Country India District Idukki Elevation 880 m (2,890 ft) Area 816.7 km² Area code 04869 | State Kerala Named for Thekkady tourist spot Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) Population 33,722 (2001) Local time Sunday 5:16 AM | |
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Weather 21°C, Wind E at 2 km/h, 98% Humidity | ||
Kumily (Malayalam:കുമളി) is the largest Gram Panchayat in Kerala. It is a town in Cardamom Hills near Thekkady and Periyar Tiger Reserve, in the Idukki District of Kerala. Kumily is known as Gateway to Thekkady and it is also known as spices capital of Kerala.
Contents
Map of Kumily, Kerala
History
The present day Kumily has roots in the colonial period of British. The area was once under under the possession of Thekkumkoor rajas in central Travancore and later when Marthanda Varma conducted his campaigns in central Travancore, regions including Kumily came under Travancore kingdom. Till the end of 19th century, the area was given under control of Poonjar kings. But the drastic and significant changes occurred in the region by the advent of British powers. They obtained these regions from the local rulers and transformed the forestlands into cultivatable one. Large scale production of cash crops like cardamom, pepper, coffee, cinnamon etc were began in the hilly terrains. Many people from in and outside Kerala were brought to work in these plantations.
Topography
Kumily lies in the southeast part of Idukki district with an altitude ranging from 2,890 ft (880 m) from mean sea level. A sizeable portion is covered by vast cardamon plantations and the rest, in the south and southeast portion which is under the premises of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary are thick forests.
Transportation
Kumily lies in the NH-183 (previously NH-220) that connects Kollam to Dindigul in Tamil Nadu via Kottayam, Mundakkayam, Kuttikkanam. The state of Tamil Nadu borders the town. It is a major tourist destination and a spices trading centre. The nearest airport is Madurai (125 km) and railway Station is Theni. The famous pilgrim centre Sabarimala is 150 km from Kumily. Kumily is well connected with Kottayam and Kochi.
Tourism
Kumily is always a special destination for most of the tourists due to its cool refreshing climate. Nearby Tamil Nadu district is Theni, where tourists can see grapes cultivations, Suruli Theertham, Megamalai, Kumabakarai, Vaigai dam etc. Kattappana is the nearby municipality. Famous tourist attractions nearby are Thekkady, Anchuruli, Ottakathalamedu, Kalvery Mount, Wagamon, Pine forest, Kalyanathandu etc.