Muvattupuzha
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Muvattupuzha () 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
Ernakulam district Ernakulam (; ISO: ''Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ'') is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, and takes its name from the Ernakulam, eponymous city division in Kochi. ...
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 is located east of the district headquarters in Thrikkakara 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, Muvattupuzha has a population of 30,397 people, out of which 15,010 are males and 15,387 are females and a population density of . Muvattupuzha is bordered by 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 ...
on the southern side and the
Idukki district Idukki (ഇടുക്കി; ) is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala in the southwest of the country. It is the largest district in Kerala and lies amid the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats in Kerala. Idukki district co ...
on the eastern side. Muvattupuzha lies on the intersection between MC Road and National Highway 49, about from the district capital
Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge ...
. Muvattupuzha is located from
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 ...
, from
Koothattukulam Koothattukulam is a municipalityhttps://lsgkerala.gov.in/system/files/2017-10/localbodies.pdf in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district collectorate in Thrikkakara and about north of the state capital ...
, and away from Arakuzha.


Etymology

The town is named after the Muvattupuzha river that flows through it. The name is made up of three Malayalam words: ''Moonnu'' (), ''aaru'' (); and ''puzha'' (). ''Aaru'' is usually used for rivers in the southern half of Kerala, while ''puzha'' is used in the northern parts. The three rivers are Kothayaar, Kaliyar, and Thodupuzhayar, which merge to form Muvattupuzhayar. The meeting point is called Thriveni Sangamam in Malayalam, which means "the point of confluence of three rivers". In English both spellings (Muvattupuzha and Moovattupuzha) are used interchangeably.


History

Muvattupuzha was part of the Vadakkumkoor Kingdom until it was seized by the
Travancore 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 Thiruvanan ...
. Old documents show that parts of the lands of Muvattupuzha belonged to Edappally Swaroopam, but were later transferred to Manas' (
Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
families). After Indian independence, from 1949 to 1956, Muvattupuzha was a part of 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 ...
in Travancore-Cochin state. In 1956, when Kerala state was formed, Muvattupuzha remained as a part of Kottayam district until 1958, when Ernakulam district was formed on 1 April 1958. Muvattupuzha, as a village union, came under the control of a council of three members nominated by the Government. V. P. Govindan Nair was the first president of the village union. By 1953, Muvattupuzha was declared a panchayat. Kunnappillil Varkey Vaidyan was the first president of the elected panchayat committee. Muvattupuzha was raised to the status of 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' ...
in the year 1958. N. Parameshwaran Nair became the first municipal chairman. Muvattupuzha is the first municipality where the Communist Party came into power in a general election. N. P. Varghese was the first elected
Member of the Legislative Assembly A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected to sit in a legislative assembly. The term most commonly refers to members of the legislature of a federated state or an autonomous region, but is also used for several nation ...
(MLA) from Muvattupuzha Assembly Constituency, who defeated Manjunatha Prabhu of the Communist Party. Later, K. M. George, founder of
Kerala Congress Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded in Kottayam, Kerala on 9 October 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala. Initially its main suppor ...
, represented Muvattupuzha. The first member of parliament (MP) of Muvattupuzha ( as a Lok Sabha constituency) was George Thomas Kottukapally. The first block panchayat president of Muvattupuzha was Shyson P Manguzha in 1995 from the Arakuzha block panchayat division. St. Thomas, the apostle who introduced Christianity to India, is believed to have visited this region. The Marth Mariam Syro-Malabar Catholic Church of Arakuzha has a recorded history of over 1,000 years, making it one of the oldest Syrian churches in Kerala. It is known for its paintings and sculptures. Muvattupuzha was also known as ''Arakuzha Pakuthi'' (meaning half of Arakuzha).


Demographics

As of 2011 Census, Muvattupuzha had a population of 30,397, of which 15,010 were males and 15,387 were females. Muvattupuzha Municipality has an area of with 7,414 families residing in it. The sub-population of children aged 0–6 was 2,945, which was 9.69% of total population of Muvattupuzha. The literacy rate in Muvattupuzha town was 96.11%, higher than the state average of 94.00%. In Muvattupuzha, male literacy was around 97.20% while female literacy rate was 95.07%.


