaters'' (album), a 1982 album by American guitarist Tony Rice * Backwater (band), a jazz fusion band from Mobile, Alabama, or this band's 1976 debut album * "Backwater", a song by Brian Eno fr ...

s from the Pallithode bridge. A small backwater lake at Tazzupu connects Kuthiathode with Valiathode.During

Onam Onam ( ) is an annual Indian harvest festival celebrated predominantly by the Hindus of Kerala. A major annual event for Keralites, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. Onam commemorates Vaman ...

boat racing is held in Tazzupu backwaters and attracts many seasonal tourists.

Religious buildings

Hindu temples

* Chammanad Devi Temple * Pattukulangara Devi Temple * Amedathu kavu Devi temple * Kuthiathode Vilanjoor Mahadeva Temple * Chethikkatu Badrakalii kshethram, Kodamthuruth * Kodamthuruthu Sreekrishna Temple (surya narayanapuram temple) * Nalukulangara Devi Temple * Nalikattu Subramanian Temple * Kuthiathode Dharma Sastha temple * Purantheraswaram Siva temple * Thirumala Devasom - Sree Lakshmi Narasimha Temple * Thirumala Devasom - Arthikulangara Devi Temple * Thuravoor Thirumala Bhagom Sree Mahadeva Temple * Pallithode Helapuram Devi Temple * Pallithode Sree Krishnaswamy Temple * Changaram Bhuvaneswari Temple, Vallethode * Kelamkulangara Bhagavathi Temple

Mosques

* Rahmathul Islam Masjid, near KP Junction * Ponnpuram Jamat Masjid- Chavady * Masjid-Ul-Ansar - near North Railway cross * Salafi Masjid, near petrol pump * Thuravoor Jumua Masjid, near NCC Junction * Kuthiathode Juma Masjid & Darul Uloom Madrasa

Churches

* Kodamthuruthu Fathima Matha Church * St. Joseph Church, Kuthiathode * St. Sebastein Church, Nalukulangara * St. Monica's Church, Mariapuram, near railway station * St. Sebastian Church, Pallithode * St. Antony's Church, Chappakadavu

References

{{Alappuzha district Villages in Alappuzha district