Poovar

2021-12-02T12:50:09Z

2409:4073:315:CB15:0:0:110E:C0AC: /* History */Added a fact from history with cited sources

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
{{refimprove|date=December 2011}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Poovar
| other_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type = Town
| image_skyline = Poovar Kerala.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Poovar beach
| pushpin_map = India Kerala#India
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kerala, India
| coordinates = {{coord|8|19|3|N|77|4|17|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kerala]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Thiruvananthapuram district|Thiruvananthapuram]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type =
| governing_body =
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_total =
| population_as_of =
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]], [[English language|English]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = 
| postal_code =
| registration_plate = [[List of RTO districts in India#KL.E2.80.94Kerala|KL]]-20
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
'''Poovar''' is a tourist town in [[Neyyattinkara (tehsil)]] in the [[Thiruvananthapuram]] district of [[Kerala]] state, [[South India]]. This village is almost at the southern tip of [[Thiruvananthapuram]] while the next village, [[Pozhiyoor]], marks the end of Kerala. This village beach attracts tourists throughout the year.

==Trivandrum Greenfield Shipyard==
A major Greenfield Shipyard is coming up in Poovar.<ref>[https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2016/mar/18/Poovar-Shipyard-Project-in-Cold-Storage-912840.amp Poovar Shipyard Project In Cold Storage] ''New Indian Express''. Retrieved 17 October 2021.</ref> Kerala government owns 200 acres of land in this location which reduces land acquisition. The depth of the sea is 30-meter depth by nature. The [[Vizhinjam International Seaport]] is 10 km from this location.

==State government offices==
*Panchayath Office
*Sub Registrar's Office
*Village Office
*Agriculture Office
*Govt. Hospital
*Govt. Homeopathic Hospital
*Govt. Ayurveda Hospital
*Fisheries Office
*Govt.V & HSS{{clarify|What do these letters mean?|date=June 2021}}
*Fire & Rescue Office
*Police Circle Office
*KSRTC{{clarify|What do these letters mean?|date=June 2021}} Depot
*Coastal police station

==Geography==
Poovar lies very close to [[Vizhinjam]], a natural harbour. The beach of [[Pozhiyoor]] named [[Pozhikkara]] is located near Poovar. The 56 km [[Neyyar River]] passes through Neyyattinkara Taluk into the [[Arabian Sea]] near Poovar.<ref>[http://www.india9.com/i9show/-Kerala/Neyyar-River-38955.htm India9.com], Retrieved on 1 July 2008</ref>

==History==
Poovar was a trading centre of timber, sandalwood, [[ivory trade|ivory]] and spices. It is believed that ships owned by [[King Solomon]] of Israel landed in Ophir, which is identified by some sources as Poovar,<ref>{{cite book|first1=G. Krishnan|last1=Nadar|title=History of Kerala|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XXowAQAAIAAJ|year=2001|publisher=Learners' Book House|page=41}}</ref><ref name="Menon1961">{{cite book|first1=Rekha|last1=Menon|title=Cultural Profiles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OmtDAAAAYAAJ|year=1961|publisher=Inter-National Cultural Centre|page=1}}</ref>
The village was one of the ancient Muslim settlements along the western coast of India. The central mosque in Poovar was built by [[Malik Deenar]], an eighth century Muslim preacher. During the reign of the [[Chola dynasty]], Poovar was a major port. The explorer [[Megasthenes]], Roman writer [[Pliny the Elder]] and Venetian traveller [[Marco Polo]] mention connections with [[Greece]] and [[Rome]].

There were a merchant named Pokku Moosa Maraikkar who lived in Poovar during the 18th century in a house called Kallaraickal Tharavad, which many times gave shelter to [[Marthanda Varma]] (1706–58), king of [[Travancore]] from his enemies. Poovar also had trade relations with international markets at this time as well as a well trained army and some ships. At the [[Battle of Colachel]] and Battle of [[Kayamkulam]] these forces assisted the Travancore army against the [[Dutch East India Company]] during the [[Travancore–Dutch War]].

The origin of the name "Poovar" has a story related to Marthanda Varma. Before that it was called Pokkumoosapuram. During internal riots in Travancore and while escaping from the [[Ettuveetil Pillamar]] (Lords of the Eight Houses), the king reached Poovar. It was a spring season and the trees on either sides of the [[Neyyar (river)|Neyyar]] were full of flowers. These flowers fell into the river making it more attractive. On seeing this pleasant scenery, Marthanda Varma commented that this was ''poo-var'', a conjunction of the [[Malayalam]] words for "flower" and "river".<ref>{{cite book|first1=Jose|last1=Murickan|title=Religion and power structure in rural India: a study of two fishing villages in Kerala : Poovar, Sakthikulangara|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nsQsAAAAIAAJ|year=1991|publisher=Rawat Publications|page=43}}</ref>

==Transportation==
Nearest Airport : [[Trivandrum International Airport]] - 30 km,
Nearest Railway Station : [[Trivandrum Central]] -30 km, [[Nemom]] - 20 km, [[Neyyattinkara]] - 10 km Nearest Harbour : [[Vizhinjam]] - 14 km

<ref>{{cite book | url=https://www.amazon.com/Poovar-Wonder-G-Shrinithyaa-ebook/dp/B07B9LMHJH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&keywords=poovar+wonder&qid=1520605307&sr=8-1 | title=Poovar Wonder | first=G | last=Shrinithyaa | year=2018 | access-date=31 December 2018 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

Poovar Wonder by G. Shrinithyaa - A book published by Amazon.com

==External links==
{{commons category|Poovar}}

{{Thiruvananthapuram district}}
{{Tourism in Kerala}}

[[Category:History of Kerala]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram district]]
[[Category:Villages in Thiruvananthapuram district]]
[[Category:Beaches of Kerala]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in India]]

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