Pathanamthitta - Pil-grim’s paradise

Pathanamthitta - Pil-grim’s paradise

Pathanamthitta comes between Kollam, Kottayam, Idukki and Alappuzha. When the district by name Pathanamthitta was formed each of these districts had to shell out some areas for the birth of this new district on 1st Nov. 1982. Their loss was really a great gain to the whole state of Kerala as this new district, rich in cash –overflowing with foreign remittances- has since grown in leaps and bounds. The place that hosts Sabarimala has to grow! After all it is at Sabarimala, where lord Ayyappa resides.

There are three rivers in this district Achenkoil, Manimala, and Pampa. The rustic beauty of Pathanamthitta is a feast for the eye of any who loves nature. Soil of Pathanamthitta is so fertile that any kind of tropical plants flourish giving good returns to those who take care of it. Of the total area of 2642 kilometers forest contributes about 1300 sq.kms. Teak rosewood jackwood anjili etc. are the main wealth of these forests. Pathanamthitta consist of three geographical areas the upper hilly areas fertile and populated middle portion and the lower part of clay and muddy areas derived from the erstwhile Alappuzha district.

The main attraction of this district is un-doubtedly- Sabarimala, the blessed hills which houses Lord Ayyappa the most adorned deity of Keralites all over the world. With the advent of Vrichikam, Dhanu and Makaram (months in Malayalam calendar which falls between November to January) marks the times for pilgrimage to Sabarimala. Devotees Who wishes to pay a visit to the temple wake up early in the morning take bathe go to the nearest temple pray for the success of their visit to Sabarimala . They adhere to strict vegetarian diet stop smoking and consumption of alcohol and live a life similar to that of a monk by observing celibacy. The penance usually lasts for about one month or so. They usually wear black mundu (loin-cloth) and black shirt wear bands of sandal paste on their foreheads. The pilgrimage is usually done in small groups. They carry “irumudikkettu” a bag of two partitions containing rice dhal and a lot of such items for food and pooja performances of the temple. The pristine forests on the way pamper the pilgrims with cool shades. These forests once were inhabited by wild animals especially tigers. Therefore a pilgrim’s return from Sabarimala was subject to a lot of chances- many a pilgrim fell victim to voracious tigers those roamed free in the dense forests! However a safe return of a pilgrim was a celebration to the entire village those times.

Pathanam thitta is divided in to two revenue sub-divisions, Thiruvalla and Adoor and subdivided in to five taluks- Ranni. Mallappally, Adoor Pathanamthitta and Kozhenchery. This district consists of 68 villages. Even before the formation of the revenue district, Pathanamthitta was a commercially important town. Considerable population of non-residents bring good amount of remittances which fill the coffers of branches of almost all of the nationalized and private banks which vie for the NRI pie. The credit deposit ratio in this district is very poor as there are many depositors and few takers! The bank managers are a happy lot as there is seldom any chance for bad debts as there are no loan mongers as it is the case with other parts of the state. Other than the NRI money there are the rubber trees which over flows the kitty of the farmers and the money spills down to the market making a booming economy. God is in his heaven (sabarimala)and every thing is right with the world (Pathanamthitta)!

For a tourist Pathanamthitta has much to offer. Aranmula a culturally rich village is more known to the snake boats produced there and the grand fiesta known as the Aranmula boat fiesta (vallam-kali) which is a celebration on the river. Big snake boats decorated gracefully and loaded with hundreds of people in each is an unforgettable sight. It is a celebration sans competition a- performance in which each and every villager has a stake. The metal mirror known as Aranmula Kannadi is a riddle even in this age of technology. The technology of making it is owned by one two families and no one on earth know how to make such a mirror out of alloy-metal. The secret is closely held by the members of the family. The metal mirrors of Aranmula are being widely exported and adorn the curio-shops world wide.

Pathanamthitta is just 56 kilometers from Kottayam and well connected with roads. The nearest railway station is Thiruvalla. Trivandrum and Kochi(Nedumpassery) are the nearest air-ports. Good accommodation is available as hotels are in abundance. During the pilgrimage season all roads leads to one diretion and that is Sabarimala this causes a lot of traffic and accommodation problems after all these are the same with all pilgrim centers. Mandala kalam – as the Sabarimala season is known- will fill the entire area with the loud calls “saranam Ayyappa” which will fill the heart of any one- even a confirmed atheist- with devotion and he will respond with a loud call “Saranam Ayyappa”—save me god….!

Author: Sasi Kumar

Source: Naturemagics.com - website on Kerala Tourism

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