Religion

The region has
Hindus 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 ...
, Syrian Christians, and Rowther Muslims. Kavumpady Road in the town center contains major ''
agraharam An ''Agraharam'' (Sanskrit IAST: agrahāram) or ''Agrahara'' (Sanskrit IAST: agrahāra) was a grant of land and royal income from it, typically by a king or a noble family in India, for religious purposes, particularly to Brahmins to maint ...
'' of Kerala Iyers.
Konkani __NOTOC__ Konkani may refer to: Language * Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India. * Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language **Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
s are also present in fewer numbers. Hindus are the majority in the region with castes like
Nair 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 hi ...
, Ezhava, Namboodiri, and Pulayar present around the taluk. Syrian Christians include a majority of
Syro-Malabar Catholic The Syro-Malabar Church, also known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic church based in Kerala, India. It is a ''sui iuris'' (autonomous) particular church in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Catholi ...
s and Jacobites. There are
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an Autocephaly, autocephalous Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in #Catholicate ...
, Syro-Malankara Catholics, Marthomites and
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
. Muvattupuzha is the seat of the Muvattupuzha diocese of Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church and
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an Autocephaly, autocephalous Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in #Catholicate ...
of the Kandanad East diocese. There is a small Latin Catholic community also in Muvattupuzha whose church was established in 1925, situated in Vazhappilly. Rowther Muslims comprise most of the Muslim population.The Kothamangalam-Muvattupuzha region is an important center for Rowther Muslims. Perumattam Juma Masjid, the first mosque in the eastern part of the district, is located in Muvattupuzha Taluk. The mosque is believed to have been built by a Sufi saint named Valiyupappa who lived in the 16th century AD and his dargah(tomb) is located in the mosque.


Geography

The town and western parts of the region are mainly plains and is culturally similar to Ernakulam, whereas the eastern parts are mainly highlands. The regions of
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 ...
, Muvattupuzha, and Kothamangalam are called sub-high ranges or ''keezhmalanad'' of Vadakkumkoor Kingdom, indicating they were lands with fertile soil deposited by the Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha rivers from flooding. Muvattupuzha and nearby areas are less hilly and fertile. The altitude is lower and the hilly region is the Kadalikkad-Meenkunnam-Pampakkuda curved region. The town is above
mean sea level A mean is a quantity representing the "center" of a collection of numbers and is intermediate to the extreme values of the set of numbers. There are several kinds of means (or "measures of central tendency") in mathematics, especially in statist ...
. The term sub-high ranges or "low ranges" is a term used to describe the towns of Thodupuzha and Palai. The low-range towns lying in the foothills of western ghats along the SH 8 (Punaloor-Muvattupuzha road) meet the main interjunction at Muvattupuzha. Nine major roads converge here and connect to all directions.


Muvattupuzha river

The Muvattupuzha river () starts in the Idukki highranges and flows through Muvattupuzha, running before entering the Kottayam district. The major source of water is the Thodupuzha river which starts in the Idukki district and provides water throughout the year, enabled by the supply of water from
Idukki Idukki (ഇടുക്കി; ) is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala in the southwest of the country. It is the largest district in Kerala and lies amid the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats in Kerala. Idukki district co ...
arch dam, which is the largest arch dam in India, and is used for hydro-electric power generation.


Muvattupuzha Bridge

In 1914, the first concrete bridge in Asia was built in Muvattupuzha under the supervision of the British engineer W.H. Emrald. It is said that on its inauguration, to convince others of the strength and stability of the bridge, Emrald and his wife sat beneath the bridge in a boat while 15 elephants walked over it. This bridge connects Nehru Park and Kacherithazham. There was a wooden bridge across the river through which the
steam bus A steam bus is a bus powered by a steam engine. Early steam-powered vehicles designed for carrying passengers were more usually known as steam carriages, although this term was sometimes used to describe other early experimental vehicles too. H ...
went from Muvattupuzha to Ernakulam. The border to Kochi state was at Chungam, Mamala, near Thiruvankulam. Until the late 1970s, traffic went over the old concrete bridge. There was a traffic police outpost on either side of the bridge to control one-way traffic. Later in the 1970s, a new bridge was constructed and in the late 1970s the traffic diverted through a wider two-way bridge.


Politics

Muvattupuzha is one of the 140 legislative assembly constituencies of Kerala state. Its assembly constituency is part of Idukki (Lok Sabha constituency) and the current MP is Dean Kuriakose 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 major political parties of Muvattupuzha are Indian National Congress, Kerala Congress (M), CPI (M), CPI, Muslim League, and BJP. Mathew Kuzhalnadan 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 MLA of Muvattupuzha. Administratively, Muvattupuzha 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' ...
and the current municipal council is ruled by
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 ...
, led by P P Eldose who was elected in 2020. Political leaders of the past include K. M. George (former Minister and the founder of Kerala Congress) and P.P Esthose (former MP and MLA). The present political leaders of Kerala who are from Muvattupuzha are Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Johny Nelloor, Francis George (former MP), and Gopi Kottamurikkal (former MLA and Ernakulam district secretary of CPI(M)).


