Karunagappally is a city in Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. The place has beautiful backwaters, which connects it to Kollam and Alappuzha. Padanayarkulangara, which forms part of the town, was once the military station of the Kayamkulam Rajas. An idol of Buddha, recovered from a local tank here, has raised speculations that Karunagappally was once a center of Buddhist teachings.
The city is well connected by rail and road with other cities in the region. . It has a thriving economy and boasts of well developed commercial establishments and public infrastrucutre. Karunagappally is well known for its coir, fishing and tourism industries. The town is an important township located on the backwaters of Kerala.The climate is tropical wet, with heavy rain in the monsoon season.
History of Karunagappally :
Karunagappally is situated 27 Kms north to Kollam. It is linked with Kollam by rail and road. There is a mini civil station at Karunagappally. Padayanarkulangara, which forms part if the town, was once the military station of the Kayamkulam Rajas.
An idol of Budha, recovered from a local tank here, is now preserved in the Krishnapuram Palace, situated north of Oachira. The town has a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, two old mosques and a Mar Thoma Church.
Karunagappally block consists of 4 Panchayats :-
Allappad, Karunagappally, Thodiyoor and Mynagappally, covering an area of 66.34 sq.kms.
Karunagappally Taluk consists of 12 Panchayats:-
Karunagappally,hodiyoor,Panmana,AalappadChavara,Neendakara,Thevalakkara,Thekkumbagom,
,Kulasekharapuram,Thazhava,Clappana & Oachira.
Geography:
The geographical coordinates for Karunagappally are 9°3′11° N 76.32′4° E. Karunagappally taluk covers an area of 66.34 km². The taluk is bound on the north by Kayamkulam, east by Kunnathur taluk, south by Kollam and on the west by the Arabian Sea.
Industries :
The major employers in the public sector are Indian Rare Earth (IRE), Kerala Metals and Minerals Limited (KMML) at Shankaramangalam, KeraFed Puthiyakavu, House Boat Manufacturing Alumkadavu & Kozhikode. Cashew nut industry plays a vital role. Coconut, Paddy, tapioca, banana etc are the other main agricultural crops. Prominent small scale and cottage industries are based on bricks, well rings making, engineering and electronics items handicrafts etc.
Demographics:
As of 2001 India census, Karunagappally had a population of 410514. Males constitute 199494 of the population and females 211020. Karunagappally has an average literacy rate of 89.5%, higher than the national average of 60.5%; with 52% of the males and 51% of females literate. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Transport:
Main transport is provided by State owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private transport bus operators. Karunagappally Bus Station is on National Highway 47. Buses ply from Karunagappally to Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kumily, Kollam, Chavara and Sasthamkotta. Local services are also available to various places in the district. The station operates super fast, fast passenger and ordinary buses. KSRTC Bus stand is situated in the heart of the town. Road transport is also supported by private taxis and autorickshaws also called autos.
Karunagappally Railway Station, situated in edakkulangara falls on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam railway line. Kanyakumari-Bangalore Express, Parasuram Express, Venad Express, Malabar Express, Amritha Express and Thiruvananthapuram-Ernakulam Express are the main train connections.
Station Code: KPY.
Trivandrum International Airport is the nearest airport.
