Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the

Ernakulam District Ernakulam, ; ISO: ''Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ'', in Malayalam: എറണാകുളം), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, that takes its name from the eponymous city division in Kochi. It is situated in the central part o ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, India. It is a part of the

Kochi metropolitan area The Kochi metropolitan area or Kochi urban agglomeration is a metropolitan area centered around the city of Kochi, in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. With a population of more than 2.1 million within an area of 440 km², it is the most po ...

and is situated around from the city center on the banks of

Periyar River Periyar, , (meaning: ''big river'') is the longest river and the river with the largest discharge potential in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns. ...

. A major transportation hub, with easy access to all major forms of transportation, Aluva acts as a corridor which links the highland districts to the rest of Kerala.

Cochin International Airport Cochin International Airport is an International airport serving the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Located at Nedumbassery, about northeast of the city centre, Cochin International Airport is first of its kind which is develo ...

Nedumbassery Nedumbassery, , is a suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Situated around northeast of the city centre, Nedumbassery is also an integral part of the Kochi Metropolitan Area. Location Nedumbassery lies between the two municipaliti ...

is 11.7 km from Aluva. Aluva is accessible through rail (

Aluva railway station Aluva railway station (Code: AWY) is a railway station in Aluva, in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala. It is an NSG 3 grade station under Thiruvananthapuram railway division. It lies in the Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section of Thiruvan ...

), air (

), metro (

Kochi Metro The Kochi Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It was opened to the public within four years of starting construction, making it one of the fastest completed metro projects in India. The Kochi metro proje ...

) along with major highways and roadlines.

Aluva KSRTC bus station Aluva KSRTC bus station is a transport hub in the Indian city of Aluva, owned and operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). An important transport hub in the state, the station is located left aside Aluva railway station, ...

is an important transport hub in Kerala and one of the busiest stations in central part of the state. Aluva, home to the summer residency of the Travancore royal family–the Alwaye Palace-is also famous for the Sivarathri festival celebrated annually at the sandbanks of

Periyar Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), revered as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the 'F ...

. The Advaita Ashrams in Aluva founded in 1913 by

Sree Narayana Guru Narayana Guru, , (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual ...

, one of India's greatest social reformers, adds to the cultural significance of the region. Today, despite being a part of the city as well as the

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

urban agglomeration An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...

, Aluva is still only an autonomous

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

with its civic administration conducted by Aluva Municipal Council, primarily because

Kochi Corporation The Kochi Municipal Corporation is the municipal corporation that manages the Indian city of Kochi (also known as Cochin) in the state of Kerala. Municipal Corporation mechanism in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of muni ...

has not expanded its limits for over 53 years. Aluva also serves as the administrative centre of the Aluva

taluk A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

. Villages from Mukundapuram, Kanayannur, Kunathunad and North Paravur taluks were combined to form Aluva Taluk in 1956.The headquarters of the District Police Chief of Ernakulam Rural Police District, Superintending engineer, PWD (Roads) and of the District Educational Officer, Aluva are also located there. It is the northern starting point of

rail's first phase which began its operations in June 2017, as well as Kochi city bus network. The Metro station is at Bypass, Aluva Aluva Puzha from railway bridge

History

Archaeologists have found evidence of settlements in Aluva as far back as 250 BC. The place used to be a continuous area of land spread across Kakkanad and Alangad; historians have recorded that it was so up to AD 1341. The town, by then thickly populated, became a holiday resort and a centre of commerce. Mangalappuzha, a branch of

which bifurcates at Aluva was known to be the nerve centre of trade and commerce in this part of South India. Before Indian independence, Aluva was part of the Kingdom of

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

and was the official summer residence of the royal family. The etymology of the name of the town of Aluva has been the subject of speculation for centuries. One of the more accepted version relates to the story of Hindu god

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

drinking the Kalakootam poison to save the world. It is said that Shiva with the poison 'Alam' in his mouth 'Vaa' was made into a deity which was then rested in a temple in Aluva. The Sivarathri festival for which the town is famous for is celebrated in the honour of

. In the twentieth century, when there was a community of Jews in Cochin, some used to have holiday homes in Aluva on the banks of the River Periyar. It also has a name "gate way to east"

Politics

Aluva is a constituency in the

Kerala Legislative Assembly The Kerala Legislative Assembly, popularly known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, is the State Assembly of Kerala, one of the 28 states in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives. Each elected member represents one of the 140 c ...

