The Ring Roads Have Really Changed the Face of Pathanamthitta Town

10 years back, it was almost a nightmare of travelling through Pathanamthitta town as the traffic inside the town was horrible. If we were to go by bus, then we would have to face a huge traffic block as the old Pathanamathitta private bus stand was in the center of the town. The roads inside the town were always jammed with traffic and this caused much difficulty in reaching the old private bus stand. Even if you are going by your own vehicle, you would feel frustrated due to the ugly traffic inside the town.

But the arrival of ring roads around Pathanamthitta town has changed it all, as the new ring roads have reduced the traffic block inside Pathanamthitta town. The ring road made it easier for those who had to pass through Pathanamthitta town to reach other places such as Adoor, Kollam, Trivandrum, Punalur, Thiruvalla etc. They no longer need to pass through the hear of Pathanamthitta town and instead they just got the route through the outer area of the town. This has brought the traffic more systematic and under control, as only the private buses that need to go to the bus stand had to enter the town center.

This was even more improved by the inauguration of the new Municipal Private bus stand, which is situated near the KSRTC bus stand in Pathanamthitta. The new Municipal bus stand in Pathanamthitta was one of the biggest in the nearby areas and was situated along the ring road. The inauguration of the new private bus stand in Pathanmthitta made sure that no more buses passed through the center of the town and reducing the traffic inside the town considerably.

The rign roads have also brought new development to Pathanamthitta town such as shopping complexes, new buildings, Muthoot Hospital etc. The real estate price in Pathanamthitta has also got a positive uplift with the arrival of ring road. The lands and properties which were considered junk before the arrival of the ring roads started getting more value in the real estate market and the overall prices of land and building in Pathanamthitta started peaking. More and more developments can be expected in Pathanamthitta in the coming days.

Pandalam Palace - A Must Visit Destination in Pathanamthitta

Pathanathitta is home to some of the ancient palaces and temples which has become a attraction point for many travelers. One such amazing palace in Pathanamthitta which attract everyone is the famous Pandalam Palace, which is situated near Pandalam town.  The Pandalam Palace is the home for the royal family of Pandalam and is situated on the banks of river Achankovil

The present Pandalam Palace has lost most of its ancient charm and beauty as  some portions of the palace got destroyed due to flood and fire that occured in the course of time. The Pandalam Palace has been reconstructed since then, but you can see the ancient remains of the old palace among the new buildings. There are two main temples inside the Pandalam Palace known as Valiyakoikkal Temple and the Kaipuzha Temple.

The heritage Pandalam Kingdom is believed to be built around 903 AD and it was formed by the Pandalam Royal Family. The Pandalam Royal Family were the   descendents of the Pandya kings of Madurai and belongs to the 'bhargava gothra'. Pandalam Palace has a legendary  connection with Lord Ayyapoa and Sabarimala. As per the legends Lord Ayyappan of Sabarimala had his human sojourn at Pandalam as the son of the Pandalam King.

During the Sabarimala Pilgrimage season,  a large number of devotee visits the Valiyakoikkal Temple and three days prior to Makaravilaku festival, the sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappa are taken to Sabarimala as a procession. The procession follows a traditional path which covers other major areas before finally reaching Sabarimala.

Some Major Weaknesses of Pathanamthitta District

Pathanamthitta is one of the most beautiful and literate district in Kerala and is home to some of the major spiritual destinations in Kerala. There are also many hot spots in Pathanamthitta which are less known to the outer world. Pathanamthitta has developed a lot since the last decade and is still developing. Pathanamthitta is a district which has reported the least number of communal violence in the history of Kerala. This makes the district one of the best place to live.

Apart from these, there are many things and weaknesses that the district is having. The list may be too long if we ask different persons and hence I have decided to put forward my opinions only. Below given are some of the major weaknesses of Pathanamthitta in my opinion.

1) Industrial Backwardness
Pathanamthitta district as a whole is industrially backward and there are no real opportunities for the highly educated guys to work in their own district. This make the educated people and entrepreneurs to move out of  Pathanamthitta.

2) Least Explored Tourism Potential
Pathanamthitta is a district with amazing landscape and beauty and has all the essential things needed for a great  tourist destination. But unfortunately, the tourism potential of Pathanamthitta is not yet explored to its fullest  and this deprives the district from getting additional income.

3) Bad Facilities for Pilgrims
Pathanamthitta is home to some of the major pilgrimage centers in Kerala and as a result a lot pilgrimage visit the  district on an annual basis. But the irony is that despite a huge flow of pilgrims, there has not been any steps  from the government to enhance the pilgrimage tourism in the district. Added to this the facilities offered to the  pilgrims are also poor.

4) Lack of Agricultural Product Processing
Eventhough Pathanamthitta is home to a variety of agricultural products and produces them on a regular basis. In spite of these there are no agricultural  product processing units in the district which again deprives the district from getting additional revenue

5) Lack of Development in IT
Even though majority of the people in Pathanamthitta are having knowledge in computers and IT related matters, the IT development of the district is not upto the mark. Even the government has also not taken any initiatives for the IT development of the district.

