Wayanad District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Wayanad
Kerala, India |
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 Wayanad
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| Headquarters | Kalpetta |
| Coordinates | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Population • Density |
780,619 • 369/km² |
| Abbreviation (ISO) | IN-KL- |
Wayanad District, in the north-east of Kerala, India, was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district, carved out of Kozhikode District and Kannur District. Though the the word Wayanad is believed by some to have originated from Vayal (paddy) and Naad (land), 'Land of Paddy Fields', some scholars disagree. The region was known as Mayakshetra (Maya's land) in the earliest records. Mayakshetra evolved into Mayanad and finally to Wayanad. There are many indigenous tribals in this area. It is set high on the majestic Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 m. The district is going through its worst agrarian crisis.
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[edit] Basic information
Area: 2132 km²
Population (2001 census) : 780,619
Density of Popn: 369 people/km²
No. of Taluks: 3 (Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery, Vayithiri)
No. of state Assembly Legislators: 3 (North Wayanad, Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta)
Lok Sabha Representation: North Wayanad Assembly Seat is in Kannur Lok Sabha Seat, the other two in Kozhikode.
District Headquarters: Kalpetta (Municipality, pop: 29,602 in 2001 census)
Other Important Towns: Sulthan Bathery, Mananthavady.
[edit] History
In ancient times the land was ruled by the Vedar Rajas. Later Wayanad came under the rule of Pazhassi Raja of Kottayam-Kurumbranadu Royal Dynasty of Kannur. The modern history of the district is associated with the events that took place during the Mysorean invasion and the long spell of the British rule stretching over a period of about two centuries. There was fierce encounter between the British and Pazhassi Rajah. When the state of Kerala came into being in 1956, Wayanad was a part of Cannannore district; later in 1957 south Wayanad was added to Kozhikode district and north Wayanad remained with Cannannore district. By amalgamating the north Wayanad and south Wayanad, the present Wayanad district came into being on the 1st November 1980 comprising of three taluks; Vythiry, Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery.
[edit] People
One important characteristic feature of this district is the large adivasi population, consisting mainly of Paniyas, Adiyas, Kattunayakan and Kurichiyans. Wayanad district stands first in the case of adivasi population (about 36%) among other districts in the state. Wayanad has a large settler population. The jains from Karnataka came in the 13th century. The Nairs from Kottayam-Kurumbranadu of Kannur made an entry in the 14th century and established their feudal life. They were followed by Muslims. There was large scale migrations from southern Kerala in the early 1940s. Their hard work and sacrifice helped them to prosper. On the other hand, the last few decades have seen the complete marginalisation of the indigenous people. Alienated from their land and victimized by the state, their status is a blot on the progressive ideals of Kerala society.Syrian Christians who came in the 1950s from Travancore, were well established as plantation owners until recently when the crash in the price of plantation crops.Chola Naickens,who used to be proud people, were very hospitable to early settlers are now the worst affected, under abject poverty.
[edit] Economy
Wayanad is the most backward district in Kerala. It is 3.79% urbanised. [www.censusindiamaps.net/page/India_WhizMap/IndiaMap.htm] Agriculture, mainly plantation and estate type, is the main stay of the economy. Coffee, tea, cocoa, pepper and lately, plantain, vanilla are the main cash crops. Besides cash crops, the most important crop in the district is rice. Dams and aqueducts have been constructed to take water to the otherwise dry areas in the district.
[edit] Agrarian crisis
The district is struggling to deal with an agrarian crisis precipitated by the economic reforms. The farmer suicides of Wayanad have hit the headlines of national dailies along with that in other parts of the country. The tea plantations are facing shut downs mainly due to the Free Trade Agreement with SriLanka. Unscrupulous farming practises like excessive use of chemical fertilisers and insecticides have laid to waste large tracts of land. It is a known fact that the neighbouring districts and even the people of Wayanad do not consume some of its own products.[1]
[edit] Geographical details
Wayanad district stands on the southern top of the Deccan plateau and its chief glory is the majestic Western ghats with lofty ridges interspersed with dense forest, tangled jungles and deep valleys, the terrain is rugged. Quite a large area of the district is covered by forest but the continued and indiscriminate exploitation of the natural resources point towards an imminent environmental crisis.
