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Idukki district

Idukki (ഇടുക്കി; ) is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala in the southwest of the country. It is the largest district in Kerala and lies amid the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats in Kerala. Idukki district contains two municipal towns – Kattappana and Thodupuzha, and five taluks.

The district was constituted on 26 January 1972, by taking Peerumade, Udumbanchola, Devikulam taluks of the former High Range division from Kottayam district and the Thodupuzha taluk from Ernakulam district. Its division was previously headquartered at Kottayam city but moved to Kuyilimala near Painavu and Cheruthoni in June 1976. Malayalam and English are the two official administrative languages in the district. Tamil is the second most spoken language in Idukki district after Malayalam.

Around 66% of Kerala's power needs come from various Hydroelectric Power Projects in Idukki district. Numerous cash crops and spices are cultivated throughout the district, making it The Spice Garden of Kerala. A significant area in the district is protected as reserved forests and wildlife sanctuaries. The Periyar River is a major river that originates and flows through Idukki. The Pamba River is another important river that originates from Idukki district.

Though it is the largest district in the region in terms of area, it has the lowest population density among the districts of Kerala. There are only two municipalities in the district and the urban population is comparatively much lower than the rural population, due to its mountainous nature. The 2695 m high peak of Anamudi, which is also the highest point of elevation in India outside the Himalayas, lies in the northern portion of the district of Idukki. The Idukki Dam is one of the highest arch dams in Asia.

The major tourism destination of Idukki is Munnar.

Etymology
The name Idukki was derived from the Malayalam word ‘Idukk’, which means gorge.

History
A perfect blend of the Malayali, the Tamil and various tribal cultures is found in the Idukki district. The temples and other older buildings in the High Range and the surrounding regions in Idukki have significant influences from the medieval era Tamil-Pandyan architectural styles. The mountain passes like Bodinayakkanur (connecting various mountain ranges) and Cumbum (which connects the eastern Tamil country with Thodupuzha) have facilitated trade and travel between the Tamil-Pandyan country which lied to east of the Western Ghats and various Kerala kingdoms west of it during the medieval period. Periyar, the longest river in Kerala, has its source of origin and major portion of its route of flow, in the Idukki district. Pamba, the third-longest river in Kerala, also has its origin in the district of Idukki. During the Travancore Era, Munnar has acted as the summer residence of the British residents in Travancore. Higher peaks like Anamudi on the eastern border of the Idukki district have acted as a natural boundary between the Malayalam kingdoms and the contemporary Tamil kingdoms in the past, thereby reducing invasions into the region from the neighbouring Tamil country as well as from other parts of the Indian peninsula. The 17th century Dutch work, Hortus Malabaricus, contains information about the flora and fauna of the region at that time.

Pre-history
Archaeological findings found from the district include dolmens of the Neolithic era in the Marayur area. They are locally known as "muniyara", derived from muni (hermit or sage) and ara (dolmen).

Located on the highest point of elevation on the Peninsular India, the Cardamom Hills and its surrounding regions were inhabited by human beings during the Megalithic age itself. Numerous Megalithic monuments have been discovered from the mountainous regions of the district. The remnants of numerous Kodumkallaras and Kallaras have been found from various places at Marayur in Devikulam taluk. Megalithic remnants of Kallaras and Nadukkallus are also found at Kallarpattom colony in Udumbanchola taluk. Huge Kodumkallaras and Nadukkallus were discovered from the excavation sites in Vandiperiyar region as well. The Megalithic monuments found from Idukki show numerous similarities with the contemporary remnants those discovered from Deccan plateau and other parts of the South India. Usage of Iron was common in the Megalithic culture of Deccan. Tribals are another culture that was established on the hills of Idukki after the Stone Age culture. Although many of the social elements that existed in the Stone Age can be seen in the tribal culture here, the two groups represent two different periods. There is no clear evidence of where the Stone Age people went later. It is also thought that the mountain may have come down due to the weather and difficulties in living conditions. Tribal people found in Idukki are Mannan, Muthuvan, Paliyan, Urali, Malayarayan, Malapulayan, Ulladan. According to those who have studied the oral forms and rituals associated with tribal culture, tribal life begins in Idukki in the period 13 – 15 BC. Tribal people who were in contact with Tamil culture came to Idukki,from present day Coimbatore, Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts, as evidenced by their language, customs and art forms. According to modern anthropologists, the aborigines here belong to the Proto-Australoid race. Many stories are popular about their (Idukki) mountain climbing. One is that they were given the position of forest chiefs as a reward for helping the Pandya Raja clan. At one point, they had to leave Madurai and reached Idukki via Kumily via Gudalur in Tamilakkam with the help of King Poonjar. It is also believed that those who were appointed to collect forest products for the local kings settled down here over time. The tribal people here may have migrated here in search of better living facilities. As the number of families in each tribal village increases, a new community is created. The clothing used in the early days was wood made from crushed arayanjil. They also made musical instruments from animal skins. Adivasis have great ability to weave household items using reeds. They worshiped the forces of nature and trees. All the tribes had their own system of administration. The heads of the huts are known as Muppan or Kani depending on the caste. It is king among mannans. Urali are believed to be the first tribe to migrate to the hills of Idukki.Uralis still practice some practices of the Stone Age in a nominal way. It is believed that the black stone placed over the grave after burial is a continuation of the Stone Age grass stone. There are 33 tribal sanctuaries in Idukki including Venmani, Mullaringad, Nadukani, Kurukanadu, Koovakandam, Kannampadi, Muthampadi, East Mattucutta, Vellall, Memarikudi, Poovantikudi. In later times, the people who came to Poovanthikudi,Ayyappancoil who fled from the forest where the Mullaperiyar Dam is located,they left agriculture with the migration of the Britishers, Tamils and the Malayalis. All the adivasi tribes were the owners of a great cultural heritage, the tribals who danced in the inner forests, engaged in handicrafts, organized their lives in their own unique way and created many rare charms of the ancient culture. Almost all the tribal tribes of the Western Ghats were owners of a life identity that was destroyed by various invasions. Most of the land that the British planters found to plant cardamom,Tea and Coffee was in the lands where the tribal tribes roamed freely. As the mountains were cut down and whitened one by one, each tribal community was pushed back. Each tribes have their own languages closely related to Tamil and Malayalam.

Classical Antiquity
Ancient Roman coins have been found from the regions like Edamaruku near Thodupuzha, indicating ancient trade between the Ancient Rome and the region during the Classical Antiquity. Spices might had been imported from the region as a part of the ancient Indian Ocean trade. Idukki district is still known as The Spice Garden of Kerala.

The Chera dynasty/The Keralaputras (up to 5th century CE)
The literary works of the Sangam period help to take a look into the contemporary period. According to those works, early members of the Chera dynasty (first few centuries of the Common Era) had their original headquarters in a region called Kuzhumur at Kuttanad in the ancient Tamilakam and were sometimes known as the Kuttuvans. Some historians have identified Kuzhumur with Kumily in Peerumade Taluk of the Idukki district. The Chera dynasty is mentioned as The Keralaputras in the inscriptions of the emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire (322 BCE – 184 BCE). The province Kuttanad in the ancient kingdom of Keralaputras included the modern-day districts of Idukki, Ernakulam, Kottayam, and parts of Alappuzha, which could be broadly defined as the region between the rivers Periyar and Pamba. It was bounded by the Ay kingdom to the south, which included the regions between Pamba River and Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), and the province of Kudanad, which lies between the rivers Periyar and Chaliyar (modern-day districts of Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram), to the north.

It was during the reign of Uthiyan Cheralathan (105–130 CE) that the Chera dynasty began to expand towards the northern and the eastern regions of Kuttanad by conquering the provinces of Kudanadu and Kongu Nadu. Afterwards the dynasty got split into three branches and fixed their capitals at Muziris, Tyndis, and Caroura, respectively, as seen in the ancient Greco-Roman travelogues as well as the Old Tamil literary works of the Sangam period. During the reign of Narmudi Cheral, the regions included in the Kingdom of Ezhimala was also added to the Chera empire.

The ancient Chera empire collapsed due to continuous invasions carried out by the Kalabhras, the Pallavas, the Chalukyas, the Pandyas, and the Rashtrakutas during the period between 500 CE and 800 CE for nearly three centuries.

The Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram (800 – 1102 CE)
Idukki was part of three Nadus (provinces) during the period of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram (800 – 1102 CE) for nearly three centuries. The Thodupuzha-Muvattupuzha region was part of a province called Keezhmalanadu during this time, with its headquarters at Karikode near Thodupuzha. The High Range region, which lies to the east of Keezhmalanadu, was possibly included in two provinces namely Nantuzhanadu and Vempolinadu (known as Bimbali Desam in Sanskrit). This period saw the decline of Buddhism and Jainism, which were once prominent in the region, along with the growth of Hinduism, in the Thodupuzha region. The tribal cultures may have sustained in the sparsely populated High Range region. The territory of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram got disintegrated into several small feudal states by early 12th century CE as a result of the continuous war that occurred between the Chera Perumals and the Medieval Cholas throughout the 11th century CE.

