Alappuzha district facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alappuzha district Alleppey district
District
Clockwise from top: Kettuvallam, Thottappally, Alappuzha Beach, Infopark Campus, Cherthala, Alappuzha Bypass, and Krishnapuram Palace at Kayamkulam.
Nickname(s):  Venice of the Eastern worldKing of Backwater
Location in Kerala
Country	India
State	Kerala
Headquarters	Alappuzha
Area
• Total	1,414 km2 (546 sq mi)
Area rank	14th
Population  (2011)
• Total	2,127,789
• Density	1,504.8/km2 (3,897.4/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 code	IN-KL
Vehicle registration	KL-04 Alappuzha, KL-29 Kayamkulam, KL-30 Chengannur, KL-31 Mavelikara, KL-32 Cherthala, KL-66 Kuttanad
HDI (2005)	0.794 ( High)
Website	alappuzha.nic.in

Alappuzha district is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. It was first known as Alleppey district when it was formed on August 17, 1957. The name changed to Alappuzha in 1990. Alappuzha is the smallest district in Kerala. Its main town, Alleppey, was also renamed Alappuzha in 2012.

This district is famous for its beautiful backwaters, canals, beaches, and lagoons. Because of this, George Curzon, a British Governor-General, called Alappuzha the "Venice of the Eastern world" in the early 1900s. The backwaters connect it to other parts of Kerala, including popular tourist spots like Kumarakom. Alappuzha is also known for its coir factories, which make products from coconut fibers. Many of Kerala's coir industries are located here.

The Vembanad lake, the longest lake in the Indian peninsula, is found here. The district lies between this lake and the Arabian Sea. The Kuttanad region of Alappuzha district is special because it is below sea level. It has the lowest altitude in India. Kuttanad is also called The Rice Bowl of Kerala because rice is grown there, even below sea level.

In the 1940s, the district was a place where the Communist-led Punnapra-Vayalar uprising happened. This was a fight against the ruler of the British Princely state of Travancore.

What's in a Name?

The name Alappuzha comes from two words. 'Ᾱlayam' means 'home' and 'puzha' means 'watercourse' or 'river'. So, the name describes the many waterways and backwaters in the area.

The modern Alappuzha district was created on August 17, 1957. It was made from parts of the old Kollam and Kottayam districts. It started with seven areas called taluks. Today, Alappuzha district has six taluks: Cherthala, Ambalappuzha, Kuttanad, Karthikappally, Chengannur, and Mavelikkara. The district covers an area of 1,414 square kilometers. Its main office is in Alappuzha town.

A Look Back in Time

The town of Alappuzha was built by Raja Kesavadas in the late 1700s. However, the district has a much older history. Kuttanad, known as the "rice bowl" of Kerala, was important even in ancient times.

Ancient Connections

Records show that the Alappuzha region traded with ancient Greece, Rome, and Ancient Egypt. This happened during the Sangam period, which was many centuries ago.

An old port town called Barace was a big trading center. It is believed to be the modern coastal town of Purakkad in Alappuzha district. This town is at the mouth of the Pamba River, which is Kerala's third-longest river.

The early rulers of the Chera dynasty lived in Kuttanad. The areas south of the Pamba River were ruled by the Ay kingdom. There are old fossils, stone writings, and monuments that show the district's ancient past.

Alappuzha was also a major center for Buddhism in South India a long time ago. Many signs of Buddhism have been found in the areas of Ambalappuzha and Mavelikara.

Medieval Times

The district is mentioned in old Malayalam writings from the medieval period. A famous Sanskrit play called Ascharya Choodamani was written by Sakthibhadra from Chengannur.

The Chempakasseri kingdom was powerful during the time of Pooradam Thirunal Devanarayanan. He was a great scholar and poet. The Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple was built during his rule.

Smaller Kingdoms in the Past

The southern parts of Alappuzha district were once part of the "kingdom of Odanad" (also called "Kayamkulam"). This kingdom was taken over by the Travancorean forces in 1746.

The northern part, Cherthala, was ruled by the "Kingdom of Karappuram." It was part of the Kingdom of Cochin until 1762, when it became part of Travancore.

South of Karappuram was the "Chempakassery kingdom," also known as "Purakkad." This kingdom included Ambalappuzha and Kuttanad. Famous poets like Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri and Kunchan Nambiar were part of its royal court.

