Ottapalam, (also spelled Ottappalam) is a town, taluk and municipality in the
Palakkad District
Palakkad District () is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was carved out from the southeastern region of the former Malabar District on 1 January 1957. It is located at the centre of Kerala. It is the largest district i ...
,
Kerala, India
Kerala ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, 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 ...
. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ottapalam taluk. Ottapalam is located about 36 km from district headquarters
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 ...
. Ottapalam is located along the banks of
Bharathapuzha
Bharathappuzha ("River of Bhārata"), also known as the Nila or Ponnani River, is a river in India in the state of Kerala. With a length of 209 km, it is the second longest river that flows through Kerala after the Periyar. It flows thr ...
, second longest river of the state.
It is one of the major commercial centres in the district. Ottapalam was raised as a municipality in 1934, making it one of the municipalities that were formed before Indian independence and third oldest municipality in the district after
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 ...
and
Chittur-Thathamangalam
Chittur-Thathamangalam is a town and municipality in Palakkad district of Kerala State, India. It is the headquarters of Chittur taluk, south-east of Palakkad, on the banks of the Kannadipuzha, a major headstream of the Bharathapuzha, the seco ...
. It is one of the major filming locations in Kerala.
History
The area was formerly known as ''Ayirur Thekkummuri'' Desam. The present-day Ottapalam,
Pattambi
Pattambi is a town taluk and municipality in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Pattambi Taluk. Pattambi is located along the banks of Bharathappuzha river. A Mini Civil Station ...
and
Cherpulassery
Cherpulassery (also known by its former name Cherpulacherry) is a town and municipality in the Palakkad district, of Kerala, India. Cherpulassery is often called the Sabarimala of Malabar as the famous Ayyappankavu temple is located here . The ...
areas were part of the medieval ''Nedunganad'' kingdom.
''Nedunganathiripad'' (
Nedungadi
Nedungadi is a Samanthan last name, originating in the Indian state of Kerala. Nedungadi belong to Samanthan section of the Malabar ruling class of Nairs.
Samanthans were the erstwhile rulers of small Nadus (Places) under the Chera Dynasty. The ...
) was the main ruler of ''Nedunganad''. The headquarters was at Makovilakam near Kodikunnu, Chembulangad. ''Nedunaganad'' was ruled by the
Nair
The Nair , also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom histor ...
s of
Kavalappara
The Kavalappara is an aristocratic Indian Nair family. In medieval Kerala, they served as part of the landed nobility and were sworn to the service of the rajas of the area, first that of Palghat and then later that of Cochin. Based at Kavalappara ...
,
Thrikkadeeri,
Kannambra
Kannambra is a gram panchayat in the Palakkad district, state of Kerala, India. It is the local government organisation that serves the villages of Kannambra-I and Kannambra-II.
*
*
Demographics
India census, Kannambra-I had a population of ...
, Vattakkavil Perumbada under the leadership of ''Nedunganathiripad''. Ottappalam was the administrative area of Thrikkadeeri Nair. Its north side starts at Ayirur-Vadakkummuri near
Mannarkkad
Mannarkkad, formerly known as Mannarghat, is a municipal town in Palakkad district of the Indian state of Kerala. The Silent Valley National Park and the Attappadi Reserve Forest are located in Mannarkkad Taluk. Mannarkkad is situated 36 km ...
and ends at Ayirur-Thekkummuri. After passing Ayirur-Thekkummuri, crossing the 'Ottapalam of Kanniyampuram river', then it comes the place to pay a toll for Kavalappara Nair.
Around 1487 AD, the region was annexed to the kingdom of the
Zamorin of Calicut
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited by ...
. The Zamorin appointed his chieftain at
Kavalappara
The Kavalappara is an aristocratic Indian Nair family. In medieval Kerala, they served as part of the landed nobility and were sworn to the service of the rajas of the area, first that of Palghat and then later that of Cochin. Based at Kavalappara ...
''Kovilakam''.
After the long rule of the
Zamorin of Calicut
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited by ...
