EddieFrine at 04:16, 13 February 2026

2026-02-13T04:16:17Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Kalpathy
| other_name =
കൽപ്പാത്തി
| nickname =
Half Benaras
| settlement_type = Suburb
| image_skyline = Kalpathy Palakkad.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = A view of one of the streets in Kalpathy
| pushpin_map = India Kerala#India
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Kerala, India
| coordinates = {{coord|10|49|N|76|39|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 = [[Palakkad]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type =
| governing_body = [[Palakkad]] Municipality
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_total =
| population_as_of =
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 =
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]], [[English language|English]]
| demographics1_title2 = Regional
| demographics1_info2 = [[Malayalam]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]]<ref name="languages">{{Cite web |title=Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Kerala |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10209/download/13321/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-3200.XLSX |website=www.censusindia.gov.in |publisher=[[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India]]}}</ref>
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code = 678 003
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| area_code = 0491
| registration_plate = [[List of RTO districts in India#KL.E2.80.94Kerala|KL]]-09
| blank1_name_sec1 = Civic agency
| blank1_info_sec1 =
| website =
| Phone =
| footnotes =
| blank3_name_sec1 = Parliament constituency
| blank3_info_sec1 = [[Palakkad Lok Sabha constituency|Palakkad]]
| blank4_name_sec1 = Assembly constituency
| blank4_info_sec1 = [[Palakkad Assembly constituency|Palakkad]]
| official_name = Kalpathy
}}
'''Kalpathy''' or '''Kalpathi''' is a residential area in [[Palakkad]] city, [[Kerala]], India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pin Code: KALPATHI, PALAKKAD, KERALA, India, Pincode.net.in |url=https://pincode.net.in/KERALA/PALAKKAD/K/KALPATHI |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=pincode.net.in}}</ref> It is famous for the [[Viswanatha Swamy Temple, Palakkad|Viswanatha Swamy Temple]], which is located along the banks of the Kalpathy river, one of the tributaries of the [[Bharathapuzha]]. It is also famous for the [[Kalpathi Ratholsavam|Kalpathy Radholsavam]], which is an annual car festival taking place in the month of Thulam (November).<ref>{{cite web | title=Kerala HC Judge Calls on Brahmins to 'Agitate' Against Caste-Based Reservations | url=https://thewire.in/caste/kerala-high-court-judge-chitambaresh-brahmin-caste-based-reservations }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Why the century-old Ezhava rebellion in Kalpathy remains a forgotten footnote in Kerala history | date=29 November 2023 | url=https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/ezhava-rebellion-in-kalpathy-a-forgotten-footnote-in-kerala-history/ }}</ref>
[[File:Three chariots.jpg|thumb|Three chariots of Lord Shiva, Ganesha & Kartikeya in the Kalpathy Ratholsavam]]
Kalpathy is an [[agraharam]], or traditional village. It is the first heritage village in [[Kerala]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=kareemadathil |first=nadeesh |date=2014-11-16 |title=Kalpathy heritage village on bad days |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/141116/nation-current-affairs/article/kalpathy-heritage-village-bad-days |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en}}</ref> This [[Tamils|Tamil]] migrant [[brahmin]] village is more popular as the hub of Carnatic music in Kerala rather than for the legacy and tradition passed down through the generations for the past 600 years.

Kalpathy consists of five smaller villages, which are Old Kalpathy, New Kalpathy, Chathapuram, Govindarajapuram and Manthakkara. The similarity of the [[Viswanatha Swamy Temple, Palakkad|Viswanatha Swamy Temple]] to the [[Kashi Vishwanath Temple|Varanasi Kashi Viswanatha temple]] on the banks of [[Ganges]] is responsible for the moniker ''Kasiyil paathi Kalpathy'' (''Half Kashi'' or ''Half Benaras'') and the term ''Dakshina Kashi'' (Southern Kashi) associated with this temple.

The beauty of the architecture here - each [[brahmin]] quarter sharing walls and adjoined with the next one forming a linear pattern, the streets that wake up to the Venkatesha Suprabhatham, [[Vedic chant|Vedic mantra]] recitals and Shiva Sthothram (hymns) - all musical, the rice flour [[kolam]] (artful drawing deemed religious and ritualistic) in the front courtyard of each quarter, [[Idli]], [[Sambar (dish)|Sambar]] and ghee rich sweets and savouries announcing the glory of [[Tamil cuisine|Tamil food]] culture, and the magnificent [[Kalpathi Ratholsavam|Ratholsavam]] (Chariot Festival) celebrated with fervour; All of these constitute the stamp of life in Kalpathy.The rolling of heavily decorated majestic temple chariots through the village streets of Kalpathy is the major attraction of the car festival.

[[Viswanatha Swamy Temple, Palakkad|Sree Viswanathaswamy temple]] is the main centre of the festival while the three satellite temples in the village of new Kalpathy, old Kalpathy and Chathapuram also take part in it.These were all passed on through the generations of lives in the Agraharam without losing the original charm.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kalpathy Agraharam and Kalpathy Ratholsavam {{!}} Heritage & Cultural Zone {{!}} Palakkad District {{!}} Malabar Districts in Kerala |url=https://www.keralatourism.org/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=www.keralatourism.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |author=Staff Reporter |date=2021-11-14 |title=Scale-down |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/religious-fervour-marks-kalpathy-chariot-fest/article37490731.ece |access-date=2022-09-30 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=State govt gives nod for Kalpathy 'Ratholsavam' |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2021/11/12/kerala-government-gives-approval-kalpathy-ratholsavam.html |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=OnManorama}}</ref> Kalpathy and its neighbourhoods have witnessed large settlements of people in colonies and apartments, making it one of the major residential areas of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kalpathi Heritage Village {{!}} Kalpathi Rathotsavam {{!}} Tourist Places in Palakkad |url=https://www.keralatourism.org/kerala-article/2021/kalpathi-heritage-village/1133 |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=Kerala Tourism |language=en}}</ref>

Kalpathy also has its very own sports event, called the [[Kalpathy Sports Fest]] which is conducted annually, it started on October-November 2024.

