Aryankavu is a village located in the Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. It lies close to the border between
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 ...
and Tamil Nadu near
Thenmala
Thenmala is a tourist destination in the eastern side of Kollam district in Kerala, India that is home to the first eco-tourism centre in India. The word 'Thenmala' means "'Honey hills" in Malayalam language. The town is 66 km away from K ...
. It is also one of the famous pilgrimage sites associated with the legend of
Sabarimala. The village is located besides
Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary
Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India, located in Kollam district of Kerala and comes under the control of Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve. It was established on 25 August 1984 and comprises . The name is ...
.
Location and connectivity
It is in the eastern end of
Kollam district
Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major Laccadive Sea seaport and an in ...
on
National Highway 744 at about away from
Tenkasi
Tenkasi is a town and headquarters of the Tenkasi district in Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Being one of the most significant spiritual and cultural places in South Tamilnadu,Tenkasi houses The Kutraleeshwarar temple (Chitra Sabha), one of the ...
and away from
Punalur
Punalur is a Municipality in Kollam district of Kerala State in India. It is the headquarter of the Punalur Taluk and Punalur Revenue Division. It's situated in the eastern part of Kollam district of Kerala, on the banks of the Kallada River an ...
.
The village is well connected with
Punalur
Punalur is a Municipality in Kollam district of Kerala State in India. It is the headquarter of the Punalur Taluk and Punalur Revenue Division. It's situated in the eastern part of Kollam district of Kerala, on the banks of the Kallada River an ...
,
Kollam
Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...
,
Tenkasi
Tenkasi is a town and headquarters of the Tenkasi district in Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Being one of the most significant spiritual and cultural places in South Tamilnadu,Tenkasi houses The Kutraleeshwarar temple (Chitra Sabha), one of the ...
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 ...
through both
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Ltd. - (TNSTC) is a Government owned public transport bus operator in Tamil Nadu, India. It operates Intercity bus services to cities within Tamil Nadu, and from Tamil Nadu to its neighbouring states. It a ...
and
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is a state-owned road transport corporation in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the country's oldest state-run public bus transport services. The corporation is divided into three zones ( ...
.
The village lies along a mountain pass in
Western Ghats called Aryankavu Pass or Schencottah Gap. The
Kollam–Sengottai railway line also passes through Aryankavu and there are two railway stations in Aryankavu namely
New Aryankavu railway station
New Aryankavu (Code: AYVN) is a new railway station opened on Kollam–Sengottai railway line connecting Kollam district in Kerala with Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, during the year 2018. The station is also known as ''Palaruvi railwa ...
and
Aryankavu railway station
Aryankavu railway station (Code: AYV) is a railway station in Kollam, Kerala and falls under the Madurai railway division of the Southern Railway zone, Indian Railways
Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of M ...
.
The nearby airports are
Trivandrum International Airport
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport , is an international airport which serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and fifth international airport of In ...
(),
Madurai Airport
Madurai Airport is a customs airport serving Madurai and its adjoining districts in Tamil Nadu, India. It is the 36th busiest airport in India, both in terms of passengers handled and aircraft movement. The airport is located near State Highwa ...
() and
Tuticorin Airport
Tuticorin Airport is a domestic airport located from Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, serving the districts of Thoothukkudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Kanniyakumari in southern Tamil Nadu. It is west of the city centre on Thoothukkudi-Tirunelveli ...
().
Demographics
India
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
, Aryankavu had a population of 12125 with 5949 males and 6176 females.
The most spoken languages in Aryankavu are Malayalam and English. But due to its closest proximity to Tamil Nadu, Tamil is also widely spoken and understood . There is also ''Malai Pandaram'' tribal population in Aryankavu.
Aryankavu Pass/ Schencottah Gap
It is a mountain pass connecting
Kollam district
Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major Laccadive Sea seaport and an in ...
and
Tenkasi district
Tenkasi is one of the 38 districts of Tamil Nadu, India, separated from Tirunelveli district on 22 November 2019. The Government of Tamil Nadu announced its creation on 18 July 2019. The district headquarters is at Tenkasi.
Geography
The di ...
and the village is located along this pass. This pass along with
Palakkad Gap
Palakkad Gap or Palghat Gap is a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats between Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala. It has an average elevation of with a width of . The pass is located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and ...
and
Aralvaimozhi gap is a significant pass that connects
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 ...
side of
Western Ghats with
Coromandel Coast
The Coromandel Coast is the southeastern coastal region of the Indian subcontinent, bounded by the Utkal Plains to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Kaveri delta to the south, and the Eastern Ghats to the west, extending over an ...
al plains of
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. The pass is a narrow low-lying area in
Western Ghats with altitude lesser than . The
Kollam–Sengottai railway line and
National Highway 744 passes through this pass. In the western end of the gap there is
Kallada River
Kallada River/Kulathupuzha " Puzha "means River.Its's the longest river in Kollam District, Kerala, India.The river originates in Kulathupuzha,a part of Western Ghats and flows west reaching Arabian Sea after travelling a distance of 120km.
Ri ...
valley. The pass plays an important role in the climate of nearby
Punalur
Punalur is a Municipality in Kollam district of Kerala State in India. It is the headquarter of the Punalur Taluk and Punalur Revenue Division. It's situated in the eastern part of Kollam district of Kerala, on the banks of the Kallada River an ...
as it keeps the mercury levels in the town significantly higher than nearby areas.
