Kollam
Encyclopedia
Kollam often anglicized as , is a city in the India
n state
of Kerala
. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake
on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about 71 kilometres (44.1 mi) north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram
. It is the headquarters of the Kollam district
.
Kollam is the 4th largest city in Kerala
, after Thiruvananthapuram
, Ernakulam
, and Kozhikode
based on population and is known for cashew
processing and coir
manufacturing. It is considered to be the southern gateway to the backwaters of Kerala
and is a prominent tourist destination. The Kollam urban area comprises of fast developing suburban towns such as Kottiyam in the south, Kundara in the east, and Chavara in the north of the city. Other important towns in the city suburbs are Paravur, Kannanalore and Anchalumoodu. Karunagapally, Chathanoor, and Kottarakkara are major towns within a distance of 25 km from Kollam city centre towards north, south, and east respectively.
Kollam appeared as Palombe in Mandeville
's Travels, where he claimed it contained a Fountain of Youth
. During the rule of the Chera
monarchy in southern Kerala, Kollam emerged as the focal point of trade. Kollam continues to be a major business and commercial centre in the central Travancore
region of Kerala
.
, or Kollavarsham, was created in Kollam at meetings held in the city in 825 CE. The name Kollam is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit
word Kollam, meaning pepper.
until the formation of the Venad kingdom, when it became the capital of the independent Venad kingdom
.
(Muziris
) as an ancient seaport on the Malabar Coast
of India from the early centuries of Before the Christian era.
Kollam had a sustained commercial reputation from the days of the Phoenicians and Ancient Rome
. Pliny the Elder
(23–79 AD) mentions Greek
ships anchored at Muziris and Nelcynda. There was also a land route over the Western Ghats
. Spices, pearls, diamonds, and silk were exported to Egypt
and Rome from these ports. Pearls and diamonds came to Chera Kingdom from Ceylon and the southeastern coast of India, then known as the Pandyan kingdom
.
Cosmas Indicopleustes
, a Greek Nestorian sailor, in his book the Christian Topography who visited the Malabar coast in 550 CE, mentions an enclave of Christian believers in Male (Chera Kingdom). He wrote, "In the island of Tabropane (Ceylon), there is a church of Christians, and clerks and faithful. Likewise at Male Trincomalee
in Sri Lanka
, where the pepper grows and in the farming community of Kalliana (Kalliankal at Nillackal) there is also a bishop concentrated in Persia in accordance with the Nicea sunnahadose of 325 AD ." The Nestorian Patriarch Jesujabus, who died in 660 CE, mentions Kollam in his letter to Simon, Metropolitan of Persia.
However, on close scrutiny of Christian Topography written by Cosmas Indicopleustes
, the book does not mention Christianity in Kerala. He says,
"The island Taprobanê [Sri Lanka] has also a church of Persian Christians who have settled there, and a Presbyter who is appointed from Persia, and a Deacon and a complete ecclesiastical ritual. But the natives and their kings are heathens. The island being, as it is, in a central position, is much frequented by ships from all parts of India and from Persia and Ethiopia, and it likewise sends out many of its own. And from the remotest countries, I mean Tzinista and other trading places, it receives silk, aloes, cloves, sandalwood and other products, and these again are passed on to marts on this side, such as Male, where pepper grows, and to Calliana which exports copper and sesame-logs, and cloth for making dresses, for it also is a great place of business."
Cosmos does talk about the Persian Christians under a Presbyter at Taprobane (TamiraBarni the ancient Name of Sri Lanka).He talks about Male, Trincomalee
in Sri Lanka
as an important trading port which exported pepper.
However the records from ancient Tamil Kingdoms such as Sangam literature
which ruled Kollam such as the Early Pandyan Kingdom
or Chera Dynasties never mentioned the existence of Christianity in ancient Kerala prior to 825 CE. Christianity was not a distinct religion to ancient Tamils of Kerala but just a faith order in Jesus (Isha) as Brahma puthra incorporated in Hinduism as broad Vaishnavism practised by Vedic Malayalee Brahmins following the Nicea sunnahadose of 325 AD.
In 825 CE, the Nestorian monks Mar Abo and Mar Proth arrived in Kollam on the invitation of the ruler of the Venad
-a feudatory under the Chera
kingdom. The two monks received a Royal sanction called "Tarsish-a-palli" near "Korukenikollam" from Chera ruler Rajashekara varman Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal, as described on the Tharisapalli plates
. Special privileges were given to the Ezhavas in the Tarisapalli sasanam. The two monks were instrumental in founding Christian churches with Syrian liturgy in the Malabar coast area distinct from ancient Hinduism. Mar Abo lived his last years at Thevalakkara
, and his remains were buried there in the Martha Mariam Orthodox Church.
in 825 AD instead of re opening the inland sea port(kore-ke-ni kollam) near Backare (Thevalakara) also known as Nelcynda and Tyndis to the Romans and The Greeks and Thondi to the Taamils and is also the foundation of the new city. It is also believed that Mar Abo actually volunteered to the Chera king to create a new sea port town near at Kollam instead of his request for renewing the almost vanishing Tyndis or Nelcynda inland sea port(kore-ke-ni) at Kollam,lying idle without trade for a few centuries because of the Cheras being over run by pallavas in the 6th century AD ending the spice trade from Malabar coast. This allowed Mar Abo to stay for many decades in Chera kingdom and streamline Christian faith in the St.Thomas tradition with Syrian liturgy replacing the Sanskrit and Vedic prayers.
copper plate grants in 825 CE to Nestorian Monk Mar S(abo)r Iso who he invited to Kollam, transferring to the Tarsish Church and the community in the St. Thomas tradition of Quilon.
A merchant, Soleyman of Siraf of Persia, visited Malabar in the 9th century and found Quilon to be the only port in India used by the huge Chinese ships as their Transhipment hub for their goods on their way from China
to the Persian Gulf. The rulers of Kollam (formerly called 'Desinganadu') had trade relations with China
and exchanged embassies. According to the records of the Tang Dynasty
(618 AD to 913 AD), Quilon was their chief port of call before 7th century AD. The Chinese trade decreased about 600 AD and was again revived in the 13th century.
In 1291, John of Montecorvino
, a Franciscan monk, became a priest at Quilon. Friar Jordanus
Catalini, who arrived in 1321, effected large-scale Latin Catholic conversions and was appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon in 1329. Friar Jordanus built a church, called St. Georges Church, with the patronage of Nestorian spice merchants at Jona-ka-puram (the seat of Jordanus Catalini )in Kollam and wrote Mirabilia Descripta. However, after Giovanni de' Marignolli
in 1353, this Latin church was converted to a Nestorian church by the Nestorian Christians, and when Portuguese
arrived in 1498, only Nestorian Christianity existed in Kerala in a visible way.
Marco Polo
, who visited China's Kublai Khan's court, traveled in 1292 through Kollam on his return journey to Venice, and gave an interesting account of the flourishing port of Kollam (coilum, as he called it) and its trade relations inter connectivity with China in the east and Europe to the west. Chinnakada, (China-kada), the city center, was so named after the Chinese merchants. The increase in commercial activity resulted in establishment of a flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam.
, Kollam in 1502, which became the centre of trade in pepper. In the wars with the Moors/Arabs that followed, the ancient church of St Thomas was destroyed. In 1517, the Portuguese built the St. Thomas Fort in Thangasseri, which was destroyed in the subsequent wars with the Dutch. The ruins of the Fort can still be seen in Thangasseri. In 1661, the Dutch
took possession of the city. The remnants of the Dutch forts can be found at Thangasseri. In the 18th century, Travancore conquered Kollam, followed by the British in 1795. Thangasseri remains today as an Anglo-Indian settlement, though few Anglo-Indians remain. The Infant Jesus Church in Thangasseri, an old Portuguese-built church, remains as a memento of the Portuguese rule of the area.
of Travancore
worked to improve Kollam. He helped build new markets and invited merchants and traders from Madras (now Chennai
) and Tirunelveli
to set up trade in Kollam. Kollam, to this day has a thriving business in cashew nuts, coir and spices.
The history of the district as an administrative unit can be traced back to 1835, when the state of Travancore
consisted of two revenue divisions with headquarters at Kollam.
of 1956. Now the district has a single revenue division with its headquarters at Kollam Taluk
Cutcherry.
,82 km from Alappuzha
,71 km from Thiruvananthapuram
,150 km from Kochi
,350 km from Kozhikode
and 229 km from Thrissur
.
, Kollam city had a population of 380,091 and a population density of 1037 persons per square kilometre. The sex ratio (the number of females per 1000 males) was 1070 during the census year of 2001. The district of Kollam
ranks sixth with respect to the population in the state. The city of Kollam ranks fourth in terms of population in Kerala. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Kollam has an average literacy rate of 91.47%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 80%. In Kollam, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Malayalam is the most spoken language. Hindi
, English
and Tamil
are also widely understood in the city.
