Meenachil
Encyclopedia
Meenachil is the name of the north-eastern region of Kottayam district
Kottayam district
Kottayam is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The district has its headquarters at Kottayam town, located at 9.36° N and 76.17° E. According to the 1991 census, it is the first district to achieve highest literacy rate in the whole of India...

 in 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....

, south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

. The name originates from Meenakshi the Dravidian goddess. Palai is the main town in Meenachil. The arterial river of the district is also named Meenachil. The river finds mention in Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy is an Indian novelist. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel, The God of Small Things, and has also written two screenplays and several collections of essays...

's Booker Prize winning novel, The God of Small Things
The God of Small Things
The God of Small Things is the debut novel of Indian author Arundhati Roy. It is a story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the "Love Laws" that lay down "who should be loved, and how. And how much." The book is a description of how the small things in...

.

The river Meenachil, also known as Kavanar, originates at vagamon in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

 of Kerala, flows westward through Erattupetta
Erattupetta
Erattupetta is a town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India.It is 38 km east of Kottayam, the District Centre. Erattupetta was known as Erappili and Erappuzha before the Advent of Tamil Muslims into this town. Erattupetta is situated in the foothills of High Ranges. It was the...

, Palai, Kidangoor
Kidangoor
Kidangoor is a village in Kottayam district, near Pala, India. It is strategically located between the two major towns in Kottayam District, Kottayam and Pala. The Meenachil River flows through the heart of Kidangoor village. The village is mentioned in many old manuscripts and is believed to have...

, Ettumanoor
Ettumanoor
Ettumanoor is a major town in Kottayam District of Kerala, India, located 11 kilometers north-east of Kottayam town, 65 km from Cochin and 73 km from Cochin International Airport...

 and Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...

. Its length is about 87 kilometers. Near Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...

 it splits into a number of distributaries
Distributary
A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel. They are a common feature of river deltas. The phenomenon is known as river bifurcation. The opposite of a distributary is a tributary...

 before emptying into the Vembanad Lake
Vembanad Lake
Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India, and the largest lake in the state of Kerala. It is also one of the largest lakes, in India. A lake spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known by different names in different localities viz. Punnamada Lake in Kuttanad, Kochi Lake in...

. Kumarakom
Kumarakom
Kumarakom is a popular tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam , in Kerala, India, famous for its backwater tourism. It is set in the backdrop of the Vembanad Lake which is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Kerala.-Environment:...

, the bird sanctuary and tourist resort is on one such branch.

History

The current Meenachil taluk was a principality under the local chieftains, the Meenachil Kartha
Meenachil Kartha
Meenachil Karthas were members of an Illathu Nair aristocratic clan, which ruled the small kingdom of Meenachil from 15th century AD until 1754...

s
(also known as Njavakkat Karthas) before Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma , was the founder of the Indian Hindu feudal kingdom of Travancore from Venad SwaroopamHe ruled from 1729 till his death in 1758, having succeeded his maternal uncle Dharma Raja.King Marthanda Varma is usually credited as the "founder of Kingdom of Travancore" from...

 annexed it to Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...

 in 1754. The name of the place comes from Goddess Meenakshi
Meenakshi
Minakshi is an Avatar of the Hindu Goddess Parvati - and consort of Shiva - who is worshipped mainly by South Indians. She is also one of the few Hindu female deities to have a major temple devoted to her - the far famed Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu...

, the deity of the Karthas. Veera Kerala Damodara Simhar was a chieftain belonging to this family. The southern bank of the river was the kingdom of Thekkumkoor, the capital of which was Changanassery, and the northern bank, that of Vadakkumkoor, with its capital at Kaduthuruthy. The Poonjar
Poonjar
Poonjar is a small town in the Kottayam district of Kerala state, India. Before the independence of India, Poonjar had been the capital of the Poonjar Koyikkal Swaroopam or Edavaka.-History:...

 royal family also held sway over significant areas of the district towards the east.

Economy

Though food crops like paddy
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

 and tapioca
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...

 are cultivated, majority of the population depends on cash crops like rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...

 and black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...

 for income. Recently people had diversified into the cultivation of vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...

 on account of the sudden spurt in prices. However, with rubber prices ruling high and vanilla prices nosediving, the original agricultural pattern is seen reemerging. Though there are families with considerable wealth, a large section of the population are farmers with small and medium agricultural holdings.

