Padanilam is a town located in ''Onattukara'' region of
Alappuzha 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 ...
. The word ''Padanilam'' means "land of battles" (''pada'' means "battle" and ''nilam'' means "land"). It is located on the banks of river
Achankovil
Achankovil is a 128 km long west flowing river in Kerala, India, which flows through Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts. The river drains vast tract of fertile plains of Upper Kuttanad in the Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts ...
. The
Padanilam temple is one of the important centres of worship in Kerala. Nooranad is named as the Nandikesha Paithruka Gramam (Heritage village of ''Nandikesha'') by the
Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...
due to its importance in ''kettukala'' construction, which is an icon of Onattukara region.
The ''Shivaratri'' is the most important festival in Padanilam. It is the biggest ''Shivaratri kettukazhcha'' in Kerala and it is second only to
Aluva
Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the Ernakulam District in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transpor ...
Shivaratri in terms of crowd gathering.
Personalities
*Venad Sivankutty (Writer,Drama)
*Ajanthalayam Ajithkumar (mangalam TV)
*Viswan Padanilam (novelist)
*Reji v Greenland (Book review writer,short story,poet)
*Rekha R Thankal (poet)
*Edappon Ajikumar (Short story)
*Subees padanilam (Lyrics writer,music director and Video album director)
Geography
Nooranadu Padanilam is situated on the south-eastern edge of the
Alappuzha
Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in States and territories of India, state of Kerala, India. The Kerala Backwaters, Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indi ...
district. It is bounded by
Venmony
Venmony is a village in Chengannur taluk of Alappuzha district of Central Travancore area in Kerala state, India. Venmoney is 18 km south of Thiruvalla, 11 km east of Mavelikkara and 9 km northwest of Pandalam. 12 km fro ...
Panchayath in the north,
Pandalam
Pandalam is a municipal town in Pathanamthitta district Kerala, India. Pandalam is considered a holy town due to its connection with Lord Ayyappa and Sabarimala. Rightly recognised to be the ''educational and cultural capital of Central Travan ...
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
and
Palamel
Palamel is a village in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala.It is located 10km south of Pandalam
Demographics
India census, Palamel had a population of 31916 with 15112 males and 16804 females.
Importance
Panayil & Muthukattuk ...
in the east,
Mavelikkara
Mavelikkara is a taluk and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Located in the southern part of the district on the banks of the Achankovil River.
Etymology
The name Mavelikara ...
Thamarakkulam
Thamarakulam is a village in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala.
Located in Alappuzha District of Kerala, Thamarakulam is around 16 km south-east of Kayamkulam. It is located close to the border of Kollam District. Kayamkula ...
in the south and
Chunakkara
Chunakkara is a village in Mavelikara Tahsil of Alappuzha district, in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located on the Kollam Theni Highway spanning in around in length along the highway. It is divided into 5 areas and 15 wards. It is locate ...
and
Thazhakara
Thazhakkara is a village in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Thazhakkara is one among the five Villages in Mavelikkara Taluk in Alappuzha District. Justice C.T.Ravikumar, Judge of Supreme Court of India is a native of Thazha ...
in the west. The
Achankovil
Achankovil is a 128 km long west flowing river in Kerala, India, which flows through Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts. The river drains vast tract of fertile plains of Upper Kuttanad in the Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts ...
river is flows westwards through the northern boundary of the village. Topographically, the village has 3 areas: small hills, slope regions and plain land. Hills include the ''Pattoor malamukal'' and the ''koombuloor mala''. The Pattoor malamukal is the highest point in the village with an altitude of 121 m above sea level.
Laterite
Laterite is both a soil and a rock type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by ...
is the soil type found here.
Alluvium
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...
and
loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
soil types can be found in the low lying areas of the village including plain lands.
Padanilam Parabrahma Temple
![Padanilam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Padanilam.jpg)
The Padanilam Parabrahma Temple
is one of the major temples in Kerala. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord
Parabrahma
''Para Brahman'' ( sa, परब्रह्म, translit=parabrahma, translit-std=IAST) in Hindu philosophy is the "Supreme Brahman" that which is beyond all descriptions and conceptualisations. It is described as the formless (in the sense th ...