, it became a part of the
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...
around 1766. It came under the rule of
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
with the
Treaty of Seringapatam
The Treaty of Seringapatam (also called Srirangapatinam or Srirangapatna), signed 18 March 1792, ended the Third Anglo-Mysore War. Its signatories included Lord Cornwallis on behalf of the British East India Company, representatives of the Niz ...
in 1792. The British formed the
Malabar District
Malabar District, also known as Malayalam District, was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792-1800) and Madras Presidency (1800-1947) in British India, and independent India's Madras State (19 ...
and built their headquarters at
Kozhikode
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 ...
. The headquarters of
North Malabar
North Malabar refers to the geographic area of southwest India covering the state of Kerala's present day Kasaragod, Kannur, and Wayanad District, Wayanad districts, and the taluks of Vatakara, Koyilandy, and Thamarassery in the Kozhikode Distri ...
was at
Thalassery
Thalassery (), formerly Tellicherry, is a municipality, Commercial City on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahé (Pondicherry), Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kodagu (Karna ...
and that of
South Malabar
South Malabar refers to a geographical area of the southwestern coast of India covering some parts of the present-day Kerala. South Malabar covers the regions included in present-day Kozhikode Tehsil, taluk of Kozhikode district, the whole area o ...
was at
Cherpulassery
Cherpulassery (also known by its former name Cherpulacherry) is a town and municipality in the Palakkad district, of Kerala, India. Cherpulassery is often called the Sabarimala of Malabar as the famous Ayyappankavu temple is located here . The ...
. The headquarters of
South Malabar
South Malabar refers to a geographical area of the southwestern coast of India covering some parts of the present-day Kerala. South Malabar covers the regions included in present-day Kozhikode Tehsil, taluk of Kozhikode district, the whole area o ...
was later changed to Ottapalam. Ottapalam was a part of
Walluvanad Taluk of Malappuram Revenue Division in
Malabar District
Malabar District, also known as Malayalam District, was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792-1800) and Madras Presidency (1800-1947) in British India, and independent India's Madras State (19 ...
with its Taluk headquarters at
Perinthalmanna
Perinthalmanna is a major town and municipality in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. It serves as the headquarters of the Perinthalmanna taluk, and a block and a Revenue Division by the same name. It was formerly the headquarters of Valluvana ...
during
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. The railway was installed and the town was renamed as Ottappalam. The South Malabar Special Court started functioning at Ottappalam by 1880, and with that Ottappalam became the common name for the town. Gradually, the name Ayirur-Thekkummuri was confined to the land records.
Before Indian Independence, present-day Kerala state was scattered in
South Canara
South Canara was a district of the Madras Presidency of British India, located at . It comprised the towns of Kassergode and Udipi and adjacent villages, with the capital in Mangalore city. South Canara was one of the most heterogeneous areas o ...
and
Malabar
Malabar may refer to the following:
People
* Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India
* Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion
Places
* Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...
Districts of
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
and two princely states namely
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
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 ...
. The first All-Kerala conference of
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
was held in 1921 at Ottapalam, which was the then capital of
South Malabar
South Malabar refers to a geographical area of the southwestern coast of India covering some parts of the present-day Kerala. South Malabar covers the regions included in present-day Kozhikode Tehsil, taluk of Kozhikode district, the whole area o ...
, on the bank of the river
Bharathappuzha
Bharathappuzha ("River of Bhārata"), also known as the Nila or Ponnani River, is a river in India in the state of Kerala. With a length of 209 km, it is the second longest river that flows through Kerala after the Periyar. It flows throu ...
, which also later demanded a separate state for the
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 ...
-speaking regions in future Independent India.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (abbreviated as Kerala P. C. C. or the K. P. C. C.) is the state unit of the Indian National Congress in Kerala. The Indian National Congress currently leads the United Democratic Front alliance, the Oppositi ...
was formed in that conference. Before that, Malabar District, Cochin, and Travancore had separate Congress committees.
Geography
Ottapalam is located at . It has an average elevation of .
Climate
Administration
Ottapalam is sub district of the
Palakkad District
Palakkad District () is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was carved out from the southeastern region of the former Malabar District on 1 January 1957. It is located at the centre of Kerala. It is the largest district i ...
. Over the last 10 years, the population growth has been 9.2%. The town is listed in the top 18 most populous
Urban Agglomeration
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
in Kerala. The First Defence Park in India is established in Ottapalam KINFRA industrial park.