The police administration of the city is under the City Police Commissioner who is an IPS(Indian Police Service) officer and he reports to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Thiruvananthapuram Range. The police administration is under the State Home Department of the Government of Kerala. Kollam City is divided into three sub divisions namely Karunagappally, Kollam and Chathannoor, each comes under an Assistant Commissioner of Police. There is a City Traffic Police wing for controlling the road traffic of the city. The present Kollam City Police Commissioner is Shri.T.J Jose IPS (DIG).
with a total of 8 platforms. The metre gauge
track from Kollam to Punalur was converted to broad gauge
under project Unigauge and was inaugurated by the Hon. Minister for State for Railways, E. Ahmed, on 12 May 2010. The Thiruvananthapuram
– Ernakulam
(via Kottayam
and Alappuzha
) line passes through Kollam. Kollam has completely electrified railway tracks. Two railway lines passing through Kottarakkara
(Chengannur
-Kottarakkara
– Thiruvananthapuram
) and Punalur
(Erumeli – Punalur
– Thiruvananthapuram
) have been proposed and are awaiting survey.
Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU
) services are expected to start from Kollam to Ernakulam
in late 2010 or early 2011. A MEMU maintenance shed boasts the longest railway platform in Kerala
: more than 1 KM long.
, NH 220 and NH 208 and by the railway network. Transport is provided by State owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
(KSRTC) and private transport bus operators. Road transport is also supported by private taxis and autorickshaws, also called autos.
operates boat services to West Kallada
, Munroe Island
and Alappuzha. Double decker luxury boats run between Kollam and Allepey daily. Luxury boats, operated by Government and private owners, operate from the main boat jetty during the tourist season. The West coast canal system, which starts from Thiruvananthapuram in the south and ends at Hosdurg in the north, passes through the city of Kollam and Karunagappally taluk. The Thiruvananthapuram-Shornur canal
, which forms a part of the Thiruvananthapuram-Hosdurg system, runs a distance of about 62 km. The other canal systems include the Paravur Kayal
, Kollam canal and Chavara
canal.
Kollam Port (Thankasseri Port) is the second largest port in Kerala after Cochin Port Trust
, as of 2010. The port is undergoing infrastructural development. The port is located near the city of Kollam. Neendakara
and Shakthikulangara are twin fishing harbours in Kollam. Neendakara
is one of the busiest fishing harbours in South Kerala. Some port operations are carried out through Neendakara as well.
are Indian Rare Earths Limited
(IRE) at Chavara, Kerala Metals and Minerals Limited at Chavara
, Kerala Primo pipe factory at Chavara; Union Electrical Industries (popularly known as the Meter Company) and Parvathi Spinning at Kollam.
Kundara
was known as an industrial area with aluminium
, ceramics, starch
factories, .Now a SEZ Techno park is been Notified to bring in cutting edge Nano and Information Technology to develop these industries here
Cashew industry and cashew board
Cashew processing and coir production are the two most important sources of employment
in the private sector. Cashew processing and sorting employs a large share of women workers who manually peel and sort cashews into different categories by size. The Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation Limited (KSCDC), Kollam, a Government Company, has 30 cashew factories and employs 20,000 people. Another important source of employment is tile
manufacturing using clay
. It is expected that a Cashew Board will be set up at Kollam for the development of cashew processing and exporting.
Clay tiles
Clay tile manufacturing continues to be a mix of both large scale units and small informal units.
and Mount Carmel at Thangasseri were set up during the British Raj as India's leading Anglo-Indian schools while St.Joseph's convent Girls Higher secondary school,Tuet, Govt.Boys Higher secondary school, Thevally and St.Aloysius Higher secondary school have already celebrated the centenary years of cherished existence with over 5,000 students studying in each school. Trinity Lyceum, Krist Raj Boys Higer secondary and Vimala Hridaya Girls Higer secondary schools at Pattathanam are the other three Big Schools in Kollam with over five thousand students studying. Other large schools in Kollam include S.N.Public, S.N. trust, Kendriya Vidyalaya, St. Jude Higher Secondary School, Mukhathala.Other schools in the city include:
Chittumala Theerthatanam is an annual march held on Thiruvonam
, to promote communal harmony; it started in 1968. It starts from Munroe Island
25KM from Kollam and ends at Chittumala
.
The King's School is the first IGCSE school in the district. The course is offered by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
. Leelathilakam and Unnuneeli Sandesam
, two literary works of historical importance, are contributions of 14th century Kollam. The dance form of Kathakali
, in its new version of Ramanattam
, was the creation of Kottarakkara Thampuran, who also translated Krishnanattam
from Sanskrit
to Malayalam.
Other notable figures are K. C. Kesava Pillai
, a poet and playwright; he originated the musical play in Malayalam through his work Sadarma. His Kesaveeyam, a Mahakavyam, is of outstanding literary importance. Paravoor Kesavan Asan, the founding editor of Sujanandini, wrote Saratchandrika a study of Ayurvedic system of medicine
.
Coming to modern times, Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai
and Soornadu Kunjan Pillai, noted literary historians and poets like O. N. V. Kurup
, Thirunalloor Karunakaran
, Punaloor Balan
, novelist and poet Lalithambika Antharjanam are some of the literary luminaries hailing from this district.
Leaders like T. M. Varghese, C. Kesavan
, Kumbalathu Sanku Pillai, N. Sreekantan Pillai, R. Sankar
and C. M. Stephen
who played prominent roles in shaping the socio-political destiny of the State, are also from this district. The district gave birth to well known freedom fighters like Chandiran Kali Ambi, Kadakkal Manthri and Franco Raghavan Pillai.
. Kollam, Kerala was started during 2004. It is owned by Kasthoorba Gandhi memorial women’s charitable society registered under Travancore Cochin Charitable Society’s Act. About 50 women irrespective of caste, creed or politics are members of the society. This is the only TTI in the state which is run by a women’s organization.
near Kundara. The Mata Amritanandamayi Math
is situated at Parayakadavu in this district, about 20 km from the Kollam. Aasramam Sreekrishna Swamy temple is in the city where the annual Kollam pooram takes place. The Mukhathala Murari (Sree Krishna Swamy) Temple at Mukhathala
is about 10 km from the city. Sree Mahaganapathy temple at Kottarakara about 25 km from Kollam. Koonambaikulam(വലിയകൂനംബായ്കുളം) temple is very popular. Deity there is a Goddess,named 'Koonambaikulathu Amma'.
Other temples in the city include Kottarakulam Mahaganapathy temple, Mulamkadakom Devi temple, Rameswaram temple, Mahavishnu temple at Thirumullavaram, Ammachiveedu temple, Ashtamudi Veerabhadraswami temple, Pattathanam Ammannada temple, Dharmasastha temple at Kadappakkada,Peroor sree meenakshi temple at Punthalathazham
,Mangalathu temple at Punthalathazham
etc.
The 300 year old Juma-'Ath Palli at Karuva houses the mortal remains of a Sufi saint-Syed Abdur Rahman Jifri in its premises.
The Karbala Maidan and the adjacent Makani mosque serves as the Eid gah for the city's.
Muthirapparambu Palli is the most important masjid in Kollam District. This masjid is situated in Vellaitambalam. One of the oldest masjid in Kerala, the mosque was built by an Labba family. The Maqbara
of Muthirapparambu Uppa is famous in this masjid. Many people, Muslims and non-Muslims, are visiting this maqbara. Other important places are Asthamudi, Thirumullavaram, Mamootilkadavu and Thoppilkadavu, which are located near this masjid. The place has beautiful backwaters, which connect it to Kollam and Allapuzha. Several famous temples and churches are situated in this area.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake
Ashtamudi Lake
Ashtamudi Lake in the Kollam District of Kerala, India, is the second largest and deepest wetland ecosystem, a palm-shaped large water body, next only to the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state. Ashtamudi means 'eight coned' in the local language of Malayalam...
on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about 71 kilometres (44.1 mi) north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
. It is the headquarters of the Kollam district
Kollam district
-Climate:Kollam's temperature is almost steady throughout the year. The average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May; the monsoon begins by June and ends by September. Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around...
.
Kollam is the 4th largest city in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, after Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
, and Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
based on population and is known for cashew
Cashew
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
processing and coir
Coir
Coir is a natural fibre extracted from the husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, mattresses etc. Technically coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. Other uses of brown coir are in upholstery...
manufacturing. It is considered to be the southern gateway to the backwaters of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and is a prominent tourist destination. The Kollam urban area comprises of fast developing suburban towns such as Kottiyam in the south, Kundara in the east, and Chavara in the north of the city. Other important towns in the city suburbs are Paravur, Kannanalore and Anchalumoodu. Karunagapally, Chathanoor, and Kottarakkara are major towns within a distance of 25 km from Kollam city centre towards north, south, and east respectively.
