Kottayam is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala. Located in central Kerala, the city lies between the Western Ghats to the east and the Vembanad Lake to the west, and is known for its long association with literature, journalism, education, plantation industries, and the Syrian Christian community.
Key facts
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Kerala |
| District | Kottayam |
| Region | Central Travancore |
| Civic body | Kottayam Municipality |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Notable for | Publishing, education, rubber trade, backwaters |
Geography
Kottayam is situated in the midland region of Kerala, with the Meenachil River flowing through the town. The Vembanad Lake and the network of backwaters lie to its west, while the foothills of the Western Ghats rise to the east. The terrain comprises lowland paddy fields, midland hills, and rubber plantations. The city experiences a tropical monsoon climate with heavy rainfall during the south-west monsoon.
History
Historically, the area around Kottayam was part of the kingdom of Thekkumkur before being annexed into the kingdom of Travancore in the eighteenth century by Marthanda Varma. The town developed as a trading centre for spices and later for rubber and other plantation produce.
Kottayam played a significant role in the Christian heritage of Kerala. The Syrian Christian community, including the Jacobite, Orthodox, Catholic, and Marthoma denominations, has long had ecclesiastical and educational institutions in and around the town. The Old Seminary (Orthodox Theological Seminary), founded in 1815, and the CMS College, founded in 1817 by the Church Missionary Society, are among the earliest institutions of Western-style higher education in India.
Literacy and publishing
Kottayam was declared India's first town to attain full literacy in 1989, under the literacy campaign undertaken in cooperation with the Kerala State Literacy Mission and supported by Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad. The city is a major centre of Malayalam-language publishing. Major publishing houses based in Kottayam include the D. C. Books group and the Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society. Periodicals such as Malayala Manorama and Mangalam, along with several literary magazines, are published from the city, giving it the informal title of the "city of letters" (Akshara Nagari).
Economy
The economy of Kottayam is closely linked to plantation crops, particularly natural rubber. The Rubber Board of India, the statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry that regulates the rubber industry, is headquartered in Kottayam. Other important sectors include publishing and printing, education, banking, tourism centred on the backwaters and hill stations of the district, and trade in spices, tea, and cardamom from the surrounding highlands.
Education
Kottayam is an established educational hub in Kerala. Notable institutions include:
- CMS College, established 1817
- Mahatma Gandhi University, with its main campus at Athirampuzha near Kottayam
- Government Medical College, Kottayam
- Baselius College
- BCM College
- Orthodox Theological Seminary (Old Seminary)
Transport
Kottayam is connected by the Indian Railways' Thiruvananthapuram–Ernakulam main line, with Kottayam railway station serving as one of the major stations on the route. National Highway 183 (Kollam–Theni) passes through the city, and the Main Central Road links it with Thiruvananthapuram and Angamaly. A boat jetty at Kodimatha provides backwater services to Alappuzha. The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport.
Culture and landmarks
Religious and cultural landmarks in and around Kottayam include the Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple, the Cheriapally and Valiapally churches at Kottayam (with the latter housing Persian crosses associated with the Saint Thomas Christian tradition), the Thazhathangady Juma Masjid, and the Kumarakom backwaters located west of the town. The Vaikom Mahadeva Temple, associated with the Vaikom Satyagraha