Pathanamthitta is a hill town in the lap of the Sahya Parvatas. The name Pathanamthitta is a combination of two nouns, 'Pathanam' and 'Thitta'.This means a row of houses on the river bank. Pathanamthitta district was formed on 1 November 1982 by dividing Kollam district. Pathanamthitta is an area believed to be associated with the Pandalam kingdom. Pathanamthitta district is shared by Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki districts. This district, which borders Tamil Nadu in the east and has forest land, is more than half of the forest land.