Kingdom of Keezhmalanadu (1102 – 1600 CE)
The province Keezhmalanadu of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram attained political autonomy in 1102 CE following the Chera-Chola wars. Remnants of numerous medieval forts have been found from Karikode near Thodupuzha, which was the capital of the kingdom of Keezhmalanadu, many of them belonging to the era between 14th century CE and 16th century CE. Keezhmalanadu included parts of modern-day Taluks of Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha. The Portuguese explorers described the region as "The Pepper country" due to the availability and high scale production of good quality Black pepper there during the 16th century CE. Keezhmalanadu merged with the Kingdom of Vadakkumkur around 1600 CE.

Vadakkumkur dynasty (1600 – 1750 CE)
Vadakkumkur was the northern branch of the erstwhile province of Vempolinadu which attained political autonomy in 1102 CE after the collapse of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram. The rulers of this dynasty were also known by the titles Bimbaleeshas and Manikandas in the contemporary Sanskrit works just like their Thekkumkur counterparts. The kingdom of Vadakkumkur originally included the modern-day Taluks of Ettumanoor and Vaikom along with a portion of the Meenachil Taluk.

Keezhmalanadu merged with the Vadakkumkur dynasty around 1600 CE. Afterwards the Vadakkumkur kings often used to reside at Karikode near Thodupuzha, which was originally the headquarters of the Keezhmalanadu. Vadakkumkur was a vassal state of the Kingdom of Cochin during that time. Vadakkumkur's western boundary was extended up to the Vembanad lake and the eastern boundary was the Western Ghats, which bordered with the medieval Pandyan country and the later territory of the Madurai Nayak dynasty. The Dutch Malabar who became an influential power in the territory of Vadakkumkur during the 17th century CE and the first half of the 18th century CE had trade centres in Vadakkumkur.

Vadakkumkur Raja was a part of the combined military alliance formed by the kingdoms of Odanad (Kayamkulam), Thekkumkur, and Cochin against the expansion of Travancore into the northern territories. As a result, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the architect of the modern Travancore, attacked and annexed Vadakkumkur in 1750. The Vadakkumkur Raja sought asylum in the kingdom of the Zamorin of Calicut.

Thekkumkur dynasty (1102–1749 CE)
It is presumed that a major portion of the High Range region in Idukki district belonged to the Thekkumkur dynasty just after the collapse the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram. The province Vempolinadu (Bimbali Desam) of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram attained political autonomy in 1102 CE following the Chera-Chola wars of the 11th century CE. The Vempolinadu royal family got evolved into two independent branches by the 12th century CE – the southern branch among them later came to be known as the kingdom of Thekkumkur. It included the modern-day Taluks of Changanassery, Kanjirappally, Kottayam, and Thiruvalla, along with the High Range region of Idukki district.

The High Range region was later handed over to the Poonjar dynasty by the Thekkumkur Rajas. The Dutch East India Company was attracted by enormous growth of black pepper in the High Ranges of the Idukki district. According to the treaty signed on 16 June 1664, Dutch Malabar had trade contracts with the Thekkumkur Rajas on spices, cinnamon, opium, etc.

The Thekkumkur Rajas allied with the Kingdom of Cochin and the Kingdom of Odanad (Kayamkulam) against the military invasions of the kingdom of Travancore into its northern kingdoms that occurred during the 1740s. As a result, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the architect of the modern Travancore, attacked and annexed the kingdom of Thekkumkur into Travancore in 1749 during the Battle of Changanassery, after his annexation of Kayamkulam in 1746. The Thekkumkur king took refuge in the kingdom of the Zamorin of Calicut following his defeat in the battle.

Poonjar dynasty (1160–1750 CE)
In, Kulothunga Chola, who belonged to the lineage of the Medieval Cholas, entered into a war with Manavikrama Kulasekhara Perumal, who belonged to the Pandya dynasty of Madurai. Upon the failure in the battle, Manavikrama appointed his brother Maravarman Sreevallabha as the monarch of the Pandya dynasty and left Madurai with his family and some of his trusted servants. Manavikrama crossed the Western Ghats and sought political asylum in Kerala. The ruler of Thekkumkur awarded him a portion of the Meenachil taluk which included the region of Poonjar along with the High Range region in the Idukki district in 1160 CE, which originally belonged to the Thekkumkur Rajas. This incident commenced the beginning of the Poonjar dynasty in the region. The territory of Poonjar was annexed by the Kingdom of Travancore following the annexation of the principalities of Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur in 1749–1750.

Travancore Era (1750–1947)
Entire portion of the modern-day district of Idukki became part of the erstwhile British Princely state of Travancore by 1750 CE. This era marked considerable progress and social reformation in all spheres. The social development indicators like the literacy rate were improved considerably during this period. After the Stone Age people and tribals, Anchunadan Tamils migrated to Idukki,Then Travancore farmers, Tamil workers and the Britishers migrated to Idukki. The Cardamom Proclamation of 1822, issued by the Rani Uthrittathi Thirunal Gowri Parvathi Bayi, the regent of the British Princely state of Travancore at that time, paved the way for bringing people from outside for collecting Cardamom from the forest of the Cardamom Hills in the district. The proclamation, issued on Malayalam Era 15 Medam 997 (which corresponds to CE 28 April 1822), entrusted Tamil workers from neighbouring districts of the Madras Presidency with harvesting cardamom in the region.

The Kannan Devan Hills on the High Range region were given on lease on 11 July 1877 by the ruler of the Poonjar dynasty to John Daniel Munroe from London and for tea plantations. This created an influx of a large number of migrant Tamil plantation workers into the region from the neighbouring districts of the Madras Presidency as well as from various parts of Southern Travancore especially from Kanyakumari district and Shenkottai taluk and the linguistic demographics in the Taluks of Devikulam taluk and Peerumedu taluk underwent a significant transformation during the last decades of the 19th century CE. Earlier the region was inhabited by various aboriginal tribes like Malavedas, Malayarayas, Muthuvans, and Paliyans, and was sparsely populated. The land and the plantations were later resumed by the Government of Kerala through the Kannan Devan Hills (Resumption Of Lands) Act, 1971.

Munnar has acted as the summer residence of the British residents in Travancore. Tradition states that Colonel Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was the first British man to pass through Munnar during Tipu Sultan's campaign into Travancore in the last decades of the 18th century CE, but this is unsubstantiated. The first survey of the terrain was undertaken by Benjamin Swayne Ward in 1816–1817, who followed the Periyar River into the Western Ghats and established a camp at the confluence of three rivers, from which the name of Munnar is derived.

Munroe, Henry Turn, and his half-brother A W Turner, obtained ownership of the Cardamom Hills from the Raja of Travancore and began clearing forest around Devikulam in 1879. Munroe formed the North Travancore Land Planting & Agricultural Society in 1879. Soon many other Europeans began establishing tea plantations in the area throughout the 1880s, after A H Sharp, a European planter entered into tea cultivation in the region. Early plantations had few facilities and were mainly huts of straw.

In 1897, a separate company, Kannan Devan Hills Corporation (KDHC), was registered to operate the tea estates which was later taken over by the American Direct Tea Trading Company Ltd., who owned 26 estates, most with coffee and some with Cinchona, almost all in the area except for a few in the lower areas. The former Kundala Valley Railway through Munnar, established in 1902, was destroyed by the Great flood of 99 that occurred in 1924 across the modern-day state of Kerala. Many dams were constructed in Idukki district during the Travancore rule in the region. The transportation facility through the dense forests of Idukki was also improved during the period. The controversial Mullaperiyar Dam was also constructed during the period.

During the Travancorean administration, the British Princely state of Travancore was divided into four revenue divisions- the Northern division headquartered at Kottayam, the Central division headquartered at Kollam, the Southern division headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram, and the High Range division with its headquarters at Devikulam.

The High Range division in the northeastern part of Travancore included the Taluks of Devikulam and Peerumade. Thodupuzha region was however included in the northernmost division of the British Princely state of Travancore. Kottayam was the headquarters of the northernmost revenue division in Travancore which also included the Taluks of North Paravur, Kunnathunad, Muvattupuzha, Meenachil, Changanassery, Kottayam, Vaikom, and Cherthala in 1931, in addition to Thodupuzha.

Post Independence (1947–present)
At the time of the integration of the state of Travancore and Cochin into the state of Travancore-Cochin in 1949 following the integration of the British Princely states of Travancore and Cochin into the Dominion of India, the erstwhile revenue divisions were reorganised into districts and the Divan Peshkars gave way to District Collectors, paving the way for the birth of the Kottayam district on 1 July 1949, which had also included the modern-day district of Idukki in it.

The erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin was reorganized into Thrissur district and Taluks of North Paravur and Kunnathunad were transferred to that district. Similarly the Cherthala Taluk was transferred into the newly formed Kollam district on 1 July 1949. The High Range division of the erstwhile Travancore was merged with the remaining Taluks of the erstwhile Kottayam division to form the Kottayam district as a part of the inauguration of the new Indian state of Travancore-Cochin on 1 July 1949. The new district of Kottayam at that time contained eight Taluks – Changanassery, Kottayam, Vaikom, Meenachil, Muvattupuzha, Thodupuzha, Devikulam, and Peerumede. Hence Idukki was a part of the Kottayam district at the time of the formation of the state Kerala in 1956.

