Chengannur (also spelled Chengannoor or Chenganur) is a Town and Municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala State, India. It is located in the extreme eastern part of the Alappuzha district, on the banks of Pamba River.
Chengannur is Known as The gateway of Sabarimala.
Chengannur is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram on the MC Road (State Highway 1). Chengannur is connected to Kollam and Kottayam by NH 183. Chengannur is noted for the Chengannur Mahadeva Temple (aka 'Dakshina Kailasam' as a major Shiva temple of South India) and its Old Syrian Church of the ancient Syrian Christian community. Chengannur is also a major destination of Sabarimala pilgrims known as the Gateway of Sabarimala.
The nearby municipal towns are Pandalam to the south, Mavelikkara to the west Pathanamthitta to the east and Tiruvalla to the north. The taluk comprises villages such as Kurattissery, Mannar, Ennakkad, Pandanad, Thiruvanvandoor, Chengannur, Mulakuzha, Ala, Puliyoor, Cheriyanad, Budhanoor and Venmony.
The name Chengannur (chem-kunnu-ur/oor) is derived from the words 'chem' (Malayalam) which means red, 'kunnu' (Malayalam) which means hill and 'ur/oor' (Malayalam) meaning land. It means the land of red hills. The red soil of Chengannur was different from the soil of nearby regions of Mavelikara & Kuttanad.
Chengannur was a part of the Ay Kingdom in the ancient period. The Ay Kingdom's territory extended from Pamba River in the north to Nagercoil in the south. Subsequently it came under the sovereignty of the Cheraman Perumals. The earliest epigraphical record to mention Chengannur (Thiruchenkunrur) is the Mampalli copper plate inscription (947 CE) which records a donation from Venad chiefly family to the Chengannur Temple.
In the medieval age, Chengannur was controlled by the Vanjipuzha chiefly family of Mundencavu. They were of Tulu Brahmin origin. The principality was a feudatory of Odanad. Chengannur came under the Kingdom of Travancore when the area was annexed by Marthanda Varma in 1742.
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Mavelikkara is a taluk and municipality in the Onattukara region of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Located in the southern part of the district on the banks of the Achankovil River. The name Mavelikara is believed to be turned out from the words Maveli or Mahabali, the mythical king of Kerala, and Kara means land. This land is believed to be the place 'Mattom Mahadeva temple'where king Mahabali knelt before Vamana, offering his head for Vamana to keep his feet.
Pathanamthitta (pɐt̪ːɐnɐn̪d̪iʈːɐ), is a municipality situated in the Southern Kerala, India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The town has a population of 37,538. The Hindu pilgrim centre Sabarimala is situated in the Pathanamthitta district; as the main transport hub to Sabarimala, the town is known as the 'Pilgrim Capital of Kerala'. Pathanamthitta District, the thirteenth revenue district of the State of Kerala, was formed with effect from 1 November 1982, with headquarters at Pathanamthitta.
Odanad (Malayalam: ōṭānāṭŭ, also known as Onattukara, Onad, Kayamkulam, Kallikoilon and Chirava Svaroopam) was a feudal state in late medieval Kerala. It was established in the 11th century, and disestablished in 1746 when it became part of Travancore after Venad King Marthanda Varma's northern expedition. The last king of Odanad was King Kotha Varma. At the time of its dissolution, it was composed of the present-day taluks of Mavelikkara, Karthikapally, Chenganur in the Alappuzha district and Karunagapally in the Kollam district.