Cherthala, , (formerly Shertalai, Shertallai or Shertallay) is a Municipal town and a Taluk located at National highway 66 in the district of Alappuzha, 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. Cherthala is the satellite town and industrial hub of Alappuzha. In the

local administration Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

, Cherthala is a

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 ...

, while in the state administrative structure Cherthala is a

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 ...

and its headquarters are in the district of Alappuzha.

Etymology

According to local legend,

Vilwamangalam Swamiyar Vilwamangalam Swamiyar or Vilwamangalathu Swamiyar is the name of more than one saint who lived in India. The first Vilwamangalam, a Swamiyar belonging to Naduvil Madhom, who lived in the 8th century. The spot of his samadhi is to the west of Sr ...

, the Kerala

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

saint, while travelling through Cherthala, found an idol of the Devi with its head immersed in a muddy pond. The swami understood the divinity of the idol, took it out of the mud, cleaned it and consecrated it in a temple near the pond. Thus the place is believed to have gotten its name as ''cher'' meaning "mud" and ''thala'' meaning "head" in Malayalam. The deity of the temple has the name ''Cherthala Karthiyayani''.

Climate

Demographics

According to 2011 census report, Cherthala Municipality had population of 45,827 of which 22,192 are males while 23,635 are females. Population of Children with age of 0-6 is 3988 which is 8.70% of total population of Cherthala (M). In Cherthala Municipality, Female Sex Ratio is of 1065 against state average of 1084. Moreover, Child Sex Ratio in Cherthala is around 911 compared to Kerala state average of 964. Literacy rate of Cherthala city is 97.02% higher than state average of 94.00%. In Cherthala, Male literacy is around 98.58% while female literacy rate is 95.59%.

Educational organizations

* College of Engineering, Cherthala, managed by IHRD, Government of Kerala *

Bishop Moore Vidyapith, Cherthala Bishop Moore Vidyapith, Cherthala is a CBSE school run by the Church of South India (CSI) Diocese of Madhya Kerala, established in 2001. The school has a student strength of over 2000 pupils and about 100 staff (teaching and non-teaching). T ...

Industries

Landmarks

Cherthala Town Municipality has 35 wards.http://www.cherthalamunicipality.in Cherthala Municipality The town is well known after the Karthyayani Devi temple, located in the center of the town. Two more sub-temples dedicated to

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 ...

and

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

are also located on the northern side of the main temple. A sub-temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, also known as Kaavudayan and another dedicated to Kshethrapalakan believed to be Devi's temple caretaker are located on the southern corner of the main temple. Thousands of devotees coming from different 'karas' (localities) of Cherthala participate in the

Padayani Padayani, also known Padeni (from the Malayalam word for military formations), is a traditional folk dance and a ritual art from the central portion of the Indian state of Kerala. A ceremonial dance involving masks, it is an ancient ritual per ...

, vela thullal and pooram pattu, the main rituals conducted during the temple festival. A large pond exists in front of the Taluk office that belongs to the Karthyayani Devi temple. One can see many roosters flocking around the temple premises. These

rooster The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

s are the offerings of the devotees, an ancient custom followed in many devi temples of Kerala. The temple is administered by Travancore Devaswom Board. Chertala 1960

Another temple in Cherthala town is the Muttathu Thirumala Devaswam temple. Lord

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

presiding in the form of

Saligrama A shaligrama shila ( deva, शालिग्राम शिला, Śāligrāma-śilā), also rendered as shaligram, is a particular variety of stone collected from riverbed or banks of the Kali Gandaki, a tributary of the Gandaki River in N ...

and Sree Venkatachalapathy Moorthy with bhoo devi and sree devi are the deities of this temple. The temple conducts its annual festival either ahead of the Karthyayani Devi's festival or soon after that. The Pallivetta is a procession where it is believed that Goddess is going for the divine hunting. The annual festival lasts for eight days.

Notable people

Irayimman Thampi Iravivarman Thampi, better known as Irayimman Thampi (1782 October 12 - 1856 July 29), was an Indian Carnatic musician, music composer and poet from the Kingdom of Travancore. He was a vocalist in the court of Swathi Thirunal. His compositions i ...