Apart from the Kanyakumari district, the Devikulam taluk in present-day Idukki district had a slight Tamil-majority in the late 1940s. The Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress (TTNC) had requested to merge it with the Madras State as a part of the upcoming States Reorganization Act of 1956. However, in the 1951 Linguistic Census of the state of Travancore-Cochin, it was found that nearly half of the total Tamil-speaking population in Devikulam taluk at that time was born outside the state of Travancore-Cochin and most of them were immigrants from the Madras Presidency, who were brought into the region by the British officials mainly as tea plantation workers to the Cardamom Hills.

Furthermore, some quick decisions were taken by Pattom Thanu Pillai, who was the first prime minister of Travancore, to ensure that the taluk of Devikulam will retain in the modern-state of Kerala, as the region had a greater economic importance in the future coastal state of Kerala. Pattom came up with a colonisation project to re-engineer the demography of Cardamom Hills. His colonisation project was to relocate 8,000 Malayalam-speaking families into the Taluks of Devikulam and Peermade. About 50,000 acres in these Taluks, which had become Tamil-majority area by the 1940s, were chosen for the colonisation project. As a victory of the Colonisation project done by post-independence Travancore, these two Taluks and a larger portion of Cardamom Hills retained in the state of Kerala, after the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

Following the formation of the new Indian state of Kerala according to the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, many jurisdictional changes were done in the state. Two new Taluks, namely Kanjirappally (from Changanassery and Thiruvalla) and Udumbanchola (from Devikulam and Peerumede) were carved out on 1 October 1956 in the Kottayam district. After a month, a new Taluk called Kuttanad was carved out from Changanassery and Ambalappuzha. The Kuttanad Taluk was transferred into the newly formed Alappuzha district on 17 August 1957. The Taluks of Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha were transferred into the newly formed Ernakulam district on 1 April 1958.

The land and the plantations in the Kannan Devan Hills in the High range region were resumed by the Government of Kerala through the Kannan Devan Hills (Resumption Of Lands) Act, 1971. On 26 January 1972, the district of Idukki was formed by the separation of the three High Range Taluks, namely Devikulam, Udumbanchola, and Peerumede, from Kottayam district. The High Range region was merged with the Thodupuzha taluk of Ernakulam district to form the district of Idukki. It was the largest district of Kerala by area at that time. In 1998, Kuttampuzha village was transferred into the Ernakulam district, making Idukki the second largest district in Kerala, only after to Palakkad.

The High Range region is still sparsely populated and various cash crops and spices are extensively cultivated there. Now various hydroelectric power projects in the district of Idukki contributes around 66% of the total power needs of Kerala. The Mullaperiyar Dam still remains as the source of the interstate dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In September 2023, Idukki regained its status as the largest district in the state after the addition of 12718.5095 hectares of land which was a part of Kutampuzha village in Ernakulam district to Idamalakudi village in Idukki.

Geography
The Idukki district forms a high altitude plateau with rugged mountainous terrain, several river valleys and deep gorges. The entire northern part of the district forms a sub plateau higher than the rest of the district, this region includes the tallest peaks like Anamudi and includes the areas around Munnar, Pallivasal, Kanthalloor, Vattavada and Mankulam. The Pambar river valley (Marayoor, Keezhanthoor) forms an eastern sloping rain shadow region of the Western Ghats. The eastern frontier of the district (Kumily, Kattapana, Nedumkandam, Rajakumari and Ramakkalmedu) constitutes the Cardamon hills. The western part of the district is covered by forests and hills bordering the eastern regions of Ernakulam and Kottayam district like Neriyamangalam, Vannapuram, Thommankuthu, Moolamattom, Vagamon and Kuttikanam. Places like Thodupuzha, Koothattukulam, Udumbanoor and Muttom are situated in the semi elevated Thodupuzha River plains with scattered hills. The Periyar river basin in the district which includes Vandiperiyar, Ayyapankoil, Rajakkad, Idukki, Cheruthoni and Adimaly is an elevated plateau crisscrossed by river valleys and lies between the high peaks of the western and eastern parts of the district. The southern region is entirely covered with the forests of the Periyar National Park.

Anamudi and Meesapulimala, the two highest peaks in India south of the Himalayas, are located in Idukki district. Anamudi is situated in the Kuttampuzha Panchayat of Adimali Block in the Kannan Devan Hills village of Devikulam taluk. Thirteen other peaks in the district exceed a height of 2000 m. Periyar, Thodupuzhayar, Muthirappuzhayar, and Thalayar are the important rivers of the district. Idukki Dam, Asia's largest arch dam, is located in the Idukki Township. The dam is located at the point where the Periyar flows through the gorge formed between two high and massive rocks known as 'Kuravan' and 'Kurathi'.

Climate change
Idukki has a large area of dense forest cover and shola forests. It is highly vulnerable to floods and drought and is considered a climate change hotspot in Kerala, along with the districts of Alappuzha, Palakkad, and Wayanad. Researchers attribute the increasing frequency in landslides in Idukki to climate change and deforestation. Changes in rainfall patterns caused by climate change, coupled with deforestation and large-scale construction projects, are among the contributing factors that led to the August 2020 landslide that killed 65 people, including plantation workers.

Demographics
According to the 2018 Statistics Report, Idukki district has a population of 1,093,156. The 2011 Census places it at 416th among the 640 districts of India. The district has a population density of 251 PD/sqkm. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was −1.93% due to emigration and low fertility rates. Idukki has a sex ratio of 1,006 females for every 1,000 males, and a literacy rate of 92.2 percent. 4.69% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 13.12% and 5.03% of the population respectively.

Malayalam and English are the two official administrative languages in the district. Around four-fifth of the people in Idukki district speak Malayalam as their mother tongue. The Taluks of Devikulam, Peerumedu and Udumbanchola have a considerable Tamil minority population. However Malayalis are majority in these taluks as well. The aboriginal tribes in the district speak their own dialects such as Malavedan, Malaryan, Muthuvan, and Paliyan, which are closely related to the Malayalam and Tamil.

Religion
According to the 2011 census, Hindus make up 48.86% (541,854) of the population, with Christians at 43.42% (481,507) and Muslims at 7.41% (82,206).

Technology
Idukki district was the first in India to get connected to a super-fast broad band system as a part of the Digital India campaign. It was also the first to get BSNL 4G in whole country, taking the number of 4G operators in the district to four, including Vodafone Idea Ltd, Jio, and Bharti Airtel.

Munnar
Munnar was the summer resort of the British Government in the south. The town is situated at the convergence of three mountain streams, namely Muthirappuzha, Nallathanni, and Kundala. Munnar has some of the largest tea plantations in the world. This hill station, which is more than 5,000 feet above sea level, is a tourist attraction noted for its scenic landscapes. Most of the native flora and fauna of Munnar have disappeared due to severe habitat fragmentation resultant from the creation of the plantations. However, some species continue to survive and thrive in several protected areas nearby, including the new Kurinjimala Sanctuary to the east, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Manjampatti Valley, and the Amaravati reserve forest of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary to the northeast, the Eravikulam National Park and Anamudi Shola National Park in the north, and the Pampadum Shola National Park to the south. The Palani Hills National Park is proposed to come up to the east of Idukki. These protected areas are especially known for several threatened and endemic species including the Nilgiri tahr, the grizzled giant squirrel, the Nilgiri wood-pigeon, the elephant, the gaur, the Nilgiri langur, the sambar, and the neelakurinji (that blossoms only once in twelve years).

The former Kundala Valley Railway in Munnar was destroyed by a flood in 1924, but tourism officials are considering reconstructing the railway line to attract tourists.

Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary
Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary came into existence in 1976. It is located in the Thodupuzha and Udumbanchola taluks in Idukki district. It has an area of 105.364sq.km. The altitude ranges from 450 to 1272 m. The highest peak is Vanjur Medu (1272m).

The major rivers flowing through the area are the Periyar and the Cheruthoniar.

Eravikulam Wild Life Sanctuary
Eravikulam is another wildlife sanctuary proclaimed as a National Park. It supports the largest population of Nilgiri tahr in the world. Anamudi peak is on the southern part of this park. Most of the park is grassland and the average altitude is more than 5000 feet above sea level. Heavy rain and gushing winds make the area inaccessible during the monsoon season. The famous Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) grows here. It has a flowering cycle of 12 years. Twenty-six species of mammals have been recorded in the park including the largest surviving population of Nilgiri tahr, estimated at 750 individuals. The other ungulates are gaur, Indian muntjac and sambar deer. Golden jackal, jungle cat, wild dog, dhole, leopard and tiger are the main predators. Some little-known animals such as Nilgiri langur, stripe-necked mongoose, Indian porcupine, Nilgiri marten, small clawed otter, ruddy mongoose, and dusky palm squirrel are also found. Elephants make seasonal visits.

