Pozhiyoor


Pozhiyoor is a village in the district of Thiruvananthapuram in the State of Kerala in India. It has gradually grown to a well known tourist destination in India. The major attractions of Poovar tourism area are in Pozhiyoor. Pozhikkara, eaustary formed by river Neyyar before it falls into the mighty Arabian Sea is the centre of attraction of tourism circuit in Poovar. Golden Beach, Elephant Rock, Anantha Victoria Marthanda Varma Canal, Pieta are other major attractions in Pozhiyoor Beach area in Thiruvananthapuram. It is the at the coastal border of the Indian states of Kerala and border of tamil nadu.

History

The history of Pozhiyoor traces to the ancient ages. Shree Mahadeva Temple, Shiva Temple dates to ancient days which has epics to narrate. Pozhiyoor had an ancient port at the present golden sand beach at Pozhikkara and was a major trading centre on those days, around 1000 BC, period of David and Solomon. Pozhiyoor wan an ancient trading centre of timber, sandal wood, ivory, spices and other important goods of that era. It is believed that the ships of Solomon landed in the port and conducted trade with this part of world. Ancient day name of Pozhiyoor was Ophir, which is mentioned in the Bible.
Pozhiyoor and Poovar had witnessed early settlement of Muslims from Arabia. It is believed that the mosque in Poovar was founded by Malik Dinar, early Muslim preacher came to Kerala for spreading the new faith.
Pozhiyoor was a thriving port in early days during the golden period of Greece and Roman Empire. As new centres like Muzirus and Kozhikode got emerged as the major trading centres, Pozhiyoor lost its glory.

Administration

Nation - India

State - Kerala

District - Thiruvananthapuram

Taluk - Neyyattinkara

Pozhiyoor falls into Kulathoor Grama Panchayat and Karode Panchayat of Parassala Block in Thiruvananthapuram District. Pozhiyoor is divided into Pozhikkara, Parithiyoor, South Kollemcode,Poipallivilakam etc....

Location

Pozhiyoor is near several other tourist destinations such as Kovalam, Poovar and Padmanabhapuram Palace. It has an estuary which connects with the sea during high tides. The Pozhikkara beach is located in Pozhiyoor, where the Neyyar, Southern Peninsular river joins at the Arabian Sea.
Pozhiyoor is about 36 km from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and 34 km from Central Railway Station and Bus Station. The nearest railway stations are Neyyattinkara and Parassala. The nearest bus stand is at Poovar just 5 km away.
From Pozhiyoor which mark the end of South Kerala lease the first village, Neerody of Tamil Nadu which is just 2.5 km, by Parssala Kollengode Road.

Religion

The three main religious communities in Pozhiyoor are Christian, Hindu, and Muslim. There are two churches, two mosques and a major Hindu temple with a subdivision. Two major churches, St. Mathew's Church, South Kollemcode and St. Mary Magdalene Church, Paruthiyoor are under the Latin Catholic Archdiocese of Trivandrum / Archdiocese of Trivandrum. There is an ancient Shiva/Siva temple, Sri Mahadeva Temple Pozhiyoor, which is administered by Travancore Devaswom Board. There is a reference about this temple in Vellayani Sasanam availed from Vellayani Lake, Thiruvananthapuram. A notable Devi temple Kollemcode Thookapura is located 2 km from Pozhiyoor.

Tourism

Pozhiyoor is where the backwater meets the sea. The beach attracts many tourists every year. It is also a natural resourced area with boating facilities and backwater tourism. Isola Di Cocco Beach Resort, Estuary Island, Poovar Island, Over The Hill, Havelia Island Resort...etc. are few of the resorts in and around Pozhiyoor Pozhikkara. Affordable boating services are available from both Poovar & Pozhiyoor for enjoying backwater beauty.

Sports

Pozhiyoor is well known for its sports enthusiasm and spirit, and is popularly known as the 'Football Capital' of Kerala. Pozhiyoor is also known as the Santhosh Trophy Village. Both SMRC and Udaya made a vital role to encourage and develop football in the region. It also has contributed many football players to national and state teams. In 2017 Santosh Trophy Tournament, Pozhiyoor was the only village to contribute 10 players representing different teams across India. Two players have played in the 2018-19 I-league season. S.Rajesh for Gokulam FC and Britto P.M for Mohun Bagan.

Anantha Victoria Marthandam Canal

The Anantha Victoria Marthandam Canal also known as AVM Canal was formed in July 1860 during the reign of Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma Maharaja of Travancore state. It was a scheme for connecting Thiruvananthapuram with Kanyakumari and thus extending the water communications to the extreme south of the country. All the coastal villages numbering more than 20, including, Pozhiyoor, Marthandamthurai, Thengapagttinam, Colachel, and Mondaicadu, all depended upon this resource for most of their needs, including navigation, but today the purpose is no longer served.

Major establishments and institutions

Educational Institutions