Anakkara Idukki
Encyclopedia
- 'This article is about the spices' village of Anakkara 8th Mile, in Idukki District, Kerala (India)
- Anakkara(in Malayalam:അണക്കര) is a village in the IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n stateStates and territories of IndiaIndia is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
's Idukki District.
- Disambiguation:AnakkaraAnakkara PalakkadAnakkara is a village located in Palakkad district in Kerala, India.-Features of interest:The famous Pazhaya Juma Masjid, Chekkod Juma Masjid and Anakkara Siva Temple are located in this area.The famous Panniyoor Temple - constructed by Perundhachan also from this area.Anakkara is famous because...
(in Malayalam:ആനക്കര) is a village located in Palakkad districtPalakkad districtPalakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...
in KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Anakkara is a geographic area of around 50 Square Kilometers that spans across Vandanmettu, Chakkupallam Village Panchayats
Gram panchayat
Gram panchayats are local self-governments at the village or small town level in India. As of 2002 there were about 265,000 gram panchayats in India. The gram panchayat is the foundation of the Panchayat System. A gram panchayat can be set up in villages with minimum population of 300...
in the Udumbanchola
Udumbanchola
Udumbanchola is a taluk in Idukki district of Kerala state in India. This is in the high-ranges. Nedumkandam is the major town and capital of Udumbanchola taluk...
Thaluk of Idukki District. Anakkara is the administrative capital of Chakkupallam
Chakkupallam
Chakkupallam is a Gram Panchayat in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala.. The administrative capital and village center of Chakkupallam Gram Panchayat is Anakkara, located on Kumily-Munnar state highway....
Gram Panchayat and Anakkara Revenue Village. Situated at about 18 Kilometers from Thekkady
Thekkady
Thekkady is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala state of India.- Overview :...
wildlife sanctuary on the Kumily-Munnar state highway, Anakkara is a fast growing tourist destination for its unique spice gardens and many picnic spots in and around. It is one of the 36 distinct places identified by Government of India and United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
for exploring and promoting the unique tourism potential(For Anakkara the spice plantations) of these places. Recently a new greenfield airport is being proposed by the state government and is currently under survey by the federal civil aviation authority Airports Authority of India
Airports Authority of India
The Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
Demographics
As per 2001 India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Anakkara village had about 5523 households with a total population of 23934 with 11951 males and 11983 females. The current population of the village is estimated to be around 30000.
Ancient history, etymology
There are some indications of pre-historic life in Anakkara and its surroundings, but no comprehensive study has been done yet to give a more detailed anecdote here. Excavations in the past showed the presence of Nannangadis(cairns used by ancient civilizations) in many parts of Anakkara such as Pampupara, Ambalamedu etc. Medieval Arabian coins were also reported to have been unearthed few years back from Kochera, a small hamlet near Anakkara.It is generally believed that in 12th century, Pandya king Manavikrama Kulashekhara Perumal who was defeated by Cholas
Chola Dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, of Maurya Empire; the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until...
moved eastwards to the area near the current Kerala-Tamilnadu border on the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
and formed a small kingdom inclusive of Cumbum
Cumbum
Cumbum may refer to:*Cumbum, Tamil Nadu - A town in Tamil Nadu in India.*Cumbum, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh - A town in Andhra Pradesh in India....
, Gudallur areas of the present Uthamapalayam
Uthamapalayam
Uthamapalayam is a panchayat town in Theni district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Uthamapalayam had a population of 22,104. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age...
Thaluk of Tamil Nadu. This is believed to be the origin of Poonjar
Poonjar
Poonjar is a small town in the Kottayam district of Kerala state, India. Before the independence of India, Poonjar had been the capital of the Poonjar Koyikkal Swaroopam or Edavaka.-History:...
dynasty. The nearby dense forests of Western Ghats(encompassing present day Anakkara) were bordering Manavikrama’s land. Manavikrama later moved further inside present day Kerala and settled on the banks of river Menachil, with current Poonjar
Poonjar
Poonjar is a small town in the Kottayam district of Kerala state, India. Before the independence of India, Poonjar had been the capital of the Poonjar Koyikkal Swaroopam or Edavaka.-History:...
(in Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
district of Kerala) as his capital. Water scarcity was a big problem for the farmers of Cumbum and Gudallur in the planes below the Western Ghats while on top of the Ghats were dense rainforests with plenty of annual rainfall with many streams that gave water throughout the year. So the settlers of the planes constructed a Dam at a low lying area(today known as Anakkara) of the Ghats to transport water down, primarily for irrigation. Thus the name Anakkara(meaning “The land/place of Dam”).Ana means Dam and Kara/Karai means Land/Place in Malayalam and Tamil.
