Pattambi
Encyclopedia
Pattambi is one of the major town in the Palakkad district
Palakkad district
Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...

 of the state 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....

, 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 place got its name from Batta Nambi. Once under Nedunganad Samanthas of Chera Kings. Later on Zamoothiri Raja annexed this place to his country and kept under the control of Eralpad Raja, the second Raja of Calicut.

Geography

Pattambi is well-known for its cultural importance. Situated in the banks of River Bharathappuzha (also known as Nila River),Old Name was Nethirimangalam
it is a junction that connects roads from Ottapalam
Ottapalam
Ottapalam is a town in Palakkad District of Kerala state in India. It is also the headquarters of Ottapalam taluk. Situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river , it has a rich cultural heritage and has played host to many historic events. It is famous for having several films shot here...

 , Perumbilavu and Perinthalmanna.pattambi town is situated at the banks of Nila
Nila
Nila can refer to:* Nila River or Bharathapuzha, is a river in the Indian state of Kerala.* Nila Håkedal* Meera Chopra - a.k.a Nila, a South Indian actress* Pulau Nila, a small Indonesian volcanic island in the Banda Sea...

 river.
Malayalam is official language.but, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

, Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

, is also understood due to significant number of migrants from other states.English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 is also used.

Bharathappuzha River

River
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 Bharathappuzha
Bharathappuzha
Bharathappuzha , also known as River Nila, is a river in India in the state of Kerala. With a length of 209 km, it is the second-longest river in Kerala, after the Periyar River. The word "Nila" indicates the culture more than just a river. Nila has groomed the culture and life of south...

 flows through Pattambi and the nearby Panchayats. Renowned writers such as M.T. Vasudevan Nair and Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri have been influenced by the Nila River's beauty. Continued sand mining
Sand mining
Sand mining is a practice that is becoming an environmental issue as the demand for sand increases in industry and construction. Sand is mined from beaches and inland dunes and dredged from ocean beds and river beds. It is often used in manufacturing as an abrasive, for example, and it is used to...

 of the river's beds, however, has tarnished its beauty. The mining also disrupts the river bed and causes reeds and river grass to grow, which obstruct water flow. Frequent droughts have resulted from this continuous sand mining, due to a fall in the water table. The sand lobby influences the police force and other authorities. Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 officers and other officials who objected to the mining lost their jobs. .

There is a causeway linking the north and south coasts of Bharathappuzha at Pattambi, which is one of the important bridge links across the river.

Efforts of organizations such as the Bharathappuzha Samrakhshana Samithi (Bharathappuzha Conservation Committee) led by Dr.K.P. Mohammed Kutty and Adv. Udhayavarman had made some progress in raising awareness among the public about the need of conserving the river.

Major causes of the river pollution are attributed to the waste originating from hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

s, hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

s and house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...

s that directly discharged into the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 rather than being run through a sewage treatment plant. The river, once a habitat for a variety of aquatic life, is close to becoming an ecological disaster.

Sree Neelakanta Govt. Sanskrit College

The history of the college goes back to the last decade of the 19th century, a time of political, social-cultural and educational renaissance throughout the land. Sree Neelakanta Sharma contributed to the reform in Sanskrit education. He started a Sanskrit school called "Sarasvatodyothini" in 1889 at Perumudiyoor, an underdeveloped village near Pattambi. He offered Sanskrit education to disciples drawn from almost all castes and religions.

The University of Madras granted affiliation in 1911, and the humble Sanskrit school became "Central Sanskrit College, Permudiyoor, South Malabar". In 1931 it was also approved as a research center. Kuttikrishna Marar, C. Sankunni Nair, Kallanmarthodi Ravunni Menon, P. Kunniraman Nair, K.S. Ezhuthachan, M.P. Sankunni Nair, and K.P. Narayana Pisharodi were among the students of Punnasseri Kalari. The tradition of molding prominent social-cultural figures still persists in personalities such as Desamangalam Ramakrishnan, D. Vinaya Chandran, Attoor Ravi Varma, M.S. Kumar, Nharalathu Harigovindan and N.M. Unnikrishnan, Dileep Vydhyamadham and Ravi Thekkedath.