. The Aluva assembly constituency is part of the

Chalakudy Chalakudy is a municipal town situated on the banks of Chalakudy River in Thrissur district of the Kerala state in India. It is the headquarters of Chalakudy taluk. It is the base camp for travellers to Athirappilly Falls and Vazhachal Falls. ...

(Lok Sabha constituency).

Anwar Sadath Anwar Sadath (born 18 February 1975) is an Indian politician and a member of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly. He is a member of Indian National Congress and represents Aluva Constituency. Early life Anwar Sadath was born on 18 Februa ...

is the MLA of Aluva. It is part of

Chalakudy (Lok Sabha constituency) Chalakudy is one of the 20 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in the South Indian state of Kerala. It came into existence in 2008, following the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies based on recommendations of the Delimitation Comm ...

Benny Behanan Benny Behanan (born 22 August 1952) is an Indian politician from Kerala. He is a member of the Indian National Congress party who serves as Member of Parliament from Chalakudy (Lok Sabha constituency). He was the MLA of Thrikkakara Legislativ ...

is the MP in this constituency. Administratively, Aluva is a

. The current municipal council is ruled by Indian National Congress Party, led by

M.O. John Mo or MO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mo, a girl in the ''Horrible Histories'' TV series * Mo, also known as Mortimer, in the novel ''Inkheart'' by Cornelia Funke * Mo, in the webcomic '' Jesus and Mo'' * Mo, the ...

who was elected in December 2020. Previously it was led by Lissy Abraham (2015–2020) and M.T Jacob (2010–2015)

Travel

Aluva is well connected by air, road and rail from all parts of the country

By Air

Cochin International Airport is 15 km from the town center. Regular domestic and international connections are available from the airport.

By Train

(IR Code: AWY) is an A graded railway station in Kerala, and is the third busiest railway station in Kochi city after

Ernakulam Junction railway station Ernakulam Junction railway station (also known as Ernakulam South, code: ERS) is the biggest railway station in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Controlling 376 train routes at a time, it is the busiest railway junction station in South Indi ...

and

Ernakulam Town railway station Ernakulam Town (also known as Ernakulam North, code: ERN) is one of the main railway stations in the Kochi, city of Kochi, Kerala, India. Administration The station is operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways and is an ...

. All passenger, express trains bound to southern Kerala do have a stop in this station. Some leaflets/websites still refer the town's old name (Alwaye).There is also a small railway station near Aluva named

Chowara Chowara is a village in Ernakulam District, Kerala, situated about 5km North of Aluva Town Agriculture Rice is grown and harvested in Chowwera. See also * Sreemoolanagaram Sreemoolanagaram is a small town near Aluva and is a part of the Sreemo ...

with a 4 km distance from this railway station. By Metro Kochi Metro phase 1 starts from Aluva Bypass and currently operates till Pettah. Upon completion of phase 1, it will be further extended to

Tripunithura railway station Tripunithura railway station is a (NSG 5 Category) railway terminal located at Tripunithura, Kochi, in the Indian state of Kerala. The station is on the rail route between Thiruvananthapuram Central and Ernakulam Junction via . History During ...

. The project was started in mid of 2013 and commenced its operations in 2017. The metro system's third phase proposes to extend this line further north from Aluva to the northern suburb

Angamaly Angamaly (''Aṅkamāli''), , Malayalam : അങ്കമാലി Situated about north of the city centre, the town lies at the intersection of Main Central Road (MC Road) and National Highway 544. MC Road, which starts from Thiruvananthapu ...

connecting

By Bus

Rajiv Gandhi Central Bus Station is one of the largest private Bus terminals in Kochi and Kerala.

is also an important bus station in the central Kerala. Apart from this, daily passenger bus of Karnataka RTC and Tamil Nadu's SETC do connect from places like Mysore, Mangalore, Bangalore, Trichy, Coimbatore, Salem, Palani, Kodaikanal etc. Privately operated Inter-state bus to Bangalore, Chennai, Mysore, Mumbai etc. do have stops in various points of Aluva. This bus stand also acts as an important node for Kochi city buses, with intra-city services to various parts like

Fort Kochi Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...

Tripunithura Thrippunithura or Tripunithura (), is a prominent historical and residential region in the City of Kochi in Kerala, India. Located about 7 km (4 mi) from the city centre, Tripunithura was the capital of the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin ...

Kakkanad Kakkanad is a major industrial and residential region in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is situated in the eastern part of the city and houses the Cochin Special Economic Zone, Infopark, Smart City and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial ...

, etc. It is a hub for various private bus companies in the city, like

Kochi Wheels Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part ...