The Kerala Government has recently(2006) accorded high priority to the implementation of the Meenachil River Valley Project. The project aims at diverting excess water from the Moovattupuzha river into the Meenachil River basin by constructing a tunnel from Arakkulam
Arakkulam
-Demographics: India census, Arakkulam had a population of 12633 with 6201 males and 6432 females....

 to Melukavau. Once implemented the project will help in increasing the availability of water in the area.

Festivals

Some of the important festivals celebrated in the region are:

1. Meenachil Nadeethada Hindu Maha sangamam (Jannuvay 12-18)

2. The Katappattor
Katappattor
Kadappattoor is a small village on the banks of Meenachil river near Pala in Kottayam district of Kerala. Kadappattoor, is located 30 km east of Kottayam. The village life is centered around the Shiva Kadappattoor Mahadeva Temple...

 temple festival (April)

3. Meenachil Kavu Festival (December)

4. Pala Jubilee thirunal (December 8)

5. The Cherpunkal
Cherpunkal
Cherpunkal is a small town in the Kottayam district of Kerala State in India.On the Kottayam Pala road,7 km from pala city.Cherpunkal boasts a Holy Cross Church, believed to have been established by Thomas the Apostle himself, it is also believed that St.Thomas put his sandals there while taking a...

 Church festival(December 25 - January 2)

6. The festival of St. George's Church, Aruvithura 

7. The Paika Church festival (December 19)

8. Pala Rakkuly thirunal - Epiphany (Jan 7)

9. Bharanganam Sr Alphonsa's feast (July 28)

10. Bharanganam Sreekrishna Swami temple festival (January–February)

11. Poovarany Mahadeva temple festival (January–February)

12. Ramapuram Church feast

13. Kidangoor
Kidangoor
Kidangoor is a village in Kottayam district, near Pala, India. It is strategically located between the two major towns in Kottayam District, Kottayam and Pala. The Meenachil River flows through the heart of Kidangoor village. The village is mentioned in many old manuscripts and is believed to have...

 Temple Festival

14. Edappady Subrahmanya Swamy Temple festival (January–February)

15. Edappady Vazhanekkavu Devi Temple festival (March)

16. Uzhavoor Church feast

17. VILAKKUMADOM ST. Francis Church feast

18. The Arattu at Lalam Sree Mahadeva Temple. (January)
19. Prathista dinam at Puthuppallil Kottaram Bhagavathy Temple at Edamattom (23rd Thulam )

Politics

Traditionally, the region is the hotbed of various factions of the Kerala Congress
Kerala Congress
The Kerala Congress is a recognized State political party in Kerala, India. The party was founded by K. M. George in October 1964 after a group of legislators decided to break from the Indian National Congress...

. However mainstream parties like the 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...

, 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...

, 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...

 also have significant following. The prices of rubber and other agricultural prices determine the agenda of many elections. It is alleged that the church influences the political agenda significantly.

Journalist

  • Jose Panachippuram
    Jose Panachippuram
    Jose Panachippuram is a noted short story writer and journalist in Malayalam. He is presently working as the associate editor of Malayala Manorama daily...

    , Associate Editor, Malayala Manorama daily
  • George Kallivayalil, Chief of Bureau, New Delhi, Deepika Daily
  • T.Devaprasad,Editor In Charge,Deepika Daily,Tvpm
  • Sunish Thomas, Senior Sub Editor, Malayala Manorama daily
  • Berly Thomas, Sub Editor, Malayala Manorama

Transport

Meenachil Taluk does not have rail connectivity. The nearest major railway station is at Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...

, 28 km from Palai. The nearest airport is the Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport is an international airport located in Nedumbassery, a suburb on the outskirts of the city of Kochi about northeast of downtown Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the busiest and largest airport in the state of Kerala...

 at Nedumbassery
Nedumbassery
Nedumbassery is a suburb of the city of Kochi situated north of the city and from Thrissur in Kerala, India. The town lies between the two municipalities of Aluva and Angamaly in the Greater Cochin region. It has a population of 28,607 as on 2001, with a sex-ratio of 1012 females to 1000 males...

, 85 km from Palai.

The Ettumanoor
Ettumanoor
Ettumanoor is a major town in Kottayam District of Kerala, India, located 11 kilometers north-east of Kottayam town, 65 km from Cochin and 73 km from Cochin International Airport...

 - Poonjar
Poonjar
Poonjar is a small town in the Kottayam district of Kerala state, India. Before the independence of India, Poonjar had been the capital of the Poonjar Koyikkal Swaroopam or Edavaka.-History:...