Kollam appeared as Palombe in Mandeville
John Mandeville
"Jehan de Mandeville", translated as "Sir John Mandeville", is the name claimed by the compiler of The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, a book account of his supposed travels, written in Anglo-Norman French, and first circulated between 1357 and 1371.By aid of translations into many other languages...
's Travels, where he claimed it contained a Fountain of Youth
Fountain of Youth
The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus, the Alexander romance, and the stories of Prester John...
. During the rule of the Chera
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
monarchy in southern Kerala, Kollam emerged as the focal point of trade. Kollam continues to be a major business and commercial centre in the central Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
region of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Toponomy
The Malayalam calendarMalayalam calendar
Malayalam calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Kerala, India. The origin of the calendar has been dated as 825 CE....
, or Kollavarsham, was created in Kollam at meetings held in the city in 825 CE. The name Kollam is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word Kollam, meaning pepper.
History
Kollam was a flourishing port of the Chera DynastyChera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
until the formation of the Venad kingdom, when it became the capital of the independent Venad kingdom
Venad
Venad Swarupam was one of the three prominent late medieval Hindu feudal kingdoms on Malabar Coast, south India, along with Kingdom of Calicut and Kingdom of Cannanore. In the early 14th century, Venad ruler Ravi Varma Kulasekhara had established a short-lived supremacy over southern India...
.
Kollam during Chera rule
Kollam shares fame with PattanamPattanam
Pattanam , presently a land locked rural hamlet located in the Periyar Delta, 2 km north of North Paravur, 9 km south of Kodungallur and 25 km north of Kochi in Ernakulam District in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Pattanam that means coastal town has ancient origins...
(Muziris
Muziris
Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...
) as an ancient seaport on the Malabar Coast
Malabar Coast
The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...
of India from the early centuries of Before the Christian era.
Kollam had a sustained commercial reputation from the days of the Phoenicians and Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
(23–79 AD) mentions Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
ships anchored at Muziris and Nelcynda. There was also a land route over the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. Spices, pearls, diamonds, and silk were exported to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Rome from these ports. Pearls and diamonds came to Chera Kingdom from Ceylon and the southeastern coast of India, then known as the Pandyan kingdom
Pandyan Kingdom
The Pandyan dynasty was an ancient Tamil dynasty. The Pandyas were one of the four Tamil dynasties , which ruled South India until the 15th century CE. They initially ruled their country Pandya Nadu from Korkai, a seaport on the Southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, and in later times moved...
.
Cosmas Indicopleustes
Cosmas Indicopleustes
Cosmas Indicopleustes was an Alexandrian merchant and later hermit, probably of Nestorian tendencies. He was a 6th-century traveller, who made several voyages to India during the reign of emperor Justinian...
, a Greek Nestorian sailor, in his book the Christian Topography who visited the Malabar coast in 550 CE, mentions an enclave of Christian believers in Male (Chera Kingdom). He wrote, "In the island of Tabropane (Ceylon), there is a church of Christians, and clerks and faithful. Likewise at Male Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, where the pepper grows and in the farming community of Kalliana (Kalliankal at Nillackal) there is also a bishop concentrated in Persia in accordance with the Nicea sunnahadose of 325 AD ." The Nestorian Patriarch Jesujabus, who died in 660 CE, mentions Kollam in his letter to Simon, Metropolitan of Persia.
However, on close scrutiny of Christian Topography written by Cosmas Indicopleustes
Cosmas Indicopleustes
Cosmas Indicopleustes was an Alexandrian merchant and later hermit, probably of Nestorian tendencies. He was a 6th-century traveller, who made several voyages to India during the reign of emperor Justinian...
, the book does not mention Christianity in Kerala. He says,
"The island Taprobanê [Sri Lanka] has also a church of Persian Christians who have settled there, and a Presbyter who is appointed from Persia, and a Deacon and a complete ecclesiastical ritual. But the natives and their kings are heathens. The island being, as it is, in a central position, is much frequented by ships from all parts of India and from Persia and Ethiopia, and it likewise sends out many of its own. And from the remotest countries, I mean Tzinista and other trading places, it receives silk, aloes, cloves, sandalwood and other products, and these again are passed on to marts on this side, such as Male, where pepper grows, and to Calliana which exports copper and sesame-logs, and cloth for making dresses, for it also is a great place of business."
Cosmos does talk about the Persian Christians under a Presbyter at Taprobane (TamiraBarni the ancient Name of Sri Lanka).He talks about Male, Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
as an important trading port which exported pepper.
However the records from ancient Tamil Kingdoms such as Sangam literature
Sangam literature
Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
which ruled Kollam such as the Early Pandyan Kingdom
Early Pandyan Kingdom
The Early Pandyas of the Sangam period were one of the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country, the other two being the Cholas and the Cheras. As with many other kingdoms around this period , most of the information about the Early Pandyas come to us mainly through literary sources and...
or Chera Dynasties never mentioned the existence of Christianity in ancient Kerala prior to 825 CE. Christianity was not a distinct religion to ancient Tamils of Kerala but just a faith order in Jesus (Isha) as Brahma puthra incorporated in Hinduism as broad Vaishnavism practised by Vedic Malayalee Brahmins following the Nicea sunnahadose of 325 AD.
In 825 CE, the Nestorian monks Mar Abo and Mar Proth arrived in Kollam on the invitation of the ruler of the Venad
Venad
Venad Swarupam was one of the three prominent late medieval Hindu feudal kingdoms on Malabar Coast, south India, along with Kingdom of Calicut and Kingdom of Cannanore. In the early 14th century, Venad ruler Ravi Varma Kulasekhara had established a short-lived supremacy over southern India...
-a feudatory under the Chera
Chera dynasty
Chera Dynasty in South India is one of the most ancient ruling dynasties in India. Together with the Cholas and the Pandyas, they formed the three principle warring Iron Age Tamil kingdoms in southern India...
kingdom. The two monks received a Royal sanction called "Tarsish-a-palli" near "Korukenikollam" from Chera ruler Rajashekara varman Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal, as described on the Tharisapalli plates
Tharisapalli plates
Tharisapalli plates or Tarsishapalli sasanangal are a set of copper-plate grants that were given to the Assyrian Monk Marwan Sr Easho or Iso by Venad ruler Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal in 849 AD...
. Special privileges were given to the Ezhavas in the Tarisapalli sasanam. The two monks were instrumental in founding Christian churches with Syrian liturgy in the Malabar coast area distinct from ancient Hinduism. Mar Abo lived his last years at Thevalakkara
Thevalakkara
Thevalakkara is a village in Kollam district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics:The natives believe that word thevalakara is derived from devalokakara, i.e., the land of gods. The old name is Thevelikara like Mavelikara, Peruvelikara. Books written by foreigners quoted tevelikara...
, and his remains were buried there in the Martha Mariam Orthodox Church.
Kollam Port
Kollam sea port was founded by Mar Abo with sanction from Udayamarthandavarma the Tamil king from Venad otherwise called Ay kingdomAy kingdom
The Ay was the earliest ruling dynasty of the southern parts of present-day Kerala, south India. The Ay kings claimed descent from Yadavas or Ayar....
in 825 AD instead of re opening the inland sea port(kore-ke-ni kollam) near Backare (Thevalakara) also known as Nelcynda and Tyndis to the Romans and The Greeks and Thondi to the Taamils and is also the foundation of the new city. It is also believed that Mar Abo actually volunteered to the Chera king to create a new sea port town near at Kollam instead of his request for renewing the almost vanishing Tyndis or Nelcynda inland sea port(kore-ke-ni) at Kollam,lying idle without trade for a few centuries because of the Cheras being over run by pallavas in the 6th century AD ending the spice trade from Malabar coast. This allowed Mar Abo to stay for many decades in Chera kingdom and streamline Christian faith in the St.Thomas tradition with Syrian liturgy replacing the Sanskrit and Vedic prayers.
Kollam, the capital of Venad 9th to 12 century AD
The Malayalam Era began in 825 CE; it is named 'Kolla Varsham' after Kollam, because of the importance of Kollam in the 9th century CE. Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal granted the Tharisapalli platesTharisapalli plates
Tharisapalli plates or Tarsishapalli sasanangal are a set of copper-plate grants that were given to the Assyrian Monk Marwan Sr Easho or Iso by Venad ruler Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal in 849 AD...
copper plate grants in 825 CE to Nestorian Monk Mar S(abo)r Iso who he invited to Kollam, transferring to the Tarsish Church and the community in the St. Thomas tradition of Quilon.
A merchant, Soleyman of Siraf of Persia, visited Malabar in the 9th century and found Quilon to be the only port in India used by the huge Chinese ships as their Transhipment hub for their goods on their way from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to the Persian Gulf. The rulers of Kollam (formerly called 'Desinganadu') had trade relations with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and exchanged embassies. According to the records of the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(618 AD to 913 AD), Quilon was their chief port of call before 7th century AD. The Chinese trade decreased about 600 AD and was again revived in the 13th century.
