Ancharakandy

Ancharakandy
city
Ancharakandy Location in Kerala, India
Coordinates: 11°54′N 75°18′E / 11.90°N 75.30°E / 11.90; 75.30Coordinates: 11°54′N 75°18′E / 11.90°N 75.30°E / 11.90; 75.30
Country	India
State	Kerala
District	Kannur
Population (2001)
• Total	21,882
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	670611, 670612

Ancharakandy (or Anjarakandy) is a census town in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. The village is a Gram Panchayat and situated 18 km away from Kannur as well as Thalasseri (Tellichery) town. The place is named after Anjarakandy river flowing through it.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census,^[1] Ancharakandy had a population of 21,882. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Ancharakandy has an average literacy rate of 86%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 49% of the males and 51% of females literate. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

The village includes Ancharakandy Cinnamon Estate, established by the East India Company in 1767.^[2] The estate, reputed to be Asia's largest, and associated processing plant are still operational and visitors can view the process of preparing cinnamon spice and extraction of oil. In 1903, the local king, Pazhassi Raja and the British Army waged war for control of the estate.^[3][4]

Asia's first Land Registrar's office is located in a 242 year old building built in 1767 by Lord Brown.^[4] The Kannur medical college, established in 2006, is equipped with a 500 bed super specialty hospital. and Kannur dental college and super specialty hospital ,Malabar institute of technology was established in 2010 and the 220 acre campus was named as cinnamon Town by Dr Hashim MA on January 1st 2010

History

The village of Anjarakandy rose to prominence due to Anjarakandy Cinnamon Estate, established by the East India Company in 1767.^[2] The estate, reputed to be Asia's largest, and the associated processing plant are still operational. Visitors are permitted to view the process of preparing cinnamon spice and extraction of oil. The local king, Pazhassi Raja rebelled against the British East India Company over the control of Kottayam and the cinnamon estate.^[3]

Murdoch Brown, a trader affiliated with the British East India Company started a system of keeping a record of land transactions with respect to Anjarakandy Cinnamon Estate. This record keeping was the forerunner to the Department of Land Registration established by the British Government in South Asia. This land registrar's office exists to this date in Anjarakandy as a 245 year old building built in 1767.^[5]

Onakkan Menon was born in Ancharakandy, in a famous tharavad, 'Kalathil Uppot' in the year ME- 1071. He studied Kathakali from Manakkadan Kunhambu Gurikkal's kathakaliyogam at Eranholi, Thalassery. The name of his teacher was Manakkadan Kunhambu Gurikkal. Onakkan Menon practiced kathakali several years in Eranholi and began to teach kathakali. Then he conducted his own kathakali yogam in his homeplace Ancharakandy and taught kathakali for the students belong to thiyya community. Unfortunately this kathakali yogam existed for a short period only. The subcast 'menon' is considered as an upper class community name. Onakkan Menon did not belong to Menon community. His family was engaged in the job of 'Amsam Menon'. So the entire family was known as 'Menon". Onakkan Menon died in the year ME- 1096.

Educational Institutions

• Malabar Institute of Technology ^[6]
• The Kannur medical college is also super-specialty hospital.^[6]
• Anjarakandy Higher Secondary School is located in Anjarakandy Village.^[6]
• Mamba Central LP School is also situated in Mamba village. It has classes from Standard 1 to 5. Established in 1881 by Sri Kunhikkannan Ezhuthachan. This school received the "Best LP school in Kannur District" award.^[7]

Kannur Dental College ,College of Nursing -Kannur Medical College ,Institute of Paramedical Sciences,College of Pharmacy -Kannur Medical College ,

References