Sultan Bathery
Sulthan Bathery, formerly known as Sultan's Battery and Ganapathyvattam [1] is a town and municipality in Wayanad district of Kerala, India, near the borders with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states. The largest city in Wayanad district, it is the headquarters of Sultan Bathery taluk.
Sulthan Bathery | |
|---|---|
City / Municipality | |
 The Jain Temple located in the city | |
  Sulthan Bathery Location in Kerala, India  Sulthan Bathery Sulthan Bathery (India) | |
| Coordinates: 11.67°N 76.28°E | |
| Country |  |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Wayanad |
| Named for | artillery battery of Tipu Sulthan |
| Government | |
| • Municipality Chairman | Mr. T.L Sabu |
| Elevation | 901 m (2,956 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 27,473 |
| • Density | 476/km2 (1,230/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 673592 |
| Area code(s) | 91 4936 |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL |
| Vehicle registration | KL-73 |
| Sex ratio | 1,029 ♂/♀ |
| Literacy | 89.36% |
The place came to be known by its new name after the Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan invaded the region and used the Jain Temple located here as a battery.
Location
Sultan Bathery lies on the Kozhikode–Kollegal National Highway (NH 766) 97 km from Kozhikode. It is 114 kilometers from Mysore[2] and about 100 kilometers from Ooty (Udagamandalam). It is also connected with Nilambur. The people primarily depend on agriculture for a living. Sulthan Bathery is situated at about 930 metres above mean sea level. The town has the National Highway 766 passing through it. The town is the centre of tourism in Wayanad District.
Etymology
This town was part of Kidanganadu village, which got its name because of the presence of the Kidangans the tribes.[3] During the invasion of Malabar by Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan, the town was used by the Mysore army as the storeroom or battery for his ammunition. Thus the town came to be known as Sultan's Battery and later as Sultan Bathery, the Malayalam version of its name.
History
Sultan Bathery is a historical place and its ancient history goes in sync with the history of Wayanad. The recorded history of this district exists only from the 10th century onward. In 930 AD, emperor Erayappa of Ganga Dynasty led his troops to the south-west of Mysore and after conquering, called it Bayalnad meaning the land of swamps. After Erayappa, his sons Rachamalla and Battunga fought each other for the new kingdom of their father's legacy. Rachamalla was killed and Battunga became the undisputed ruler of Bayalnad. In 12th century AD, Gangas were dethroned from Bayalnad by Kadamba dynasty[4] of North Canara.[5] In 1104 AD Vishnuvardhana of Hoysala invaded Bayalnad followed by Vijayanagara dynasty in 16th century. In 1610 AD Udaiyar Raja Wadiyar of Mysore drove out Vijayanagara General and became the ruler of Bayalnad and the Nilgiris. Bayalnad is the present Wayanad. When Wayanad was under Hyder Ali's rule, the ghat road from Vythiri to Thamarassery invented.[6] Then the British rulers developed this route to Carter road.[7]
The British rule in Wayanad has two periods. The first was the rule of the East India Company, which ruled Wayanad from the hands of Pazhassi Raja. It continued until the queen took direct control from the East India Company in 1858. Until 1947, Wayanad was under the rule of the Malabar Collector. History has it that Wayanad has a rich folk culture that gave way to the British domination of Wayanad. Edakkal Caves are also evidence of the existence of the Neolithic civilization in Wayanad. According to HS Graeme, Thalassery Sub-Collector TH Balan was the first to start a revenue settlement in Wayanad. In Grammy's time there were divisions of Munnadu, Muthoornadu, Ilangkornadu, Nallurnadu, Edanashankur, Poronnur, Kurumbala, Wayanad, Nambikkoli and Ganapathivattam. They were divided into new parts for administrative convenience. The importance and relevance of the place Ganapativattom has been mentioned often in the reports. History records that Sultan Bathery later became the place of Ganapathivattam on the roadside during the battle of Hyder Ali and Tipu. It is believed that the centuries old Ganpati temple was