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 Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil. Although devotion t ...

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 Kulanada is a village in Pandalam, that is located in the district of Pathanamthitta bordering with Alappuzha district in Kerala state within India. Kulanada assumed its name from the combination of words "Kulam" and "Nada". Kulam meaning pond ...

panchayat. The neighborhoods of Pandalam town include

Thumpamon Thumpamon is a village in Pandalam (5 km Approx), a part of Adoor thaluk in Kerala, India. One of the greatest attractions of this village is the Achenkovil River, which is known for its natural sceneries along the riverbank. The village r ...

Pandalam Thekkekara Pandalam Thekkekara is a panchayath and also a cultural-spiritual village town in Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district in the state of Kerala, India. Thattayil Orippurathu Bhagavathi Temple, Vrindavanam Venugopala Temple, Thattayil Ayyappa T ...

(Adoor Taluk),

(Kozhencherry Taluk),

Nooranad Nooranad (also anglicized as ''Noornad'' or ''Nooranadu'') is a developing town in Mavelikkara taluk of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located at a distance of 8 Km south-west of Pandalam, in Kayamkulam route. Pada ...

Padanilam Padanilam is a town located in ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district, Kerala. The word ''Padanilam'' means "land of battles" (''pada'' means "battle" and ''nilam'' means "land"). It is located on the banks of river Achankovil. The Padanil ...

(Mavelikkara Taluk),

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 ...

(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 river 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 bridge is 70 metres long and 2.5 metres wide. There are several devotional places at Pandalam. The most famous are

Valiyakoikkal Temple Valiakoikkal Temple is the family temple of the Pandalam Royal Family. The temple is located at Pandalam in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala. It is situated within the Pandalam Palace premises. The main deity is Ayyappan. Procession of the Thiru ...

Mahadeva Temple Shiva is a Hindu deity worshipped by Shaivism, Shaivaites in India as the destroyer of ignorance spread all across the universe. As one of the three main gods in the Hindu pantheon, there are temples dedicated to his worship in India (and abroad ...

, Puthenkavil Bhagavathi Temple,

Pattupurakkavu Bhagavathi Temple Thonnallur Pattupurakkavu Bhagavathi temple ( ml, തോന്നല്ലൂര് പാട്ടുപുരക്കാവ് ഭഗവതി ക്ഷേത്രം) is a famous Hindu temple at Pandalam, India. It is located one kilometer t ...

Thumpamon Vadakkumnatha Temple Thumpamon Vadakkumnatha Temple is an ancient temple near Pandalam in Kerala, India. This temple has two Sreekovils (sanctum sanctorum). Both Sreekovils are round (vatta). It is an age old temple whispering several fascinating legendary fables ...

, Kadakkad Sree Bhadrakali Temple and the Thattayil Orippurathu Bhagavathi Temple. Nooranad

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 ...

, which is famous for its

Maha Shivaratri 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 ...

''Kettukazhcha'' is located 8 Km South West of Pandalam town.

Legend

According to legend, Lord

Ayyappan Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil. Although devotion t ...

, 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

near the

Pandalam Palace Pandalam dynasty (Malayalam:പന്തളം രാജവംശം) a royal dynasty emerged from a branch of Pandya kingdom. which existed in Kerala during the Kollam era. They came to Kerala fearing the assault of the Nayaks of Madurai. ...

. This temple is on the banks of river

Achenkovil 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 ...

. Three days prior to the Makaravilakku festival, the

Thiruvabharanam Thiruvabharanam is the sacred ornaments of Ayyappan, the presiding deity of Sabarimala temple. The ornaments are made of gold. It is believed that these ornaments are made at the orders of the Pandalam King, who adopted Ayyappan as his child. Thi ...

(sacred ornaments) are taken in a procession from Pandalam to

History

It is believed that the Pandya kings of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

fled to Pandalam in the face of an attack from

Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...

s 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 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 ...

to conquer the

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 ...

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 Thodupuzha (തൊടുപുഴ) is a municipal town located in Idukki district, Kerala, India, that covers an area of . It lies on the banks of Thodupuzha river, which merges with the Kaliyar and Kothamangalam rivers at Muvattupuzha to for ...

in Idukki district once. Pandalam was added to

in 1820. Before the formation of

district, Pandalam was in

Mavelikara 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 ...

taluk 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.

Colleges

NSS College Pandalam N. S. S. College, Pandalam is a higher education institution in Kerala, affiliated to the University of Kerala. It is one of the three oldest colleges established and managed by the Nair Service Society. The college was founded by Mannathu Padma ...

* 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

, placed on the banks of

, 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 Ayyappan an incarnation of dharma sastha, also called Manikandan, is a Hindu deity popular in Southern India, He is considered to be the epitome of dharma, truth, and righteousness and is often called upon to obliterate evil. Although devotion t ...

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 Makaravilakku is an annual festival held on Makara Sankranti in Kerala, India at the shrine of Sabarimala. The festival includes the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappan) procession and a congregation at the hill shrine of Sabari ...

festival

Famous Personalities

Pandalam Kerala Varma Kerala Varma (January 1879 – June 1919), most commonly known as Mahakavi Pandalam Kerala Varma (Malayalam: മഹാകവി പന്തളം കേരള വർമ്മ), was an Indian poet, scholar, and publisher. He was born in Pandala ...

: Poet *

M. N. Govindan Nair M. N. Govindan Nair (10 December 1910 – 27 November 1984), popularly known as MN, was an Indian communist politician born in Pandalam, in Pathanamthitta district, India. He is known as ''"Kerala Khrushchev"''. Political life M.N. began hi ...

: Former State Secretary of CPI, Former State Cabinet Minister and MP *

V. S. Valiathan Vattaparambil Sankaran Valiathan (October 1919 – 21 June 2006), commonly referred to as Artist V. S. Valiathan, was an Indian artist from Pandalam, who was known for his classical style of painting in the Raja Ravi Varma tradition. His paintin ...

: Artist * Benyamin: Novelist *

Dr. Biju Bijukumar Damodaran, known mononymously as Dr. Biju, is an Indian Homoeopathy, homoeopathic medical doctor, doctor turned film director and screenwriter. He is best known for films such as ''Saira (film), Saira'' (2005), ''Veettilekkulla Vazhi'' ...

: Film director * P. K. Manthri: Cartoonist *

Kadammanitta Vasudevan Pillai Prof. Kadammanitta Vasudevan Pillai, is a Padayani exponent from Kerala, India. He is the former Vice Chairman of the Kerala Folklore Academy, a professor in mathematics, a writer and public speaker. Early and professional life 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,

File:പന്തളംപുഴ.JPG,

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