– Carnatic musician as well as a music composer from Kerala *

Vayalar Ramavarma Vayalar Ramavarma (March 25, 1928 – October 27, 1975), also known as Vayalar, was an Indian poet and lyricist of Malayalam language. He was known for his poems which include ''Sargasangeetham'', ''Mulankaadu'', ''Padamudrakal'', ''Aayisha'' a ...

– Malayalam poet and film lyricist * A. K. Antony – thrice Chief minister of Kerala in UDF Ministry, Indian Defence Minister * Vayalar Ravi – former Home minister of Kerala in UDF Ministry, Union Cabinet Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs * K. R. Gouri Amma – First revenue minister of Kerala State, First women minister of kerala state. * S. D. Shibulal – chief executive officer and managing director of Infosys * Karunakara Guru – founder of

Santhigiri Ashram Santhigiri Ashram is located in Pothencode, Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala. The ashram was founded by Navajyothi sri Karunakara Guru and is recognized and developed as a ''Social and Scientific Research Organization'' by the Government of ...

* PS Karthikeyan – former Secretary, S.N. Trust, Former Director of SNDP Yogam, Former Member of the Legislative Assembly – Aroor, Chief Editor of Dinamani daily *

P. Parameswaran P. Parameswaran (3 October 1927 – 9 February 2020), often referred to as Parameswarji, was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ''pracharak'' from Kerala, India who was erstwhile Vice‑President of the Jan Sangh. He was president of Vivekanan ...

– Director, Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram * Jagannatha Varma – Kathakali artist, actor in Malayalam film and serial * Thiruvizha Sivanandan – renowned Karnatic Violinist and teacher * Rajeev Alunkal – film lyricist, poet, orator And Chairman Kumaranasan Smarakam, Govt of Kerala * Vayalar Sarath Chandra Varma – film lyricist * Rajan P. Dev – Malayalam film actor and drama/theater personality * S. L. Puram Sadanandan – Malayalam playwright and film scriptwriter *

Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan Chelangatt Gopalakrishnan (6 June 1932 – 4 June 2010) was a journalist of Malayalam Cinema. Childhood and early career He was born in Cherthala Alappuzha in Kerala to Sri Nediyedathu Kesava Pillai and Thrikkeparambil Ammukkutti Amma. A ...

– writer and film critic * Joy J. Kaimaparamban – English and Malayalam author * Jomon T. John – Indian cinematographer *

Sijoy Varghese Sijoy Varghese (born 6 March 1971) is an Indian actor and advertising filmmaker. He has been involved in advertising and cinema for 20 years. As an actor he has portrayed characters in Malayalam films including: Bangalore Days, Avatharam, J ...

– Actor, Ad Film Director * Itty Achuthan – major contributor of ethno-medical information for the compilation of Hortus Malabaricus *

Palackal Thoma Malpan Palackal Thoma Malpan (c. 1780 – 1841) was an Indian Catholic priest of the Syro-Malabar Church based in India. He was the senior priest and founder who envisaged the formation of the first native religious institution in India ,Carmelites ...

– founder of the

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate The Carmelites of Mary Immaculate ( la, Congregatio Fratrum Carmelitarum Beatae Virginis Mariae Immaculatae) abbreviated CMI, formerly also known as the Servants of Mary Immaculate ( ml, അമലോത്ഭവ ദാസ സംഘം), is a Cath ...

Mgr. Joseph C. Panjikaran Joseph C. Panjikaran (1888-1949) of Shertallay was a Syro-Malabar Catholic monsignor, historian, theologian, journalist, and the founder of the Dharmagiri Hospital, Kothamangalam, and the Congregation of the Medical Sisters of St. Joseph (Dharma ...

– founder of the Medical Sisters of St. Joseph * P. J. Thomas, Polayil – Chief Secretary, Kerala * Radhika – Malayalam cine actress * C. K. Chandrappan – communist leader * Syam Pushkaran – Malayalam scriptwriter * P. Thilothaman – Former minister for food and civil supplies, Kerala State

References

External links

Cherthala Municipality
{{Authority control Suburbs of Kochi Cities and towns in Alappuzha district Populated coastal places in India