Punalur

Punalur is a city situvated near the Tamil Nadu Kerala Border in Kollam district in the southern state of Kerala, India. It is the pioneer in starting industrial revolution in Kerala by establishing Punalur Paper Mills, the first industry in kerala. It is situated in the banks of the river Kallada. The place got the name from two Tamil words punal means water and ooru means place which means land of water. It is about 45 km north-east of Kollam and 75 km north of Thiruvananthapuram. Punalur is the head quarters of Pathanapuram taluk. This place is the gateway to Western Ghats.it is the second largest city in kollam.it is also known as THE HOTTEST CITY OF SOUTH INDIA.

Punalur is a city which has a good relation with Tamil Nadu from ancient time itself.Most parts of Pathnapuram taluk are having habitation before the Indus valley civilizaton.Around first AD itself,there was a possible kind of civiliztion in and around Punalur but most parts were thick forests.Punalur was described in Mithranandpuram and Vellayani shasanas.Up to 1734 Punalur was under the direct rule of Ilaydathu swaroopam.