Karukutty is a village panchayat in Ernakulam

Ernakulam

Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...

 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....

, India

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...

. Classified as a Grade A panchayat, Karukutty comprises 17 wards and falls under Angamaly

Angamaly

Angamaly is a satellite town of the city of Kochi, situated north of the city center and a municipality in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. It is one of the entry points or gateways to Ernakulam district from northern Kerala...

 block panchayat in Aluva

Aluva

Aluva , is a suburb of the city of Kochi, situated north of the city center and a municipality in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. Aluva is also a major industrial center of the state....

 taluk. It is part of Angamaly Assembly constituency and Chalakudy Parliament constituency.

History

Located on the southern border of the erstwhile Cochin kingdom, Karukutty has been influenced by the cultures of both Travancore and Cochin kingdoms and has been cited in ancient Portuguese records. Remnants of an old fort, referred to locally as Kottathendu (കോട്ടത്തെണ്ട്), can be seen here. The fort - Nedumkotta (നേടുംക്കോട്ട) was built jointly by the Travancore and Cochin kingdoms to resist invasions by Tipu Sultan. Numerous other artifacts and vessels used by natives to store their treasures and valuables have also been excavated. There is a popular saying that goes "Karukutty kandaal maru kutty venda" (കറുകുററി കണ്ടാല്‍ മറുകുററി വേണ്ട). It roughly translates to "If you have reached Karukutty, then you need not go looking else where" – a sign of the self-sufficient and prosperous nature of the locality. The name itself literally translates to dark woodlands, suggesting the dense vegetation that covered this region till the 12th century.

Administration and Local Self Government

Karukutty panchayat was formed on 28 December 1961. The village was originally part of Kunnathunadu taluk, Kottayam district and later became part of Aluva taluk when Ernakulam district was formed on 1 April 1958. P V Ouseppukutty Pynadath became the first president of the panchayat in 1961. After the elections in 1964, an eight member administrative council took charge under the leadership of P C Sani.

Chronological list of presidents of Karukutty panchayat

1. P. V. Joseph
2. P. C. Sani
3. Thomas Aikkareth Master (1980)
4. C. T. Devassikutty (1988)
5. Francis J. Pynadath
6. P. J. Skaria
7. Mary Antony
8. James Palliyan
9. P. V. Devassy
10. P. T. Antony

Geography

Spread over an area of 33.57 km² in central Kerala, the terrain is primarily of five types - plain land, valley, high land, sloped terrain and hilltops.

Borders

East: Mookkannoor

Mookkannoor

Mookkannoor is a village in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala.The nearest city is Angamaly The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport -Demographics:...

 panchayat

North: Chalakudy

Chalakudy

Chalakudy is a municipal town situated on the banks of Chalakudy River in Thrissur District of the Kerala State in India. It is the base camp for travellers to Athirappilly and Vazhachal Falls...

 River and Koratty panchayat

West: Parakkadavu

Parakkadavu

Parakkadavu is a village in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Parakkadavu had a population of 29997 with 14923 males and 15074 females....

 panchayat

South: Angamaly

Angamaly

Angamaly is a satellite town of the city of Kochi, situated north of the city center and a municipality in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. It is one of the entry points or gateways to Ernakulam district from northern Kerala...

 municipality

Major Localities

• Karayamparambu
• Munnoorppilly
• Palissery
• Edakkunnu
• Paduvapuram
• Besleham
• Panthackal
• Marangadam
• Moonamparambu
• Attara
• Azhakam
• Neerungal
• Palliyangadi
  Palliyangadi
  Palliyangady, formerly known as Thalikakunnu, is located in Karukutty, Kerala, India, and it is capital of the Karukutty panchayat. Palliyangady is a small township with all amenities including schools, local administration, postal service, religious facilities, health care facilities, and a...
  
