# Mavelikkara

Mavelikara (IPA:) is a municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is located 43 km (26.7 mi) south of the district headquarters in Alappuzha and about 95 km (59.0 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Mavelikara has a population of 26,421 people, and a population density of 2,088/km$^2$ (5,410/sq mi).
Mavelikara was the erstwhile capital of the feudal kingdom of Odanad, and is today a primary economic and cultural hub of the Onattukara region.

## Etymology

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.

## Background

Mavelikara was a major centre of trade and commerce in ancient Kerala and the erstwhile capital of the rulers of Onattukara. As a result of the close association with the Travancore Royal Family, Mavelikara gained modern facilities well ahead of other places in the state. It is one of the oldest municipalities of the state. Even before India attained independence, Mavelikara had a super express transport service to Trivandrum.
The town boasts about a rich historical and cultural background. The place is home to one of the 108 Shiva temples of Kerala created by Lord Parashurama, the Kandiyoor Mahadeva Temple. Mavelikara Sree Krishna Swami Temple, Sree Krishna Swami Temple is managed and owned by the Travancore Devaswom board. The Chettikulangara Devi Temple, known for the Kumbha Bharani festival is located near the municipality. The only sarvam swayambhu shiva Temple in India is situated in Chunakkara, Mavelikara.
The town also has the famous St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral founded in the year 943 AD and affiliated with the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The church is locally referred to as "Puthiyacavu Pally" and is known for holding the Mavelikara Padiyola in 1836 in which the Malankara Orthodox Church refused the anglicization attempts of the British and severed ties with them. The church is also the diocesan cathedral of the Mavelikara Diocese in close proximity to Malankara Syrian Seminary in Thazhakara which hosts the Theobhavan Aramana and bishop's residence. The Mavelikara Diocese is currently headed by Vattamparambil Dr. Abraham Mar Epiphanios with about 80 parishes and a dozen chapels.

## Demographics

As of 2011 Census, Mavelikara had a population of 26,421 with 12,070 males and 14,351 females. Mavelikara Municipality has an area of 12.65 km$^2$ (4.88 sq mi) with 7,184 families residing in it. The average female sex ratio was 1189 higher than the state average of 1084. 7.7% of the population was under 6 years of age. Mavelikara had an average literacy of 96.9% higher than the state average of 94%: male literacy was 97.8% and female literacy was 96.2%.
| Year | Male | Female | Total Population | Change | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) | Religion (%) |
| Year | Male | Female | Total Population | Change | Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Sikhs | Buddhist | Jain | Other religions and persuasions | Religion not stated |
| 2001 | 28439 | 13506 | 14933 | - | 70.94 | 0.98 | 28.02 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| 2011 | 26421 | 12070 | 14351 | -7.10% | 72.22 | 1.04 | 26.49 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.05 | 0.17 |

## Transport
### Bus

Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has a sub depot at Mavelikara (Station Code: MVKA) which is one among the 46 sub depots in the state. The KSRTC sub depot at Mavelikara has an inter state bus service which is operated to Tenkasi every day; 2 trips morning & evening via Kayamkulam, Kattanam.
The Municipal Private bus stand is located at Mitchel Junction with buses to Chengannur, Pathanamthitta, Adoor, Pandalam, Thiruvalla, Haripad, Kayamkulam, Changanassery.

### Rail

Mavelikara railway station (Station Code:MVLK) is a mainline station in the Trivandrum Division of the Southern Railway Zone (India), with connections to New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mangalore, Bhopal, Guwahati, Nagpur and Jammu. Other nearby stations are Kayamkulam Junction railway station, Chengannur Railway Station, Haripad railway station and Kollam Junction railway station.

### Air

The nearest airports are Trivandrum International Airport115 km and Cochin International Airport (CIAL).127 km State highway SH 10 road start in mavelikara

## Economy

Local industries in and around Mavelikara include:
* KSRTC Regional Workshop and Bus Body Building Centre Mavelikara
* ALIND Switchgear, Mannar
Several small-scale industries are present in the Industrial Estate (an initiative of SIDCO) located at Kollakadavu.

