1.
Kilikollur
–
Kilikollur, also known as Kilikolloor or Karicode, is a neighbourhood in Kollam in Kerala, India. It is a center of the industry in the area. National Highway 744 passes through Kilikollur and it is served by Kilikollur railway station, a stop for trains to and from Kollam, Paravur, Punalur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kanyakumari, Ernakulam, and Guruvayur. Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering is located in Kilikollur, a zonal office of Kollam Municipal Corporation is also located in the neighbourhood. Kilikollur was a panchayath and was formed in 1953 and it was included in Anchalumoodu block of Kollam district with an area of 11.24 sq. km. Kollam has been a center in India since at least 851 AD. When Kollam Municipality was upgraded to a city corporation in the year 2000, it was merged with Killikollur
Kilikollur
–
Kilikollur railway station entrance
2.
Kollam
–
Kollam or Quilon, formerly Desinganadu, is an old seaport and city on the Laccadive Sea coast of Kerala, India. The city is on the banks Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam has had a strong commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans. Fed by the Chinese trade, it was mentioned by Ibn Battuta in the 14th century as one of the five Indian ports he had seen during the course of his twenty-four year travels, desinganadus rajas exchanged embassies with Chinese rulers while there was a flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. In the 9th Century, on his way to Canton, China, Marco Polo, the great Venetian traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kublai Khan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin. V. Nagam Aiya in his Travancore State Manual records that in 822 AD two East Syrian bishops Mar Sabor and Mar Proth, settled in Quilon with their followers. Two years later the Malabar Era began and Quilon became the city of the Malabar region ahead of Travancore. Kollam is a city on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake that took the title Gods Own Country without much demur. The braids of Ashtamudi Lake lie about 71 kilometres north of the state capital, the city hosts the administrative offices of Kollam district and is a prominent trading city for the state. The proportion of females to males in Kollam city is second highest among the 500 most populous cities in India, Kollam is the least polluted city in India. Four major trading centers/towns around Kollam are Kottarakara, Punalur, Paravur, There was also internal trade through the Punalur Pass connecting the ancient town to Tamil Nadu. The rail links later established to Tamil Nadu supported still stronger trade links, the factories processing marine exports and the processing and packaging of cashewnuts extended its trade across the globe. Kollam is the fourth most populous city in Kerala and the fifth largest in incorporated area and it is known for cashew processing and coir manufacturing. Ashtamudi Lake is considered the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala and is a prominent tourist destination at Kollam. The Kollam urban area includes towns such as Paravur in the south, Kundara in the east. Other important towns in the city suburbs are Eravipuram, Kottiyam, Kannanallur, Kollam appeared as Palombe in Mandevilles Travels, where he claimed it contained a Fountain of Youth. During the later stages of the rule of the Chera monarchy in Kerala, Kollam emerged as the point of trade. Kollam continues to be a business and commercial centre in the Southern Kerala. In 825 CE, the Malayalam calendar, or Kollavarsham, was created in Kollam at meetings held in the city, the present Malayalam calendar is said to have begun with the re-founding of the town, which was rebuilt after its destruction by a fire
Kollam
–
From top clockwise:
RP Mall in
Downtown Kollam,
Lighthouse in
Tangasseri,
British Residency in
Asramam,
Kollam Junction railway station and
Kollam MEMU Shed, Aerial view of
Ashtamudi Lake,
Kollam Port,
Asramam Adventure Park, Jalakeli Kendram near
Kollam Beach
Kollam
–
Kollam in the 1500s
Kollam
–
Kollam in the 1700s
3.
Regional rail
–
Regional rail, also known as local trains and stopping trains, are passenger rail services that operate between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops over shorter distances than inter-city rail, regional rail normally operates with an even service load throughout the day, although slightly increased services may be provided during rush-hour. The service is less oriented around bringing commuters to the urban centers, other regional rail services operate between two large urban areas, but make many intermediate stops. The main difference between regional rail and commuter rail is that the latter is focused on moving people between where they live and where work on a daily basis. Regional rail operates outside major cities, unlike inter-city, it stops at most or all stations. It provides a service between smaller communities along the line, and also connections with long-distance services, regional rail typically operates throughout the day but often at low frequency, whereas commuter rail provides a high-frequency service within a conurbation. Regional rail services are less likely to be profitable than inter-city. This is justified on social or environmental grounds, and because regional rail services often act as feeders for more profitable inter-city lines. Since their invention, the distinction between regional and long-distance rail has also commonly been the use of propulsion, with longer-distance trains tending to be locomotive-hauled. Not using a locomotive also provides greater passenger capacity in the role at peak periods. There are of course trains that are something in between regional and inter-city, like the Oresundtrain with stopping pattern like a train and pass prices attracting work commuters. This list describes the used for regional rail in various countries. Train categories in Europe Passenger rail terminology
Regional rail
–
Northern Rail Class 158 at
York station
4.
Light rail
–
Light rail, light rail transit or fast tram is urban public transport using rolling stock similar to a tramway, but operating at a higher capacity, and often on an exclusive right-of-way. A few light rail networks tend to have closer to rapid transit or even commuter rail. Other light rail networks are tram-like in nature and partially operate on streets, Light rail systems are found throughout the world, on all inhabited continents. They have been popular in recent years due to their lower capital costs. The term light rail was coined in 1972 by the U. S, Urban Mass Transportation Administration to describe new streetcar transformations that were taking place in Europe and the United States. In Germany the term Stadtbahn was used to describe the concept, and many in UMTA wanted to adopt the direct translation, however, UMTA finally adopted the term light rail instead. Light in this context is used in the sense of intended for light loads and fast movement, the infrastructure investment is also usually lighter than would be found for a heavy rail system. The Transportation Research Board defined light rail in 1977 as a mode of urban transportation utilizing predominantly reserved, electrically propelled rail vehicles operate singly or in trains. LRT provides a range of passenger capabilities and performance characteristics at moderate costs. Light rail is a generic international English phrase for these types of rail systems, the use of the generic term light rail avoids some serious incompatibilities between British and American English. The word trolley is used as a synonym for streetcar in the United States. A further difference arose because, while Britain abandoned all of its trams except Blackpool after World War II, when these cities upgraded to new technology, they called it light rail to differentiate it from their existing streetcars since some continued to operate both the old and new systems. Conventional rail technologies including high-speed, freight, commuter/regional, and metro/subway/elevated urban transit systems are considered heavy rail, people movers and personal rapid transit are even lighter, at least in terms of capacity. Monorail is a technology that has been more successful in specialized services than in a commuter transit role. Due to varying definitions, it is hard to distinguish between what is called light rail, and other forms of urban and commuter rail, a system described as light rail in one city may be considered to be a streetcar or tram system in another. Conversely, some lines that are called light rail are in very similar to rapid transit, in recent years. Some light rail systems, such as Sprinter, bear little similarity to urban rail, in the United States, light rail has become a catch-all term to describe a wide variety of passenger rail systems. There is a significant difference in cost between these different classes of light rail transit, tram-like systems are often less expensive than metro-like systems by a factor of two or more
Light rail
–
Los Angeles 's mass transit expansion has been driven in large part by light rail
Light rail
–
Utah Transit Authority 's
TRAX Is one of the fastest growing light rail systems in America
Light rail
–
Edmonton Light Rail Transit in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was the first modern LRT line in North America
Light rail
–
The
METRO Blue Line light rail in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
5.