Notable people

* Madhu Neelakandan, award-winning Indian cinematographer * K. M. George was a veteran politician and former minister. He was the founder of the
Kerala Congress Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded in Kottayam, Kerala on 9 October 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala. Initially its main suppor ...
Party and former Muvattupuzha MLA. His son Francis George is former M. P. of Idukki. * Johnny Nellore is a veteran politician and former MLA of Muvattupuzha from 1991 to 2006. He was the chairman of Kerala Congress (Jacob). Now he is in KC (M) Joseph Faction * Francis George is a Kerala Congress leader and the present MP of Kottayam. He was also the former MP of Idukki. He is the son of K. M. George. *
Jeethu Joseph Jeethu Joseph (born 10 November 1972) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. He has also worked in a few Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu Cinema, Telugu films. Jeethu made his d ...
, award-winning Indian film director and screenwriter *
Trisha Krishnan Trisha Krishnan (born 4 May 1983) is an Indian actress known for her work primarily in Tamil language, Tamil and Telugu language, Telugu cinema. One of the highest-paid actresses in India, she has sustained a successful career as a leading ...
, Indian film actress *
Bhagath Manuel Bhagath Manuel is an Indian actor who acts in Malayalam films. He debuted in the 2010 film '' Malarvaadi Arts Club'', directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan. Personal life Bhagath Manuel was born on 30 November 1986 in Muvattupuzha, Kerala, India. ...
, Indian film actor * Vishak Nair, Indian film actor * Anoop Kannan, Indian film director & producer * Kalabhavan Abi, Indian film actor * Shane Nigam, Indian film actor * Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Indian MLA of Muvattupuzha * Arun Bose, Indian film Director


Places of worship


Educational organizations

* Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha * Nirmala College of Pharmacy, Muvattupuzha * School of Architecture Mookambika Technical Campus, Eattappilly, Mannathur P.O * Mookambika College of Pharmacy Eattappilly, Mannathur P.O * Ilahia College of Engineering and Technology


Transport

KL-17 is the RTO code for Muvattupuzha taluka, including the town. Auto rickshaws are commonly used for small distances. Taxis are also available. The Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery is away from Muvattupuzha town. Muvattupuzha is well-connected to the main cities of the state via road. Muvattupuzha is in the center of the midlands region starting from the eastern borders of Kochi city at Kakkanad spreading all the way to Thodupuzha and Vannappuram. The town has very good accessibility through roads. Unfortunately, railways has not yet reached Muvattupuzha. But, Sabari railway will ensure railway connectivity. Muvattupuzha is a major junction for highways passing through the town. There are nine highways and major roads which join at Muvattupuzha, which include: * NH 85 (previously NH 49) Kochi–Dhanushkodi passing through Munnar. * MC Road towards Angamaly connects the town towards northern part of the state such as Thrissur, Palakkad and Kozhikode * MC Road towards Thiruvananthapuram passing through many important towns in
Central Travancore Central Division or Central Travancore, also known as Kollam District or Quilon Division was one of three (or four) administrative subdivisions of the princely state of Travancore in what is now Kerala. It was administered by a civil servant o ...
like
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 ...
,
Changanassery Changanassery, () formerly Changanacherry, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...
. *
Punalur Punalur is a municipality in the Kollam district of Kerala, India. It is the headquarters of the Punalur Taluk and Punalur Revenue Division. It is in the eastern part of the Kollam district of Kerala, on the banks of the Kallada River and footh ...
–Muvattupuzha PM road passing through low ranges (foothills of western ghats) towns like Thodupuzha, Pala, Ponkunnam * Muvattupuzha–Vaikom–Alappuzha highway through
Piravom Piravom () is a town and Municipalities of Kerala, municipality in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. It is located 30 km from Ernakulam, the nearest city and south of the district collectorate in Thrikkakara.The Piravom Road Railway Sta ...
, Peruva, Thalayolaparambu. * Muvattupuzha–Theni SH 43 state highway passing through Chalikkadavu, Randattinkara, Kalloorkkad, Udumbannoor. *
Palarivattom Palarivattom is a ward of Kochi, Kerala. It is known for a four-directional intersection at its highway signal point on the Kochi Bypass. The district is a commercial area, which gained importance as a connecting point between the city's dif ...
Thekkady Thekkady () in Idukki district is a town near Periyar National Park, an important tourist attraction in the Kerala States and territories of India, state of India. The name Thekkady is derived from the word "thekku" which means teak and "adi ...
SH 41 passing through
Kakkanad Kakkanad is a region in Kochi, Kerala, located east of the city centre. The term is used to refer to an area covering Thrikkakara municipality and the built-up areas in the western parts of the adjoining Kunnathunad grama panchayat. Kakkanad i ...
, Pattimattom, Muvattupuzha, Pandappilly, Arikkuzha, Thodupuzha, Moolamattom, Vagamon * Muvattupuzha– Kaliyar road passing through Kakkadassery, Pothanikkad, Paingottoor, Vannappuram * Muvattupuzha does not have popular transport modes like
Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. is an American multinational transportation company that provides Ridesharing company, ride-hailing services, courier services, food delivery, and freight transport. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, a ...
or
Ola Cabs Ola Consumer, formerly Ola Cabs, is an Indian transportation company that provides ride-hailing services and operates other business verticals such as financial services and cloud kitchens. It is headquartered in Bangalore, and operates in 2 ...
, like you find in other nearby cities.


