Kanchiyar
Encyclopedia
Kanchiyar is a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 located in Idukki district
Idukki district
Idukki district is one among the 14 districts of Kerala state, India. The district headquarters is located at in Painavu.It is the second least populous district in Kerala, after Wayanad .-Etymology:...

 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....

, 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...

. This place is famous for cardamon and pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...

 plantation and Idukki Dam
Idukki Dam
The Idukki Dam, located in Kerala, India, is a 555 foot tall arch dam. The dam stands between the two mountains - Kuravanmala m and Kurathimala m. It was constructed and is owned by the Kerala State Electricity Board....

 is very close to this place.

Anjuruli is a tourist spot located 3 km from Kanchiyar village, on the Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...

-Kattapana route in Idukki District. It is about 5 km from Labbakkandom settlement of the Periyar Lake, and is a catchment area of Idukki Arch Dam, providing a bewitching and awesome view of nature.

Anjuruli is famous for the waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...

 which can be reached with the help of the local people. This gushing water that comes from Erattayar River is stored here for the Idukki hydro-electric project.

This place is a picturesque picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...

 spot with a splendid view of semi-evergreen forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

, grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...

 and hilly areas of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

. Anchuruli is also an ideal place for fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

. A 2 km tunnel passes through the mountain, connecting Erattayar and Anchuruli. Water passes through this tunnel and drains into the lake. The adventurous ones can walk into the tunnel during summer although it is dangerous. Pullumedu is another place worth visiting.

The best time for visit this place is after the rainy season. Trekking is possible with the prior permission from the Divisional forest Office at Kanchiyar. The common sites in Anchuruli are Edapalayam, Para Valavu, Nellippara, Kozhikkannam and Chakkuppara. Nellikkampetty is a nearby tourist spot.

Anjuruli can be approached by bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

 from Kattapana to Kanchiyar. From Kanchiyar, a trek through the forest road leads to Anjuruli. Kanchiyar is on the Kattappana-Kottayam route, around 9 km from Kattappana. Taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...

s are available from Kanchiyar to Anchuruli. The nearest railway station is at Kottayam.
Main Places in Kanchiyar are Kozhimala,Swaraj,Labbakkada,Thoppipala,Mattappalli and Kakkattukada

Kanchiyar is a Panoramic, serene place in Kanchiyar Panchayath, of Ayyappancoil
Ayyappancoil
Ayyappancoil is a village in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala.Ayyappancoil is a Village in Kattappana Taluk , Idukki District , Kerala State . Ayyappancoil is 7.430 km far from its Taluk Main Town Kattappana . Ayyappancoil is located 17.33 km distance from its District head quarters...

 Village, near Kattappana in udumbanchola Taluk in the district of Idukki, of the State of Kerala, which is very near to the famous tourist centre, Anchuruli (Idukki reservoir). Kanchiyar St. Mary’s Church belongs to the diocese of Kanjirappally. All the public disregarding caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...

 and creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...

 throng to this church for worship on festive occasions. The church is 67 km from Kanjirappally.

Another importnt feature in Kannchiyar panchayath is the inhabitance of the Tribal community-Mannan. The Mannan community has unique culture and rituals. They have a kingdom at Kozhimala(Kovilmala) with a king. This community is the only tribal community in kerala who have a king(only two tribas have king in India). The present king is Ariyan Rajamannan
Strength

There are 315 families with 1590 members divided into 18 prayer groups. The parishioners are mostly farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...

s. There are many distinguished, eminent personalities, who have proved their mettle in the overall development of the parish.

Institutions
The Following are the Institution on which we feel proud of St. Mary's L.P. and U.P. Schools which were startee in 1959and 1977respectively, the Clarist Convent, Mar Mathew Kavukattu Memorial Nursery run by the Clarist Convent, Marian Nursery School run by the Parish, J.P.M. Junior and B. Ed College which was started in 2005 by the C.S.T. Brothers.

Religious Houses in the Parish
The Clarist Convent started its career in 1957 in the land donated by Shri Mathai Kalappurackal. The L.S.T. Convent began its missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...

 work on January 7, 1996. The Snehashram for destitute, under the guardianship of Rev. Fr. Francis OFM is at Nariampara, the board of this parish.
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