132 species of birds have been recorded which include endemics like black-and-orange flycatcher, Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri wood pigeon, white bellied shortwing, Nilgiri flycatcher and Kerala laughingthrush.

Endemic butterflies confined to the shola-grass land ecosystem like the red disk bushbrown and Palni four-wing are among the 101 species in the park.

Pampadumshola National Park
Pampadum Shola National Park is the smallest national park in Kerala state, South India. The park is administered by the Kerala Department of Forests and Wildlife, Munnar Wildlife Division, together with the nearby Mathikettan Shola National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Anamudi Shola National Park, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kurinjimala Sanctuary. The park adjoins the Allinagaram Reserved Forest within the proposed Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park. The Western Ghats, Anamalai sub-cluster, including these parks, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site.

Kurinjimala Sanctuary
Kurinjimala Sanctuary protects the approximately 32 km2 core habitat of the endangered Neelakurinji plant in Kottakamboor and Vattavada villages in Devikulam Taluk, Idukki district of Kerala State in South India.

Protected areas
This district has several protected areas including Periyar Tiger Reserve in the south, Kurinjimala Sanctuary to the east, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary to the northeast, Eravikulam National Park and Anamudi Shola National Park to the north and Pampadum Shola National Park to the south. These protected areas are well known for several threatened and endemic species including tiger, Nilgiri tahr, grizzled giant squirrel, Nilgiri wood-pigeon, elephant, gaur, sambar deer, purple frog and neelakurinji.

Thommankuthu waterfall
Thommankuthu (തൊമ്മൻകുത്ത്) is a scenic waterfall near Thodupuzha in the district. Thomankoothu waterfalls is not a single waterfall but a series of 12 falls over a distance of 5 km. It is one of the major eco-tourism centers in Idukki, Kerala.

Administration

Painavu town is the administrative headquarters of the Idukki district. The district is divided into two revenue divisions- Idukki and Devikulam.

Municipal towns
There are 2 municipal towns in the district. They are: • Kattappana

• Thodupuzha

Legislative representation
There is a Lok Sabha constituency in Idukki: Idukki.

There are five Kerala Legislative Assembly seats in Idukki district.

Taluks
The district is divided into two revenue divisions which together incorporate five Taluks within them.

 * Taluks in the Idukki Revenue Division are:

 * Taluks in the Devikulam Revenue Division are:

Revenue villages
Idukki district is divided into 68 revenue villages for the ease and decentralisation of its revenue administration. They are further incorporated into 5 taluks as eludicated below.

Thodupuzha Taluk

 * Alacode
 * Arakkulam
 * Elappally
 * Karikode
 * Karimannoor
 * Karimkunnam
 * Kodikulam
 * Kudayathoor
 * Kumaramangalam
 * Manakkad
 * Muttom
 * Neyyassery
 * Purapuzha
 * Thodupuzha
 * Udumbannoor
 * Vandamattom
 * Vannappuram
 * Velliyamattom

Idukki Taluk

 * Ayyappancoil
 * Idukki
 * Kanchiyar
 * Kanjikuzhi
 * Karimannoor
 * Kattappana
 * Konnathady
 * Thankamany
 * Upputhode
 * Vathikudy

Devikulam Taluk

 * Anaviratty
 * Bisonvalley
 * Edamalakkudy
 * Kannan Devan Hills
 * Kanthalloor
 * Keezhanthoor
 * Kottakamboor
 * Kunchithanny
 * Mankulam
 * Mannamkandam
 * Marayur
 * Munnar
 * Pallivasal
 * Vattavada
 * Vellathooval

Udumbanchola Taluk

 * Anakkara
 * Anavilasam
 * Chakkupallam
 * Chathurangapara
 * Chinnakanal
 * Erattayar
 * Kalkoonthal
 * Kanthippara
 * Karunapuram
 * Pampadumpara
 * Parathode
 * Poopara
 * Rajakkad
 * Rajakumary
 * Santhanpara
 * Udumbanchola
 * Vandanmedu

Peerumade Taluk

 * Elappara
 * Kokkayar
 * Kumily
 * Manjumala
 * Mlappara
 * Peerumade
 * Periyar
 * Peruvanthanam
 * Upputhara
 * Vagamon

Culture
Culture in Idukki is mixed since it consists of migrated people from other parts of Kerala and native tribals. The presence of a large number of tribal populations is peculiar to Idukki District. Kovilmala, near Kattappana in Idukki is home to one of the still ruling tribal kings in India, Kovilmala Raja Mannan. Kovilmala is the headquarters of Mannan community who preserves certain customs, traditions, and form of governance, making them a unique tribal unit. The system of governance here is a democratic monarchy in which a king is elected by the people to rule.

Dams and Hydroelectric projects
Around 66% of Kerala's power needs come from various Hydroelectric Power Projects in Idukki district. The first and oldest dam in Kerala is Mullaperiyar. It was inaugurated in 1895. The largest dam in Kerala is Idukki Dam, which also one of the largest arch-dams in Asia. The dam was commissioned in 1976. • Idukki Arch-Dam

• Cheruthoni

• Mullapperiyar

• Ponmudy

• Kallarkutty Dam

• Kundala Dam

• Mattuppetty

• Aanayirangal Dam

• Chenkulam Dam

• Lower Periyar Dam

• Malankara

• Kallar Dam (Nedumkandam)

• Kulamavu

• Munnar Head Works

• Erattayar Dam

• Uluppuni Dam

• Kochu Pamba

Rail
At present, there is no railway in and to Idukki district of Kerala. The nearest railway stations are Kottayam (station code – KTYM), Aluva (Alwaye, station code – AWY), Ernakulam South (Ernakulam Jn., station code – ERS) and Ernakulam North (Ernakulam Town, station code – ERN). There was a rail line that existed in the district during colonial period called, Kundala Valley Railway. It got destroyed in the Great flood of 99 in 1924. The under-construction Sabarimala Railway project connecting Angamaly to Punalur will pass through the Idukki district.

Airports
Sathram Airport is an airstrip which was inaugurated on 17 February 2021 but there are no commercial operations happening there. Practically Cochin International airport at Nedumbassery in Ernakulam district is the one which is nearest.

Major Towns
The major towns of the district include:
 * Devikulam taluk: Adimali, Devikulam, Munnar, Marayur, Kanthallur, Vattavada, Chinnakanal
 * Thodupuzha taluk:Thodupuzha, Udumbanoor, Karikunnam
 * Idukki taluk: Cheruthoni, Murikkassery, Kattappana, Painavu,Thopramkudy
 * Udumbanchola taluk: Udumbanchola, Nedumkandam, Karunapuram, Vandanmedu
 * Peerumed taluk: Peruvanthanam, Elappara, Upputhara, Peerumade, Vandiperiyar, Kumily, Thekkady

Notable people
• T. M. Abraham

• Asif Ali

• Shaji Chen

• Askar Ali

• Sandra Amy

• Mathew Anikuzhikattil

• P. K. Abdul Aziz

• Sachin Baby

• K. M. Beenamol

• E. S. Bijimol

• K. M. Binu

• Mamas K. Chandran

• Susmesh Chandroth

• Sanal Edamaruku

• Joice George

• Jaffar Idukki

• P. J. Joseph

• Sebastian Kappen

• Anna Mani

• Mahitha Mohan

• Dileesh Nair

• Narayan

• George Njaralakatt

• Divya Padmini

• Paulaseer

• Neeta Pillai

• Jose Porunnedom

• Pappachen Pradeep

• Sajan Prakash

• Honey Rose

• Letika Saran

• Aswathy Sasikumar

• Abhija Sivakala

• Preeja Sreedharan

• Aswathy Sreekanth

• S. S. Stanley

• Joy Thomas

• P. T. Thomas

• Rajesh Touchriver

• Shiny Wilson

• M. M. Mani

• K. Radhakrishnan (politician)

• S. Rajendran (CPI(M) politician)

• A. Raja (Kerala politician)

• Vazhoor Soman

• C. A. Kurian

• K. K. Jayachandran

• Myna Umaiban

title: Idukki district


text:
User talk:The King Of Gondor

'''All messages are welcome. Criticism, praise, questions, serious discussion, or goofing around. What's on your mind?'''

Hello and welcome to Wikipedia! Hope you like it here, and stick around.

