Gudalur (Nilgiris district)
Encyclopedia
Gudalur (Malayalam: ഗുടല്ലുര്), , is a panchayat town and taluk in Nilgiris district in the India
n state
of Tamil Nadu
. It is said that Gudalur gets its name from Koodal + uru, meaning the Meeting Place.
, Kerala
and Karnataka
lying equidistant from both Kerala and Karnataka. Though the history of the name has been lost, it is the place where all the three states' boundaries meet.
Though it is said that Gudalur got its name from koodal+uru but from Goodal+uru= mysterious place.
Tea plantations dot the whole region, and the regional economy is heavily dependent on the tea industry.However, this is a place rich in flora and fauna with a variety of plants of hills as well as plants of the lower altitude such as paddy, coconut flourish here. This land was an offspring to the exploration done by the British during the pre-independence period to cultivate tea plantation. Various large companies own tea estates in the region. From the 1960s onwards, the region saw an exodus of pioneering settlers move in from neighbouring Kerala. Later, towards the end of the 1970s the Tamil Nadu Government also granted refuge to a large number of Srilankan repatriates. This considerably changed the demography of the region. Gudalur is a place where one can see people from the two states of Tamil Nadu, and Kerala live together cordially.
Once upon a time, it was a hiding place for newly wedded couples who married without the consent of their parents and had eloped from their homes. Criminals also find this place, a hideout from the law of the land; the history of Gudalur says that it is a land of hard workers. People from different part of India migrated to Gudalur and fought with the wild animals and with malaria
and thereby reaped gold from the land. This 'pioneering' spirit however, had a considerable cost though - the original inhabitants of the region (indigenous people) have been reduced to an abject state of poverty and subjugation on account of the outsiders.
Gudalur was part of erstehile 'Malabar Taluk' and was owned by the Malayalam Janmies. Malabar means hill areas. These hill area were inhabited by tribes, semi-tribes and others. The language spoken by these people were called Malayalam. The tribes of this area are mostly Paniyas whose language is 90% Malayalam. Wyanadan Chetties and Mountadan Chetties are the semi-tribes in this area and Eayanadan Chetties speak Malayalam. All other people spoke Malayalam till 1977. However this area has wrongly became part of Tamil Nadu during the State Re-Organization (1956)on the basis of language spoken on the area. Tamil was not the language of this area even till 1977.
Gudalur is the only Taluk to have an Act enacted by the Tamil Nadu State Government and is placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India(entry 80) which is exclusively made for the Gudalur region. That Act is Gudalur Janmam Abolition Act
, 1969 (Act 24/69).
Later Gudalur Taluk was divided into two talukas: Gudalur
and Pandalur
. Pandalur Taluka consists of the major portion of Nelliyalam
Villages and Cherangode village. It was the seat of erstwhile Nelliyalam Ratti. Nelliyalam is a small village where you can find the remains of the fort of Nelliyalam Ratti.
Today Gudalur is a selection grade III municipality
.
Gudalur lies adjacent to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, and often wild animals such as elephants, deer, etc. stray into human habitat. However, since Gudalur is a new town, with the majority population of the region being recent settlers from Kerala and other parts, there is very 'local pride' in the region, and wildlife is being fast decimated. People are all attempting to maximise their gain from the land in a short term, and so agricultural practices are all unsustainable - highly dependent of pesticides and fertilisers.
Devala, a place which is just 20km away from Gudalur receives the highest rainfall in Tamil Nadu.
, Gudalur had a population of 43,038. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Gudalur has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 68%. In Gudalur, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The original inhabitants of the region were of largely four Schedule Tribes:
Paniyas: They were by far the largest of the original inhabitants, and are were largely in bonded labour to the other dominant invaders in the region.
Kattunayakans: They are a hunter-gatherer tribe, and have a very close and symbiotic relationship with the forests. They still live largely in isolation, with minimal contact with the outsiders.
Bettakurumbas: They too are a hunter-gatherer group. They are relatively better known, as they are quite famous for the skills as mahouts, and look after all the tame elephants owned by the forest department.
Mullukurumbas: They are in some ways the most advanced of all the tribes, and practice settled agriculture to some extent.
