Anchal

There are several legends about the origin of the name Anchal. One legend is that there used to be an "Anchalappis" at the site of the present range office junction, from which the name "Anchal" originates. Another legend is how five disputes evolved in the region, leading to the name of the land of five disputes, proverbs or puzzles.[http://lsgkerala.in/anchalpanchayat/history/ അഞ്ചല്‍ ഗ്രാമപഞ്ചായത്ത് (Anchal Grama Panchayat) » ചരിത്രം] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425123559/http://lsgkerala.in/anchalpanchayat/history/ |date=25 April 2013 }}. Lsgkerala.in Another myth is that the five Banyan trees, or "Aal", in the region are the origin of the name Anchal, a portmanteau of Anch, meaning five, and Aal, meaning Banyan tree.

The nearest railway stations are the Punalur Railway Station and the Kollam Junction Railway Station, located respectively 14 km and 38 km away. Kollam Junction is the second largest railway station in Kerala by area and is also one of the oldest.{{cite web|url=http://www.railnewscenter.com/2015/01/at-glance-longest-railway-platforms-in.html |title=RAIL NEWS CENTER: At a glance: Longest railway platforms in India |access-date=2015-02-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225073235/http://www.railnewscenter.com/2015/01/at-glance-longest-railway-platforms-in.html |archive-date=2015-02-25 }} Punalur Railway Station is about 11 km from Anchal and currently connects to Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Nagarcoil, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Madurai. The nearest International Airport is Trivandrum International Airport, located 55 km from Anchal in the city of Thiruvananthapuram.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} It is the main international airport in the state of Kerala and offers both national and international flights.{{Cite web |url=http://www.trivandrumairport.com/aboutairport.php |title=Trivandrum Airport, International Airport Trivandrum, Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Thiruvananthapuram Airport, kerala, india |access-date=25 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513204857/http://www.trivandrumairport.com/aboutairport.php |archive-date=13 May 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} Anchal is located between the National Highway 744 and the Main Central Road and Hilly highway is also passing through Anchal. The new bypass, a long-standing demand of the local people was thrown open for traffic from May 17, 2024. Multiple bus services also run between Anchal and other places in Kerala.

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In the 2011 Census of India, Anchal had a population of 33,098 of which 15,732 are male and 17,356 are female. The literacy rate is 95%, with 96.7% of males literate and 93.49% of females literate.{{cite web |title=Anchal Population - Kollam, Kerala |url=http://www.census2011.co.in/data/village/628400-anchal-kerala.html |publisher=Census2011.co.in |access-date=8 September 2018}} The total employed population is 11,960. 71% of the population that are employed are male and 29% are female. Scheduled Caste members make up 9.04% of the population, while Scheduled Tribe members make up 0.25%.{{cite web |url=http://www.census2011.co.in/data/village/628400-anchal-kerala.html |title = Anchal Village Population - Pathanapuram - Kollam, Kerala}}{{update inline|date=March 2019}}

• Rajiv Anchal - a film director, screenwriter, and sculptor who works in Malayalam language cinema
• B. Kemal Pasha - a retired judge of the high court of Kerala[http://highcourtofkerala.nic.in/bkp.html Website High Court of Kerala]
• Resul Pookutty - Academy Award winning Sound Engineer

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{{Kollam district}}

Category:Villages in Kollam district