converted into a Ganapativattom. The British named the Sultan's Battery, which in later history means the Sultan's Armory, as Ganapathivattam was known as a small synonym for Ganapathivattam. It is believed to have been a commercial center during this period and a place on the road to Mysore. Ganapati grew as the medieval cities flourished, the four-way street, the main highway, and the center of worship. In 1934, the Kidanganad Panchayat was established. From the administration of the Malabar District Board, Ganapathivattam became the administration of Kidanganad panchayat. The Niluppuzha Panchayat was formed in 1968 by the division of Kidanganad Panchayat, Nenmeni Panchayat in 1974 and Sultanbathery Panchayat in 1968. New places of worship and educational institutions have emerged in different parts of the panchayat with the support of Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities. The Ganapati Temple, the Jain Temple and the Malankara Mosque are examples of the ancient history of Sultan Bathery. There is evidence that Sultanbathery and other parts of Wayanad had been in contact through Tamil, Karnataka and Kodagu villages since medieval times. Sultan Bathery is known as the confluence of ancient and ancient cultures. The history of Sultan Bathery completes the history of the colonists and bureaucrats who came to the land for the reward of their plight. In the late 20th century, the first glimpses of educational activities began to appear. As a result of the efforts of the 1920s, an LP school was established in the Sultan Bathery under the Malabar District Board. From then until now the progress of the country has been enormous. From time immemorial, the region was home to the native tribes of Chettiars, Paniyar, Kurumar and Urali Nayakkar. Although there are many ethnic groups among the tribals, their main occupation is agriculture. The panchayath has 26 temples, 15 churches and 15 mosques. Sultan Bathery has a Jain temple that is about 2000 years old. The center, which is in the possession of the Department of Archeology, has no festivals other than temple rituals. The festival at Sultan Bathery Mariamman Kovil is one of the festivals celebrated here. It is considered as the national festival of Bathery. Similar festivals are celebrated in the Bathery Mahaganapathi Temple, Kuppadi Devi Temple and Karivallikkunnu Temple.
[1]
Education
There are many government and private school offering education. Compared to other districts of Kerala, institutions offering higher education are limited in Wayanad.[8] One of the oldest colleges in Wayanad is St Mary's College, Sulthan Bathery, established in 1965.[9] This arts and science college is affiliated to University of Calicut. Pazhassi Raja College, Pulpally, established in 1982, is another major college located nearby.[10] Government Engineering College located at Mananthavady is the nearest engineering college. It is affiliated to Kannur University.
Transportation
Sultan Bathery has very good road connectivity with south Indian states. The major Road is NH 766 connected to Mysore, Bangalore and Kozhikode, two State highways connected to Ooty and Coimbatore and a state highway connected to Mangalore, Kannur, Thalassery and Kasaragod. Sulthan Bathery is the biggest transport hub of Wayanad district. It is located near the border with the Karnataka state. There is a major Kerala Transport Depot in Sulthan Bathery. Most of the long-distance buses to Kozhikode, Ooty and Bangalore start from this depot. The town also has two smaller bus stations for local travellers. The Periya ghat road connects Mananthavady to Kannur and Thalassery. The Thamarassery mountain road connects Calicut with Kalpetta. The Kuttiady mountain road connects Vatakara with Kalpetta and Mananthavady. The Palchuram mountain road connects Kannur and Iritty with Mananthavady. The road from Nilambur to Ooty is also connected to Wayanad through the village of Meppadi.
The nearest railway stations are at Mysore and Calicut. The nearest airport is at Calicut and Kannur.
Geography
Sulthan Bathery is located at 11.67°N 76.28°E.[11] It has an average elevation of 907 m (2,976 ft).
Politics
Sultan's Battery assembly constituency is part of Wayanad (Lok Sabha constituency). Its MP is Rahul Gandhi,[12] and the MLA is I. C. Balakrishnan.
