Pandalam

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Pandalam
type = town
latd = 9.32 | longd = 76.73
locator_position = right
state_name = Kerala
district = Pathanamthitta
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Pandalam is one among the fastest growing towns in Kerala, India. It is a holy town, considered second only to Sabarimala. It is believed that Sree Ayyappa, the presiding deity of Sabarimala had his human sojourn here as the son of the Raja of Pandalam. Before proceeding to Sabarimala, pilgrims usually stop to worship the deity of Valiyakoikkal Temple near the Pandalam Palace. This temple is on the banks of river Achenkovil. Three days prior to the Makaravilaku festival, the sacred ornaments of Sree Ayyappa are taken in a procession from Pandalam to Sabarimala.

Other famous pilgrim centres are the Mahadevar Temple, Kurampala Puthankavil Bhagavathi Temple, Thonnallur Pattupurakkavu Bhagavathi temple and Kaipuzha Sree Krishna Swami Temple. poozhikkad sree dharma sastha temple ( one of the very rare temples of 'Sashthav'- after Sabarimala), Mayayekhaikkavu SreeKrishna Swami Temple, the centuries old Kadakkad Juma Masjid, Thumpamon Orthodox Cathedral and Kurampala St Thomas Church, Arathil Church... etc give this pilgrim town, the glare and glory of a secular township.

This holy town is also a well known educational and health care centre in Kerala. Pandalam has a lot of educational institutions ranging from reputed schools to Post Graduate, Training, Ayurveda, Medical and Engineering Colleges.

It is believed that the Pandya kings of Tamil Nadu fled to Pandalam after losing a battle and settled here in the land they bought from Kaipuzha Thampan, a landlord. The princely state of Pandalam had extended up to Thodupuzha in Idukki district once. Pandalam had witnessed a rare piece of history when it was first converted to a municipality and later back to a gramapanchayat. The Pandalam Legislative Constituency will be discontinued from the future state assmbly elections.

Major educational institutions

Pandalam is also renowned for its Educational institutions and Hospitals. Some of them are listed below:

Colleges

*N.S.S. College, Pandalam is one of the premier institutions of higher education managed by Nair Service Society, a leading educational agency and a social organization. The founder of the N.S.S., the Late Padmasree Mannathu Padmanabhan a great visionary and social reformer believed that education is the most effective means of social reforms. It was with this strong conviction that he established a number of educational institutions all over Kerala in order to liberate the members of his community from the retrogressive and decadent practices prevalent in pre-Independent Kerala. Pandalam, the legendary land of Lord Ayyappa was specially selected by the founder considering its geographical significance of accessibility, surrounded by a rural, agrarian community. The college is situated on the side of the MC road half a kilometer away from the Pandalam junction. Established in the year 1950, this special grade post graduate college is one among the most reputed educational institutions in the state. Alumni include noted film director Padmashri Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Dr VN Rajasekharan Pillai (Vice Chairman, NAAC), Narendra Prasad (Actor) et al.
*N.S.S Training College, Pandalam: Established in the year 1957
*Mannam Co-operative Ayurveda Medical College
*NSS School of Nursing, Pandalam
*Sree Budha College of Engineering,Pattoor

chools

*NSS Higher Secondary School, Pandalam (Formerly NSS High School for Boys)
*NSS English Medium Upper Primary School, Pandalam
*Government Higher Secondary School, Thottakkonam, Mudiyooykoonam, Pandalam
*St Thomas High School, Kurampala, Pandalam
*Eminence Public School, Pandalam
*Mannathu Parvathy Amma Memorial NSS High School for Girls, Pandalam
*Muslim Educational Trust (M.E.T)
*Government Upper Primary School, Thonnallur, Pandalam
*Government Upper Primary School, Mangaram, Pandalam
*Government Upper Primary School, Poozhickadu, Pandalam
*MSM Lower Primary School, Pandalam
*Vyasa Vidya Peedom, Thonnallur, Pandalam
*Amritha Vidyalam,Kurampala, Pandalam
*St.Pauls High School, Nariyapuram
*Nombizhi Lower Primary School, Keerukuzhy
*Cherumukha Lower Primary school, Ayranikudi, Pandalam

Polytechnic

*NSS Polytechnic, Pandalam

Major Hospitals

* N.S.S Medical Mission Hospital
* Mannam Co-operative Ayurveda Medical College
* Chithra Multi Speciality Hospital
* Christian Mission Hospital

How to reach

The Road, Rail and Air distances to Pandalam are listed below:

Road

*105 km to the north of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala
*120 km to the south of Kochi, the state's commercial capital
*52 km to the south of Kottayam

Rail

*14 km from Chengannur railway station
*14 km from Mavelikkara railway station

Air

*119 km from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
*138 km from Kochi International Airport

Famous personalities

*Pandalam Kerala Varma (Poet)
*Pandalam KP (Poet)
*M.N. Govindan Nair (Politician, Former Minister and former MP)
*Pandalam PR (Politician, CPI leader)
*PK Manthri (Cartoonist)
*VS Valiyathan (Artist, Recipient of Raja Ravi Varma Award)
*Kadammanitta Vasudevan Pillai (Padayani exponent)
*Pandalam Sudhakaran (Former Minister)

Trade and commerce

The centuries old "Kurumthottayam" market, (now known as the "Pandalam market") is one among the largest agricultural markets in Central Travancore. Situated in the heart of this township till late 1990s, this market was later shifted to a more convenient place on the Pandalam - Mavelikkara road. Right from agricultural produce (mainly cultivated in and around Pandalam and parts of adjoining panchayats) to fisheries, meat, rice and spices, this market is one among the nerve centres of the region.

Pandalam is now a mordern township with adequate facilities, well connected by road to other places of the state. As an excellent centre for higher learning and health care, Pandalam is well equipped to contribute its part to the mordern liberalised economy.

Banks and financial institutions

The major banks and financial institutions in this township include:-

*State Bank of Travancore (Associate of State bank of India)
*The South Indian bank Limited
*Syndicate Bank
*Indian Overseas Bank
*The Federal Bank Limited
*HDFC Bank (Erstwhile Lord Krishna Bank Limited)
*Catholic Syrian bank Limited
*Canara Bank
*South Malabar Gramin Bank
*The Pathanamthitta District Co-operative Bank Limited
*The Kerala State Financial Enterprises Limited (KSFE)
*State Bank of India

ee also

*Sabarimala
*Pathanamthitta
*Pattupurakkavu Bhagavathi temple