All these groups are classified as Primitive Tribal Groups by the Government of India.
In addition to the Tribals (Also called 'adivasis' or the first people) there were also the Moundaden Chettys living in the region.
From the 60's onwards there has been a huge influx of outsiders, and the original inhabitants (adivasis) make up less than 8% of the population.
Tamil and Malayalam are understood by most people of the town.
Gudalur Municipality, one of the Major towns in West Tamil Nadu and is located at 52 km from Ooty in the hilly terrain of Nilgris district. It is situated at the junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka states. It is located at a longitude of 76°30’ E and a latitude of 11°30’ N and lies at an altitude of about 950m above MSL. Gudalur is also a Taluk Headquarters and is located at 150 km from Coimbatore City. The National Highway NH-67 Nagapattinum – Coimbatore – Gudalur – Mysore is passing through this town. Gudalur town is also connected with other major town’s viz., Mysore, Calicut, Sultanbethery, Coimbatore, Erode by state Highways and National Highways.
. In the other direction, the same road continues on towards Gundlupet
(and on to Mysore) in Karnataka
State. Another road links it to Nilambur
and Sulthan Bathery
in Kerala
State. Gudalur is therefore on the access route to other towns in the district for goods and passengers from the state of Karnataka
and some from the state of Kerala
. There is a huge demand for last many years for making Kozhikkode - Manjeri
- Nilambur
- Ooty as National Highway.
India
India , 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 state
States and territories of India
India 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 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...
. It is said that Gudalur gets its name from Koodal + uru, meaning the Meeting Place.
Overview
Gudalur is a picturesque green valley on the way from Mysore to Ooty with a population of 32,605 (1991 census). It is a gateway to three states, 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...
, 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....
and Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
lying equidistant from both Kerala and Karnataka. Though the history of the name has been lost, it is the place where all the three states' boundaries meet.
Though it is said that Gudalur got its name from koodal+uru but from Goodal+uru= mysterious place.
Tea plantations dot the whole region, and the regional economy is heavily dependent on the tea industry.However, this is a place rich in flora and fauna with a variety of plants of hills as well as plants of the lower altitude such as paddy, coconut flourish here. This land was an offspring to the exploration done by the British during the pre-independence period to cultivate tea plantation. Various large companies own tea estates in the region. From the 1960s onwards, the region saw an exodus of pioneering settlers move in from neighbouring Kerala. Later, towards the end of the 1970s the Tamil Nadu Government also granted refuge to a large number of Srilankan repatriates. This considerably changed the demography of the region. Gudalur is a place where one can see people from the two states of Tamil Nadu, and Kerala live together cordially.
Once upon a time, it was a hiding place for newly wedded couples who married without the consent of their parents and had eloped from their homes. Criminals also find this place, a hideout from the law of the land; the history of Gudalur says that it is a land of hard workers. People from different part of India migrated to Gudalur and fought with the wild animals and with malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and thereby reaped gold from the land. This 'pioneering' spirit however, had a considerable cost though - the original inhabitants of the region (indigenous people) have been reduced to an abject state of poverty and subjugation on account of the outsiders.
Gudalur was part of erstehile 'Malabar Taluk' and was owned by the Malayalam Janmies. Malabar means hill areas. These hill area were inhabited by tribes, semi-tribes and others. The language spoken by these people were called Malayalam. The tribes of this area are mostly Paniyas whose language is 90% Malayalam. Wyanadan Chetties and Mountadan Chetties are the semi-tribes in this area and Eayanadan Chetties speak Malayalam. All other people spoke Malayalam till 1977. However this area has wrongly became part of Tamil Nadu during the State Re-Organization (1956)on the basis of language spoken on the area. Tamil was not the language of this area even till 1977.
Gudalur is the only Taluk to have an Act enacted by the Tamil Nadu State Government and is placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India(entry 80) which is exclusively made for the Gudalur region. That Act is Gudalur Janmam Abolition Act
Gudalur Janmam Abolition Act
The Gudalur Janmam Estates of 1969 was an act aiming at vesting private forest with the state and was specially created for the Gudalur Taluk of Nilgiris District in Tamil Nadu State in India...
, 1969 (Act 24/69).
