Vatakara


Vatakara, also known as Vadakara , is a municipality, taluk and a major town in the Kozhikode district in Indian state of Kerala. The municipality of Vatakara covers an area of and is bordered by Mahé to the north and Payyoli to the south. It is the headquarters of Vatakara taluk, which consists of 22 panchayats. During the reign of the Kolathiris and Zamorins, Vatakara was known as Kadathanadu. During the British Raj, it was part of the North Malabar region of Malabar District in the state of Madras. The historic Lokanarkavu temple, made famous by the Vadakkan Pattukal, is situated in Vatakara. A new tardigrade species collected from Vadakara coast has been named after Kerala State; Stygarctus keralensis.
Vatakara State assembly constituency is one of the 140 state legislative assembly constituencies in Kerala state in southern India. It is also one of the seven state legislative assembly constituencies included in the Vatakara Lok Sabha constituency. As of the 2021 assembly election, the current MLA is K.K Rema of Revolutionary Marxist Party of India.

Geography

Vatakara is located at and has an average elevation of. It is situated about 49 km to the north of Kozhikode City, approximately 44 km to the south of Kannur City, and adjacent to Mahé. The town lies by the side of a river variously called the Moorad river, the Kuttiady river, or Kottakkal river. The town's position relative to this river led to it being called Vadakkekara, later contracted to Vatakara. Towards the east, near the panchayats of Nadapuram and Kuttiady, Vadakara borders the Wayanad district along the Western Ghats section. In the west, like many of the towns in Kerala, Vatakara is flanked by the Arabian Sea. The Kuttiyadi river meets the sea to the south of Vatakara, forming small islands and sandbars near the river mouth.

History

The Kolathunadu emerged into independent 10 principalities i.e., Kadathanadu, Randathara or Poyanad, Kottayam, Nileshwaram, Iruvazhinadu. The Thacholi family home, Thacholi Tharavadu, is still preserved and the anniversary of Thacholi Othenan's birth is celebrated in the Thacholi Manikkothu Kavu temple.
Notable temples in the area include Lokanarkavu and Kottakkal Bhagavathi Temple, the second richest temple in North Malabar. Kalari Ullathil Temple is also situated near Vatakara town.The martial art Kalaripayattu originated in Vatakara.

Demographics

Most of Vatakara's inhabitants are labourers and farmers, while some are government employees. A large number of expatriates from Vatakara work in Middle Eastern countries, and their remittances have a strong influence on the local economy. Some emigrants work in nearby states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
As of the 2011 Census of India, Vatakara had a population of 75,740, with males constituting 48% of the population and females 52%. Vatakara has an average literacy rate of 83%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 80%. 11% of the population was under 6 years old.

Economy

Fishing is one of Vatakara's main commercial activities. The Moorad River flows into the Arabian Sea at a point close to the town.
Vatakara is organized around two commercial hubs, the old and new bus depots. The area around the old bus depot contains commercial establishments as old as 100 years. Recently, commerce has shifted to the area around the new bus depot and the road towards Kannur, with many new buildings, including hospitals and flats being built or planned.
Nut Street is the distribution center for nuts, including coconuts and areca nuts. Produce flows to collection outlets and is dried, packed, and transported to other states. Northern Kerala is well known for the production of coconuts.
Hospitals include the CO-OP Hospital, Asha Hospital, Janatha Hospital, Ceeyam Hospital and the Parco specialty hospital.
The Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society is a unique labour cooperative initiative centered in Madappally that was inspired by the Indian sage Vagbhatananda. The society was registered in 1925.

Climate

Transportation

  • Train: Vatakara Railway Station is one of India's model railway stations, and connected to all major metros
  • Air: Kannur International Airport is the closest airport, approximately 45 km away. Calicut International Airport is approximately 71 km away.
  • Road: National Highway 66 passes through Vatakara town, connecting Vatakara to Kozhikode to the south and to Kannur and Mangalore to the north. A preliminary survey is being performed for a National Highway to connect Vatakara to Bangalore through Nadapuram.
  • Vadakara distance between Vadakara to Mananthavady by bus is approximately 65 km. Bus travelling is one of the ways to reach from Vadakara to Mananthavady Wayanad
  • Perambra via Thamarassery 55 km and 83 km from *Vadakara to *Kalpetta

