Mavelikkara, the headquarters of the Mavelikkara taluk in Alappuzha district, was formerly the seat of the Pandalam Rajas and was known as Airoor Swaroopam. Places of tourism interest here are the Buddha statue, one of the rarest of its kind in the state, now preserved by the state Archaeology Department; 'Saradha Mandiram', residence of the Late poet A.R. Rajaraja Varma; the Chettikulangara Bhagavathy temple, Sree Krishan Swamy temple, Mahadeva temple having ancient inscriptions at Kandiyoor etc.