The gap along with
Achankovil Shear Zone plays the role of an ecological divide. It separate the
Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve
The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in India established in 2001, located in the southernmost end of the Western Ghats and includes of which 1828 km2 is in Kerala and 1672.36 km2 is in Tamil Nadu. It encompasses ...
from
Cardamom Hills
The Cardamom Hills or Yela Mala are mountain range of southern India and part of the southern Western Ghats located in Idukki district, Kerala, India. Their name comes from the cardamom spice grown in much of the hills' cool elevation, wh ...
and
High Range of Kerala.
Attractions
Palaruvi water falls
The
Palaruvi Falls
Palaruvi Falls ( ml, പാലരുവി വെള്ളച്ചാട്ടം) is a waterfall located in Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the 32nd highest waterfall in India.
Palaruvi (literally "stream of milk") falls ...
is located in the forest, away from Aryankavu check post. The name `''Paal''
' means milk & `''Aruvi''
' means stream. There is a train named
Palaruvi Express
The Palaruvi Express (Train number: 16791/16792) is a daily Intercity express train which runs between in Tamil Nadu and in Kerala. The train first introduced as a service running between Punalur in Kollam to Palakkad. On 9 July 2018, it was ...
that passes through Aryankavu which is named after this falls.
Kadamanpara Sandal Forest
It is the second largest natural
sandal
Sandals are an open type of footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the instep and around the ankle. Sandals can also have a heel. While the distinction between sandals and other types of footwear can some ...
forest after
Marayur
Marayur or Marayoor is a town in Devikulam taluk of Idukki district in Kerala, India. It is located 42 kilometers north of Munnar on SH 17 connecting Munnar with Udumalpet, Tamil Nadu. Marayur is situated at around 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) abo ...
. It is situated in Aryankavu Grama panchayath.
Rose Mala
Rose Mala is a place in Aryankavu which is 11.8 km away from Aryankavu Junction. It is one of the
ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...
spots which provides view of
Thenmala Dam reservoir. There is a view point called Rajathottam near Rosemala which offers view of Tenkasi.
Nedumpara
Nedumpara is a place which is away from Aryankavu. Harrisons Malayalam limited has a rubber estate in this place named as Isfield Estate. One of the highest peak of
Kollam district
Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major Laccadive Sea seaport and an in ...
named
Nedumpara Peak is located in Nedumpara, which is locally known as ''Nedumpara Motta''. It is the water divide between
Kallada River
Kallada River/Kulathupuzha " Puzha "means River.Its's the longest river in Kollam District, Kerala, India.The river originates in Kulathupuzha,a part of Western Ghats and flows west reaching Arabian Sea after travelling a distance of 120km.
Ri ...
and
Achankovil river.
Bourdillon's Plot
It is the world's first stump planted plantation of teak which located near the
Palaruvi Falls
Palaruvi Falls ( ml, പാലരുവി വെള്ളച്ചാട്ടം) is a waterfall located in Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the 32nd highest waterfall in India.
Palaruvi (literally "stream of milk") falls ...
in Aryankavu. A British man named
T. F. Bourdillon was its leader. He was then conservator 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 ...
.
Ambanad Hills
Ambanad Hills is the only
tea estate
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...
of
Kollam district
Kollam district (), (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major Laccadive Sea seaport and an in ...
. It is also one of the largest
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, ...
plantation in
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 ...
. The estate also has
tangerine
The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...
plantations.
Religion
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
is the major religion at the village. There is also a sizeable
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
and
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
population.
Aryankavu Shastha Temple
Aryankavu's
Ayyappan
Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil.
Although devotion t ...
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
in Tenkasi District is a most important temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa in Tamil Nadu. The shrine is also known as Aryankavu Shastha Temple. Lord Ayyappa is depicted here as a teenager (young boy). Ayyappa is known as ''Thiru Aryan'' and therefore the place got the name Aryankavu.
Surrounded by forests, the temple is located on the
National Highway 744. Just like in Sabarimala, women from the age 10 to 50 are not allowed inside the Aryankavu Ayyappa Temple. The rituals and pujas followed at Aryankavu Sastha Temple is that of
Sourastrian tradition. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple has idols of Pushkaladevi,
Shiva and Sastha. A young Ayyappa sits in the middle with Pushkaladevi
on the left side and Shiva on the right side.
The festival at the temple is celebrated during the concluding days of the Sabarimala Mandala Kalam. The most important festivals observed here include Pandiyan Mudippu, Tirukkalyanam and Kumbhabhishekam. There are plans to include the temple as part of
Sabarimala circuit.
Other religious places
There are two catholic churches: St. Mary's
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Church
Archdiocese of Changanassery
The Archeparchy of Changanacherry is a Syro-Malabar Catholic archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and also Kanyakumari distric ...
& St. George Malankara
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Church at Arankavu. The St. George Malankara Catholic Church was established 1950's. The founder of the Church was Mr.K.V Abraham Vaidyer (Kaleekal) also known as Kannadi Vaidyar. He was an Ayurvedic physician as well as a member of the Grama Panchayat in 1957.
There are also numerous
Evangelicalist churches that are active in the area.
The major center of worship of
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
is the Edappalayam Juma Masjid.
See also
*
Palakkad Gap
Palakkad Gap or Palghat Gap is a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats between Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala. It has an average elevation of with a width of . The pass is located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and ...
*
Aralvaimozhi
Aralvaimozhi is a panchayat town in Kanniyakumari District in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is a small town situated in southern India. The town was earlier called as ''Aramboly'' during colonial period.
History
Aralvaimozhi pass was a s ...
References
External links
{{Kollam district
Villages in Kollam district