Aryankavu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aryankavu
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Village
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Aryankavu Railway Station
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 Aryankavu
Location in Kerala
Aryankavu
Location in India
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| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Kollam District |
| Government | |
| • Type | Panchayati Raj (India) |
| • Body | Aryankavu Grama Panchayat |
| Area | |
| • Total | 198.84 km2 (76.77 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 11,133 |
| • Density | 55.990/km2 (145.013/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN |
691309, 691316
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| Vehicle registration | KL-25 |
| Nearest city | Kollam 76 kilometres (47 mi) |
| Nearest town | Punalur 33 kilometres (21 mi) |
| Climate | Tropical monsoon (Köppen) |
Aryankavu is a village in the Kollam district of Kerala, a state in India. It's located near the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, close to Thenmala. Aryankavu is also a well-known place for pilgrims, connected to the famous Sabarimala story. The village is right next to the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary.
Contents
Getting to Aryankavu
Aryankavu is in the eastern part of Kollam district. You can find it on National Highway 744. It's about 22 km (14 mi) from Tenkasi and 36 km (22 mi) from Punalur. Buses from both Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation connect the village to places like Punalur, Kollam, Tenkasi, and Thiruvananthapuram.
Travel by Train and Air
The village is located along a mountain pass called the Aryankavu Pass or Schencottah Gap. The Kollam–Sengottai railway line also goes through Aryankavu. There are two train stations here: New Aryankavu railway station and Aryankavu railway station.
If you're flying, the closest airports are Trivandrum International Airport (98 km (61 mi) away), Madurai Airport (148 km (92 mi) away), and Tuticorin Airport (115 km (71 mi) away).
People and Languages
As of As of 2001[update], Aryankavu had a population of 12,125 people. Most people here speak Malayalam. However, because it's so close to Tamil Nadu, Tamil is also widely spoken and understood. There are also Malapandaram tribal people living in Aryankavu.
Aryankavu Pass: A Mountain Gateway
The Aryankavu Pass, also known as the Schencottah Gap, is a mountain pass that connects Kollam district in Kerala with Tenkasi district in Tamil Nadu. Aryankavu village is located along this pass. This pass is important because it's one of the main low-lying areas in the Western Ghats mountains. It connects the Kerala side of the mountains to the flat coastal plains of Tamil Nadu.
The pass is quite narrow and sits at an altitude of less than 300 metres (980 ft). Both the Kollam–Sengottai railway line and National Highway 744 use this pass. The Kallada River valley is at the western end of the gap. This pass even affects the weather in nearby Punalur, making it warmer than other areas.
The gap also acts like a natural boundary. It separates the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve from the Cardamom Hills and the High Range of Kerala.
Fun Places to Visit
Aryankavu has many interesting spots to explore!
Palaruvi Waterfalls
The Palaruvi Falls are beautiful waterfalls located in the forest. They are about five kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Aryankavu check post. The name Palaruvi means 'milk stream' because the water looks milky white as it falls. There's even a train called the Palaruvi Express that passes through Aryankavu, named after these falls.
Kadamanpara Sandal Forest
This is the second largest natural sandal forest in the world, after Marayur. It's located right in the Aryankavu Grama panchayath area.
Rose Mala
Rose Mala is a lovely spot about 11.8 km from Aryankavu Junction. It's a great place for ecotourism. From here, you can get amazing views of the Thenmala Dam reservoir. There's also a viewpoint called Rajathottam near Rosemala that offers views of Tenkasi.
Nedumpara
Nedumpara is a place about 11 km (6.8 mi) from Aryankavu. Harrisons Malayalam Limited has a rubber plantation here called Isfield Estate. One of the highest peaks in Kollam district, called Nedumpara Peak, is located in Nedumpara. Locals often call it Nedumpara Motta. This peak helps separate the waters of the Kallada River and the Achankovil River.
Bourdillon's Plot
This is a very special place because it's the world's first teak plantation where trees were grown from stumps. It's located near the Palaruvi Falls in Aryankavu. A British man named T. F. Bourdillon, who was in charge of forests in Travancore back then, led this project.
Ambanad Hills
The Ambanad Hills are home to the only tea estate in Kollam district. It's also one of the biggest places in Kerala where Cloves are grown. You can find tangerine plantations here too!
Religion in Aryankavu
Hinduism is the main religion in Aryankavu. There are also many Christian and Muslim people living in the village.
Aryankavu Shasta Temple
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The temple dedicated to Shasta in Aryankavu is located near the border of Tamil Nadu. It's one of the most important Shasta temples in Kerala. Here, Ayyappan is shown as a young boy. The deity is known as Thiru Aryan, which is how the place got its name, Aryankavu.
The temple is surrounded by forests and is on National Highway 744. Just like in the Sabarimala, women between the ages of 10 and 50 are not allowed inside this temple. The prayers and rituals followed here are from the Sourastrian tradition. Inside the main part of the temple, you can see idols of Pushkaladevi, Shiva, and Shasta. A young Ayyappa sits in the middle, with Pushkaladevi on his left and Shiva on his right.
The main festival at the temple happens during the last days of the Sabarimala Mandala Kalam. Important celebrations include Pandiyan Mudippu, Thiru Kalyanam, and Kumbhabhishekham. There are plans to make this temple part of the Sabarimala pilgrimage route.
Other Places of Worship
There are two Catholic churches in Aryankavu: St. Mary's Catholic Church (part of the Archdiocese of Changanassery) and St. George Malankara Catholic Church. The St. George Malankara Catholic Church was started in the 1950s by Mr. K.V Abraham Vaidyer (Kaleekal). He was an Ayurvedic doctor and also a member of the Grama Panchayat in 1957.
Many Evangelicalist churches are also active in the area.
For Muslims, the main place of worship is the Edappalayam Juma Masjid.
