Ampalamkunnu

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Ampalamkunnu is a small temple town in the Indian state of Kerala. It is situated 25 kilometers from Kollam, located at 76.90 °E 9.00 °N, 30 meters above sea level. It's a hilly area and houses a large number of temples . Some of the famous temples: Valiya Vila Bhagavathy temple, Nettayam Indilayappan temple, Kayila Madan Kavu, Cheruvakkal Dharma Saastha temple, Vaaliyode Madan temple, Nelliparampu Sreekishna Swami temple.

Some of the famous nearby places are Kottarakara, Anchal, Kulathupuzha and Punalur.

The main agricultural products of surrounding areas are rubber, black pepper and other spices.

[edit] Religion

The majority of the population belongs to the Hindu religion(60%. The town also has a sizable Muslim(30%) population and the Christian population is around 10%. Among Hindus, the ezhava caste forms the dominant community with 70% of hindus. The rest are Nairs(17%), Viswakarmas(5%), Harijan(5%). Others form 3%.

[edit] Festivals

The famous festival here is Onam. It’s celebrated by all people regardless of their caste and religion. The main festivals among Hindus are Deepavali, Sre Narayana Guru Jayanthi and the Karthika festival. Unlike other places in Kerala, Vishu and Sree Krishna Jayanthi is not much celebrated here though the right wing Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is trying to bring these festivals to this Dravidian land. Muslims celebrate Valiya Perunnal, Cheriya Perunnal and Nabi Jayanthi. Christmas is celebrated not only by Cristians but also by some sections of Hindus too.

[edit] Religious Harmony

Ampalamkunnu prides itself on its religious harmony. All the temples, churches, and mosques stand shoulder to shoulder, to the extent that sometimes one fails to distinguish between them. As noted above, the festival of Onam is celebrated by all people. All the religious festivals, such as Christmas, Ramzan, and Diwali are celebrated here with the same pomp and gaiety.