  
• Kappelappadi
• Companippadi
• Koventha
• Areekkal
• Maniyamkuzhi
• Parapuram

Water Sources

An 18 km long network of canals and creeks along with 27 public ponds and over 200 private tanks serve as the primary water source for the panchayat.

Culture and Community

The panchayat has 9 libraries, of which, 2 of them are A grade libraries with more than 10,000 books.

Various social organizations such as NSS, SNDP,Mela Samskarika Vedi and KPMS along with many other Christian organizations contribute actively to the social and cultural upliftment of the region.

Commerce and Transport

Karukutty is situated on the northern edge of the Ernakulam district, bordering Thrissur. National Highway 47 runs from north to south along a 4 km stretch on the western side of the panchayat. The border also used to serve as a geographically centered Excise and Sales Tax check post for the state of Kerala.

Karukutty has a railway station (Station code KUC) that serves hundreds of passengers travelling between their offices and homes on passenger train services running between Ernakulam and Shornur/Guruvayur. It is also a major stop over for long distance buses plying to locations such as Bangalore, with a choice of hotels and eateries lined along the highway.

Tourism

Karukutty is blessed with bountiful natural resources and the numerous brooks flowing through lush greenery themselves provide an excellent tourist opportunity. Major destinations in the panchayat include

• Ezhattumugham
• Thumboormoozhi Dam

Education and Health

The various socio-cultural communities that emerged in Karukutty, actively contributed to the development of many educational and medical institutions including

• S. H. of St Mary's Lower Primary School
• Star Jesus High School
• St Joseph Girl's High School
• St Thomas Upper Primary School
• Government Upper Primary School, Palissery
• O. L. P. H. Upper Primary School, Edakkunnu
• Naipunnya Public School, Paduvapuram
• Adam Public School, Karayamparambu
• SCMS School of Engineering & Technology, Vidya Nagar, Paduvapuram
• Alphonsa Hospital
• Government Dispensary, Palissery
• Stella Maris Hospital, Paduvapuram

Religion and Pilgrimage

A majority of the population of this village are Christians. The first church in Karukutty, St. Xavier Church, was established in 1829 and this paved way for the development of numerous other churches and parishes across the village. Traditional Christian culture and beliefs are an integral part of the village. Syrian Roman Catholicism is numerically the largest Christian denomination in this village. Over time, the number of other Christian denominations such as Jacobites and Marthoma Protestants are increased due to migration. There is also significant number of Hindu believers and a small yet important Muslim community that peacefully co-exists here, each faithful to their respective beliefs and customs.

Between November and February, the village turns colourful with festivals, feasts and processions of the various communities that reside here. These festivals serve to unite the various denominations, across barriers of community, religion and culture.

Major religious centers in Karukutty include

• St Xavier Forane Church
• Christ the King Monastery
• Assisi Shanti Kendra
• Claretian Provincial House and Renewal Center
• St Joseph Church, Cable Nagar
• St Mary Church, Moonamparambu
• Holy Ghost Church, Sehionpuram
• St Joseph Church, Besleham
• St Mother Theresa Church, Panthakkal
• St Anthony Church, Edakkunnu
• St Alphonsa Church, Attara
• St Jude Church, Attara
• Sacred Heart Convent (Established in 1899 by the Carmelite sisters)
• St George Church, Calvary, Munnoorppilly
• St Joseph Church, Karayamparambu
• St George Jacobite Church, Karayamparambu
• Holy Family Church, Thabore
• St Sebastian Church, Palissery
• St Paul's Priest Home, Edakkunnu

• Onjadam Bhagavati Temple
• Chirakottu Bhagavati Temple
• Unnimadom Temple, Karayamparambu
• Cherupillikkavu Bhagavathi Temple
• Chalappuram Sri Krishnaswamy Temple
• Krishnapuram Sri Krishnaswamy Temple
• Mattapilly Devi Temple, Palissery
• Sree Narayana Gurudeva Temple, Munnoorppilly

External links

• Official site of Karukutty Panchayat
• Qwiki entry for Karukutty