Till mid-18th century, the forests of Anakkara and its surroundings were under Poonjar
Poonjar
Poonjar is a small town in the Kottayam district of Kerala state, India. Before the independence of India, Poonjar had been the capital of the Poonjar Koyikkal Swaroopam or Edavaka.-History:...
dynasty. In the second half of 18th century, the maharajah of Travencore Marthandavarma
Marthanda Varma
Marthanda Varma , was the founder of the Indian Hindu feudal kingdom of Travancore from Venad SwaroopamHe ruled from 1729 till his death in 1758, having succeeded his maternal uncle Dharma Raja.King Marthanda Varma is usually credited as the "founder of Kingdom of Travancore" from...
conquered and merged Poonjar
Poonjar
Poonjar is a small town in the Kottayam district of Kerala state, India. Before the independence of India, Poonjar had been the capital of the Poonjar Koyikkal Swaroopam or Edavaka.-History:...
with Travencore. He has made agreements with The Cholas
Chola Dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a Tamil dynasty which was one of the longest-ruling in some parts of southern India. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BC left by Asoka, of Maurya Empire; the dynasty continued to govern over varying territory until...
of Tamil Nadu and drawn the boundary between the two kingdoms. As a result of which Cumbum, Gudalur area of Tamil Nadu became part of Chola empire and the areas where the Dam(Ana) was situated – Anakkara - became part of Travencore. During the tenure of one of Marthandavarma's predecessors Vishakamtirunal
Visakham Thirunal
Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma was the Maharaja of the erstwhile Indian kingdom of Travancore from 1880-1885 AD. He succeeded his elder brother Maharajah Ayilyam Thirunal to the throne of Travancore.-Early life:...
, the dam was destroyed, yet the area where it was situated continued to be known as Anakkara.
The only inhabitants of the area before the beginning of 20th century were a nomadic tribe named the Paliyas
Paliyan
The Paliyan, or Palaiyar or Pazhaiyarare are Adivasi Dravidian people living in the South Western Ghats montane rain forests in South India, especially in Tamilnadu and Kerala. They are traditional nomadic hunter-gatherers, honey hunters and foragers. Yams are their major food source...
who traveled from place to place and did farming of food crops. There are a couple of small Paliya settlements in Anakkara and surroundings even today.
Modern history
In 1972 KottayamKottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
district of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
was split into Kottayam and Idukki districts, as a part of which many of the revenue villages in both the districts were also split. In 1986, around 50 km2 area of Vandanmettu village was split into a new revenue village by the name Anakkara.
Most of the people are migrant farmers from nearby Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
district of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
who initially arrived in the first half of 20th century for cultivation of food crops such as rice and later they started cultivating cash crops such as spices. However, the plantations (tea, cardamom etc.) in and around Anakkara are considered to be around 150 years old, and many of the earlier settlers during that time came as laborers in the plantations.
Religion
Various sections of Christianity, Hinduism and Muslim co-exist harmoniously. Followers of Roman, Latin, Malankara Catholics, Orthodox church, Jacobite Syrian, Marthoma, St Thomas Evangelical Church, Church of South India, Pentecostal Churches, and Believers Church form major Christian sects.Geography, Climate
Anakkara is situated on the State Highway 19(which turns into National Highway at Poopara near MunnarMunnar
Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....
) connecting Kumily
Kumily
Kumily is a town in the Cardamom Hills near Thekkady and the Periyar Tiger Reserve, in the Idukki District of Kerala State in South India. It is a major tourist destination and a spices trading center....
and Munnar
Munnar
Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....
and is around 10 – 20 km from Thekkady
Thekkady
Thekkady is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala state of India.- Overview :...
and 60 –80 km from Munnar
Munnar
Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....
. Anakkara is known for its greenery, fertile soil and good quality spices.