The college was renamed "Sree Neelakanta Central Sanskrit College, Pattambi, Perumudiyoor" in July 1943 by the Madras University in memory of its founder. The Malabar District Board took over management in 1957. It was affiliated with Kerala University in 1958 as "Sree Neelakanta Government Sanskrit College, Pattambi". The college is presently affiliated with the Calicut University.

The land the college sits was donated by A.S.K. Rama Iyer, President of College Welfare Committee, E.P. Gopalan, Ex. MLA, M.P. Udaya Varman, K.S. Raman, and P.K.Kumaran Vaidyar. The members of the committee were interested in infrastructural development, as well as introduction of new courses in the college curriculum.

Initially, the new college offered graduate degrees in Sanskrit, Malayalam and economics. The last time a course was added to the curriculum was during the 1999-2000 year when a graduation program in BBA was introduced. The college offers nine degree courses, six post-graduate courses and two doctoral degrees in Sanskrit and Malayalam.

The college is recognized as a Center of Excellence in the field of higher education in the state of Kerala. Recently, the College was awarded with a 5-star accreditation by NAAC
National Assessment and Accreditation Council
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council is an organization that assesses and accredits institutions of higher education in India. It is an autonomous body funded by University Grants Commission of Government of India headquartered in Bangalore.-History:NAAC was established in 1994 in...

. The campus is situated 2 kilometers from Pattambi. The official website of the college is http://sngscollege.info. The site also included an e-journal named vijnanacintamani.

Business,Commerce and Education

The business/commerce sector has been equal growth like other comparable neighboring towns like Perinthalmanna, Manjeri
Manjeri
Manjeri is a town and municipality in Malappuram District in the state of Kerala, India. It is the commercial capital of Malappuram District and is 28 km from an international airport and 50 km from Kozhikode railway station....

, Valanchery
Valanchery
Valanchery is a town located in Malappuram district, Kerala, India.Valanchery is one of the most important business centres of Malappuram district. It is situated 63 km south of Kozhikode or Calicut and 62 km north to Thrissur, on the National Highway 17.Over 90% of the population are...

, or Kunnamkulam
Kunnamkulam
Kunnamkulam is a municipal town situated in the Thrissur District of Kerala in India, spread over an area of 6.96 km2. It is an old commercial town, with a history of more than 300 years, famous for its printing and book binding industry...

. Pattambi lacks the "gulf money", which plays an important part in the economic and business development of the region. The peculiar geography of the town has hindered the organic growth of commerce and business community.

Government offices like the Police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...

, Treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....

, Court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...

, the government Lower Primary & Upper Primary School occupies a big chunk of the town. The mini civil station has started functioning partially. The public had raised concerns about the safety of school children who have to pass through heavy traffic.

The town is also home to MES Pattambi
MES Pattambi
MES Pattambi is an English medium private high school in Pattambi, Kerala, India. It is a CBSE affiliated school that is run by the Muslim Educational Society. The school, that was established in 1978, is located on a site. The current Principal of the school is Asha Byju. Further it is an ISO...

 a premier CBSE Affiliated ISO 9001:2008 certified School in Kerala which had a humble beginning in 1978. The school saw phenomenal growth under the able leadership of Dr. KP Aboobacker and other like minded people.However, there are widespread allegations that once a reputed school has now come under authoritarian control thereby becoming less democratic. The intended objectives of MES has now been hijacked by a few. Other schools include St.Paul's English Medium High School, CGM English Medium High School, etc. sevana, nila
Nila
Nila can refer to:* Nila River or Bharathapuzha, is a river in the Indian state of Kerala.* Nila Håkedal* Meera Chopra - a.k.a Nila, a South Indian actress* Pulau Nila, a small Indonesian volcanic island in the Banda Sea...

 are the two main hospitals in the town.car,bike dealers of different companies are also there.differnt banks are in town.

