Thodupuzha is also the name of the river that flows through the town. It is the largest town in the district and is the commercial centre. It was once part of the territory of the Travancore dynasty. It lies in central Kerala, southeast of Muvattupuzha. The Thodupuzha municipality area is characterised by hilly terrain with a lot of green vegetation.
The Main Eastern Highway (Muvattupuzha - Pathanamthitta - Punalur Road / SH - 08) passes through Thodupuzha and connects it to two of its neighboring towns, Muvattupuzha and Pala.
Syrian Christians, Hindus and Muslims co-exist in harmony adding to the diversity in faith and religion. The place has a large population of Syrian Catholic Achayans. The Muslim minority are mostly rawthers who were the warriors of Madurai Raja and migrated from Madurai and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.
The popular film actress Asin's family is originally from Thodupuzha. Her dad belongs to the Thottumkal family of Karimkunnam, a suburb of Thodupuzha.
Name
The name 'Thodupuzha' might have come from two words, 'thodu' (which means a small stream) and 'puzha' (which means a river). It is believed that the stream developed into a river, and the town on the banks of the river came to be known as Thodupuzha. There is another version which defines the word ‘thodu’ as ‘touch’ and ‘puzha’ as ‘river’. Thus the town touching the river became Thodupuzha.
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| Thodupuzha Gandhi Square |
History
Thodupuzha is an ancient town with a history dating back to many centuries. The Buddhist and Jain religions which made their first inroads into Kerala in 300 BC have left their impact at Thodupuzha. and neighbouring areas. The Buddhist religious relics found at Karicodu near Thodupuzha is ample proof of this surmise. In AD 100, Kerala was divided for administrative reasons into several provinces such as Venadu, Otanadu, Navishainadu, Munjunadu, Vempolinadu, and Keezhmalainadu. Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha were in Keezhmalainadu which had its headquarters at Karicodu. Keezhmalainadu was in existence till AD 1600. In that year it lost a battle with Vadakkumkoor and became a part of it. The Kings of Vadakkumkoor used to live at Karicodu for several years. At the time of King Marthanda Varma, Vadakkumkoor became part of the state of Travancore. The relics of the fort is still there at Karicodu. The Annamalai Temple, which carries the traits of Tamil Architecture is at Karicodu. At this temple one can see many statues and lamps made out of stone and metal believed to have been made in the 14th century. The church at Muthalakodam, a place situated 2 kilometres from Thodupuzha, is believed to have been constructed before 13th century. The Ninnar Mosque near Karicodu is said to have been constructed by the Vadakumkoor Raja for his Muslim soldiers.
At the formation of Kerala state in 1956, Thodupuzha was part of the Ernakulam district. In the year 1972, Idukki district was formed by joining Thodupuzha taluk along with Devikulam, Udumbanchola and Peermade taluks, which were part of the erstwhile Kottayam district.
Transport
Thodupuzha has an excellent network of roads which connects it to the nearby towns and cities. The Main Eastern Highway (Muvattupuzha - Punalur / SH-08 / 154 km) passes through Thodupuzha and connects it to two of its neighboring towns, Muvattupuzha and Pala. Thodupuzha-Puliyanmala road (SH-33) connects Thodupuzha to Idukki District centre at Painavu as well as tourist destinations like Idukki Dam and Thekkadi. Alappuzha-Madurai road (SH-40) also passes through Thodupuzha town. SH-43 which connects Muvattupuzha with Theni passes through some parts of the Thodupuzha Taluk but doesn’t pass through Thodupuzha town. Thodupuzha has the best quality roads than any other places in kerala.
The nearest Railway Stations are Aluva which is 56 kilometres from Thodupuzha, Kottayam Railway station is at 55 kilometres from Thodupuzha and Ernakulam Junction Railway Station is at 60 kilometres. The suggested Sabari Rail route to Sabarimala passes through Thodupuzha. The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport at a distance of 54 kilometres from Thodupuzha. New 4 Lane Highway Proposed from Muvattupuzha to Kakkanad if materializes will connect Thodupuzha to Kochi in Less than 45 minutes to reach reducing the distance to 50 kilometres.
Economy and Infrastructure
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| Thodupuzha Private Bus Stand |
Thodupuzha's economy is driven by agriculture, business and small industries. Farmers in Thodupuzha raise a number of crops, mostly rubber. Other crops such as pineapple, coconut, rice, pepper, coco, tapioca, banana, ginger, turmeric etc. are also being cultivated in plenty. In recent years Thodupuzha has showed more interest in promoting tourism. The planned developments in Thodupuzha after the changeover from Taluk to Municipality status has changed the face of Thodupuzha a lot in the last decade. The new private bus stand, Temple Bypass road, Kanjiramattom Bypass road, Mini Civil Station, New Bridge, Municipal Park, Shopping complex at bus stand, New Townhall complex etc. are noted landmarks to change the look of Thodupuzha to a planned city. The famous footwear brand Lunar’s has its base at Thodupuzha.
Tourism
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| Malankara Dam backwaters |
Here is a brief intro to the neighboring tourist spots.
Nadukani
Nadukani is an ideal place for one-day picnickers. As the name indicates, this park offers panoramic view of the a large area of the same and nearby districts. A two-storyed pavilion makes an ideal place for enjoying the landscape and beauty of nature.
Thumpachi Calveri Samuchayam
This is a pilgrimage center and a picnic spot also ideal for mediation, relaxation and watching sunset and is located 35 km away from Thodupuzha.
Malankara Reservoir(6 km from Thodupuzha)
Located on the Thodupuzha-Moolamattom road, this artificial lake is accessible by road. The reservoir is ideal for Boating and fishing.
Thommankuthu(17km from Thodupuzha)
The 7 steps waterfall here is much loved picnic spot. At each step there is a cascade and Pool beneath. Thommankuthu is an ideal place for adventure tourism. The place is ideal for nature lovers. To enjoy the panoramic beauty the best way is to undertake a trek that takes one to the top of the mountain, a nearly 12-kilometre trek.
Keezharkuthu (25 km from Thodupuzha)
The Rain Bow waterfalls, which cascade down a rock from a height of about 1500 m is a wonderful attraction of this spot. It can be seen through out the year in full swing. The forest around the spot is home to various medicinal plants. It is an ideal place for rock climbing, mountaineering and camp tracking.
Elaveezhapoonchira is another trekking destination which offers a serene grassland at the top of a hill.
Other major tourist spots include Moolamattom power house, Uravappara, Kolani Kavu, Paramada echo point, Elappilly waterfalls etc.
Education
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| New Man College |
The first centre of higher learning which started functioning in Thodupuzha Taluk was Newman College. It was established in 1964 by the Syrian Catholic Diocese of Kothamangalam, and named after Cardinal Newman. The second college of Thodupuzha was established in 1982: St.Joseph's College at Arakkulam. Besides these, a number of parallel colleges are also active in the field of higher education in Thodupuzha.
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| Thodupuzha Old Bridge |
Janaranjini Vayanasala, Kolani, Thodupuzha, is one of the biggest libraries in Kerala and has around 30000 books including novels, children's books, stories, poems, Vedas, Upanishads etc. It is accommodated in its own two-storied building with separate TV room, reading room, book room, computer centre with high speed internet facility, and mini conference room.
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