The boundaries of Anakkara are,
- East – TheniTheniTheni is a town in the Western Tamil Nadu state of South India. It is the headquarters of Theni District. It is known for the large-scale trading of Cardamom, Cotton, Grapes, chilli and Textiles. It hosts the second largest weekly market in Tamil Nadu and the fourth largest in South India...
district of Tamilnadu - West – ChakkupallamChakkupallamChakkupallam is a Gram Panchayat in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala.. The administrative capital and village center of Chakkupallam Gram Panchayat is Anakkara, located on Kumily-Munnar state highway....
village - North – Vandanmettu village
- South – KumilyKumilyKumily is a town in the Cardamom Hills near Thekkady and the Periyar Tiger Reserve, in the Idukki District of Kerala State in South India. It is a major tourist destination and a spices trading center....
village
Situated at a height of about 4000 feet above sea level, Anakkara is mostly plain lands with small hillocks and some marshy areas. The soil of Anakkara and its surroundings are well known for its fertility. Temperature here varies between 15 - 30 degrees Celsius annually. The average annual rainfall is around 350 Centimeters. South-Western monsoon(Known as Edavappathi in Malayalam; begins by the end of May or early June and goes on for about two months) and North-Eastern Monsoon (Called Thulavarsham in Malayalam, in the months of October and November and sometimes lasts till December) are the rainy seasons.
Main junctions in Anakkara are Anakkara 8th mile,Anakkara 7th mile,Anakkara 6th mile,
Tourism, Places to Visit
There are two factors that make Anakkara a tourist destination. One is its spice plantations and the other the many picnic spots in and around Anakkara, suitable for tourists visiting the many prominent tourist destinations in the district such as ThekkadyThekkady
Thekkady is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala state of India.- Overview :...
and Munnar
Munnar
Munnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....
Distance from Important places
- ThekkadyThekkadyThekkady is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala state of India.- Overview :...
Periyar Wildelife Sanctury - 16 Kilo Meters - Cochin International Airport - 170 Kilo Meters
- KottayamKottayamKottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
Railway Station - 120 Kilo Meters - MunnarMunnarMunnar is one of the most popular hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district....
- 90 Kilo Meters - Vagamon - 50 Kilo Meters
- MaduraiMaduraiMadurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
Airport - 150 Kilo Meters - KodaikanalKodaikanal-Climate:Kodaikanal has a monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate . The temperatures are cool throughout the year due to the high elevation of the city.-Economy:...
- 100 Kilo Meters
Some of the attractions in and around Anakkara are
Chellarkovil
Situated at the state border between KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, this place offers a perfect view of the planes of Tamil Nadu from atop the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. Though hitherto unexplored, the place is a good destination for high-altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
sports such as trek
Trek
Trek or trekking is a long journey undertaken on foot in areas where common means of transport is generally not available. Trekking is not mountaineering; it is days of walking along with adventure.-Etymology:...
king and Paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
. Terrain is full of rocks, deep pits with no safety warnings or fences. Care must be taken while exploring this area. There is also a cave
Aruvikuzhi Falls(Pandikuzhi)
A stream falls from Chellarkovil into the planes of Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
from a height of about 1200 ft, giving the place a picture perfect view. However, this is a highly dangerous place with no safety warnings or fences. Utmost care should be taken while visiting this place, especially when you are trying to take that perfect picture of the water fall
Ottakathalamedu
Literally meaning "Camel's Head shaped Hillock", this is a peak about 1400m above sea-level. From here, tourists can get a panoramic view of the landscape of Anakkara and surrounding villages and also sunset.Home Stays
Due to the increased tourism promotion efforts by government and non-governmental agencies in the recent past, there are a number of Homestay facilities that have come up in and around Anakkara. Some of them are started by traditional farming families in the village and hence offer visits to their spice plantations as well for the tourists. There are also some hotels in the village that offer food and accommodation facilities.Spice Plantations
Anakkara is surrounded by many small and large scale cardamom and pepper plantations. Tourists can get a glimpse of farming, harvesting and processing of these spices by visiting the farms that offer plantation visits.Tourists visiting Anakkara must also note that this is a remote village and may lack many of the infrastructures that they expect from a tourism center such as an Information Center, comfort stations, ATMs etc.. Access is not a problem as Anakkara lies on the state highway connecting the state's two prominent tourist destinations of Thekkady and Munnar. There are a lot of taxis, auto-rikshaws available in the village. Long distance bus services are available to Bangalore, Kochi etc.
Health Tourism
Ayurvedic therapy centers are also coming up in Anakkara.Sree Sankara Gardens at Anakkara is a leading Ayurvedic treatment center that attracts people from all over the world.Economy
From early 20th century, Anakkara and it's surroundings are home for a variety of agricultural crops such as cardamom, pepper,coffee, paddy and of late vanilla and other spices. About 80% of population of Anakkara is farmers. Among them 60% are small-time farmers with less than 2 hectors of land. About 15% are limited-farmers with less than 1 acre of land. Most of these two classes of farmers also have dairy farming as their primary/secondary income. Around 10000 litters of milk goes from the village to the dairy milk chilling plants every day. The remaining 20% of farmers are either cardamom planters with 2 - 20 hecters of land or farmers who take plantations on lease.Cash crops such as Cardamom, Pepper, Ginger, Vanilla, Coffee, Tea, food crops such as rice, vegetables, and tapioca are cultivated in the farmlands of Anakkara. Remaining 20% of the population are laborers in plantations and small farms and government, public sector employees.
