Kottarakkara

Kottarakkara (IAST: Koṭṭārakkara), also transliterated as Kottarakara, is a town and municipality in Kollam (formerly known as Quilon) District, in Kerala state, India. The town is close to Kollam Port, which has a rich history linked to the early medieval period as well as the reputation as an important commercial, industrial and trading center. Kottarakkara lies 27 kilometres (17 mi) to the east of Kollam city centre.[1][2]

For other uses, see Kottarakkara (disambiguation).

Kottarakkara
Municipal Town
Pulamon Junction in Kottarakara town
Kottarakkara
Location in Kerala, India
Kottarakkara
Kottarakkara (India)
Coordinates: 08°59′00″N 76°46′00″E
Country India
StateKerala
DistrictKollam
Government
 • BodyKottarakkara Municipality
Area
 • Total17.4 km2 (6.7 sq mi)
Population
 • Total31,000
 • Density1,800/km2 (4,600/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialMalayalam
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PINCODE
691506
Vehicle registrationKL-24, KL-2
Nearest cityKollam
Lok Sabha constituencyMavelikara
Civic AgencyKottarakara Municipality

History
Main article: History and Culture of Kottarakkara

Kottarakkara, also known in the ancient days of the kings as the Elayadathu Swarupam, was a principality ruled by a branch of the Travancore Royal Family. It is the home of Kathakali, a well known dance drama which originated initially as Ramanattam created in the 17th century by Prince Kottarakkara Thampuran and later patronized by the Raja of Kottarakkara in the early 19th century absorbing other dance forms of Krishnattam with further innovations.

Etymology

Kottarakkara, a compound word made up of the words Kottaram, meaning "palace", and kara meaning "land", literally means "land of palaces". The area which had several palaces was thus named "Kottarakkara."[3]

Geography

Kottarakkara is a small principality close to Kollam. As a taluk headquarters, it has six panchayats and other small towns. It is surrounded by several other towns.

Towns and villages in Kottarakara Taluk

[4]

Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathi Kshethram
Kottarakkara Thampuran Memorial Museum of Classical Arts
Kottarakara centre of KILA

Climate
Climate data for Kottarakkara, Kerala
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 30.4
(86.7)		 31.2
(88.2)		 32.3
(90.1)		 32.4
(90.3)		 32.0
(89.6)		 29.9
(85.8)		 29.3
(84.7)		 29.5
(85.1)		 29.9
(85.8)		 29.8
(85.6)		 29.5
(85.1)		 29.8
(85.6)		 30.5
(86.9)
Average low °C (°F) 22.4
(72.3)		 23.1
(73.6)		 24.5
(76.1)		 25.3
(77.5)		 25.4
(77.7)		 24.1
(75.4)		 23.6
(74.5)		 23.6
(74.5)		 23.8
(74.8)		 23.8
(74.8)		 23.4
(74.1)		 22.6
(72.7)		 23.8
(74.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 17
(0.7)		 34
(1.3)		 67
(2.6)		 166
(6.5)		 261
(10.3)		 477
(18.8)		 411
(16.2)		 277
(10.9)		 228
(9.0)		 311
(12.2)		 214
(8.4)		 54
(2.1)		 2,517
(99)
Source: Climate-Data.org[5]

Politics
See also: Kottarakkara (Assembly constituency)

Kottarakara Assembly Constituency is one among the 11 assembly constituencies in Kollam district. Adv P. Aisha Potty is the present MLA from Kottarakkara constituency. Kottarakkara comes under Mavelikkara (Lok Sabha constituency)(previously it was in Adoor loksabha constituency) that represents a large area including Kottarakkara, Mavelikkara, Changanasseri, spread in Kollam, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts.[6]

E Chandrasekaran Nair (CPI), D.Damodaran Potti (PSP), R.Balakrishna Pillai (Kerala Congress), E.Chandrasekaran Nair (CPI), C.Achutha Menon (CPI), Kottara Gopalakrishnan (INC) and R.Balakrishna Pillai (Kerala Congress - B) are the former elected members represented Kottarakara Assembly Constituency in the past.[7][8] Mandalam president: G.Peter(Kerala Congress)

Transportation

Road Network

NH 744 earlier known as NH 208 (Kollam to Thirumangalam) meets the MC road (Thiruvananthapuram to Angamaly) at Kottarakkara. Kottarakkara is linked with Kollam (the district headquarters), both by road and rail, at a distance of 27 km. It is 67 km to the north of Thiruvananthapuram (the capital of Kerala) and 80 km to the south of Kottayam. [9]

Road
Kottarakkara KSRTC Depot.

