Mal: കൊട്ടാരക്കര koṭṭārakkarā
‘Palace Shore’ Town, Kerala
From Mal:: koṭṭāram, ‘royal residence/palace’, ‘place where temple-affairs are managed’, ‘storehouse/granary’; and: kara, ‘shore’, ‘riverside’.
The Pulamon Thodu (river) flows through the town and we assume that it skirted one or more royal residences.
But the lateness of palace construction here (14thC at the earliest) also suggest a holy rather than a royal riverbank, or even one with an agricultural function.
It is the home of Kathakali, the dance theatre style created by Prince Kottarakkara Thampuran in the 17thC and promoted by the Raja of Kottarakkara in the 19thC.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Kerala place names.
