Punalur 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' ...
in the
Kollam district
Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 List of districts in Kerala, districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major La ...
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. 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 foothills of the
Western Ghats. It is about northeast of
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 ...
and north of
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 ...
.
Geography
Punalur has an average elevation of . Many tourists have visited scenic spots along the
Kallada River. The
Palaruvi Falls is from Punalur.
The first planned ecotourism project in Kerala is only from Punalur on
NH 744 towards
Sengottai.
Politics
Punalur Assembly constituency is part of the
Kollam (Lok Sabha constituency) and
Punalur Assembly constituency.
K. Pushpaletha is the sitting Chairperson of Punalur Municipality. P. S. Supal of
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...
is the MLA of Punalur assembly constituency and
N. K. Premachandran is MP of
Kollam (Lok Sabha constituency).
The assembly constituency is continuously won by
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...
since 1991. Punalur Municipality is currently ruled by
Left Democratic Front.
Climate
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 ...
, Punalur had a population of 46,702. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Punalur has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 82%. In Punalur, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Punalur taluk
Punalur taluk, of which Punalur is the centre, contains the following towns and villages:
*
Alayaman
*
Anchal
*
Arakkal
*
Ariyankavu
*
Ayiranelloor
*
Channapetta
*
Edamon
*
Edamulakkal
*
Eroor
*
Karavaloor
*
Kulathupuzha
* Punalur
*
Thenmala
*
Thinkalkarikkom
*
Valakkode
Punalur paper mill
It is the first paper mill in the Kerala, and one of the oldest paper mills of the country. It was started at Punalur in 1886. The mill used
reeds to make paper and was opened by T.J. Cameroon, an industrialist from Britain. One of the mill's customers when they were open was the
India Security Press. Up to 1931, Punalur was renamed multiple times. In 1987, the mill which was managed by L.N. Dalmia and had around 1020 employees was shut down due to huge liabilities.
Notable people
*
Punalur Balan (1927–1987)
*
Lalithambika Antharjanam (1909–1987)
*
M. J. Radhakrishnan Cinematographer
References
External links
Punalur Local NewsAll Information About Punalur*
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Kollam district
Companies based in Kollam