In 1291, John of Montecorvino
John of Montecorvino
John of Montecorvino or Giovanni da Montecorvino in Italian was an Italian Franciscan missionary, traveler and statesman, founder of the earliest Roman Catholic missions in India and China, and archbishop of Peking, and Latin Patriarch of the Orient.-Biography:John was born at Montecorvino...
, a Franciscan monk, became a priest at Quilon. Friar Jordanus
Jordanus
Jordanus or Jordan Catalani was a French Dominican missionary and explorer in Asia known for his Mirabilia describing the marvels of the East.-Travels:He was perhaps born at Sévérac-le-Château in Aveyron, north-east of Toulouse...
Catalini, who arrived in 1321, effected large-scale Latin Catholic conversions and was appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon in 1329. Friar Jordanus built a church, called St. Georges Church, with the patronage of Nestorian spice merchants at Jona-ka-puram (the seat of Jordanus Catalini )in Kollam and wrote Mirabilia Descripta. However, after Giovanni de' Marignolli
Giovanni de' Marignolli
Giovanni de' Marignolli , a notable traveller to the Far East in the fourteenth century , born probably before 1290, and sprung from a noble family in Florence....
in 1353, this Latin church was converted to a Nestorian church by the Nestorian Christians, and when Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
arrived in 1498, only Nestorian Christianity existed in Kerala in a visible way.
Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
, who visited China's Kublai Khan's court, traveled in 1292 through Kollam on his return journey to Venice, and gave an interesting account of the flourishing port of Kollam (coilum, as he called it) and its trade relations inter connectivity with China in the east and Europe to the west. Chinnakada, (China-kada), the city center, was so named after the Chinese merchants. The increase in commercial activity resulted in establishment of a flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam.
Kollam during Portuguese, Dutch and British conquests (16th to 18th centuries)
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a trading center in TangasseriTangasseri
Thangasseri is a beach town on the shores of the Arabian Sea in Kollam city, Kerala, India.It is located around 5 km from the city center and 71 km form capital city Thiruvanthapuram.- History :...
, Kollam in 1502, which became the centre of trade in pepper. In the wars with the Moors/Arabs that followed, the ancient church of St Thomas was destroyed. In 1517, the Portuguese built the St. Thomas Fort in Thangasseri, which was destroyed in the subsequent wars with the Dutch. The ruins of the Fort can still be seen in Thangasseri. In 1661, the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
took possession of the city. The remnants of the Dutch forts can be found at Thangasseri. In the 18th century, Travancore conquered Kollam, followed by the British in 1795. Thangasseri remains today as an Anglo-Indian settlement, though few Anglo-Indians remain. The Infant Jesus Church in Thangasseri, an old Portuguese-built church, remains as a memento of the Portuguese rule of the area.
Kollam as part of Travancore
Velu Thampi DalawaVelu Thampi Dalawa
Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1802 and 1809 during the reign of His Highness Maharajah Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal...
of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
worked to improve Kollam. He helped build new markets and invited merchants and traders from Madras (now Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
) and Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
to set up trade in Kollam. Kollam, to this day has a thriving business in cashew nuts, coir and spices.
The history of the district as an administrative unit can be traced back to 1835, when the state of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
consisted of two revenue divisions with headquarters at Kollam.
Kollam, revenue district of Kerala (1949 onwards)
At the time of the integrating of Travancore and Cochin districts in 1949, Kollam was one of the three revenue divisions in the state. Later these three revenue divisions were converted into districts. But Shencottah taluka was merged with Madras state consequent to the implementation of the States Reorganisation ActStates Reorganisation Act
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India's states and territories. The act reorganised the boundaries of India's states along linguistic lines, and amended the Indian Constitution to replace the three types of states, known as Parts A, B,...
of 1956. Now the district has a single revenue division with its headquarters at Kollam Taluk
Kollam Taluk
Kollam taluk is one among the 5 taluks of Kollam district This taluk contains the city area of kollam. Compared to other taluks, kollam taluk is fairly developed....
Cutcherry.
Geography
Kollam city is bordered by the panchayaths of Neendakara and Thrikkadavoor to the north, Mayyanad to the south, Thrikkovilvattom and Kottamkara to the east and Arabian sea to the west. Ashtamudi lake is in the heart of the city. The city is about 63 km from PathanamthittaPathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
,82 km from Alappuzha
Alappuzha
Alappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum...
,71 km from Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
,150 km from Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
,350 km from Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
and 229 km from Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Kollam city had a population of 380,091 and a population density of 1037 persons per square kilometre. The sex ratio (the number of females per 1000 males) was 1070 during the census year of 2001. The district of Kollam
Kollam district
-Climate:Kollam's temperature is almost steady throughout the year. The average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May; the monsoon begins by June and ends by September. Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around...
ranks sixth with respect to the population in the state. The city of Kollam ranks fourth in terms of population in Kerala. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Kollam has an average literacy rate of 91.47%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 80%. In Kollam, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. Malayalam is the most spoken language. Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
are also widely understood in the city.
Civic Administration
Kollam city is governed by a Municipal Corporation which is elected by the residents of the city. The corporation is divided into 55 divisions. Each division is represented by a councilor elected by the people and the Mayor is elected from among the councilors representing the political party with majority seats. There is a corporation Secretary who is the head of the office staff of the corporation. The present Mayor of Kollam Corporation is Mrs. Prasanna Earnest of the CPI(M).The police administration of the city is under the City Police Commissioner who is an IPS(Indian Police Service) officer and he reports to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Thiruvananthapuram Range. The police administration is under the State Home Department of the Government of Kerala. Kollam City is divided into three sub divisions namely Karunagappally, Kollam and Chathannoor, each comes under an Assistant Commissioner of Police. There is a City Traffic Police wing for controlling the road traffic of the city. The present Kollam City Police Commissioner is Shri.T.J Jose IPS (DIG).
Rail
Kollam Railway Station is the third largest railway station in Kerala in terms of area after Shornur Junction and Palakkad JunctionPalakkad Junction
Palakkad Junction is one of the biggest railway junction station in Kerala state, India situated in the city of Palakkad. It is located at 4 km from Palakkad Municipal Bus Terminus...
with a total of 8 platforms. The metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...
track from Kollam to Punalur was converted to broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
under project Unigauge and was inaugurated by the Hon. Minister for State for Railways, E. Ahmed, on 12 May 2010. The Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
– Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
(via Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
and Alappuzha
Alappuzha
Alappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum...
) line passes through Kollam. Kollam has completely electrified railway tracks. Two railway lines passing through Kottarakkara
Kottarakkara
Kottarakkara , also transliterated as Kottarakara, is a town and taluk in Kollam District , in Kerala state, India. The town is close to the Kollam port which has a rich history linked to the early medieval period as well as a reputation for being an important commercial, industrial and trading...
(Chengannur
Chengannur
Chengannur , is a municipal town in Alappuzha district of the state of Kerala in South India. Chengannur is located in the extreme eastern part of Alappuzha district. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram on the MC Road. Chengannur is connected to Kollam and Kottayam by NH 220...
-Kottarakkara
Kottarakkara
Kottarakkara , also transliterated as Kottarakara, is a town and taluk in Kollam District , in Kerala state, India. The town is close to the Kollam port which has a rich history linked to the early medieval period as well as a reputation for being an important commercial, industrial and trading...
– Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
) and Punalur
Punalur
Punalur is a city situvated near the Tamil Nadu Kerala Border in Kollam district in the southern state of Kerala, India. It is the pioneer in starting industrial revolution in Kerala by establishing Punalur Paper Mills, the first industry in kerala. It is situated in the banks of the river Kallada...
(Erumeli – Punalur
Punalur
Punalur is a city situvated near the Tamil Nadu Kerala Border in Kollam district in the southern state of Kerala, India. It is the pioneer in starting industrial revolution in Kerala by establishing Punalur Paper Mills, the first industry in kerala. It is situated in the banks of the river Kallada...
– Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
) have been proposed and are awaiting survey.
Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU
MEMU
MEMU is a commuter rail system in India operated by the Indian Railway.The system uses Mainline Electrical Multiple Units operating on Alternating Current drawn from over-head cables through the catenary system....
) services are expected to start from Kollam to Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
in late 2010 or early 2011. A MEMU maintenance shed boasts the longest railway platform in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
: more than 1 KM long.
Roads
The city is connected to other parts of Kerala and India through the National Highways 47Indian highways
The National Highways Network of India, is a network of highways that is managed and maintained by agencies of the Government of India. These highways measured over as of 2010, including over of limited-access Expressways....
, NH 220 and NH 208 and by the railway network. Transport is provided by State owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the state-run bus company in Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.-History:...
(KSRTC) and private transport bus operators. Road transport is also supported by private taxis and autorickshaws, also called autos.
