About Village
Archaeologists have found evidence of settlements in Aluva as far back as 250 BC. The place used to be a continuous area of land spread across Kakkanad and Alangad, historians have recorded that it was so up to AD 1341. The town, by then thickly populated, became a holiday resort and a centre of commerce. Mangalappuzha, a branch of Periyar which bifurcates at Aluva was known to be the nerve centre of trade and commerce in this part of South India. Before Indian independence, Aluva was part of the Kingdom of Travancore and was the official summer residence of the royal family. The etymology of the name of the town of Aluva has been the subject of speculation for centuries. One of the more accepted version relates to the story of Hindu god Shiva drinking the Kalakootam poison to save the world. It is said that Shiva with the poison "ALAM" in his mouth "VAA" was made into a deity which was then rested in a temple in Aluva. The Sivarathri festival for which the town is famous for is celebrated in the honour of Shiva. In the twentieth century, when there was a community of Jews in Cochin, some used to have holiday homes in Aluva on the banks of the River Periyar. It also has a name "GATE WAY TO EAST". Aluva also serves as the administrative centre of the Aluva taluk. Villages from Mukundapuram, Kanayannur, Kunathunad and North Paravur taluks were combined to form Aluva Taluk in 1956.The headquarters of the District Police Chief of Ernakulam Rural Police District is also located there. It is the northern starting point of Kochi Metro rail first phase which began its operations in June 2017, as well as Kochi city bus network. Aluva is the home of many business headquarters. Aluva is known for its "Aluva Pukayillatha Aduppu" (smokeless stove) invented by the Alwaye Settlement Church many business headquarters. One of the well established private sector bank in India, The Federal Bank has its headquarters in Aluva.
Demography
Aluva, is a part of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is also a part of the Kochi Metropolitan area and is situated around 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transportation hub, with easy access to all major forms of transportation, Aluva acts as a corridor which links the highland districts to the rest of the state. Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery is 11.7 km from Aluva. Aluva is accessible through rail (Aluva Railway Station), air (Cochin International Airport), metro (Kochi Metro) along with major highways and roadlines. Area – 20.38 Sq Km Population (2020) – 63794
Geography
Aluva is a part of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is also a part of the Kochi Metropolitan area and is situated around 15 km from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transportation hub, with easy access to all major forms of transportation, Aluva acts as a corridor which links the highland districts to the rest of the state. By Air Cochin International Airport is 15 km from the town center. Regular domestic and international connections are available from the airport. By Train Aluva railway station is an A graded railway station in Kerala,located at the right centre of the Aluva Municipal Town, and is the third busiest railway station in Kochi city after Ernakulam Junction railway station and Ernakulam Town railway station. All passenger, express trains bound to southern Kerala do have a stop in this station.There is also a small railway station near Aluva named Chowara with a 4 km distance from this railway station. By Metro Kochi Metro phase 1 starts from Aluva Bypass and currently operates till Pettah. By Road NH 544 passes right across the village area. Rajiv Gandhi Central Bus Station Aluva is one of the largest private Bus terminals in Kochi. Regular private and KSRTC Buses connect from all parts Kerala to this station. Apart from this, daily passenger bus of Karnataka RTC and Tamil Nadu SETC do connect from places like Mysore, Mangalore, Bangalore, Trichy, Coimbatore, Salem, Palani, Kodaikanal etc. Privately operated Inter-state bus to Bangalore, Chennai, Mysore, Mumbai etc. do have stops in various points of Aluva. This bus stand also acts as an important node for Kochi city buses, with intra-city services to various parts like Fort Kochi, Tripunithura, Kakkanad, etc. Aluva KSRTC depot located in the centre heart of the town act as a main gateway to high range places in Idukki District. By Ferry Aluva is one major stop for National Waterway 3, yet scheduled to open which connects to Thiruvananthapuram in south and Kottapuram (Thrissur) in north.
Socio-Economic
Historically, Aluva has been a centre of trade and commerce - especially as the gateway to Idukki, famous for its spice production, tea plantation and rubber cultivation. Economic activities within Aluva are dominated by the services sector, mainly related to trade and commerce to serve the needs of local residents and the market which is one of the biggest and oldest in Kerala state. Apart from a few examples of key employers located there such as the Federal Bank’s headquarters, other activities include some relatively small and scattered industrial activity which has experienced decline over the past years. The vast majority of the local workforce is engaged in non-agricultural activities, while there is a clear shift from primary sector activities towards services. There is a significant trend of the workforce commuting to Ernakulam to access higher skilled service employment and the neighbouring municipalities for logistics and manufacturing, the growth of which is influenced by proximity to Kochi Airport and the port.
Ecology
Aluva is typical of peri-urban municipalities in India and elsewhere, which despite their small population size relative to the wider metropolitan area, will gradually share similar development pressures as larger cities such as climate risks, population growth and infrastructure bottlenecks.
Tourism
Aluva, home to the summer residency of the Travancore royal family, the Alwaye Palace, is also famous for the Sivarathri festival celebrated annually at the sandbanks of Periyar. The Advaita Ashrams in Aluva founded in 1913 by Sree Narayana Guru, one of Indias greatest social reformers, adds to the cultural significance of the region. Popular tourist spots include: • Sivarathri Manappuram (Sree Mahadeva temple) • Aluva Palace • Periyar banks • Municipal Park • Kunnathery Maqam (Mahlarathul Qadriya) • Madrasa Noorul Irfan Arabic Collage, Kunnathery • St. Dominic Syro-Malabar Church (Chanthapally) • St John the Baptist CSI Church (Estd 1891) • Mangalappuzha Major Seminary • Adwaitha Ashram • Sree Krishna Temple • Parunthuranchi Manappuram Aluva • Aluva Brahmana Samooham Sree Mahaganapathi Dharmashastha Temple, Manappuram