 State Highway (SH 32) traverses across the Taluk in the easterly direction connecting major centres like Kidangoor
Kidangoor
Kidangoor is a village in Kottayam district, near Pala, India. It is strategically located between the two major towns in Kottayam District, Kottayam and Pala. The Meenachil River flows through the heart of Kidangoor village. The village is mentioned in many old manuscripts and is believed to have...

, Cherpunkal
Cherpunkal
Cherpunkal is a small town in the Kottayam district of Kerala State in India.On the Kottayam Pala road,7 km from pala city.Cherpunkal boasts a Holy Cross Church, believed to have been established by Thomas the Apostle himself, it is also believed that St.Thomas put his sandals there while taking a...

, Palai, Bharananganam
Bharananganam
Bharananganam, an important pilgrim centre in South India, is located on the banks of Meenachil river, 5 km east of Pala in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala. Bharananganam and surrounding places are bestowed with natural beauty due to hilly areas and lot of vegetation.- Saint Alphonsa's...

 and Erattupetta
Erattupetta
Erattupetta is a town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India.It is 38 km east of Kottayam, the District Centre. Erattupetta was known as Erappili and Erappuzha before the Advent of Tamil Muslims into this town. Erattupetta is situated in the foothills of High Ranges. It was the...

. In the north- south direction, the Main Eastern Highway
Main Eastern Highway
The Main Eastern Highway is the life line of the high range townships of the Travancore region of Kerala state, India. It is also known as Punalur-Pathanamthitta-Thodupuzha-Muvattupuzha Highway. Main Eastern Highway is categorized as State Highway - 08 of Kerala. It is the second longest State...

 (Muvattupuzha
Muvattupuzha
Muvattupuzha is a municipality in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a junction of three districts namely Ernakulam, Kottayam and Idukki. The town is bordered by Kottayam district on southern side and Idukki district on eastern side approximately 20 km from the town...

 - Punalur
Punalur
Punalur is a city situvated near the Tamil Nadu Kerala Border in Kollam district in the southern state of Kerala, India. It is the pioneer in starting industrial revolution in Kerala by establishing Punalur Paper Mills, the first industry in kerala. It is situated in the banks of the river Kallada...

- SH 8)passes through Kollappally, Palai and Paika
Paika
Paika is a small town 8 km away from Palai on Pala-Ponkunnam road of Muvattupuzha - Punalur state highway No.8, in Kottayam district, Kerala, India. It is part of Meenachil Taluka, known as the best fertile agricultural land of Travancore. Majority of people are Syrian Malabar Nasrani Catholic...

. The Erattupetta
Erattupetta
Erattupetta is a town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India.It is 38 km east of Kottayam, the District Centre. Erattupetta was known as Erappili and Erappuzha before the Advent of Tamil Muslims into this town. Erattupetta is situated in the foothills of High Ranges. It was the...

 - Peerumedu State Highway (SH 14) passes through Teekoy
Teekoy
Teekoy is a Southern Indian village, situated in the eastern part of Kottayam district in Kerala, between Vagamon, Erattupetta and Thalanadu.-Geoography:...

 and Wagamon
Wagamon
Vagamon is a hill station located in Kottayam-Idukki border of Idukki district of Kerala, India. It has a cool climate with the temperature between 10-23°C during a summer midday. It is situated 1,100 metre above sea level....

. The Sabarimala - Kodaikanal Highway passes through Erattupetta. The Main Central Road
Main Central Road
The Main Central Road is the arterial State Highway in the Travancore region of Kerala state, India. It is designated as SH 1 by the Kerala Public Works Department.The highway was built by Raja Kesavadas, Dewan of Travancore...

 (SH 1) from Trivandrum to Angamaly
Angamaly
Angamaly is a satellite town of the city of Kochi, situated north of the city center and a municipality in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. It is one of the entry points or gateways to Ernakulam district from northern Kerala...

 passes through the western boundary of the Taluk.

Major Colleges

Colleges in Meenachil Taluk come under Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. The prominent colleges are
  • St Joseph college of engineering and technology Palai
  • College of Engineering, Poonjar
    College of Engineering, Poonjar
    The College of Engineering Poonjar , commonly known as CEP, is an engineering institute in the state of Kerala, India. The college is affiliated to the Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, and the courses are recognised by AICTE.- Overview :College of Engineering, Poonjar is...

  • St Thomas College Palai
  • Alphonsa College (for girls) Palai
  • St. Stephen's College Uzhavoor
  • St.George College Aruvithura
  • Mar Augusthinose College Ramapuram(MAC)
  • Henry Baker College Melukau
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