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current events, operation DOP
Hey thank you for helping out with the Current events. Just wanted to let you know for the past 16 days we have titled stories dealing with northern Gaza and operation Days of Penitence under the more broad scope of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict so I reversed your edit to reflect the precedent. Thanks, -- Dejitarob 19:55, 16 Oct 2004 (UTC)

ITN
I reverted your edit, please see the history and the talk page on Template:In the news. Cheers, -- [[User:Solitude|Solitude\talk]] 12:53, Nov 15, 2004 (UTC)
 * BTW, it is also on the front page of the most important online Dutch news website. -- [[User:Solitude|Solitude\talk]] 12:59, Nov 15, 2004 (UTC)

Hey there, no problem, my revert and comment for sure were not meant as a personal attack of some sort, I was just kind of expecting it to be removed anytime soon, that's why it may have seemed somewhat edgy. The Dutch article is here, it has a cool map, but less information than the CNN article anyways. -- [[User:Solitude|Solitude\talk]] 13:09, Nov 15, 2004 (UTC)

Article Licensing
Hi, I've started a drive to get users to multi-license all of their contributions that they've made to either (1) all U.S. state, county, and city articles or (2) all articles, using the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike (CC-by-sa) v1.0 and v2.0 Licenses or into the public domain if they prefer. The CC-by-sa license is a true free documentation license that is similar to Wikipedia's license, the GFDL, but it allows other projects, such as WikiTravel, to use our articles. Since you are among the top 2000 Wikipedians by edits, I was wondering if you would be willing to multi-license all of your contributions or at minimum those on the geographic articles. Over 90% of people asked have agreed. For More Information:
 * Multi-Licensing FAQ - Lots of questions answered
 * Multi-Licensing Guide
 * Free the Rambot Articles Project

To allow us to track those users who muli-license their contributions, many users copy and paste the " " template into their user page, but there are other options at Template messages/User namespace. The following examples could also copied and pasted into your user page:

 * Option 1
 * I agree to multi-license all my contributions, with the exception of my user pages, as described below:

OR
 * Option 2
 * I agree to multi-license all my contributions to any U.S. state, county, or city article as described below:

Or if you wanted to place your work into the public domain, you could replace " " with "  ". If you only prefer using the GFDL, I would like to know that too. Please let me know what you think at my talk page. It's important to know either way so no one keeps asking. -- Ram-Man (comment| talk)

Collaboration of the week
Congratulations, the candidate you voted for, Underground Railroad, is this week's Collaboration of the Week. Please help edit the article to bring it up to feature standard.

COTW
Congratulations, First Indochina War is this week's Collaboration of the Week. Please edit it to help bring it ti featured article status.

War templates
When you have a chance, could you come up with a war template for the Vietnam War article since it doesn't have one? Thanks -- AndyL 16:11, 24 Dec 2004 (UTC)

looks great!AndyL 18:08, 24 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Collaboration of the Week
League of Nations is the new Collaboration of the Week. Please join in helping make it a feature article.

Collaboration of the week
Military history of the Soviet Union is this week's Collaboration of the Week. Please contribute to it to help make it a feature article

Image:FlamingCar.jpg marked for deletion
An image you uploaded, Image:FlamingCar.jpg, has been listed for deletion because it does not contain source/copyright information and is not being used by an article. If you do not want the image deleted: If no action is taken on your part, the image will be deleted in 7 days. CanisRufus 06:24, Mar 11, 2005 (UTC)
 * 1) Update the image description page with source/copyright information as well as an Image copyright tag such as.
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U.S. Southern wikipedians' notice board
I have now reopened the notice board, if you are interested in contributing new topics, or in nominating articles for the Collaboration of the Week, which also received a revamp. Please post on the project's talk page if you show interest. Mike H 02:46, Jun 19, 2005 (UTC)

Irrigation
You are wrong. It is copied from PD NASA site. That site you mentioned copied it too. - Darwinek 21:49, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

Copyright problems with Image:Deal bombing 1989.jpg
An image that you uploaded, Image:Deal bombing 1989.jpg, has been listed at Copyright problems because it is a suspected copyright violation. Please look there if you know that the image is legally usable on Wikipedia (you may have to search for the title of the image to find its entry), and then provide the necessary information there and on its page, if you are interested in it not being deleted. Thank you. Mark83 20:24, 28 February 2006 (UTC)
 * No worries, the template wording was terrible. It has since been edited to stress that CC images are only useable on a source by source basis. Regards Mark83 17:51, 3 March 2006 (UTC)

Image:Viet cong flag.gif listed for deletion
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Unspecified source for Image:BaltimoreRiot.jpg
Thanks for uploading Image:BaltimoreRiot.jpg. I noticed that the file's description page currently doesn't specify who created the content, so the copyright status is unclear. If you did not create this file yourself, then you will need to specify the owner of the copyright. If you obtained it from a website, then a link to the website from which it was taken, together with a restatement of that website's terms of use of its content, is usually sufficient information. However, if the copyright holder is different from the website's publisher, then their copyright should also be acknowledged.

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ArbCom elections are now open!
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 12:50, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User talk:The King Of Gondor


text:
User talk:BEDEWIN

Hello and welcome to Wikipedia! Hope you like it here, and stick around.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

 * To sign your posts (on talk pages, for example) use the '~' symbol. To insert just your name, type ~~~ (3 tildes), or, to insert your name and timestamp, use ~~~~ (4 tildes).
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 * Explore, be bold in editing pages, and, most importantly, have fun!

Good luck!

title: User talk:BEDEWIN


text: Category:Christmas television specials

title: Category:Christmas television specials


text:
User:Duckamuck~enwiki/

I am Erwin. I was born in the Philippines but I know live in fabulous West Hollywood, California. I plan High School Reunions when I'm not worshiping fullerton

title: User:Duckamuck~enwiki/


text:
Doe River

The Doe River is a tributary of the Watauga River in northeast Tennessee in the United States. The river forms in Carter County near the North Carolina line, just south of Roan Mountain State Park, and flows to Elizabethton.

Hydrography
The Doe River flows from the northern slopes of Roan Mountain, through Roan Mountain State Park and the center of Roan Mountain, Tennessee, then continues to flow west and is paralleled by U.S. Route 19E. The stream then flows to the east of Fork Mountain; while the Little Doe River flows by Fork Mountain to the west.

Hampton and Valley Forge
Pushing through a mountain gap just north of Hampton, Tennessee, the volume of the Doe River is increased by the waters flowing from McCathern Spring. Below the confluence of both the Doe River and the Little Doe River at Hampton, the Doe River travels roughly in a northern direction through the Valley Forge community, and is rejoined by U.S. Route 19E outside of Elizabethton.

Elizabethton Covered Bridge
Flowing parallel with U.S. Highway 19-E, the Doe River flows underneath two 19-E bridges at the East Side community before heading in a northwest angle toward the Elizabethton downtown business district. The Elizabethton Covered Bridge is located in downtown Elizabethton, the county seat of Carter County. Connecting 3rd Street and Hattie Avenue, the historic 1882 covered bridge spans the river is adjacent to a city park and county government areas. The bridge is open to pedestrians and bicyclists, but is closed to motor vehicle traffic.

The Doe River spills over a weir dam immediately downstream of the covered bridge, and flows under two 1928 concrete arch bridges in Elizabethton, prior to its confluence with the Watauga River. The first concrete arch bridge is the Elk Avenue Bridge in downtown Elizabethton; the second is locally known as the Broad Street Bridge and carries traffic on Tennessee State Route 67.

Whitewater kayaking and river tubing
Most of the Doe River section running between the Valley Forge put-in (LAT 36.310833 LONG -82.193055) and the take-out just before the Elizabethton confluence is classified on the International Scale of River Difficulty as Class/Grade I; however there are several brief segments of the Valley Forge-Charity Hill-East Side run that should be approached as Class/Grade II. It takes approximately three hours to float down the Doe River on inner tubes from the Valley Forge put-in to the take-out near the confluence of the Doe River into the Watauga River. Putting in at Hampton High School and taking out at Valley Forge Elementary involves running class 2/3 rapids and is more difficult that the section below Valley Forge school.

All river tubes and kayaks must portage around the weir dam that is located immediately downstream of the covered bridge in downtown Elizabethton.

There is a Class III/IV section of whitewater referred to as the Doe Gorge that begins at the bridge over the river on Bear Cage Rd. and ends at the take-out at Hampton High School. This sections drops between 100 and 160 feet per mile. The gorge is for advanced paddlers only. Paddling through Roan Mtn State Park has been done many times but is not as well documented as the popular gorge section downstream.

Influence of weather
Unlike the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) regulated flow of the Watauga River, the water level of the Doe River often fluctuates with changes in rain fall or drought. Another significant difference between the two Carter County rivers is the variation of water temperatures: while the year round water temperature of the Watauga River is approximately 52-53 degrees Fahrenheit, the water temperature of the Doe River will vary along with the ambient air temperature. The Doe River is generally very comfortable for kayaking and river tubing during the summer months.

The Doe River valley is infrequently subject to severe flooding. The Doe River drains from a mountainous region that can be subject to seasonal heavy rains (May-early June) and snow melts, and the Doe River stream course is in many parts quite steep, allowing water levels to rise rapidly along the river banks. The last severe recent flooding of the Doe River occurred overnight from January 7 through January 8, 1998, with the sudden storms bringing down seven inches (178 mm) of rain in twelve hours and causing the deaths of seven people (including Kingsport rescue worker Carles "Junior" Godsey after his rescue boat overturned in the Doe River flood waters)  in the Hampton area. The 1998 Doe River flood created approximately $20 million in Carter County property damages.

title: Doe River


text:
List of athletes on Wheaties boxes

In 1934, the breakfast cereal Wheaties began the practice of including pictures of athletes on its packaging to coincide with its slogan, "The Breakfast of Champions." In its original form, athletes were depicted on the sides or back of the cereal box, though in 1958 Wheaties began placing the pictures on the front of the box. The tradition has included hundreds of athletes from many different sports, and also team depictions.