6) Lack of Quality Roads
There are a large number of roads passing through Pathanamthitta and most of them are in better shape when compared with other districts. But Pathanamthitta  still lacks quality roads that meet the national standards.

Major Engineering Colleges in Pathanamthitta

Pathanamthitta is one of the upcoming education center in Kerala and has a lot of famous educational institutions. There is a medical college, few engineering colleges, a good number of arts and science colleges, nursing colleges, management institutions and a few numbers of polytechnic colleges in Pathanamthitta. Here I would like to list the major engineering colleges in Pathanamthitta district.

1)    College Of Engineering, Adoor

Address:
College of Engineering Adoor
Adoor, Manakkala P.O - 691551
Phone 04734 230640 / 231995
Fax 04734 230640
E-mail: principal@cea.ac.in

Website  - http://www.ceadoor.ihrd.ac.in/

2)    College of Engineering, Kallooppara

Address:
The Principal
College of Engineering Kallooppara
Kadamankulam P.O
Thiruvalla(via)
 Pathanamthitta District
 Kerala State, India
 Pin : 689603
 Email : engpta@gmail.com,cekallooppara@ihrd.ac.in

Phone -0469 2677890,2678983,2678688
Fax:     0469-2678688
Website - http://www.cek.ac.in   
   
   
3)    Mount Zion College of Engineering, Kadamanitta

Address:
Mount Zion College of Engineering,
Kadammanitta,
Pathanamthitta Dist,
Kerala, India.
Phone: 0468-2216325, 2217525
E-mail: mountzion01@sify.com

Website  - http://www.mountzioncollege.org/

4)    Musaliar College of Engineering, Pathanamthitta

Address:
Musaliar College of Engineering & Technology,
Musaliar College P.O., Pathanamthitta - 689 653.
Phone No.:+91- 468 - 2301702,
 +91- 468 - 2301703.
Fax:+91 - 468 - 2301702.
e-mail: director@musaliarcollege.com,
principal@musaliarcollege.com

Website - http://www.musaliarcollege.com/


5)    Carmel Engineering College, Perunad

Address:
Admission Officer
Caarmel Engineering College
Believers Church - Synod Office,
Manjadi Post, Thiruvalla - 689 105
Kerala , India
Helpline : + 91 - 469 - 2606943
E-mail : info@bccaarmelcollege.org
Website - www.bccaarmelcollege.org


6)    Sree Buddha College of Engineering for Women, Elavumthitta
Address:
Sree Buddha College of Engineering for Women
Ayathil,
Elavumthitta.P.O.
Pathanamthitta Dist.
Kerala
PIN: 689625
Tel: 0468 2258100[Principal], 2259400 [ Office ] , 2259100[Fax], 2259444[Hostel]
E mail: sbcewae@gmail.com
Website - http://www.sbcew.ac.in/

Pathanamthitta Private Bus Stand Have Become a Pool of Dirty Water

The new Pathanamthitta Private bus stand almost look like a lake of dirty water which make the matter more worse for travelers. The road metals inside the bus stand have been scattered and as a result huge poth holes have developed in all areas of the private bus stand in Pathanamthitta. By the arrival of the monsoon in 2001, the state of the private bus stand in Pathanamthita have become even worse. The drivers of the bus which enters the bus stand have to show their skills  as they are forced to jump from one poth hole to another, risking the health of the travellers.

When the bus stand was inaugurated, it was initially filled with sand and then metal was covered over it. In the summer time, people had to fight it out with the heavy dust that prevailed inside the private bus stand in Pathanamathitta. The authorities had promised to tar the bus stand completely once everything was settled, but even after 3 years since the promise, nothing have done so far.

A total of 5 acres was taken by the Pathanamthitta municipality for constructing the new private bus stand. Most of the areas especially the boundaries of the bus stand are filled with thorny bushes which have not be ever tried to be cut down by the authorities. The Municipal council have decided to metal the bus stand shortly and a tender has also been given for the same.

Sabarimala Pilgrimage to Become More Smooth This Season

The Travancore Devaswom Board is set to draw up a Rs 3.83 crore plan aimed at decongesting the areas around the hill shrine of Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta. The plan would also include ideas such as improving the trek path and other basic facilities around the holy Shrine of Sabarimala. The Travancore Devaswom Board is very much keen to make the coming Sabarimala pligrimage season more smooth. Sabarimala is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimage destination in Kerala and is situated in Ranni Taluk of Pathanamthitta District.

The Devaswom board had already invited bids for relaying the  Chalakkayam - Pamba Road using rubberized bitumen, which would avoid costly annual maintenance. The Chalakkayam - Pamba road is supposed to be re-laid at an estimated cost of around Rs 17.48 lakhs. The traditional pathway of Sabarimala, which is along the holy river Pamba would also be widened as a part of the Sabarimala development master plan.

For quick completion of the work and for sake of convenience in getting the plan implemented easily, the stretch has been divided in three sections. As a part of the plan the board is also thinking of putting up pandals along the trek path to Sabarimala, at a cost of around Rs 35 Lakhs.

