Lahai, also spelt Laha is a remote settlement located in the north eastern part of Pathanamthitta district, Kerala state, India. This is the place from which the sacred grove (Poongavanam) of Lord Ayyappa begins.
Lahai
Gateway to Sabarimala poongavanam | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Lahai Location in Kerala, India  Lahai Lahai (India) | |
| Coordinates: 9°22′7″N 76°54′25″E / 9.36861°N 76.90694°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Kerala |
| District | Pathanamthitta |
| Government | |
| • Type | Panchayath |
| • Body | Perunad panchayath |
| Elevation | 910 m (2,990 ft) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 689662 |
| Area code | 04735 |
| Vehicle registration | KL-62, KL-03 |
Geography
editLahai lies about 3,000 ft (910 m) above mean sea level, predominantly a hilly region or Malanad. The place is covered by thick forests of Ranni division.[1]
Demographics
editThe average population is about 3000 people. The major revenue is from Lahai Rubber estate which was established by British in early 1900s with 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land.
Climate
editLahai experiences a tropical climate as in many parts of Kerala. Significant amount of rainfall occurs during the months of June, July and August. Humidity is comparatively less here with an average annual temperature of about 29.37°C. The average annual precipitation is 2407mm. The months of January and February receives low rainfall. Temperature falls in December and January to 20°C. March, April and May are the hottest months in the year.
| Climate data for Lahai, Kerala | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.0 (84.2) |
30.0 (86.0) |
31.2 (88.2) |
31.4 (88.5) |
31.1 (88.0) |
29.0 (84.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
28.4 (83.1) |
28.9 (84.0) |
28.6 (83.5) |
28.1 (82.6) |
28.5 (83.3) |
29.4 (84.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.2 (68.4) |
21.0 (69.8) |
22.3 (72.1) |
23.3 (73.9) |
23.5 (74.3) |
22.5 (72.5) |
22.0 (71.6) |
22.1 (71.8) |
22.0 (71.6) |
21.9 (71.4) |
21.5 (70.7) |
20.5 (68.9) |
21.9 (71.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 24 (0.9) |
38 (1.5) |
70 (2.8) |
152 (6.0) |
220 (8.7) |
406 (16.0) |
433 (17.0) |
282 (11.1) |
208 (8.2) |
298 (11.7) |
208 (8.2) |
68 (2.7) |
2,407 (94.8) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org[2] | |||||||||||||
Location
editLahai is blessed with naturally beautiful landscapes and with tropical rain forests of Ranni forest division. The Sabarimala forest (Poongavanam) begins from Lahai. Most important fact is that the uphill road to Sabarimala ends at Lahai and become level road all the way to Sabarimala.
The famous Sabarigiri Hydro electric Project in 1960s had built heavy equipment transportation road to Moozhiyar Power House. This road now exclusively used by pilgrims to Sabarimala.
Lahai is a historical place in many regards. The Sabarimala Thiruvabharanam procession comes to Lahai forest Bungalow, stays overnight and continues to Sabarimala temple. The famous St. Thomas Pilgrim Church at Nilakkal is 10 miles (16 km) away from Lahai Junction.
Nearby places
edit- Perunad
- Puthukkada
- Velamplavu
- Manakkayam
- Plappally
- Elavumkal
- Chittar
- Vadasserikkara
References
edit- ^ "Lahai Estate Manager'S Bungalow (Laha)". Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "CLIMATE: LAHA", Climate-Data.org. Web: [1].