Later Gudalur Taluk was divided into two talukas: Gudalur
Gudalur
Gudalur may refer to:towns in Tamil Nadu* Gudalur * Gudalur * Gudalur...
and Pandalur
Pandalur
Pandalur is a small town in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located at 11° 29' 0" North, 76° 20' 0" East, at an altitude of 880 metres. Its standard time zone is UTC/GMT+05:30. Pandalur is the headquarters of the Pandalur Taluk. It is categorised as a third-grade municipality.One...
. Pandalur Taluka consists of the major portion of Nelliyalam
Nelliyalam
Nelliyalam is a panchayat town in The Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Nelliyalam had a population of 42,400. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Nelliyalam has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of...
Villages and Cherangode village. It was the seat of erstwhile Nelliyalam Ratti. Nelliyalam is a small village where you can find the remains of the fort of Nelliyalam Ratti.
Today Gudalur is a selection grade III municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
.
Gudalur lies adjacent to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, and often wild animals such as elephants, deer, etc. stray into human habitat. However, since Gudalur is a new town, with the majority population of the region being recent settlers from Kerala and other parts, there is very 'local pride' in the region, and wildlife is being fast decimated. People are all attempting to maximise their gain from the land in a short term, and so agricultural practices are all unsustainable - highly dependent of pesticides and fertilisers.
Devala, a place which is just 20km away from Gudalur receives the highest rainfall in Tamil Nadu.
Demographics
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...
, Gudalur had a population of 43,038. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Gudalur has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 68%. In Gudalur, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
The original inhabitants of the region were of largely four Schedule Tribes:
Paniyas: They were by far the largest of the original inhabitants, and are were largely in bonded labour to the other dominant invaders in the region.
Kattunayakans: They are a hunter-gatherer tribe, and have a very close and symbiotic relationship with the forests. They still live largely in isolation, with minimal contact with the outsiders.
Bettakurumbas: They too are a hunter-gatherer group. They are relatively better known, as they are quite famous for the skills as mahouts, and look after all the tame elephants owned by the forest department.
Mullukurumbas: They are in some ways the most advanced of all the tribes, and practice settled agriculture to some extent.
All these groups are classified as Primitive Tribal Groups by the Government of India.
In addition to the Tribals (Also called 'adivasis' or the first people) there were also the Moundaden Chettys living in the region.
From the 60's onwards there has been a huge influx of outsiders, and the original inhabitants (adivasis) make up less than 8% of the population.
Tamil and Malayalam are understood by most people of the town.
Tourist attractions
- Needle Rock View PointNeedle Rock View PointNeedle Rock View Point is a tourist spot in Gudalur, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. Where the Gudalur is located 51 km on the west of Ooty and the Needle Rock viewpoint is about 8 km from Gudalur on the way of Gudalur-Ooty road. The view point gives you a 360 degree view...
: (Ooshi Malai/Soochi Malai): It is 7 km on the way to Ooty. From here one can see almost every part of Gudalur and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Gudalur town, Bandipur and parts of Mysore. On the other side, you can see parts of Kerala. You can also see a mountain popularly known as Sleeping Beauty (also called Aanakkallu) which is exactly in the shape of a sleeping woman.
- Frog Hill View PointFrog Hill View PointFrog Hill View Point is a tourist spot in Gudalur, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. It is about 12 km from Gudalur on the way of Gudalur-Ooty road. From here one can see gigantic frog shape of a hill. -See also:* Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary* Gudalur* Pykara...
: The hill is in the shape of a huge frog. Frog hill view point is 9 km. from Gudalur on the way to Ooty. From here, one can see a gigantic frog shape of a hill.
- Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary : It starts 5 km from gudalur town
- Numbalakottai Vimalagiri : 4 km. from Gudalur. A shrine of Vettakarappan (Lord of the hunts) with sub-shrine built in Kerala style is here. Wynad scenery is visible from here. The temple was a property of Nilambur Kovilagam and the festival is conducted once in a year by the Kovilagam trust under the guidance of the Kovilagam. The way to Nambalakottai is via Kalampuzha.
