Arattupuzha

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
type = town
native_name = Arattupuzha
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district = Thrissur
state_name = Kerala
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locator_position = right
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Arattupuzha is a culturally significant village located in Thrissur district of of Kerala in southern India, and is home to the annual Arattupuzha Pooram that stages the grand spectacle of scores of caparisoned elephants lined up in a row to the accompaniment of ethnic percussion concerts. [citebook|title=India|author= Sarina Singh|year=2005|publisher=Lonely Planet|ages=923|id=ISBN 1740596943|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Fk8FQa2ZSFQC&dq=Arattupuzha&as_brr=3&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html]

History

Located on the banks of the Karuvannur river, legend has it that Arattupuzha was the meeting place of all the Gods of the world until floods ravaged the area and forced some of participants to meet 14 kilometers north of the village -- in the city of Thrissur. The Arattupuzha Pooram is still quite popular, even though it is much lesse famoous than the Trichur Pooram. The Arattupuzha Pooram is commonly referred to as the "grand-daddy of all Poorams." It takes place in front of the famous Sree Sastha Temple, a temple which is believed to be more than 3,000 years old.

Characters

Like many ancient villages, Arattupuzha is home to some rather flamboyant and charismatic characters. One such legend is Raman Nair, commonly referred to as the "grand old man of Arattupuzha." Raman Nair claims to be more than 105 years old, even though there is rampant speculation that he is only in his 90s. Nair was a follower of the great Madhava Menon, an iconic educator and land developer who ruled Arattupuzha with an iron fist. When Madhava Menon spoke, Arattupuzha listened. Unfortunately, Menon's descendants have not been successful in maintaining the legacy of his greatness, and the house that Menon lived in has been torn down to make way for a more modern residence that was funded through foreign contributions and inheretance money. Another great character of Arattupuzha was Unni Kuttattn, a jolly fellow who specialized in Hindi translations to communicate the words of the children of Arattupuzha natives living in Northern India who felt they were "too cool" to speak malayalam. Despite not being with us physically anymore, the spirit of Unni Kutattn lives on at most of the local saloons as customers do toasts in his honor before shooting Vodka. Then there is Narayan Nair, a former chef in Madras who returned to Arattupuzha and is widely regarded for making the best chicken in town. Not all Arattupuzha residents have made a name for themselves by staying within the city limits however. Mr. C R Das, a motorcycle enthusiast turned politician, is best know for his role in Trichur politics and has been elected twice to the city corporation.

Climate

Arattupuzha has a mild climate in the months of December through February until the heat kicks up in March. The mansoons hit the village hard in the months of June through September, and sparatic thunderstorms can be spotted in the months of October and November.

Rivalry

Arattupuzha is home to a long feuding rivalry between Madhava Menon's descendants and their neighbors to the south commonly referred to as the "Kunnatha People." This Hatfield vs McCoy situation forced a fence to be built between the two rivals, and the fence is commonly referred to as the "Berlin Wall of Arattupuzha."

Ambalam Nada

Though Arattupuzha is far from the dangers of inner city life, gang activity infiltrated the city during the 1080s as a group known as the "Ambalam Nada" claimed their turf in front of the Sree Sashta Temple. This group of troublemakers could be seen shouting in the direction of unsuspecting visitors and were often seen telling people what to do even though they often didn't heed their own advice. Though this was considered to be a gang, some of the gang's alumni have gone on to establish respectable careers in cities such as Palakkad and Mumbai.

Freeway Accessibility

Arattupuzha is accessible to the NH 47 freeway via back roads that go through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Kerala. Arattupuzha is just 12 km from Trichur City limits. It is connected both to NH 47 and NH 17.

Families from Arattupuzha

*Pakalomattom Ayrookuzhiyil

References