CENSUS OF INDIA, 1951 TRAV ANCORE.,CocHIN DISTRICT CENSUS HANDBOOK Q!JILON U. SIVARAMAN NAIR., M. A., Ph. D" F. A. Sc., F. N. L Superintendent of Census Operations TRIVANDRUM : NnNTED BY THE S. G. r. AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS 1952 . \ TRICHUR DISTRICT Coehhl MAP KanayallDur Taluk OF N Vaikom Taluk QUILON\'DISTRICT ~ . Scal.llneh.81!i1ea . - ~ I Municipal towns • 'NoD-municipa.1 towSI KOTTAYAM DISTRICT Kottayam Taluk \ Ili 'f Changanachery Taluk, III 'i I I I ~ I /\ , , From 1rIVa, nd r um I, '{ I , irayinkil Talu~ Neaumangad Talnk I I TRIVANDRUM DISTRICT I The Registrar-General, India, reC,otnmended to State Governments, the publication of DiBtrict Census Handbooks containing 1951 Census data for the districts and such other information as may be of general interest. The Government of Travancore-Cochin accepted the recommend­ ation and sanctioned in Government Order No. RM. 3-34681 51JRD dated 23-5-1951 the publication of four District Census HandboQks for the State. The present volume is published in pursuance of this order. The Handbook is divided into three parts: Part I contains a short sketch of the district and the people. Part II embodies the Census Tables for the district. For purposes of comparative study, three of the most important State Tables-A 1. Area, Houses and Population; A 2. Variation in Population during 50 years'(1901-1951) and Economic Table-Livelihood Classes-have been placed at the beginning of this part. Each Table is preceded by a short note explaining its contents. Part III is devoteq to Village Statistics. An attempt has been made here to incorporate all salient features of the villages in these pages. An lindex of place-names has been appended to this part to facilitate ready reference. It is hoped that these Handbooks will ,serve as a frame for future studies and that its scope and coverage will be increased from time to time. This work would not have been possible but for the co-operation and assistance of the State Government at every stage of its preparation. Almost all departments have helped me with their contributions. I wish to record my acknowledgement in particular to the departments of Agricul­ ture, Public ,Health, Labour, Public Instruction, Electricity, Telephones, Fores~ and Geology. The Tahsildavs and Municipal Commissioners in the State have borne the brunt of the work involved in the collection of facts and figures contained in the Handbook. To them, I tender my special thanks. Other agencies who have been of great assistance are the Travancore Devaswom Board, Indian Central Cocoanut Committee, Indian Rubber Board and Co chin Harbour Administration. It is a pleasure to acknowledge my thankfulness to them. The printing of the Handbook was done by the Government Central Press, Trivandrum at !l time when the Press was working at full pressure on other urgent and voluminous items of printing lor Government. It is therefore, with very great pleasure, that I place on record my sense of grati­ tude to and appreciation of the untiring efforts of the Superintendent and his assistants in bringing out the Handbook. It is only fair that I add a word aboat my o1ice staff who were patiently at' work evolving step by step the Tables from the large mass of data collected at the census. Checking and cross­ checking of the Tables has been a seVere task; so also has been the typing of the Tables. I wish to express my feelings of gratefulne3s to one and all of my assistants for their devoted labours in this behaH. I must single out my Personal Assistant, Sri K. Param9swara Menon, M. A., for the unfailing help he gave me at each stage of the work. He unstintedly shared with me the responsibility in producing the Handbook and I wish to express my appeciation of the work done by him. I shall be failing in my duty if I do not place on record my gratefulness to Sri R. A. Gopala­ swami, 1. c. s., Registrar-General, for the guidance and stimulating suggestions received from him in this work. lJ. SIVARAMAN NAII{ Office of the Superintendent of Census Operations, Trivandrum, 19th April 1952. CONTEtiTS Paae number Map of Quilon district (below title page) P ART I A short sketch i A. District and people i B. Population- analytical summary xx C. Gazetteer xxix PART It Censui data General Tables-Scheme of Census Tables .. 1 A I Area, houses and population 3 A II Variation in population during fifty years 1901-1951 7 B Economic Tables-Livelihood classes 11 Census tracts in Quilon district 19 AI Area, houses and population 21 All Variation in population during thirty years (1921-1951) .. 25 A III Towns and villages classified by population 28 A IV Towns classified by population with variations since 1901 .. 