Water
The State Water Transport DepartmentKerala State Water Transport Department
Kerala State Water Transport Department is a governmental agency that regulates the inland navigation systems in the Indian state of Kerala and provides inland water transport facilities. The department is headed by the State Minister in charge of transportation.This system consists of 1895...
operates boat services to West Kallada
West Kallada
West Kallada is a village in Kollam district in the state of Kerala, India.-Demographics: India census, West Kallada had a population of 17958 with 8705 males and 9253 females.Main Educational Institutions are* Govt. HSS, West Kallada...
, Munroe Island
Munroe Island
Munroe Island is located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River, in Kollam district, Kerala, South India...
and Alappuzha. Double decker luxury boats run between Kollam and Allepey daily. Luxury boats, operated by Government and private owners, operate from the main boat jetty during the tourist season. The West coast canal system, which starts from Thiruvananthapuram in the south and ends at Hosdurg in the north, passes through the city of Kollam and Karunagappally taluk. The Thiruvananthapuram-Shornur canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
, which forms a part of the Thiruvananthapuram-Hosdurg system, runs a distance of about 62 km. The other canal systems include the Paravur Kayal
Paravur Kayal
Paravur Kayal is a lake in Paravur, Kerala, India. Although it is small, with an area of only 6.62 km² , it is the end point of the Ithikkara River and part of the system of lakes and canals that make up the Kerala Backwaters. It has been connected to Edava Kayal and Ashtamudi Kayal as part of the...
, Kollam canal and Chavara
Chavara
Chavara is approximately 14 km north of Kollam City on the Kollam-Alappuzha highway in India. Tonnes of mineral sand, mainly titanium, are exported from Chavara to various countries. The Kovilthottam port is situated within the limits of Chavara Panchayat.Kovilthottam is a strip of land ...
canal.
Kollam Port (Thankasseri Port) is the second largest port in Kerala after Cochin Port Trust
Cochin Port Trust
The Port of Kochi is a major port on the Arabian sea - Indian Ocean sea-route and is one of the largest ports in India. The port lies on two islands in the Lake of Kochi namely the Willingdon Island and Vallarpadam, towards the Fort Kochi river-mouth opening onto the Arabian sea...
, as of 2010. The port is undergoing infrastructural development. The port is located near the city of Kollam. Neendakara
Neendakara
Neendakara is a village in Kollam district 9 km north of Kollam city in Kerala, India. It is Kollam district's intermediate fishing port....
and Shakthikulangara are twin fishing harbours in Kollam. Neendakara
Neendakara
Neendakara is a village in Kollam district 9 km north of Kollam city in Kerala, India. It is Kollam district's intermediate fishing port....
is one of the busiest fishing harbours in South Kerala. Some port operations are carried out through Neendakara as well.
Industries
Kollam, like other districts in the state, is moderately industrialised. Some of the major employers in the public sectorPublic sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
are Indian Rare Earths Limited
Indian Rare Earths Limited
Indian Rare Earths Limited ' is a government-owned corporation in India based in Mumbai. It was incorporated as a private limited company and jointly owned by the Government of India and Government of Travancore Cochin. Government of India took control of IREL in 1963 under the administrative...
(IRE) at Chavara, Kerala Metals and Minerals Limited at Chavara
Chavara
Chavara is approximately 14 km north of Kollam City on the Kollam-Alappuzha highway in India. Tonnes of mineral sand, mainly titanium, are exported from Chavara to various countries. The Kovilthottam port is situated within the limits of Chavara Panchayat.Kovilthottam is a strip of land ...
, Kerala Primo pipe factory at Chavara; Union Electrical Industries (popularly known as the Meter Company) and Parvathi Spinning at Kollam.
Kundara
Kundara
Kundara a fast re-emerging industrial town is set to become a satellite town of Kollam city Kollam district of Kerala, India. A former industrial center of Kollam district it had major industries as - KEL, Kerala Ceramics, Aluminium Industries Ltd...
was known as an industrial area with aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
, ceramics, starch
Starch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
factories, .Now a SEZ Techno park is been Notified to bring in cutting edge Nano and Information Technology to develop these industries here
Cashew industry and cashew board
Cashew processing and coir production are the two most important sources of employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
in the private sector. Cashew processing and sorting employs a large share of women workers who manually peel and sort cashews into different categories by size. The Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation Limited (KSCDC), Kollam, a Government Company, has 30 cashew factories and employs 20,000 people. Another important source of employment is tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
manufacturing using clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
. It is expected that a Cashew Board will be set up at Kollam for the development of cashew processing and exporting.
Clay tiles
Clay tile manufacturing continues to be a mix of both large scale units and small informal units.
Schools
Infant JesusInfant Jesus School Kollam
The Infant Jesus Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School is an educational institution affiliated to CISCE based in Kollam city in the south Indian state of Kerala. It was established in the year 1940 by the late Bishop Jerome M. Fernandez, the former Bishop of Kollam...
and Mount Carmel at Thangasseri were set up during the British Raj as India's leading Anglo-Indian schools while St.Joseph's convent Girls Higher secondary school,Tuet, Govt.Boys Higher secondary school, Thevally and St.Aloysius Higher secondary school have already celebrated the centenary years of cherished existence with over 5,000 students studying in each school. Trinity Lyceum, Krist Raj Boys Higer secondary and Vimala Hridaya Girls Higer secondary schools at Pattathanam are the other three Big Schools in Kollam with over five thousand students studying. Other large schools in Kollam include S.N.Public, S.N. trust, Kendriya Vidyalaya, St. Jude Higher Secondary School, Mukhathala.Other schools in the city include:
- The King's School (Cambridge International School), kottiyam, kollam
- Meenakshi Vilasam Government Vocational Higher Secondary SchoolMeenakshi Vilasam Government Vocational Higher Secondary SchoolMeenakshi Vilasam Government Vocational Higher Secondary School is a school located in Punthalathazham, India. It was situated near Peroor Karunallur Bhagavathi Temple in the name Kalluvilla Pvt School. In 1944, it was under Y.M.V.A Library. Kunjan Pillai was the manager and H.M. Hereafter, school...
- Indian Public School
- National Public School
- The Oxford School
- The City Public School
- Govt. Model High School for Girls, Thevally
- Seventh Day Adventist School
- Peace Public School
- Preshitha Matha ICSE School, Mangad, Kollam
- MES Public School
- AKM Higher Secondary School
- St. Mary's Residential School
- Mahatma Central School
- Vimalahridaya Special School
- TKM Centenary Public School, Kollam
- TKM Higher Secondary School, Kollam
- Navdeep Public School, Decent Jn., Kollam
- Govt. Higher Secondary School, Mangad
- St.Jude HSS Mukhathal, Kollam
- St. Johns High School, Eravipuram, Kollam
- LVHS GOVT High School, Mynagappally, Kollam Dist.
- MSHS Boys and Girls Higher Secondary School, Mynagappally, Kollam.
- Govt HIgher Secondary School, Sastham Cottah, Kollam.
- Santhinikethan Higher Secondary School Patharam Mynagappally, Kollam
- Govt Higher Secondary School Karunagappaly Kollam.,
- Govt HighSchool Boys & Girls, KArunagappally Kollam.
- CMS LP School Mynagappally Panchayath, Kollam Dist.
- Amritha Higher Secondary School Vallikkavu Karunagappaly, Kollam.
- Sree Buddha Central School Karunagappaly, Kollam
- Thazhava Higher Secondary School Karunagappally, Kollam
- Amrita Vidyalayam(ICSE), peroor, Kollam.
- Nehru Memorial English Medium High School, Kaithakuzhy, Kollam.
Arts & Science Colleges
- Sree Narayana College, Kollam
- Sree Narayana College, Punalur
- Sree Narayana College for Women, Kollam
- Fatima Mata National College, Kollam
- TKM College of Arts and Science, Karikode, Kollam
- DB College Sasthamcottah, Kollam
- Baby John Memorial Government College, Chavara, Kollam
- NSS College, Kottiyam, Kollam
- NSS College, Karunagappally.
- Sree Vidyadhiraja Arts And Science College, Karunagappally*
- Saint Gregorius College, Kottarakkara, Kollam
- MSM College Kayamkulam, Kollam,
- Infant Jesus Anglo Indian high school
Engineering Colleges
- TKM College of Engineering, Karikode, Kollam
- TKM Institute Of Technology,Karuvelil,Kollam
- Bishop Jerome Institute of Technology, Kollam
- Sree Narayana Institute of Technology, Vadakkevila, Kollam
- Younus College of Engineering, Kollam
- College of Engineering, Perumon, Kollam
- Engineering College, Karunagappally, Kollam.
- BMC College Of Engineering, Sasthamcottah, Kollam
Polytechnic Colleges
- Govt. Polytechnic College, Ezhukone
- Govt. Polytechnic College, Punaloor
- S.N Polytechnic College, KottiyamSree Narayana Poly (SN Poly) Technic College (S N P T C), KottiyamSree Narayana Polytechnic College Sree Narayana Polytechnic College Sree Narayana Polytechnic College (Malayalam: ശ്രീ നാരായണ പോളിടെക് നിക്ക് (S.N.P.T.C) in Kottiyam near Kollam,Kerala in South India, named after the great Saint and social reformer “Sree Narayana Guru”, has contributed many eminent...
