Alappuzha
| Alappuzha ആലപ്പുഴ |
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| State : |
 India
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| State : | Kerala | ||
| District : | Alappuzha | ||
| Location : | 9 ° 30 ′ N , 76 ° 19 ′ E | ||
| Height : | 11 m | ||
| Area : | 46.77 km² | ||
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Inhabitants : - Agglomeration : |
174,164 (2011) 241,072 (2011) |
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| Population density : | 3724 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Website : | http://www.alappuzhamunicipality.in/ | ||
Alappuzha ( Malayalam : ആലപ്പുഴ , Ālappuḻa [ ˈaːləpːuɻa ]), formerly Alleppey , is a port city in the southern Indian state of Kerala with around 174,000 inhabitants (2011 census). It is the administrative seat of the Alappuzha district .
Alappuzha is particularly famous for the snake boat race for the Nehru Cup, which takes place every August and which precedes the Hindu Onam festival. Numerous chundan - long, narrow and ornate boats with up to 120 paddlers - vie for victory.
Geographical location
The city is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea , 59 km south of Kochi and 129 km north of Thiruvananthapuram , at 9.30 degrees north and 76.19 degrees east. It is connected to Kochi , Thrissur and Kollam by the backwaters .
history
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It was not until the second half of the 18th century that the fishing village of Alappuzha developed into a city and one of the empire's most important seaports under the rule of the Kings of Travancore . The economic importance of Alapuzzha increased in the 19th century, so in 1859 the first Travancore coconut fiber factory was opened in the city. After that, however, the development stagnated, so that Alappuzha seems to this day rather tranquil and small-town.
economy
Alappuzha is considered the center of the coconut fiber processing industry in Kerala, but is otherwise poorly industrialized.
Copra , coconut oil , pepper , ginger , cardamom , sugar , fishery products and betel nuts are exported via the now little important seaport . The main imports are rice and wheat .
Tourism is becoming increasingly important as a source of income. The city, known as the "Venice of the East" because of its canals, is a popular starting point for boat trips on the backwaters , and the famous snake boat races attract thousands of visitors every year.
religion
Alappuzha is the seat of the Alleppey diocese .
In the town of Ambalapuzha, 13 km to the south, there is a Sri Krishna temple , which was built by Chembakasseri Pooradam in the Kerala style around 800 AD and contains a copper drum ( mizhavu ) from the 18th century.
Personalities
sons and daughters of the town
- P. Sundaram Pillai (1855–1897), Indian philosopher, archaeologist, writer and literary scholar
- Tessy Thomas (* 1963), Indian space engineer
Web links
- Alappuzha Municipality (City Administration)
- Alappuzha District
- Information about Alappuzha (German) ( Memento from September 18, 2008 in the Internet Archive )