Pandalam is a municipal town in

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 37 ...

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 ...

, India. Pandalam is considered a holy town due to its connection with Lord Ayyappa and

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 ...

. Rightly recognised to be the ''educational and cultural capital of Central

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 ...

'', Pandalam hosts educational institutions ranging from reputed schools to post graduate, training,

Ayurveda Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repo ...

, and engineering colleges. There are seven colleges and 23 schools at Pandalam, including N. S. S. College, Pandalam. The Kerala state government plans to make the place a special

Township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

, by including the Pandalam municipality and Kulanada panchayat. The neighborhoods of Pandalam town include Thumpamon, Pandalam Thekkekara (Adoor Taluk), Kulanada (Kozhencherry Taluk), Nooranad, Padanilam (Mavelikkara Taluk), Venmony (Chengannur Taluk).It Is Located 23 km From Thiruvalla City Centre.

Trade and Commerce

The centuries-old ''Kurunthottayam'' market (now known as the Pandalam market) was one among the largest agricultural markets in central

. Kerala's widest suspension bridge was constructed in Pandalam over the Achankovil, Achankovil river. The bridge is 70 metres long and 2.5 metres wide. There are several devotional places at Pandalam. The most famous are Valiyakoikkal Temple, Pandalam Mahadeva Temple, Mahadeva Temple, Pattupurakkavu Bhagavathi Temple, Puthenkavil Bhagavathi Temple, Pattupurakkavu Bhagavathi Temple, Thumpamon Vadakkumnatha Temple, Kadakkad Sree Bhadrakali Temple and the Thattayil Orippurathu Bhagavathi Temple. Nooranad Padanilam Parabrahma Temple, which is famous for its Maha Shivaratri ''Kettukazhcha'' is located 8 Km South West of Pandalam town.

Legend

According to legend, Lord Ayyappan, the presiding deity of

, had his human sojourn at Pandalam as the adopted son of the King of Pandalam. During Sabarimala pilgrimage season, devotees come to Pandalam in large numbers to worship the deity of Valiyakoikkal Temple near the Pandalam Palace. This temple is on the banks of river Achenkovil. Three days prior to the Makara Jyothi, Makaravilakku festival, the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments) are taken in a procession from Pandalam to

History

It is believed that the Pandya kings of Tamil Nadu fled to Pandalam in the face of an attack from Cholas and settled there in the land they bought from Kaipuzha Thampan, a landlord. The Pandya dynasty had provinces on either sides of the Western Ghats. The King of Pandalam helped Marthanda Varma to conquer the Kayamkulam province. In return for this help, Marthanda Varma did not attempt to attack and conquer Pandalam during the expansion of his kingdom. The princely state of Pandalam had extended up to Thodupuzha in Idukki district once. Pandalam was added to

in 1820. Before the formation of

district, Pandalam was in Mavelikara taluk of Alappuzha district.

Colleges

* NSS College Pandalam * Mannam Ayurveda Co-operative Medical College, Pandalam * NSS Polytechnic College, Pandalam * NSS Training College, Pandalam * NSS Nursing College, Pandalam
Govt. ITI cherickal, Pandalam (Under SC department Govt. of Kerala)
in Cherickal.

Hospitals

* NSS Medical Mission Hospital * CM Hospital * Chitra Multi-Speciality Hospital * Mannam Ayurveda Hospital * Primary Health Centre Kadakkad, Pandalam

Landmarks

Pandalam Bridge

Pandalam Bridge, popularly known as ''Kurunthottayam Bridge'', is situated in Pandalam junction.

Pandalam Suspension Bridge

Pandalam Suspension Bridge, is a pedestrian suspension bridge in Pandalam, that connects Pandalam with Kulanada.

Pandalam Palace

Pandalam Palace, placed on the banks of Achankovil river, was home to the royal family of Pandalam.The royal family of this palace enjoys a significant position in the history of Kerala. It is believed that they have descended from the Pandya kings of Madurai. Pandalam Palace carries not just historical importance, but a considerable religious magnitude as well. According to legends, Lord Ayyappa was born to the King of Pandalam.There is a temple on the banks of Achankovil river which is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa. The sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappa are carried from Pandalam Palace to

as a grand procession three days prior to the makaravilakku festival

Famous Personalities

*Pandalam Kerala Varma: Poet *M. N. Govindan Nair: Former State Secretary of CPI, Former State Cabinet Minister and MP *V. S. Valiathan: Artist *Benyamin (writer), Benyamin: Novelist *Dr. Biju: Film director *P. K. Manthri: Cartoonist *Kadammanitta Vasudevan Pillai: Padayani artist *Pandalam Sudhakaran: Former state cabinet minister *Pandalam KP Raman pillai : Poet,Journalist,freedom fighter,author of famous prayer song "Akilandamandalam aniyochorukki"

Gallery

File:Pandalam kshethram1.JPG, Valiyakoikkal Temple File:പന്തളംപുഴ.JPG, Achankovil river File:Pandalam palace2.JPG, Pandalam Palace File:പന്തളം കൊട്ടാരം.JPG, Pandalam Palace File:NSSCollegePandalam2.jpg, NSS COLLEGE, PANDALAM

References

External links

Information portal about Pandalam
{{Pathanamthitta district Cities and towns in Pathanamthitta district