Commuter rail
–
Trains operate following a schedule, at speeds varying from 50 to 200 km/h. Distance charges or zone pricing may be used and they primarily serve lower density suburban areas, and often share right-of-way with intercity or freight trains. Some services operate only during peak hours and others uses fewer departures during off peak hours, average speeds are high, often 50 km/h or higher. These higher speeds better serve the longer distances involved, some services include express services which skip some stations in order to run faster and separate longer distance riders from short-distance ones. The general range of commuter trains distance varies between 15 and 200 km, sometimes long distances can be explained by that the train runs between two or several cities. Distances between stations may vary, but are much longer than those of urban rail systems. In city centers the train either has a station or passes through the city centre with notably fewer station stops than those of urban rail systems. Toilets are often available on trains and in stations. Their ability to coexist with freight or intercity services in the same right-of-way can drastically reduce system construction costs, however, frequently they are built with dedicated tracks within that right-of-way to prevent delays, especially where service densities have converged in the inner parts of the network. Most such trains run on the standard gauge track. Some light rail systems may run on a narrower gauge, some countries, including Finland, India, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil and Sri Lanka, as well as San Francisco in the USA and Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia, use broad gauge track. The fact that the terminology is not standardised across countries further complicates matters, most S-bahns typically behave like commuter rail with most trackage not separated from other trains, and long lines with trains running between cities and suburbs rather than within a city. The distances between stations however, are usually short, in larger systems there is usually a high frequency metro-like central corridor in the city center where all the lines converge into. Typical examples of large city S-Bahns include Munich and Frankfurt, S-Bahns do also exist in some mid-size cities like Rostock and Magdeburg but behave more like typical commuter rail with lower frequencies and very little exclusive trackage. A similar network exists in Copenhagen called the S-tog, in Hamburg and Copenhagen, other, diesel driven trains, do continue where the S-Bahn ends. Regional rail usually provides rail services between towns and cities, rather than purely linking major population hubs in the way inter-city rail does, Regional rail operates outside major cities. Unlike Inter-city, it stops at most or all stations between cities and it provides a service between smaller communities along the line, and also connections with long-distance services at interchange stations located at junctions or at larger towns along the line. Alternative names are local train or stopping train, examples include the former BRs Regional Railways, Frances TER, Germanys DB Regio and South Koreas Tonggeun services
Commuter rail
–
The
Long Island Rail Road operates electric and diesel service into
New York City along with
Metro-North Railroad and
New Jersey Transit Rail.
Commuter rail
–
Mumbai Suburban Railway, the lifeline of
Mumbai, carries more than 7.24 million commuters on a daily basis
Commuter rail
–
S-Bahns, like the one in
Berlin, are not considered commuter rail.
Commuter rail
–
An
electric multiple unit on the
Gyeongchun Line operated by
Korail in
Seoul, South Korea
6.
National Highway 208 (India)
–
National Highway 744 or NH744 is a National Highway in Southern India that links Kollam in Kerala with Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Starting from NH66 in Kollam, it joins Tirumangalam in Madurai at National Highway 44. Kallupatti and this route has historically connected the cashew and spice producing Kollam District with the erstwhile Madras State. Nowadays, hoards of lorries carrying various goods from Tamil Nadu ply through this highway, the road cuts through the narrow low altitude gap at Aryankavu, and is a visual delight, especially the stretch from Thenmala to Sengottai. The historic Kollam-Sengottai Railway line goes by the side of the road, List of National Highways in India List of National Highways in India National Highways Development Project
National Highway 208 (India)
–
NH-208 at
Kadappakada,
Kollam City
National Highway 208 (India)
–
13 Ring Bridge near the side of NH 744,
Thenmala
National Highway 208 (India)
–
A sign board in NH 744
7.
Kollam district
–
Kollam district is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Keralas natural attributes, it is endowed with a coastline, a major Arabian Sea seaport. The district has many source of waterbodies, Kallada river is one among it and the east side land of river is EastKallada and the west side land is WestKallada. Kallada Boat race is one among the festival events of district. Even though it is a competition between two sides of river many boat clubs from various places even beyond the district use to participate in the event. Kollam is the capital of Keralas cashew industry, plains, mountains, lakes, lagoons and backwaters, forests, farmland and rivers make up the topography of the district. The area had trading relationships with Phoenicia and Ancient Rome and it covers 2,492 square kilometres, is the seventh-largest district in Kerala and is densely populated. It has the shortest coastal line among districts in Kerala, five major urban centres are, Kollam, Paravur, Punalur, Karunagapally, and Kottarakara. Sasthamkotta Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Kerala, is located in Kollam, two major rivers drain the district. Ashtamudi Lake and Paravur Lake are two important lakes in the district, Ashtamudi Lake covers 30 percent of total area of the district. Kollam is located on Ashtamudi Lake, Neendakara, a major fishing port in southern Kerala, is also located on this scenic lake. Edava and Nadayara Lakes are also located in Kollam district. The place is popular as Thangasseri. The lighthouse built at Quilon by the British in the year 1902 is visible as far as 13 miles in the sea, the lighthouse stands to an amazing height of 144 feet. The picturesque view of the sea from the place where the stands is breathtaking. In the vicinity lies the Portuguese Fort, the fort was built in the year 1517 and at present only a wall of the fort has escaped the assaults made by Time. Kollams 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, Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around 2,700 millimetres
Kollam district
–
From top:
Paravur estuary, Light house and clock tower in
Kollam city, 13 Ring bridge of
Thenmala, Check dam across Kallada river
Kollam district
–
Kollam District കൊല്ലം ജില്ല Quilon District
Kollam district
–
Lighthouse, Thangasseri, Kollam
Kollam district
–
Paravur estuary: Scenic beauty of backwaters and beaches
8.
Kerala
–
Kerala historically known as Keralam, is an Indian state in South India on the Malabar Coast. It was formed on 1 November 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act by combining Malayalam-speaking regions, spread over 38,863 km2, it is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 Census, Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state. The region has been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE, the Chera Dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala, though it frequently struggled against attacks by the neighbouring Cholas and Pandyas. In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, after independence, Travancore and Cochin joined the Republic of India and Travancore-Cochin was given the status of a state in 1949. In 1956, Kerala state was formed by merging Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin, Hinduism is practised by more than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity. The culture is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures, developed over millennia, under influences from other parts of India, the production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, the states coastline extends for 595 kilometres, and around 1.1 million people in the state are dependent on the fishery industry which contributes 3% to the states income. The state has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly English, Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions. The name Kerala has an uncertain etymology, One popular theory derives Kerala from Kera and alam is land, thus land of coconuts, this also happens to be a nickname for the state due to abundance of coconut trees and its use by the locals. The word Kerala is first recorded in a 3rd-century BCE rock inscription left by the Maurya emperor Ashoka, the inscription refers to the local ruler as Keralaputra, or son of Chera. This contradicts the theory that Kera is from coconut tree, at that time, one of three states in the region was called Cheralam in Classical Tamil, Chera and Kera are variants of the same word. The word Cheral refers to the oldest known dynasty of Kerala kings and is derived from the Proto-Tamil-Malayalam word for lake, the earliest Sanskrit text to mention Kerala is the Aitareya Aranyaka of the Rigveda. It is also mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two Hindu epics, the Skanda Purana mentions the ecclesiastical office of the Thachudaya Kaimal who is referred to as Manikkam Keralar, synonymous with the deity of the Koodalmanikyam temple. Keralam may stem from the Classical Tamil cherive-alam or chera alam, the Greco-Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei refers to Keralaputra as Celobotra. According to Hindu mythology, the lands of Kerala were recovered from the sea by the warrior sage Parasurama. Parasurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached, according to legend, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation, so Parasurama invoked the Snake King Vasuki, out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land
Kerala
–
A houseboat near
Alappuzha, Kerala
Kerala
–
Parasurama, surrounded by settlers, commanding
Varuna (the
Hindu God of water) to part the seas and reveal Kerala.
Kerala
–
A
dolmen erected by Neolithic people in
Marayur
Kerala
–
Silk Road map. The spice trade was mainly along the water routes (blue).
9.
