Aranmula

Aranmula ആറന്മുള
town
Aranmula Pardhasaradhi Temple
Aranmula Show map of Kerala Aranmula Show map of India Location in Kerala, India
Coordinates: 9°20′N 76°41′E / 9.33°N 76.68°E / 9.33; 76.68Coordinates: 9°20′N 76°41′E / 9.33°N 76.68°E / 9.33; 76.68
State	Kerala
District	Pathanamthitta
Elevation	7 m (23 ft)
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Vehicle registration	KL-03
Nearest city	Chengannur

Aranmula palace

Parthasarathi Temple

Thalam for boats

Aranmula Kannadi

Chundan boat

Poet Sugathakumari

Aranmula is a temple village in the state of Kerala, India. At a distance of around 116 km from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, it is situated on the banks of the holy river Pampa. A centre of pilgrimage from time immemorial and a trade post of eminence, when the river was the chief means of transport, it is near Kozhenchery in Pathanamthitta District.

Tourism

Aranmula is famous for the famous tourist attraction 'Vallam Kali',(Snakeboat Regatta), Aranmula is a global heritage site enlisted by the United Nations. It is a sacred site for the Hindus and comprises the central temple of Lord Parthasarathi with a network of temples and sacred groves around. Boat race is part of the temple festival here.

Geography

Fertile wetlands, locally called Puncha, rich biodiversity and a soothing climate make Aranmula an apex model of the ecofriendly culture of Kerala. The region, as remote sensing maps show, has a rich stock of ground water which feeds the river Pampa and the estuaries like Vembanad. The rice producing belts like Kuttanad downstream benefit from the water cycle. Nearby important towns are Chengannur (10 km), Pathanamthitta (15 km), Pandalam (14 km). The nearest railway station is at Chengannur and airports are in Kochi, India and Thiruvananthapuram.

Snake Boats

The annual snake boat race on the Pampa river, called Uthrittathi Vallamkali, attracts devotees and also national and international tourists. Fifty two Karas, from ancient chieftains, own the snake boats that take part in the boat races and these are considered as the vehicles of the Lord. Aranmula is also famous for its famed metal mirrors, known as Aranmula kannadi. The palace at Aranmula ( Aranmula Kottaram) built mostly in wood is an architectural marvel and has a history of around 200 years. It was here that the 'Thiru Abharanam', ornaments of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala, were originally kept and it still is a stop over of the annual procession from Pandalam.

Geography

Aranmula is located at 9°20′N 76°41′E / 9.33°N 76.68°E / 9.33; 76.68.^[1] It has an average elevation of 7 m (23 ft).

Temples

The Aranmula Parthasarathi Temple is a major temple in Kerala and has a great antiquity. It is one of the venerated 108 Vaishnava temples in India and finds mention in Tamil classics. Spread over a vast area the temple is on the banks of the river Pampa and the whole temple complex is at a high elevation. Main idol is of Lord Krishna, who is the charioteer of warrior Arjuna in Kurukshetra War. It is believed that this temple was originally built near Sabarimala near Nilackal later shifting here. There is a flight of 18 steps that lead to the Eastern Tower while 57 descending steps from the Northern tower reaches the Pampa River. The temple here has fine murals from the 18th century.

Pulikkunnumala Mahadeva Temple

Pulikkunnumala Mahadeva Temple is 4 km from Aranmula. The old temple is traditionally said to be the worship place of the pandavas. This temple is donated by Koikkattumalayil the Late Shri Ramakrishna Pillai to the Kshetra Samrakshana Samiti, Kerala.

Aranmula Uthrattathi Boat Race

Fasting on thiruvonam related to aranmula temple Palace (Aranmula Kottaram)

Aranmula Panchayat

Aranmula Grama Panchayat is the local governing body of Aranmula. The office is in between Kottakkakom and Kalarikkodu. ^[2]

Politics

Aranmula Assembly constituency is part of Pathanamthitta (Lok Sabha constituency). Smt Veena George is the present MLA of the constituency.^[3]

Environmental movements

Various local social and environmental organisations are leading an agitation against the Airport project in Arnmula saying that it would destroy many of the characteristics that qualify Aranmula as a heritage village as declared by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.

Prominent personalities like V. R. Krishna Iyer and Congress leaders V. M. Sudheeran, Sugathakumari, Peelipose Thomas, Sarala Devi have come out to support an agitation against the project^[4][5][6] Aranmula Heritage Village Action Council patron, Kummanam Rajasekharan and Aam Aadmi leader Sreeranganathan have threatened to disrupt the construction work if it were to commence as announced by KGS group citing that the local public had no other way but to resort to a confrontationist approach. He said the Council was protesting not against the airport or development but against the illegal filling of water streams, wetlands and paddy fields at the site whilst also blocking some of the major tributaries of the river Pampa^[7] especially since many estates and plantations with expired leases were available in the Chandanappally, Kodumon, Perunadu, Lahai and Cheruvally regions located in Pathanamthiita.

The protesters contend that the airport that KGS Group intends to construct an airport city or Aerotropolis that requires more than 3,000 acres of land^[8][9] and that such a large project would cause irreparable and devastating damage to the environment and ecosystem at Aranmula.^[10] Using satellite imagery of the site, the Aranmula Heritage Village Action Council to emphasized that approximately 3,000 families will have to be evicted. Dr. V. S. Vijayan, former Chairman of the Kerala Biodiversity Board that conducted an independent study in Aranmula, stated that the report prepared by Enviro Care was full of incorrect data.^[11]

On 12 February 2013, CPI leader Atul Anjan, besides CPI(M) leader M. M. Mani alleged that Defence Minister A. K. Antony was favouring the project owing to the involvement of Robert Vadra.^[12][13] The land purchased by the KGS Group was owned by Mr. Abraham Kalamannil, Chairman of the Mount Zion Group Pathanamthitta, also has come into controversy. A lot of villagers have been suing Mr. Kalamannil for forging their Documents and illegally grabbing their lands.^[14] The local agitation groups have demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation and other Central agencies into the corruption and violation of laws in connection with the private airport project at Aranmula. A large scale corruption including unaccounted money and power plays is doubted at site. KGS Aranmula International Airport Ltd. and the Kerala State Advocate-General had stated before the National Green Tribunal that Rs. 4 billion had been spent on the project. The local community is highlighting that the account heads on the project spent and project revenue to the tune of 400cr is not clear and not correct as claimed. Also the promoter had claimed 600 acres in its possession for setting up the airport against the actual possession of about 250 acres at the time of submitting application to the Union Ministry for NOCs.^[15]

The Ministry of Civil Aviation of the Government of India has issued a letter dated May 25, 2015 withdrawing the ‘in-principle’ approval to the proposed Aranmula Airport Project.^[16] The Civil Aviation Ministry has also forwarded copies of the letter withdrawing the approval for the airport project to the Prime Minister’s Office, Rashtrapathi Bhavan, Ministry of Home Affairs, Defence Ministry, Planning Commission, Departments of Economic Affairs and Revenue, and the Project Monitoring Group at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. Prior to this, on May 8, 2015, the Ministry of Defence withdrew the No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the project. Earlier, on May 28, 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had cancelled the environment clearance granted to the project by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.^[17]

See also

• Aranmula Boat Race
• Aranmula Kannadi
• Aranmula kottaram
• Aranmula International Airport

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aranmula.

• aranmula.net aranmula.co.in
• Aranmula Village is chosen as the best district in Kerala
• Controversy surrounding the private airport project in Aranmula
• Aranmula Heritage Village
• Manorama News: Aranmula - Wonders of Kerala