This article lists the athletes or teams depicted on Wheaties boxes, along with the year(s) of depiction and sport played. This list is not all-inclusive, and athletes may have been shown together with teams and groups, or on the sides, back, or front of the box. Most athletes appeared on the standard Wheaties box, while others appeared on the Honey Frosted Wheaties (HFW), Crispy Wheaties 'n' Raisins (CWR), Wheaties Energy Crunch (WEC), or Wheaties Fuel (WF) boxes.

Around 1990, General Mills did a promotion called "Picture Yourself on a Wheaties Box," in which, for a fee, they would make a custom Wheaties box from one's own photograph that was sealed in clear acrylic. Kristi Yamaguchi, among other athletes, was featured in advertising this campaign.

title: List of athletes on Wheaties boxes


text:
Labe

Labe or Labé may refer to:

Locations

 * Labe (hamlet), a hamlet in Šumperk District, Czech Republic
 * Labé Region, north-central Guinea
 * Labé Prefecture
 * Labé, the capital of Labé Prefecture
 * Elbe, a river in Central Europe (Labe in Czech)

People

 * Sidney Labe Buckwold (1916–2001), Canadian politician, soldier, and businessman
 * Louise Labé (c. 1520–1566), French poet
 * Aimé Steven Nsimba Labe or Steven Nsimba (born 1996), French professional footballer

title: Labe


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/I Spy With My Little Phi

No google hits. Dubious content. If it were a comedy I doubt it would be funny. Almost certainly a hoax. Michael Johnson (teacher) is linked from Blue Coat School, Oldham Դմն 19:05, 10 Aug 2004 (UTC)

 * Delete Դմն
 * Delete unless it can be verified within the VFD period. Cutler 21:54, Aug 10, 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete: Blast!  I thought I had it here, but that's a mirror cleverly disguised.  Not a bit of it is verified.  Burn it, unless someone finds something.  Odd that a BBC series in this much detail doesn't provide us with the name of any of the stars, isn't it?  Geogre 01:47, 11 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. Lacrimosus 02:25, 11 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * BBC website hasn't heard of it either. Delete. DJ Clayworth 18:22, 11 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete entirely on the basis of stupid title. Wikipedia is not Everything2. Denni ☯ 02:11, 2004 Aug 13 (UTC)
 * Delete ... in a chilled out yet stringent manner. - Nat Krause 20:44, 13 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete probable nonsense before it spreads. -- Cyrius|✎ 03:37, 16 Aug 2004 (UTC)


text:
Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon

The Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon is a United States Marine Corps military award that was established by order of Secretary of the Navy John Howard Dalton on 15 July 1997. The award recognizes those Marine Corps personnel who have served as U.S. Embassy Security Guards and is retroactive to 28 January 1949.

Marines assigned to Marine Security Guard duty (MOS 8156) are eligible to receive the ribbon upon completion of 36 months of service at a foreign establishment. Subsequent awards will be made for every 36 months served, either consecutively or cumulatively. The MCSGR may be awarded retroactively to 28 January 1949, the date the first MSGs departed Washington, DC, for their overseas assignments. One award is authorized for the period 28 January 1949 to 15 August 1974, regardless of the number of qualifying periods.

Marines who served successful tours at a lettered MSGBN company headquarters or at HQ MSGBN, Quantico are not eligible to receive this award. On a case-by-case basis, the MCSGR may be awarded posthumously without regard to period of service.

Personnel transferred early for the Good of the Service must have served a minimum of 12 months in the program to be eligible for this award. Personnel transferred due to Relief for Cause are not eligible for the ribbon.

History
To be awarded the Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon, a service member must hold the Marine Corps military occupational specialty (MOS) 8156 (previously 8151) Marine Corps Security Guard and must have served thirty-six months of service at an American embassy or consulate. The award is only awarded to Marine Security Guards for their service at American Embassies or Consulates in a foreign country.

title: Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon


text:
Single-wing formation

In American and Canadian football, a single-wing formation was a precursor to the modern spread or shotgun formation. The term usually connotes formations in which the snap is tossed rather than handed—formations with one wingback and a handed snap are commonly called "wing T" or "winged T".

Created by Glenn "Pop" Warner, the single wing was superior to the T formation in its ability to get an extra eligible receiver down field.

History
"There is no way to improve on football beyond the unbalanced line single-wing." Among coaches, single-wing football denotes a formation using a long snap from center as well as a deceptive scheme that evolved from Glenn "Pop" Warner's offensive style. Traditionally, the single-wing was an offensive formation that featured a core of four backs including a tailback, a fullback, a quarterback (blocking back), and a wingback. Linemen were set "unbalanced", with two on one side of the center and four on the other. This was done by moving the off-side guard or tackle to the strong side. The single-wing was one of the first formations attempting to trick the defense instead of over-powering it.

Pop Warner referred to his new offensive scheme as the Carlisle formation because he formulated most of the offense while coaching the Carlisle Indians. The term single-wing came into widespread use after spectators noticed that the formation gave the appearance of a wing-shape. In 1907, Warner coached at Carlisle, a school for Native Americans, where his legacy consisted of at least three significant events. The first was the discovery of Jim Thorpe's raw athletic ability. The second was the use of an extensive passing game that relied on the spiraled ball. Finally, faking backs who started one way, but abruptly headed the opposite way, kept defenses guessing. Because Jim Thorpe had so much raw talent, Coach Warner more than likely designed much of his single-wing offense around this gifted athlete. Thorpe, the proverbial triple threat, was a good runner, passer, and punter.

For much of the history of the single-wing formation, players were expected to play on both sides of the ball. Consequently, offensive players often turned around to play a corresponding location on defense. The offensive backs played defensive backs, just as the offensive linemen played defensive linemen. Unlike teams of today, single-wing teams had few specialists who only played on certain downs.

College football playbooks before the 1950s were dominated with permutations of the traditional single-wing envisioned by Warner. Two-time All-American Jack Crain's handwritten playbook clearly denotes how the University of Texas ran their version of the single-wing circa 1939–1940. University of Texas Coach Dana X. Bible ran a balanced line, which means that there were the same numbers of linemen on each side of the center. Also, the ends were slightly split.

Slightly splitting offensive ends, called flexing, was in widespread use by Notre Dame's Box variation of the single-wing. Knute Rockne's Notre Dame Box offense employed a balanced line, which had 3 linemen on each side of the center. Another Rockne innovation was a shifting backfield that attempted to confuse the defense by moving backs to alternate positions right before the snap. Another variation of the single-wing saw the quarterback move out as a wingback on the weak side. Besides adding different blocking angles for the quarterback, the double-wing formation facilitated the passing game. Stanford had a variation on the double-wing in which the quarterback stayed right behind the strong side guard, while the tailback became the wingback to the weak side. The fullback, being the only deep back left, took all the snaps and directed the plays.

The advent of the T formation in the 1940s led to a decline in the use of single-wing formations. For example, the single-wing coach Dana X. Bible, upon his retirement in 1946, saw his replacement, Blair Cherry, quickly install the T formation like many other college coaches of the day. Wallace Wade said he was "not convinced that the single wing is not a more potent formation than the T. The single wing we used caused the defense to spread. It called for more intensive coaching on individual assignments."

However, from 1949 to 1957 Henry "Red" Sanders elevated a seldom distinguished UCLA football program to an elite level with his precision single-wing system, winning a National Championship at UCLA in 1954.

The single-wing style of football is still practiced by a small group of teams across the country, almost exclusively at the high school and youth level. The Pittsburgh Steelers were the last NFL team to use the single-wing as their standard formation, finally switching to the T formation in 1952. In 2008, the Miami Dolphins utilized a version of the single-wing offense (calling it the "wildcat") against the New England Patriots on six plays, which produced four touchdowns in a 38–13 upset victory, and again two weeks later defeating the San Diego Chargers. In college football, by the early 1960s the only major teams still relying on the single wing were Tennessee, UCLA, University of Pennsylvania and Princeton; after 1964 only Princeton, which had been particularly known for the single wing under its longtime coach Charlie Caldwell, still used the formation, finally giving it up in 1969 after the retirement of Caldwell's successor Dick Colman.

Sutherland single wing
The Sutherland single-wing was a variation of the single-wing used with great success by Coach Jock Sutherland of the 1930s and 1940s. Note that coach Sutherland mastered many forms of the single-wing, but the formation described here is the one he invented and was named for him.

The Sutherland single-wing differs from the traditional single-wing in that the wingback is brought into the backfield as a halfback, flanking the fullback on the other side from the tailback. This allows a more flexible running attack to the weak-side. Both the tailback and halfback are triple threats in this offense. The weakness of this formation is less power than the traditional single-wing and it requires very talented backs to play tailback and halfback effectively.

