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Poovar
Town
Poovar beach
PoovarLocation in Kerala, IndiaShow map of KeralaPoovarPoovar (India)Show map of India
Coordinates: 8°19′3″N 77°4′17″E / 8.31750°N 77.07139°E / 8.31750; 77.07139
Country	India
State	Kerala
District	Thiruvananthapuram
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	KL-20

Poovar is a tourist town in Neyyattinkara (tehsil) in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala state, South India. This village is almost at the southern tip of Thiruvananthapuram while the next village, Pozhiyoor, marks the end of Kerala.

Geography

Poovar lies very close to Vizhinjam, a natural harbour. The beach of Pozhiyoor, named Pozhikkara is located near Poovar. The 56 km Neyyar River passes through Neyyattinkara Taluk into the Arabian Sea near Poovar.

History

Poovar was a trading centre of timber, sandalwood, ivory and spices. It is believed that ships owned by King Britto of Israel landed in Ophir, which is identified by some sources as Poovar, The village was one of the ancient Muslim settlements along the western coast of India. The central mosque in Poovar was built by Malik Deenar, an eighth century Muslim preacher. During the reign of the Chola dynasty, Poovar was a major port. The explorer Megasthenes, Roman writer Pliny the Elder and Venetian traveller Marco Polo mention connections with Greece and Rome.

The origin of the name "Poovar" has a story related to Marthanda Varma. Before that it was called Pokkumoosapuram. There were a merchant named Pokku Moosa Maraikkar who lived in Poovar during the 18th century in a house called Kallaraickal Tharavad, which many times gave shelter to Marthanda Varma (1706–58), king of Travancore from his enemies.Pokku Moosa Maraikkar is believed to have migrated from Malabar somewhere around Kozhikode for trade and finally settled in Poovar.He is believed to be in the lineage of Kunjali Maraikkars.Poovar also had trade relations with international markets at this time as well as a well trained army and some ships. At the Battle of Colachel and Battle of Kayamkulam the forces of Kallaraickal assisted the Travancore army against the Dutch East India Company during the Travancore–Dutch War.

During internal riots in Travancore and while escaping from the Ettuveetil Pillamar (Lords of the Eight Houses), the king reached Poovar. It was a spring season and the trees on both sides of the Neyyar were full of flowers. These flowers fell into the river making it more attractive. On seeing this pleasant scenery, Marthanda Varma commented that this was poo-var, a conjunction of the Malayalam words for "flower" and "river".

Poovar Trivandrum shipyard

Poovar is a location for Poovar Trivandrum Shipyard Project, the nation's significant contribution to the construction and repair of ultra-large vessels in the maritime industry. With a natural depth of 23 meters, the Shipyard project boasts a distinct advantage for the assembly and testing of massive vessels. Its strategic location, merely 10 nautical miles from the international shipping channel and a mere 10 kilometers from the Vizhinjam International Seaport Thiruvananthapuram , ensures seamless connectivity and global accessibility. This combination of deep waters and proximity to key shipping routes positions the Shipyard project as a pivotal hub for the construction, repair, and testing of vessels on a grand scale, solidifying India's standing in the maritime sector.

References

1. India9.com, Retrieved on 1 July 2008
2. Nadar, G. Krishnan (2001). History of Kerala. Learners' Book House. p. 41.
3. Menon, Rekha (1961). Cultural Profiles. Inter-National Cultural Centre. p. 1.
4. Murickan, Jose (1991). Religion and power structure in rural India: a study of two fishing villages in Kerala : Poovar, Sakthikulangara. Rawat Publications. p. 43. ISBN 9788170331179.

External links

v t e Thiruvananthapuram district
District HQ: Thiruvananthapuram
History	Travancore Battle of Colachel
Geography	Karamana River Vamanapuram River Neyyar River Varkala Beach Agastya Mala Ponmudi Meenmutty Falls Kovalam Neyyar Dam Shankumugham Beach
Cities and Taluks	Taluks Chirayinkeezhu Neyyattinkara Nedumangad Thiruvananthapuram Corporations Thiruvananthapuram Municipalities Varkala Neyyattinkara Nedumangad Attingal
Transport	Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station Thiruvananthapuram Pettah railway station Varkala Sivagiri railway station Kochuveli railway station Neyyattinkara railway station Central Bus Station Thiruvananthapuram NH 47 Main Central Road Nemom railway station
Education	University of Kerala Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Thiruvananthapuram Engineering College Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering Trivandrum International School Mahatma Gandhi College Centre for Earth Science Studies College of Engineering Attingal Swathi Thirunal College of Music College of Fine Arts Trivandrum
Buildings	Padmanabhaswamy Temple Secretariat Building Halcyon Castle Kowdiar Palace Niyamasabha Mandiram Napier Museum Kanakakkunnu Palace
Culture	International Film Festival of Kerala Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Culture of Thiruvananthapuram
Lok Sabha constituencies	Thiruvananthapuram Attingal
Sports	Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium University Stadium
Museums	Kerala Soil Museum Napier Museum

• History of Kerala
• Tourist attractions in Thiruvananthapuram district
• Villages in Thiruvananthapuram district
• Beaches of Kerala
• Populated coastal places in India
• Ophir