HISTORY OF PATHANAMTHITTA

 

History of Pathanamthitta

The Pathanamthitta district was an important trading center during the Middle Ages. The beautiful district is blessed with forests, rural landscapes, and rivers. The city was ruled by various dynasties until the British took over. Today Pathanamthitta remains a major commercial hub in Kerala.  The beautiful city is situated in the Central Travancore region, Located on the fruitful bank of River Achankovil. Pathanamthitta is otherwise known as the pilgrim capital of Kerala and has a population of 38,000 and an area of 23.50 km square. It’s a fast-developing town and primary transport hub for the Hindu pilgrimage Sabarimala.  The beautiful city has a tropical climate with a monsoon in June and a humid climate from April to May. Summer month begins from March to May and the warmest month is April. Pathanamthitta has the two closest air terminals Trivandrum International Airport (113 Km) and Cochin Airport (142 Km). The city even has an airport in Kuttikayam Estate, Mampara Road operated by Chipsan Aviation PVT LTD. Tiruvalla Railway station is the only railway station in the district. Culture, Heritage, and Tourism play a major role in the history of Pathanamthitta.

Culture and Heritage History of Pathanamthitta

Culture and Heritage History of Pathanamthitta

Pathanamthitta was once part of the Kingdom of Travancore. In 1805, it became part of the Madras Presidency. In 1957, it became part of Kerala state. Pathanamthitta is the youngest among other districts in Kerala, and the city has a rich tradition of art and culture.

One of the famous arts of Pathanamthitta is Aranmula Kanadi. It’s a unique art that cannot be found anywhere in the world. Aranmula mirror is made using copper, alloyed with some undisclosed metals, and is typically clay molded. The making process is long when compared to other mirror manufacturing. It takes 14 days to process half a dozen and it’s expensive when compared to other mirrors available. The manufacturing process is a secret handed over from generation to generation. Aranmula Kanadi is popular in the world and plays a major role in the history of Pathanamthitta.

Another important art in Pathanamthitta is Vasthuvidya Gurukulam an ancient art that expresses ethnic socio-cultural heritage. It’s the promotion and preservation of mural paintings and vasthuvidya. The focus is to preserve mural paintings and maintain the traditional buildings. Gurukulam conducts training programs for architects and one of the programs is added as a course by MG University. It even provides consultancy with sketches and plans for those who want designs in the traditional architectural patterns. Vashtuvidya Gurukulam has relevance in Indian history and brings importance to the History of Pathanamthitta.

Tourism History of Pathanamthitta

Pathanamthitta is blessed with rivers and forests and beautiful places to visit includes:

Tourism History of Pathanamthitta

#1. Sabarimala Temple is located 79 KM from Pathanamthitta. It’s an important temple of Ayyappa a Hindu pilgrimage in the country. The temple is near the dense forests of Western Ghats. People from all over the world visit the temple to attend the festival of Mandala Pooja, Vishnu Vilakku, and Vrichikam Dhanu held in Nov-Dec, April, and January respectively.

#2. Gavi is an eco-tourism project located 109 KM from Pathanamthitta surrounded by cardamom plantation, hills, valley, waterfalls, tropical forest, and tea plantation. Trekking, Outdoor campaign, wildlife watching, and night safaris are the main attraction for tourism. Gavi is also part of the Periyar river which provides options for bird watchers, nature lovers, jungle trekkers, etc.

#3. Pampa River is the longest river in Kerala after Periyar and Bharathapuzha. It is located 18 KM from Pathanamthitta. It originates from the Peermedu plateau of western ghats from the pulachimalai hills. After passing through many places Pampa River drains into Vembanad lake. The river is also known as Thriveni Sangamam the meeting point of three rivers. The river is sacred for Hindus and has a religious and cultural center.

#4. Aranmula is a small town situated 15 km from Pathanamthitta. The town is famous for Aranmula Valamkali. People from all over the world come to see Aranmula Valamkali. Kalamkari is held during the festival of Onam. The boats used in the race are 30 feet long with 100 rowers, 25 singers, and four helmsmen.

#5. Konni situated 11 km from Pathanamthitta. It has lush pastures and hills situated near Achakovil. It is popular for the forest with eco-tourism and has ancient projects like an elephant shelter, photo gallery, etc. Konni is also famous for elephant training and timber trading.