Kochi Metro Rail Limited Kochi Metro Rail Limited, abbreviated to KMRL, is a centre-state public sector company in Kochi, Kerala, India, that operates the Kochi Metro and Kochi Water Metro. The company was incorporated on 2 August 2011. History Kochi Metro Rail L ...

also runs a bus service from

Aluva metro station Aluva is a station of Kochi Metro. The station is currently the northern terminus of the line; the next station is . The station is located besides the Aluva flyover near Aluva Market. The station is situated near the banks of the Periyar river. ...

named Pavan Doot, using an

electric bus An electric bus is a bus that is propelled using electric motors as opposed to an internal combustion engine. Electric buses can store the needed electricity on-board, or be fed continuously from an external source. The majority of buses s ...

By Ferry

Aluva is one major stop for National Waterway 3, scheduled to open by August 2010 which connects to Thiruvananthapuram in south and Kottapuram (Thrissur) in north.

Tourism

Tourists would find the Manappuram on the left as a long stretch of sand bank followed by a plain. Sivagiri Ashram has a small temple which worships Sree Narayana Guru. Popular tourist spots include: * Sivarathri Manappuram (Sree Mahadeva temple) * Aluva Palace * Periyar banks * Municipal Park * Kunnathery Maqam (Mahlarathul Qadriya) * Madrasa Noorul Irfan Arabic Collage, Kunnathery * St. Dominic Syro-Malabar Church * St John the Baptist CSI Church (Estd 1891) * Mangalappuzha Major Seminary * Kadungalloor Sree Narasimha Swamy temple * Thiruvalloor Sree Mahadeva Temple * Kunnil sree dharmashastha temple, Kadungalloor * Cheerakkada Temple * Desom Sree Pallippattukavu Bhagavathy Temple * Desom Sree Ananthapuram Mahavishnu Temple * Desom Sree Dhattha Anjaneya Temple * Adwaitha Ashram * Sree Krishna Temple * St. Mary's Church Chowara, Aluva * Parunthuranchi Manappuram Aluva * Uliyannoor Sree Mahadeva Temple * Pottachira Sree Krishna Temple * Thuruthu, a small island in aluva * Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly Museum, Chunangamvely * Aluva Settu JumaMasjid * Kunjunnikara Juma Masjid * Thottumughom Thangal Jaaram * Thottumughom Padinjare Palli Juma Masjid * Thevarkadu Sree Mahavishnu-Durga Temple, Near

Chowwara Chowara is a small town in Aluva in the Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala, India. Demographics At the 2001 India census, Chowwara had a population of 13,603. Males constituted 50% of the population and females 50%. Chowwara had an avera ...

Ferry, Aluva * Thiruvairanikulam Sree Mahadeva Temple * Janaseva Shishu Bhavan, Aluva * Sree Kurumbakavu Bhagavathi Temple Edathala * Pothiyil Sree Narasimha Moorthy -Sreekrishna Swamy Temple * Aluva Brahmana Samooham Sree Mahaganapathi Dharmashastha Temple, Manappuram

Culture

The culture scene of Aluva is rich with those who are native of this town and those who have been attracted to it mainly due its proximity to the great river

. Several popular Malayalam movie songs are dedicated to the river Periyar. Famous poets Changapuzha Krishna Pillai,

G. Sankara Kurup G. Sankara Kurup, (3 June 1901 – 2 February 1978) also referred to as Mahakavi G (The Great Poet G), was an Indian poet, essayist and literary critic of Malayalam literature. Known as one of the greats of Malayalam poetry, he was the first r ...

and

Balachandran Chullikkadu Balachandran Chullikkad (born 30 July 1957) is an Indian poet, orator, lyricist and actor in Malayalam-language. Early life Balachandran was born in Paravur, Ernakulam, Kerala, India. He completed his graduation in English literature from the ...

, and critic Kuttipuzha Krishnapilla, and novelist Subash Chandran are from Aluva and lived there. Though not from Aluva area,

Vayalar Ramavarma Vayalar Ramavarma (March 25, 1928 – October 27, 1975), also known as Vayalar, was an Indian poet and lyricist of Malayalam language. He was known for his poems which include ''Sargasangeetham'', ''Mulankaadu'', ''Padamudrakal'', ''Aayisha'' a ...

and O.N.V Kurup wrote about Periyar and the town Aluva was an integral part of their paying homage to the most lively river of the state of Kerala, Periyar. The mimicry comedy revolution that dominated the cultural landscape of Kerala beginning 1980's originated in Aluva by stand-up comedians from that area, though they got larger audience and fans in

and in Malayalam movies later which would make them cultural fixations of Kerala's pop culture. The movie star Dileep is from later part of that era. With

becoming the base for Mollywood, several parts of the city including Aluva has featured in numerous films, like

Premam ''Premam'' (transl. Love) is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language coming of age romance film written and directed by Alphonse Puthren. Produced by Anwar Rasheed, it features Nivin Pauly and Sai Pallavi in the prominent roles. The plot follows Geor ...

