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Thodupuzha (തൊടുപുഴ) is a municipal town located in Idukki 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 India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, that covers an area of . It lies on the banks of
Thodupuzha river Thodupuzha River ( ml, തൊടുപുഴയാർ) has its origins in the Thodupuzha Taluk in the Idukki district of Kerala, India, and is a tributary of the Muvattupuzha river. The river is one of the few in the state that does not become ...
, which merges with the
Kaliyar Kaliyar is a small village in the Idukki district of state Kerala in India . Demographics the India census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given popula ...
and Kothamangalam rivers at
Muvattupuzha Muvattupuzha () is a town in the midlands directly to the east of Kochi in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. It is located about from downtown Kochi, and is a growing urban centre in central Kerala. The town is also the starting po ...
to form the Muvattupuzha river. Thodupuzha is from
Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south- ...
, from Kattappana and south east of
Kochi 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 ...
. Thodupuzha is from the state capital,
Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populatio ...
. The geographical classification of the Thodupuzha Region is ''Malanad'' or ''Keezhmalanad.'' Thodupuzha is the largest town in Idukki district and is a main commercial center. The town is being modernized with the help of a program sponsored by the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
. It was once part of
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 Thodupuzha municipality area is characterized by abundant vegetation.


Etymology

The place was named ''Thodupuzha'' by Elasamprathi Narayana Varma from two words: ''thodu'' () and ''puzha'' (). It is believed that the stream developed into a river, and the town on the banks of the river came to be known as Thodupuzha. There is another version that defines ''thodu'' as "touch" instead. The Mattathil Kovilakam were the protectors and rulers of the region. The last ruler of the region was Elasamprathi Narayana Varma, who originally came from Trivandrum and was the representative of Maharaja Raja.


