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Kattappana

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Kattappana
Kattappana
Town
Map
Population
 • Total39,608

Kattappana (Malayalam: കട്ടപ്പന),a town nestling on the lap of the Sahyadri (or Western Ghats) in Kerala, India is known as the spices capital of Kerala.[1] It is the main commercial town in the high ranges of Idukki District and is situated 2660 feet above main sea level, in the High Ranges, the high altitude region of Kerala, India. It is a center for spices trade, particularly for cardamom and black pepper. The town is notable for the mountains, lakes, forests, wildlife and spices plantations (cardamom, black pepper, coffee and tea). Kattappana has a cool and salubrious climate and attracts tourists visiting Idukki Dam or Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary at Thekkadi or Munnar hill station .
It also has some well known educational institutions and hospitals.
Other towns and cities nearby are Kanchiyar, Ayyappankoil, Nedumkandam, Idukki, Kuttikkanam, Mundakayam, Thodupuzha, Elappara, Kumily and Theni (Tamil Nadu).
Based on the 2001 Census, in 2001, Kattappana had 9000 households, with a total population of 39608, consisting of 19856 males and 19752 females.[2]
Administration of the town is vested in the Grama Panchayath.

Transportation

(See Kattappana Map)

The nearest airport is at Nedumbassery (125 km away) near Cochin. An airport at nearby Anakkara (Kumili) (25 kms from Kattappana) is being planned by the Government of Kerala and Idukki District Administration.[3]

The town has no rail connectivity. Nearest railway stations are Kottayam (104 kms) and Ernakulam /Aluva (120 Kms). Theni (70 kms away) in Tamil Nadu also has a railway station that connects it to Madurai, 140 kms from Kattappana.

People rely mainly on bus routes which run through the town. Kattappana is accessible from Ernakulam (via Moovattupuzha, Thodupuzha, Idukki), from Kottayam (via Mundakayam, Kuttikanam), from Madurai (via Theni, Cumbum) and from Kumili and from Munnar (via Puliyanmala on Munnar-Kumili highway). There are buses to Kattappana from Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thodupuzha, Idukki and Kumili/Thekkady.

NH 220 Kollam - Theni branches off to Kattappana at Kuttikkanam / Peermedu or at Kumili. The State Highways that pass through Kattappana are:
SH 33: Thodupuzha - Kumily SH 43- Moovattupuzha - Theni SH 41- Ernakulam - Thekkadi.

Other highways that can lead to Kattappana are:
SH 19- Munnar - Kumili SH 42- Kottayam- Cumbum

To relieve traffic congestion, a new bus stand and traffic routing plans have been in effect since May 2011.[4][5][6]

Tourism

There are many tourist spots in nearby areas of Kattappana. There are two hills near the town from which it is possible to get a bird's eye view of the town and to experience the cool climate at 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) above sea level. The main tourist attractions nearby are Thekkady (Kumili), Idukki and Munnar. Calvery Mount and Anchuruli are also nearby tourist spots.

There is a Government Guest House in Kattappana. There are also private tourist homes to cater to the stay of tourists. Pynave (Idukki), Kumaly (Thekkady) and Munnar specifically cater to foreign tourists. Vandanmedu is also a popular tourist resort.

From Kattappana, one can have a scenic view of Idukki reservoir, which is a part of the largest hydro-electric project in the state of Kerala. There is a 4 km long tunnel that connects the dam at Erattayar (a small town near Kattappana) with Anchuruli, letting the water from the dam to flow to the Idukki Reservoir.

Tunnel at Anchuruli
3.5 km Tunnel that connects Anchuruli and Erattayar dam
Idukki Reservoir from Anchuruli,
View of Idukki reservoir from Anchuruli

Calvery Mount has a bird's eyes view of the reservoir from 200 metres above the reservoir.

Idukki Reservoir from Anchuruli

Education

Colleges in Kattappana are affiliated with the Mahatma Gandhi University of Kottayam. Many institutions are run under the management of the Diocese of Kanjirappally, affiliated with the Mahatma Gandhi University.[7]

Colleges

College Courses
Government College,Kattappana (established in 1977) B.A.Economics, B.A. Malayalam, B.Sc.Chemistry, B.Sc. Mathematics, B.Com, M.A. Malayalam
College of Applied Science (IHRD), Kattappana B.Sc.Computer Science, B.Sc. Electronics, M.Sc. Computer Science, PGDCA
John Paul Memorial Colleges Labbakkada, Kattappana B.Ed, B.Com (Computer Application), BCA, BTS, BBA, BA English, MA English, M.Com Finance
St.John's College of Nursing B.Sc. Nursing
St.John's School of Nursing General Nursing & Midwifery
Co-operative College Kattappana H.D.C/B.Com
St.Sebastian's College of Management & Technology, Kattappana Diploma in Hotel Management, Fashion Designing, CDIT Courses