Economy

Muvattupuzha taluk consists of midlands and highlands with agriculture and small-scale industries as its primary economic base. Muvattupuzha was a part of the Travancore Kingdom. The border check posts of Travancore in Mamala, near Thiruvankulam, prevented interconnectivity between Kochi and Muvattupuzha. Muvattupuzha was an important commercial centre and a prominent town until about 1975. The 2011 Census of India noted a new, separate, and distinct
urban agglomeration An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
including parts of the Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam talukas.


Infrastructure

Muvattupuzha is between
Angamaly Angamaly () is a municipality in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. Angamaly is part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is located northeast of the Kochi city centre. As of the 2011 Indian census, the municipality has a population of 33 ...
and
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 ...
on the
Main Central Road Kerala's State Highway 1 or KL SH 1, also known as Main Central Road or MC Road, is the arterial state highway starting from Kesavadasapuram in Thiruvananthapuram and ends at Angamaly, a suburb of Greater Cochin in Ernakulam district, in the s ...
, The first and second longest state highways of Kerala, Main Central Road (Angamaly - Thiruvananthapuram / SH-01 / ) and Main Eastern Highway (Muvattupuzha–Punalur / SH-08 / ), meet here. The Muvattupuzha–Theni Highway (SH 43) starts at the Chalikkadavu Bridge and goes through Randattinkara, Kotta, Udumbannoor, Kattappana, Nedumkandam and Cumbum before ending at Theni, which is a shorter route to
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 ...
in neighbouring
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 ...
. A bypass to Thodupuzha Road and MC Road is planned from Kadathi on NH49 via the proposed new bridge at Murikkallu.


Suburbs

Kizhakkekara and Randaattinkara (Randarkara or Randar) lie on the eastern part of the town on the banks of the Muvattupuzha River. About southwards, Muvattupuzha town is covered by a hilly region of above sea level that crosses the Kottayam and
Piravom Piravom () is a town and Municipalities of Kerala, municipality in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. It is located 30 km from Ernakulam, the nearest city and south of the district collectorate in Thrikkakara.The Piravom Road Railway Sta ...
routes; most of these hills are rubber plantations. The old Muvattupuzha bridge built over the Muvattupuzha river was the first concrete bridge in Asia, and was completed in 1914. It serves as the connection between Nehru Park and Kacherithazham. The nearby panchayaths mostly have agriculture and small- and medium-scale industries.
Pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
and
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 are the common agrarian products. Match box industries, plywood factories, saw mills, paper, plastic and wood carton production are the main industries in this area. KINFRA's Small Industries Park in Nellad is from Muvattupuzha on SH41.


See also

* Anikkad * Arakuzha * Marady * Mulavoor * Perumpalloor * Valayanchirangara


References


Sources

#
Statehighways in Yahoo Maps
# State Highway list


External links


Official Government page for Muvattupuzha in MalayalamAirapuram Rubber Park Farmers Action CouncilRemaining Date for Muvattupuzha Municipality Election 2020
{{Northern Travancore Cities and towns in Ernakulam district