Vaikom () 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

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 ...

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 ...

. It is located north of the district headquarters in

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 ...

and about north of the state capital 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 ...

. As per the 2011 Indian census, Vaikom has a population of 23,234 people, and a population density of .

Location

Vaikom is situated at the northwestern end of the Kottayam district, close to the border with 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. ...

. Vaikom is a lakeside town situated in the banks of the

Vembanad lake Vembanad () is the longest lake in India, and the largest in the state of Kerala. The lake has an area of 2,033 square kilometers and a maximum length of 96.5 km. Spanning three districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Vembanad L ...

similar to other lakeside towns like

and

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 ...

. Its western borders are bound by the Vembanad lake. The

Muvattupuzha river Muvattupuzha () is a Municipalities of Kerala, municipalityhttps://lsgkerala.gov.in/system/files/2017-10/localbodies.pdf in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. It is located east of the district headquarters in Thrikkakara and a ...

has its

mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...

near Vaikom where it empties into the Vembanad lake, many

distributaries A distributary, or a distributary channel is a stream channel that branches off and flows a main stream channel. It is the opposite of a ''tributary'', a stream that flows another stream or river. Distributaries are a result of river bifurca ...

of the Muvattupuzha river pass through Vaikom. It is also close to the tourism destination

Kumarakom Kumarakom is a tourism destination near the city of Kottayam in Kerala, India. It is near the Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in the state of Kerala. In January 2023 ''The New York Times'' mentioned Kumarakom's backwater tourism. Climate Kum ...

and the city of

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

. Vaikom is situated on the

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 ...

Alappuzha Alappuzha (, आलप्पुळ) or Alleppey is a municipality and town on the Laccadive Sea in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the district headquarters of the district, and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvana ...

border area and it is 32 km from

, 32 km from

via

, 33 km from

and about from

Kochi International Airport Cochin International Airport , popularly known as Kochi International Airport or Nedumbassery Airport, is an international airport serving the city of Kochi, Kerala, in southwestern India. It is located at Nedumbassery, about northeast of th ...

Vaikom Temple

The Vaikom Shiva Temple, known as ''Thekkan Kashi'' (Southern

Kashi Kashi or Kaashi most commonly refers to: * Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India Kashi may also refer to: Places **Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas **Kashi Vishwana ...

), is the centre of the town, and is the site of the ''Vaikom Ashtami'' celebrations during November. It is notable as the venue of the Vaikom Agitation for achieving for the lower castes the right to walk on the roads surrounding the temple. One of the most popular temples in Kerala dedicated to

Lord Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. Shiva is known as ''The Destroyer' ...

Administration

Vaikom is administered by a municipality and is the seat of a munsiff's court (among the oldest to be established in the

Kingdom of Travancore The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as st ...

, 100 years old). The Vaikom assembly constituency is part of the Kottayam parliamentary constituency.

History

Vaikom was believed to be a part of a kingdom called Venmalanadu in the past. When Venmalanadu was split into Vadakkumkoor and Thekkumkoor, it became part of Vadakkumkoor dynasty. Vadakkumkoor kingdom spread along the path of

Muvattupuzha Muvattupuzha () is a Municipalities of Kerala, municipalityhttps://lsgkerala.gov.in/system/files/2017-10/localbodies.pdf in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. It is located east of the district headquarters in Thrikkakara and a ...

river towards the north east side from Kaduthuruthy, Vaikom,

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 ...

Kothamangalam Kothamangalam () is a municipality at the foot of the Western Ghats in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. It is located east of the district collectorate in Thrikkakara and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per t ...

and

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 ...

. There was an important port at Chemmanakary, near Vaikom during the Vadakkumkoor era. Later in 1742, it became part of Travancore when the then

Maharajah of Travancore The Maharaja of Travancore was the principal title of the ruler of the Travancore, Kingdom of Travancore in the southern part of Kerala, India. The Maharaja of Travancore was the topmost ruler of Travancore until 1949, when Travancore was acced ...

Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ; 1706 – 7 July 1758) was the founding monarch of the southern Indian Kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758. He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") ...

, annexed Vadakkumkoor to his kingdom. Vaikom gained its fame on a national level during the

Vaikom Satyagraha Vaikom Satyagraha was a nonviolent agitation for access to the prohibited public environs of the Vaikom Temple in the Kingdom of Travancore that took place from 30 March 1924 to 23 November 1925. Kingdom of Travancore was known for its rigid an ...

Economy

The traditional economy has been based on

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

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

crops, and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

; more recently, crops like

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus '' Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg ('' M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fru ...

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit (the peppercorn), which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diameter ...