India
–
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and it is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, in the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a border with Thailand. The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE, in the following millennium, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed. Social stratification, based on caste, emerged in the first millennium BCE, early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires, the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia. In the medieval era, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate, the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal empire, in the mid-18th century, the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule, and in the mid-19th under British crown rule. A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century, which later, under Mahatma Gandhi, was noted for nonviolent resistance, in 2015, the Indian economy was the worlds seventh largest by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the major economies and is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, a nuclear weapons state and regional power, it has the third largest standing army in the world and ranks sixth in military expenditure among nations. India is a constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society and is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu, the latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River. The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi, which translates as The people of the Indus, the geographical term Bharat, which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in its variations. Scholars believe it to be named after the Vedic tribe of Bharatas in the second millennium B. C. E and it is also traditionally associated with the rule of the legendary emperor Bharata. Gaṇarājya is the Sanskrit/Hindi term for republic dating back to the ancient times, hindustan is a Persian name for India dating back to the 3rd century B. C. E. It was introduced into India by the Mughals and widely used since then and its meaning varied, referring to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan or India in its entirety
India
–
Flag
India
–
The granite
tower of
Brihadeeswarar Temple in
Thanjavur was completed in 1010 CE by
Raja Raja Chola I.
India
–
Writing the will and testament of the Mughal king court in Persian, 1590–1595
10.
Geographic coordinate system
–
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
Geographic coordinate system
–
Longitude lines are perpendicular and latitude lines are parallel to the equator.
11.
Indian Railways
–
Indian Railways is a state-owned railway company, responsible for rail transport in India. It is owned and operated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Railways. It is fourth largest railway network in the world comprising 119,630 kilometres of track and 92,081 km of running track over a route of 68,525 km with 7,216 stations at the end of 2015-16. In 2015-16, IR carried 8.107 billion passengers annually or more than 22 million passengers a day and 1.101 billion tons of freight annually, Railways were first introduced to India in the year 1853 from Bombay to Thane. In 1951 the systems were nationalised as one unit, the Indian Railways, IR operates both long distance and suburban rail systems on a multi-gauge network of broad, metre and narrow gauges. It also owns locomotive and coach production facilities at places in India, with assigned codes identifying their gauge, kind of power. Its operations cover twenty six states and three union territories across India, and also has connectivity to Bangladesh and Pakistan. Indian Railways is the eighth biggest employer and had 1.331 million employees at the end of 2015-16. In 2015–2016 Indian Railways had revenues of ₹1.683 trillion which consists of ₹1.069 trillion freight earnings and it had operating ratio of 90. 5% in 2015-16. As on the end of 2015-16, IRs rolling stock comprises over 251,256 Freight Wagons,70,241 Passenger Coaches and 11,122 Locomotives, Indian Railways run on average 13,313 passenger trains daily in 2015-16. Mail or Express trains, most common type, run at speed of 50.9 km/hr on Broad Gauge and 34.2 km/hr on Meter Gauge. The trains have a 5 digit numbering system, as of at the end of 2015-16, of the total 68,525 km route length,28,327 km was electrified and 28,371 km was Double or Multiple line route. Since 1960, almost all electrified sections on IR use 25,000 volts AC traction through overhead catenary delivery, the history of railway transport in India began in the mid-nineteenth century. The core of the pressure for building railways In India came from London, in 1848, there was not a single kilometre of railway line in India. The countrys first railway, built by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, opened in 1853, the East Indian Railway Company was established 1 June 1845 in London by a deed of settlement with a capital of £4,000,000, largely raised in London. The Great Southern India Railway Co. was founded in Britain in 1853, Construction of track in Madras Presidency began in 1859 and the 80-mile link from Trichinopoly to Negapatam was opened in 1861. The Carnatic Railway founded in 1864, opened a Madras-Arakkonam-Kancheepuram line in 1865, the Great Southern India Railway Company was subsequently merged with the Carnatic Railway Company in 1874 to form the South Indian Railway Company. A British engineer, Robert Maitland Brereton, was responsible for the expansion of the railways from 1857 onwards, the Allahabad-Jabalpur branch line of the East Indian Railway had been opened in June 1867
Indian Railways
–
The B.B. & C.I. Railway Head Offices, 1905
Indian Railways
–
"Lifeline to the Nation"
Indian Railways
–
Extent of the railway network in 1909.
Indian Railways
–
Indian Railways headquarters,
Delhi
12.
Southern Railway zone
–
The Southern Railway, headquartered at Chennai Central, is one of the 17 zones of Indian Railways. It is the earliest of the 17 zones of the Indian Railways created in independent India and it was created on 14 April 1951 by merging three state railways, namely, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway Company, and the Mysore State Railway. The South Indian Railway was originally created in the British colonial times as Great Southern India Railway Co founded in Britain in 1853 and its original headquarters was in Tiruchirappalli and was registered as a company in London only in 1890. In 1944, all Railway companies were taken over by the Government, and three years later, when India woke up to independence in 1947, the stage was set for the integration of different Railways into smaller zones. In 1948, immediately after independence, there were as many as 42 different railway systems - a multiplicity of railway administrations, varying in size and standards. The regrouping proposals put forward by the committees were studied in great detail to ensure that a unification could be achieved with the least disturbance. Important associations of railway-users, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the State Governments, shri N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar - the then Minister for Railways, was the principal architect of the regrouping of Indian Railways. The Southern Railway zone 9,654 kilometres was the first zone to be formed and this amalgamation was a major step towards streamlining and organizing the working pattern of the Railway system. Shri K R Ramanujam was appointed the first General Manager of the newly formed Southern Railways, the Southern Railway is headed by the General Manager Officer, assisted by an Additional General Manager. Each department is headed by a PHOD\CHOD of the rank of HAG\SAG, more than 50 crore passengers travel on the network every year. This zone of the Indian Railways differs from the zones of India in that its revenue is derived from passengers
Southern Railway zone
–
Southern Railway headquarters, Chennai
Southern Railway zone
–
Southern Railway-7
Southern Railway zone
–
Nilgiri Mountain Railway working under Southern Railway zone, Chennai. and also it is UNESCO World Heritage site
13.
Madurai railway division
–
Madurai railway division is a railway division belonging to the Southern Railways, India. Officially created in 1856, it spans over 1,356 km making it the largest railway division of the Southern Railways. Prior to the formation of the Thiruvananthapuram railway division which was carved out of the division, currently it covers up to 12 districts of Tamil Nadu and 1 in Kerala. Its headquarters is based in Madurai. }}The first railway line in the region was open in 1857 connecting Madurai to Trichinopoly via Dindigul. In the following year, the line from Madurai to the port city of Thoothukudi was completed. In the same year, another line branching off from Maniyachchi to Tirunelveli was opened, only in the next century, most of the other present lines were completed. All lines currently in use have been converted to Broad Gauge while remaining sections namely Madurai-Bodinayakkanur section, in 1979, certain sections of the railway division were carved out to form the Thiruvananthapuram railway division. The Metre Gauge sections of Madurai division were retained, while all the newly laid Broad Gauge Sections of Madurai Division were transferred to Trivandrum Division, the Tirunelveli-Madurai line was converted into BG line on 8-4-1981 but the railway lines in the southern district havent been restored till date. Kanyakumari terminal station lacks the required Railway infrastructures and therefore request for more services were always turned down by them citing the same handicap as the reason. Th division spans across two states namely Tamil Nadu and Kerala, in Kerala, the division covers the district of Kollam till Kilikollur railway station. The list includes the stations under the Madurai railway division and their station category, stations closed for Passengers - The division won the inter-divisional overall efficiency - Best Division - award for its performance and earnings in the financial year of 2013. The total originating earnings for the year 2013-14 is Rs 576.29 crore as against the 2012-13 actual of Rs 523.68 crore leading to a 10% growth in overall earnings. On the punctuality front, the division achieved 96. 2% for express, cash awards and merit certificates were distributed to officers and stations for their performance and maintenance. Railway school students performed cultural events during the celebrations, tiruchirappalli railway division Thiruvananthapuram railway division Southern Railways Madurai railway division
Madurai railway division
–
Front view of
Madurai Junction railway station
14.