35 AV Towns arranged territorially with population by livelihood classes •• 41 B 1 Livelihood classes and sub-classes 44 BII Secondary means of livelihood 54 B III Employers, employees and independent workers in industries and services " 103 CI Households, size and composition 153 ell Livelihood classes by age groups 157 C III Age and civil condition 160 C IV Age and literacy 163 DI (i) Languages-Mother-tongue 165 (ii) Bilingualism 169 DII Religion 187 D III Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes 190 DIV Migrants 195 DV Non-Indian nationals 198 D VI Livelihood classes and educational standards 201 PART III Village Statistics 215 'Quilon Taluk 216 Kottarakkara Taluk .. 256 Pathanapuram Taluk 292 Shenkotta Taluk 312 Pathanamthitta Taluk 332 Kunnathur Taluk 356 Karunagapally Taluk 384 Karthikapally Taluk .. 412 Mavelikkara Taluk ., 444 Thiruvalla Taluk '476 Ampalapuzha Taluk .. 536 Sherthala Taluk 560 Index 577 DISTRICT CENSUS HANDBOOK QUILON Part I A SHORT SKETCH A. DISTRICT AND PEOPLE 1. INTRODUCTORY The Quilon district has an area of 2729'6 square miles, which is 29'8 per cent of the total area of the Sta~e, It has a sea-coast approximately 75 mile3 long, Alleppcy and Quilon are the two important ports on this coast, The headquarters of the district is Quilon, The district is divided into twelve taluks, The names, headquarters, relative areas and'the­ percentage distribution of population in these taluks are as follows:- Name of taluk Headq uarters Percentage Area Population Quilon Quilon 5'38 13'14 Kottarakkara Kottarakkara 7'75 8'27 Pathanapuram Punalur 15'12 5'68 Shenkotta Shenkotta 4'71 2'16 Pathanamthitta Pathanamthitta 33'91 8'32 Kunnathur Adur 5'48 6'11 Karunagapally Karunagapally 3'24 8'48 Karthikapally Harippad 2'71 6'04 Mavelikkara Mavelikkara 4'08 7'65 Thiruvalla Thiruvalla 7'73 14'95 Ampalapuzha Alleppey 5'37 10'78 Sherthala Sherthala 4'52 8'42 The population of the district according to 1951 Census is 3,026,822; this forms 32'6 per cent of the State population, 2, PHYSICAL FEATURES The Western Ghats which separate the district from the Madras State consist of several ridges and hill plateaus which diminish in altitude towards the coast, The chief hill Mounta1.ns ranges in this district are Kulathupuzha hills, Ariyankavu hills, Achankoil hills, Sivagiri hills and Peermede hills, The Courtallam peak (5262 ft,) is in the Kulathupuzha hills and the ChittaI' famous for the Courtallam falls, has its source here, The Pullangudi peak ,(6329 ft,) stands on the northern edge of the Achankoil hills, The Sivagiri peak (5743 ft,) is the highest point in the Sivagiri hills, The peaks of Shetur (5768 ft,) and Kulamgudam (6617 ft.) are in the Peermede hills. Two passes across the Ghats connect this district with the adjacent Thirunelveli district in the Madras State. The Ariyankavu pass is the principal pass into the Thirullf~lveli district. It has an easy descent from the mountains to the open country to the east of the ghats, The Mekkarai pass lies north of Puliyara and connects Achankoil with Pumbliyapattom and Shenkotta. Communication through this pass is not so easy as at Ariyankavu. There are three important rivers in this district. The Ithikkara river (length 30 miles) rises in the hills near Madathurakkani and flowing through Pathartapuram, Rivers Kottarakkara and Quilon taluks, falls into the Paravur lake. TI!e Kallada river is formed by the union of five large streams and flows through the taluks of Pathanapuram,.Kunnathur, Kottarakkara and Quilon, The main branch is formed by,numerous streaJ?s that ris.e o.n t~~ elevated plateau stretching fre m the Alvar~urichi peak to Che,~mUn~j. Flowmg west,. It IS J omed by several small streams and. after leavmg the Kulathupuf!,ha valley . proper and running 5.miles, P'lsses. the .Kul~thupuzha village situated on its left bank. Here··the river is about 80 yards wide and never gets dry even in hot :weather, . Three miles loV<ier',down: , - ' ii it is precipitated over the Minmutti cataract, the water rushing down with immense velocity. It is then joined by the Chenthroni and Kalduritty rivers. Passing Ottakkal where it pours over another cataract, the river runs for about 10 miles in a west-north-westerly direction and leaves the forest area 3 miles above the town of Punalur. Turning north and bending a little north-west it passes Pathanapuram and 2 miles below Punalur, it is joined! by the Chaliakkara Ar. It then flo~s in a westerly direction and then south-west until it falls into the Ashtamudi lake, a little north of Quilon, by several mouths. Its length is 70 miles of which 25 miles are navigable for boats. The Pampa or Ranni river is formed by the junction of three main streams, Pampa, Azhuta and Kakkad Ar. The Pampa which rises from the hills north of Pulachimala in the Pathanamthittc: taluk is joined by the Azhutha issuing from the Peermede plateau; the combined river (called the Valiya Ar) flows westward for six miles, and at Perunthenaruvi falls Over a height of 90 ft.