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60-453: Alappuzha ( Malayalam: [aːlɐpːuɻɐ] ), formerly known as Alleppey , is a city and municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala , India . It is the district headquarters of the district, and is located about 130 km (80.8 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram . As per the 2011 Indian census , Alappuzha has a population of 240,991 people, and

120-593: A Sanskrit drama written by Sakthibhadran , a scholar of Chengannur , enables us to know many pertinent facts. Further, the temple on Lord Ayyappan , in Mukkal vattam near Muhamma in Alappuzha District, is called Cheerappanchira , for the Kalari from which Lord Ayyappa learnt his martial arts. A recent album by P. Unni Krishnan on Lord Ayyappa, titled 'Sabarimalai Va Charanam Solli Va', has songs illustrating

180-457: A lot of backwaters and canals makes water transport a popular means of transport. National Waterway-3 passes through Alappuzha. There is a SWTD boat jetty in the city that lies opposite to the KSRTC bus stand. It is served by boat services to Kottayam city and besides other small towns and jetties. Availing an SWTD boat is a cheaper alternative to houseboats for visiting tourists. Alappuzha

240-539: A major source of revenue. This is mainly due to the presence of houseboats that provide the tourists with a view of the scenic backwaters of the town. Another reason is the proximity to other tourist spots like Munnar , Varkala and Wayanad . Furthermore, as per the Tourist Statistics by Kerala Tourism, there is a 74.55% increase in tourists arriving in Alleppey between 2021 and 2020 while the average for

300-672: A population density of 3,675/km (9,520/sq mi). Alappuzha dates back to the Sangam era , and was mentioned by Pliny the Elder as far back as the 1st century AD as "Baraces". Later in the 16th and 17th centuries, the town flourished as an important hub for trading spices with various European powers including the Dutch and the Portuguese . Under the rule of Raja Kesavadas , a port was constructed and canals for transport were laid throughout

360-575: A separate administrative unit on 1 August 1957. Raja Kesavadas , the Dewan of Travancore during the reign of Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma in 18th century was well known for his planning skills and administrative acumen. He was the master mind in developing the Alappuzha town. He found Alappuzha as an ideal location and constructing a well planned port city in Travancore . Alappuzha

420-613: A sex ratio of 1070. The population is predominantly Hindus , and there are sizeable numbers of Christians and Muslims . The most widely spoken language is Malayalam , although many people speak Konkani . The standard dialect of Malayalam spoken is Central Travancore dialect. Konkani is a language that is spoken in the Konkan region. During the Portuguese and Dutch invasions of the 16th and 18th centuries, many Konkanis migrated southwards to Thuravoor , Cherthala and Alappuzha in

480-796: Is also a boat ride away from Munambam and accessible by bridge to Pallipuram of Vypin island. Along with Munambam it forms the north-west corner of Ernakulam district where the Periyar River ends in the Arabian Sea . It is located west of Kottuvallikadu and east of Pallipuram.Towards the north it is separated by Periyar river to Azhicode which is in Trissur district. Some notable institutions in Maliankara are St Anthony's church, SNM college, SNM Engineering college. Most notable man from this area is: - Bramith Bajesh, he has studied abroad in

540-472: Is an interstate highway in Alappuzha district which connects Alappuzha town with Madurai in Tamil Nadu . It is the only interstate highway in Alappuzha district. State Highway 66 originates from Alappuzha town and terminates at Thoppumpady . There are two bus terminals are situated in Alappuzha town, one for KSRTC buses (situated near state water transport corporation headquarters, boat jetty road) and

600-559: Is bounded on the north by Kochi and Kanayannur taluks of Ernakulam district, on the east by Vaikom , Kottayam and Changanassery taluks of Kottayam district and Thiruvalla, Kozhencherry and Adoor taluks of Pathanamthitta district, on the South by Kunnathur and Karunagappally taluks of Kollam district and on the west by Laccadive Sea. The present Alappuzha district comprises six taluks, namely Cherthala, Ambalappuzha, Kuttanad, Karthikappally, Chengannur and Mavelikkara. The area of