![Palakkad-Ottapalam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Palakkad-Ottapalam.jpg)
The Ottapalam assembly constituency is part of
Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency
Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency, once knows as Palghat constituency, is one of the 20 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in the Indian state of Kerala.
Assembly segments
Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembl ...
.
Ottapalam Taluk
Ottapalam is one of the six Taluks of
Palakkad district
Palakkad District () is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was carved out from the southeastern region of the former Malabar District on 1 January 1957. It is located at the centre of Kerala. It is the largest district i ...
.
Transport
Road
The Palakkad-Shoranur (
Kulappully) State Highway passes through the town. Government buses as well as private bus services operate between Ottapalam and other major towns, such as
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Mannarkkad
Mannarkkad, formerly known as Mannarghat, is a municipal town in Palakkad district of the Indian state of Kerala. The Silent Valley National Park and the Attappadi Reserve Forest are located in Mannarkkad Taluk. Mannarkkad is situated 36 km ...
,
Pattambi
Pattambi is a town taluk and municipality in the Palakkad district of the state of Kerala, India. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Pattambi Taluk. Pattambi is located along the banks of Bharathappuzha river. A Mini Civil Station ...
,
Guruvayoor
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 ...
,
Perinthalmanna
Perinthalmanna is a major town and municipality in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. It serves as the headquarters of the Perinthalmanna taluk, and a block and a Revenue Division by the same name. It was formerly the headquarters of Valluvana ...
,
Thiruvilwamala
Thiruvilwamala is a hilly village in the northern terrain of Thrissur district of Kerala state in southern India. It is located 47 kilometres northeast of district headquarters Thrissur.
Location
The village, which is more of a temple town, ...
,
Chelakkara
Chelakkara is a small town in Thrissur district of Kerala.
Geography
Chelakkara is located at . It has an average elevation of .
Politics
Chelakkara assembly constituency (SC) is part of Alathur (Lok Sabha constituency), Alathur.
It is also th ...
(through the Ottapalam-Mayanur Bridge, inaugurated on 22 January 2011.)
Rail
The town is served by the
Ottapalam railway station
Ottapalam (Code: OTP) is a railway station in Ottapalam, Palakkad district, Kerala and falls under the Palakkad railway division of the Southern Railway Zone, Indian Railways.
History
Ottapalam station was opened in 1904.
The station rec ...
, which lies between
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 ...
and
Shoranur Junction
Shoranur Junction is the railway station located at Shoranur, Palakkad District, Kerala. It comes under the Palakkad Railway Division of the Southern Railway. It is the largest railway station in the state of Kerala in terms of area. It is an i ...
on the
Jolarpettai–Shoranur line
The Jolarpettai–Shoranur line connects Jolarpettai, on the Chennai Central–Bangalore City line in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Shoranur in Kerala. Incoming from Chennai/ Tirupati side via Arakkonam and Katpadi at Jolarpettai, there ar ...
. Seventy-four Indian Railways trains stop at the station.
Notable people
The following people were either born in and/or are residents of Ottapalam:
*
Ottapalam Pappan
Ottapalam Pappan (15 June 1945 - 25 July 2013) was an Indian theatre, television and film actor in Malayalam movies during the 1990s and 2000s. Pappan started as a theatre artist and later debuted in film with the 1991 movie ''Valsalyam''. He ac ...
, Malayalam Drama and Film Actor
*
Gautham Vasudev Menon
Gautham Vasudev Menon (born 25 February 1973) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, Tamil film industry. He has also directed Telugu cinema, Telugu and Hindi cinema, Hindi films th ...
,
Tamil Film
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
director
*
Stephen Devassy, pianist
*
Lal Jose
Lal Jose is an Indian director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Direc ...
,
Malayalam film
Malayalam cinema is an Indian cinema, Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ...
director
*
Anil Radhakrishnan Menon
Anil Radhakrishnan Menon is an Indian film director working in Malayalam film.
Career
Anil Radhakrishnan Menon directed television commercials before venturing into feature films.
His first film North 24 Kaatham starring Fahadh Faasil and Ned ...
, Malayalam film director
*
Unni Mukundan
Unnikrishnan Mukundan (born 22 September 1987), commonly known as Unni Mukundan, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Telugu and Tamil films.
Unni Mukundan made his acting debut with the Ta ...