The Sulthan Bathery Municipality is governed by Kerala Congress (M) in association with LDF. LDF have 16 seats ( CPI[M] - 16) and UDF have 17 seats (INC - 9 , IUML - 8). Kerala Congress (M) have one seat and BJP also have one seat.
- Chairman: Mr: TL Sabu ( Kerala Congress (M) ).
- Vice Chairperson: Mrs. Jisha Shaji ( CPI[M] ).
Since its establishment in 1962, the Bathery panchayat has been a monopoly of the UDF. P.C Ahmed Haji (IUML) was the first president. He was president for 3 decades. The LDF was in power for only eight months in 2005 with the help of the DIC(K). The President was Mr.CK Sahadevan who later became the first chairman when it was converted to municipality in 2015.
Municipality Chairman
| No: | Name | Party | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C.K Sahadevan | CPI(M) | 18/11/2015 - 3/4/2018 | Beenachi |
| 2 | T.L Sabu | KC(M) | 26/4/2018 - incumbent | Kattayad |
Members of Legislative Assembly
The following list contains all members of Kerala legislative assembly who have represented Sulthan Bathery Niyama Sabha Constituency during the period of various assemblies:[14]
Key
| Election | Niyama Sabha |
Member | Party | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 5th | K. Raghavan Master | INC | 1977–1980 | |
| 1980 | 6th | K. K. Ramachandran Master | 1980-1982 | ||
| 1982 | 7th | 1982–1987 | |||
| 1987 | 8th | 1987–1991 | |||
| 1991 | 9th | K. C. Rosakutty | 1991–1996 | ||
| 1996 | 10th | P. V. Varghese Vaidyar | CPI(M) | 1996–2001 | |
| 2001 | 11th | N. D. Appachan | INC | 2001–2006 | |
| 2006 | 12th | P. Krishna Prasad | CPI(M) | 2006–2011 | |
| 2011 | 13th | I. C. Balakrishnan | INC | 2011–2016 | |
| 2016 | 14th | 2016-2021 | |||
Grama Panchayat President List
| No: | Name | Party | year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P.C Ahamad Haji | IUML | |
| 2 | Special Officer | - | 1979-1980 |
| 3 | P.C Ahamad Haji | IUML | 1980-1985 |
| 4 | Special Officer | - | |
| 5 | P.C Ahamad Haji | IUML | |
| 6 | P.C Ahamad Haji | IUML | |
| 7 | N.M Vijayan | INC | |
| 8 | Nafeeza Ahamad koya | IUML | 2000-2005 |
| 9 | C.K Sahadevan | CPI(M) | 2005-2006 |
| 10 | Babu Pazhupathoor | INC | 2006-2006 |
| 11 | Radha Raveendran | INC | 2006-2009 |
| 12 | O.M George | INC | 2009-2010 |
| 13 | P.P Ayyoob | IUML | 2010-2012 |
| 14 | O.M George | INC | 2012-2015 |
Municipality
| Position | Name | Party | Division |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | T L Sabu | Kerala Congress (M) | Katayad |
| Deputy Chairperson | Jisha Shaji | CPI (M) | Kuppadi |
| Chairman of the Development Standing Committee | CK Sahadevan | CPI (M) | Binachi |
| Chairman of the Health Standing Committee | Babu Abdul Rahman | CPI (M) | Vengur North |
| Chairperson of the Welfare Standing Committee | PK Sumathi | CPI (M) | Armat |
| Chairperson of the Public Works Standing Committee | Elsie Paulose | CPI (M) | Sultan Bathery |
| Chairperson of the Education Standing Committee | Valsa Jose | INC | Palakkara |
| Division no: | Division name | Member | Role | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aram mile | Ahamad kutty | councillor | IUML |
| 2 | Chethalayam | Shareena abdulla | councillor | IUML |
| 3 | Chenad | Jose V P | councillor | INC |