History

The
Vadakkumkur Vadakkumkur was a late medieval/early modern feudal principality located in the Indian state of Kerala. Along with Thekkumkur, it succeeded from the early medieval political region of Vempolinad by around 1200 AD. After their separation, Thekkumkur ...
kings used to live in Karikode for several years. Vadakkumkur was a late medieval/early modern feudal principality located 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 ...
. After the kingdom separated,
Thekkumkur The Kingdom of Thekkumkur ( ml, തെക്കുംകൂർ രാജ്യം) (also transliterated as ''Thekkumkoor'' or ''Thekkumcore'') was an independent kingdom in the southern part of Kerala in India from 1103 CE until 1750 CE.P. Shung ...
became an independent kingdom, while Vadakkumkur became a vassal of
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 ...
. During the time of Portuguese dominance in Cochin, disputes arose between the Vadakkumkur chieftain and the Kingdom of Cochin over the pepper trade, and the Vadakkumkur ''
raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
'' was killed in battle with Cochin and their Portuguese allies. After the attack, Vadakkumkur palace split into two branches: one was known as Mattathil Palace, which remained in Thondikkuzha; and the other one in Kadanadu Pala. Vadakkumkur and Thekkumkur were later annexed by
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).Subrahman ...
and incorporated into the kingdom of
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 ...
. Maharaja appointed his representative known as Elasamprathi Narayana Varam to develop the region called Keezhmalainadu. Varam became known as the father of Keezhmalainadu and modern Thodupuzha. Varam erected many monuments, including the government offices,
Pandikasala Pandikasala is a small town in Malappuram district in the state of Kerala, India. It is a part of Kuttippuram Gramapanchayat. Temples and Masjid *Mahadeva Temple *Bilal Masjid Transportation Pandikasala village connects to other parts o ...
, and temples. The Karikode mosque and other buildings in Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha also date from his reign. He was the founder of the new style of tax collection in this region. Thodupuzha is an ancient town with a history dating back to many centuries. The Buddhist and Jain religions which made their first inroads into Kerala in 300 BC left their influence at Thodupuzha and neighboring areas. In the 14th century, Kerala was divided for administrative reasons into several provinces: Venadu, Otanadu, Navishainadu, Munjunadu, Vempolinadu, and Keezhmalainadu. Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha were in Keezhmalainadu, which was in existence until 1600; in that year it lost a battle with Vadakkumkoor and became a part of it. St George Forane Church church at Muthalakodam, near Thodupuzha, is believed to have constructed before 13th Century. It is believed to have been set up in the 19th century by an ancient noble lady named (Mattathil Muthi). It was re-built several times since then. Today's magnificent church was built in the year 1973. Mylacombu St Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, Thodupuzha is believed to be built in 660 AD by Syrian Christian settlers in Mylacombu near Thodupuzha who migrated from
Kuravilangad Kuravilangad is an Indian town located in the northern part of the Kottayam district in Kerala. It is situated in the Meenachil taluk, about 22 km north of the district capital Kottayam and 17 km west of the municipal town Pala. Ku ...
,
Kodungallur Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Th ...
,
Angamaly Angamaly (''Aṅkamāli''), , Malayalam : അങ്കമാലി Situated about north of the city centre, the town lies at the intersection of Main Central Road (MC Road) and National Highway 544. MC Road, which starts from Thiruvanantha ...
, Kadamattom and Vadakara, Koothattukulam. When Kerala formed in 1956, Thodupuzha was part of the
Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
district and C. A. Mathew (മാത്യു ചൂരപുഴ) became the first
member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...
of the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 1957 to 1960, and from 1960 to 1965.. In 1972, the Idukki district was formed by merging the Thodupuzha
taluk A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...
with the
Devikulam Devikulam () is a Grama Panchayat and small hill station of about from Munnar in the Idukki District of Kerala State, India. It lies above sea level. Etymology The name Devikulam is a conjunction of the words ''Devi'', from the goddess Devi a ...
,
Udumbanchola Udumbanchola is a taluk in Idukki district of Kerala state in India. This is in the high ranges. Nedumkandam is the major town and capital of Udumbanchola taluk. Mathikettan Shola National Park is located in Udumbanchola. In July 2019, a tea ...
and
Peermade Peermade, also spelt Peerumedu (Malayalam: പീരുമേട്) is a village, Grama Panchayat and hill station in the state of Kerala, India. It lies above sea level in the Western Ghats (Sahyadri) about east of Kottayam on the way to The ...
taluks, which were part of the
Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south- ...
district. thumb


Climate


Demographics

As of 2011 Census, Thodupuzha Taluka with an area of had total population of 325,951; males comprised 49% of the population and females 51%. Literacy rate of Thodupuzha Taluka in 2011 were 95.56% in which, male and female literacy were 96.81% and 94.33% respectively. In Thodupuzha, 9% of the population was under 6 years of age.


Economy and infrastructure

Thodupuzha's economy is driven by agriculture, business, and small industries. Farmers in Thodupuzha raise a number of crops, mostly
rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...
. Other crops such as
pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
, coconut,
rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
,
pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...
,
cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...
,
tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but wh ...
, banana,
ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...
,
turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...
are also cultivated. The headquarters of the first manufacturing industry in the district, Dhanwanthari Vaidyasala, are in Thodupuzha.


Politics

Thodupuzha was administered by a village
panchayat The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical men ...
and village union for several years, but on 1 September 1978, it was upgraded into a municipality. The municipality was formed by merging the Thodupuzha panchayat and the neighboring panchayats of Kumaramangalam, Karicodu, and Manacaud. The municipality was administered by a special officer for ten years. In 1988, elections were held and the first popularly elected municipal council was formed, with N. Chandran as the chairman.


Sports

The Thodupuzha Cricket Stadium constructed by the
Kerala Cricket Association The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA; ml, കേരളാ ക്രിക്കറ്റ്‌ അസോസിയേഷന്‍) is the governing body of the game of cricket in the Kerala state of the Republic of India. It is affiliated to t ...
is located in Karikkode, approximately five kilometers away from Thodupuzha, which is large enough to host two cricket matches at the same time.