660-565: Is flanked by 2,195 square kilometres (847 sq mi) of Vembanad Lake , where six major rivers spread out before joining the 80 km coast line of the district. The city of Alappuzha is crisscrossed by a system of canals , which is a part of the National Waterway 3 . The district is a sandy strip of land intercepted by lagoons, rivers and canals. There are no mountains or hills in the district except some scattered hillocks lying between Bharanikkavu and Chengannur blocks in

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720-417: Is linked by Ernakulam–Kayamkulam coastal railway line and connects to cities like Trivandrum, Kollam, Cochin, Coimbatore , Chennai , Delhi , Bokaro and Mumbai . The railway station is about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the heart of the city. A total of four trains originate from Alappuzha to cities like Kannur , Chennai , Dhanbad and Tatanagar . There are a lot of local trains running throughout

780-405: Is the executive authority of the municipalities. Elected councillors and officers are the other functionaries. Two types of officers now exist – officers belonging to the municipality as full-time officers and officers transferred to the municipality from the state government. H The Kerala Municipality Act, 1994 mandates the establishment of ward committees in each ward of the municipality. In case

840-506: The 2011 Assembly elections . They are Aroor , Cherthala , Alappuzha, Kuttanad , Haripad , Kayamkulam , Mavelikkara and Chengannur . Alappuzha assembly constituency is part of Alappuzha (Lok Sabha constituency). The other Lok Sabha constituency of the district is Mavelikkara . There are schools, computer institutes and colleges all over the district, with nine training schools, 405 lower primary schools, 105 high schools and 87 higher secondary schools. The first school in Alappuzha,

900-722: The Church Missionary Society (CMS) School, was established in 1816. The school was established by the Rev. Thomas Norton, the first CMS missionary to India. The school is run by the CSI Christ Church, Alappuzha. The first higher secondary school in Alappuzha was the Leo XIIIth Higher Secondary School, which was opened on 1 June 1889 by Portuguese Bishop John Gomes Pereira of Cochin . The first polytechnic college in Alappuzha

960-522: The Dutch gained a predominant position in the principalities of this district. They built many factories and warehouses for storing pepper and ginger , relying on several treaties signed between the Dutch and the Rajas of Purakkad , Kayamkulam and Karappuram. In course of time they also delved into the political and cultural affairs of the district. At that time Maharaja Marthanda Varma (1706–1758), who

1020-610: The 1st century AD. The church located at Kokkamangalam was one of the seven churches founded by St Thomas , one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ . It is generally believed that he landed at Maliankara in Muziris Port, presently known as Cranganore or Kodungallur , in 52 AD and preached Christianity in South India . The district flourished in religion and culture under the second Chera Empire, during 9th to 12th centuries AD. The literary work `Ascharya Choodamani`,

1080-442: The Alappuzha city centre . The Alappuzha Bypass was built to route the national highway around city centers between Kommady and Kalarkode . National Highway 66 connects Alappuzha city to other major cities like Mumbai, Udupi , Mangalore , Kannur , Kozhikode , Ernakulam, Kollam and Trivandrum. There is a plan to upgrade State Highway 11 to a national highway in order to help connect Alappuzha to Kodaikanal as part of promoting

1140-537: The Cherukara and Pallithanam Moovayiram kayals. The second phase (1890 to 1903) of reclamation activities came to a halt because of the ban on lake reclamation imposed by the Madras Government in 1903. Cherukali Kayal, Rama Rajapuram Kayal, Aarupanku Kayal, Pantharndu Panku Kayal, and Mathi Kayal were the other major reclamations during this period. In 1912, the Madras Government approved a proposal from

1200-433: The South, is the other airport that links the district with other countries. International tourists use these airports to reach Alappuzha. The other nearest airports are Calicut (236 kilometres (147 mi)) and Coimbatore (254 kilometres (158 mi)) airports. A helipad in the town is reserved for government uses. The two administrative systems prevailing in the district are revenue and local self-government . Under

