Keralapuram

Keralapuram is a suburban town in Kollam District of Kerala, India. It is located on National Highway 744 (India) at a distance of around 10 kilometers from Kollam City. [1] Keralapuram is famous for numerous cashew factories in the region. It is split into Kottamkara Panchayath and Perinad Panchayath by the National Highway. In Kerala state legislative assembly elections, Keralapuram votes for Kundara Assembly constituency.[2]

Keralapuram
Town
Keralapuram
Keralapuram
Coordinates: 8°56′27″N 76°39′26″E
Country India
StateKerala
DistrictKollam
Government
 • TypePanchayath
 • BodyKottamkara Panchayath, Perinad Panchayath
Languages
 • OfficialMalayalam, English
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
691014, 691504, 691577
Telephone code0474
Vehicle registrationKL-02
Nearest cityKollam (10 km), Kundara (3 km), Kottiyam (11 km), Trivandrum (69 km)
State Assembly constituencyKundara
Lok Sabha ConstituencyKollam

History

Keralapuram lies in between Kollam City, and the historic trade hub Kundara.[3] The Kundara Proclamation by Velu Thampi Dalawa in the year 1809, which is considered to be one of the first events of freedom fight against the British Raj in Kerala, happened at a distance of 3 kilometers from the present day Keralapuram. First industries in Keralapuram are from the cashew industry boom of Kollam.[4]

Keralapuram has a Government High School that established in the year 1946[5] and a Public Library established in the year 1948.[6] Another piece of history is the famous restaurant Ezhuthanikada Hotel, started by Meeran Saheb in 1948, which is now a local landmark.[7] The vettu cake of this restaurant is very popular across the state of Kerala[8] and among the Malayali diaspora in Middle East.[9][10]

Location

Keralapuram is located on Kollam Tirumangalam National Highway at a distance of 10.5 km away from Kollam city and 3 km away from Kundara. A sizeable portion of the town falls on Kottamkara Panchayath on the East side of the highway, and remaining portion on Perinad Panchayath on the west side. It is also the junction where Ayoor Road, Mampuzha Road and Edavattom Road meets NH 744.

Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering (TKMCE), one of the premiere engineering institutes in Kerala, is located 4.3 kilometres from here at Karicode.[11]

Education
  • Keralapuram Government High School
  • Peniel Public School
  • St. Vincent's ICSE School[12]

Hospitals
  • ESIC Hospital
  • Devans Hospital
  • SSR Hospital

Banks / financial institutions
  • State Bank of India, Keralapuram Branch [13]
  • Indian Bank, Keralapuram Branch [14]
  • KSFE Keralapuram
  • Kottamkara Service Cooperative Bank

Places of worship

Keralapuram has numerous places of worship, some of them are listed.

  • Varattuchira Temple
  • Keralapuram Juma Masjid
  • Poojappura Temple
  • Puthankulangara Temple
  • St. Vincent's Convent and Church

Major industries

Keralapuram had several major cashew factories during the cahew boom of Kollam. Some of them are sill in operation.[4]

Prominent persons

Some of the prominent persons hailing from the area include

  • J. Mercykutty Amma, Former Minister for Fisheries, Harbour Engineering & Cashew Industries
  • Kainakary Thankaraj, Prominent movie actor, play director and play actor.[15]
  • Keralapuram Kalam, Prominent play director and actor. Two of his dramas became movies.[16]

See also

References
  1. "Location of Keralapuram".
  2. "Polling Booths in Kundara Assembly".
  3. "History of Kollam".
  4. "Large Industrial Establishments in India". 1958.
  5. "About GHS KERALAPURAM". schools.org.in. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  6. "Kerapuram Public Library". in.worldorgs.com.
  7. "Try special mutton and cake combo at Ezhuthani Hotel in Kollam". OnManorama. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  8. "The Kollam food circuit can be a fine mix of old and new". OnManorama. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  9. Nagarajan, Saraswathy (18 April 2019). "Vettu cake from Keralapuram in Kollam is a 'cut' above the rest". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  10. Daily, Keralakaumudi. "ദിവസവും അയ്യായിരം വെട്ടുകേക്കുകൾ എവിടെ പോകുന്നു ? ഗൾഫ്നാടുകളിലും അമേരിക്കയിലും വരെ പ്രശസ്തമായ എഴുത്താണി കേക്ക്". Keralakaumudi Daily. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  11. "Keralapuram, Kollam,kerela to TKM College of Engineering".
  12. http://stvincentskeralapuram.com/
  13. "State Bank Of India Keralapuram Kollam Branch IFSC/MICR Code Details". Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  14. "Indian Bank Keralapuram Kollam Branch IFSC/MICR Code Details". Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  15. "Veteran Malayalam actor Kainakary Thankaraj passes away at 77". 4 April 2022.
  16. "നാടക നടനും സംവിധായകനുമായ കേരളപുരം കലാം അന്തരിച്ചു". 15 November 2018.
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