Karthikappally was a small kingdom between Odanad and Chempakassery. The southernmost part of the district was once part of Karunagappally.

Growth and Changes During Travancore Rule (1746–1947)

In the 1600s, the Dutch Malabar became very important in this region. The church in Kokkamangalam is believed to be one of the seven churches started by St. Thomas the Apostle. The beautiful CSI Christ Church in Alappuzha town was built in 1816 by Rev. Thomas Norton. It was the first Anglican Church in the state of Travancore.

In the mid-1700s, Maharaja Marthanda Varma, known as the 'Architect of the Modern Travancore', helped develop the district. The Krishnapuram Palace was built during his time. He helped make Alappuzha a major port town.

Later, Velu Thampi Dalawa also worked to develop the town and port. He helped grow coconuts and rice in the Pathiramanal island and other areas.

In the 1800s, the district saw much progress. The first modern factory for making Coir mats was set up in Alappuzha in 1859.

Kayamkulam Kochunni was a famous outlaw from Kayamkulam in the 1800s. The social reformer Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker also came from Alappuzha.

The district played a big part in the fight for freedom in Travancore. T.K. Madhavan worked to end Untouchability here. In 1925, temple roads were opened to all Hindus, regardless of their caste. The district also saw the 'Nivarthana' movement in 1932, which protested against unfair rules. The first political strike in Kerala happened in Alappuzha in 1938. The Punnapra-Vayalar uprising against the ruler of Travancore also took place here in the 1940s.

Geography of Alappuzha

Alappuzha is on a narrow strip of land between the Arabian Sea and the Vembanad lake. Major rivers like the Manimala, Pamba, and Achankovil flow through the district. Their smaller branches and streams also flow into the Vembanad lake.

Forests and Wildlife

For a long time, Alappuzha was the only district in Kerala without public forest land. But in 2013, 14.5 acres of land at Veeyapuram were made into a reserved forest.

The Pathiramanal island on the Vembanad lake is famous for its many rare migrating birds.

How the District is Run

Alappuzha city is the main administrative center of the district. The district is divided into two main areas for administration: Alappuzha and Chengannur.

Main Towns

There are 6 main towns in the district:

• Alappuzha
• Chengannur
• Cherthala
• Haripad
• Kayamkulam
• Mavelikara

Who Represents the District?

Alappuzha has two areas that send representatives to the Lok Sabha (India's Parliament): Alappuzha and Mavelikara.

There are also nine seats in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Alappuzha district. These representatives work to make laws for the state.

Kerala Legislative Assembly Constituencies from Alappuzha district (9)

Sl no.	Constituency	Member	Party	Alliance
1	Aroor	Daleema	CPI(M)	LDF
2	Cherthala	P. Prasad	CPI	LDF
3	Alappuzha	P. P. Chitharanjan	CPI(M)	LDF
4	Ambalappuzha	H. Salam	CPI(M)	LDF
5	Kuttanad	Thomas K. Thomas	NCP	LDF
6	Haripad	Ramesh Chennithala	INC	UDF
7	Kayamkulam	U Prathiba	CPI(M)	LDF
8	Mavelikara	M. S. Arun Kumar	CPI(M)	LDF
9	Chengannur	Saji Cherian	CPI(M)	LDF

Taluks (Sub-districts)

The district is divided into two main revenue divisions. These divisions include six smaller areas called Taluks.

• Taluks in the Alappuzha Revenue Division are:

Cherthala

Ambalappuzha

Kuttanad

• Taluks in the Chengannur Revenue Division are:

Karthikappally

Mavelikkara

Chengannur

List of District Collectors

The District Collector is the main administrative officer. The longest-serving Collector of Alappuzha was K. Balakrishna Kurup, who served for 1146 days. The shortest-serving was Sriram Venkitaraman, who served for only 7 days.