1260-559: The Tarshish land of Kerala It plays a role as one of the primary access points for the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race during the festival of Onam . Alappuzha is also a hub for coir manufacturing, and has a thriving coir industry. Carved out of the erstwhile Kottayam and Kollam districts, Alappuzha district was formed on 17 August 1957 and consisted initially of seven taluks , namely Cherthala , Ambalappuzha , Kuttanad , Chengannur , Karthikappally and Mavelikkara . The district

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1320-739: The Travencore Government for further reclamations in three stages. Under this reclamation scheme areas were notified for reclamation in blocks each named by an alphabet letter. Out of the total area of 19,500 acres of reclaimed land 12,000 acres were reclaimed between 1913 and 1920. The reclamations between 1914 and 1920 are known as new reclamations, which were carried out in three periods. In the first period Blocks A to G measuring 6300 Acres were reclaimed. C Block, D Block (Attumukham Aarayiram (Attumuttu Kayal), Thekke Aarayiram and Vadakke Aarayiram) and E Block (Erupathinalayiram Kayal) F Block (Judge's Aarayiram Kayal) and G Block (Kochu Kayal) are

1380-463: The V K soman memorial municipal bus stand for private buses and interstate bound contract carriage buses (situated near Vazhicherry). KSRTC buses connect Alappuzha with, among other places, Banglore , Mysore , Kollur , Mangalore , Chennai , Coimbatore , Trivandrum , and Thiruvalla . SETC and TNSTC ply many daily services to the city. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation have two daily services originating from Alappuzha. The presence of

1440-408: The agricultural output, government initiated a Grow More Food campaign and provided incentives to encourage new reclamations. The advent of electric motors made the reclamation easier, cheaper and less risky as compared to the earlier periods. The last tract of the reclamations namely Q, S and T block were made during this period. Nation Highway 66 , connecting Panvel to Kanyakumari runs through

1500-407: The area is the region called Kuttanad, the 'granary of Kerala'. Kuttanad is also known as the rice bowl of Kerala and is one of the few places in the world where farming is done below sea level. The paddy fields lie about 0.6 to 2 m below mean sea level. Owing to its proximity to the sea, the climate of Alappuzha is humid and hot during the summer, although it remains fairly cool and pleasant during

1560-410: The citizens. The Kerala Municipality Act 1994 envisage creation of three kinds of urban local governments Kerala has not created any town panchayats so far. The functions of the municipalities are enlisted as schedule appended to Kerala Municipality Act. The functions can be divided into civic functions and development functions in areas of agriculture, industry, health, education etc. Chairperson

1620-560: The city, and the town experienced rapid development. However, by the late 18th century, the region had come under British rule and experienced a decline in its status as a centre for commerce and culture. Today, Alappuzha is a prominent tourist destination in Kerala. The town is famous for its waterways and backwaters , and has been described as the " Venice of the East " for the small canals winding through its historic centre. Its also known as

1680-420: The coastal-hill tourism project. There are eight state highways in Alappuzha district, of which three of them originates from Alappuzha town. State Highway 11 starts from Kalarcode and ends at Perunna . This highway is locally known as AC road (Alappuzha-Changanassery road) and it covers a distance of 24.2 km. It is an important road which connects Alappuzha town with Kottayam district . Stateway High 40

1740-541: The day, which connect Alappuzha to other towns near by. Since Alappuzha is a prime destination, trains from important cities like Delhi , Chandigarh , Bangalore , Mangalore , Kozhikode and Amritsar pass through this station. Cochin International Airport , which is 78 kilometres (48 mi) to the North, is the closest airport. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport , 159 kilometres (99 mi) to

1800-459: The district is 1,414 km (546 sq mi). Its headquarters is located at Alappuzha. The name Ᾱlappuzha is a toponym. ‘Ᾱlayam’ means ‘home’ and ‘puzha’, according to Dr. Herman Gundert's dictionary, means ‘watercourse’ or ‘river’. The name refers to the network of waterways and backwaters in Alappuzha and its surrounding areas. Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, with its paddy fields, small streams and canals with lush green coconut palms,