[edit] Mountains
Chembra peak (2345 m), Vellairmala (2145 m), Banasuran mala (2061 m), Elembileri mala (1839 m), Brahmagiri (1608 m), Kunnelipadimala (1607 m), Thariode mala (1553 m) are some of the important mountains in the district.
[edit] Rivers
The Kabini River, one of the three east flowing rivers of Kerala, is an important tributary of the Kaveri River. Almost the entire Wayanad district is drained by Kabini and its three tributaries, the Panamaram River, Mananthavady River, and Kalindy River. The Banasura Sagar Dam crosses one of tributaries of the Kabini River.
[edit] Climate
The distance from the mean sea level and surrounding forest creates a salubrious climate. Generally the year is divided into four seasons; cold weather (December to February) hot weather (March to May) South West monsoons (June to September) and North East monsoon (October to November). During the hot weather the temperature goes up to the maximum of 35 °C and during the cold weather the temperature goes down to 10 °C. The more perceived temperature variation in habitational areas since last 5-6 years is in the range of 18-28 degree Celsius. The average rainfall is 2,500 mm per year.
[edit] Access
The Kozhikode- Mysore National Highway No. 212 passes through Wayanad district. Nearest railway station is at Kozhikode, 67 km from Kalpetta. Kozhikode airport at Karippur is the nearest airport. There are good road connections to various parts of Kerala and other neighbouring states. Buses go frequently between important centres. While travelling from Mysore take the NH 212 . At a place called Gundlupet the road forks , one goes to Ooty and the other goes to Sultan Batheri , which is a small town of Wayanad .
This road passes through Bandipur forest and then through the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary which is the Kerala state border. The roads are good except for some sections inside the Bandipur Forest .While travelling at night please take care , this is an elephant country .Various destinations like Mananthavady , Vythiri etc are connected by good roads.
[edit] Places of importance
There are various places of touristic, ecological, religious and historic importance in the district, including:
- Edakkal Cave, 32 km from Kalpetta near Ambalavayal, is famous for its pre-historic carvings and paintings.
- Muthanga is a wild life sanctuary. It is on the way from Mysore to Sulthan Bathery. Wild animals such as bison, elephant, deer, and tiger has been spotted. There are also quite a few wild birds in the sanctuary.
- There is a famous Jain Temple near Koottamunda, the Ananthanatha Swami Temple.
- Thirunelli is a very old temple on the foothills of Brahmagiri.
- Sulthan Bathery is famous for its fort, which was built by Tipu Sultan.
- The tomb of the chieftain Pazhassi Raja, who fought the British with the help of Kurichiya warriors, is in Mananthavady.
- Valliyoorkav is a temple of great historic and social significance.
- Lakkidi, the entry-point to Wayanad on the road from Kozhikode, receives one of the highest rainfalls in India.
- Pookode lake nearby is a famous tourist centre as well.
- A ride through the tea estate is also very beautiful.
- For the adventorous the Chembra peak and Banasura, both over 2000 m high, provide tough challenges.
- Kuruva Dweep (10 km from Mananthavady) is a unique and fragile delta system on the Kabini River.
- An important and unusual pilgrim centre for sociologists and educationists is Kanavu a centre for alternative education which help the adivasis (tribals) to adapt to the challenges without losing their cultural moorings.
- Ananthanatha Swami Temple, {also known as ParswanathaSwamy Jain Temple at Puliyarmala Jain Temple at Puliyarmala} is a beautiful Jain temple located at Puliyarmala, 6 km from Kalpetta.
- Pakshipathalam is a very popular trekking place [7.5 Km oneway] in the Kerala-Karnataka border
- Soochipara Falls - a lovely waterfall
[edit] External links
- Wayanad
- Official site of Wayanad district
- Kerala Government Wayanad Info page
- Wayanad Tourism
- Wayanad.com
- Pictures
- Wayanad.net :: Exploring Wayanad
- More pictures
- http://www.malabarphoto.com/
- http://www.holidayhangouts.com/galleries.htm
| Districts of Kerala, India |
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| Alappuzha • Ernakulam • Idukki • Kannur • Kasargod • Kollam • Kottayam • Kozhikode • Malappuram • Palakkad • Pathanamthitta • Thiruvananthapuram • Thrissur • Wayanad |
