Lahai Gateway to Sabarimala poongavanam | |
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Village | |
Coordinates: 9°22′7″N76°54′25″E / 9.36861°N 76.90694°E Coordinates: 9°22′7″N76°54′25″E / 9.36861°N 76.90694°E | |
Country | India |
State | Kerala |
District | Pathanamthitta |
Government | |
• Type | Panchayath |
• Body | Perunad panchayath |
Elevation | 910 m (2,990 ft) |
Languages | |
• Official | Malayalam, English |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
PIN | 689662 |
Area code(s) | 04735 |
Vehicle registration | KL-62, KL-03 |
Lahai, also spelt Laha is a remote settlement located in the north eastern part of Pathanamthitta district, Kerala state, India. This is the place from which the sacred grove (Poongavanam) of Lord Ayyappa begins.
Lahai lies about 3,000 ft (910 m) above mean sea level, predominantly a hilly region or Malanad. The place is covered by thick forests of Ranni division. [1]
The average population is about 3000 people. The major revenue is from Lahai Rubber estate which was established by British in early 1900s with 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land.
Lahai experiences a tropical climate as in many parts of Kerala. Significant amount of rainfall occurs during the months of June, July and August. Humidity is comparatively less here with an average annual temperature of about 29.37°C. The average annual precipitation is 2407mm. The months of January and February receives low rainfall. Temperature falls in December and January to 20°C. March, April and May are the hottest months in the year.
Climate data for Lahai, Kerala | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | 29.0 (84.2) | 30.0 (86.0) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.1 (88.0) | 29.0 (84.2) | 28.2 (82.8) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.9 (84.0) | 28.6 (83.5) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.5 (83.3) | 29.4 (84.9) |
Average low °C (°F) | 20.2 (68.4) | 21.0 (69.8) | 22.3 (72.1) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.5 (74.3) | 22.5 (72.5) | 22.0 (71.6) | 22.1 (71.8) | 22.0 (71.6) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.5 (70.7) | 20.5 (68.9) | 21.9 (71.4) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 24 (0.9) | 38 (1.5) | 70 (2.8) | 152 (6.0) | 220 (8.7) | 406 (16.0) | 433 (17.0) | 282 (11.1) | 208 (8.2) | 298 (11.7) | 208 (8.2) | 68 (2.7) | 2,407 (94.8) |
Source: Climate-Data.org [2] |
Lahai is blessed with naturally beautiful landscapes and with tropical rain forests of Ranni forest division. The Sabarimala forest (Poongavanam) begins from Lahai. Most important fact is that the uphill road to Sabarimala ends at Lahai and become level road all the way to Sabarimala.
The famous Sabarigiri Hydro electric Project in 1960s had built heavy equipment transportation road to Moozhiyar Power House. This road now exclusively used by pilgrims to Sabarimala.
Lahai is a historical place in many regards. The Sabarimala Thiruvabharanam procession comes to Lahai forest Bungalow, stays overnight and continues to Sabarimala temple. The famous St. Thomas Pilgrim Church at Nilakkal is 10 miles (16 km) away from Lahai Junction.
Pathanamthitta District is a district in the southern part of Kerala, India. The district headquarters is in the town of Pathanamthitta. There are four municipalities in Pathanamthitta: Tiruvalla, Adoor, Pathanamthitta and Pandalam.
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Pathanamthitta is a municipality situated in the Central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The town has a population of 37,538. The Hindu pilgrim centre Sabarimala is situated in the Pathanamthitta district; as the main transport hub to Sabarimala, the town is known as the 'Pilgrim Capital of Kerala'. Pathanamthitta District, the thirteenth revenue district of the State of Kerala, was formed with effect from 1 November 1982, with headquarters at Pathanamthitta. Forest covers more than half of the total area of the District. Pathanamthitta District ranks the 7th in area in the State. The district has its borders with Kottayam, Kollam and Idukki districts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Manimala is a small town and a village in Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala, situated about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the nearest town Kanjirappally. It's declared as a folklore village since 2011 by the central government to promote folklore.
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The Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram is located in Thiruvananthapuram district in the state of Kerala. The city is located at 8.5°N 76.9°E on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India. The city situated on the west coast of India, and is bounded by Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east. The city and the suburbs spans an area of 250 km2 (96.53 sq mi). The average elevation of the city is 16 ft above sea level. The highest point within the city limits is the observatory. Agastya Mala, which has an elevation of 1,868 metres (6,129 ft) is only about 60 km from the city. The Ponmudi hill station which has an elevation of 1,100 metres (3,609 ft) is also near the city.
Angamoozhy is a village in Pathanamthitta district in the Indian state of Kerala. Angamoozhy is located near the Kakkad power station and the Sabarimala temple. Geographically Angamoozhy is High-range area.
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Nilakkal, also spelled Nilackal, or formerly Chayal, is a remote ghat region located in the Goodrical range of Ranni forest division in Pathanamthitta District in the Indian state of Kerala. The place is noted mainly as an edathavalam or halting-place for the Ayyappa devotees during Sabarimala pilgrimage. Administratively, it falls under the Perunad grama panchayath in Ranni tehsil. Sabarimala, the famous Hindu pilgrim centre in southern India is located at a distance of 23 km (14 mi) in the north-east hilly region of Nilakkal.
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