Achankovil River
Encyclopedia
The Achankovil Aar is a river in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, formed towards the southern tip of the peninsula from the streams of the Rishimala River
Rishimala River
The Rishimala River is a river of south-western India. It flows through Kerala state into the larger Achankovil River....

, Pasukidamettu River
Pasukidamettu River
The Pasukidamettu River is a river of south-western India. It flows through Kerala state into the larger Achankovil River....

, and the Ramakkalteri River
Ramakkalteri River
The Ramakkalteri River is a river of south-western India. It flows through Kerala state into the larger Achankovil River....

. This river enriches the Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...

 district of Kerala state. It joins with the Pamba River
Pamba River
Pamba River is the third longest river in the South Indian state of Kerala after Periyar and Bharathappuzha and the longest river in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore...

 at Veeyapuram
Veeyapuram
Veeyapuram is a village in the district of Alappuzha, Kerala, India. It is located about 10 kilometers east of Harippad town.-Demographics: India census, Veeyapuram had a population of 12003 with 5669 males and 6334 females....

, in the Alappuzha
Alappuzha
Alappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum...

 district of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

. Achankovil is also the name of the forest area, which is the catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 for this river, and of a small town situated in the Achenkovil forest area. The Achankovil village is not easily accessible; however, it can be reached through forest routes.

Townships on the banks of River Achankovil

The River Achankovil nurtures numerous townships on its fertile banks. Among them is Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...

 Town, which is the capital of the Pathanamthitta district. It derives its name from its association with the river; Pathanamthitta, from the Malayalam words Pathanam and thitta, means "houses by the riverside".

Other townships/ places include:
  • Kaipattoor
    Kaipattoor
    Kaipattoor is a village in Vallicode panchayat of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, India. Kaippattoor is located in the western part of Pathanamthitta district. It is just 6 kilometers from the district head quarters Pathanamthitta at south — east direction. It is watered by the ...

  • Pandalam
    Pandalam
    Pandalam is one among the fastest growing towns in Kerala, India. Known far and wide for its legendary connection with Lord Ayyappa and Sabarimala, Pandalam is considered to be a holy town...

  • Mavelikkara
    Mavelikkara
    Mavelikara is a town in Alappuzha district of Kerala, India, spread over an area of 12.65 km2. It is in the southern part of Alappuzha district on the banks of the Achankovil River. Mavelikara is located 8km east of National Highway. Mavelikara is known as the capital of...

  • Edappon
    Edappon
    Edappon is a small town situated in Nooranad panchayat in Alappuzha district of the state of Kerala in South India.This place is blessed with beautiful flora and fauna, is on the bank of Achankovil river.- Location :...

  • Padanilam
    Padanilam
    Padanilam is a small town located near Nooranad in the Alappuzha district of Kerala. The word Padanilam means "land of war" .It is located on the banks of river Achankovil. The Padanilam temple is one of the important centres of worship in Kerala...

  • Vettiyar
    Vettiyar
    Vettiyar is a village in the district of Alappuzha, in Kerala, India, on the Mavelikara - Pandalam road. It lies on the banks of Achenkovil river. It is situated between Mavelikkara and Pandalam . Green paddy fields stretch to acres of lands: rubber plantations, cashew trees, coconut trees, bettel...

  • Punalur
    Punalur
    Punalur is a city situvated near the Tamil Nadu Kerala Border in Kollam district in the southern state of Kerala, India. It is the pioneer in starting industrial revolution in Kerala by establishing Punalur Paper Mills, the first industry in kerala. It is situated in the banks of the river Kallada...

     - 42 km
  • Konni - 36 km
  • Pathanapuram
    Pathanapuram
    Pathanapuram is an administrative division situated in the Western Ghats in the Kollam District of Kerala state of India. It is about 13 km from industrial town Punalur...

     - 45 km
  • Tenkasi
    Tenkasi
    Tenkasi pronounced as is a town and a municipality in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in the foothills of the Western Ghats near the Courtallam Waterfalls.Tenkasi is also famous for saaral...

     - 30 km
  • Panpoli
    Panpoli
    Panpoli is a small village situated near Sengottai in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India.Panpoli is a beautiful place to visit for its greenish environment, hill views and its humanity....

     - 22 km

Attractions

The river is unique in that along its route is a large number of ancient temples, indicating that the richness of the river basin has been identified by humans since ancient times and they preferred to settle down there so that they could grow their crops on the fertile lands. Edappon
Edappon
Edappon is a small town situated in Nooranad panchayat in Alappuzha district of the state of Kerala in South India.This place is blessed with beautiful flora and fauna, is on the bank of Achankovil river.- Location :...

, a place famous for its flora and fauna, is on the banks of the Achankovil river.

The very old Shiva temple - Kandiyoor Mahadeva temple at Mavelikkara is situated on the banks of the river. The 2200 years old temple is fully built by blackrocks. The world famous Chettikulangara temple is near to this temple.

It is also popular as a natural picnic spot among the locals. The forest route to the town presents lot of biodiversity including wild animals and birds such as elephants, forest fowls, boars, deer, etc.
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