, and

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 ...

have been introduced. Tourism and software are pursued as a means to livelihood. Hindustan Newsprint Limited is situated in

Velloor Velloor (also known as Mevelloor) is a village in the Vaikom Taluk of the Kottayam district in Kerala, India. Location Regular bus services are available to the towns Vaikom, Piravom, Ernakulam and Kottayam. Velloor - Thonnalloor Cherukara Bri ...

near Vaikom.

Demographics

As per the 2001 census, Vaikom has a population of about 22637 (male: 10955; female: 11682). This region has a literacy rate of 92% (male: 97%; female: 90%). Population density of the region is 2496 per square km. As per the 2011 census, The Vaikom municipality has a population of 23,234 of which 11,304 are males while 11,930 are females. The population of children under age 6 is 1807, which is 7.78% of the total population of Vaikom (M). In Vaikom municipality, the female sex ratio is of 1055 against the state average of 1084. The male child sex ratio in Vaikom is around 960, compared to the Kerala state average of 964. The literacy rate of Vaikom city is 96.84%, higher than the state average of 94.00%. In Vaikom, male literacy is around 98.30% while female literacy rate is 95.47%. Hindus are the largest religious community in Vaikom, accounting for 85% of the population. Christians represent 12%, and Muslims 3%.

Notable people

* Mar Sebastian Adayantharath *Justice K. G. Balakrishnan *

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (21 January 1908 – 5 July 1994), popularly referred to as the Beypore Sultan, was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature, a humanist and an Indian independence activist. He was a novelist and short story writer not ...

Mammootty Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, ...

- Actor * P. K. Biju * Cherian K. Cherian * V. N. Janaki * Janardhanan - Actor * A. J. John *

Monce Joseph Mons Joseph (born 30 May 1964) is an Indian politician and lawyer. He belongs to Kerala Congress led by P. J. Joseph. He had been the Minister for Public Works from 18 October 2007 till his resignation for his party chairman P. J. Joseph t ...

M. K. Kamalam M. K. Kamalam (1923 – 20 April 2010) was an Indian actress in Malayalam cinema. She was the heroine in the first Malayalam talkie film, '' Balan'' (1938). Personal life Kamalam was born in 1923 at Kottayam as the third daughter of Kumarakam M ...

Abraham Kattumana Abraham Kattumana (21 January 1944 – 4 April 1995) was an Indian Catholic Archbishop. He was the Pontifical Delegate of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church with the powers of the Major Archbishop vested in him by Pope John Paul II. Previously, he ha ...

Kalaikkal Kumaran Kalaikkal Kumaran (1919 – 8 August 1998) was a noted Malayalam film and very popular drama actor. He was well known for his comedy roles in dramas by Kalidasa Kalakendram. He acted in 65 films and more than 150 dramas. He appeared more than 15 ...

- Actor * Mathew Ulakamthara, Indian Malayalam language poet and literary critic. * N. Mohanan *

Vaikom Chandrasekharan Nair Vaikom Chandrasekharan Nair (1928 – 13 April 2005), popularly known as Vaikom, was an Indian writer and journalist who wrote primarily in Malayalam. He was born in Vaikom, a village in Kottayam district of Kerala. Career He started writing ea ...

N. N. Pillai N. N. Pillai (Narayana Pillai Narayana Pillai; 1918–1995) was an Indian playwright, actor, theatre director, orator, screenplay writer, lyricist and an I.N.A Freedom fighter. He served as Commanding Officer of Field Propaganda Unit under Su ...

P. Krishna Pillai P. Krishna Pillai (19 August 1906 at Vaikom, Kottayam – 19 August 1948 at Muhamma, Alleppey) was a former Indian National Congress leader and communist revolutionary from Kerala, India. He was one of the founding leaders of the Communist ...

- Leader of the first communist movement in

* Vaikom Padmanabha Pillai- Military officer of the Kingdom of

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 ...

* Vaikom Ramachandran - Poet *

Thomas Unniyadan Thomas Unniyadan is a politician, former MLA and former Government Chief Whip of the Govt. of Kerala. He is at present the Deputy Chairman of Kerala Congress. He was a member of Kerala legislative assembly from Irinjalakuda from 2001 to 2016 ...

Vaikom Vijayalakshmi Vaikom Vijayalakshmi (born 7 October 1981) is an Indian playback singer from Kerala, India. She is an expert in a rare musical instrument called Gayatriveena. She won special jury mention for her much appreciated work in the 2013 film ''Cellulo ...

* Vaikom Viswan * S. Ramesan, Malayalam language poet and orator * Subramanian Ambady, writer Vaikom Beach Panorama

References

External links

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Kottayam district Kingdom of Travancore