1860-505: The eastern portion of the district. There are no forest area in this district. Alappuzha is bounded by the Laccadive Sea on its west. The town has a network of lakes, lagoons and fresh water rivers. The richness of the coastal Alappuzha waters is expressed annually in the blooming and consequent deposit of a huge quantity of fishes and prawns on the Alappuzha coast called ‘[Chakara]’. This annual shifting of sandbank appears during

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1920-593: The entire state stands at 51.09%. The major occupation in Alappuzha is farming. The Rice Bowl of Kerala, Kuttanadu is located in Alappuzha. Large farming areas near Vembanad Lake were reclaimed from the lake. In earlier times, the reclamation was done mainly from the shallow part of the Vembanad Lake or from the periphery of river Pamba. These reclamations constituted small areas of paddy fields called Padsekharam . The bailing out of water from those fields were done manually using water wheels ( Chakram ). Gradually

1980-671: The first modern municipalities of Kerala on 1 November 1866, according to the Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in Towns act 1850) of the British Indian Empire . The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 provided for a national framework for municipal governance in the country, and Kerala has been following that pattern since 1994. Consequent to this amendment, several changes have occurred in

2040-527: The first municipality in Indian subcontinent , which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in 18th century. However, the first modern kind of municipalities were formed in the state in 1866 in Malabar District . In 1866, Fort Kochi municipality was reestablished. Kannur , Thalassery , Kozhikode , Palakkad , and Fort Kochi , which were parts of Malabar District until 1956, were made

2100-419: The functions, powers, and responsibilities of the municipalities, and the states had to make necessary amendments to the legislation on the local governments in the respective states. The Kerala Municipalities Act of 1994, enacted as per the constitutional amendment, governs the pattern, functions and services of the municipalities in Kerala. The act, which was integrated for the municipalities and corporations in

2160-532: The history of this temple and Lord Ayyappa's stay here before he went to conquer the Mahishi Demon. Since landing in Calicut in 1498, the Portuguese started playing an influential role in Alappuzha. They began by spreading Catholicism and converting already existing Christians into Catholics. St Andrew's Basilica was built during this period. In the 17th century, as the Portuguese power declined,

2220-433: The major reclamations during this period. During the second period of new reclamation, blocks H to N measuring 3600 acres were reclaimed. During the third period of new reclamation, R Block measuring 1,400 acres were reclaimed. Due to the steep decline in the price of rice during 1920 to 1940, the reclamation activities became sluggish, but they gained momentum again in the early 1940s. During this period, in order to increase

2280-599: The manual method used for bailing out of water gave way to steam engines. Three stages can be identified in the reclamation of lands from the Vembanad Lake. In the first stage it was carried out by private entrepreneurs without any financial support from the part of the government. The Pattom Proclamation , made by the Travancore Kingdom in the year 1865, gave a great boost to the reclamation activities between 1865 and 1890. During this period de-watering of

2340-471: The months of October and November. The average monthly temperature is 27 degrees Celsius. The district gets the benefit of two seasonal monsoons, as in other parts of the state. Alappuzha town experiences a long monsoon season with heavy showers as both the Southwest and Northeast monsoon influences the weather of Alappuzha. The South-west monsoon affects the climate in the months from June to September. On

2400-533: The municipality has less than one lakh population, then every person from the ward on the electoral roll becomes a member of the committee. In case the population of the municipality is more than one lakh, then the following become the members of the ward committee: In both cases, the local Councillor is the chairperson of the Ward Committee. The Kerala Municipality (Constitution of Ward Committee and Procedure for Meeting) Rules, 1995 provides further rules for