Trivandrum Central railway station
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Thiruvananthapuram Central is the main Railway station in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the largest railway station in Kerala in terms of passenger movement and it is one of profitable stations under Southern Railway. The building of the station is one of the landmarks of Thiruvananthapuram. The railway station is located opposite to Central Bus Station Thiruvananthapuram at Thampanoor, trains from here connect the city of Thiruvananthapuram to major cities of India. This station is noted for a whole range of amenities available within the premises. The station has book-shops, restaurants, accommodation and Internet browsing centers, a second satellite station was opened in 2005 at Kochuveli called the Kochuveli Railway Station, near the International Airport. A second terminal was opened in 2004 to handle passenger traffic, to reduce traffic, the Central Railway Station has 18 railway tracks. Number of long trains are starts/ends in Thiruvananthapuram Central. The Madras-Quilon line was extended to the capital of the Princely State of Travancore, the line then terminated at Chakka, which was the trading centre of Thiruvananthapuram then. M. E. Watts, Dewan of the erstwhile Travancore, the terminus was shifted to current location Thiruvananthapuram Central Thampanoor on 1931. The Thiruvananthapuram Central station building was built during the reign of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the Maharani of Travancore, no bricks were used for the construction of this station building, it was built completely with rock masonry. This station has 5 platforms to handle long and short distance trains, the Thiruvananthapuram railway station has two entrances. Kochuveli satellite terminal has started functioning with trains originating from here, Thiruvananthapuram Central is well equipped with modern security gadgets, and is the first station in the state to install video surveillance. The station handles over 300,000 passengers daily and it was announced in railway budget to convert Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station into world-class standards. The foundation stone for expansion and modernisation of station was laid by Former Union Minister for Railways, tenders have been invited for carrying out feasibility studies for this proposed project. More than ₹1,000 million is needed for first phase of this project, a new complex of railway station will be built with a built-up area of 1,000,000 square feet. All modern facilities including an office and commercial complex is planned here, the proposal to set up a passenger terminal at Nemom is announced in rail budget and yet to begin work. It is estimated only a consortium would be able to take up expansion project of Thiruvananthapuram Central
Trivandrum Central railway station
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Thiruvananthapuram Central Station main building.
Trivandrum Central railway station
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Railways in Kerala cities
Trivandrum Central railway station
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Thiruvananthapuram station
Trivandrum Central railway station
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Interior of the station
15.
Kollam Junction railway station
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Kollam Junction railway station is a junction station situated in the city of Kollam in Kerala, India. It is the second largest railway station in Kerala in terms of area and is one of the oldest railway stations in the state, indias second longest railway platform is situated at Kollam railway station. Kollam Junction lies on Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram trunk line and it is an A-class station operated by the Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways and comes under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division. The annual passenger revenue of Kollam railway station is ₹60.44 crore and 23,350 is the daily ridership through this station. Kollam was the city in Kerala to be connected to the nascent Indian Railway. The idea of a link from Tirunelveli to Kollam, then the trading capital of the Travancore Kingdom was first conceived in 1873. The line was sanctioned by the Madras Presidency in 1899 and a survey completed in 1900, the railway line was built jointly by South Indian railway, Travancore state and the Madras Presidency. Kollams railway station was built in 1904 by Sree Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma and it was the ruler’s desire to create a rail link between Kollam, the then commercial capital of his State and Madras. The meter gauge line from Kollam to Punalur was inaugurated on 1 June 1904, the Kollam-Sengottai railway line was inaugurated on 26 November 1904. The meter gauge line was extended to Chala at Trivandrum via Paravur and Varkala. The meter gauge line from Kollam was extended to Ernakulam via Kottayam on 6 January 1958. The meter gauge lines between Kollam and Ernakulam were converted to broad gauge in 1975 and inaugurated on 13 September 1976, the broad gauge conversion between the Punalur and Kollam sections was inaugurated on 12 May 2010. There was once a 2.4 kilometres meter gauge line connecting Quilon Junction, during the inauguration of the Kollam-Punalur meter gauge line in 1904, parts of locomotives which were to be used for Quilon-Schencottah line were shipped to Quilon Port from Tuticorin Port. They were assembled at the Ashramam Maidan, which was an open ground, the line was laid to carry these locomotives to the main station. The line was dismantled in 2000 to allow for town expansion, there are a total of 17 tracks in the Kollam railway station,2 lines are passing through the MEMU shed. The station has 6 platforms for handling long distance, passenger, the platform 1 is divided into two sections. Platform 1A handles the trains to Punalur-Sengottai line and platform 1 handles trains towards Trivandrum Central, the platform 1 and 1A together have a length of 1,180.5 m making them together the second longest railway platform in India. The station has a MEMU shed which is situated near to Platform 1A, an FCI godown owned and operated by Food Corporation of India is also situated near Kollam junction.68 crore, for Mainline Electric Multiple Unit rakes
Kollam Junction railway station
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From Top: Entrance of Kollam Junction Railway Station, A
MEMU train at
Kollam railway station, Foot over bridge, Name board of the station,
Kollam MEMU Shed building
Kollam Junction railway station
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Kollam railway station in 1905
Kollam Junction railway station
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Railways in Kerala cities
Kollam Junction railway station
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Main foot overbridge in Kollam Railway Station
16.
Kayamkulam Junction railway station
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Kayamkulam Junction railway station is a railway station in Kerala, located at Kayamkulam, Alappuzha District. It stands at the junction of three lines- south towards Thiruvananthapuram via Kollam, north towards Ernakulam via Alappuzha and north-east towards Ernakulam Junction/Ernakulam Town via Kottayam, the station is located at a distance of 5 km from Kayamkulam town, near to Kayamkulam-Punalur Road. Kayamkulam rail link came into existence in 1958 when Kollam -Kottayam railway line was inaugurated, the railway station was upgraded to a junction station in 1992 when the rail link via Alappuzha to Ernakulam was inaugurated. This station has 5 platforms to handle long trains and local trains
Kayamkulam Junction railway station
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Kayamkulam Junction
17.
Thiruvananthapuram railway division
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Thiruvananthapuram railway division is one of the six administrative divisions of the Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways. It has its headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram, the city of the state of Kerala. It is the southernmost railway division of India and manages 625 km of track and 108 railway stations in the states of Kerala. The major stations of the division are Nagercoil Jn, Thiruvananthapuram Central, Kollam Jn, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam Jn, Ernakulam Town, Aluva and Thrissur. The Thiruvananthapuram division was formed on 2 October 1979 as the 53rd division in the country, the Trivandrum - Nagercoil - Kanniyakumari section had completed construction only a few months before the formation of TVC and the Nagercoil-Tirunelveli section was undergoing construction. The Ernakulam - Alappuzha - Kayamkulam line and the Thrissur - Guruvayur line did not exist then and were built by the Trivandrum division. 1981, Nagercoil - Tirunelveli line which was under construction during division formation,1991, Ernakulam - Alappuzha - Kayamkulam coastal line opened. 1994, Thrissur - Guruvayur branch line opened,1996, Kayamkulam - Kollam line doubling completed 2000, Thiruvananthapuram - Kollam line doubling completed. 2002, Shoranur - Thrissur - Ernakulam line electrified,2006, Ernakulam - Trivandrum lines via Kottayam and Alappuzha electrified. 2012, Trivandrum - Nagercoil - Kanniyakumari/Tirunelveli lines electrified, creation of the Trivandrum division was followed by the formation of Bangalore railway division which was also under the Southern Railway. The Trivandrum division manages 625 kilometers of length and 893 km of track length. It serves the southern half of Kerala and the southernmost parts of Tamil Nadu in the Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts, jurisdiction of the Trivandrum division starts just after the Bharathapuzha bridge and Vallathol Nagar is the first station in the division. The mainline then continues south, and at Punkunnam just before Thrissur, just before Ernakulam Town, at Pachalam railway gate the track to the old Ernakulam Terminus, now disused, branches off to the right. After Ernakulam Town, the splits into two with the double tracks to Kottayam branching off to the left. After Ernakulam junction, the line to the Cochin Harbor Terminus, now disused. The Kottayam and Alappuzha lines join again at Kayamkulam junction, from where they continue on towards Kollam Junction, the division carries over 1.65 lakh passengers daily. Passenger terminals are operational at Thiruvananthapuram central, Ernakulam, Nagercoil, Alleppey, new passenger terminals are proposed at Kanyakumari, Nemom and Kottayam. The list includes the stations under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division and their station category, stations closed for Passengers - Cochin Harbor Terminus, Old Ernakulam Goods Terminal, Mattanchery Halt
Thiruvananthapuram railway division
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Kollam Junction Railway Station
Thiruvananthapuram railway division
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Paravur railway station
Thiruvananthapuram railway division
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A
MEMU train near
Kollam MEMU Shed
18.
