Kollam
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| Kollam | |
  Kollam
|
|
| State - District(s) |
Kerala - Kollam |
| Coordinates | |
| Area - Elevation - Coastal line |
2491 km² - 3 m - 37 km |
| Temperature | 29 °C to 37 °C |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Population (2001) - Density - Sex ratio - Literacy rate - Male - Female |
361,441 - 1,038/km² - 1069 - 91.18% - 94.43% - 88.18% |
| Mayor | N.Padmalochanan |
| Codes - Postal - Telephone - Vehicle |
- 691 XXX - +0474 - KL-2 |
| Website: www.kollam.nic.in | |
- For the district with the same name, see Kollam district.
Kollam (known to the Portuguese as Quilon) is a city and a municipal corporation in Kollam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It lies 71 kilometres north of the state capital Thiruvanathapuram. It is also the headquarters of the Kollam district, one among the 14 districts in the state of Kerala. It is bound on the south by Thiruvananthapuram district, on the north by Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha, on the east by Tamil Nadu and on the west by the Arabian Sea. The town is very famous for cashew processing and coir manufacturing.
Kollam was formerly called "Desinganadu". During the rule of the Travancore kingdom in southern Kerala, Kollam was the focal point of trade.
Contents |
[edit] History
Kollam or Quilon (erstwhile Desinganadu), is an old sea port town on the Arabian coast. Kollam had a sustained commercial reputation from the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans. According to Ibn Batuta, Kollam was one of the five ports, which he had seen in the course of his travels, in the 14th century.
The rulers of Kollam (Desinganadu) and China, exchanged embassies. The increase in commercial activity resulted in establishment of flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. In the ninth century, the merchant Sulaiman of Siraf from Persia found Kollam to be the only port in India, on his way from Carton of Persian Gulf.
Marco Polo, the great Venetian traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kublai Khan is said to have visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a trading center at Kollam in 1502. Then came the Dutch followed by the British in 1795. Velu Thampi Dalawa of Travancore, worked towards the improvement of the Kollam town. He helped build new markets and invited merchants and traders from Madras (now Chennai) and Tirunelveli to set up trade in Kollam.
The history of the district as an administrative unit can be traced back to 1835, when the Travancore state consisted of two revenue divisions with headquarters at Kollam and Kottayam. 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 Act of 1956.
Now the district has a single revenue division with its headquarters at Kollam.
[edit] Geography
The geographical coordinates for Kollam are . The district is bound on the north by Alappuzha district, north east by the Pathanamthitta district, on the east by Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, on the south by Thiruvananthapuram district and on the west by the Arabian Sea.
The district covers an area of 2,492 km² and ranks seventh in the State with respect to area.
Kallada and Ithikkara are two rivers that flow through this district. And Sasthamcotta lake, is the only major fresh water lake in the State. Two other major lakes are the Ashtamudi Lake and the Paravoor lake. Edava and Nadayara lakes lie partly in this district.
The district has a tropical and humid climate, with an oppressive summer and plentiful seasonal rainfall. The summer season, from March to May, is followed by the south west monsoon from June to September. The north east monsoon lasts from October to November.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001 India censusGRIndia, Kollam had a population of 361,441. The density of population being 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 ranks sixth with respect to the population in the state. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Kollam has an average literacy rate of 82%, 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.
[edit] Transport
The district is covered by 132 km of railway tracks, of which 51 km are broad gauge and 81 km metre gauge. There are almost 22 railway stations of which 9 are on broad gauge line and 13, on the metre gauge line. Kollam is an important railway junction. The Thiruvananthapuram - Ernakulam (via Kottayam and Alappuzha) line passes through Kollam. Kollam is the terminal junction for Madras - Egmore - Kollam metre gauge line. Electrification of the railway lines is progressing.
The district is well connected to other parts of Kerala and India through the National Highways 47, 220, and 208 and by the railway network. Kollam has a total 1552.096 km of roads. The National Highway 47 covers a distance of 57.4 km in the district. The State Highway namely, Main Central Road (MC road), Kollam - Shencottah Road and Punalur-Pala-Muvattupuzha (Main Eastern Highway) with a total length of 266.52 km connects the district to other districts. 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.
The State water Transport Department operates boat services to West Kallada, Munroe island and Alappuzha. The Alappuzha service attracts a lot of tourist attention. A full day onboard journey through the backwaters provides an opportunity to experience the natural way of life of the people around.
Luxury boats, operated by Government and private owners, operate from the main boat jetty during the the tourist season. The West coast canal system, which starts from Thiruvananthapuram in the south and ends at Hosdurg in the north, passes through Kollam and Karunagappally talukas. The Thiruvananthapuram-Shornur canal, forms a part of the Thiruananthapuram-Hosdurg system, runs a distance of about 62 km. The other canal systems include the Paravoor canal, Kollam canal and Chavara canal.
Neendakara and Kollam are the two ports in the district, the former, an intermediary and the latter, a minor port. Port operations are carried out through Neendakara. Neendakara is also a busy fishing harbour.
[edit] Industries
Kollam like other districts in the state is moderately industralised. Some of the major employers in the public sector are Indian Rare Earth (IRE), Kerala Metals and Minerals Limited at Chavara; Union Electrical Industries (popularly known as the Meter Company) and Parvathi Spinning Mills at Kollam.