2460-753: The other hand, the North-east monsoon brings rain from October to November. The average rainfall received by the region is 2763 mm. According to the 2011 census, Alappuzha Municipality+Outgrowths had a population of 240,991 with 116,439 men and 124,552 women. The City spreads over Alappuzha municipality and the outgrowths of Punnapra and Kalarcode villages with an area of 65.57 km (25.32 sq mi) and population density of 3,675 persons per square kilometre. There were 22,361 persons under six years of age. The literacy rate of Alappuzha city stands at 95.81% with 209,201 literates where 101,927 are males (97.3%) and 107,274 are females (94.43%). Alappuzha had

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2520-401: The polders were done manually, using waterwheels, restricting large-scale reclamations. Only about 250 hectares of land were reclaimed during this period. Venadu Lake and Madathil Lake that were reclaimed during this period are considered as the first Kayal Nilam (lake-reclaimed land) which were reclaimed from Vembanad Lake. The pioneering reclamation activity of lake-reclamation and cultivation

2580-540: The portions included in Cherthala municipality are treated in the 1981 census as census towns based on the threefold criteria adopted for treating a place as census town. Under the local self-government system, the district is divided into five statutory towns and development blocks consisting of 71 panchayats . The jurisdiction of a Development Block includes the areas falling in census towns also. There were nine legislative assembly segments in Alappuzha district for

2640-454: The post-monsoon period and contributes to the local economy and is a festive season for the people of Kerala. The annual floods rejuvenate and cleanse the soil and water due to which there is abundance of marine life like prawns, lobsters , fishes, turtles and other flora in the sea. The backwaters and wetlands host thousands of migrant common teal , ducks and cormorants every year who reach here from long distances. A major feature of

2700-517: The revenue system, the district is divided into two revenue divisions, six taluks and 91 villages. The two revenue divisions are Alappuzha division comprising Cherthala , Ambalappuzha and Kuttanad taluks consisting of 47 villages and Chengannur division comprising Karthikapally , Chengannur and Mavelikkara taluks consisting of 44 villages. For census purposes, Aroor , Arookutty , Kodamthuruth , Thanneermukkom Vadakku, Thaneermukkam Thekku, Vayalar East and Kokkothamangalam village, except

2760-537: The setting up and functioning of these committees. Ward Committees have been set up in Kerala and are regularly cited as a good example of functioning micro level urban governance in India. Ward Committees played an important role in combating the spread of COVID19 in Kerala . Maliankara Maliankara is a village in Paravur Taluk , Ernakulam district of Kerala . It is located near Moothakunnam. It

2820-601: The state of Travancore as well as other places in Kerala like Cochin , Kodungalloor , and Kollam . A majority of these people got settled in Alappuzha. The economy of the district is based on agriculture and marine products. The agricultural activities predominantly revolve around the Kuttanad region, the rice bowl of Kerala. Though the district is industrially backward, some traditional industries based on coir and coir products, marine products, handlooms, different types of handicrafts , toddy tapping have been active from

2880-534: The state, laid out the constitution of the town panchayats , municipal councils , and municipal corporations . Prior to this, the urban areas of Kerala were governed by the following acts, which were repealed when the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994 was introduced: Hence, instead of having separate acts for municipal corporations and other types of municipal bodies, from 1994 Kerala has the same act to govern all its municipal bodies. Since then,

2940-466: The structure of municipal bodies has essentially remained the same, even though the urban areas have multiplied. The 74th amendment to the Constitution of India resulted in increased roles for the municipalities in every state in India, where they have been perceived to be great contributors to the social and economic development of the country, as they are the level of government that is closest to

3000-481: The very early times. The district is known as the traditional home of coir industry in Kerala. The availability of raw materials and the existence of backwaters and canals suitable for the getting of green husk and accessibility of transportation are the main factors of the development of this industry. Arabs had carried on trade in coir products from very ancient period. The manufacture of mats and mattings were first introduced in 1859 by James Durragh. The Coir Board

