Wayanad district
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| ?Wayanad Kerala • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area | 2,131 km² (823 sq mi) |
| Headquarters | Kalpetta |
| Population • Density |
780,619 • 369 /km² (956 /sq mi) |
| Collector | Ashwini Kumar Rai |
| ISO abbreviation | IN-KL- |
Wayanad District, in the north-east of Kerala, India, was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district by carving out areas from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. The region was known as Mayakshetra (Maya's land) in the earliest records. Mayakshetra evolved into Mayanad and finally to Wayanad. But the Folk etymology of the word says it is a combination of Vayal (paddy) and Naad (land), making it 'The Land of Paddy Fields'. 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. Kurumbranadu Royal Dynasty of Kannur held rights to the land in early 18th century. It briefly came under the rule of the Kingdom of Mysore as it campaigned in the Malabar coast. Pazhassi Raja of Kurumbranadu helped the British in their fight against Tipu Sultan. Following Mysore's withdrawal the Raja and the British parted their ways. And in 1799,after the fall of Tipu, the British took over Wayanad. Pazhassi Rajah engaged in a prolonged guerrilla war with the British until he was killed in 1805. When the state of Kerala came into being in 1956, Wayanad was a part of Kannur district; later in 1957 south Wayanad was added to Kozhikode district and north Wayanad remained with Kannur 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. It is the district with the highest share in the adivasi population (about 36%) of Kerala. Wayanad also has a large settler population. The jains from Karnataka came in the 13th century. The Hindu Nairs from Kottayam-Kurumbranadu (Kannur) made an entry in the 14th century and established their feudal system. They were followed by Muslims. There was large scale migrations from southern Kerala in the early 1940s. Their hard work helped them to build prosperous lives.Christians who came in the 1950s from Travancore, were well established as plantation owners until the crash in the price of plantation crops. On the other hand, the last few decades have seen the complete marginalisation of the indigenous people. Alienated from their land, exploited by the settlers and neglected by the state, their struggle for rights to the land has so far been unsuccessful.
[edit] Economy
Wayanad is 3.79% urbanised. Agriculture, is the main stay of the economy. Coffee, tea, cocoa, pepper, plantain and vanilla are the main crops. Besides these 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. The tea plantations are facing shut downs mainly due to the Free Trade Agreement with SriLanka.
[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 (2100 m), Banasura peak (2073 m), Brahmagiri (1608 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, Mananthavady, and Kalindy rivers. The Banasura Sagar Dam is built on one of tributaries of the Kabini River.
[edit] Weather
The distance from the mean sea level and forest cover creates a salubrious climate in the region. Generally the year is divided into four seasons; cold weather (December to February) hot weather (March to May) South West monsoon (June to September) and North East monsoon (October to November). During the hot weather the temperature goes up to a maximum of 35 °C and during the cold weather the temperature goes down to 10 °C. The more perceived temperature variation in in the 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, 75 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.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. Thirunelli Temple is a very old temple on the foothills of Brahmagiri. Edakkal Caves, 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. The Jain Temple near Koottamunda, the Ananthanatha Swami Temple. Pallikunnu Church, 14 km from Kalpetta is a famous Pilgrim centre in north Kerala. Mazhuvannur Siva Temple is an ancient Shiva temple near Tharuvana. Karat Siva Temple is a very old temple near Kommayad. 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 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 is a famous tourist centre near Lakkidi. 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) is a beautiful Jain temple located at Puliyarmala, 6 km from Kalpetta. Pakshipathalam is a very popular trekking spot [7.5 km oneway] on the Kerala-Karnataka border. Soochipara,Kanthapara and Meenmutty are waterfalls in the Meppadi-Ambalavayal region.
[edit] External links
- Official site of Wayanad district
- Kerala Government Wayanad Info page
- Wayanad.net
- Jain Temple at Puliyarmala
| Districts of Kerala, India |
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| Alappuzha • Ernakulam • Idukki • Kannur • Kasargod • Kollam • Kottayam • Kozhikode • Malappuram • Palakkad • Pathanamthitta • Thiruvananthapuram • Thrissur • Wayanad |
