Thodupuzha is a
municipal town
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality ...
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 populati ...
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 poin ...
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-we ...
, 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 populati ...
. 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
![Sarvadhikari Elasamprathi Narayana Varma of Vadakkumkur](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Sarvadhikari_Elasamprathi_Narayana_Varma_of_Vadakkumkur.jpg)
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).Subrahmany ...
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 at Muthalakodam, near Thodupuzha, is believed to have constructed before the 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 Thr ...
,
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 Thiruvananthapu ...
,
Kadamattom
Kadamattom Church is an ancient Malankara jacobite syrian orthodox Church, located in Kadamattom near Kolenchery, in Ernakulam district, Kerala
History
The church is believed to have been established in the 9th century by Mar Sabor.
Location
...
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
The Kerala Legislative Assembly, popularly known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, is the State Assembly of Kerala, one of the 28 states in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives. Each elected member represents one of the 140 c ...
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 te ...
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-we ...
district.
thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand, next to the index finger. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position (where the palm is facing to the front), the thumb is the outermost digit. The Medical Latin English noun for 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
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
,
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
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
,
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 Asi ...
are also cultivated. The headquarters of the first manufacturing industry in the district, Dhanwanthari Vaidyasala, are in Thodupuzha.
Politics
![Mini Civil Station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Mini_Civil_Station.JPG)
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 ment ...
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
John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican priest and later as a Catholic priest and cardi ...
.
* 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
''HoneyBee 2.5'' is a 2017 Malayalam language romantic drama film produ ...
, 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 beg ...
, film actress
*
P. K. Abdul Aziz, vice-chancellor of
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...
*
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 sta ...
, 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
Kerala Congress is an Indian political party founded at Kottayam, Kerala in October, 1964, by a block of former Indian National Congress leaders led by K. M. George. The party is primarily active in central Kerala.
The establishment of Kerala ...
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
}
Honey Rose Varghese is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Malayalam films. She has also appeared in a few Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films. She made her acting debut with the 2005 Malayalam film ''Boyy Friennd''. Her breakthrough role came ...
, 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.
Career ...
, 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