Pathanapuram

Pathanapuram is a Town in Pathanapuram Taluk Kollam district, Kerala, India. Pathanapuram is a part of Grama Panchayat and Block panchayat of same name and part of Kollam District Panchayat.

History
The history of Pathanapuram goes back to Thenmala Desam, a small Principality under a local ruler. Capital was at Pathanapuram. Later, Thenmala Desom became a part of Elayidathu Swaroopam having its capital at Kottarakkara. Pathanapuram was the capital of one of the two districts of Elayidathu Swaroopam. In 1764, King Marthandavarma conquered Elayidathu Swaroopam and annexed  it to Travancore. Most parts of Pathanapuram taluk were inhabited since before the Indus Valley civilization, and civilization may have existed in and around Pathanapuram beginning  the 1st Century.

The city's name can be translated as Ten Elephant Town. The name Pathanapuram may have evolved from the fact that the area had a sizeable elephant population and elephants were caught and trained for work at the local elephant camp. The Old police station area used to be the elephant camp.

Geography
Pathanapuram is spread over an area of 24.20 km2.

Highlights
India's first Rural IT park wholly owned by a startup came up at Pathanapuram. It is set up by a local entrepreneur named Varun Chandran through a startup named Corporate 360.

The park is specialised in Big data solutions.

Demographics
census of India, Pathanapuram Panchayat had a population of 32,339. The total population constitute, 15,129 males and 17,210 females —a sex ratio of 1138 females per 1000 males. 3,052 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 1,536 are boys and 1,516 are girls —a ratio of 987 per 1000. The average literacy rate stands at 92.94% with 27,218 literates.

Transport
The area is connected to the rest of the state by bus services of KSRTC and private buses. A KSRTC depot also situated in Pathanapuram. Three state highways namely Hill Highway, Main Eastern Highway and KP Road pass through the town. The Sabarimala bypass to Thiruvananthapuram starts at Pathanapuram and ends at Valakom.

The nearest railway stations to the town is Avaneeswaram other nearby stations are Chengannur, Kollam, Kayamkulam, Punalur.

Nearest airport is Trivandrum (80 km).

Politics
Pathanapuram assembly constituency is a part of the Mavelikkara Loksabha Constituency. Kodikunnil Suresh is the present member of parliament who won the 2019 Indian general election. Current M.L.A of Pathanapuram is actor turned politician K. B. Ganesh Kumar. He has won from this constituency in the 2001, 2006, 2011 as UDF Candidate and in 2016 and 2021 Assembly election as LDFCandidate.

Education
This is a list of educational institutions in Pathanapuram.


 * Indira Gandhi Memorial Vocational Higher Secondary School
 * Mohammaden Govt. HSS Edathara Pathanapuram.
 * Govt.Nadukkunnu UPS
 * Govt. Nedumparamp LPS pathanapuram
 * St. Stephen's HSS, Pathanapuram
 * Mount Tabor Girls HSS Pathanapuram
 * MTLPS Pathanapuram
 * Mount Tabor Training College Pathanapuram
 * Mother Susan EMLPS Pathanapuram
 * Al-Ameen Public School Pathanapuram
 * St.Mary's Senior Secondary School Pathanapuram
 * St.Stephen's College
 * University Institute Of Technology Pathanapuram
 * College of engineering Pathanapuram.
 * NADUKKUNNU High school
 * GOVERNMENT MUSLIM LOWER PRIMARY SCHOOL KUNDAYAM