,
Malayalam film
Malayalam cinema is an Indian cinema, Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, ...
actor
*
Bhaskar Menon
Bhaskar Menon (29 May 1934 – 4 March 2021) was a music industry executive of Indian origin. He hailed from Palakkad, Kerala, India. He initially worked with The Gramophone Company of India Ltd. (HMV) Dum Dum, Calcutta, India as the chairma ...
, first Indian to head a multinational corporation, chairman of
Lever Brothers
Lever Brothers was a British manufacturing company founded in 1885 by two brothers: William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851–1925), and James Darcy Lever (1854–1916). They invested in and successfully promoted a new soap-making p ...
(now
Unilever
Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, t ...
)
*
K. P. S. Menon
Kumara Padmanabha Sivasankara Menon Sr. (18 October 1898 – 22 November 1982), usually known as K. P. S. Menon, was a diplomat and diarist, a career member of the Indian Civil Service. He was appointed independent India's first Foreign ...
, first
Foreign Secretary
The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...
of India. He also served pre-independence India as an Agent-General to China
*
M. G. K. Menon
Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar Menon (28 August 1928 – 22 November 2016) also known as M. G. K. Menon, was a physicist and policy maker from India. He had a prominent role in the development of science and technology in India over four ...
, former Union Minister and Scientific Adviser in the
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi (; 20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian politician who served as the sixth prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to beco ...
administration
*
KP Candeth, was a prominent Lieutenant General in the Indian army
*
Shivshankar Menon
Shivshankar Menon (born 5 July 1949) is an Indian diplomat, who served as National Security Adviser of India under Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. He had previously served as the Foreign Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. Pr ...
, 4th
National Security Advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils.
National sec ...
and 26th
foreign secretary
The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...
*
V. P. Menon, seniormost Indian officer in pre-independence
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
administration
*
M. K. Narayanan
Mayankodu Kelath Narayanan (born 10 March 1934) is a former Indian Police Service officer. He was National Security Adviser of India from 2005 to 2010, assuming the role after the demise of his predecessor Jyotindra Nath Dixit in January 2005. ...
, the former chief of the Intelligence Bureau and former
National Security Adviser A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils.
National sec ...
*
K. Sankaran Nair
K. Sankaran Nair (20 December 1919 – 17 November 2015), known as Colonel Menon among his colleagues, was an Indian civil servant, diplomat and the director of Research and Analysis Wing. He served as the Indian High Commissioner to Singapor ...
, former director of
Research and Analysis Wing
The Research and Analysis Wing (abbreviated R&AW; hi, ) is the foreign intelligence agency of India. The agency's primary function is gathering foreign intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, advising Indian policymakers, an ...
and former
High Commissioner of India
High commissioners represent India's diplomatic missions in member states of the Commonwealth of Nations and ambassadors represent diplomatic missions in other states. The head of a diplomatic mission to an international organization is called a pe ...
to Singapore
*
C. Venkataraman Sundaram, former director of
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research and
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
recipient
*
Dhruvan
Dhruvan is an Indian actor who works primarily in Malayalam cinema.
Career
Dhruvan started his career as a junior artist in Lisammayude Veedu. He garnered recognition through the film ''Queen'' (2018), in which he portrayed the role of Balu, ...
, Malayalam Film Actor
*
Srinish Aravind, Television Actor
See also
*
Ottapalam railway station
Ottapalam (Code: OTP) is a railway station in Ottapalam, Palakkad district, Kerala and falls under the Palakkad railway division of the Southern Railway Zone, Indian Railways.
History
Ottapalam station was opened in 1904.
The station rec ...
*
NSS College, Ottapalam
N.S.S College, Ottapalam is an institute of higher education in Ottapalam, India. The college was founded in 1961. It was funded by donations and was consecrated by Swami Vishadanandha, President of Sree Ramakrishna Ashram, Palappuram, and wa ...
*
Ottapalam Assembly constituency
Ottapalam State assembly constituency is one of the 140 state legislative assembly constituencies in Kerala state in southern India. It is also one of the 7 state legislative assembly constituencies included in the Palakkad Lok Sabha consti ...
*
Ottapalam Lok Sabha constituency(old)
References
External links
Ottapalam Municipality official site
{{Malabar