Elapeedika is a village in the southwestern state of Kerala, India.

Elapeedika - A tangle of nature and history

Towering high, at an altitude of 1000 metre above sea level and lying untrodden and unexplored is a pristine patch of greenery which breathes history-Elapeedika. A green hideout where lush hilly stretches are stitched to perfection with grasslands, Elapeedika in Kannur is an escapist's paradise. Elapeedika lies surreptitiously in the Western Ghats, away from the march of civilisation, its wild beauty intact. It is believed that the place got its name owing to the presence of several trade outlets though which the Elam (Cardamom) was brought from the hills of Wayanad could be sold. The natives of the region were the Kurichiyars, an ancient tribal community. By the 1930s, the influx of immigrant farmers changed the topography of the place. An agrarian community of around 300 farmer families reside here now. The place is etched in history as well. It figures among the main regions which witnessed the battle against the British by King Pazhassi Raja, who belonged to the Padinjare Kovilakam of the Kottayam royal family and is of interest to history buffs. One still gets to see the beautiful ruins of the fort, Thalakkal Kotta, built by Thalakkal Chanthu, the commander-in-chief of Pazhassi's army. With its surreal beauty and vibrant history, Elappeedika is a land just waiting to be explored.

Geography

Elapeedika is situated around 1000 m above sea level, in the Western Ghats range of mountains and is a hill station.

Etymology

The name Elapeedika is derived from the words Elam(i.e., Cardamom) and Peedika(i.e., Shop) There was a lot of cardamom plantation in the olden times.

History

Pazhassiraja's force and East India Company had fought a battle in the 18th century at the Periya pass in Elapeedika.

Transportation

The national highway passes through

Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...

town.

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ker ...

and

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

can be accessed on the northern side and

Cochin 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 ...

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 ...

can be accessed on the southern side. The road to the east of

Iritty Iritty is a Municipality and a Taluk of Kannur district in Kerala State, India. The town is the main market place for the farmer communities in the surrounding regions. Iritty is known as The Coorg Valley in God's Own Country. Iritty is one o ...

connects to

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...

and

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

. The nearest railway station is

on Mangalore-

Palakkad Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...

line. There are airports at

and

Calicut Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...

. Elapeedika is situated on the Iritty Taluk in Kannur District and is the highest place in the district.

Location

Elapeedika is situated near Kolakkad at

Peravoor Peravoor is a small town and Grama Panchayat in Kannur district of Kerala state in India. It is located east of Kannur and north east of Thalassery. And Iritty, the nearest municipality is north of Peravoor. Peravoor is situated in the Wes ...

Taluk, Kannur district,

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 ...

state,

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 so ...

. It is the highest place in Kannur District and most beautiful. One can see the whole area of Kannur district and Arabian Sea from here It has a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

dedicated to

St Sebastian Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocleti ...

and it is the highest church from sea level in Kannur District. File:Elapeedika Town.jpeg, Town File:Elapeedika church.JPG, Church File:Elapeedika 5.jpg, Church side File:Elapeedika 3.jpg, Village

References

{{Kannur district Villages near Iritty Hill stations in Kerala