- Kalampuzha : This is a small place located near to Gudalur Bus Stand. Kalampuzha is sweet place where people live in peace and harmony. There are two NGO's NAVANavaNava is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is also the name of one of the parishes in this municipality, as well as the name of the municipal capital....
(Adivasi Trust) and PALM2 located in this place. NAVA concentrates only in the welfare of the first peoples of Gudalur(Adivasis). PALM2 NGO is headed by Ms.Natascha Sennema from The Netherlands who dedicated herself for the PALM 2. This NGO trains people to indulge in several agricultural and Income generation activities. This NGO is different from other NGOs in its Particiaptory and holistic approach. The NGO has 2 Umbrella organisation (PLF,20 people's Community Based Organisations (CBO) and 350 Self Help groups. Several group members were trained in Cottage industries, Tailoring, Banana chips making, Bakery and Indian savories. Ciji Varghese working in PALM2 has a great idea in Aqua Culture, Ornamental fishery and edible water fish.
- Manvayal/Bospara : This is a small satellite town 8 km from Gudalur, and is adjacent to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The people here are mainly small tea growers and are mainly engaged in agricultural activities. The ancestors of this village migrated from Thiruvithamkur and other parts of Kerala some 50 years ago. Ironically, the original name Manvayal was that of a small Kattunayakan Tribal village. "Seva Bharathi"(NGO)is indulged more than 'two hundread' seva works in this area.
- NelliyalamNelliyalamNelliyalam is a panchayat town in The Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Nelliyalam had a population of 42,400. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Nelliyalam has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of...
: 20 km. from Gudalur. A few ruins of historical Ummatur dynasty can be seen here. There are ruins of a Fort which was the seat of the erstwhile Nelliyalam Rani.
- Ponneni : There is a Vishnu Temple where Utsavam takes place only once in 12 years. It was under the control of the Nilambur Kovilakam but it is not maintained properly after the 'Gudalur Janmam abolishment and Conversion Act, 1969' was passed by the Tamil Nadu State government.
- PandalurPandalurPandalur is a small town in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located at 11° 29' 0" North, 76° 20' 0" East, at an altitude of 880 metres. Its standard time zone is UTC/GMT+05:30. Pandalur is the headquarters of the Pandalur Taluk. It is categorised as a third-grade municipality.One...
: Capital of Pandalur Taluka. There are many tea plantations.
- Vimalagiri : The capital of Mothavayal panchayat. It is a fully literate village.
- Singara and Moyar : Underground Power houses under the control of Tamil Nadu State Electricity Board.
- Cherangode : There is a shrine dedicated to Velankanni Matha. This is a pilgrims' centre.
- Cherambady : 35 km. from Gudalur. It is extreme western corner which has plantations and mica mines. Sultan battery is very near.
- Kunnalady : Kunnalady is a pilgrim centre of Malayalees as well as Tamils. It is a centre of Tea Leaves business. Bekky is nearby. The people here are mainly tea planters and life depends on the rise and fall of tea leaf value. There is a church in Kunnalady and another in Bekky. Bekky Matha Church is ancient and very famous for its feast called 'perunnal'and the land for this church is provided by Jacob Padinjaremuriyil to Mananthavadi Diocese. There is a temple Anchmbalam in kunnalady and its 'Utsavam' is very famous. Ammankavu is nearby. Amman Kavu Utsavam is a time for the tribals to meet in a year.
- Nellakotta : It is 15 km from Gudalur. A dilapidated fort is there.
- Hanging Bridges : Located on the way to Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary. It is 7 km from Gudalur.
- Genepool Garden : It is located at 10 km from Gudalur in a place called Nadugani. It has a variety of species from all over the world.
- Kariyasholai : A beautiful village encircled with forest where one half cultivated tea plantation, vanilla, coffee, cardamom etc., The queen of hills has her daughter NEEDLE ROCK placed to the east top of the village which really makes the village a heavenly jorn. Chelakkunnu just one km away is a beautiful forest-cum-village of thodas, kurumaas, paniyaas etc. One can often see elephants wandering, deer rover, beautiful wild life on a stream walk at the location.
- Devala : A small town on the way to Pandalur from Gudalur at 18th km has the second highest rainfall in India.