| 4 | Vengur North | Abdul Rahman | councillor | CPI(M) |
| 5 | Odappallam | Sharath M C | councillor | CPI(M) |
| 6 | Vengur South | K Rasheed | councillor | CPI(M) |
| 7 | Pazhery | Bindhu Sudheerbabu | councillor | INC |
| 8 | Karuvallikunnu | Rinu john | councillor | INC |
| 9 | Armad | P K Sumathi |
councillor |
CpiM |
| 10 | Kottakunnu | Rajesh Kumar | councillor | INC |
| 11 | Kidangil | Ramesh T K |
councillor |
CpiM |
| 12 | Kuppady | Jisha Shaji | Deputy Chairperson | CpiM |
| 13 | Thirunelly | N K Mathew |
councillor |
CPIM |
| 14 | Manthandikunnu | Saly paulose | councillor | CpiM |
| 15 | Sathramkunnu | Babu V K | councillor | CpiM |
| 16 | Cheroorkunnu | Radha Raveendran | councillor | INC |
| 17 | Palakkara | Valsa Jose | councillor | INC |
| 18 | Thelambatta | Jayaprakash | councillor | cpiM |
| 19 | Thoduvatty | Shylaja Soman | councillor | INC |
| 20 | Kaipanchery | Shifanath | councillor | IUML |
| 21 | Maithanikunnu | Radha Babu | councillor | IUML |
| 22 | Fairland | Banu pulical | councillor | IUML |
| 23 | Kattayad | T L Sabu | Chairman | KC(M) |
| 24 | Sultan bathery | Elsy paulose | councillor | cpiM |
| 25 | Pallikandi | Balkees Shoukathali | councillor | IUML |
| 26 | Manichira | P P Ayoob | councillor | IUML |
| 27 | Kalluvayal | Leela | councillor | INC |
| 28 | Poomala | N M Vijayan | councillor | INC |
| 29 | Dottappankulam | Tintu Rajan | councillor | CpiM |
| 30 | Beenachi | C K Sahadevan | councillor | CpiM |
| 31 | Poothikadu | Bindhu Raju | councillor | CpiM |
| 32 | Cheenapullu | Shabeer | councillor | IUML |
| 33 | Manthamkolly | Sherly Krishnan | councillor | cpiM |
| 34 | Pazhupathur | M K Sabu | councillor | BJP |
| 35 | Kaivattamoola | Santha Gopalan | councillor | CpiM |
Places of worship
- Sultan Bathery Jain Temple - A Jain temple believed to have been built in the 13th century. It is one of the main Jain shrines in Kerala.
- SulthanBathery Jumaa masjid: This is the biggest jumaa masjid in the town and it can hold more than 1000 worshippers. The masjid is situated near the Sulthan Bathery town bus stand.
- Ganapati Temple: Sulthan Bathery Ganapathi Temple is a famous Lord Ganesh Temple. It built eight centuries ago. Sulthan Bathery was formerly known as Ganapathivattom, signifying the presence of this ancient Lord Ganapathy Temple.
- Masjid Madeena: A jump masjid in town run by Jama at e Islami Hind (JIH)
- Soonoro Church: St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Sulthan's Bathery is a famous pilgrim centre in Wayanad.
- Masjidul Mnar : A Juma Masjid run by Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen.
- Shaduli Masjid: The famous juma masjid in the town.
- St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Sulthan Bathery: This is one of the main churches for people who follow the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
- Assumption Church: Is one of the major Christian churches located in the heart of the city.
- Mariyamman Temple: This is the most important temple for the local tribes. The yearly festival is in February–March which gathers a lot of crowds.
- CSI St. Thomas Church: This church is situated near police station.
- The Pentecostal Mission (TPM): The Faith Home (church) is situated at College Road, Kottakunnu.
