Aranmula is a temple town in the state of Kerala, India. It is known as the cultural capital of Pathanamthitta district, located at a distance of around 116 km from Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, it is situated on the banks of the river Pampa. A centre of pilgrimage from time immemorial and a trade post of eminence, when the river was the chief means of transport, it is near Kozhenchery in Pathanamthitta District. It is easily accessible from Thiruvalla & Chengannur railway stations.It is located around 14 km from Thiruvalla City Centre. Tourism Aranmula is famous for the tourist attraction 'Vallam Kali', (Snakeboat regatta). Aranmula is a global heritage site enlisted by the United Nations. It is a sacred site for the Hindus and comprises the central temple of Lord Parthasarathi with a network of temples and sacred groves around. Boat race is part of the temple festival here. The boat race is conducted on day of Uthrittathi in the month of Chingam Being a Vishnu temple in close proximity to Sabarimala means that during every Sabarimala season, Aranmula becomes a veritable hotspot for religious tourism. Geography Fertile wetlands, locally called Puncha, rich biodiversity and a soothing climate make Aranmula an apex model of the ecofriendly culture of Kerala. The region, as remote sensing maps show, has a rich stock of ground water which feeds the river Pampa and the estuaries like Vembanad. The rice producing belts like Kuttanad downstream benefit from the water cycle. Nearby important towns are Chengannur (10 km), Pathanamthitta (15 km), Pandalam (14 km). The nearest railway station is Chengannur and airports are in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. Geographic Coordinates Aranmula is located at . It has an average elevation of . Temples The Aranmula Parthasarathi Temple is one of the major temples in Kerala and has a great antiquity. It is one of the venerated 108 Vaishnava temples in India and finds mention in Tamil classics. Spread over a vast area, the temple is on the banks of the Pampa and the whole temple complex is at a high elevation. Main idol is of Lord Krishna, who is the charioteer of warrior Arjuna in Kurukshetra War. The temple has a flight of 18 steps that lead to the Eastern Tower while 57 descending steps from the Northern tower reaches the Pampa. The temple here has fine murals from the 18th century."Thanka Anki", the golden ornaments