(portraying the erstwhile Aluva town in the 90s and early 2000s), Nizhal etc. Several newspapers and magazines were published from Aluva during the print era. Continuing with that tradition the first online magazine and blogging platform was also started in Aluva by puzha.com, which continues to exist in the cyberspace.

Notable people

Dileep Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan Pillai, better known by his stage name Dileep, is an Indian actor, producer, and businessman who predominantly works in the Malayalam film industry. He has acted in more than 150 films and has won several awards, inc ...

(film actor) *

John Abraham John Abraham (born 17 December 1972) is an Indian actor, film producer, writer and former model working in Hindi films. He has won a National Film Award and received five Filmfare nominations. After modelling for advertisements and companies ...

(Bollywood actor) *

Nivin Pauly Nivin Pauly (born 11 October 1984) is an Indian actor and producer who works predominantly in Malayalam films. He is a recipient of several awards including two Kerala State Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards South, Filmfare South awards. ...

(film actor) *

Amala Paul Amala Paul (born 26 October 1991) is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Malayalam cinema, Malayalam and Telugu cinema, Telugu films. She made her acting debut by appearing in a supporting role in the Malayalam-language ...

(film actress) *

Pearle Maaney Pearle Maaney ( /maːɳi/; born 28 May 1989) is an Indian actress, lyricist, YouTuber, and television presenter who works in Malayalam films. She is known for co-hosting three seasons of the Malayalam dance reality show ''D 4 Dance''. In 2018, ...

(film actress, TV host) *

Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly Payyappilly Varghese Kathanar was a Syro-Malabar priest from the Indian state of Kerala and the founder of the congregation of Sisters of the Destitute. He was declared Venerable by Pope Francis on 14 April 2018. Family Kathanar was born as Ku ...

M. K. Mackar Pillay Manadath Kunju Mackar Pillay (1880 – 1966) was an Indian industrialist, banker, philanthropist, and politician who served in the Sree Moolam Popular Assembly. He was a leading cashew and lemongrass exporter, and founder of the eponymous Mac ...

(industrialist) * M. M. Abdul Khader (former Advocate General of Kerala) *

M. M. Pareed Pillay Manadath Mohammed Pillay Pareed Pillay is an Indian judge, jurist and lawyer who served as the 15th Chief Justice of Kerala. He was also appointed the first Chairman of the Kerala State Human Rights Commission in 1998 by the Governor of Kerala. ...

(former Chief Justice of Kerala) *

Kalamandalam Haridas Kalamandalam Venmani Haridas (15 September 1946 – 17 September 2005) was an Indian Kathakali musician noted for his rendition of the Kathakali padams (playback songs) for the characters in the classical Kerala dance-drama.Born in Venmani Mana, ...

* Sainuddin *

Siju Wilson Wilson Joseph (born 22 November 1984), professionally credited as Siju Wilson, is an Indian actor and producer, who works in Malayalam films. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film for his debut production '' Vasanthi'' (2019). Care ...

(film actor) *

N. F. Varghese Nadakkaparambil Francis Varghese (6 January 1950 – 19 June 2002) was an Indian actor who worked in Malayalam film industry. He began his career as a mimicry artist in Kalabhavan, acting in minor roles, but later he turned to strong villain r ...

(film actor) *

Ajmal Ameer Ajmal Ameer (born 8 November 1985) is an Indian actor and former physician, who works in the Cinema of Kerala, Malayalam, Cinema of Tamil Nadu, Tamil, and Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, Telugu film industries. He has won two Filmfare Awards South f ...

(film actor) *

Alphonse Puthren Alphonse Puthren is an Indian film director, producer, actor, editor, writer, and ad film maker. He works mainly in the Malayalam Cinema. He made his directional debut with the critically acclaimed Malayalam - Tamil bilingual suspense-thrille ...

(film director) *

Sharaf U Dheen Sharafudheen, professionally credited as Sharaf U Dheen, is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam films. He made his acting debut in 2013 with ''Neram''. He got his breakthrough by portraying the role of ''Girirajan Kozhi'' in ''Premam'' (20 ...