Some nearby higher education centres are:

College Courses
Government Engineering College, Pynave, Idukki (29 km) B.Tech- Electrical & Electronics Engg, Electronics & Communication Engg, Computer Science & Engg, Information Technology)
Marian College, Kuttikkanam MBA, MCA, MSW, MCom, BBA, BCA, BCom, Hospitality Management)
M.E.S. College, Vattappara, Nedumkandam (18 km) BA History, BSc.Physics, BSc Mathematics,

BSc Chemistry, BCom, MSc OR & Computer Applications, MSc Physics, MCom

Govt. Polytechnic College, Nedumkandam (23 km)
Govt. Polytechnic College, Kumily (35 km)
Holy Cross College, Puttady (10 km)
Model Polytechnic(IHRD), Idukki (30 km)

Higher secondary schools / High Schools

ITI

  • Government ITI, Kattappana

Research

Agriculture, Commerce, Industry, Banking & Trade

Kattappana is a center for spices trade and is one of the primary producers of cardamom[8] and black pepper. The "Njallani" high yielding variety of cardamom, was developed in Kattappana. (Please see note below). Kattappana is also the centre of production and marketing of coffee, cocoa and ginger. There are also several reputed tea plantations (Tata Tea, A V Thomas & Co, Malayalam Plantations, Kannan Devan etc) in adjoining areas of the district. The mid-1980s saw an unprecedented boom in construction activity as a result of a surge in the prices of cardamom and black pepper. The economic boom of the town led to land prices that were once rumoured to be higher than those in Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala.

Spices Board (erstwhile Cardamom Board under Government of India) has an office in Kattappana. A Spices Park is established at Puttadi near Kattappana. Cardamom Research Institute is situated at Pampadumpara.

Spices Plantations

Cardamom Plant
Cardamom Plant
Black Pepper Plant
Black Pepper Plant
Cofee Plant
Coffee Plant
Tea Plantation
Tea Plantation

'Njallani' Cardamom

'Njallani' high yielding variety of cardamom was developed by Sebastian Joseph Njallani of Kattappana, who migrated to Kattappana in 1952 from Pala.[9] He was a marginal farmer who did not know how to patent his invention. He used bees for cross-pollination along with berry cloning and the Njallani variety revolutionized cardamom cultivation in Idukki District. He received several awards from the Spices Board and from Government of India and Government of Kerala.[10]

Banks

The following major banks have their branches in Kattappana:

Kattappana Service Co-operative Bank has also been functioning in Kattappana.

Despite being the commercial hub of the High Ranges, most of Kattappana was shown in official records, as part of forest area, owned by the government. Granting title deeds to the land owners and farmers, had been a vote-catching slogan, raised by successive state governments. With the removal of legal hurdles, the Government has ordered issue of condition-free titles to the farmers in November 2010.[11]

There is a mini Industrial estate in Kattappana.

Healthcare and Hospitals

St. John's Hospital Kattappana is a leading hospital in Idukki District. It is owned and managed by the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God. It is located 1.5 km from the heart of the town and has a full range of modern facilities. An institution named St. John College of Nursing is attached to the hospital for nursing and paramedical education, offering 4 year B.Sc. Nursing Course (affiliated to MG University) and also General Nursing & Midwifery License course approved by the Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council.

St.John's Hospital, Kattappana was started in 1968 by Bro. Fortunatus Thanhauser, a Polish missionary, who adopted Kattappana as his home from 1967 until his death in 2005. He came to Kattappana, India in January 1967 to serve "an underdeveloped region of mostly illegal new settlements of landless poor in government forests".[12]

Theni Medical College in Tamil Nadu is around 70 km from Kattappana and is a closer destination than any other medical college in Kerala. Kottayam Medical College is the next nearest medical college for Kattappana residents. There is a Government-run District Hospital in Pynave, Idukki.

Other hospitals functioning in Kattappana are Anchana Hospital and Bala Hospital (both near Pulianmala Road), Christy Hospital (Idukki kavala), Saro Hospital (Erattayar Road, near IHRD College), the Government Ayurvedic Hospital, Kattappana, Government Homeo Hospital, Kattappana and Government Hospital (Allopathy), 20 Acre, Kattappana. Land has recently been acquired for a new multi speciality hospital near State Bank junction.