- Valat Mahavishnu Temple : Its at Ambalamoola, known from the ancient and traditional palm leaf testimonials and learned astrologists who conducted "Ashtta Mangalya Deva Prasnam" in the temple that the Valat MahaVishnu Temple(Narasimhavatar) was established during the reign of Chera Kings about 1500 years ago. The Chera Administrators known as Nayakans entrusted an ancient family named Valat Tharavad to execute and carry out daily pooja and related rites without any hindrance and for which total expenditure were also met by the Nayakas. Accordingly the Valat family maintained the temple till 1975 and expressed their inconvenience to continue their execution there after for want of means and ways.
- Cherangode Swami Malai : A tourist hill, lake, located in Pandalur-Kolappally-Ayyankolly road.
- Velleri River : Located in Silver Jubilee road near, Ambalamoola.
Trivia
- Gudalur is blessed with biodiversity. Many species of medicinal plants are available in Gudalur, but because of the lack of proper awareness and destructive practices of the locals these medicinal plants are destroyed.
- Kargudi is a small village 14 km away from Gudalur on the Ooty to Mysore road. It has a beautiful tourist place in Mudumalai Sanctuary.
- Ambalamoola is a small village near Manvayal. There's an ancient church here which is famous for Visuddha Sebastianos Perunnal celebrated on 25'th January every year .
- Cherumulli, Kallingara - a small village where you can find farmers and cultivation. A very old and powerful Shiva temple is there, only five km from Gudalur. It is a worshipping place to all without cast or creed. The Shivaratri Mahothsavam is famous in this temple. A Balagokulam works in this temple every Sunday.
Gudalur Municipality, one of the Major towns in West Tamil Nadu and is located at 52 km from Ooty in the hilly terrain of Nilgris district. It is situated at the junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka states. It is located at a longitude of 76°30’ E and a latitude of 11°30’ N and lies at an altitude of about 950m above MSL. Gudalur is also a Taluk Headquarters and is located at 150 km from Coimbatore City. The National Highway NH-67 Nagapattinum – Coimbatore – Gudalur – Mysore is passing through this town. Gudalur town is also connected with other major town’s viz., Mysore, Calicut, Sultanbethery, Coimbatore, Erode by state Highways and National Highways.
Transportation Links
Gudalur is linked by road to Ooty and this is one of the Nilgiri Ghat RoadsNilgiri Ghat Roads
Many Ghat Roads can be found in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, Southern India. Nearly all of the district is located in the Nilgiri Hills, part of the Western Ghats mountains. This area borders the states of Karnataka and Kerala. The hills consequently can be reached by road from three states...
. In the other direction, the same road continues on towards Gundlupet
Gundlupet
Gundlupet is a town in Chamarajanagar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. This small town is about 56 km from the Mysore-Ooty / Mysore-Calicut road and about 200 km from Bangalore. Gundlupet is the last town in Karnataka en route to Ooty or Kozhikode.The Bandipur National Park...
(and on to Mysore) in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
State. Another road links it to Nilambur
Nilambur
Nilambur is a municipality and a taluk in the Malappuram district of Kerala, South India. It is famous for its forests, especially its wildlife habitats, rivers, waterfalls and teak plantations. It is situated close to the Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River...
and Sulthan Bathery
Sulthan Bathery
Sultan Bathery - is a mid-sized town in Wayanad district of Kerala, India. It derives its present name from Tipu Sultan of Mysore who used the abandoned Jain temple here and used it as his battery here in the 18th century, hence the name Sultan's Battery. This town was part of Kidanganadu...
in 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....
State. Gudalur is therefore on the access route to other towns in the district for goods and passengers from the state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and some from the state 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....
. There is a huge demand for last many years for making Kozhikkode - Manjeri
Manjeri
Manjeri is a town and municipality in Malappuram District in the state of Kerala, India. It is the commercial capital of Malappuram District and is 28 km from an international airport and 50 km from Kozhikode railway station....
- Nilambur
Nilambur
Nilambur is a municipality and a taluk in the Malappuram district of Kerala, South India. It is famous for its forests, especially its wildlife habitats, rivers, waterfalls and teak plantations. It is situated close to the Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River...
- Ooty as National Highway.