GEOGRAPHY

KUTTANADU is the region with the lowest altitude in India, with 500 square kilometres of the region below sea level . Its elevation ranges from 0.6 m above to 2.2 metres below sea level. Most of the area is covered with water throughout the year. Kuttanadu is one of the few places in the world where farming is carried out below sea level. The Greater Kuttanad region spread across the parliament region of Allpeppy and Mavelikara, and assembly of kuttanadu.

The major occupation in Kuttanadu is farming. Rice is the important agricultural product, giving Kuttanadu the moniker of "The Rice Bowl of Kerala". Three crops are grown every year now instead of the traditional two per year. Large farming areas near vembanad Lake were actually reclaimed from the lake. The king decreed that whoever reclaims land from water can own it leading to massive redemption of land from the lake. Many enterprising farmers took up the challenge.

As the farming in the area increased farmers felt themselves constrained by the two cycles a year for rice cultivation. The reason for which is the limited availability of potable water in Kuttanadu. During the monsoon seasons, the water from the mountains flow through the rivers to the sea, bringing potable water to Kuttanadu. But during summer, due to the low level of the region, seawater enters Kuttanadu and makes the salt content of the water high making it unpotable .

CULTURAL &SPIRITUAL PERSONALITIES

Bishop Kurialaserry was born at Champakulam in Kurialacherry family on January 14, 1873. Mar Thomas Kurialacherry was consecrated bishop on 3 rd Dec. 1911. Upon taking charge of the vast and teeming diocese, the Servant of God committed himself with all his energy and divine help to the spiritual renewal of the Church. His apostolic activities were inspired and sustained by his profound devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Jnanpith -winning novelist, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai,Late Malayalam poet K. Ayyappa Panikkar,The late filmmaker John Abraham hailed from Kuttanad.

Kuriakose Elias Chavara ,who was declared in 1986 as a "Blessed" by Pope John Paul, was born at Kainakary in Kuttanad.He founded the first indigenous society of Catholic Priests known as "Carmelites of Mary Immaculate" (C.M.I.) and Puthenparambil Tommachen known as Kerala Assisi hails from Edathua Kuttanadu.

Scholar-folkorist Kavalam Nrayana Panikkar and his musician son Kavalam Sreekumar are natives of Kuttanadu..

Maliampurackal Chacko Punnoose , known as Navodaya Appachan (born 1924 in Pulinkunnu is an Indian film producer director , and entrepreneur.My Dear Kuttichathan . The latter was the first 3D movie made in India and released asChota Chetan in Hindi. He is the founder of Navodaya Studio.

Renowned film actor Nedumudi Venu too hails from this belt. Kunchacko Boban is known as the STYLISH SUPER STAR of Malayalam film industry is also belongs to kuttanadu.Another famous film personality hailing from Kuttanad is filmmaker Vinayan.

The greatest agricultural scientist of India, Dr. M. S. Swaminathan hails from Mancompu in Kuttanad. Professor M.S. Swaminathan ( Monkompu Sambasivan Swaminathan) is basically a plant geneticist and is acclaimed as the God father of the Green Revolution, which is one of the truy astonishing transformations of the century. He has been acclaimed by TIME magazine as one of the twenty most influential Asians of the 20th century and one of the only three from India, the other two being Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranatha Tagore. He has been described by the United Nations Environment Programme as "the Father of Economic Ecology"

Famous cartoonist TOMS is from Veliyanadu of Kuttanadu. He is the creator of the cartoon characters Boban and Molly . Toms was born at Kuttanad in 1929 as the son of V.T. Kunjuthomman and Cicily Thomas. He graduated with a B.A. degree . Toms joined Malayala Manorama as a cartoonist in 1961 and worked there till his retirement in 1987. Toms' impish cartoon characters Boban and Molly had become a household name in Kerala for over 40 years mainly through the pages of the Malayala Manorama weekly. Besides Boban and his sister Molly, Toms peoples the cartoon with characters like Kunchukurup, Appy-Hippy, Unnikkuttan, Panchayat President Chettan, his wife, etc. who all had found a place in the hearts of Malayali society.

Birth place of the famous geologist & Sanskrit Scholar I.C Chacko, winner Kendriya Sahathiya Accademy Award for his Paananeeya Pradyoditham in 1956.Every year Kerala sahithya accadamy Instituted I.C. Chacko award (for linguistics) He is a famous geologist scientifically studied Kuttanadu and its environment, has strong views against the curse of kuttanadu THANNEERMUKKAM bund. He is an environmentist learn and write about the consequence of thanneermukkam bund on kuttanads environment before 1950.He is a sanskrit malayalam grammerian literary figure write commentries on Ramayana and Mahabharatha as a historian. The Jawahar boat club purchased a Chundan owned by Mr I C Chacko in 1963 and renamed it as Jawahar Thayamkary.

The international swimmer olympian Sebastian Xavior also belongs to Edathua .He meets many record in Asiad, common wealth , Saaf games and many other national and international meets.He represented Kerala athlet captain in National games his performance in olympics was outstanding.