- Model Polytechnic, Karunagappally, Kollam.
Medical Colleges
- Travancore Medical College, Kollam
- Azeezia Medical College, Kollam
- ESIC Medical College, Kollam
MBA Colleges
- TKM Institute of Management, Kollam
- MSNIMT, Chavara, Kollam
- SN Institute OF Management Kollam.
- University OF Information Technology, Kollam.
Nursing Colleges
- Government School of Nursing, Kollam
- Govt. School of Nursing for SC/ST, Kollam
- Upasana College of Nursing
- VNSS College of Nursing
- Bishop Benziger College of Nursing
- Dr.Nair's College of Nursing
- Holy Cross College of Nursing, Kottiyam, Kollam
- Sankars Nursing College, Kollam.
BED Colleges
- BMMC II Training Bed College, Kottarakkara, Kollam
- Adoor Govt. Bed College, Kollam
- Govt. Bed College, Kollam
- Bed College Patharam, Sooranad, Kollam Dist.
- Bed College, Chavara, Kollam
- Bed College Fathima Matha Kollam
- Bed College Varkala.
Notable Events
Kollam Pooram, part of the Ashramam Sree Krishnaswamy Temple Festival, is the biggest cultural celebration in south Kerala. Kollam Pooram is usually held on April 15, and occasionally on April 16. The pooram is held at the Ashramam maidan.Chittumala Theerthatanam is an annual march held on Thiruvonam
Thiruvonam
Thiruvonam is a Taluk town in Thanjavur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Geography:Thiruvonam is located at . It has an average elevation of 36 metres .-Demographics:...
, to promote communal harmony; it started in 1968. It starts from Munroe Island
Munroe Island
Munroe Island is located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River, in Kollam district, Kerala, South India...
25KM from Kollam and ends at Chittumala
Chittumala
Chittumala is a busy road junction where the Kundara - Chittumala, Munroe Island - Chittumala and Chittumala - Bharanikkavu roads meet. It is also famous for the ancient Sri Durga Devi Temple. The name Chittumala means a place surrounded by hills...
.
The King's School is the first IGCSE school in the district. The course is offered by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE)
Culture
Kollam, the capital of the erstwhile Venad, was a centre of learning and culture. It attracted distinguished scholars from all parts of South IndiaSouth India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. Leelathilakam and Unnuneeli Sandesam
Unnuneeli Sandesam
Unnuneeli Sandesam is among the oldest literary works in Malayalam language . It is what is called "Sandesa Kavyam" . A "Sandesa Kavyam" is a message written in poetry, on the lines of the famous "Megh Dhoot" of Kalidasa. In the case of this work, it is a message written by a lover to his lady-love...
, two literary works of historical importance, are contributions of 14th century Kollam. The dance form of Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
, in its new version of Ramanattam
Ramanattam
Ramanattam is a temple art in Kerala, India. It is a dance drama and presents the story of Rama in a series of eight plays and was created under the patronage of Veera Kerala Varma alias Kottarakkara Thampuran...
, was the creation of Kottarakkara Thampuran, who also translated Krishnanattam
Krishnanattam
Krishnanattam or Krishnattam is a temple art in Kerala, India. It is a dance drama and presents the story of Krishna in a series of eight plays and was created by Manaveda , the then Zamorin Raja of Calicut in northern Kerala .The eight plays are : Avataram, Kaliyamardanam, Rasakrida, Kamsavadham,...
from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
to Malayalam.
Other notable figures are K. C. Kesava Pillai
K. C. Kesava Pillai
K. C. Kesava Pillai was a composer of Carnatic music, Poet Laureate of Travancore and made contributions to Malayalam literature-Life and Education:...
, a poet and playwright; he originated the musical play in Malayalam through his work Sadarma. His Kesaveeyam, a Mahakavyam, is of outstanding literary importance. Paravoor Kesavan Asan, the founding editor of Sujanandini, wrote Saratchandrika a study of Ayurvedic system of medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
.
Coming to modern times, Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai
Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai
Elamkulam Pillai was a historian and scholar from Kerala, India, who through his works enriched the field of historical research of Kerala-Early life and career:...
and Soornadu Kunjan Pillai, noted literary historians and poets like O. N. V. Kurup
O. N. V. Kurup
Ottaplakkal Nambiyadikkal Velu Kurup , popularly known as O. N. V. Kurup or simply O. N. V., is a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won Jnanpith Award,the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He is considered one of the finest living lyrical poets in India. O. N....
, Thirunalloor Karunakaran
Thirunalloor Karunakaran
Thirunalloor Karunakaran was a renowned poet, scholar, teacher and leftist intellectual of Kerala, India.-Early life:...
, Punaloor Balan
Punaloor Balan
Punaloor Balan was an Indian writer and a poet in Malayalam. He was born on 3 January 1927 in Punaloor, Kollam district, Kerala. From his student days he was associated with the Communist movement and shot to fame during the 'Pink Decade' in Malayalam poetry.Balan wrote lyrics and songs profusely...
, novelist and poet Lalithambika Antharjanam are some of the literary luminaries hailing from this district.
Leaders like T. M. Varghese, C. Kesavan
C. Kesavan
C. Kesavan was the Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin during 1951–1952.-External links:*...
, Kumbalathu Sanku Pillai, N. Sreekantan Pillai, R. Sankar
R. Sankar
R. Sankar was an Indian politician and the third Chief Minister of Kerala. He was born on April 30, 1909 in Kuzhikkalidavaka village in Kottarakkara.-Education and public life:...
and C. M. Stephen
C. M. Stephen
C. M. Stephen was an Indian politician and Union Minister Republic of India. He was a close aide of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party - Indira faction during 1978-79. He hailed from Mavelikara in Alleppey District, the home town of another...
who played prominent roles in shaping the socio-political destiny of the State, are also from this district. The district gave birth to well known freedom fighters like Chandiran Kali Ambi, Kadakkal Manthri and Franco Raghavan Pillai.
Training colleges
Kasthoorba Gandhi TTI, Mathilil, MathililMathilil
Mathilil is a suburb of Kollam city in Kerala, India. It is located approximately 7 kilometres north of Kollam town,Mathilil has become a developing Panchayath, and is now home to educational institutions,five star hotel,local business establishments and major recent real estate ventures.District ...
. Kollam, Kerala was started during 2004. It is owned by Kasthoorba Gandhi memorial women’s charitable society registered under Travancore Cochin Charitable Society’s Act. About 50 women irrespective of caste, creed or politics are members of the society. This is the only TTI in the state which is run by a women’s organization.
Temples
There are a number of temples, ashrams and holy sites in the city, including Sree Subramanya Swami Kshethram Poojappura, in KeralapuramKeralapuram
Keralapuram is a small suburban town in Kollam district of Kerala, India.This township is located on NH-208. The nearest towns are Perumpuzha and Kundara...
near Kundara. The Mata Amritanandamayi Math
Mata Amritanandamayi Math
The Mata Amritanandamayi Math is an international charitable organization aimed at the spiritual and material upliftment of humankind, without regard to caste, creed or religion...
is situated at Parayakadavu in this district, about 20 km from the Kollam. Aasramam Sreekrishna Swamy temple is in the city where the annual Kollam pooram takes place. The Mukhathala Murari (Sree Krishna Swamy) Temple at Mukhathala
Mukhathala
Mukhathala is a small town and block panchayat in Kollam district of Kerala, India.-Administration:G Omana is the present President of the Mukhathala block panchayat. Mukhathala includes 5 Grama panchayats and 15 divisions...
is about 10 km from the city. Sree Mahaganapathy temple at Kottarakara about 25 km from Kollam. Koonambaikulam(വലിയകൂനംബായ്കുളം) temple is very popular. Deity there is a Goddess,named 'Koonambaikulathu Amma'.
Other temples in the city include Kottarakulam Mahaganapathy temple, Mulamkadakom Devi temple, Rameswaram temple, Mahavishnu temple at Thirumullavaram, Ammachiveedu temple, Ashtamudi Veerabhadraswami temple, Pattathanam Ammannada temple, Dharmasastha temple at Kadappakkada,Peroor sree meenakshi temple at Punthalathazham
Punthalathazham
Punthalathazham [Geography: 8°53'43"N 76°38'21"E] is a landlocked village situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located only six kilometres east of the Kollam city towards Kannanalloor ....
,Mangalathu temple at Punthalathazham
Punthalathazham
Punthalathazham [Geography: 8°53'43"N 76°38'21"E] is a landlocked village situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located only six kilometres east of the Kollam city towards Kannanalloor ....
etc.