Religion and Demographics

Current population consists mostly of descendants of migrants who migrated to the area in early 1950s, when the area was forest land. The town has a large population of Syrian Catholic families who migrated to Kattappana in early 1950s from Central Travancore. St. George Forane Church was the first major edifice in the town built by the first settlers to the area.[13] The Nair and Ezhava communities also make up a good part of the population. The landmark of the town is a magnificent edifice dedicated to Sree Narayana Gurudev. There are also Muslim families here and the Juma Masjid caters to their religious needs. Religious harmony has been a notable feature of the town.
. The major places of religious worship include:

  • Jyothis Bishop's House,Malankara Catholic Church- Idukki Region, Jyothis Center, Kattappana
  • St.George Forane Church (Catholic),Pallikavala, Kattappana (Diocese of Kanjirappally)
  • St.George Church (Roman Catholic),Vellyamkudy,Kattappana(Idukki Diocese)
  • St. Paul's Malankara Catholic Church, Jyothis Centre, Kattappana (Archdiocese of Tiruvalla)
  • St Mary's Orthodox Church, Kattappana
  • St George Jacobite Syrian Church, Kattappana (under Idukki Bhadrasanam)
  • St Mary's Knanaya Church, Kattappana
  • St. John's CSI Church, Kattappana
  • India Pentecostal Mission Church, Kattappana
  • Sree Lakshminarayana Temple, Idukkikavala, Kattappana
  • Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, Ambalakavala[14]
  • Visvakarma Mahadeva Temple,Kochuthovala Rd, Kattappana
  • Darussalam Juma Masjid, Kattappana

Descendants of earlier inhabitants, the tribals of the forest, can still be seen. The Mannan tribe is now concentrated around Kozhimala, near Kanchiyar.[15] They still have a King residing at Kozhimala. The Mannan kingdom in Idukki forest areas, was reportedly a feudatory of the erstwhile Pandya Kings of Madurai and later became protege of the Poonjar Raja and Travancore Kingdom.

Before large scale migration and settlement took place in Kattappana and surrounding areas in early 1950s, there were Tamil farmers here who were seasonal farmers mainly harvesting the cardamom that was then growing naturally in the wild in the deep dense forests. There is a sizable number of Tamil labor force forming part of the floating population of Kattappana. The 1950s settlement was induced by the State Government leasing out forest land for cardamom cultivation.

Culture, Arts, Music & Entertainment

Kattappana has a public library.
The movie houses in the town are:

  • Aiswarya Theatre (formerly known as Sangeetha), near the Town Hall
  • Sagara Movies, Kothuthovala Road.
  • Santhosh Theatre, near the old Private Bus Stand.

There are also Arts and Music Clubs in the town.

Kattappana Town Lions Club [16] is part of Lions Club International, and is engaged in humanitarian service and community projects for community service.

  • Idukki Malankarajyothi Integral Development Society, Jyothis Center, Kattappana.
  • Bodhana Social Service Society, Jyothis Center, Kattappana.

Sports

Kattappana schools and colleges have been promoting sports. In the State school athletic meets, Kattappana educational district used to be runners-up for many years consecutively. There are football clubs in the town, such as Spices City Club. An annual football event is conducted in which various clubs from all over Kerala participate.[citation needed]

Kattappana also has a sports stadium.

References

  1. ^ 'Trial Run Begins at Spices Park', the Hindu, Sept 6, 2010
  2. ^ Idukki District, Census 2001
  3. ^ 'Report on Idukki Airport Submitted', 'the Hindu', May 18,2011
  4. ^ Kattappana Town Planning
  5. ^ 'Kattappana Bus Stand Set to Open', 'the Hindu', May 04,2010
  6. ^ 'Hartal Hits Life in Kattappana', 'the Hindu', June 02, 2011
  7. ^ Educational Institutions in Idukki District
  8. ^ Cardamom Cultivation
  9. ^ "Tale of an Indigenous Farmer", Rediff.com
  10. ^ "New Cardamom Variety: Njallani", National Innovation Foundation India
  11. ^ Title Deeds to Be Issued to Idukki Farmers, 'the Hindu', Nov 27, 2010
  12. ^ Bro. Fortunatus of Hospitaller Services of St. John of God
  13. ^ St George Forane Church, Kattappana
  14. ^ Kattapana Photos
  15. ^ Mannan tribe
  16. ^ Kattappana Town Lions Club
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