#	Collector	Number of days
1	Sriram Venkitaraman	7
2	P. Venugopal	20
3	P. M. Abraham	38
4	V. Retheesan	42
5	V. K. Vasudevan	73
6	K. J. John	85
7	Mini Antony	100
8	P. Venugopal	102
9	Adeela Abdulla	141
10	Renu Raj	144
11	K. R. Viswambharan	170
12	R. Girija	176
13	M. Anjana	196
14	Paul Antony	212
15	K. B. Warrier	228
16	Saurabh Jain	230
17	P. Venugopal	240
18	Romanus Horo	261
19	T. V. Anupama	281
20	E. Shahul Hameed	282
21	K. M. Abraham	305
22	V. R. Padmanabahan	309
23	P. Velayudhan nair	315
24	N. C. Surendran	350
25	P. Sreedhara Menon	352
26	M. N. Gunavardhanan	363
27	Veena N. Madhavan	371
28	Suhas S.	377
29	K. B. A. Hameed	379
30	A. K. K. Nambiar	396
31	S. Ayyappan Nair	397
32	Pradeepkumar	416
33	M. N. Gunavardhanan	419
34	Kshatrapati Shivaji	439
35	K. Ramunni Menon	444
36	N. Kaleeswaran	462
37	K. Narayanan	463
38	M. Dandapani	463
39	V. J. Kurian	481
40	T. V. Swaminathan	530
41	K. Rose	590
42	A. Alexandar	637
43	P. Venugopal	646
44	K. R. Muraleedharan	649
45	K. Bhaskaran Nair	684
46	V. K. Balakrishnan	686
47	C. P. Ramakrishna Pillai	695
48	Jose Cyriac K.	760
49	R. Narayanan	795
50	T. G. Rajendran	895
51	K. M. Ramanandan	931
52	P. Bharathan	988
53	K. Sivasankaran Nair	993
54	N. Padmakumar	1039
55	K. Balakrishna Kurup	1146

People and Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1901	509,545	—
1911	585,094	+1.39%
1921	693,538	+1.71%
1931	865,222	+2.24%
1941	983,184	+1.29%
1951	1,165,845	+1.72%
1961	1,404,269	+1.88%
1971	1,671,286	+1.76%
1981	1,865,455	+1.11%
1991	2,001,217	+0.70%
2001	2,109,160	+0.53%
2011	2,127,789	+0.09%
source:

Area	1414 km2 – 3.64% of area of the state
Population	2,127,789 – 6.61% of the population of the state (2011)
Population density	1504/km2 (2011)
Literacy	97.36%–94.24% (2011)
Sex ratio	1100 females/1000 males
Urbanization	29.46%

In 2011, Alappuzha district had about 2,127,789 people. This is similar to the population of Namibia. It ranks 216th in India for population. The district has a high population density of 1504 people per square kilometer. Its population grew by 0.88% between 2001 and 2011.

Alappuzha has a sex ratio of 1100 females for every 1000 males. The literacy rate is very high at 95.72%. About 54% of the people live in urban areas. Most people (99%) speak Malayalam. A small number of people in towns speak Konkani.

This district has the highest population density in Kerala. It is also the smallest district in the state.

Religions in Alappuzha

Religions in Alappuzha district (2011)
Religion			Percent
Hinduism			68.64%
Christianity			20.45%
Islam			10.55%
Other or not stated			0.36%

According to the 2011 Census, most people in Alappuzha are Hindu (68.64%). About 20.45% are Christian, and 10.55% are Muslim.

Getting Around Alappuzha

Roads

National Highways

National Highway 66 (India) is a very long highway in India. It passes through Alappuzha city. This highway connects Alappuzha to other big cities like Mumbai, Goa, and Trivandrum. The Alappuzha Bypass was finished in 2021, helping traffic move smoothly around the city. There are also plans to upgrade State Highway 11 (Kerala) to a national highway. This would connect Alappuzha to Kodaikanal and boost tourism.

State Highways

Alappuzha district has eight state highways. Three of them start in Alappuzha town. State Highway 11 (Kerala), known as AC road, connects Alappuzha to Changanassery. It is 24.2 km long and is a very busy road.

State Highway 40 (Kerala) is the only interstate highway in Alappuzha. It connects Alappuzha town to Madurai in Tamil Nadu. State Highway 66 (Kerala) goes from Alappuzha town to Thoppumpady in Ernakulam.

Main Central Road (SH 1) is a major highway in Kerala. It passes through Chengannur town, connecting it to other parts of the state. Other state highways include SH 5, SH 6, SH 10, and SH 12.