Chandanattop railway station
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Chandanathoppe railway station or Chandanattop railway station is an F-class halt railway station situated at Kollam–Sengottai branch line of Southern Railway Zone, India. It is one among the 25 railway stations in Kollam district, the station is partially serving the city of Quilon. Chandanathoppe railway station is coming under the Madurai railway division of the Southern Railway Zone, the nearest major rail head of Chandanathoppe railway station is Kollam Junction railway station. Nearest railway stations are Kundara and Kilikollur, all the Kollam-Punalur-Kollam passenger services and Punalur-Madurai-Punalur service have halts at Chandanathoppe Chandanattop railway station is situated at the borders of Kollam city. Chandanathoppe is one among the cashew hubs of Kollam city and it is the nearest railway station to Govt. People from areas like Mammoodu, Mekone, Kuzhiyam, a portion of Kilikollur etc. are depending on this railway station, Kilikollur station is situated 1. 7km away from Chandanattop, it is the shortest distance between two railway stations in India
Chandanattop railway station
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Chandanathoppe Chandanattop
19.
Kundara railway station
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Kundara railway station is a railway station in the historic industrial town of Kollam, Kundara, Kerala. Kundara Railway Station falls under the Madurai railway division of the Southern Railway Zone, the station is one of two railway stations in the industrial town of Kundara. Other one is Kundara East railway station, the nearest railway stations are Chandanathoppe and Kundara East. Kundara railway station has gained significance because of proximity to Kundara Ceramics Limited, Kollam Technopark, Aluminium Industries Limited, Kerala Electrical, all the trains passing through stop at the station. Kollam Junction railway station Karunagappalli railway station Paravur railway station Punalur railway station Kottarakara railway station
Kundara railway station
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Kundara
20.
Ezhukone railway station
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Ezhukone railway station is a railway station located in Kollam district of Kerala state, India. Ezhukone railway station is coming under Madurai railway division of Southern Railway Zone and it is one among the 26 railway stations in Kollam district. The nearest railway stations are Kundara East and Kottarakara, all seven pairs of trains passing through have halts at Ezhukone railway station. Ezhukone is a populated area in Kollam district. Ezhukone railway station has gained significance because of it sproximity to various schools, colleges, hospitals, ESI Hospital in Ezhukone, Excise Range Office, Sree Naryana Guru Senior Secondary Central School etc. are very close to this railway station. The station serves areas like Pavithreswaram, Cheerankavu, Maranadu, Pochamkonam, Irumpanangadu, Neduvathoor, Neeleswaram, Kollam Junction railway station Paravur railway station Kundara railway station Kottarakara railway station
Ezhukone railway station
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Ezhukone
21.
Kottarakara railway station
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Kottarakara railway station is a railway station in the Indian town of Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Kerala. Kottarakara Railway Station falls under the Madurai railway division of the Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways and it is a D-Class Adersh Station. Neighbourhood railway stations are Ezhukone and Kundara East, Kollam Junction railway station Karunagappalli railway station Paravur railway station Punalur railway station Kundara railway station
Kottarakara railway station
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Kottarakara
22.
Punalur railway station
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Punalur railway station is located at Nedumkayam, Punalur, Kollam district on the Kollam–Sengottai branch line. The Kollam–Shencottah railway line is the first railway line in erstwhile Travancore state and is more than a century old, the Kollam–Sengottai section is part of the Kollam–Chennai meter gauge rail route commissioned by the British during 1904. The line which was meter gauge has been converted to broad gauge partially, currently the railway line is operational between Kollam Junction and Punalur. The first idea of rail link from Tirunelveli to Kollam which was the capital of the Travancore Kingdom was conceived in 1873. The meter gauge line from Kollam to Punalur was inaugurated by on 1 June 1904, the first goods train travelled on this route in 1902 and a train carrying its first passengers began its run in 1904. It makes for a train journey as it passes over five big bridges and hundreds of tiny ones while negotiating mountain streams. Passengers are also treated to a view of the Western Ghats. The train also passes through five tunnels on this stretch, including the long tunnel between Bhagawathipuram and Arayankavu. The station at Punalur was equipped with locomotive service centre, Parcel and Timber Depot, Train parking bays, Storage Tanks for water and oil, the scenic Punalur–Shencotta railway lies across the western ghats, providing a valuable link across the southern states. The journey through the ghats is incredible. The station has three platforms, of two are functional. It also has five tracks used for passenger and shunting purpose, the gauge conversion of the Thiruchendur-Sengottai section has been completed and is open to traffic. In Kollam Junction-Shenkottai section the broad gauge conversion is finished between Kollam and Punalur, the conversion work on Punalur-Shenkottai ghat section is on progress. Once the conversion is over this will serve as the shortest rail-route from Kochi port to Tuticorin port, infrastructure of the station will be changed as proposed in tune with handling demands and matching to the glory of past. Kollam - Punalur section The Kollam Junction -Punalur meter gauge line to broad gauge conversion works foundation stone was laid in 1998 at Punalur. Services on the Punalur-Kollam metre gauge section were withdrawn on 1 May 2007, the gauge conversion took almost 11 years to complete after the foundation stone was laid. The 44 kilometres line was converted to broad gauge and inaugurated on 10 May 2010, passenger train services connecting Punalur to Kollam, Madurai, Guruvayur and Kanyakumari are currently operational in this route. Punalur - Sengottai section To facilitate the conversion work on the Punalur-Sengottai section
Punalur railway station
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View of the station
23.
Kallada River
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The Kallada River is one of two major rivers that flow through the Kollam District of Kerala, India. This River is formed by three Rivers, viz. Kulathupuzha, Chendurni and Kalthuruthy which join near Parappar in Thenmala by the side of the Trivandrum-Shencottah road and it travels for 121 km, flowing through Punalur, Pathanapuram, Kunnathur and Kallada before ending at Ashtamudi Lake. The Palaruvi Falls also feeds Kallada river, the Chalikkari Aar also joins Kallada a little downstream. These two rivers flows westward and falls into the Ashtamudi Lake, for a good part of its initial course, the river flows in parallel with the Kollam - Shenkottai commercial highway. At Punalur, a bridge was constructed across this by the Travancore Maharaja in British Style. This is still preserved as an archeological marvel. The end point of river is the Ashtamudi Kayal. The river bed is rocky and it is difficult to swim. There are huge rocks, deep pits and other obstructions in the river, in modern times, the Thenmala dam is built on this river. This is an irrigation dam mainly aimed at providing water to the regions throughout the year. Kallada Boat Race is one of the most famous boat races held in South Kerala, the boat race is an annual event which happens 28 days after Onam. Almost all the snake boats take part in this event. This boat race is held on the Muthiraparambu-Karuvathrakadavu course of the Kallada River and this year it will be conducted on the 23rd of September. Kallada river has a place in history along with major rivers. It is believed that Paleolithic people lived around this river in the Thenmala region and this was around 10,000 years ago. Untouched by the onslaught of administrative modernization, there are areas in both villages. Uppoodu, ullurup are a few to name, the virtues of the word called kinship, define itself here better than anywhere else. Hence this Mill was closed in 1987, the project was planned to irrigate net cultivable command area of 61630 Ha. During the course of execution few canals including Kayamkulam Branch canal were dropped, head works is completed during 1986
Kallada River
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Kallada River
24.
