Kallooppara

9°24′54″N 76°38′08″E / 9.415025°N 76.635475°E / 9.415025; 76.635475Country IndiaStateKeralaDistrictPathanamthittaPopulation • Total16,837Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)Vehicle registrationKL-28 (Mallappally)

Kallooppara is a census village in Kallooppara gram panchayat in the Mallapally taluk of the district of Pathanamthitta in Kerala. As of 2011, it had a population of 16,837.^[2]

The land of Kallooppara was previously known by the name of "Perum Para Nadu" because of exceptionally large storage of rocks. Later, the region was renamed Perumbranadu.

Kallooppara was once the part of Thiruvalla taluka but with the formation of the Pathanamthitta district in 1983, a new taluka was created, and Kallooppara became a part of it. It was governed by the Thekkumkoor Dynasty and Edappally Thampurans (rulers).

According to a local tradition of the Saint Thomas Christians, the four prominent Namboothiri families who were converted to Christianity by St. Thomas between AD 52 and AD 72 were Kali, Kalikavu, Pakalomattom, and Sankarapuri.^[3][4] Due to religious discrimination, these families moved to southern Kerala by the end of the 2nd century. Though the Christian devotees of Kallooppara trace their roots to the first century, history dates their arrival and settlement at Kallooppara only from the 9th century onwards. Most of them migrated from Christian centers like Kuravilangad, Vaikom, and Kadambanad, and have apical ancestors based on the lineage and known under family names such as Valiyaveedu, Melepeedika, Kallarakkal, Aalummud, Adangapurathu, Kurunthayil, Thazhepeedika, Pallikkal, Chamathil, Pandakasalayil, Kanamoottil, Peralummootil, Vattasseril, Kochumannil, Karimbil, Moothedathu, Mundupalathingal and Pallimalayil.

The old Vemolinad was separated into "Vadakumkoor" and "Thekkumkoor" in AD 1100. Kottayam, Chenganacherry, Thiruvalla, Kanjirapally and some places of high range were included in Thekkumkoor kingdom. Kallooppara was under the control of the Thekkumkoor dynasty. It had Kalari (training center for martial arts) at Kallooppara. The famous Kalari was known as Thekkumkoor fort which existed until recently. The Thekkumkoor army camped here and it was risky for the enemy to attack them. It is said that the King had many close friends in Kallooppara and its surroundings. The Old Nair lord Family at Koipuram in Eraviperoor was in close touch with the Kings. It was this Nair Lord family who had great influence on the king and inspired him to donate Kallooppara sub-division to Edappally dynasty. As the withdrawal of Thekkumkoor kings, Kallooppara came under the Edappally dynasty, which is also known as Elangalloor Swaroopam. The Edappally dynasty has the history of elevation of a temple priest to the royal position of a King. The founder of the Edappally dynasty was a priest of Thrikkakara temple according to the historical evidence and proverbs.

As per the 2011 Indian census, Kallooppara has a population of 16,837. It has a sex ratio of 1127 females per 1000 males. Children below 6 years of age constitute 7.58% of the total population. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes constitute 11.34% and 0.30% of the population respectively. The total literacy rate was 97.81% (98.05% for males and 97.60% for females), which is higher than the state average of 94% and the national average of 74.04%.^[5]