Aranmula is a temple town in the state of
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 C ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
. It is known as the cultural capital of
Pathanamthitta district
Pathanamthitta District (), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. The district headquarters is in the town of Pathanamthitta. There are four municipalities in Pathanamthitta: Adoor, Pandalam, Pathanamthitta and Thiru ...
, located at a distance of around 116 km from
Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
, the capital of
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 C ...
, it is situated on the banks of the river Pampa. A centre of pilgrimage from time immemorial and a trade post of eminence, when the river was the chief means of transport, it is near
Kozhenchery in
Pathanamthitta District
Pathanamthitta District (), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. The district headquarters is in the town of Pathanamthitta. There are four municipalities in Pathanamthitta: Adoor, Pandalam, Pathanamthitta and Thiru ...
. It is easily accessible from Thiruvalla & Chengannur railway stations.It is located around 14 km from Thiruvalla City Centre.
Tourism
Aranmula is famous for the tourist attraction 'Vallam Kali', (Snakeboat regatta). Aranmula is a global heritage site enlisted by the United Nations. It is a sacred site for the Hindus and comprises the central temple of Lord Parthasarathi with a network of temples and sacred groves around. Boat race is part of the temple festival here. The boat race is conducted on day of Uthrittathi in the month of Chingam
Being a Vishnu temple in close proximity to
Sabarimala
The Sabarimala Temple (; ml, ശബരിമല ക്ഷേത്രം) is a temple complex located at Sabarimala hill inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Perinad Village, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. It is one of the largest ...
means that during every Sabarimala season, Aranmula becomes a veritable hotspot for religious tourism.
Geography
Fertile wetlands, locally called Puncha, rich biodiversity and a soothing climate make Aranmula an apex model of the ecofriendly culture of Kerala. The region, as remote sensing maps show, has a rich stock of ground water which feeds the river Pampa and the estuaries like Vembanad. The rice producing belts like Kuttanad downstream benefit from the water cycle. Nearby important towns are
Chengannur
Chengannur (also spelled Chengannoor or Chenganur) is a Municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala State, India. It is located in the extreme eastern part of the Alappuzha district, on the banks of Pamba River.
Chengannur is north o ...
(10 km),
Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta (), is a municipality situated in the Central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The town has a population of 3 ...
(15 km),
Pandalam
Pandalam is a municipal town in Pathanamthitta district Kerala, India. Pandalam is considered a holy town due to its connection with Lord Ayyappa and Sabarimala. Rightly recognised to be the ''educational and cultural capital of Central Tra ...
(14 km). The nearest railway station is Chengannur and airports are in
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 ...
and
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
.
Geographic Coordinates
Aranmula is located at . It has an average elevation of .
Temples
The Aranmula Parthasarathi Temple is one of the major temples in Kerala and has a great antiquity. It is one of the venerated 108 Vaishnava temples in India and finds mention in Tamil classics. Spread over a vast area, the temple is on the banks of the Pampa and the whole temple complex is at a high elevation. Main idol is of Lord Krishna, who is the charioteer of warrior Arjuna in Kurukshetra War. The temple has a flight of 18 steps that lead to the Eastern Tower while 57 descending steps from the Northern tower reaches the Pampa. The temple here has fine murals from the 18th century."Thanka Anki", the golden ornaments of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala is kept in Aranmula sri parthasarathy temple.
Pulikkunnumala Mahadeva Temple
Pulikkunnumala Mahadeva Temple is 4 km from Aranmula. The old temple is traditionally said to be the worship place of the pandavas. This temple is donated by Koikkattumalayil the late Ramakrishna Pillai to the Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti, Kerala.
Palace
Aranmula Kottaram
Aranmula Panchayat
Shija T Toji is the panchayat president while NS Kumar (Makkan)is the vice-president.
Politics
Aranmula Assembly constituency is part of
Pathanamthitta (Lok Sabha constituency). Smt Veena George is the present MLA of the constituency.
Environmental movements
The Ministry of Civil Aviation of the Government of India has issued a letter dated 25 May 2015 withdrawing the ‘in-principle’ approval to the proposed Aranmula Airport Project. The Civil Aviation Ministry has also forwarded copies of the letter withdrawing the approval for the airport project to the Prime Minister's Office, Rashtrapathi Bhavan, Ministry of Home Affairs, Defence Ministry, Planning Commission, Departments of Economic Affairs and Revenue, and the Project Monitoring Group at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. Prior to this, on 8 May 2015, the Ministry of Defence withdrew the No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the project. Earlier, on 28 May 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had cancelled the environment clearance granted to the project by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
See also
*
Aranmula Boat Race
*
Aranmula Kannadi
*
Aranmula kottaram
*
Aranmula International Airport
*
Aranmula khadi
Aranmula is a temple town in the state of Kerala, India. It is known as the cultural capital of Pathanamthitta district, located at a distance of around 116 km from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, it is situated on the banks of the ...
References
External links
aranmula.net aranmula.co.inAranmula Village is chosen as the best district in KeralaControversy surrounding the private airport project in AranmulaAranmula Heritage VillageManorama News: Aranmula - Wonders of Kerala
{{Pathanamthitta district
Villages in Pathanamthitta district