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Pala, Kerala

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Pala, Kerala
Pala
town
Map
Government
 • Municipal ChairpersonBetty Shaju
Population
 (2001)
 • Total22,640

Pala (also known as Palai (Malayalam : പാലാ), is a municipal town in the eastern hilly areas of Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is situated on the banks of the Meenachil River and is the headquarters of the Meenachil Taluk and the Pala Revenue Division. It is the main gateway to the southern high ranges. Located at 9.7125°N, 76.6950°E. Pala is 56.7 meters above MSL. Nearby towns are Ponkunnam, Erattupetta, Thodupuzha, Ramapuram,Ettumanoor and Kottayam. Pala is on the Muvattupuzha-Punalur SH8 eastern state highway.

History

There are various versions regarding the origin of the place name. According to one, Pala gets its name from Palazhi (Ksheera Sagara), the mythological ocean of milk from which nectar was churned out. Another view is that the name was derived from Palathu Chettiyar families, the prominent early settlers of the region.

Pala was ruled by Meenachil Karthas (Hindu Local Chieftains) for a long time. The first royal Kartha families were known as Njavakattu Karthas.

Pala has the largest propotion of Chrisitans in Kerala.

Early settlements

Early settlements in the region date back to 1000 AD. Christian settlers came to the area very early, probably at the invitation of the local rulers.The first four Christian families were THARAYIL (tharayil mappila) KOOTTUMKAL (brother of Tharayil Mappila) ERAKONNI & VAYALAKOMBIL.They engaged mainly in agriculture and trade. It is believed that Pala market was established around 1736 on the banks of Meenachil River by Christian settlers on the land allotted by the rulers Meenachil Karthas.Today it is the land of Latex ( Rubber Pal) and the name Pala is relevant even today.

Religious places

Pala Diocese

The Syrian Christians of Pala owe their faith to St. Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ who came down to Kerala. Though the diocese is only half a century old (July 25, 1950), some of the Churches trace its origin to the earlier centuries.

Pope Pius XII by the Bull “Quo Ecclesiarim” issued on July 25, 1950, bifurcated the Diocese of Changanacherry, and out of the territory covered by the Foranes of Palai, Muttuchira, Kuravilangad, Anakkallu (including the present Forane of Aruvithura) and Ramapuram erected the Diocese of Palai as suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam.

On August 22, 1956 when the Holy See by the Apostolic Constitution “Regnum Coelorum” raised the Diocese of Changanacherry to the status of an Archdiocese and constituted the new Ecclesiastical Province of Changanacherry, the Diocese of Palai became one of its suffragans.


Pala diocese comprises of Meenachil Taluk, and a few villages of Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam districts. Pala had contacts with other continents from time immemorial. In 1663, an Armenian is said to have influenced the construction of the Lalam (old ) church. Before Pala church was built in 1002, Aruvithura used to be the Parish. It is believed that St. Thomas traveled through the then navigable Meenachil river and reached Aruvithura and Cherpunkal.

Pala also has many ancient temples and churches that are considered as pilgrim centers by the devotees.

Temples

There are 11 temples in Pala Municipality. Among them Lalam Mahadeva Temple is the most famous temple and is called Dakshina Kasi (Kasi of South). Lalam Mahadeva Temple is situated at the heart of Pala town on the bank of Lalam river. It is believed that this is the oldest temple in Meenachil Taluk and was once the only temple in the 58 Karas or Villages of Meenachil Taluk. Thiruvathira festival in Dhanu (December - January) is the main festival of this temple. Ambalppurathukavu Bhagavthy Temple is situated near to Lalam temple. Kizhathadiyoor Puthiyakavu Devi Temple, Chembittambalam Kizhathadiyoor Thrukkayil Mahadeva Temple, Murikkumpuzha Devi Temple, Idayattu Bala Ganapathy Temple, Narasimha Swami Temple, Vellappattu Sree Vana Durga Bhagavathy Temple (the only temple in Kottayam district where Jeevatha ezhunnallathu is performed), Thattarakathu Bhagavathy Temple, Ooraasala Subrahmanya Swami Temple and Anakkulangara Bhagavathy Temple are the other temples situated within the boundaries of Pala Municipality.


Kadappattor Mahadeva Temple which is situated on the bank of Meenachil river is the most famous Hindu temple in this region. Thousands of pilgrims visit the Kadappattoor temple every year, on their way to Sabarimala. Cheruthil Valuthu (big among small) Puliyannoor Mahadeva temple is also a famous temple near to Pala. Both these temples are located in Mutholi Panchayath. Meenachil vadakke kavu is a famous Bhadrakaaly temple near Pala. "Mandalakala pooja (41days)" is very famous with Kalamezhuthu& Kalam karikkal. Meenachil Dharmasastha Temple, Idayattu Bala Ganapathy Temple, Poovarany Mahadeva Temple, Valavoor Mahadeva Temple, Idanadu Bhagavathy Temple, Anthinadu Mahadeva Temple, Vezhanganam Mahadeva Temple, Bharanaganam Sree Krishna Swami Temple, Alanadu Sree Krishna Swami Temple, Ponad Bhagavathy Temple and Sree Kurumbakkavu Devi Temple are the other important temples of this region.