## Politics
### Lok Sabha

Mavelikara has its own constituency in the Lok Sabha. Until the 2002 Lok Sabha Delimitation took effect in 2008, the constituency consisted of Chengannur, Mavelikara, Kayamkulam, Pandalam, Thiruvalla and Kallupara. Since then, the assembly constituencies have comprised Changanassery, Kuttanad, Mavelikara (SC), Chengannur, Kunnathur (SC), Kottarakara and Pathanapuram. The constituency is now reserved for a scheduled caste candidate.
Kodikunnil Suresh of the INC has represented the Mavelikara constituency since 2009.

### State Assembly

M.S Arunkumar from the CPI(M) is the representative of Mavelikara in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

## Culture

The cultural capital of Alappuzha is Mavelikara. Mavelikara was once part of the principality of Onattukara and has been a centre of religious harmony, culture and arts for several centuries.
As a testament to its link to that flourishing centre of Buddhist culture, Mavelikara is one of the rare places in Kerala where one can find the Statue of Buddha in Seated Position, which dates back to the 9th century AD.
Mar Ivanios, the pioneer of the Reunion Movement is from this holy socio-cultural land. He is from the Medayil Panicker Family situated at the center of the Mavelikara Town.

## Places of worship

Notable places of worship include:-
* Chettikulangara Devi Temple, founded in AD 823, is a Bhagawathy Temple. The major festival is Chettikulangara Kumbha Bharani.
* Kandiyoor Sree Mahadeva Temple, also known as Dakshina Kashi Founded in AD 731
* Mavelikara Maruthakshi Devi Temple, Mavelikara

## Educational institutions

* Bishop Moore College, Kallumala, Mavelikara
* Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Chennithala
* Peet Memorial Training College, Mavelikara
* Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikara
* Sree Narayana Central School, Mavelikara

## Hospitals

* Govt.hospital, Mavelikara
* VSM hospital
* Sreekandapuram hospital
* Meepallikutti hospital

## Notable people

* Abu Abraham, cartoonist and writer
* P. C. Alexander, principal Secretary to former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, member of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
* Zacharias Athanasios, 3rd Bishop of Tiruvalla - Cherian Polachirackal, originally from Mavelikara, raised in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
* His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didymos I, leader of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, 20th Malankara Metropolitan and 7th Catholicos of the Malankara Church
* Ramesh Chennithala, home minister, leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly
* Ramayyan Dalawa, the chief minister and friend of marthandavarma- the kavu in front of municipal office is in his name
* Archbishop Aboon Geevarghese Ivanios, founding father of the Syro–Malankara Catholic Church, originally a bishop from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
* T. K. Madhavan, Reformist leader of modern Kerala
* Geevarghese Osthathios, Bishop of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, theologian, orator and writer
* Rahul Panicker, award-winning innovator, entrepreneur, scientist
* Divya Pillai, actress
* A. V. Vasudevan Potti, poet and lyricist
* Shaji Prabhakaran, Former football Consultant (FIFA, AFC)
* Narendra Prasad, college professor, actor, author
* Justice C. T. Ravikumar, Judge Supreme Court of India
* C. M. Stephen, Leader of Congress and the INTUC, he is the first opposition leader of congress, a devoted member of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
* K. P. A. C. Sulochana, actress and playback singer
* P. G. N. Unnithan, the last Diwan (Prime Minister) of independent Travancore
* M. S. Valiathan, cardiac surgeon, former President of the Indian National Science Academy and National Research Professor
* A. R. Raja Raja Varma, grammarian and poet
* Raja Ravi Varma, artist
* Ravindra Varma, minister for Labour and Parliamentary Affairs in the Morarji Desai Ministry in India from 1977 to 1979
* R. Marthanda Varma, India's first neurosurgeon and developer of a surgical technique for treating Parkinson's disease
* Vishnupriya- Malayalam film actress
* Yesudasan, cartoonist and member of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church