Pala, Kerala

Pala
Municipality [1]
Pala town
Pala Show map of Kerala Pala Show map of India
Coordinates: 9°42′46″N76°41′01″E / 9.71278°N 76.68353°E / 9.71278; 76.68353
Country	India
State	Kerala
District	Kottayam
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Body	Pala Municipality
• Municipal Chairperson	Mr. Shaju V Thuruthen
• Member of the Legislative Assembly of Kerala (MLA)	Mani C. Kappan
Area
• Total	16.06 km2 (6.20 sq mi)
Elevation	31 m (102 ft)
Population  (2011) [2]
• Total	22,056
• Density	1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	686573, 686574, 686575
Telephone code	+9148 22
Vehicle registration	KL 35, KL 67
Nearest city	Kottayam
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Pala
Lok Sabha constituency	Kottayam

Pala (IPA: [paːlaː] ) is a municipality ^[3] in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located 28 km (17.4 mi) north of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about 167 km (103.8 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Pala has a population of 22,056 people, and a population density of 1,373/km² (3,560/sq mi).

Pala is situated on the banks of the Meenachil river, and is a major hub of Syrian Christian culture in Kerala. ^[4]

Demographics

As of 2001 ^[update] Indian census, ^[5] Pala had a population of 22,640. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Pala has an average literacy rate of 98%, higher than the national average of 73%: male literacy is 98.5%, and female literacy is 97.8%, still much higher than the state average. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Christians make up 65.09% of the population, Hindus 34.19%, Muslims 0.1%, Jain 0.00%, other religions 0.05% and 0.15% not stated.

Religions in Pala Town (2011)
Religion			Percent
Christianity			65.09%
Hinduism			34.19%
Islam			0.1%
Other or not stated			0.20%

Cuisine of Pala

Appams, kallappams, or vellayappams are rice flour pancakes that have soft, thick white spongy centres and crisp, lace-like edges. ^[6]

Beef ularthiyathu is a beef dish cooked with a variety of Indian spices. Other dishes include Peralan (chicken stir-fries), Meat Thoran (dry curry with shredded coconut), sardine and duck curries, and meen molee (spicy stewed fish). ^[6]

Sports

The Municipal Stadium is the centre of sports in Pala. ^[7] The multipurpose stadium can be used for conducting athletic events and football. The stadium also has a synthetic track and a football turf. There is also an indoor swimming pool in the sports complex.

The 61st Kerala State Schools Athletics Championships was held at the stadium in 2017. ^[8] At least 2500 students from 100 schools attended the sports meet. ^[9] The 63rd Kerala State Athletics Championship was also held at the stadium in the month of October, 2019. ^[10]

See also

• Bharananganam
• Kattappana
• Thodupuzha
• Erattupetta
• Cherpunkal
• List of people from Pala
• Places of worship in Pala
• Meenachil
• Meenachil River
• Pala (State Assembly constituency)
• Ullanadu

References

1. "Grama Panchayaths" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2018.
2. "Kerala (India): Districts, Cities and Towns - Population Statistics, Charts and Map".
3. "Grama Panchayaths" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2018.
4. "Pala- A Rurban Town in Kerala | CEPT - Portfolio". Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
5. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
6. Marks, Gil (2010), Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, John Wiley and sons
7. "Municipal Stadium". Pala Municipality.
8. "State School sports meet to begin tomorrow; Rally carrying torch reaches Pala".
9. "Stage set for Kerala schools athletics meet but field wide open". Times Of India. 20 October 2017.
10. "Kerala state junior athletics: Young stars get chance to make big".