Athavanad
Athavanad is a village in the Tirur Taluk, in the Malappuram District of the state of Kerala, India. The town lies on the National Highway 17, between Kuttippuram and Valanchery. Puthanathani is the main town of the Athavanad village and the village office is located in Athavanad Para & Kurumbathoor. Nearby towns include Valanchery, Kalpakanchery, Tavanur, Tirunavaya, Kuttippuram, Irimbiliyam, and Edayur. Athavanad is also famous for historical Azhvanchery Mana which built abount 400 years ago. Etymology. In Malayalam, "Athavanad" is an abbreviation of "Azhvanchery Thambrakkal Vazhunna Nadu". The region was under the rule of the Azhvanchery Thamprakkal feudal lords in  ancient times. "Azhvanchery Thamprakkal" were usually present at the "Ariyittu Vazhcha"of a new Zamorin of Calicut. The original headquarters of "Palakkad Raja"s were also at Athavanad. Industries. Athavanad has some industries. Athavanad is home to several public enterprises in the textile industry. Demographics. As of the 2011 Census of India, Athavanad had a population of 20,480. 9,612 (47%) are men, and around 11,000 (53%) are women. The population density is approximately 1,524 people per square kilometer. Children under the age of six make up 14% of Athavanad's population. Malayalam is the most spoken language. Culture. Religion. Athavanad is predominantly  Hindu and Muslim; thus, these two religions have a strong influence on local cultural traditions. Teeyate, Thiruvathira, Duff Muttu, Kolkali, and Aravanamuttu are popular traditions. Temples and mosques are common gathering places for both social and religious reasons. Sports. Athavanad has a long history of playing football. Events. The Kerala Cattle Race (known as Kalappoottu and Maramadi) is a traditional event. It was banned in 2014 by a court ruling, as it was deemed to violate a 1960 law pertaining to preventing animal cruelty. Education. Athavanad is a major educational hub. It has several educational institutions ranging from primary to  post-secondary. It also has several libraries and a literacy rate of over 90%. The majority of books are written Malayalam, English, and Sanskrit. Some are written in Arabi-Malayalam, a version of the Malayalam language written in the Arabic script.