    Notable places

Temples

; Lokanarkavu temple
The Lokanarkavu temple is located at Memunda, 5 km from Vadakara. It is closely associated with the heroes and heroines of Vadakkanpattu: Thacholi Othenan, the hero of Kadathanadu, was a devotee of the Lokanarkavu goddess, Lokanarkavilamma, an aspect of Durga. Three rock-cut caves near the temple are decorated with candid murals and carvings. The annual Hindu festival celebrating Durga, locally called Pooram, takes place during March/April. Two temples adjacent to the Lokanarkavu temple focus on the worship of Vishnu and Shiva.
; Payamkuttimala temple
; Chendamangalam temple
; Kozhukkannur Neyyamruth Madom
Additional temples in the region include Kizhakkedathu temple, Sivapuram Sree Mahadeva Kshethram, Arathil Bhagavathi Kottakkal temple, Thuneri Sree Vettakkorumakan Kshethram, Ponmeri Shiva temple, Kalleri Kuttichathan temple, Kaliyampalli temple and Nagath Sri Muchilottu Bhagavathi temple.
; Thacholi Othenan
Thacholi Meppayil Kunjhu Othenan or Mepayil Tacholi Manikoth Kovilakathu Kunji Othena Kurup or more popularly Thacholi Othenan was a legendary hero who is believed to have lived during 16th century in North Malabar region of Kerala, India. He is praised in the Vadakkan Pattukal. Thacholi Ambadi, another renowned martial arts expert, was Othenan's son.

Kunjali Marakkar memorial

The location of the Marakkar fort on the southern bank of the Moorad river, 44 km from Kozhikode and 51 Km from Kannur, is now known as Kottakkal. A building in Kottakkal that belonged to Kunjali Marakkar serves as a small museum, with collections of ancient swords, cannonballs and knives.The Kunjali Marakkar or Kunhali Marakkar was the title given to the Muslim naval chief of the Inscriptions on the Kunjali Marakkar Memorial at Kottakkal, Vatakara.

Sandbanks recreation area

The Sandbanks recreation area is located on a small peninsula with the Moorad river on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west, approximately 3 km towards the south of Vatakara town. The Sandbanks Bungalow, which was built by Wilfred Vincent Reilly in 1946, stands on this peninsula. The area is owned by the Aditya Birla Management Corporation Ltd and managed by Vadakara Municipality. A coastal police station is being built on the peninsula.

Theyyam

or Thirayattam is a ritual performance art form that depict the cultural heritage of North Malabar, especially of ancient Kolathunad. Theyyam depicts Shiva bhutaganas, Kali and other deities and cultural heroes. The drama is enacted based on ancient stories and the language used is "Tottam pattu", a primitive form of Malayalam. Theyyam shows the Buddhist influence from centuries ago. Theyyam is usually held from October to May every year. The colour of Theyyam is typically red. Velan is described in the Sangam literature 500 CE. It could have been a tribal ritual art which evolved under Buddhism and the Brahminic revival of Hinduism. This art form is addressed as "Kaliyattom" North of Pazhayangadi Puzha, Kannur, as "Theyyam" South of the river and as "Tirayattom" around Vadakara.

Villages in Vatakara Taluk

Villages in Vatakara Taluk
The position of the Vatakara Taluk in Kozhikode district is given below:
The villages included in the Taluk are:
There are many schools, colleges and tuition centers in Vatakara.
Amrita Vidyalayam, Arakkilad, Amrutha Public School,Pathiyarakkara, Vidya Prakash Public School, Rani Public School, Chorode and Gokulam Public School are the 5 main private schools in Vadakara.
1.Government College, Madappally Vadakara is a post-graduate campus affiliated with the University of Calicut.
2. The 62nd Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, Vadakara was established at Vatakara in January 2011, serving students from the Malabar region, including the Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts.
3. College of Engineering Vatakara
College of Engineering Vadakara is an engineering college in Kozhikode district of Kerala, established in 1999. The first engineering college under the Co-operative Academy of Professional Education, Thiruvananthapuram, established by Govt. of Kerala, started functioning in June 1999.
4. Model Polytechnic College
Model Polytechnic College, Vadakara is running under the Institute of Human Resources Development established by Government of Kerala.
5. Government Technical High School was established in 1965 and it is managed by the Department of Education Kerala.
6. Busthaniya Women's College