Education

* The first center of higher learning in the taluk was Newman College, Thodupuzha. It was established in 1964 by the Syrian Catholic Diocese of
Kothamangalam Kothamangalam, , is a municipality in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. The town is in the foothills of the Western Ghats, and is a part of the Idukki Lok Sabha constituency. The town serves as the headquarters of a taluk and a municipality ...
and named after Cardinal Newman. * The second college of Thodupuzha was established in 1982: St. Joseph's College in Arakkulam. * The
University College of Engineering, Thodupuzha University College of Engineering (UCE), located near Thodupuzha, is an institute of engineering and technology, run and managed by the Centre for Professional and Advanced Studies (CPAS), established by the Government of Kerala. UCE offers both ...
, managed and run by the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, is located in Thodupuzha. The college started functioning in 1996.


Notable people

* Ajitkumar Varma, Deputy Inspector General of Police, CIB, Indian High Commission London * Asif Ali, film actor *
Askar Ali Askar Ali is an Indian actor known for his work in Malayalam cinema. He made his debut with the film ''Chembarathipoo'' and is best known for acting in '' Honey Bee 2.5'' (2017) and ''Kaamuki'' (2018). He is the younger brother of Malayalam ...
, film actor *
Asin Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She ...
, film actress * P. K. Abdul Aziz, vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University *
Jaffar Idukki Jaffar Idukki is an Indian actor, impressionist, and comedian, who predominantly works in the Malayalam cinema. Started his career with the 2007 film ''Kaiyoppu'', he has acted in about hundred films and has performed in a number of comedy s ...
, film actor *
P. J. Joseph Palathinal Joseph Joseph (born 10 June 1941) is an Indian politician from Kerala Congress serving as the Member of the Legislative Assembly from Thodupuzha Assembly Constituency in Kerala. A former cabinet minister, Joseph entered Kerala poli ...
, leader of Kerala Congress and former minister in the Second Oommen Chandy ministry *
Neeta Pillai Neeta Pillai is an Indian actress from Kerala, India who predominantly working in the Malayalam film industry. She debuted with Poomaram in 2018, alongside Kalidas Jayaram. Early life Neeta was born at Thodupuzha, Kerala to Vijayan P.N. an ...
, film actress *
Pappachen Pradeep Naduparambil Pappachen Pradeep (born 28 April 1983), commonly known as NP Pradeep, is a retired Indian professional footballer who played as a defender. Pradeep hails from Moolamattom in Kerala. He was also the captain of India's U23 team. He ...
, defender for the
India national football team The India national football team represents India in international football and is governed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The team is affiliated to FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Indian team, which was once cons ...
, former captain of the U23 team. * Honey Rose, film actress *
Nishanth Sagar Nishant Balakrishnan (born 8 June 1980), known professionally by his stage name Nishant Sagar , is an Indian actor who works primarily in the Malayalam film industry. He has performed in over 50 films as a hero, co-star and antagonist. Care ...
, film actor *
Rajesh Touchriver Rajesh Touchriver (born M. S. Rajesh) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his works in English, Malayalam, Telugu, and Hindi language films. He received various National and International honors for his works. In 20 ...
, film director *
Shiny Wilson Shiny Kurisingal Wilson ( nee Abraham, born 8 May 1965) is a retired Indian athlete. She has been a National Champion in 800 metres for 14 years. Shiny Abraham Wilson (Shiny Abraham) represented India more than 75 times in international co ...
( Abraham), Olympian and Asian Games Medal Winner *
Sivaangi Krishnakumar Sivaangi Krishnakumar (born 25 May 2000), also known as Sivaangi, is an Indian actress, playback singer and television personality. In 2019, she participated in the singing competition ''Super Singer 7,'' which was aired on Star Vijay and, in 2 ...


See also


References


External links

{{Northern Travancore Cities and towns in Idukki district