- IPC Prayer Hall, Thrikkepatta, Sulthan Bathery
- Masjid Jami'a Ideal Campus, Snehagiri, Sulthan Bathery
- Thalachill Temple, Sulthan Bathery
- Narasimha temple, Sulthan Bathery
- Church of God in Malabar, located near the Stadium, Manikuni
- Assemblies of God Church, Chungam
- St. Thomas Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral, Sulthan Bathery
- Church of God (full gospel) city Church.
Tourism
Climate
Sulthan Bathery has a salubrious climate. The mean average rainfall in this area is 2322 mm. Lakkidi, Vythiri and Meppadi are the high rainfall areas in Wayanad. The annual rainfall in these areas ranges from 3000 to 4000 mm. High-velocity winds are common during the southwest monsoon and dry winds blow in March–April. High altitude regions experience severe cold. In Wayanad (Ambalavayal) the mean maximum and minimum temperature for the last five years were 29 °C and 18 °C respectively. This place experiences high relative humidity, which goes even up to 95 per cent during the southwest monsoon period. Generally the year is classified into four seasons, namely, cold weather (December–February), hot weather (March–May), south-west monsoon (June–September)and northeast monsoon (October–November) seasons.
| Climate data for Sultan Bathery, Kerala | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 26.3 (79.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
30.0 (86.0) |
30.1 (86.2) |
29.1 (84.4) |
25.7 (78.3) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.8 (76.6) |
25.7 (78.3) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.8 (78.4) |
25.7 (78.3) |
26.8 (80.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 15.6 (60.1) |
16.8 (62.2) |
18.5 (65.3) |
19.9 (67.8) |
20.1 (68.2) |
19.1 (66.4) |
18.8 (65.8) |
18.7 (65.7) |
18.5 (65.3) |
18.6 (65.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.2 (64.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 3 (0.1) |
8 (0.3) |
14 (0.6) |
89 (3.5) |
171 (6.7) |
451 (17.8) |
903 (35.6) |
497 (19.6) |
225 (8.9) |
220 (8.7) |
79 (3.1) |
21 (0.8) |
2,681 (105.7) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org[16] | |||||||||||||
Notable residents
- Basil Joseph, director in Malayalam film industry
References
- "ചരിത്രം | Sulthanbatherymunicipality.gov.in". sulthanbatherymunicipality.lsgkerala.gov.in.
- "Mysore to sulthan bathery". mysore.ind.in. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- "Archaeological Survey of India". asi.nic.in.
- The Kadamba Kula A history of ancient and medieval Karnatak, By George M. Moraes BX Furtado &sons Bombay 1931
- "The Kadamba Kula". Bombay B X Furtado And Sons. 31 May 1931 – via Internet Archive.
- Madrass District Gazetteers, The Nilgiris. By W. Francic. Madras 1908 Pages 90-104
- Report of the Administration of Mysore 1863-64. British Parliament Library
- "Short history of Wayanad" (PDF). Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- "St Mary's College, Sulthan Bathery official website". Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- "Pazhassi Raja college, Pulpally official website". Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Sultans Battery, India". www.fallingrain.com.
- "Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies" (PDF). Kerala. Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
- https://scontent.fcok1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/89937787_1075437049485937_1406948706833399808_o.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_sid=8024bb&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&_nc_oc=AQntDFRL3vPJW0my20jDqGsMbiDXVwmzeDlcLjiHnSOOlEVMKBMRvsojzASMLveyzD_Tq6KmJX1etvAfqiftrKfa&_nc_ht=scontent.fcok1-1.fna&_nc_tp=14&oh=09dfec1a1caa23d1a193a91d1a605ec7&oe=5EA154FF
- "Members of Kerala Legislative Assembly: Sulthan Bathery". www.mapsofindia.com.
- "Local Self Government Department | Local Self Government Department". lsgkerala.gov.in.
- "Sulthan Bathery climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Sulthan Bathery weather averages - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org.
External links
- Official website of the Wayanad district
Besides all, Sulthan Bathery is the unique place for real enjoyment due to its lush greenery and ample sightseeing areas with conditional climate. We can call it the Swarga land of Kerala.