Ponkunnam

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Ponkunnam
Ponkunnam Town, Kottayam, Kerala, India.jpg
Ponkunnam town
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Ponkunnam
Location in Kerala, India
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Ponkunnam
Ponkunnam (India)
Coordinates: 9°34′N76°45′E / 9.56°N 76.75°E / 9.56; 76.75
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Kerala
District Kottayam
Government
  BodyChirakadavu Panchayath
Population
 (2012)[ citation needed ]
  Total26,121
Languages
  Official Malayalam, English
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
686506
Telephone code04828
Vehicle registration KL-34
Nearest city Kottayam, Kanjirappally.
Literacy99.8%
Website www.ponkunnamtown.in

Ponkunnam is a census town in Kerala, India, part of Kottayam district under Kanjirappally taluk. Ponkunnam literally means golden mountain (ponn = gold, kunn = mountain). Nearby towns are Kanjirappalli, Manimala and Pala. This part of Kerala is famous for its fertile land and rubber plantations. It is at an altitude of 495 ft (151 m) above mean sea level. The town is at the junction of two major roads in Kerala: NH 183 and Main Eastern Highway. The climate is moderate with timely cold breezes and the town is the gateway to the Western Ghats. The town is famous for its volleyball traditions and customs. Almost every year there is an ever-rolling volleyball tournament happening in Ponkunnam Mahatma Gandhi Mini Stadium.

Contents

Overview

Ponkunnam is one of the busiest towns along the NH 220 comprising key administrative institutions of Kanjirappally taluk such as the Kanjirapally Munsif Court, DySP office, and Regional Transport Office. It is a part of Kanjirappally State Legislative constituency and Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency. The town is also home to many educational institutions and healthcare facilities. Part of the Syrian Christian belt, there are many Syrian Christian agrarian families that reside here.

Religious places

Facade of the Holy Family Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Ponkunnam Ponkunnam Holy Family Syro-Malabar Roman Catholic Church.jpg
Façade of the Holy Family Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Ponkunnam
St.Marys Orthodox Church St-marys-syriac-orthodox-church.jpg
St.Marys Orthodox Church

Notable persons

Transport

Road

Ponkunnam lies on the National Highway 183 (Old NH 220) connecting the City of Kottayam and Theni. The NH183 connects Kottayam to the state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the busiest roads passing through Ponkunnam.

The Main Eastern Highway (Punalur- Pathanamthitta- Ponkunnam- Pala- Muvattupuzha) also passes through Ponkunnam. Main Eastern Highway is categorized as State Highway - 08 ( SH-08 ) of Kerala. It is the second-longest State Highway of Kerala covering a distance of 153.6 km (95.4 mi). The districts it passes through are Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam. These highways connect Ponkunnam to Muvattupuzha MC Road (SH-01). The Ponkunnam- Pala- Thodupuzha- Muvattupuzha stretch of Main Eastern Highway was upgraded in 2016 to a width of 15 meters (49 ft). The two-lane highway, which connects Ponkunnam To Muvattupuzha over 60 km (37 mi) within 80 minutes. This makes it easy to access for the people of Highranges, tourists to Thekkady and pilgrims of Sabarimala to reach Muvattupuzha, Angamaly and Ernakulam. The Highway becomes congested during the months of November and December due to Sabarimala pilgrims.

There is one KSRTC Bus stand and one private bus stand. Daily, there are many buses to Kottayam, Changanassery, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Bangalore and also to the nearest towns: Kanjirappally, Erumely etc. KSRTC operates a chain service to Pala. KSRTC also operates a chain service from Kottayam to Kumily via Ponkunnam.

Railway

The nearest railway stations are Kottayam (33 km) and Changanassery (38 km).

Air

The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport, Kochi (94 km).

See also

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References