3060-550: Was Dewan of Travancore. This led to Ramaswami Iyer's exit from the political scene of Travancore. A popular Ministry was formed in Travancore on 24 March 1948 after India's independence. Travancore and Cochin states were integrated on 1 July 1949. This arrangement continued until the formation of Kerala State on 1 November 1956, under the States Reorganisation Act 1956 . The district came into existence as

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3120-1203: Was established by the Central Government under the provisions of the Coir Industry Act in 1955. A coir research institute functions at Kalavoor . The National Coir Training and Designing Centre was established at Alappuzha in 1965. Coir is the most important commodity manufactured in Alappuzha, Kayamkulam , Kokkothamangalam , Komalapuram , Mannancherry , Muhamma and Vayalar . Coir products are available in Cherthala and Mannancherry , lime shell in Arookutty and Kodamthuruth , plywood in Chengannur , Keltron controls in Aroor , potassium chloride in Mavelikkara , and coconuts and coconut oil in Thanneermukkom . Other important commodities manufactured in these towns are copra , glass, mats and matches . In recent times, tourism has become

3180-408: Was given gifts and presents and special allowances from the Travancore government in recognition of his services to the state while his own descendants were bestowed with the honorific title of Dalawa. In the 19th century the district saw progress in many spheres. One of the five subordinate courts opened in the state in connection with the reorganization of the judicial system by Colonel George Monro

3240-448: Was located at Mavelikkara . The first post office and first telegraph office in the former Travancore state were established in this district. The first manufacturing factory for the coir mats was established in 1859. In 1894 the city Improvement Committee was set up. The district played a role in the freedom struggle of the country. The struggles of Punnapra and Vayalar in 1946 arrayed the people against Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer , who

3300-480: Was made by Pallithanam Luca Matthai . The period between 1865 and 1890 is usually considered as the first phase of lake-cultivation. The introduction of kerosene engines for dewatering resulted in the reclamation of wider areas of the lake for cultivation. It made the farmers consider venturing into the deeper parts of the lake. During the period between 1898 and 1903, reclamation activity was led by Pallithanam Luca Mathai (alias Pallithanathu Mathaichen) who reclaimed

3360-405: Was most suitable, because of the geographical and oceanic reasons. He constructed two parallel canals for bringing goods to port from backwaters and offered infrastructural facilities to merchants and traders from Surat, Mumbai and Kutch to start industrial enterprises, trading, and cargo centres. Alappuzha attained progress and became the financial nerve centre of Travancore during his time. The port

3420-481: Was opened in 1762, mainly for the export of coir-matting and coir-yarn. Kesavadas built three ships for trade with Calcutta and Bombay, and alleppey afforded a convenient depot for the storage and disposal of goods produce in the east. Alappuzha is located at 9°32′N 76°24′E  /  9.54°N 76.40°E  / 9.54; 76.40 . The average elevation is 1 metre (3.3 ft). Alappuzha covers an area of 1,414 square kilometres (546 sq mi) and

3480-705: Was the 'Maker of modern Travancore ', intervened in the political affairs of those princedoms. Travancore Dewan Ramayyan Dalawa (d. 1756) resided in Mavelikkara where he had a palace built by Marthanda Varma. After the death of his wife, Ramayyan consorted with a Nair lady from Mavelikkara of the Edassery family (PGN Unnithan, a member of this family, later became the last Dewan of Travancore in 1947). After his death Ramayyan's descendants left Travancore to settle in Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu. His Nair consort

3540-581: Was the Carmel Polytechnic College, established by Fr. Gilbert Palaekunnel and it is managed by CMI Congregation. Carmel is the academically top-ranked polytechnic in the state still. Municipalities of Kerala The urban councils of Kerala date back to the 17th century when the Dutch Malabar established the municipality of Fort Kochi . In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar , making it

3600-426: Was well known even from the early periods of the Sangam age . Literary works such as Unnuneeli Sandesam give some insight into the ancient period of this district. Archaeological antiquities, such as the stone inscriptions, historical monuments found in the temples, churches, and rock-cut caves, also emphasise the historic importance of Alappuzha District. Christianity had a foothold in this district, even from

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