Achankoil
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Achankovil is a river in Kerala, India, created towards the southern tip of the peninsula by the confluence of the Rishimala, Pasukidamettu, and Ramakkalteri Rivers. The Anchankovil enriches the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala state and it joins with the Pamba River at Veeyapuram, in the Alappuzha district of Kerala. Achankovil is also the name of the forest area, which is the catchment area for this river, the Achankovil village is not easily accessible, however, it can be reached through forest routes. The river also passes through the village Vazhuvadi. The River Achankovil nurtures numerous townships on its fertile banks, among them is Pathanamthitta Town, which is the capital of the Pathanamthitta district. It derives its name from its association with the river, Pathanamthitta, from the Malayalam words Pathanam and thitta, Lord Ayyappa leads the Grihastha Ashrama life here – he is depicted as a family man or leads married life here. He is depicted along with his two wives – Purna and Pushkala and it is believed that the idol here was installed by Parashurama. The Achankovil Sastha Temple is famous for curing poisonous snake bites, the left hand of the idol of Ayyappa at Achankovil Shastha Temple always holds ‘Chandan’ and Thirtha. The Chandan and Thirtha are considered to have medicinal properties to cure snake bites, the temple complex also contains other deities associated with the Ayyappa legend. The festivals and rituals held here have strong Tamil roots, during the Sabarimala pilgrimage, devotees also visit this temple to offer their prayers. It is believed that the idol of this temple was consecrated by Sage Parasurama, on both sides of the idol, Poorna and Pushkala, the consorts of Lord Sastha are also installed. Edappon, a famous for its flora and fauna, near Pandalam is on the banks of the Achankovil river. The very old Shiva temple - Kandiyoor Mahadeva temple at Mavelikkara is situated on the banks of the river, the 2200-year-old temple is fully built by blackrocks. The world-famous Chettikulangara temple is near to this temple and it is also popular as a natural picnic spot among the locals. The forest route to the town lot of biodiversity including wild animals and birds such as elephants, forest fowls, boars, deer. The annual chariot festival and other traditions correspond to the old Buddhist practices of kettu kazhcha, which was assimilated into Hinduism in Kerala
Achankoil
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Achankovil
Achankoil
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Thazhoor Bhagavathy Kshetram Temple on the banks of River Achankovil - View from Thazhoor bridge
Achankoil
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Entrance to Thrippara Shiva Kshetram on the banks of River Achankovil
25.
Kerala state
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Kerala historically known as Keralam, is an Indian state in South India on the Malabar Coast. It was formed on 1 November 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act by combining Malayalam-speaking regions, spread over 38,863 km2, it is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 Census, Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state. The region has been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE, the Chera Dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala, though it frequently struggled against attacks by the neighbouring Cholas and Pandyas. In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, after independence, Travancore and Cochin joined the Republic of India and Travancore-Cochin was given the status of a state in 1949. In 1956, Kerala state was formed by merging Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin, Hinduism is practised by more than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity. The culture is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures, developed over millennia, under influences from other parts of India, the production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, the states coastline extends for 595 kilometres, and around 1.1 million people in the state are dependent on the fishery industry which contributes 3% to the states income. The state has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly English, Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions. The name Kerala has an uncertain etymology, One popular theory derives Kerala from Kera and alam is land, thus land of coconuts, this also happens to be a nickname for the state due to abundance of coconut trees and its use by the locals. The word Kerala is first recorded in a 3rd-century BCE rock inscription left by the Maurya emperor Ashoka, the inscription refers to the local ruler as Keralaputra, or son of Chera. This contradicts the theory that Kera is from coconut tree, at that time, one of three states in the region was called Cheralam in Classical Tamil, Chera and Kera are variants of the same word. The word Cheral refers to the oldest known dynasty of Kerala kings and is derived from the Proto-Tamil-Malayalam word for lake, the earliest Sanskrit text to mention Kerala is the Aitareya Aranyaka of the Rigveda. It is also mentioned in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two Hindu epics, the Skanda Purana mentions the ecclesiastical office of the Thachudaya Kaimal who is referred to as Manikkam Keralar, synonymous with the deity of the Koodalmanikyam temple. Keralam may stem from the Classical Tamil cherive-alam or chera alam, the Greco-Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei refers to Keralaputra as Celobotra. According to Hindu mythology, the lands of Kerala were recovered from the sea by the warrior sage Parasurama. Parasurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached, according to legend, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation, so Parasurama invoked the Snake King Vasuki, out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land
Kerala state
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A houseboat near
Alappuzha, Kerala
Kerala state
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Parasurama, surrounded by settlers, commanding
Varuna (the
Hindu God of water) to part the seas and reveal Kerala.
Kerala state
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A
dolmen erected by Neolithic people in
Marayur
Kerala state
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Silk Road map. The spice trade was mainly along the water routes (blue).
26.
Tamil Nadu
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Tamil Nadu is one of the 29 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai, Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Puducherry and the South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The state shares a border with the nation of Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu is the eleventh-largest state in India by area and the sixth-most populous, the state was ranked sixth among states in India according to the Human Development Index in 2011, with the second-largest state economy after Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu is the second largest state economy in India with ₹13,842 billion in gross domestic product after Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu was ranked as one of the top seven developed states in India based on a Multidimensional Development Index in a 2013 report published by the Reserve Bank of India and its official language is Tamil, which is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world. Tamil Nadu is home to natural resources. In addition, its people have developed and continue classical arts, classical music, historic buildings and religious sites include Hindu temples of Tamil architecture, hill stations, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites, and eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Archaeological evidence points to this area being one of the longest continuous habitations in the Indian peninsula, the ASI archaeologists have proposed that the script used at that site is very rudimentary Tamil Brahmi. Adichanallur has been announced as a site for further excavation. About 60 per cent of the epigraphical inscriptions found by the ASI in India are from Tamil Nadu. A Neolithic stone celt with the Indus script on it was discovered at Sembian-Kandiyur near Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu, according to epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan, this was the first datable artefact bearing the Indus script to be found in Tamil Nadu. Mahadevan claimed that the find was evidence of the use of the Harappan language, the date of the celt was estimated at between 1500 BCE and 2000 BCE. The early history of the people and rulers of Tamil Nadu is a topic in Tamil literary sources known as Sangam literature, numismatic, archaeological and literary sources corroborate that the Sangam period lasted for about six centuries, from 300 BC to AD300. Three dynasties, namely the Chera, Chola and Pandya, ruled the area of present-day Tamil Nadu, the Chera ruled the whole of present-day Kerala and parts of western Tamil Nadu comprising Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Karur, Salem and Erode districts from the capital of Vanchi Muthur. The Chola dynasty ruled the northern and central parts of Tamil Nadu from their capital, Uraiyur, All three dynasties had extensive trade relationships with Rome, Greece, Egypt, Ceylon, Phoenicia, Arabia, Mesopotamia and Persia. Trade flourished in commodities such as spices, ivory, pearls, beads, Chera traded extensively from Muziris on the west coast, Chola from Arikamedu and Puhar and Pandya through Korkai port. A Greco-Roman trade and travel document, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea gives a description of the Tamil country, besides these three dynasties, the Sangam era Tamilakam was also divided into various provinces named nadu, meaning country
Tamil Nadu
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Location of Tamil Nadu (marked in red) in
India
Tamil Nadu
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Sage
Agastya father of Tamil literature,
Sangam period
Tamil Nadu
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Megalithic Sarcophagus burial from Tamil Nadu.
