Kottapadi is a village near

Guruvayur Guruvayur () is a municipal temple town in Thrissur District, of Kerala State in India. It is a suburban town of Thrissur city, located from Thrissur towards the north-west. It houses the Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple. It is located at ...

town in the district of

Thrissur Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...

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 ...

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

. Kottapadi literally translates to ''Gates to Fort''. Kottapadi has now gained prominence

Punnathurkotta Punnathurkotta is a fort and former palace located in Kottapadi, about 3 km from the Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple, in Thrissur District of Kerala State in South India. Description Punnathurkotta was once the palace of a local ruler ...

for which it has been named, which used to house elephants belonging to the

Guruvayoor temple Guruvayur Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Guruvayurappan, a form of Vishnu, located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is often referred to ...

. ('' Anakotta'' in

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...

, literally translated as "Elephant Fort") Elephants that are an integral part of certain temple rituals are boarded and trained here.

History

Kottapadi being a coastal village (6 km from sea) like many other parts of Kerala has white sand and

Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

farming was a major industry and still one can see large swaths of lands with Coconut palms. Due to rapid urbanization of the Guruvayur area, most of this village has now become a small town. Kottapadi is located only 2 kilometers away from Guruvayur temple. Many tourists come here for visiting the

Punnathur Kotta Punnathurkotta is a fort and former palace located in Kottapadi, about 3 km from the Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple, in Thrissur District of Kerala State in South India. Description Punnathurkotta was once the palace of a local ruler, b ...

. There are more than 60 elephants here. These elephants belong to the

Guruvayur Temple Guruvayur Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Guruvayurappan, a form of Vishnu, located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus in Kerala and Tamilnadu, Tamil Nadu and is often ...

, where prominent devotees offer it to Lord

Guruvayurappan Guruvayurappan ( ml, ഗുരുവായൂരപ്പന്‍, (transliterated guruvāyūrappan)) also often rendered Guruvayoorappan, is a form of Vishnu worshipped mainly in Kerala. He is the presiding deity of the Guruvayur temple, w ...

. Earlier this place was the palace (''

'' or Punathur Fort) of a local ruler. Prominent Shiva temple at Mammiyur is located close by. ''Nearest Airport'':

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 ...

''Nearest Railway Stations'':

, Trichur Nearest Major Towns:

Chavakkad Chavakkad, formerly Chowghat, is a municipality in Thrissur district of Kerala state in India. It is a suburban town of Thrissur city. Chavakkad is noted for its beach and fishing. It lies on National Highway 66 is located about north of the ...

Kunnamkulam Kunnamkulam is a municipal town situated in the Thrissur District of Kerala in India, spread over an area of 34.18 km2. It is an old commercial town, with an ancient history, famous for its printing and book binding industry. In the past, t ...

Colleges in Kottapadi

Little Flower women's college, Aryabhatta women's college, Mercy college.

Temples in Kottapadi

* Chembalakulangara Bhagavathi kshethram, * Sree Subramanya Kshethram, * Kaveed Karthyani Kshetram, * Sree Kapaleshwaram Shiva temple.

References

{{Thrissur district Villages in Thrissur district Guruvayur