The Travancore Devaswom Board seems to be looking seriously into this plan and hopes to make a much better pilgrimage tourist season in Sabarimala this season. They also hope to attract more devotees to this pilgrimage center and since Sabarimala is one of the most revenue generating temple in South India, they could not afford to delay the plans.

7 Attractions in Pathanamthitta That I Cannot Miss Out

I was a native of Pathanamthitta district and came from a beautiful Village in Pathanamthitta called Ranni. I have traveled to almost all the major hot spots in Pathanamthitta and now since I have moved to a new place outside Pathanamthitta, I rarely get time to visit these beautiful places. But I never slip any opportunities to visit any of the beautiful destinations in Pathanamthitta, as I truely adore and love this beautiful place.

There are a large number of attractions to watch out for in Pathanamthitta, but I have picked 7 of my favorite hot spots in Pathanamthitta, which I would never get tired visiting again and again. Have a look at these 7 favorite attractions of Pathanamthitta in my opinion.

1) Perumthenaruvi
Perumthenaruvi is a less known eco tourism in Vechoochira, Ranni and is famous for its scenic beauty and a majestic waterfall. Perumthenaruvi is slowly becoming one of the hottest tourist spot in Pathanamthitta district and the number of people visiting Perumthenaruvi in Vechoochira is growing day by day. I have visited this place only once, but the memories still remain fresh in my mind and hopes to visit Perumthenaruvi very soon in the near future.

2) Sabarimala
Sabarimala is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimage center in South India and is famous for the Lord Ayyappa Temple situated on the top of a hill. The area surrounding this temple is a sight to behold as the green hills and the gentle mist makes it more charming. Sabarimala comes under Ranni taluk (which is my native place) and since I have grown up seeing the flock of pilgrims heading towards Sabarimala since my young ages, this place is too special for me. I have even visited this place during my college days.

3) Parumala Church
This is one of the most popular Christian pilgrimage center in Pathanamthitta district and is the resting place for the famous Saint Mar Gregorios of Parumala, who was a Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Church. I used to visit this church on a regular basis and I was also attracted by the natural beauty surrounding this Church. The famous river Pamba flows through here and the geographical appearance is a mixture of lower and upper Kuttanadu.

4) Konni
Konni is one of the most beautiful place in Pathanamthitta and is known for its range of forests and wildlife. It is also a major agricultural area in Pathanamthitta and some of the major cultivation include pepper, coffee, tapioca, ginger, rubber etc. It is also famous for the elephant training center which is visited by a number of tourist through out the year.

5) Charalkunnu Hills
Charalkunnu hills is a small hill station in Pathanamthitta and is very near to Kozhencherry. Charalkunnu is an amazing hill station which can be utilized for camping, trekking and other adventurous activities. One would be able to get an amazing panoramic view of the  low lying areas surrounding this hill station. Charalkunnu hill station is also famous for the retreat and convention center present over there. I had been to this hill stations in my college days, and that too for adventure activities.

6) Pandalam Palace
Pandalam Palace is an historical palace in Pandalam, Pathanamthitta  situated on the banks of river Achankovil and is the home for the royal family of Pandalam. This Palace provides an amazing example of ancient art and architecture and even though few portions of the Palace have been damaged by flood and fire in the past, the number of people visiting this Palace in Panadalam has not decreased.

7) Aranmula
Aranmula is mainly famous for the Sri Parthasarathi Temple, which is situated on the banks of river Pamba and is dedicated to Lord Sree Krishna. The place is also famous for the Aranmula boat race, which is one of the most popular sport event in Kerala. This is also a promotional area for arts and culture in Kerala, and the Vijinana Kalavedi present in Aranmula provides training for ancient arts such as Kathakali, classical dances, classical music, Kalaripayattu etc. The Aranmula mirror (Aranmula Kannadi) is also a unique product from Aranmula which is made of mirrors made from polished metal.

Basic Facts About Pathanamthitta

Before kick starting this blog, let me please shower a few informative notes on Pathanamthitta, a beautiful town in Kerala, India.
Pathanamthitta is one of the most beautiful town in the central Travancore region in Kerala. The town is a muncipality and is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city of Pathanamthitta is one of the most beautiful places in Kerala and is known for its religious harmony and an amazing literacy rate. With a population of around 38,000, it is one of the largest towns in the central Travancore region in Kerala. Pathanamthitta is home to the famous Hindu pilgrim centre Sabarimala and also boasts of other major pilgrim and tourist destinations in Kerala. Pathanamthitta is also know as the 'Pilgrim Capital of Kerala' as it houses various important pilgrim centers for Hindus, Christians and Muslims. Pathanamthitta is a fastly developing city and a reliable business center as it is one of the best places for various business activities.

Pathanamthitta is also connected to the other cities through road, but does not have a railway station or an airport in the proximity of the Municipality. The nearest rail head is at Thiruvalla, which is around 25 km away. A lot of eminent personalities have emerged from  Pathanamthitta in various fields. More information and updates on various events, destination and festivals in Pathanamthitta would be covered in this blog in the future. Expecting your support and feedback in the coming days.

Welcome to the blog on Pathanamthitta, Kerala

Hi Welcome all to this blog on Pathanamthitta. Would keep you updated on the major and latest happenings in Pathanamthitta.