Churches

Kurishupalli, a shrine located at the centre of the Pala town, acts as the landmark of the town. St. Thomas Cathedral, Pala and St. Mary's Church, Lalam are two of the main Christian churches in Pala. An Armenian might have played an important role in the establishment of the Lalam Church in 1663.

A famous pilgrim centre nearby is the Alphonsa Church at Bharananganam, where the mortal remains of Blessed Alphonsa of India are kept. Adjacent to it is St. Mary's Church of Bharananganam which was founded in 1004. St. George's Church, Aruvithura, near Erattupetta, is also a famous pilgrim centre. Another Christian pilgrim centre near Pala is the St. Augustine's Church at Ramapuram, where the mortal remains of the Blessed Augustine Kunjachan are kept. Monastry of Mutholy is founded by Blessed Chavara kuriakose Elias.

Pala had trade links with far-off places such as TamilNadu, and even foreign countries in the Middle East. A jungle route to Gudalloor, in Tamil Nadu, through the dense forests in the High Ranges, is believed to have brought a significant number of Vellalas and Chettiars during the Middle Ages. During early 1900s Pala became famous for its spice market. A particular brand of pepper called "Pala Pepper" was quoted in the London market in the early 1900s. Once rubber took a firm root in Central Kerala, Pala became a rubber market.

Pala dominated the banking and financial scene of Kerala for over three decades (1927-60) through Palai Central Bank, which was the largest business enterprise of Kerala and the 17th largest scheduled commercial bank in India, when it was liquidated in 1960 by the Reserve Bank of India.

A road linking Athirampuzha to Erattupetta through Pala was established in 1868. Pala was linked to Thodupuzha by road in 1893. Motor vehicles appeared in Pala around the 1920s.

Pala became a Municipality in 1949.

Meenachil River

The Meenachil River flows through the taluks of Meenachil, Vaikom and Kottayam . It is formed by several streams originating from the Western Ghats in Idukki district. At Erattupeetta, Poonjar River also joins it, takes a sharp turn and flows towards the west. At Kondur, it is joined by the Chittar and at Lalam it receives the Payuapparathodu and flows in a south- west direction till it reaches Kottayam . Here, it branches into several streams before emptying into the Vembanad Lake. The important town in the basin are Pala, Poonjar, Ettumanoor and Kottayam

Closest cities, towns and villages

Culture & People

Though the population is diverse, Pala is considered as an important hub of Roman Catholics in India. Pala is en-route the tourist resort at Vagamon.

Varthamana Pusthakam (1778), written by Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar, on a travel to Rome, is the first travelogue in Malayalam.

Meenachil taluk, of which Pala is teh headquarters has produced people with notable contribution in many fields:

Politics

  • K. R. Narayanan, President of India (1997-2002), Vice-President of India (1992-97).
  • P K Vasudevan Nair, Chief Minister of Kerala (1978-79), Minister of Kerala State and Member of Parliament.
  • K M Chandy [1], State Governor (1982-89), President of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.
  • K M Mani, Member of Kerala Legislative Assembly (1965 onwards) and Minister of Kerala State (different terms during 1977-2006).
  • M M Jacob [2], Deputy Chairman of Rajaya Sabha (1986-87), Union Minister (1987-93), State Governor of Meghalaya (1995-2007).
  • R V Thomas [3], President (Speaker) of Travancore State Legislative Assembly (1947-49).
  • J Thomas Kayalackakom [4], Member of Sree Moolam Popular Assembly of Travancore State (1922-31).
  • Kidangoor Gopalakrishna Pillai [5], General Secretary of NSS (1967 onwards) and Indian High-Commissioner to Singapore.
  • George Thomas Kottukapally [6], Member of Indian Parliament - Lok Sabha (1957-62), U.N Delegate.
  • Cherian J Kappen [7], Member of Indian Parliament - Lok Sabha (1962-67).
  • Dr P J Thomas [8][9], Member of Madras Legislative Council, 1937-42 and Member of Indian Parliament - Rajya Sabha 1957-62.
  • M J Varkey (Vakkachen) Mattathil [10], Member of Indian Parliament - Rajya Sabha (1998-2004).

Literature

Sports

  • Wilson Cherian, Swimmer - Arjuna award winner.
  • T.J. Jacob, Swimmer - Indian Team at Asian Games.
  • Mathew Joseph, Swimmer - Indian Team at Asian Games.
  • Sumi Cyriac, Swimmer - National Champion.
  • Sony Cyriac, swimmer - Indian Team
  • Mani C Kappen, Volley Ball - Indian Team Player.
  • M D Valsamma, Athletics - Asian Gold Medalist.
  • Sunny Thomas - National Coach in Riffle Shooting.
  • S. Pazhaniya Pillai - Indian Athletic Team Manager.