Annual per capita income is around 37000 INR. Most of the income comes from agriculture out of which mainly cardamom and pepper and dairy farming.
Banks, financial institutions
- State Bank of Travencore, Anakkara
- Union Bank of IndiaUnion Bank of IndiaUnion Bank of India is one of India's largest state-owned banks , is listed on the Forbes 2000. It has assets of USD 13.45 billion and all the bank's branches have been networked with its 1135 ATMs. Its online Telebanking facility are available to all its Core Banking Customers - individual as...
, Anakkara - Federal BankFederal BankFederal Bank Limited is a major Indian commercial bank in the private sector, headquartered at Aluva, Kochi, Kerala. As of March 31 2011 it has 743 branches spread across 24 states in India and 803 ATMs around the country.-History:In the year 1931, Travancore Federal Bank was inaugurated at...
, Puttady - Service Cooperative Bank, Kochera
- Service Cooperative Bank, Anakkara
- Agriculture development Bank, Puttady
- District co-operative Bank, Anakkara
ATM facility
Union Bank of India, Anakkara
State Bank of Travencore, Anakkara
There are about 20 small and big private financial institutions have branches in the village. Non-profit organizations such as Anakkara Vikasana Sangam operate in the village, with the purpose of building self reliant village communities through various community programs.
Most of the areas in the village are well connected through roads. Freshwater availability in Anakkara is above state average.
Other important government/administrative offices at Anakkara
- Chakkupallam Panchayat Office,
- Chakkupallam Village Office
- Anakkara Village office,
- Post Offices – Anakkara, Pampupara, Puttady, Chellarkoil, Kochera.
- Agriculture Office, Vandanmettu
- Police Station, Vandanmettu
- Police Station, Kumily
Education, Health Care
Till the mid-1990s, the only educational institution in the village were the State Government High Schools at Anakkara and Puttady. In 1994, Montfort Bros. of St.Gabriel, a catholic congregation started Montfort School Anakkara, now a leading English medium school in the district. The main educational institutions/higher education centers here are- Holycross Engineering College, Puttady
- Montfort School, AnakkaraMontfort School, Anakkara-About The School:Montfort School, Anakkara has the unique distinction of being the first Montfortian School in Kerala. Montfort Brothers have been working in India for over 100 years. A good number of these Brothers hail from Kerala...
- Government Higher Secondary School, Anakkara
- Government Higher Secondary School, Puttady
- AKJM Upper Primary School, Kochera
- Lower Primary School, Puttady
- St.George Lower Primary School, Kochera
- NSS Lower Primary School, Chellarkovil
- I.M.S.L.P.S, Anakkara
Anakkara has government run Primary Health Centers at Anakkara and Puttady, and a hospital run by the nuns of Franciscan Clarist Congregation named Alphonsa Health Center and many other privately run clinics. There is also a government homeopathic hospital in the village.
H.P Petrol Pump
People, religions
Majority of Anakkara’s population are descendants of farmers migrated from the planes of the state such as neighboring KottayamKottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
district in the first half of 20th century. There are about 300 people (80 families) who are from the Paliya tribe, as well as a fairly large Tamil speaking population who are either migrants or descendants of migrants who came as laborers in the spice plantations in the area from the neighboring Madurai and Theni districts of Tamil Nadu.
People from all the three main religions in India - Hindus, Muslims and Christians - constitute the population of Anakkara. There are about 25 Christian churches and prayer halls, 4 temples and one Mosque in the village
Prominent religious places in the village are
- Siva Parvathi Hindu temple Anakkara
- St.Thomas Forane Catholic church Anakkara
- Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam Bhajana Madom, 7th Mile Anakkara
- SulthankadaSulthankadaSulthankada is a village in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. It is located between Pampupara and Anakkara.Area of this place is between Churuvli Valavu & Keerimukku. Kumily or Kumali is approx 13 km from here. The PIN Code is 685 551 and the STD Code is 91 4868.Most of the people...
Mosque
There are a large number of Christian (Protestant/non-Protestant) congregations such as the Pentecostal groups, Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church etc. run their churches, prayer halls in the village.