(film actor) *

Shabareesh Varma Shabareesh Varma is an Indian lyricist, singer and actor working in Malayalam and Tamil films. Shabareesh made his debut in the Alphonse Putharen's acclaimed 2013 film ''Neram'' where he rose to fame with his lyrics for the song ''Pistah'' in ...

(film actor, poet, singer) * Venu V. Desom (poet) *

Tini Tom Tini Tom is an Indian actor, comedian and mimicry artist from Kerala. He works in Malayalam films and television. Early life Tini was born in North Paravoor, Kerala, India. His father Tomy T.D. is an engineer. He has a sister Tincy. Tom comp ...

(film actor, comedian) *

Sitaraman Sankaranarayana Iyer Sitaraman Sankaranarayana Iyer (4 May 1946 – 9 December 2020), also known as Professor S. Sitaraman was an environmentalist and teacher from Aluva, Kerala, India. He has been active in the protection of rivers, water bodies and forests of Kera ...

(nature activist) *

N. K. Desam N. Kuttikrishna Pillai, better known as N. K. Desam ( ml, എൻ. കെ. ദേശം; born 31 October 1936), is a Malayalam-language poet and literary critic from the south Indian state of Kerala. His poetry collection ''Mudra'' won the Keral ...

(poet) *

G.N. Gopal G.N. Gopal (born 29 March 1989) is an Indian Chess grandmaster from Cochin, Kerala. Gopal became Kerala's first grandmaster in 2007 at the age of 18 and India's sixteenth grandmaster. He won the bronze medal in the prestigious 2010 Asian ...

(Indian Chess Grandmaster) * Krishna Sankar (film actor) * Dilas (athlete) *

Shritha Sivadas Shritha Sivadas is an Indian actress and television presenter who works in Malayalam and Tamil-language films. She made her debut in Sugeeth's ''Ordinary'' (2012). After long time she made a comeback through ''Dhilluku Dhuddu 2'' in 2019. Pe ...

(actor)

Business

City Water- residential apartment aluva
Federal bank head office aluva

Aluva is the home of many business headquarters. Aluva is known for its "Aluva Pukayillatha Aduppu" (smokeless stove) invented by the Alwaye Settlement Church many business headquarters. One of the well established private sector bank in India, The Federal Bank has its headquarters in Aluva.

Colleges and schools

Many educational institutions are located in Aluva.

Colleges

* Union Christian College, Aluva * St.Xaviers College for Women Aluva * Bharata Matha College of Commerce and Arts, Aluva * MES College Marampally, Aluva * Bharata Mata School of Legal Studies Aluva * Carmel College of Nursing Nalamile, Aluva * Al Ameen College Edathala, Aluva * MES M. K. Mackar Pillay College of Advanced Studies Edathala, Aluva * KMEA Engineering College Edathala * YMCA College Edayappuram, Aluva * Queen Mothers College Aluva * St Antony's College, Aluva

Schools and other educational institutions

Nirmala Higher Secondary School
* St Mary's High School * The Alwaye Settlement Higher Secondary School * Vidyadhiraja Vidyabhavan Higher Secondary School * School For The Blind Aluva * St. Francis Higher Secondary School for Girls * Government Girls Higher Secondary School Aluva * Joe Mount Public School * Al-Ameen International Public School * KMJ Public School Nochima, Aluva * Jyothi Nivas Senior Secondary School, Aluva -2 * Jeevass CMI Central School * SNDP Higher Secondary School * Technical Higher Secondary School, Aluva * Christava Mahilalayam Higher Secondary School * Govt. Boy's Higher Secondary School * Islamic Higher Secondary School * Holy Ghost Convent Girls High School * St. John The Baptist Csi Emhs School * St. Joseph's UP School * Sivagiri Vidyaniketan Senior Secondary School * Al-Hind Public School * Talent Public School * Crescent Public School * Ideal Public School * God's Own Public School

Transportation

Aluva Railway Station

Aluva Railway Station Aluva railway station (Code: AWY) is a railway station in Aluva, in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala. It is an NSG 3 grade station under Thiruvananthapuram railway division. It lies in the Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section of Thiruvan ...

is a major stop for trains that passes north to south of Kerala. It is the third busiest station in Kochi city, after

and

. The station is important for southern railway because of the number of passengers itself. The commuters and travellers from Idukki district have to use either this station or the

for all their train journeys as there is no possible railway in the Idukki topography. There are no trains starting or ending at this station, but there are a lot of trains which stop for considerable duration here. Aluva Railway Station is situated at the Railway Station Road junction near the KSRTC stand. The KSRTC stand hosts many buses from

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...

and a lot of City Low Floor buses, both A/C and non A/C which ensures connectivity to almost all the places in Kerala.