27.
Tirunelveli Junction railway station
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Tirunelveli Junction railway station serves the city of Tirunelveli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is owned by the Madurai Railway division. The Nellai Express - a super-fast train connecting Tirunelveli and Chennai Egmore - runs packed almost throughout the year, any train passing through the station halts at one of the five platforms, regardless of destination. Tirunelveli Junction is one of the oldest and most popular stations on the Indian Railway network. It was built in the year 1893
Tirunelveli Junction railway station
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Main Entrance of Tirunelveli Station
28.
Railway station
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A train station, railway station, railroad station, or depot is a railway facility where trains regularly stop to load or unload passengers or freight. It generally consists of at least one platform and a station building providing such ancillary services as ticket sales. If a station is on a line, it often has a passing loop to facilitate traffic movements. The smallest stations are most often referred to as stops or, in parts of the world. Stations may be at level, underground, or elevated. Connections may be available to intersecting rail lines or other modes such as buses. In British usage, the station is commonly understood to mean a railway station unless otherwise qualified. In the United States, the most common term in contemporary usage is train station, Railway station and railroad station are less frequent. Outside North America, a depot is place where buses, trains, or other vehicles are housed and maintained and from which they are dispatched for service. The two-storey Mount Clare station in Baltimore, Maryland, which survives as a museum, first saw service as the terminus of the horse-drawn Baltimore. The oldest terminal station in the world was Crown Street railway station in Liverpool, built in 1830, as the first train on the Liverpool-Manchester line left Liverpool, the station is slightly older than the Manchester terminal at Liverpool Road. The station was the first to incorporate a train shed, the station was demolished in 1836 as the Liverpool terminal station moved to Lime Street railway station. Crown Street station was converted to a goods station terminal, the first stations had little in the way of buildings or amenities. The first stations in the modern sense were on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, manchesters Liverpool Road Station, the second oldest terminal station in the world, is preserved as part of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. It resembles a row of Georgian houses, dual-purpose stations can sometimes still be found today, though in many cases goods facilities are restricted to major stations. In rural and remote communities across Canada and the United States, such stations were known as flag stops or flag stations. Many stations date from the 19th century and reflect the architecture of the time. Countries where railways arrived later may still have such architecture, as later stations often imitated 19th-century styles, various forms of architecture have been used in the construction of stations, from those boasting grand, intricate, Baroque- or Gothic-style edifices, to plainer utilitarian or modernist styles
Railway station
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Broad Green station, Liverpool, shown in 1962, opened in 1830, is the oldest station site in the world still in use as a passenger station.
Railway station
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Baker Street station, London, opened in 1863, was the world's first station to be completely underground. Its original part, seen here, is just below the surface and was constructed by
cut-and-cover.
Railway station
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Opened in 2006,
Berlin Hauptbahnhof is a large station at the crossing point of two major railways and features modern, abstract architecture. Berlin used to have a ring of terminus stations, similar to London and Paris, but these were gradually replaced with through stations over the period of 1882–1952.
Railway station
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Liverpool Lime Street Station's frontage resembles a château and is the world's oldest used terminus
29.
Southern Railway Zone
–
The Southern Railway, headquartered at Chennai Central, is one of the 17 zones of Indian Railways. It is the earliest of the 17 zones of the Indian Railways created in independent India and it was created on 14 April 1951 by merging three state railways, namely, the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway Company, and the Mysore State Railway. The South Indian Railway was originally created in the British colonial times as Great Southern India Railway Co founded in Britain in 1853 and its original headquarters was in Tiruchirappalli and was registered as a company in London only in 1890. In 1944, all Railway companies were taken over by the Government, and three years later, when India woke up to independence in 1947, the stage was set for the integration of different Railways into smaller zones. In 1948, immediately after independence, there were as many as 42 different railway systems - a multiplicity of railway administrations, varying in size and standards. The regrouping proposals put forward by the committees were studied in great detail to ensure that a unification could be achieved with the least disturbance. Important associations of railway-users, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the State Governments, shri N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar - the then Minister for Railways, was the principal architect of the regrouping of Indian Railways. The Southern Railway zone 9,654 kilometres was the first zone to be formed and this amalgamation was a major step towards streamlining and organizing the working pattern of the Railway system. Shri K R Ramanujam was appointed the first General Manager of the newly formed Southern Railways, the Southern Railway is headed by the General Manager Officer, assisted by an Additional General Manager. Each department is headed by a PHOD\CHOD of the rank of HAG\SAG, more than 50 crore passengers travel on the network every year. This zone of the Indian Railways differs from the zones of India in that its revenue is derived from passengers
Southern Railway Zone
–
Southern Railway headquarters, Chennai
Southern Railway Zone
–
Southern Railway-7
Southern Railway Zone
–
Nilgiri Mountain Railway working under Southern Railway zone, Chennai. and also it is UNESCO World Heritage site
30.
Eravipuram railway station
–
Eravipuram railway station or Iravipuram railway station is one among the three railway stations serving the Indian city of Kollam, Kerala. Eravipuram Railway Station falls under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division of the Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways and it is a F-Class halt railway station. The annual passenger earnings from Eravipuram Railway Station during 2011-2012 was Rs.5,85,813, Eravipuram is about 5.3 km away from Kollam city. Eravipuram Kollam Paravur Karunagappalli railway station Kollam Junction railway station Paravur railway station
Eravipuram railway station
–
Eravipuram
31.
Indian railways
–
Indian Railways is a state-owned railway company, responsible for rail transport in India. It is owned and operated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Railways. It is fourth largest railway network in the world comprising 119,630 kilometres of track and 92,081 km of running track over a route of 68,525 km with 7,216 stations at the end of 2015-16. In 2015-16, IR carried 8.107 billion passengers annually or more than 22 million passengers a day and 1.101 billion tons of freight annually, Railways were first introduced to India in the year 1853 from Bombay to Thane. In 1951 the systems were nationalised as one unit, the Indian Railways, IR operates both long distance and suburban rail systems on a multi-gauge network of broad, metre and narrow gauges. It also owns locomotive and coach production facilities at places in India, with assigned codes identifying their gauge, kind of power. Its operations cover twenty six states and three union territories across India, and also has connectivity to Bangladesh and Pakistan. Indian Railways is the eighth biggest employer and had 1.331 million employees at the end of 2015-16. In 2015–2016 Indian Railways had revenues of ₹1.683 trillion which consists of ₹1.069 trillion freight earnings and it had operating ratio of 90. 5% in 2015-16. As on the end of 2015-16, IRs rolling stock comprises over 251,256 Freight Wagons,70,241 Passenger Coaches and 11,122 Locomotives, Indian Railways run on average 13,313 passenger trains daily in 2015-16. Mail or Express trains, most common type, run at speed of 50.9 km/hr on Broad Gauge and 34.2 km/hr on Meter Gauge. The trains have a 5 digit numbering system, as of at the end of 2015-16, of the total 68,525 km route length,28,327 km was electrified and 28,371 km was Double or Multiple line route. Since 1960, almost all electrified sections on IR use 25,000 volts AC traction through overhead catenary delivery, the history of railway transport in India began in the mid-nineteenth century. The core of the pressure for building railways In India came from London, in 1848, there was not a single kilometre of railway line in India. The countrys first railway, built by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, opened in 1853, the East Indian Railway Company was established 1 June 1845 in London by a deed of settlement with a capital of £4,000,000, largely raised in London. The Great Southern India Railway Co. was founded in Britain in 1853, Construction of track in Madras Presidency began in 1859 and the 80-mile link from Trichinopoly to Negapatam was opened in 1861. The Carnatic Railway founded in 1864, opened a Madras-Arakkonam-Kancheepuram line in 1865, the Great Southern India Railway Company was subsequently merged with the Carnatic Railway Company in 1874 to form the South Indian Railway Company. A British engineer, Robert Maitland Brereton, was responsible for the expansion of the railways from 1857 onwards, the Allahabad-Jabalpur branch line of the East Indian Railway had been opened in June 1867
Indian railways
–
The B.B. & C.I. Railway Head Offices, 1905
Indian railways
–
"Lifeline to the Nation"
Indian railways
–
Extent of the railway network in 1909.