[[File:Kalpathy 01.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Kalpathy]]
[[File:Kalpathy 02.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of a street in Kalpathy]]
[[File:Kalpathy Street 2.jpg|thumb|Chathapuram Street of Kalpathy]]
[[File:Kalpathy Street.jpg|thumb|Manthakkara street of Kalpathy]]
[[File: Govindarajapuram.jpg|thumb|Govindarajapuram street in Kalpathy]]

==Temples==
*Sree Visalakshi Sametha Sree [[Viswanatha Swamy Temple, Palakkad|Viswanatha Swamy Temple]]
*Sree Lakshmi Narayana Perumal Temple<ref>{{Cite web |title=Temple finder - Sri Lakshmi Narayana Swamy Temple, Kerala, Palakkad |url=https://www.templefinder.in/details/47911/sri-lakshmi-narayana-swamy-temple-palakkad-kerala |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=www.templefinder.in}}</ref>
*Sree Prasanna Mahaganapathy Temple<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact Us – Chathapuram Sri Prasanna Maha Ganapathy Temple |url=http://chathapuramtemple.in/wp/contact-us/ |access-date=2022-09-30 |language=en-US}}</ref>
*Manthakkara Sree Maha Ganapathy<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-11-15 |title=Festival fervour grips Kalpathy |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/festival-fervour-grips-kalpathy/article25509912.ece |access-date=2022-09-30 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
*Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple{{cn|date=February 2026}}
*Vaidhyanathapuram Krishna Temple<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-26 |title=Vaidhyanathapuram Krishna Temple, Palakkad, Kerala, India |url=https://indiasthan.com/place/kerala/75287/vaidhyanathapuram-krishna-temple |access-date=2022-09-30 |website=indiasthan.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Kalpathy.jpg|thumb|Viswanatha Swamy Temple Entrance]]
[[File:Lakshmi Narayana Perumal temple.jpg|thumb|Lakshmi Narayana Perumal temple, Old Kalpathy]]
[[File:Chathapuram Prasanna Mahaganapathy.jpg|thumb|Chathapuram Prasanna Mahaganapathy temple]]
[[File:Manthakkara Mahaganapathy.jpg|thumb|Manthakkara Mahaganapathy temple]]
[[File:Manthakkara Mahaganapathy temple.jpg|thumb|Poster of the Manthakkara Mahaganapathy temple]]
[[File:Lakshmi Narayana Perumal alangaram.jpg|thumb|Lakshmi Narayana Perumal alangaram, Old Kalpathy]]
[[File:Muruga temple, Viswanatha Swamy temple.jpg|thumb|Muruga temple within the premises of Viswanatha Swamy temple]]
[[File:Viswanatha Swamy temple.jpg|thumb|Viswanatha Swamy temple, New Kalpathy]]

==Location==
Kalpathy is located about 3 km from the center of the city. City service buses are there to connect Kalpathy with other parts. The nearest major railway station is [[Palakkad Junction railway station]] and the nearest airport is [[Coimbatore International Airport]].

==History==
Kalpathy agraharam (the Tamil brahmin settled village next to the temple) was at the centre of a historical controversy in 1924. The famous [[Kalpathi Ratholsavam|Kalpathy Radholsavam]] passed through the main street of the agraharam which was a government funded and maintained road. In early 1920s, the road was not open to the so called lower castes ("awarnas"). The members of the Ezhava community were denied the use of the roads through this Brahmin village and the right to worship in the village temple. To counter this heinous practice, the members of the Ezhava community in Palakkad organized a rebellion by walking thru the public road and towards the temple. Despite the then British Presidency of Madras, under which Palakkad and Kalpathy fell, issuing an order permitting Ezhavas to enter Kalpathy, the conservative Brahmins of the village resisted the attempt. Many an Ezhava was roughed up by the Brahmins for attempting to enter the village.

A group of Ezhavas were "converted" into Arya Samaj. Subsequently, several groups of Ezhavas under various community leaders attempted to walk thru the public road. They were also forcibly denied entry by the residents of the Agraharam. A young man who was severely beaten up later converted to Christianity and took the name John Kittu and went on to become an independent MLA during the first elections to Kerala state assembly.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why the century-old Ezhava rebellion in Kalpathy remains a forgotten footnote in Kerala history |date=29 November 2023 |url=https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/ezhava-rebellion-in-kalpathy-a-forgotten-footnote-in-kerala-history/}}</ref>

===Recent history ===
In 2019, a sitting Kerala high court judge Justice V Chitambaresh hailing from Kalpathy agraraham, questioned the need for caste based reservation. He called Brahmins as twice-born endowed with good deeds of past births, having "characteristics like clean habits, vegetarian, a lover of Carnatic music and all good qualities rolled into one... is never communal, he is always considerate, he is an ahimsavadi (non-violent person)"<ref>{{cite web | title=The Ezhava Uprising in Kalpathy | date=18 August 2019 | url=https://kochipost.com/?p=12298 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kerala HC Judge Calls on Brahmins to 'Agitate' Against Caste-Based Reservations |url=https://thewire.in/caste/kerala-high-court-judge-chitambaresh-brahmin-caste-based-reservations/}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Palakkad]]
[[Category:Suburbs of Palakkad]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Palakkad district]]

Kalpathy - Revision history

EddieFrine at 04:16, 13 February 2026