Mosques
Some of the famous mosques are Valiyapalli at Jonakappuram, Chinnakada juma Masjid, Juma-'Ath Palli at Kollurvila, Juma-'Ath Palli at Thattamala, Muslim Juma-'Ath Palli at Karuva, Kalamala Palli at Kalamala, Muthirapparambu Palli at Muthirapparambu and Siyavathummodu Palli at Kilikolloor.The 300 year old Juma-'Ath Palli at Karuva houses the mortal remains of a Sufi saint-Syed Abdur Rahman Jifri in its premises.
The Karbala Maidan and the adjacent Makani mosque serves as the Eid gah for the city's.
Muthirapparambu Palli is the most important masjid in Kollam District. This masjid is situated in Vellaitambalam. One of the oldest masjid in Kerala, the mosque was built by an Labba family. The Maqbara
Maqbara
The Arabic word Maqbara is derived from the word Qabr, which means grave. Though maqbara refers to the graves of all Muslims, it refers especially to the graves of religious figures or Waliyullahs who dedicated their life to Islam, striving to be true Muslims and training others to follow Islam...
of Muthirapparambu Uppa is famous in this masjid. Many people, Muslims and non-Muslims, are visiting this maqbara. Other important places are Asthamudi, Thirumullavaram, Mamootilkadavu and Thoppilkadavu, which are located near this masjid. The place has beautiful backwaters, which connect it to Kollam and Allapuzha. Several famous temples and churches are situated in this area.
Churches
The Apostle Thomas founded one of his "seven and a half churches" in Truth & spirit immersed in Ancient Vedic Vaishnavism in First Century AD at Thevalakara in Kollam, and there is a strong Christian presence in the town to this day.- Kadeesa Syrian Orthodox Church, Jonakapuram, Kollam, originally founded by the first Latin Bishop of Asia Jordanius Kathlani in the 14th century with the patronage of Nestorian Syrian liturgy Orthodox Christians
- St.Peters Church Moothakara,Infant Jesus Shrine Moothakara is a pilgrim center located near Civil Station
- Fathima Matha Shrine
- St.George shrine, Kadavoor
- St Anthony's Church Vaddy
- The CSI Christ Church,Craven L.M.S, Kollam claims to have its roots in the London Missionary Society. This missionary society like other religious and philanthropic organizations which sprang into existence at the close of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries was the result of the evangelistic revival among the Ezhava & Nadar communities of Kerala
- Infant Jesus Cathedral Thangasseri
- St. Casmir Church Mathilil, Kollam
- St. Sebastin church, Tuet, which is one of the pilgrim center located at kollam city. And Velankanni matha shrine is located at near the kollam bus station.
- Christ the king church, Kottappuram, Mulavana, Kollam
- The Disciples Fellowships, Pattathanam, Kollam
Hospitals
This are some of the hospitals in Kollam. Organizations on this list should either have an accompanying existing article link which verifies their association, or reliable sources as footnotes against the name showing they are notable and in Kollam.- Kerala E.N.T. Research Foundation (KERF), Thevally
- Bishop Benziger hospital
- Matha Hospital, Mathilil.
- Sanker's Hospital, Kollam
- Upasana Hospital, Kollam
- Dr. Nair's Hospital, Kollam
- Travancore Medical College, Medicity, Byepass, Kollam
- Azeezia Medical College Hospital, Meeyannoor, Kollam
- Kumar Hospital, Kollam
- Holy Cross Hospital, Kottiyam, Kollam
- Prathibha Hospital, Kollam
- ESIC Model Hospital, Ashramom, Kollam
- ESIC Medical College Hospital, Parippally, Kollam
- District Hospital, Kollam
- Govt. Victoria Hospital, Kollam
- Royal Hoapital, Chathannoor
- J.S.M Maternity Hospital, Chathannoor
- Shivapriya Ayurveda Hospital, Karammcode, Chathannoor
- AM Hospital, Karunagappally, Kollam
- SBM Hospital, Karunagappally, Kollam
- Appolo Hospital, Karunagappaly, Kollam.
- Padmvathy SUperspecialy Hospital, Sastham Cottah, Kollam.
- Parabhrhma Hospital Ochira Kollam,
For Stay
- Hotel Raviz, Mathilil, Kollam
- Hotel Beach Orchid, Chinnakkada, Kollam
- Hotel Nani, Chinnakkada, Kollam
- Hotel Sea Bee
- Hotel Nila Palace, Ezhukone,Kollam
Industry
- M. K. K. Nair IAS (1930 Dec 29 - 1987 Sep 27, Deputy Secretary of Government of India. Project Manager of Bhilai Steel PlantBhilai Steel PlantBhilai Steel Plant, located in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, is India's only producer of steel rails, and is a major producer of steel plates and structural components.This steel plant was set up with the help of the USSR in 1955...
, General Manager & Managing Director of Fertilizers And Chemicals Travancore Ltd (FACT)Fertilisers and Chemicals TravancoreFertilisers and Chemicals Travancore , is a fertiliser and chemical manufacturing company in Kochi, Kerala, India. It is one of the largest chemical manufacturing facilities in Kerala.and is iso 14001 certified....
. Great contributions to industrial sector of Kerala and well known for the uplift of Kerala art and culture, especially KathakaliKathakaliKathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
. He was the Chairman of Kerala KalamandalamKerala KalamandalamKerala Kalamandalam , lately renamed as Kalamandalam Deemed University of Art and Culture, is a major centre for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the southern state of India, with the special emphasis on Kerala. It is situated in the village of Cheruthuruthy in...
and Member of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy.)
Spiritual leaders
- Chattampi SwamikalChattampi SwamikalSree Vidyadhiraja Parama Bhattaraka Chattampi Swamikal was a Hindu sage and social reformer. His thoughts and work influvenced the launching of many social, relegious, literary and political organizations and movements in Kerala and for the first time gave voice to those who were...
- Mata AmritanandamayiMata AmritanandamayiMātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī , primarily known simply as Amma ["Mother"], is a Hindu spiritual leader and guru, who is revered as a saint by her followers. She is widely respected for her humanitarian activities...
- [ Bishop Jerome Koivila}]
- Swami Santhananthagiri
Literature
- KakkanadanKakkanadanGeorge Varghese Kakkanadan , commonly known as Kakkanadan, was a Malayalam language short story writer and novelist from Kerala state, South India. He is often credited with laying the foundation of modernism in Malayalam literature...
(Writer) - K. C. Kesava PillaiK. C. Kesava PillaiK. C. Kesava Pillai was a composer of Carnatic music, Poet Laureate of Travancore and made contributions to Malayalam literature-Life and Education:...
(Poet) - Elamkulam Kunjan PillaiElamkulam Kunjan PillaiElamkulam Pillai was a historian and scholar from Kerala, India, who through his works enriched the field of historical research of Kerala-Early life and career:...
(Historian) - Sooranad Kunjan PillaiSooranad Kunjan PillaiPADMASHRI Sooranad P. N. Kunjan Pillai is a historian, researcher, lexicographer, poet, essayist, literary critic, orator, socio-cultural leader, grammarian, educationist, and scholar of Malayalam language...
(Scholar) - Lalithambika Antharjanam (Writer)
- Thirunalloor KarunakaranThirunalloor KarunakaranThirunalloor Karunakaran was a renowned poet, scholar, teacher and leftist intellectual of Kerala, India.-Early life:...
(Poet) - O. N. V. KurupO. N. V. KurupOttaplakkal Nambiyadikkal Velu Kurup , popularly known as O. N. V. Kurup or simply O. N. V., is a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won Jnanpith Award,the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He is considered one of the finest living lyrical poets in India. O. N....
(Poet) - Pattathuvila KarunakaranPattathuvila KarunakaranPattathuvila Karunakaran was a famous Malayalamshort story writer.He was born on 31 July 1925 in Quilon district in Kerala. 'Pattahthuvila' is his family name. His father was Kochukunju and mother Kochukunjali...
(Short story writer) - Johnson Eyeroor (Writer)
- Kureepuzha SreekumarKureepuzha SreekumarKureepuzha Sreekumar is a noted Malayalam poet of the post modern era. His books of poetry include Habibinte Dinakkurippukal, his first, published in 1984, Sreekumarinte Dukkangal, Rahulan Urangunnilla, Amma Malayalam and Suicide Point.He won the Best Poet Award in 1975 from Kerala University, the...
(Poet) - Vrindavanam VenugopalanVrindavanam VenugopalanVrindavanam Venugopalan was Editor of Viswakeralam Daily, Writer and Educationist from Kollam.-Educational Background:...
(Writer) - D. VinayachandranD. VinayachandranD. Vinayachandran is a well-known Indian Malayalam poet. He is one of the proponents of modern style of prose in Malayalam poetry. He worked as a Malayalam professor in various colleges for more than thirty years...
(Writer) - K O Johnson (poet)
Politics
- C. M. StephenC. M. StephenC. M. Stephen was an Indian politician and Union Minister Republic of India. He was a close aide of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party - Indira faction during 1978-79. He hailed from Mavelikara in Alleppey District, the home town of another...