INTER NATIONAL GYM Inter National Gym is the most important part of the palai sports

Management & Administration

Movies

Television

Science

  • K.L. Sebastian, winner of S.S. Bhatnagar Prize in Chemistry.
  • Dr. A.M.Michael, Director, Agricultural Institute of India

Education

Colleges in Pala are affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Educational institutes here are hubs of sports excellence. Famous international volleyball player Jimmy George was an alumnus of St. Thomas College. Olympian Shiny Wilson is an alumnus of Alphonsa College. Many institutions are run under the management of the Diocese of Pala

Demographics

As of 2001 India census[1], Pala had a population of 22,640. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Pala has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 86%, and female literacy is 86%. In Pala, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Records and Achievements

Meenachil Taluk, of which Pala town is the headquarters, has the unique distinction of holding innumerable records. It is amazing that a rather remote Taluk located in the hilly inland could achieve so much.

World Records:

  1. The Christian parish that is home to the largest number of priests in the world – Kozhuvanal Parish, Pala Diocese [11] (101 priests).
  2. Promoter of one of the world’s ten best Resort Hotels selected by the world’s leading travel magazine – Dominic Joseph Kuruvinakkunnel (Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom of Casino CGH Earth Group of Hotels [12]).

National Records:

  1. India’s only dalit President – K R Narayanan (1997).
  2. First Indian to become Economic Advisor to Government of India – Dr P J Thomas [13][14] (1942).
  3. India’s first and only Taluk to produce one President/Vice-President, two State Governors, one State Chief Minister and one Ambassador – K R Narayanan, K M Chandy [15], M M Jacob [16], P K Vasudevan Nair & Kidangoor Gopalakrishna Pillai [17].
  4. Longest term as Finance Minister of a State in India – K M Mani (7 years).
  5. Longest term as State Governor in India – M M Jacob [18] (12 years).
  6. Highest number of Bishops from a Diocese in India – Pala Diocese [19].
  7. The first travelogue in an Indian language – “Varthamana Pusthakam” by Paremmakkal Thomma Kathanar [20] (18th century).
  8. Author of the first encyclopaedia in an Indian language – Mathew M Kuzhively [21].
  9. First head of a Homoeo Medical Dept. of a State in India – Dr K Z George [22] (1973).
  10. First Bank to open a branch in India’s capital New Delhi – Palai Central Bank (1932).
  11. Maker of India’s largest selling medicinal toilet soap – C R Kesavan Vaidyan (Chandrika Soap)[23].

State Records:

  1. First and only President/Vice-President from Kerala – K R Narayanan (1997/1992).
  2. First Speaker of the State since Independence – R V Thomas [24] (1948).
  3. Longest continuous term as MLA of the State – K M Mani (1965 onwards)
  4. One of the first two from the State to be beatified by Catholic church – Sr Alphonsa [25] (1986).
  5. Promoter of the institution that was the largest in the State for over three decades – Joseph Augusti Kayalackakom - Palai Central Bank (1927-60)].
  6. First and foremost sports promoter of the State – Col. G V Raja [26].
  7. First company promoter of the State to make a public issue of shares of a plantation company – J Thomas Kayalackakom - Mysore Plantations Ltd (1943) [27].
  8. First person to run a Star Hotel in the State – Dominic Joseph Kuruvinakkunnel - Malabar Hotel, Cochin (1962) [28].
  9. First Liquor Baron of the State – Joseph Michael Manarkattu (1980s) [29].
  10. First Stock Broker’s Firm in the State – Kayalackakom Company (1946) [30].
  11. First person from the State to dominate the multi-crore Forward Trade (Satta Bazar) in spices – M O Devasia Mattathil (1970s) [31].
  12. First lady athlete of Kerala to win Asian Games gold medal – M D Valsamma (1982)
  13. One of the first two women IPS officers from the State – B Sandhya IPS (1994) [32].
  14. First MBA degree holder of Kerala – K M George Kayalackakom - New York University [33] (1948).
  15. First Christian Mahakavi and Editor of one of the oldest literary magazines in Malayalam – Kattakayam Cheriyan Mappillai - Sreeyesu Vijayam (1926) & Vijgnana Rathnakaram (1915) [34].
  16. First person to introduce the ‘Vanchippaattu’ branch of Malayalam poetry – Ramapurathu Warrior - Kuchelavritham (18th century) [35].
  17. First editor of a Malayalam Newspaper – Nidheerickal Mani Kathanar - Nasrani Deepika [36] (1887).
  18. First bridge constructed by private individuals - Puzhakkara Bridge - 50ft*16ft (Constructed in 1998 by P.A Kuriakose and brothers John and Joseph, Puzhakkara family).[Page10, 15th June 1998 Malayala Manorama Daily, Bussiness Deepika 15-21, 1999].

See also

References

  1. ^ Template:GR
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