Kottarakara has one of the Kerala's well connected KSRTC Hub, consist of various services across almost all the parts of kerala and interstate services. Local routes are connected by private bus services as well as State Transport. It is well connected to the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram by KSRTC Fast Passenger, super fast, super deluxe, a/c low floor buses. Buses are also ply to the district headquarters of Kollam and Pathanamthitta and to towns in Tamil Nadu like Coimbatore, Tenkasi and Sengottai and Daily trips to Mookambika, Sullya Munnar, Chennai Hosur Bangalore, Velankanni, Madura, Kumali, Mysur, Kanyakumari, Coimbatore, Nagercoil, Thirunelveli, Tutricon, Palani, Trichy, Ernakulam, Kannur, Palakkad, Thrissur, Mangalore, SulthanBathery, Kasargod. Kottarakara depot of ksrtc is one of the top revenue earning depots of the state.

Rail
Entrance of Kottarakara railway station

Kottarakara railway station is located on the Kollam-Sengottai railway line. Kottarakara railway station, which currently connects to Kollam, Trivandrum, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Madurai, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Guruvayur, Varkala and Punalur through the direct passenger, fast passenger and express train services. There are eight pairs of services right now and heard that many more services would be inducted in this route since the Punalur-Schengotta ghat section has been closed for Broad Gauge conversion. Once the conversion is over, this will serve as the shortest route from Kollam to Chennai and from Kollam Port & Cochin Port to Tuticorin Port. Further, a new line from Chengannur to Thiruvananthapuram via Adoor and Pandalam is awaiting survey. Kottarakkara will become a junction once the new line materializes.

Air

The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport, 70 km (43 mi).

Notable people

Schools and Colleges
Main article: Education in Kollam district
  • BRM Central School, Chengamanadu
  • Carmel Residential Senior Secondary School, Kadalavila, Kottarakara
  • Evhss neduvathoor
  • GLPS, Panavely, Kottarakara
  • GLPS, Valakom, Kottarakara
  • Govt. Boys' Higher Secondary School, Kottarakara,
  • Govt. Higher Secondary School, Sadanandapuram, Kottarakara,
  • Govt. Higher Secondary School, Vettikavala, Kottarakara,
  • Govt. LPS, Vettikavala, kottarakkara
  • IHRD College of Engineering, Thrikkannamangal
  • Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kottarakkara
  • Karikom International Public School - Karikom, Kottarakara
  • MAMHS, Chengamanadu
  • Mannam Memorial English Medium School, Kottarakkara
  • Mar Baselios English Medium School, Kottapuram,
  • Mar Ivanios Bethany School,Kalayapuram,
  • Mar Gregorios memorial residential public school, Mylom,
  • Marthoma Girls' Higher Secondary School, Kottarakara
  • Marthoma High School, Valakom, Kottarakara
  • Mercy college of Nursing, Valakom
  • RVHS Higher Secondary School, Valakom, Kottarakara
  • Seventh day Adventist higher Secondary School, Karickom, Kottarakara
  • SKVHS Thrikkannamangal
  • Sree Narayana Guru Central School, Ezhukone
  • Sree Sankara Sanskrit Vidhyapeedom, Edakkidam
  • Sri Vidyadhiraja Memorial Model HSS, Vendar, Kottarakara.
  • Sri Sri Academy, Ezhukone
  • St. Gregorios College
  • St. Gregorios High School, College Junction, Kottarakara,
  • St. Gregorios Higher Secondary School, College Junction, Kottarakara
  • St.Mary's Higher Secondary School, Kottarakara
  • Town UP School
  • University Institute of Technology (UIT)
  • Vijaya Nursing College
  • Vimalambika Lps, Kottarakkara

References
  1. "Kollam Town". Kollam District officialwebsite National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  2. "Short History of Kollam". Kollam: National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  3. "History". kottarakkara.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  4. "Places in Kottarakara Taluk". Archived from the original on 6 May 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  5. "CLIMATE: KOTTARAKARA", Climate-Data.org. Web: .
  6. "Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies" (PDF). Kerala. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  7. "Kerala Assembly Election - 1957". Elections.in. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  8. "Kerala Assembly Election - 1980". Elections.in. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  9. "District Information". Kollam: National Informatics. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  10. "Dr. Salim Yusuf". Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. 2014.

Further reading
  • Parankamveettil; An ancient Hindu Converted Christian Family based from Aippalloor spreads areas at Kizhakketheruvu, Chengamanadu, Kottarakara, Elampal, Ayoor etc. was Engaged in Agricultural Production, Tradings, Religious, Social and Cultural activities. ISBN 978-81-87418-46-7.
  • K. Ayyappapanicker; Sahitya Akademi (1997). Medieval Indian literature: an anthology. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 317–. ISBN 978-81-260-0365-5.
  • M. O. Koshy (1989). The Dutch power in Kerala, 1729–1758. Mittal Publications. pp. 64–. ISBN 978-81-7099-136-6. * K. Srikumaran (1 January 2005). Theerthayathra: a pilgrimage through various temples. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 129. ISBN 978-81-7276-363-3.
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