. The temple is very much like the
Oachira
Oachira or Ochira (') is an ancient temple town located 32 km away from Kollam city in Karunagappally taluk, Kollam district in Kerala, India.
Temple town
Oachira is one of the famous sacred places of Kerala and in India. Oachira i ...
Parabrahma Temple. The temple has no compound walls and no roofs. A large number of festivals are celebrated here annually. The temple is one of the ''idathaavalam'' of
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 ...
Ayyappa Swami temple. There are KSRTC buses from Padanilam to Pamba during the Mandalam - Makaravilakku season. The temple has mainly 15 ''karakal'' (territories), who conduct the annual
Sivarathri
Maha Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava.
In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ca ...
Festival. This is one of the biggest Nandikesha (ox vehicle of
Lord Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
) kettulsavams 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 ...
.
History
Early history
The Padanilam Temple is believed to be
Swayambhu
Swayambhu ( sa, स्वयंभू) is a Sanskrit word that means "self-manifested", "self-existing", or "that is created by its own accord".
Often, the word swayambhu is used to describe a self-manifested image of a deity, which was not made ...
. Its actual history and the facts about how worship started there are unknown. Padanilam has been the administrative centre of Nooranad and it has history of intense conflict between various ''karakal'' (territories) around the temple. This was for gaining control over the temple administration and thereby controlling the entire village. Due to this ''pada'' (battle/conflict), the place is said to have got its name. It is believed that the army troops of ''
Kayamkulam
Kayamkulam is a town and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in Kerala. It is the second biggest town in Alappuzha district. It is located on the western coast of India, and was an ancient maritime trading center. O ...
'' Kingdom had camped near the temple for protecting the kingdom from the attack of neighbouring kings. During this period, the village had some chieftains and their supporters. They include Noorukodi Unnithans, Kadackal Karuppans, Vettathasaans and Velladickal Karuppans. ''Kayamkulam Raja'' withdrew his troops about four centuries ago. This initiated tensions between the chieftains for control of the village. Thus they divided into south and north, starting a fierce battle. The south side consisted of Noorukodi Karuppans and Kadackal Karuppans. The north side had Vettathasans and Velladickal Karuppans with them. Twenty-two ''karakal'' supported their respective sides. During the battle, many soldiers on both sides died in large numbers. They were buried in the ''chira'' near the temple. Even from very earliest of times, this temple was a blessing for the people in the surrounding areas. It is also believed that the battle was between the king
Marthanda Varma
Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma (Malayalam: ) was the founding monarch of the southern Indian Kingdom of Travancore (previously Venadu) from 1729 until his death in 1758. He was succeeded by Rama Varma ("Dharma Raja") (1758–98).Subrahmany ...
on one side and the king of Kayamkulam on the other. The twenty-two karakals of Nooranad picked their respective sides. The common people started worrying about the devastation of the war and approached the Pazhoor Panamana Thampuran to find a solution to end the war. He tried to intervene but the parties were not in a position to stop. He made a tent in the eastern part of the temple and started fasting unto death. But even that did not deter the warring parties. When he was on the verge of death due to the fast, they fearing the ''Brahmanasaapam'', agreed to stop war. They demarcated the boundary in the north-south direction and stopped the war in the name of Parabrahma, the presiding deity of the temple. The St. Thomas Syrian Orthodox Church is about 150 meters from the Padanilam Market and Padanilam High School. It is an old church which was founded 100 years before and the founder Mr. Varu Varghese was originally from Kuravilangadu. He belongs to the family of Pakalomattom, which was said to be one among the four families which were said to be baptized by St. Thomas, the disciple of Jesus Christ in AD 52. His tomb is at the St. Thomas Orthodox Church. Two brothers of the family came to Padanilam and one is settled in Padanilam and the other in Nooranad. One of the patriarchs of the family is known as Padanilathu Ashaan (late Mr. Geevarghese Kochukunju) and the junction north to the church is known as Ashaan Mukku. The St. Thomas Orthodox Church and the
Padanilam Parabrahma Temple
Padanilam Parabrahma Temple (പടനിലം പരബ്രഹ്മ ക്ഷേത്രം ) is situated at Padanilam in Mavelikara taluk of Alappuzha district in Kerala, India. It is one of the major temples in erstwhile Travancore st ...
are located in heart of Padanilam.