Vehicle Registration

Vehicles in Alappuzha district have specific registration codes:

• KL-04: Alappuzha RTO (for Ambalappuzha Taluk)
• KL-29: Kayamkulam SRTO (for Karthikappally Taluk)
• KL-30: Chengannur SRTO (for Chengannur Taluk)
• KL-31: Mavelikkara SRTO (for Mavelikkara Taluk)
• KL-32: Cherthala SRTO (for Cherthala Taluk)
• KL-66: Kuttanad SRTO (for Kuttanad Taluk)
• SRTO (HARIPPAD)KL 88

Water Transport

Because of the many backwaters and canals, water transport is very common here. National Waterway 3 goes through Alappuzha. There is a boat jetty in the city. You can take boat services to towns like Kottayam, Kollam, and Changanassery.

Rail Transport

Alappuzha district has two railway lines. The Ernakulam–Kayamkulam coastal railway line connects stations like Haripad railway station, Alappuzha railway station, Cherthala railway station, and Kayamkulam Junction railway station. The Ernakulam-Kottayam-Kayamkulam line serves the eastern part of the district, including Chengannur railway station and Mavelikara railway station.

Air Travel

The closest airport is Cochin International Airport, about 78 km north. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is 159 km south. These airports connect the district to other countries. There is also a helipad in the city for government use.

Culture and Fun

Festivals

Chettikulangara Bharani is the most important festival in Alappuzha district. It is one of Kerala's major temple festivals. It happens at the Chettikulagara Bhagavathi Temple in February or March. The main parts of the festival are 'Kuthiyottam' and 'Kettukazcha'. 'Kuthiyottam' involves a procession of young boys who perform traditional dances.

The St. Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal and St. Thomas Church, Thumpoly are famous for their annual feasts, called Arthunkal Perunnal and Thumpoly Perunnal. These feasts are held in December and January.

'Chirappu Mahotsavam' is a big event at Mullakkal Rajarajeswari Temple in December. The streets of Alappuzha town are lively with markets and entertainment during this time.

Padanilam Sivarathri is another important religious festival. It is held every year at the Padanilam Parabrahma Temple in Padanilam.

A large annual festival is celebrated at the unique Nagaraja Temple (Mannarasala Temple) in October or November. Another festival there is the one-day Thaipooyan Kavadi. The Chandanakudam festival is held at the Kidangam-Parampu Temple in December.

The Kandamangalam Rajarajeshwari Temple has two festival seasons in February and March. The 'Chikkara' ritual, where children are offered to the goddess, is a major attraction.

Christian churches also celebrate big annual feasts. The 'Arthunkal Perunnal' is at the Arthunkal Church. Other major Christian feasts are at Edathwa Church and Thumpoli Church.

Snake boat races are a very important traditional event. These races happen between August and October. Long, thin boats with up to 120 rowers race each other. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is a famous one, started in 1952 by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It's very exciting to watch these boats glide through the water.

The "Beach Festival" is another celebration in Alappuzha, held from December 30 to January 2.

Tourism

Alappuzha is one of the most important tourist places in Kerala. Its many inland canals have given it the nickname "Venice of the East." These canals are very important to the town. In the past, Alappuzha was a busy trading center with a well-known port. Today, it is still a hub for the Coir carpet industry and prawn farming.

Alappuzha is a great place to start exploring the backwaters. You can also visit Kottayam with its many churches, and Aranmula, known for its annual Snake Boat Race. Chengannur, in Alappuzha, is the closest railway station to Sabarimala.

The Krishnapuram Palace is located in Kayamkulam.

In Mavelikkara, you can see a Buddha idol and the Saradha Mandiram. The Buddha statue is about 4 feet tall and is one of the biggest. The Saradha Mandiram was the home of Kerala Panini, a famous scholar.

The Revi Karunakaran Memorial Museum shows art and artifacts. Revi Karunakaran helped modernize the Coir industry, which still provides jobs for many people in Kerala. The museum displays unique art collected by his family over three generations.

Learning in Alappuzha

Medical Colleges

• Government T D Medical College, Alappuzha

Paramedical Colleges

• KVM Institute of Paramedical Science, Cherthala.

Nursing Colleges

• Government College of Nursing, Vandanam.
• KVM College of Nursing, Cherthala.

Arts and Science Colleges

Engineering Colleges

Schools

Famous People from Alappuzha

Images for kids

• 

  Houseboats on Vambanad Lake

• 

  Backwaters in Alappuzha.

• 

  Houseboat in Alappuzha

• 

  Public Transport Boat service in Kerala.

• 

  CSI Christ Church, Alappuzha
• 

  Nooranad Padanilam Sivarathri.

See Also

In Spanish: Distrito de Alappuzha para niños