Ottapalam

ഒറ്റപ്പാലം
—  town  —
Ottapalam Town Bus Stand and main road
ഒറ്റപ്പാലം Location of ഒറ്റപ്പാലം in Kerala and India
Coordinates	10°46′N 76°23′E / 10.77°N 76.38°E / 10.77; 76.38Coordinates: 10°46′N 76°23′E / 10.77°N 76.38°E / 10.77; 76.38
Country	India
State	Kerala
District(s)	Palakkad
Population	49,230 (2001[update])
Language(s)	Malayalam, English
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 54 metres (177 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 679001 • Telephone • +0466 • Vehicle • KL-51
Footnotes Temperature Range: 21.4°C -37 °C

Ottapalam (Malayalam: ഒറ്റപ്പാലം) is a town in Palakkad District of Kerala state in India. It is also the headquarters of Ottapalam taluk. Situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river (also called the Nila or Perar), it has a rich cultural heritage and has played host to many historic events. It is famous for having several films shot here. Being headquarters of the taluk of the same name, it is one of the municipalities of the district. Chinakathoor Pooram held every year at Chinakathoor Kavu Temple is a famous event. It used to be a major town of Nedunganad and later became part of Valluvanad Taluk during the reign of the Zamorins of Calicut. Ottapalam is connected by Shornur-Palghat Railway line. The principal spoken language is Malayalam.

Geography

Ottapalam is located at 10°46′N 76°23′E / 10.77°N 76.38°E / 10.77; 76.38.^[1] It has an average elevation of 54 metres (177 feet).

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[2] Ottappalam had a population of 49,230. Males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. It has an average literacy rate of 81%, which is significantly higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 84% and female literacy 80%. Nearly 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Politics

Ottapalam assembly constituency is part of Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency.^[3]

Transport

Ottapalam is well connected to a number of major cities in Kerala by road and rail.

It has a major railway station in the Southern Railway network. Most of the major passenger and express trains stop here. It is a major station between Palakkad and Shoranur in the Konkan route and Wadakkanchery in the Kanyakumari/Alapuzha route. There are train services to major cities of Kerala and the rest of India, particularly South India.

The Palakkad-Shoranur (Kulappully) State Highway passes through the town. Government buses as well as private bus services operate between Ottapalam and other major towns such as Thrissur, Palakkad, Pattambi, Guruvayoor, Mayannur (through the Ottapalam-Mayanur Bridge inaugurated on 22 January 2011)^[4] and Thiruvilwamala.

Calicut International Airport, Cochin International Airport and Coimbatore Airport are the nearest airports.

Education

Schools

• T.R.K. Higher Secondary School, Vaniyamkulam
• L.S.N Girls High School, Ottapalam
• G.H.S.S(Government Higher Secondary School) East Ottapalam, Ottapalam
• Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ottapalam
• N.S.S. K.P.T. High School, Ottapalam
• Mannam Memorial, N.S.S. English Medium High School, Ottapalam
• Gandhi seva sadan central school,pathripala
• G.H.S.S Kadambur
• N.S.S. Vengassery
• Seventh-Day Adventist Higher Secondary School, Kanniyampuram
• Islamic Central School, Ottapalam
• Lakshmi Narayana Vidya Nikethan(LNVN)
• Amrita Vidyalayam, Kanniyampuram
• Bhavans Vidyalaya, Thottakara
• ALP School, Pookkottukavu
• GLP School, Thanikunnu
• AKNMMA Memorial High School, Kattukulam
• Government Higher Secondary School, Munnurkode
• Chalavara High School Chalavara
• Kayiliyad ALP School Kayiliyad
• Vallapuzha High School, Vallapuzha
• KCM UP School Vallapuzha ,Kuruvattoor
• Orphanage School Vallapuzha, Vallapuzha
• KPSMM Higher Secondary School, Varode
• Sree Shankara Oriental High School, vayanasala (Sanskrit school)
• Nanu Nair Smaraka kalakendram, Kuruvattor (kathakali school)]
• UP School, Mannanur
• Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Cherpalchery
• Kuttikode English Medium School
• Padinharkkara Junior Basic School Palappuram,Ottapalam
• Ananganadi High School, Kothakurussi

Colleges

• Al Ameen Engineering College, Kulappully
• Allied Management College, Manissery
• Allied Model College, Manissery
• Chealchery Charitable Trust College, Cherpalchery
• Jawaharlal College of Engineering and Technology, Lakkidi
• Lakshmi Narayana College, Palappuram
• Lakshmi Narayana Women's College, Ottapalam
• Markaz Oriental College, Pulinchode
• N. S. S. College, Palappuram
• N. S. S. Training College, Ottapalam
• Nehru Engineering College, Pambady
• Ottapalam Cooperative College, Ottapalam
• RMCC Professional College
• S.N College, Kulappully
• Sree Dharmasasta College (Girls) Cherpalchery.
• Vivekananda College, Ottapalam

Technical institutes

• S.V.I.T.C. Ottapalm
• Khairath I T C Pazhaya Lakkaidi

Notable people

• Vidya Balan, Bollywood actor
• Kunhiraman Palat Candeth, Lt General in the Indian Army
• Stephen Devassy, world known pianist
• Lal Jose, Malayalm director of films such as Meesa Madhavan, Neelathamara, Achhanurangatha veedu, etc.
• Kutty, pioneer in the field of political cartooning in India
• A. K. Lohithadas, film director
• Bhaskar Menon, the first Indian to head a multinational corporation, chairman of Lever Brothers in England (now Unilever)
• Gautham Menon, Tamil film director
• K.P.S. Menon, independent India's first Foreign Secretary. He also served pre-independence India as an Agent-General to China
• M. G. K. Menon, the former Union Minister and Scientific Adviser to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
• Shiv Shankar Menon, presently National Security Advisor to Prime Minister of India and former Indian foreign secretary
• V.P. Menon, seniormost Indian officer in pre-independence British India administration
• M.K. Narayanan, the former chief of the Intelligence Bureau and present National Security Adviser

References

1. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc – Ottappalam
2. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 
3. ^ "Assembly Constituencies – Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies" (PDF). Kerala. Election Commission of India. http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S11/KL_Dist_PC_AC.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-19. 
4. ^ "Kerala News : Mayyannur bridge to be opened on Saturday". The Hindu. 20 January 2011. http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/20/stories/2011012059590300.htm. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 

External links

• Ottapalam Municipality website