Administrative history
Padanilam is located in Nooranad Grama Panchayath. The panchayath was formed on 30 December 1961. Before the formation of
Alappuzha
Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in States and territories of India, state of Kerala, India. The Kerala Backwaters, Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indi ...
district, Nooranad was a part of
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 ...
district. At the time, a revenue division was formed with Nooranad as centre. It was named Nooranad subdistrict. When Alappuzha district was formed on 17 August 1957, Nooranad became a part of it.
How to reach Padanilam
Padanilam is situated on Para (KP Road) - Edapppon-Pandalam (MC Road) road. It is about 17 km away from the town of Kayamkulam and about 10 km from the town of Pandalam. There are many private and KSRTC buses that run along this route. The buses through Padanilam ply from the private and KSRTC bus stands of Kayamkulam and Pandalam. There are buses from
Pandalam
Pandalam is a municipal town in Pathanamthitta district Kerala, India. Pandalam is considered a holy town due to its connection with Lord Ayyappa and Sabarimala. Rightly recognised to be the ''educational and cultural capital of Central Travan ...
,
Kayamkulam
Kayamkulam is a town and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in Kerala. It is the second biggest town in Alappuzha district. It is located on the western coast of India, and was an ancient maritime trading center. O ...
,
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 ...
,
Konni
Konni may refer to:
* Konni (dog), Russian President Vladimir Putin's dog (1999-2014)
*Konni, Kerala, a town in Kerala state in India
* Konni (Hausa state), a traditional Hausa state in south central Niger
* Birni-N'Konni (shortened to Konni), a to ...
,
Mavelikkara
Mavelikkara is a taluk and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Located in the southern part of the district on the banks of the Achankovil River.
Etymology
The name Mavelikara ...
,
Oachira
Oachira or Ochira (') is an ancient temple town located 32 km away from Kollam city in Karunagappally taluk, Kollam district in Kerala, India.
Temple town
Oachira is one of the famous sacred places of Kerala and in India. Oachira i ...
,
Karunagapally
Karunagappally is a municipality in the Kollam district of Kerala, India. It is 24 km north of Kollam and south of Alappuzha. Karunagappally taluk consists of Alappad, Ochira, Adinad, Karunagappally, Thazhava, Pavumba, Thodiyoor, Kallalib ...
, etc., passing through Padanilam. It is situated on the Kayamkulam - Pandalam - Pathanamthitta bus route.
Politics
Padanilam is situated in the Parliamentary and Assembly constituency of Mavelikkara. The current MP of the area is
Kodikkunnil Suresh
Kodikunnil Suresh is an Indian politician and working president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). He was a Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour. He is a member of the seventeenth Lok Sabha representing Mavelikara in Kerala. He ...
(INC) and the MLA is M.S.Arun Kumar (CPM). The
LDF rules the Panchayat. There are 17 wards in the Panchayat.
Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest Marxist–Leninist communist party in India and one of the nine national parties in the country. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur (formerly known as Cawnpore) on 26 December 1925.
H ...
,
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)/CPIM/CPM) is a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist communist List of political parties in India, political party in India. It is the largest communist party of India in term ...
,
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 ...
are major political parties in this area.
Other specialities
The village is famous for its beautiful agricultural fields like Karingalichaal Puncha and Peruvelichal Puncha. Different varieties of birds can be found in this area. Because of this, Nooranad is known as the ''Pakshigraamam'' of
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 ...
, meaning "village of birds". The famous Sree Buddha College Of Engineering is situated in this village. A leprosy sanatorium is there in this village, which is first of its kind 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 ...
and one of the largest in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
. Currently, an
Indo-Tibetan Border Police
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is a border patrol organization of India deployed along its borders with Tibet Autonomous Region. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces, established in 1962 in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian ...