Pattambi is well-connected by road and rail. The Shornur railway junction is a 20-minute bus ride from Pattambi, which also has its own railway station.

Prominent Personalities

Pattambi is the birth place of famous personalities like scholar Punnasseri Nambi Neelakanta Sharma
Punnasseri Nambi Neelakanta Sharma
Punnasseri Nambi Neelakanta Sharma was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and teacher of Kerala, India. He was born on June 17, 1858 in Pattambi in Palakkad district to a Moosad family, Narayanan Nambi and Achuthath Nangayya Antharjanam...

, socialist leader E.P. Gopalan, and local leader Hajee K.P. Assainar Vaidyar. E.M.S. Namboodiripad was elected from Pattambi constituency and became its chief minister.
This is also the town from where the famous Kathakali artiste, Guru. Raghavan Teyunni Nair originated and went on to become a famous dancer, choreographer and teacher in Bombay. He was trained in Kathakali at Kottakkal and also in Carnatic music. He had established a dance school in Bombay, called Nritya Bodhini, to impart Bharata Natyam and other Indian classical dances to aspirants in Bombay & Padmasree.malayalam film director Major Ravi
Major Ravi
Major A.K. Ravindran, better known by his screen name Major Ravi is a former Indian Army Officer and a Malayali Indian filmmaker.He is a recipient of the President's medal, joined the Indian army as a jawan in 1975 and graduated from the Army Cadet College to become a commando in the year 1988...

 hails from pattambi.E.Sreedharan (metro rail) is also hails from pattambi.

Religion and Festivals

The Padinjare Madham Guruvayoorappan Temple (also known as "Pattambi Guruvaayoor") is one of the famous temples in Kerala.
The Panthakkal Bagavathy Temple annual festival Mandalathalappoli: In this festival more than 20 elephants are lined up. Sree Kadapparampathu Kavu Bagavathy Temple is one of the famous temples in Kerala. In the Annual festival Kalavela, more than 50 bulls are lined up. Bulls are made by bamboo and grass. In this festival all the bulls are coming from the section kizhayur, pallipuam and ongallur are lined up around the temple.

Between 70 to 80 elephants are lined up for the Pattambi Nercha festival which is held in memory of Aloor Valiya Pookunj Koya Thangal, a Muslim saint of South Malabar. People from all corners of the state attend this festival, The town is illuminated, and a pageant replete with traditional musical ensembles like 'Panchavadyam
Panchavadyam
Panchavadyam, literally meaning an orchestra of five instruments, is basically a temple art form that has evolved in Kerala. Of the five instruments, four -- timila, maddalam, ilathalam and idakka -- belong to the percussion category, while the fifth one, kombu, is a wind instrument.Much like any...

' and 'Thayambaka
Thayambaka
Thayambaka or tayambaka is a type of solo chenda performance that developed in the south Indian state of Kerala, in which the main player at the centre improvises rhythmically on the beats of half-a-dozen or a few more chenda and ilathalam players around.A thayambaka performance on the chenda has...

' parades through the town at night. Various art forms of Kerala are then performed on the banks of the river Bharathappuzha
Bharathappuzha
Bharathappuzha , also known as River Nila, is a river in India in the state of Kerala. With a length of 209 km, it is the second-longest river in Kerala, after the Periyar River. The word "Nila" indicates the culture more than just a river. Nila has groomed the culture and life of south...

. Even though the festival does not have any Islamic or religious significance, it is still celebrated by the society at large.

Politics

Pattambi assembly constituency is part of Palakkad (Lok Sabha constituency). Rajesh and CP Mohammed represents Pattambi in Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...

 and State Assembly respectively.

External links

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