Elappara
Elappara is a village in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the panchayaths in Peerumedu taluk. The area is marked by a cool climate as the region is situated at an elevation of more than 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above the sea level. Elappara is famous for its vast tea plantations.
Source - Wikipedia [May 2021]
The history of present Elappara begins in 1836 with the clearing of the Vembanadu region by Henry Baker, a C.M.S. missionary. The first estate to start the tea industry in high-range was the Tyford estate and the first plantation Penshwarast - both of which are situated in Elappara panchayath.During the Kollam era, the regions including Elappara were a part of the Thekkumkur kingdom and were later acquired by Manavikrama Kulasekara Perumal, the founder of the Poonjar dynasty. History says that Manavikrama was on his journey to Poonjar and took rest at 'Thangalpara,' near Kolahalamedu. Even today we can see the remnants of Minakshi idols in the rocks, indicating its history. In the 1870s, various plantations had emerged in this region. The tea cultivated here was known by the name Peerumedu hybrid tea, a type native to China. By 1896, the area was fully utilized for tea cultivation. Later, in the 1900s, the people that worked in these plantations permanently settled there.
Elappara panchayath was formed in 1953, including 17 wards, and it belongs to the Azhutha block of Peerumedu taluk. The surrounding panchayaths are Ayyappancoil, Upputhara, Kokkayar, Peruvanthanam, and Kumily.Wards in Elappara panchayath
Pullikkanam
Uluppooni
Kottamala
Vattapathal
Kochu Karumtharuvi
Chemmannu
Chinnar
Vallakkadavu
Haileyburia
Kizhakke puthuval
Kozhikkanam
Thannikanam
Elappara
Tyford
Bonami
Kolahalamedu
Vagamon