#6. Perunthenaruvi Waterfalls is situated 36 KM from Pathanamthitta in the Western Ghats. Waterfall merges with the Pamba river and is famous for the wide-area and not the height. The waterfall is more beautiful with roaring waters during the monsoon and dangerous.

#7. Thriveni Sangamam is 64 km away from Pathanamthitta and it’s the place where three rivers meet Pamba River, Achankovil River, and Manimala River. It’s a sacred place for Hindus. Pilgrims who visit Sabarimala take a dip in Thriveni Sangamam and they believe it will wash their sins.

#8. Kaviyoor Rock Temple is carved on a massive rock and is one of the ancient temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Kaviyoor temple has archaeological importance because it resembles the Pallava style architecture.  Other than devotees the temple has historians and travelers as visitors.

#9. Muloor Smarakam is 12 km from Pathanamthitta and is situated in Elavumthitta. Muloor Smarakam is dedicated to Muloor S Padmanabha, the famous pre-independence poet, and social reformer. The memorial building was once the house of the poet himself. Kerala Government took over the property and made it a memorial to preserve the culture. Muloor Smarakam attracts poets, writers, historians, and tourists.

#10. Palikara Church is situated in Thiruvalla 32 KM from Pathanamthitta. The church’s history dates to 54 and has historic importance to the arrival of St. Thomas to Kerala. The church attracts tourists with its marvelous architecture and beautiful sculptures. The walls of the church are decked with carved lattice and inscriptions of various saints. It even has paintings made of natural vegetable dyes which is another major attraction.

History of Education and Top Educational Institutions in Pathanamthitta

Rane, Thiruvalla, Adoor, and Pathanamthitta are the areas where major Schools and Colleges are located. Other areas also have schools and colleges but the above-listed locations are the centric hub for education. The history of education dates to Catholicate College started in 1951 by Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and is the first college in Pathanamthitta. First, it was a High School that was later upgraded to college. Below is the list of schools in Pathanamthitta and some famous colleges.

Catholicate College - Pathanamthitta

List of Schools in Pathanamthitta:

Few Popular Government Schools in Pathanamthitta:

Following are the list of government schools Pathanamthitta which follows great standards of education and an ideal choice for local population to have a cost-effective education.

• Govt. HSS Chittar
• Govt. HSS Pathanamthitta
• Govt. HSS Kalanjoor
• Govt. HSS Vechoochira Colony
• Govt. HSS Ayroor
• Govt. HSS Kadimeenchira
• Govt. HSS Omalloor
• Govt. HSS Edamuri

Few Private Aided Schools in Pathanamthitta affiliated to CBSE & ICSE:

Pathanamthitta also has many Aided private schools which are listed among the best schools in Pathanamthitta. Aided schools are funded by Government of Kerala and managed by private trustees

• Adoor NSS HSS
• PCHS Pulloopram Rani
• MSHSS Rani
• Mount Bethany Public School, Kumbhazha
• Holy Angels School Adoor
• Sacred Heart High School
• Kendriya Vidyalaya Adoor
• Amrita Vidyalayam Pandalam
• Government High School Adoor
• St. Marys Central School Pathanamthitta
• Thapovan School Adoor

Schools in Pathanamthitta Affiliated to International General Certificate of Secondary Education:

If some is looking for international standards of education, Pathanamthitta also offers one of the best international schools in Kerala.

• NSK International School – Thumpamom

Engineering Colleges:

For higher professional education, students in Pathanamthitta has a wide choice of engineering colleges which provides various professional courses in engineering and science.

• College of Engineering Adoor
• College of Engineering Aranmulla
• College of Engineering Kallooppara
• Musaliar College of Engineering and Technology, Kumbazha
• Sree Buddha College of Engineering Elavumthitta
• Mount Zion College of Engineering

 Law College

 Following is the one and only law college situated in Pathanamthitta district,

•  Law College, Central University of Kerala, Thiruvalla

Universities

The very famous Mahatma Gandhi University is located in Pathanamthitta District ranked among the top universities in Kerala. As per the university ranking information available in the National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Education under the Ministry of Education, MG university secured 31^st position among all the universities in India.

• MG Universities OFF Campus, Kaviyoor, Thiruvalla