Cashew processing and coir production are the two most important sources of employment. Major share of employment in the private sector is provided by Cashew processing and exporting units. Cashew processing and sorting employs a large share of women workers who manually peel and sort the cashew into different categories according to their size.
Another important source of employment is Tile manufacturing using clay.
[edit] Education
Kollam has its fair share of privately owned and state owned educational institutions. Institutions of education are affiliated to either the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), or the Kerala State Education Board.
Most private schools use English as the medium of instruction whereas government run schools offer both English and Malayalam as a medium of instuction. After the going through the 10+2 years of schooling the student can enroll in higher education institutions like colleges to pusue general or professional degree courses.
Most of the colleges offering Higher education are affliated to Kerala University. Some of the colleges in and around Kollam are Fatima Matha National College, Sree Narayana College, Younus College Of Engineering And Technology (YCET) and Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering (TKMCE).
Infant Jesus Anglo Indian High school, Mount Carmel Convent Anglo-Indian School, Sree Narayana Public School, Sree Narayana Trust Central School, St Aloysius Higher Secondary School and TKM Public school are some of the english medium schools located in and around Kollam town.
[edit] Places of worship
Kottarakara Sree Mahaganapathy Kshethram(Temple), situated at Kottarakara is about 30 km from Kollam town. The famous temple at Kottarakara is dedicated to Lord Vigneswara(Ganapathy). Sasthamkotta Ayyappa Temple, Kundara Elampalloor Devi Temple, Paravoor Puttingal Devi Temple are among the important hindu temples in Kollam.
The Mata Amritanandamayi Math is situated at Amritapuri in this district, about 30 km from the Kollam town.
Some of the important churches are St. Casimir's Church, Kadavur; Velankanni Mata Shrine, Tuyyam; Infant Jesus Shrine, Vadi; St. Joseph Shrine, Perinad; St. Francis Church, Koduvila (Kallada); Amalotbhava Matha Church, Pullichira (Kottiyam), St. John Britto Church, Sakthikulangara; St. Sebastians Church, Neendakara; St. Thomas C.S.I. Church, Pattathanam; St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral, Sastri Junction and St. Antony's Church at Tillery.
Some of the famous mosques are Valiyapalli at Jonakappuram, Juma-Ath-Palli at Kolluvila, Juma-Ath-Masjid at Thattamala, Muslim Juma-Ath-Palli at Karuva, Kalamala Palli at Kalamala, Muthirapparambu Palli at Muthirapparambu and Siyavathummodu Palli at Kilikolloor.
Kadakkal in Kollam is known for Kadakkal Devi Kshetram, kadakkaldevi temple comes alive during Thiruvathira festival held in March, and is one of the prime festivals of the region. The temple festivities attract large crowds from various parts of the state. Kadakkal amma or goddess is considered as a very powerful deity.
The Mahavishnu Temple, believed to have been consecrated by Parasurama, the legendary creator of Kerala. One will be amazed to see two idols perching in the same sanctum - a bizarre feature not usually found in Indian Temples - an idol of Vishnu facing east and Shiva facing west.
The Apostle Thomas is said to have founded one of his "seven and a half churches" in Kollam. From these seven and a half churches, including the one in Kollam, have multiplied thousands of churches, hospitals, orphanages and other Christian charities that cover India today.
[edit] Places of Interest
Most of the sights in Kollam are situated within a radius of 8-10 km from the city centre. Places close to city centre include the calm and scenic Thirummulavaram and Tangaseeri beaches. The light house at Tangaseeri Kollam stands 144 ft (44 m) tall. The Tangasseri Light House was built in 1902. Thirumullavaram, approximately 6 km away from the city centre is popular for its calm and serene beach.
Boating facilities on Ashtamudi Lake are available at the Local boat jetty beside the main Bus depot popularly known as Civil station. House boats can be hired from the boat jetty or arranged through the tourist guides or by the local hotels.
The Kayal (Lake) Pradakshina Cruise operated by local boat owner is available till the Munroe Island, formed by the backwaters of Ashtamudi and Kallada River. The backwater trip from Kollam to Alappuzha is the longest cruise in the state and takes around 8 hours.
Tourist spots such as Thenmala, Jetayu para, and Palaruvi water falls are popular attractions.
[edit] Places to visit
Kollam is widely known as the Cashew Paradise in Kerala, and affords a wide cultivation and processing techniques.
The square-shaped clock tower, is visible from all parts of the Chinnakada market(city center). Tourists can visit the Thevally Palace, currently used by the Indian Army. Though most of it has been repainted, still the ambrosial palace displays a magnificent view from the lake.
Approximately 7 km from Kollam on NH 47 towards Alleppey is Neendakara. Once a fishing harbour under the Indo-Norwegian project, today it is more famous as a viewing point for 'Chaakara', a post monsoon phenomenon that occurs just off the coast.
Kollam is situated on NH 47 that links Salem to Kanyakumari, via Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha.
The nearest airport is at Thiruvananthapuram, 71 km from Kollam city center.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Kollam District official website
- The enhanced version of the Kollam Official website
- Quilon.com
- Tourist Places In Kollam
- Aerial View