Kochi Metro Rail Limited

Phase 1 of the

, the pride project of Kerala Government, undertaken by DMRC starts from aside Aluva Flyover.

is the northern terminus of the phase 1 line which was open on 19 June 2017. The construction was started on mid of 2013. Kochi Metro is expected to overcome the traffic problems in Aluva –

Edappally Edappally or Idappalli is a region in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is a major commercial centre as well as a prominent residential region. Edappally junction is one of the busiest junctions in the city. History Edappally in English ...

road corridor, which is the second busiest road corridor in Kochi after

Kundannoor Kundannoor is a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located around 3.5 km from Vytilla Junction and around 7 km from Ernakulam Junction Railway Station. Kundanoor is located on the busiest road of the city and state, ...

section of NH 66. Kochi metro is expected to raise the civil infrastructure of the city. Development of Kochi metro has raised the commercial value of the land, and has largely catalysed Aluva's assimilation into Kochi city.

Aluva Mahadeva Temple

The Mahadeva Temple is situated at a distance of 1 km from the

Marthanda Varma bridge Marthanda Varma Bridge is a bridge in Aluva, in Kochi city in Kerala, India. The bridge lies on the NH 47 Highway and connects the banks of the Periyar river in Aluva. This bridge was opened on 14 June 1940. Bridge across the Periyar river bui ...

in NH-47. Periyar river splits into two near Aluva railway bridge and after the splitting one part is called Mangalappuzha. Aluva Mahadeva Temple is located on the sand bank in between the Mangalppuzha and Periyar river. Aluva Mahadeva Temple is managed by Travancore Devaswom Board. The unique feature of Aluva Mahadeva Temple is that the Shivalinga is not enshrined in a Sreekovil. The Swayambhoo Shivalinga installed by Lord Parasurama and worshipped by Lord Sree Rama rises out of the sand banks of the Periyar river. This place is called the Aluva Manal Puram (land with sand). There are many legends associated with this temple. After installing the Lingam Parasurama built a temple here but was destroyed by a flood. Lord Shiva told him that no temple structure will exist at that place because He does not want a temple structure for protecting the Lingam. Another legend goes like this. The Bhuthaganas of Lord Shiva worshiped the Lingam every night. They decided to construct a temple there. But Lord Shiva told them that they must complete the temple in a single night. Bhuthaganas agreed and started the construction. When the foundation was completed, Lord Vishnu came there, disguised as a cock and crowed to mislead the Bhuthaganas. The Bhuthaganas, fearing that dawn had approached, left the work unfinished. Sri Rama, during his search for Sitha, performed tharpana for Jadayu here. Another legend is associated with Vilwamangalam Swamiyar. One day he visited this place and realised the presence of Lord Shiva and identified the Shiva Linga installed by Parasurama. He started worshipping the Linga and Lord Mahadeva appeared in front of him and told him to start poojas there. Pottayil Ilayathu, Thottathil Nambiar and Idamana Nampoothiri made proper arrangements for Shiva Pooja and Vilwamngalam started the pooja. But there were no vessels to offer Nivedyam. So Vilwamangalam used a Kavungin Pala (aracanut leaf) to offer Nivedyam. Even today the nivedyam is offered in Kavungin Pala and is called Palanivedyam. Later Vilwamangalam and his associates – Ilayathu, Nambiar and Nampoothiri – constructed a temple but it was destroyed by flood in AD 1343. During the monsoon season the whole region gets flooded and the Shivalinga gets submerged in water. So the Ooranma Nampoothiris were decided to construct a small temple on the bank of the river in order to perform poojas during monsoon season. This temple is called Bala Kshetram. It is a fact that though unfinished in nature, this temple has withstood many a flood and still stands as an enigma to the architects, regarding its foundation and structure. The Travancore Devaswom Board authorities constructed a temple structure here some years ago. but the Deva Prasna conducted later revealed that construction of the temple structure is against Lord Shiva's wish.

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Remaining Date for Aluva Municipality Election 2020
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Temples in Aluva

Hanuman temples in kerala

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Temples in Kochi
Neighbourhoods in Kochi Populated places established in 1921 1921 establishments in India