Panamaram is a village in

Wayanad district Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of Indian state Kerala with administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, the southern ...

in the state 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 ...

, India.

Demographics

India

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

, Panamaram had a population of 11651 with 5891 males and 5760 females.

Panamaram River

Panamaram River is a tributary of the

Kabani River The Kabini River is one of the major tributaries of the river Cauvery in southern India. It originates near Kavilumpara in Kozhikode district of Kerala state by the confluence of the Panamaram River and the Mananthavady River. It flows eastw ...

along with Mananthavady, Bavali, Noolpuzha and Nugu Rivers. Kabani and its tributaries play a key role in the enhancement of the landscapes of Wayanad District. About 6 km north of Panamaram, the Kabini takes birth. It is the confluence of the Panamaram river, originating in the Western Ghats near

Pookode Lake Pookode Lake is a scenic freshwater lake in the Wayanad district in Kerala, South India. A major tourist destination in the district, Pookode is a natural freshwater lake nestling amid evergreen forests and mountain slopes at an elevation of 770 ...

, a perennial lake near Lakkidi, 4,500 ft above sea level, and the Mananthavady river, springing from the 5,000 ft Tondarmudi. The Kabini is, perhaps, the most feminine of Kerala rivers. The flow of life on its banks is incredibly peaceful and dream-like. The confluence of these rivers is Kabani River and it after entering the state of Karnataka merges with the

Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu dis ...

River.

Panamaram Fort

Panamaram has great significance in the history of

Indian freedom struggle The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged from Bengal. ...

as it witnessed one of the first freedom struggle in

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 ...

.
On 11 October 1802

Pazhassi Raja Pazhassi Raja () (3 January 1753 – 30 November 1805) was known as Kerala Varma and was also known as Cotiote Rajah and Pychy Rajah. He was a warrior Hindu prince and de facto head of the kingdom of Kottayam, otherwise known as Cotiote, in ...

's followers like Thalakkal Chanthu and Edachena Kunkan Nair captured the Panamaram Fort which was manned by the infantry units of Bombay. Commanding officer Capt. Dickinson and Lt. Maxwell were killed in action along with 25 soldiers. And this victory brought a new vigor to the resistance movement.

Panamaram Heronry

According to the annual heronry count of the Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS), the Panamaram

Heronry A heronry, sometimes called a heron rookery, is a breeding ground for herons. Notable heronries Although their breeding territories are often on more protected small islands in lakes or retention ponds, herons breed in heronries (or also calle ...

is the largest heronry in Malabar in terms of number and diversity of birds breeding there. It is a small (1 acre) island in the river Kabani, an elevated sand bank. Government has issued orders to take apt measures to conserve the Panamaram Heronry. The massive destruction of bamboo groves on the heronry and unbridled sand mining are the two vital issues the heronry is facing. It has been observed that, many birds of the foreign origin also migrate to Panamaram during the nestling season. The

cattle egret The cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Bubulcus'', although some authorities regard it ...

(''Bubulcus ibis'') was also observed breeding here in 2010, the breeding of the bird is reported in the state after 62 years. Other main species are little egret, ''

Ardeola Pond herons (''Ardeola'') are herons, typically long with an wingspan. Most breed in the tropical Old World, but the migratory squacco heron occurs in southern Europe and the Middle East and winters in Africa. The scientific name comes from L ...

'' (pond heron), night heron,

intermediate egret The intermediate egret, median egret, smaller egret, or yellow-billed egret (''Ardea intermedia'') is a medium-sized heron. Some taxonomists put the species in the genus ''Egretta'' or ''Mesophoyx''. It is a resident breeder from east Africa a ...

, purple heron, and

black-headed ibis The black-headed ibis (''Threskiornis melanocephalus''), also known as the Oriental white ibis, Indian white ibis, and black-necked ibis, is a species of wading bird of the ibis family Threskiornithidae which breeds in the South and Southeast As ...

.http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Mail/KeralaBirder/740662

Transportation

Panamaram town comes in the exact middle of Wayanad district. It can be accessed from Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery or Kalpetta. The Periya ghat road connects Mananthavady to Kannur and Thalassery. The Thamarassery mountain road connects Calicut with Kalpetta. The Bangalore-Mysore Road connects through Gundlupet, Sulthan Bathery through Nadavayal Road to Panamaram from one side and Mysore- Handpost D Kotte, Bavali, Mananthavady to Panamaram from the other side. The Kuttiady mountain road connects Vatakara with Kalpetta and Mananthavady. The Palchuram mountain road connects Kannur and Iritty with Mananthavady. The road from Nilambur to Ooty is also connected to Wayanad through the village of Meppadi. The nearby railway stations are: Kozhikode (90kms); Kannur (105kms); Mysore (120kms); The nearby airports are:

Kannur International Airport Kannur International Airport is an airport serving the North Malabar region of Kerala, Kodagu and Mysore districts of Karnataka and Mahé district of Puducherry in India. It is located east of Kannur, and east of Thalassery, near the muni ...

80 kms;

Kozhikode International Airport Calicut International Airport , also known as Kozhikode Airport or Karipur Airport, is an international airport located in Karipur, Malappuram district of Kerala, India. It serves the Malabar region of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and P ...

-105 kms;

Mysore Airport Mysore Airport , also known as Mandakalli Airport, is a domestic airport serving Mysore, a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located near the village of Mandakalli, south of the city, and is owned and operated by the Airports Aut ...

-120 kms;

Coimbatore International Airport Coimbatore International Airport is the primary airport serving the industrial cities of Coimbatore and Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located in the neighbourhood of Peelamedu, about from the center of Coimbatore. It is the 18th-bus ...

-210 kms; and

Bengaluru International Airport Kempegowda International Airport is an international airport serving Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, India. Spread over , it is located about north of the city near the suburb of Devanahalli. It is owned and operated by Bengaluru Inte ...

-330 kms.

References