Ottapalam
Ottapalam, (also spelled Ottappalam) is a town in Ottapalam taluk of the Palakkad district in Kerala, India. History. The area now known as Ottapalam was formerly known as "Ayirur Thekkummuri" Desam. The present-day Ottapalam, Pattambi and Cherpulassery areas were part of the medieval "Nedunganad" kingdom. "Nedunganathiripad" (Nedungadi) was the main ruler of "Nedunganad". The headquarters was at Makovilakam near Kodikunnu, Chembulangad. "Nedunaganad" was ruled by the Nairs of Kavalappara, Thrikkadeeri, Kannambra, Vattakkavil Perumbada under the leadership of "Nedunganathiripad". Ottappalam was the administrative area of Thrikkadeeri Nair. Its north side starts at Ayirur-Vadakkummuri near Mannarkkad and ends at  Ayirur-Thekkummuri. After passing Ayirur-Thekkummuri, crossing the 'Ottapalam of Kanniyampuram river', then it comes the place to pay a toll for Kavalappara Nair. Around 1487 AD, the region was annexed to the kingdom of the Zamorin of Calicut. The Zamorin appointed his chieftain at Kavalappara "Kovilakam". After the long rule by the Zamorin of Calicut, it became a part of the Kingdom of Mysore around 1766. It came under the rule of East India Company with the Treaty of Seringapatam in 1792. The British formed the Malabar District and built their headquarters at Kozhikode. The headquarters of North Malabar  was at Thalassery and that of South Malabar was at Cherpulassery. The headquarters of South Malabar was later changed to Ottapalam. Ottapalam was a part of Walluvanad Taluk of Malappuram Revenue Division in Malabar District with its Taluk headquarters at Perinthalmanna during British Raj. The railway came and the place was renamed as Ottappalam. The South Malabar Special Court started functioning at Ottappalam by 1880. Thus the name Ottappalam became familiar. Gradually, the name Ayirur-Thekkummuri was confined to the land records. Before the Indian Independence, present-day Kerala state was scattered in South Canara and Malabar Districts of British  India and two princely states namely Cochin and Travancore. The first All-Kerala conference of Indian National Congress was held in 1921 at Ottapalam, which was the then capital of South Malabar, on the bank of the river Bharathappuzha, which also later demanded a separate state for the Malayalam-speaking regions in future Independent India. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee was formed in that conference. Before that, Malabar District, Cochin, and Travancore had separate Congress committees. Geography. Ottapalam is located at . It has an average elevation of . Administration. Ottapalam is sub district of the Palakkad District. Over the last 10 years , the population growth has been 9.2%. The town is listed in the top 18 most populous Urban Agglomeration in Kerala. The First Defence Park in India is established in Ottapalam KINFRA industrial park. The Ottapalam assembly constituency is part of Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency. Ottapalam Taluk. Ottapalam is one of the six Taluks of Palakkad district. Transport. Road. The Palakkad-Shoranur (Kulappully) State Highway passes through the town. Government buses as well as private bus services operate between Ottapalam and other major towns, such as Thrissur, Palakkad, Mannarkkad, Perinthalmanna, Pattambi, Guruvayoor, Thiruvilwamala, Chelakkara (through the Ottapalam-Mayanur Bridge, inaugurated on  22 January 2011.) Rail. The town is served by the Ottapalam railway station, which lies between Palakkad and Shoranur Junction on the Jolarpettai–Shoranur line. Seventy-four Indian Railways trains stop at the station. Notable people. The following people were either born in and/or are residents of Ottapalam: