Kundara
Encyclopedia
Kundara a fast re-emerging industrial town is set to become a satellite town of Kollam city Kollam district
Kollam district
-Climate:Kollam's temperature is almost steady throughout the year. The average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May; the monsoon begins by June and ends by September. Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around...

 of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. A former industrial center of Kollam district
Kollam district
-Climate:Kollam's temperature is almost steady throughout the year. The average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May; the monsoon begins by June and ends by September. Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around...

 it had major industries as - KEL, Kerala Ceramics, Aluminium Industries Ltd. (Alind), Laxmi Starch Factory etc.

Its historical importance comes of the Kundara Proclamation of Velu Thampi Dalawa
Velu Thampi Dalawa
Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1802 and 1809 during the reign of His Highness Maharajah Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal...

 in 11 January 1809 [This date is disputed] calling on people to fight the British.

Kundara is located on the banks of Kanjiracodu
Kanjiracodu
Kanjiracode is administratively a village in Kundara Kollam district of Kerala, India.The erstwhile ALIND or Aluminium Industries one of the earliest Aluminum cable manufacturing units for the country began operations here...

  a branch of the Astamudi or the 'eight braided' backwaters. 'Karimeen' Green chromide
Green chromide
The green chromide is a species of cichlid fish from freshwater and brackish water in southern India and Sri Lanka...

 , is local delicacy and when fished from these waters supposedly tastier than when caught from anywhere else.

Economy

The arrival of Government offices as the Mini Civil Station have helped in the slow recovery of Kundara from the industrial closures that affected the local economy. Remittances from family members working abroad, inland fisheries, small scale cashew processing factories, farming and jobs in governments sector support the general economy.

Kundara is re-emerging as an industrial and educational centre the University of Kerala has opened its business school 'Kerala Institute of Management' in Kundara. The Fashion Institute of Technology, the Science City and the Foreign Language Institute are institutions that are to come up in and around Kundara.

The software park 'Technopark - Kollam' being set up here at an estimated value of rupees 150 to 200 crore has given a new impetus to opportunities in the area. Government estimates project the creation of 10,000 additional job opportunities in the next three to five years. The Technopark located in a Special Economic Zone has 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land already made available for its purposes with room for future expansion.

The Technopark-Kollam is located on the banks of the Astamudi Backwaters which is promoted as a tourist destination. The entry to this technopark may be unique as it is to have a scenic waterway entry from Kollam which in turn is connected by waterways to other major cities in Kerala.

Real estate prices has jumped up to 200% near the area of proposed IT park.

Kundara, poised to become a satellite city of Kollam may see its surroundings emerge as the future centre for IT and industrial enterprises in Kollam. Mukkada is the shopping area and commercial centre of Kundara.

Kundara has been a major railway station on metere gauge track that ran all the way from Kollam to Madras Central. The conversion of the railways tracks to the broad gauge has shortened distance covered as the Kollam - Punalur railway stretch. There is a small station 2 km east of the main Kundara Railway station called Kundara East.

Inland fishing in Ashtamudi lake provides a variety of fish, crab and prawn, most of which is sold in the fish market at Mukkada .

Kerala Ceramics is still a functioning industry though it has stopped manufacture of it hand painted pottery after going from kitchen ware to sanitary ware. It still produces purified clay powder apparently exported earlier as Kundara is said to have large deposits of some of the finest quality of clay.

Politics

Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...

 (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...

 CPI(M) and Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...

 (INC) dominate regional politics.Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...

 (BJP) has recently tried to make inroads here.
Kundara assembly constituency is part of Kollam (Lok Sabha constituency)  N. Peethambara Kurup
N. Peethambara Kurup
N. Peethambara Kurup is the MP of Kollam Parliament constituency. He was born in Navaikulam in Thiruvananthapuram district and has completed his B.A. and B.L. from Law Academy, Trivandrum. He is presently the Vice President of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for...

 of INC is the MP of Kollam Parliament constituency.
Currently, M A Baby of CPI(M) represents Kundara Assembly Constituency. He is a former Minister for Education in the state.

Education

Higher Secondary Schools
1. St. Antony’s Higher Secondary School, Kanjirakode

2. S.N.S.M Higher Secondary School, Elampallor

High Schools
1. M. G. D. High School for Boys

2. M. G. D. High School for Girls

3. St. Margaret's HS, Kanjirakode

4. St. Mary's English Medium School, Hospital Jn, Kundara

5. MarThoma High School, Arumurikkada, Kundara

6. Little Flower High School, Kundara
7. P.K.J.M High school Mulavana kundara.

Amenities

Hospital
LMS Hospital, Hospital Junction

Police
Kundara houses a Police station and Circle office in Elampallor

Electricity
Kundara has a 220 KV substation to cater the demands of the industry and homes. Almost every home is electrified. KSEB started its first mobile repair unit in Kundara. This greatly reduced supply destructions due to failure of overhead supply lines, also ensured speedy resolution of customer complaints.

Telephone/Internet
BSNL is the only broadband internet provider in Kundara and provides 2 Mbit/s connections at Rs 250/- per month. Wireless 3G connectivity is now provided by BSNL with MTS, Idea, Reliance and Tata photon providing wireless connectivity. Airtel, Vodatfone, Idea, BSNL, Tata Indicom, Reliance,Aircel and MTS provide mobile phone services.

Tourism

The world famous Munroe Island
Munroe Island
Munroe Island is located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River, in Kollam district, Kerala, South India...

 is 10 km from Kundara. 'Kayaldarshan' a boat cruise acclaimed to be among the best for India centers around Munroe Island. A 5 star resort of Leela Kempinski the Leela Lake Palace is coming up near Munroe Islands on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake.
The Tourism Department brings visitors through Kundara to get a taste of the fish caught locally.

Transport

Kundara is well connected by road to the national highway NH-208, some routes are Kannanallur - Kundara, Kundara - Bharanikkavu, Kundara - Perayam.
The Kollam - Shencottah railway line passes through Kundara. There are two railway stations Kundara (Main) and Kundara East.
The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport, at a distance of 80 km.

Religion

Region have significant Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 population and small number of Muslims. People live in harmony and sectrain/religious violence is unheard of.

Elampaloor Temple an ancient temple was the site of the Kundara Proclamation of Velu Thampi Dalawa
Velu Thampi Dalawa
Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1802 and 1809 during the reign of His Highness Maharajah Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal...

. Pathamuthayam the main festival of this temple attracts large numbers.

St. Anthony's Church, the Kundara parish for the Roman Catholic Church is around a KM from the Kundara Gram Panchayat office at Cutcherrymukku.

Kundara St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral http://www.syrianchurch.org/ch/KundaraChurch.htm is located about 200 meters from Arumurikkada junction (NH - 208) on Arumurikkada - Kuzhimathikadu Road.

Kundara Valiya palli is an ancient Orthodox Christian Church. The Church is located near a busy road junction ( Kundara - Bharanikkavu road meets NH - 208) called Pallimukku or Church Junction.

Christian community in Kundara is predominantly Roman Catholics belonging to the Latin Rite. There are many Latin Catholic churches and Schools near and around Kundara.

Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...

 (AG)
church is the first Pentecost church in Kundara. Assemblies of God Fellowship is the world's largest Pentecost church. With over 300,000 congregations and outstations in over 212 countries and territories serving approximately 6 crore adherents worldwide. The local church at Kundara is located next to NH 744 (Formerly NH 208) [Old Fire Station Jn.] http://agkundara.hpage.com/
New India Church Of God is another pentacost church located in Kundara Arumurikkada Near Old Fire Station

External links

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