Sutherland created this formation from the original single-wing he learned from legendary coach Pop Warner at the University of Pittsburgh in the 1910s. Sutherland became the Pitt coach in 1924, where he remained through 1938. Sutherland's Pitt teams were named "National Champions" by various selectors in nine different seasons, including five recognized by the university. Sutherland was the avowed master of the single-wing offense while at Pitt. Sutherland brought his coaching skills to the NFL in 1940 as the coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers. At Brooklyn, he took over a team that had never finished better than second and had had only one winning season since 1930. He implemented his offensive ideas and the Dodgers finished with a record of 8–3 and finished only a game behind the Washington Redskins. Sutherland's star was Ace Parker, who played tailback and was NFL MVP. The Dodgers also finished second in 1941, with a 7–4 mark. Later, Sutherland coached the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1946 and 1947. In 1947, Sutherland and his single-wing pushed the Steelers to their first playoff appearance, for the East Conference crown. They were soundly defeated by Greasy Neale's Philadelphia Eagles, running the T-formation, 21–0. Sutherland died suddenly in 1948, but the Steelers continued to use his single-wing until 1953, when they were the last NFL team to switch to the T. Runningback Austin Horton also rushed for 1,245 yards during the Sutherland season.

Double wing
The double-wing is an offensive formation which should not be confused with the Double Wing offense. The double-wing formation is used in many offenses from the youth level through college. The formation was first introduced by Pop Warner around 1912. Just a few offenses that use the formation are the double wing, flexbone and wing T offenses. It was the primary formation used by Ara Parseghian when he ran the wing T at Notre Dame, winning National Championships in 1966 and 1973.

The formation is not necessarily the same in all offenses and is often a broad term to describe any offense with two wingbacks. In the wing T, the double-wing formation is used to refer to Red, Blue and Loose Red formations.

The double-wing formation in American football usually includes one wide receiver, two wingbacks, one fullback, and one tight end.

Single-wing style of play
The direct snap or toss from the center usually went to the tailback or fullback; however, the quarterback could also take the ball. The tailback was very important to the success of the offense because he had to run, pass, block, and even punt. Unlike today, the quarterback usually blocked at the point of attack. As with his modern-day counterpart, a single-wing quarterback might also act as a field general by calling plays. The fullback was chosen for his larger size so that he could "buck" the line. This meant that the fullback would block or carry the ball between the defensive tackles. The wingback could double-team block with an offensive lineman at scrimmage or even run a pass route.

The single-wing formation was designed to place double-team blocks at the point of attack. Gaining this extra blocker was achieved in several ways. First, the unbalanced line placed an extra guard or tackle on one side of the center. Second, a wingback stationed outside end could quickly move to a crucial blocking position. Third, the fullback and especially the quarterback could lead the ball carrier producing interference. Finally, linemen, usually guards, would pull at the snap and block at the specified hole. Line splits were always close except for ends who might move out from the tackle.

The single-wing formation depended on a center who was skilled both at blocking and at tossing the ball from between his legs to the receiving back. The center had to direct the ball to any of several moving backs, with extreme accuracy, as the play started. Single-wing plays would not work effectively if the back had to wait for the snap because quick defensive penetration would overrun the play. The center was taught to direct the ball to give the tailback or fullback receiver a running start in the direction that the play was designed to go. The single-wing formation was a deceptive formation with spectators, referees, and defensive players often losing sight of the ball. A backfield player, called a "spinner", might turn 360 degrees while faking the ball to the other backs, or even keeping the ball or passing it. Defensive players were often fooled as to which back was carrying the ball.

The one play that was unique to the single-wing formation was the buck-lateral series. The terminology for this series of plays associates the word "buck" with the intent of the fullback to plunge into the line. In addition, the short toss, or lateral of the ball, can be made to the quarterback or wingback who may take the ball and do other maneuvers including passing the ball. Consequently, when the fullback takes the ball, he appears to be headed to buck the line. Typically, fullbacks were bigger players who ran plays intended to smash the defensive front. The fullback's initial move pulls the defensive players toward the expected point of attack. Next, the fullback tosses the ball to another back causing the defense to change pursuit angles, thus losing a step in their catching the ball carrier. The strong side of the formation, where the extra lineman and wingback lined up, put pressure on the defensive end. Defenses might move extra players to that side or shift the whole defense to compensate. The cut-back play could succeed regardless of how the defense reacted. The cut-back play started like a strong side sweep with offensive guards and quarterback running interference for the tailback. The fullback would fake a smash over the guard hole to occupy the defensive tackles. The play was designed to make the defensive end overreact and try to stay outside to contain the runner. If the defensive end gave ground to the sideline, the tailback would cut-back inside to let his interference push the defensive end out of the play. If the defensive end came too far inside, then the ball carrier would run around him to the outside. After the cut-back play was used in a game, then the offense might run the wingback reverse since both plays started out the same way. At the outset, the defense tries to pursue the sweeping tailback. However, the tailback delivers the ball to the wingback running the opposite way to the weak side. Both the cut-back and the reverse would be set up with quick fullback bucks up the middle, which would cause the defensive line to over-protect their gaps, as opposed to pursuing quickly to the sideline.

Single-wing teams used both a standard punting formation and a quick punt, often kicking on second or third downs. The quick punt, or quick kick, saw the tailback-punter quickly backing up 5 yards as the ball was in the air from the center to distance him from rushers. The strategy was to keep defensive halfbacks, expecting a possession play, from dropping back to return the ball. The standard punt formation was often used for either punting as well as running or passing the ball. Most teams had a litany of plays that they might run from a punt formation. Prior to 1930 the shape of the football was a prominent oval shape called a prolate spheroid. Due to the shape of the ball, single-wing backs handled the ball more like a basketball, with short tosses and underhand lobs. Gradually, balls were allowed to be elongated enough to produce streamlined passes with a spiral. The spiraled ball could be thrown farther with more accuracy, thus increasing the potential for offenses to use the forward pass more frequently.

The single-wing quarterback played a different role than modern-day quarterbacks. While the quarterback may have called the snap count due to his position close to the center of the formation, he may not have called the actual play in the huddle. For much of the history of football, coaches were not allowed to call plays from the sideline. This responsibility may have gone to the team captain. The quarterback was expected to be an excellent blocker at the point of attack. Some playbooks referred to this player as the blocking back. The quarterback also had to handle the ball by faking, handing off, or optioning to other backs.

Modern use
Although the single-wing has lost much of its popularity since the 1950s, its characteristic features are still prevalent in all levels of modern football. They include pulling guards, double teams, play action passes, laterals, wedge blocking, trap blocking, the sweep, the reverse and the quick kick. Many current offenses, such as the spread option, use single-wing tendencies for running plays, while using wide receivers instead of wingbacks. Once a strong running formation, the single wing has been replaced by formations that facilitate passing, while minimizing the running aspect of the game. Today the single-wing has evolved into what coaches call the spread offense or shotgun, with the emphasis on passing. The most noticeable feature that remains of the powerful Carlisle formation is the long toss from center to the main ball-handler. The main talent and field general has become the quarterback instead of the tailback. The other single-wing backs have moved close to the line of scrimmage and are split farther from the main line. Wide receivers are called split-ends, flex ends, slots, and flankers. Also, linemen spacing has increased in distance. Moving offensive players farther apart serves the purpose of also spreading the defense. The goal is to make defenses cover the whole field on every play.

The current incarnation of the Wildcat offense, which has been adopted by many college, NFL, and high school teams uses many elements of the single-wing formation.

Successful teams
The single-wing has had a successful revival in youth leagues, middle schools, high schools, and some colleges. Here are some examples of single-wing high school teams that have had success all across the country. In 2005, Virginia saw three teams ride the single-wing to the state playoffs. Two of the three teams, Giles High School and Osbourn High School, actually won their division. Giles High School returned to the state championship game in 2006, and also won state championships using the single wing in both 1980 and 2013. In 1998 and 1999, Park View High School in Sterling, Virginia advanced to consecutive state championships using the single wing offense. When Park View coach Mickey Thompson moved to nearby Stone Bridge High School in 2000, he took the single wing with him. As a result, the Bulldogs have won 12 District titles, 9 Region titles and won the 2007, 2020, and 2021 AAA Division 5 State title games. On February 1, 2010, Stone Bridge Offensive Coordinator Matt "Hate-Dog" Griffis was named Head Coach of nearby Broad Run High School. Griffis announced he will be running the Single Wing as well as his hybrid Single Wing formation dubbed the "Griff-Bone". Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware perfected this formation which led to numerous state championships. Warren County High School in Front Royal, Va. also used the single-wing to moderate success. In Louisa County, Va., the local high school has had similar success by running the single-wing formation since 2003.

Colton California has been a consistently successful single-wing team by reaching the state playoffs on six consecutive seasons.

In 1998 The Menominee Maroons won the Michigan high school class BB football championship, and in 2006 and 2007 won the Michigan High School Class B football championship, winning 28 consecutive games over the last 2 years, and reaching the state playoffs for the last 11 years.

