Palai

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Palai
Palai
State - District(s)	Kerala - Kottayam
Coordinates	9.7° N 76.70° E
Area - Elevation	15.93 km² - 56.7 m
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Population (2001) - Density	22,640 - app. 1375/km²
Municipal Chairman	Betty Shaju
Codes - Postal - Telephone - Vehicle	- 686 575 - +9148 22 - KL 35

Palai (also known as Pala (Malayalam : പാലാ), is a city and a municipality in Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is situated on the banks of the Meenachil River and is the headquarters of the Meenachil Taluk and the Palai Revenue Division. It is the main gateway to the southern high ranges. Meenachil Taluk is part of Malanad and is very fertile. Located at 9.7125°N, 76.6950°E. Palai is 56.7 meters above MSL. Nearby towns are Ponkunnam, Erattupetta, Thodupuzha, Ettumanoor and Kottayam. Palai is on the Muvattupuzha-Punalur state highway.

1 History
- 1.1 Early settlements
2 Religious places
3 Trade links
4 Culture & people
5 Demographics
6 See also

[edit] History

There are various versions regarding the origin of the place name. According to one, Palai gets its name from Palazhi (Ksheera Sagara), the mythological ocean of milk from which nectar was churned out. Another view is that the name was derived from Palathu Chettiyar families, the prominent earlier settlers of the region.

Palai was ruled by Meenachil Karthas [Hindu Local Chieftains] for a long time. The first Kartha families were known as Njavakattu Karthas.

[edit] Early settlements

Early settlements in the region date back to 1000 AD. Christian settlers came to the area very early, probably at the invitation of the local rulers. They engaged mainly in agriculture and trade. It is believed that Palai market was established around 1736 on the banks of Meenachil River by Christian settlers on the land allotted by the Meenachil Karthas.

[edit] Religious places

Palai has many ancient temples and churches that are considered as pilgrim centers by the devotees. Kadappattor Temple and the Lalam Church are two of them. One church known as Kurishupalli was built with stones of a single rock which situated in the centre of Pala town. Thousands of pilgrims visit the Kadappattoor temple every year, on their way to Sabarimala. An Armenian might have played an important role in the establishment of the Lalam Church in 1663. A famous pilgrim centre nearby is the Alphonsa Church at Bharananganam, where the mortal remains of Blessed Alphonsa of India are kept. Adjacent to it is St. Mary's Church of Bharananganam which was founded in 1004. St. George's Church, Aruvithura, near Erattupetta, is a famous pilgrim centre.

[edit] Trade links

Palai had trade links with far-off places such as TamilNadu, and even foreign countries in the Middle East. A jungle route to Gudalloor, in Tamil Nadu, through the dense forests in the High Ranges, is believed to have brought a significant number of Vellala Chettiars during the middle ages. During early 1900's, Palai became famous for its spice market. Once rubber took a firm root in Central Kerala, Palai became a rubber market.

A road linking Athirampuzha to Erattupetta through Palai was established in 1868. Palai was linked to Thodupuzha by road in 1893. Motor vehicles appeared in Palai around the 1920s.

Palai became a Municipality in 1949.

[edit] Culture & people

Though the population is diverse, Palai is considered as an important hub of Saint Thomas Christians in India. Palai is en-route the tourist resort at Vagamon.

Palai has contributed immensely to the regional and national political spectrum. Notable among them are the late R V Thomas (Former Speaker, Kerala Assembly), the late George Thomas Kottukapally (Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha & U.N Delgate) and the late K M Chandy (Former Governor, Madhya Pradesh). K M Mani, Leader of Kerala Congress, has been the representative of Palai in the Kerala Legislative Assembly since 1965. He has served as a minister in the Kerala Government for over two decades. M M Jacob is the Governor of Meghalaya. He has also served as the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Indian Parliament). B. Sandhya, writer and police officer in Kerala, is from Palai. The poets Mahakavi pala Narayanan Nair and Vettoor Raman Nair are also from Palai. Sri.K. R. Narayanan , the former President of India,is from Uzhavoor,a village near to Palai.

Famous educational institutions like St. Thomas College and Alphonsa College are situated in this place. These colleges are hubs of sports excellence. Famous volleyball player Jimmy George was a student of St. Thomas College.

[edit] Demographics

As of 2001 India census^GRIndia, Palai had a population of 22,640. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Palai has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 86%, and female literacy is 86%. In Palai, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.