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Pathanamthitta
Town in Kerala, India

Pathanamthitta

Pathanamthitta, is a Municipal Town in southern Kerala, India, spread over an area of 23.5 km2 (9.1 sq mi).

Plan a trip to Pathanamthitta→From Thiruvananthapuram

It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The town has a population of 37,538. The Hindu pilgrim centre Sabarimala is situated in the Pathanamthitta district; as the main transport hub to Sabarimala, the town is known as the 'Pilgrim Capital of Kerala'.

Get in

Getting to Pathanamthitta

Cochin International Airport 142 km, or Thiruvananthapuram International airport at 113 km. Direct flights there from the Middle East, Singapore, Maldives, Europe and Sri Lanka. An airport is planned at Aranmula, 55 km from Sabarimala shrine, to connect temple town with other parts of India and seasonal international flight.

See

Worth seeing

The prime attraction of Pathanamthitta is the Great Temple of Lord Ayyappa. The temple is dedicated Lord Dharmashastha or popularly known as Ayyappan. = = Myths recall that Lord Ayyappa is born as son of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, to destroy Demoness Mahashi who gained a boon that she could be killed only in hands a son born to two male gods.

  1. 01
    Nilakkal Sree Mahadeva Temple

    Nilakkal village (47 km NE on Route 183A Mannarakkulanji - Chalakkayam highway).

  2. 02
    Elephants
Do

Things to do

Thiruvabharanam Procession. The Thiruvabharana (Sacred Treasures) of Lord Ayyappa, which is preserved in Pandalam Palace, will be taken to Sabarimala as a grand procession. The procession starts in first week of January, only to reach at Sabarimala on Makara Sankrathi Day (second week of January).

Eat

Where to eat

There are a lot of small hotels and eateries which dot the landscape of Pathanamthitta town. A few posh Christian hotels restaurants can be found town, serving alcohol and typical Syrian Christian foods. J&F (near J-mart, on the T.B Road). Serves authentic North Indian dishes like tandoori naan, kababs and various other Kashmiri and Punjabi dishes.

How locals move

Getting around Pathanamthitta the local way

  • Get aroundAutorickshaw - this is a cheap way of travelling between attractions.
  • Get aroundShare taxis are also common, to cater pilgrims.

From Wikivoyage: Pathanamthitta, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-06.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.