In 1971 the Corning High School Cardinals of Corning, California had a 9–0 undefeated season utilizing a balanced single-wing offense under coach Tag McFadden. They were the number one rated school Division 4 in the state and McFadden was garnered coach of year by Cal-Hi Sports.

In 1974 and 1975, St. Mark's School (MA) compiled a 13–1 record running the Princeton Single Wing.

In 1980 Coach Ted Hern brought the single-wing to Moriarty High School, the "Fighting" Pintos made three state championship appearances winning 2 state titles, one undefeated season and suffering only 3 losses in four seasons. Coach Frank Ortiz was an assistant coach in the later seasons.

Since 1985, Santa Rosa High School has used the single-wing formation under Coach Frank Ortiz. The Lions have made the playoffs every year except three, won their district title 17 times, won the New Mexico AA State Championships in 1993, 1996, 1998, 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012 and made a total of 13 State Finals appearances.

Xavier High School's (NYC) Head Coach Chris Stevens recently changed the team's offense to the single-wing. In 2007, they went 11–1, and averaged 39 points in the New York Catholic High School Football League A Division. They had two 1,000-yard rushers in Seamus Kelly and Jimmy Kowalski, while both also scored 17 TDs. In the championship game trailing by two scores with less than 8 minutes to play, Xavier scored 31 unanswered points to win their first championship in over 10 years. The following week they beat Fordham Prep 20–14 in the annual "Turkey Bowl", a game that dates back to the late 1800s. Running the single-wing since 2006, they have been at the top of league in rushing. In 2007, they were in the top three rushing and scoring schools in New York. They again won a championship in the New York Catholic High School Football League in 2012 this one coming in the AA division. They averaged 34 points a game scoring 35 or more points 9 times, rushed for 46 touchdowns and 3,700 yards with a 9–2 record.

In 2005 St. Mary's of Lynn in Massachusetts won the D4A Eastern Mass Title following two consecutive division titles with Ed Melanson running the Single Wing. Prior to Coach Melanson installing the Single Wing there in 2002, St. Mary's had not had a winning season since 1977.

In Kansas, Mark Bliss installed the Single Wing offense at Conway Springs High School in 1997, coaching the team to Kansas Class 3A state championships in 1998, 2001, 2002, and 2003. During his seven seasons at Conway Springs, his teams compiled a record of 81–4, including a 62-game winning streak. Conway Springs continues to run the Single Wing offense and added state titles in 2004, 2008, and again in 2011 and are perennial playoffs contenders under Coach Matt Biehler.

In Kansas, Ed Buller created a football dynasty centered around the Single Wing offense. In his 40 years of coaching, which ended in 1984, Buller's only losing season was his first. Buller compiled a record of 335–78–7 and coached the Clyde Bluejays to 10 undefeated seasons along with 39 consecutive winning seasons.

In Nebraska Dave Cisar's Screaming Eagle youth football teams have been running the Single Wing offense for 8 seasons. During that time period those teams have gone 78-5 and averaged over 35 points per contest and won two State Titles. He did this with 6 totally different teams in 4 different leagues in various age groups. His teams even used the famous "fullback full spinner series" along with the other traditional Single Wing plays. Coach Cisar published a book "Winning Youth Football a Step by Step Plan" in 2006 to help youth coaches install this "old school" offense.

In Connecticut Anthony Sagnella runs the single wing with his North Haven High School Team that reached the 2015 Class L state Championship Game and were defeated by New Caanan, 42–35. Tailback Mike Montano was an All-State Selection as a RB with over 1800 Rushing yards and 30 TDs.

In Colorado, Brian Christensen's Akron Rams (Class 1A) high school football team has made running the Single Wing offense a local tradition. Akron won back-to-back undefeated state championships in 2001 and 2002. They also took home State titles in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Christensen's teams have made the playoffs every year since 1996 and have made it to at least the semi-finals of the state playoffs all but 4 times within that span. The Akron Rams are renowned for their "exceptional prowess executing the single-wing offense." One coach characterized Akron's single-wing attack as, "A Chinese fire-drill in the backfield every single play. You have to play mistake-free defense or Akron's single-wing attack will burn you." Christensen took over the Akron program in 1996, his overall record at Akron is: 163–31 (.841 winning percentage).

In Iowa, Bob Howard, the coach of the Sigourney-Keota Savage Cobras (2A), has led the Cobras to three state championships (1995, 2001, 2005), using the single-wing offense. He used the offense when he first started coaching at Sigourney in the 1970s, before Sigourney and Keota conjoined teams. In 2005 the vaulted Cobra single-wing offense set a new state record for points in a season with 696, 537 of which coming in the nine regular season games, and in 2007 the Cobras set a new state rushing record racking up 718 yards in a single game. Howard left Sigourney-Keota after the 2006 season to become the new head coach at Webster City High School and was charged with rebuilding a once-proud program that hadn't won over six games or made the Class 3A playoffs since 1996. Installing his vaunted single-wing offense, in 2007 the Lynx led District 2 in rushing by gaining over 2,200 yards on the ground despite their overall record of 3–6. However, in 2008, the Lynx not only made the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, but also finished the season with a final record of 7–4. Tailback John Hill rushed for 1,420 yards—the sixth highest total in school history.

On September 21, 2008, the Miami Dolphins used a version of the single-wing offense (specifically the Wildcat offense) against the New England Patriots on six plays, which produced five touchdowns (four rushing and one passing) in a 38–13 upset victory, after its successful adoption on the college and high school level by several teams.

The 1957 Cass Township, exclusively used single-wing offense. The Cass (Schuylkill County) PA Condors rolled through a season unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon over 50 years ago, going 9–0 in the regular season before defeating Shamokin, 2–0, in a special playoff for the Eastern Conference Southern Division title for a season of 10–0. They are the only high school football team in Pennsylvania that can lay claim to that feat. The late Coach Pat Droskinis, listed in the PA Sports Hall of Fame, coached them and led by a strong 4–5–2 defense that featured All-State ends in 6-foot-3 Russ Frantz and 6-2 Harry Butsko, the Cass Twp Condors blanked Minersville, Nescopeck, West Mahanoy Township, Schuylkill Haven, Ashland, Blythe Township, Mahanoy Township, Lansford and Saint Clair, and then Shamokin in the playoff game (2–0).UNDEFEATED UNTIED UNSCORED UPON: The Perfect Season: The Story of Pennsylvania's 1957 Cass Football Team https://a.co/d/ao0L0gD

In Pittsburgh, Coach Pete Dimperio ran the single wing at Westinghouse High School from 1946 to this retirement in 1966. Westinghouse played in the City League championship game every one of those 21 years and they won 17 times. Coach Dimperio's league play record was a phenomenal 118–5–1 and (158–26–1 overall). His Bulldog teams ran the single-wing formation with mostly buck-lateral and fullback spinner plays. He did not use a multitude of plays, rather he won because his players were so well-schooled and disciplined they were all but unstoppable. When Coach Dimperio started at Westinghouse the student body was mostly the children of Italian immigrants, but by the late 1950s it was almost 100% African American. It didn't matter to Coach Dimperio; he and his single wing won nonetheless. Being from a relatively poor inner city school, Westinghouse usually had no assistant coaches and rarely suited up more than 40 players. Yet, in exhibition games against some of the biggest suburban schools, Westinghouse usually won. Once in an exhibition game against South Hills Catholic which suited up 90 players and had five coaches, Coach Dimperio's deceptive single wing made mincemeat of the heavier and slow opponent to the point where one of the South Hills Catholic coaches remarked, "they (the Westinghouse backs) ran down the field so many times it looked like track practice." Coach Dimperio was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1964.

Keith W. Piper, head coach at Denison University (Ohio) had played center in the single wing in high school and at Baldwin-Wallace University, and he went against trends by using that offense for three seasons at Denison in the early 1960s. After the Big Red went 0–8–1 in 1977, he returned to the single wing for good because tailback Clay Sampson offered a dual threat. He became the only player in Division III history to rush for 3,000 yards and pass for 3,000 in a career when he totaled 6,920 yards for Denison from 1977 to '80. In 1985 Piper's single wing offense featured a potent mix of speed, athleticism and experience that produced an average victory margin of 29.6 points. That year Denison set nine school season team records—including most total yards of offense (4,330), most rushing yards (3,510) and most points (377)—and set five single game school marks.

title: Single-wing formation


text: Category:Musical theatre actors

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Talk:Atom/to do

 * Finish sections:
 * Atoms in the universe and our world: discuss the appearance (and formation?) of atoms after the big bang; how many atoms in universe; spatial distribution of atoms
 * Atoms in industry: role of individual atoms in chemistry, nuclear fusion, fission
 * Atoms in science: how individual atoms are identified (spectroscopy), investigated (X-ray crystallography) and separated (mass spectrometry, freeze out, diffusion, &c.) —The last has been requested for the chemical element page instead.
 * Additions:
 * Antimatter atoms.
 * Island of stability.
 * Revise:
 * Subatomic particle explanations are dated. Should really Fundamental Particles and include a section on the standard model. http://www.particleadventure.org/frameless/startstandard.html would be a good jumping off point —The section wording has been revised.

title: Talk:Atom/to do