Nileshwaram

Nileshwaram
നീലേശ്വരം
Coordinates: 12°16′N 75°08′E / 12.26°N 75.13°E / 12.26; 75.13Coordinates: 12°16′N 75°08′E / 12.26°N 75.13°E / 12.26; 75.13
Country  India
State Kerala[1]
District Kasaragod[1]
Taluk Hosdurg[1]
Government
 • Body Nileshwar municipality
Area
 • Total 26.23 km2 (10.13 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 54,787
 • Density 2,100/km2 (5,400/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Malayalam
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 671314[1]
Telephone code 0467
Vehicle registration KL-60

Nileshwaram or Nileshwar or Neeleswaram (Malayalam: നീലേശ്വരം) is a municipality and a major town in Kasaragod District, state of Kerala, India.[1][2] It is one of the three municipalities in Kasaragod district of Kasaragod district; the others are Kasaragod and Kanhangad.[3] Nileshwar is referred to as the cultural capital of Kasaragod, the northernmost district, of Kerala.[4] According to The Hindu, "the first Chief Minister of Kerala and Marxist vetera E. M. S. Namboodiripad had contested elections to the Assembly from the Neeleswaram segment."[4]

History

Mannan Purath Kavu, Nileshwaram

Neeleswaram, or Nileswaram, is the abbreviated form of Neelakanta Ishwaran. It was historically the seat of the Neeleswaram Rajahs, who belonged to the clans of the Kolathiri and Zamorins. The Nileshwar Rajahs and the Bednore Nayaks battled in this area.[4]

The grand finale of the annual temple festival season takes place in this area, which is known for its "kavus", or sacred groves. The most famous of the sacred groves is the Mannampurathu Kavu.[4] The town is also known for Theyyam, the ritualistic art form.[4]

In 1918, the Rajah's High School was established, it was one of the first north Kerala schools of its kind. The school retains a letter written to the students by Mahatma Gandhi on his way in 1928 to Mangalore. It was part of a broad appeal for people to rally behind the national movement.[4]

Religion

Thaliyil Shiva Temple

Most of the people are Hindus, followed by Christians and Muslims. To a lesser extent, there are Jain and Buddhists.[5] The name Nileshwa is derived from the name of a temple Thaliyil Siva Temple (Neelakanteshwaran), and the culture of the town is based in large part by its temples, like Thaliyil Siva Temple, Mannam Purath Kaavu and Vaikunda Temple.[6]

Notable personalities

See also

References

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Nileshwaram.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nileshwaram.
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Nileshwar". pincode.net. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Who is Kavya Madhavan campaigning for?". Manoramaonline. 7 April 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  3. ↑ "There are 38 Grama Panchayats in Kasaragod District". kasaragod.nic.in. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Hindu staff reporter (21 November 2011). "Neeleswaram fete to showcase its heritage". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "People of Nileshwar". Nileshwar.com. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Temple". Nileshwar.com. Retrieved November 23, 2016.

Further reading

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/3/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.