Malappuram, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of 70 km (43 mi). The most populous district of Kerala, Malappuram is home to around 13% of the total population of the state. The district was formed on 16 June 1969, spanning an area of about 3,554 km2 (1,372 sq mi). It is the third-largest district of Kerala by area. It is bounded by Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea on either side. The district is divided into seven Taluks: Eranad, Kondotty, Nilambur, Perinthalmanna, Ponnani, Tirur, and Tirurangadi.
Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian playback singer and musician who sings Indian classical, devotional and film songs. He is widely considered one of the greatest singers in the history of Indian music and a cultural icon of Kerala. Yesudas is estimated to have recorded more than 50,000 songs in various Indian languages, including Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Tulu, Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Marathi as well as Arabic, English, Latin, and Russian, in a career spanning six decades. He is often referred to as Gaanagandharvan. Yesudas holds the record for singing 11 songs in different languages in a single day. He has also composed a number of Malayalam film songs during the 1970s and 1980s.
Nilambur is a major town, a municipality and a Taluk in the Malappuram district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is located close to the Nilgiris range of the Western Ghats on the banks of the Chaliyar River. This place is also known as 'Teak Town' because of the abundance of Nilambur teaks, which is a variety of a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. Unlike many Municipalities of India; Nilambur is covered with large amounts of vegetation, making it very scenic.
Elephants found in Kerala, the Indian elephants, are one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant. Since 1986, Asian elephants have been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be between 25,600 to 32,750 in the wild. The species is pre-eminently threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation. Along with a large population of wild elephants, Kerala has more than seven hundred captive elephants. Most of them are owned by temples and individuals. They are used for religious ceremonies in and around the temples, and some churches, and a few elephants work at timber yards.
Most of Kerala's native habitat, which consists of wet evergreen rainforests at lower elevations and highland deciduous and semi-evergreen forests in the east, has a humid tropical climate. However, significant variations in terrain and elevation lead to high biodiversity. But Alappuzha district has no forests.
The culture of Kerala has developed over the past millennia, influences from other parts of India and abroad. It is defined by its antiquity and the organic continuity sustained by the Malayali people. Modern Kerala society took shape owing to migrations from different parts of India and abroad throughout Classical Antiquity.
B. Sandhya is a retired officer of the Indian Police Service and a former Director General of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, Home Guard, and Civil Defence. She is also known for her literary contributions which have won her a number of awards including the Edasseri Award in 2007. She retired from the service with the rank of Director General of Police on May 31, 2023.
Aryankavu is a village located in the Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. It lies close to the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu near Thenmala. It is also one of the famous pilgrimage sites associated with the legend of Sabarimala. The village is located beside Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary.
Lena Mohan Kumar, known by stage name Lenaa, is an Indian actress, author, and scriptwriter who appears predominantly in Malayalam cinema. In a career that spans over 25 years, Lenaa has worked in over 175 films in 5 languages, including blockbusters as well as critically acclaimed films in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.
Parakkulathil Vatsala was an Indian Malayalam novelist, short story writer, and social activist from Kerala. She is a recipient of Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2021, the highest literary honour by the government of Kerala. She is only the fifth woman to receive the award since its institution in 1993.
Kumki is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language musical adventure romantic drama film written and directed by Prabhu Solomon. It was presented by N. Lingusamy and produced by N. Subash Chandra Bose, under the banner Thirrupathi Brothers, and distributed by K. E. Gnanavel Raja under the banner Studio Green. It features Vikram Prabhu, making his acting debut, while Lakshmi Menon, Thambi Ramaiah and Ashvin Raja appear in other prominent roles.
N. A. Naseer, in Ernakulam district, Kerala, is an Indian wildlife photographer, nature conservation activist and author, who is a member of the Bombay Natural History Society. He is sometimes called the ambassador of Kerala's forests. He is also a martial artist.
Gajarajan Pampady Rajan also written as Pampady Rajan, is a notable Asian elephant.
Konni Aanakkoodu located in Konni is a well known training center for elephant's in Kerala. Its at a distance of 11 km from Pathanamthitta town.
Chengalloor Dakshayani was a female Asian elephant owned by Travancore Devaswom Board and kept at the Chenkalloor Mahadeva Temple in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India, which at the time of her death on 5 February 2019 was believed to be the oldest elephant in captivity in Asia. She was also known as Gaja Raja Dakshayani and as "Dakshayanamma" and "Gaja Muthassi".
Chirakkal Kalidasan is an Asian elephant. He is the third tallest elephant in India. He is famous for his huge fan base and had a major role in the 2017 epic film, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. He is also known as Gajaraja Bahubali.
Kottur Elephant Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre located near Kappukadu in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala is an elephant sanctuary and rehabilitation centre. Started in 2006 as an elephant sanctuary, the Kerala government announced a project in 2019 to expand it as an elephant rehabilitation centre with international standards. When completed, it will become the largest rehabilitation centre for the elephants in the world. It is also the first rehabilitation centre for elephants in India, constructed at an estimated cost of ₹105 crores. The centre is spread across 176 hectares of forest and currently have 16 elephants, with a capacity to accommodate 50 elephants in future after completion.
Abhayaranyam is an animal shelter–mini zoo, which functions under the eco-tourism project of Kerala government. Located near to Kaprikad village in Kunnathunad taluk of Ernakulam district, the shelter was opened in 2011, with an aim to rehabilitate the animals in the Kodanad elephant training center, located two kilometers away. Kodanad Elephant training center was one of renowned and largest elephant training center in Kerala. It was also the first elephant training center in Kerala, started in 1895. The center covered an area of 2 acres and when the number of animals there kept increasing, all the animals were gradually relocated to Abhayaranyam, which has an area of 123 hectares.