(opposition Leader, Republic of India-1977) - T. M. Varghese, Thandaneth (Freedom fighter)
- C. KesavanC. KesavanC. Kesavan was the Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin during 1951–1952.-External links:*...
(Freedom fighter) - R. SankarR. SankarR. Sankar was an Indian politician and the third Chief Minister of Kerala. He was born on April 30, 1909 in Kuzhikkalidavaka village in Kottarakkara.-Education and public life:...
(Freedom fighter, Social Reformer) - Thangal Kunju MusaliarThangal Kunju MusaliarThangal Kunju Musaliar was born into a middle class family at Kollam on 12 January 1897. His ancestry can be traced to Malik Bin Deenar, the legendary Islamic missionary who came to India in the 8th Century. The name Thangal Kunju Musaliar conjures up the memories of an era, when Kerala dominated...
- M. A. BabyM. A. BabyM. A. Baby is an Indian politician. He is the former Education Minister of Kerala State. He is also a Central Committee Member of Communist Party of India .-Early life:...
{C.P.I (M), C.C.Member} - P. K. GurudasanP. K. GurudasanP. K. Gurudasan is an Indian politician, trade unionist, and a member of Communist Party of India . He is currently the Minister for Labour and Employment in the Government of Kerala. He represents the Kollam Assembly constituency in the Kerala Legislative Assembly...
(Minister, Labour and Excise) - R. Balakrishna PillaiR. Balakrishna PillaiR. Balakrishna Pillai is an Indian politician, a former Minister of the state of Kerala in India, who has held portfolios like Transport, Electricity. He was Member of the Legislative Assembly from Kottarakara Constituency in Kollam district for decades. He is the Chairman of Kerala Congress, a...
(Former Minister and founder of Kerala Congress) - Baby johnBaby JohnBaby John was a senior leader of Revolutionary Socialist Party . Previously he was General Secretary of Revolutionary Socialist Party...
(Former Minister) - Shibu Baby JohnShibu Baby JohnShibu Baby John is the present Labour Minister. He is also the only Engineer in Kerala cabinet. He is also the General Secretary of Revolutionary Socialist Party party based in Kerala, India. He is the son of RSP leader Late Baby John and Annamma John...
(Minister for Labour & Rehabilitation of KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
) - K. B. Ganesh KumarK. B. Ganesh KumarKeezhoote Balakrishna Pillai Ganesh Kumar is an Indian film and TV actor and politician, now serving as Minister for Forests & Environment, Sports and Cinema in the Government of Kerala. He was elected to the State Legislative Assembly from Pathanapuram in Kollam district for the first time in...
(Minister for Forest, Sports and Cinema of KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
)
Theatre, art, music, cinema
- Pannisseri Nanu PillaiPannisseri Nanu PillaiPannisseri Nanu Pillai was a poet, scholar, ascetic, critic and artist from Kerala, India.He was born in Kannamkuzhy house of South Maruthoorkulangara village in Karunagappalli taluk, Kollam District, Kerala. His father was Vayalil PappuKurup and mother Planullil Kalyani Amma. His father died when...
- O. MadhavanO. MadhavanO. Madhavan was an Indian theatre director and actor. He was one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India in Kerala. He is considered as one of the great masters of the theatre, he has made major contributions for the evolution of theatre in Kerala...
(Theater Artist) - V. Sambasivan (KadhaprasangamKadhaprasangamKadhaprasangam, literally meaning story telling performance, is a popular performing art form of Kerala, India. It combines the techniques of speaking, acting, and singing to present a story. There will be no costumes, make-up, or settings...
artist) - Kambisseri KarunakaranKambisseri KarunakaranKambisseri Karunakaran was an Indian journalist writing in Malayalam. He was the chief editor of the Janayugam Varika, a Malayalam weekly owned by the Communist Party of India...
, (Journalist, Drama-Cini artist & writer) - Devarajan MasterG. DevarajanParavoor Govindan Devarajan , popularly known as G. Devarajan or Devarajan master, was a noted Malayalam music composer, died on March 15, 2006 in Chennai, at the age of 80....
(Cine Music Director) - RaveendranRaveendranM. Raveendran , fondly called as "Raveendran Master" was a popular South Indian music composer and Playback singer from Kerala. He was always referred to as the aristocratic music director of Malayalam who had a distinctive style of his own. He composed more than 150 films primarily for the...
(Famous Cine Music Director) - Resul PookuttyResul PookuttyResul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and mixer. He, along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire...
(Oscar award winner, sound technician) - Shaji N. KarunShaji N. KarunShaji Neelakantan Karun is a National Award-winning Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film Piravi won the Caméra d'Or - Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival...
(Film Director) - Rajeev Anchal (Film Director)
- Kottarakkara Sreedharan NairKottarakkara Sreedharan NairSreedharan Nair , popularly known as Kottarakkara and Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair, was an Indian film actor in Malayalam movies. He hailed from Kottarakkara in Kollam district of Kerala.Sreedharan Nair won two Kerala state film awards...
(actor) - JayanJayanKrishnan Nair , better known by his stage name Jayan , was an Indian film actor, former sailor, stunt performer and 1970s style icon. He worked in Malayalam cinema, a sector of the Indian movie industry...
(actor) - ThilakanThilakanSurendranatha Thilakan , known mononymously as Thilakan, is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam cinema and theatre. He was awarded Padma Shri on 25 January 2009.- Theatre:...
(actor) - Murali (actor)
- Mukesh (actor)Mukesh (actor)Mukesh , born Mukesh Babu, is an Indian film actor and producer known for his work in Malayalam cinema.- Personal Life :...
- Suresh GopiSuresh GopiSuresh Gopinathan Nair , often credited as Suresh Gopi , is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Malayalam cinema; he is famous for his roles in police dramas. He is noted for his leading roles as much as his character roles...
(actor) - Kollam ThulasiKollam ThulasiKollam Kanjaveli Kuttilazhikathu Thulasidharan Nair is an actor in Malayalam cinema who is better known as Kollam Thulasi relating the name of his birth place Kollam to his first name as customary in Kerala. His first appearance was in Ezhuthappurangal . He is also a poet.-Personal life:He was born...
(actor) - Balachandra MenonBalachandra MenonBalachandra Menon is an Indian film actor, director, script writer, lyricist, and producer who works in Malayalam cinema. He made some popular films in the 1980s and 1990s...
(actor) - Kundara jhony (actor)
- Urvashi (actress)Urvashi (actress)Kavitha Ranjini, better known by her stage name Urvashi , is an Indian film actress and producer. She was a prominent lead actress during the 1980s and 1990s in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu films. She has dubbed in her own voice in all these languages. And she produced the film Pidakkozhi...
- Kalpana (actress)Kalpana (actress)Kalpana refers to any of the following.* Kalpana , a Malayalam actress.* Kalpana , a Kannada actress....
- KalaranjiniKalaranjiniKalaranjini is an Indian actress and classical dancer who started her career in the early 1980s. She is the elder sister of actress Urvashi and actress Kalpana.Filmography=...
(actress) - SaikumarSaikumarSaikumar is a popular Malayalam actor. He is known for his handling of serious roles, though he started his career with comedy roles. Of late, he has been doing many negative roles as well.- Career :...
(actor) - K. B. Ganesh KumarK. B. Ganesh KumarKeezhoote Balakrishna Pillai Ganesh Kumar is an Indian film and TV actor and politician, now serving as Minister for Forests & Environment, Sports and Cinema in the Government of Kerala. He was elected to the State Legislative Assembly from Pathanapuram in Kollam district for the first time in...
(Cine Artist, Minister for Forest, Sports and Cinema of KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
) - Benny DayalBenny DayalBenny Dayal is an Indian singer. He is a member of the band S5 launched by the channel SS Music. Originally from Kerala, he has worked as a playback singer with many noted composers to produce successful soundtracks.-Biography:Benny Dayal's parents hail from Kollam district, Kerala...
(Playback Singer)
See also
- Kollam districtKollam district-Climate:Kollam's temperature is almost steady throughout the year. The average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May; the monsoon begins by June and ends by September. Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around...
- Kollam BeachKollam BeachKollam Beach , also known as Mahatma Gandhi Beach, is a beach near Kollam in Indian state of Kerala.The beach also have a park with international standard...
- Kollam FestKollam FestKollam Fest is an annual festival, attracting a vast majority of Keralites and hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists to Kollam...
- President's Trophy Boat RacePresident's Trophy Boat RaceThe President's Trophy Boat Race is a popular Vallam Kali held on the Ashtamudi lake on Atham day which marks the start of Onam Celebrations in Indian state of Kerala....
- Kollam pooramKollam pooramKollam Pooram is one of the most colourful festivals of Kerala, India. Kollam Pooram attracts large number of people from all parts of the State. The Kollam Pooram, organised in connection with the annual festival of the Asramam Sri Krishnaswamy Temple, will be held at the Asramam Maidanam in the...