(ITBP) unit has started functioning in the sanatorium compound. One of the seventeen 220 kV substations of
KSEB
Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is an Indian public sector undertaking under the Government of Kerala that generates, transmits and distributes electricity in the state under government monopoly. Established in 1957, the agency comes unde ...
is located near Pattoor, the northernmost portion of the village. Interflora Worldwide Kerala Member Office is located in the town of Pandalam.
Nearby churches and temples
Temples
*
Padanilam Parabrahma Temple
Padanilam Parabrahma Temple (പടനിലം പരബ്രഹ്മ ക്ഷേത്രം ) is situated at Padanilam in Mavelikara taluk of Alappuzha district in Kerala, India. It is one of the major temples in erstwhile Travancore st ...
, Padanilam Town.
*Kulangaraveettil Sree Annapoorneshwari Temple, Nedukulanjimuri
*Kavil Sree Bhagavathi Temple
* Kulangara veettil Sree Annapoorneswari Temple, Padanilam
*Vadakkidathukaavu Devi Temple, Kidangayam
*Pallimukkom Devi Temple, Pattoor
*Kokkaatt Devi Temple, Naduvilemuri
*Muthukaattukara Devi Temple, Muthukaatukara
*Earezhathukaavu Devi Temple, Naduvilemuri
*Amabalathinaal Devi Temple, Edakkunnam
*Gurunaathankaavu Ardhanaareeswara Temple,
Edappon
Edappon is a small town situated in Nooranad panchayat in Alappuzha district of the state of Kerala in South India. It is on the bank of the Achankovil river.
Location
It is situated at a distance of 4 kilometres to the west of Pandalam and 1 ...
*Noorukodi Devi Temple,
Palamel
Palamel is a village in Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala.It is located 10km south of Pandalam
Demographics
India census, Palamel had a population of 31916 with 15112 males and 16804 females.
Importance
Panayil & Muthukattuk ...
*Plaakkodu Vaishnava Durga Temple, Powerhouse.
*Sreedharma Shastha Temple, Palamel-Kidangayam
*Vadasseril Sree Bhuvaneswari Sree Bhadrakaali Temple, Thathammunna
*Kannancheri Tharayil Mahavishnu Temple, Thathammunna
*Koombil Mala Maladeva Temple, Pulimel
*Amoomma Kaavu Temple, Pulimel
*Inchakkadu Devi Temple, Pulimel
*Kallekkal Temple, Pulimel
*Perumbral Devi Temple, Naduvilemuri
*Edayile Veetil Devi Temple, Pulimel
*Thathammunna Tharayil Bhagavathi Temple, Thathammunna
*Palamel-Kidangayam Sree DharmaShastha Temple (Travancore Dewasom Board)
Churches
*St. Fathima matha Roman Catholic Church, Eliyaznagar
*St:Thomas Orthodox Church Padanilam
*St:Bersouma orthodox church Attuva
*St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church, Pulimel
*India Pentecostal Church of God (IPC)
*St. Theresas Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, Pattoor
Photo gallery
File:Vrischika Mahotsavam - 11 vilakk; vahanapooja.jpg, A picture taken during Vrischika Mahotsavam
See also
*
Mavelikkara
Mavelikkara is a taluk and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Located in the southern part of the district on the banks of the Achankovil River.
Etymology
The name Mavelikara ...
*
Pandalam
Pandalam is a municipal town in Pathanamthitta district Kerala, India. Pandalam is considered a holy town due to its connection with Lord Ayyappa and Sabarimala. Rightly recognised to be the ''educational and cultural capital of Central Travan ...
*
Kayamkulam
Kayamkulam is a town and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in Kerala. It is the second biggest town in Alappuzha district. It is located on the western coast of India, and was an ancient maritime trading center. O ...
*
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 ...
*
Culture of Kerala
The culture of Kerala has developed over the past millennia, influences from other parts of India and abroad.
References
External links
{{Commons category, Padanilam
Official website of Alappuzha DistrictTemple WebsiteMavelikkara
Cities and towns in Alappuzha district