Ranni or Ranny is a town in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, India, and the 16th largest taluk (administrative division) in Kerala, located on both sides of the Pamba River.It Is Located 30 km From Thiruvalla Railway Station & NH 183 in Thiruvalla.Buses Ply Every 5 minutes From Thiruvalla To Ranni & Vice Versa Etymology The name Ranni is derived from a word in Malayalam which means "Queen", or Rani. The town is known as "The Queen of the Eastern Hill Lands" (മലനാടിന്റെ റാണി). History The history of Ranni can be traced back 5000 years to the early settlement of Adi Dravidans around Sabarimala and Nilakkal. The temple at Sabarimala dates back 2000 years. The deity's sitting posture and resemblance of the prayer 'Sharanam vili' to "Buddham Sharanam / Sangam Sharanam" points to the area's Buddhist past. The word 'Ayya' is a Buddhist Pali word that means Lord/God. An ancient trade route used to pass through Nilackal between Kerala and the Pandian kingdom. The former rulers of Ranni were known as the Ranni Karthas or the Karthkal of Ranni, the "Samanthas" and blood-related family of Thekkamamkoor Raja. In the 18th century, Anizham Thirunal Marthandavarma of Vennad annexed the Thekkamkoor kingdom and confiscated all the lands that belonged to the former rulers. Ranni Karthas Kioyikal (the Ranni Karth palace) was located in Areekkal. The Ranni Karthas also built Ranni Manjor Ramapuram temple. The temple is the same architecturally as the Aranmula Sreeparthasaradhy temple but the darshan of the former faces south. In the 18th century, Knanaya Christians migrated to Ranni from Kallissery and established the St. Thomas Church of Ranni. A significant number of Malankara Orthodox Christians and Mar Thomites also migrated from surrounding areas. In the early 19th century, Dr. Claudius Buchanan visited Ranni and was presented with an old handwritten Syriac Bible from Ranni St. Thomas Church. Ranni was a part of the Central Travancore region before the unification of India. Until the formation of Pathanamthitta district in 1982, Ranni was a part of the Kollam district. Geography Ranni is located in southwestern India at . It has an average elevation of 131 m (433 ft) above sea level. However, towards the east, the elevation is much higher. The river Pamba flows through Ranni township. According to the 2001 Census of India, Ranni spans a total of . Out of the total area, or 70% are forest. Climate Like