Indian railways
–
Indian Railways headquarters,
Delhi
32.
Thiruvananthapuram
–
Thiruvananthapuram, formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Kerala. It is located on the west coast of India near the south of the mainland. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the Evergreen city of India, Thiruvananthapuram was a trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory. The city was ruled by the Ays and was captured by the rulers of Venad in tenth century A. D, in 1729, Marthanda Varma founded the princely state of Thiruvithamkoor and made Thiruvananthapuram the capital in 1745. It remained as a state ruled by Travancore under the loose governance of the British before joining the Indian Union in 1948. With nearly 80% of the software exports, Thiruvananthapuram is a major IT hub with the Technopark. Indias first and only magic academy, Magic Academy Research Centre run by Merlin award-winning magician Gopinath Muthukad is situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the city is home to animation companies like Toonz India Ltd and Tata Elxsi Ltd. The Kinfra Film and Video Park is one of the most advanced film and it is consistently ranked among the best cities to live in Kerala as well as India. The city was referred to as Trivandrum until 1991, when the government decided to reinstate the citys original name Thiruvananthapuram. Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient region with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BCE, the city was a trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory. The early rulers of the city were the Ays and after their fall in the 10th century, in 1729, Marthanda Varma founded the princely state of Thiruvithamkoor and Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital in 1745 after shifting the capital from Padmanabhapuram in Tamil Nadu. In the mid-19th century, the city was under the reign of Swathi Thirunal, an observatory was established in 1837 with the Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library and the University College established in 1873. Several colleges were established by Moolam Thirunal, sree Moolam Assembly, established in 1904, was the first democratically elected legislative council in any Indian state. After Indian Independence in 1947, Travancore chose to join the Indian union, in 1949, Thiruvananthapuram became the capital of Travancore-Cochin, the state formed by the integration of Travancore with the Kingdom of Cochin. The king of Travancore, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma, became the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1 July 1949 until 31 October 1956, when the state of Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956, Thiruvananthapuram became its capital. The city has a population of 752,490 according to the 2011 census, the sex ratio is 1,032 females for every 1,000 males. In October 2010, the number of wards was increased from 86 to 100 post expansion of city limits by adding Sreekaryam, Vattiyoorkavu, Kudappanakunnu, hindus comprise 68. 5% of the population, Christians about 16. 7% and Muslims form 13. 7%. The major languages spoken are Malayalam and English, in Palayam in the city centre, there is a mosque, a temple and a Christian church next to each other as neighbours, establishing the communal harmony of Keralites
Thiruvananthapuram
–
Clockwise from top right:
Kovalam Beach,
Napier Museum,
Trivandrum Central,
Kowdiar Palace,
Niyamasabha Mandiram,
Infosys Building,
The Sculpture of Jalakanyaka Mermaid
Thiruvananthapuram
–
Seal
Thiruvananthapuram
–
Painting by
Raja Ravi Varma depicting
Richard Temple-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos being greeted by
Visakham Thirunal, with
Ayilyam Thirunal of Travancore looking on, during Buckingham's visit to Thiruvananthapuram,
Travancore in early 1880.
Thiruvananthapuram
–
Kowdiar Palace built in 1915 was the official residence of the
Travancore Royal Family.
33.
Kottayam
–
Kottayam is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala covering an area of 55.40 square kilometres. It is the capital of Kottayam district and is located in south-west Kerala with a town population of 129,894. It is 157 km south of Kunnamkulam, the center of Kerala and is located almost 30 km west from the center of district, Kottayam was also known as ‘Cotym’ and ‘Cottayam’ during the British Raj. It was one of the centres of literature and hence was called Akshara Nagari or Land of Letters. Many of the first Malayalam dailies like Deepika, Malayala Manorama, Kottayam town is also known as Chuvarchithra Nagari. The Headquarters of the Indian Orthodox Church is the Catholicate Palace located at Devalokam, Kottayam and it is the official headquarters of the Malankara Metropolitan and the Catholicos Of The East who reigns on the Supreme Throne of St. Thomas the Apostle. Kottayam district gets its name from the town of Kottayam, which serves as the headquarters of the district, the royal house of the Thekkumkoor ruler were protected by a fort called Thaliyilkotta. It is believed that the name Kottayam is derived from a combination of the Malayalam words kotta which means fort and it can be translated as the interior of the fort. From the beginning of the ninth century AD, the history of Thekkumkoor, Kottayam then was a part of Vempolinad, an area in the Kulashekara Empire. By about 1100 AD, the Kingdom of Vempolinad had split into the Kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur, after their separation, Thekkumkur became an independent kingdom, while Vedakkumkur became a vassal of Cochin. The royal house originally situated in Vennimala in Kottayam and it was protected by a fort known as Thaliyilkotta and as a result the locality came to be known in the same name as the fort. On a later stage, Thekkumkoor kings shifted their headquarters to Nattassery near Kumaranallore at the outskirts of Kottayam town and it is also believed that the Thekkumkoor family ruled Kottayam from Thazhathangadi. Later, the Portuguese and the Dutch established trade relations with both kingdoms, dealing in black pepper and other spices. After the subjugation of the Dutch by Travancore in 1742, military operations of Marthanda Varma progressed against the neighbouring kingdoms including Thekkumkoor. Though Thekkumkoor allied with Chempakassery and Vadakkumkoor to protect the kingdom, another source sates that the ruler of Thekkumkur had sided first with the Kingdom of Kayamkulam and then with the principality of Ambalapuzha against Travancore under Marthanda Varma. During British rule in India, Kottayam remained a part of the Princely State of Travancore, there existed no institution in the princely state of Travancore before the 1800s. The Church Missionary Society of England established the CMS College the first college in India, the Malayali Memorial agitation may be said to have had its origin in Kottayam. The Malayali Memorial sought to secure representation for educated Travancoreans in the Travancore civil service against persons from outside
Kottayam
–
clockwise from top: Seemati Roundabout, War Memorial Kottayam, Municipal Jubilee Park and Central Junction
Kottayam
–
Purple Swamphen (
Porphyrio porphyrio) photographed in Vembanad Lake, Kottayam
Kottayam
–
Early morning in Kottayam
Kottayam
–
Autorickshaw in a road in Kottayam. They are a major form of hired transport as in the rest of India. Another form of transportation in Kerala is motorcycle.
34.
Ernakulam
–
Ernakulam refers to the eastern, mainland portion of the city of Kochi in central 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. The Kerala High Court, the Office of the Corporation of Cochin, the Ernakulam Junction or South station, Ernakulam Town or North Station and Ernakulam Terminus railway stations of the Indian Railways lies in Ernakulam. Initially, Ernakulam was the headquarters of the Ernakulam District but was shifted to Kakkanad. Ernakulam was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin and it is located 220 kilometres towards north-west of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city has served as an incubator for many Malayali entrepreneurs and is a financial and commercial hub of Kerala. Starting from the Stone Age, Ernakulam has been the site of human settlement, monolithic monuments like Dolmens and rock-cut caves can be seen in many parts of Ernakulam. The region can claim to have played a significant part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala and the world in the ancient and medieval period. The early political history of Ernakulam is interlinked with that of the Chera Dynasty of the Sangam age, after the Cheras, the place was later ruled by the Kingdom of Cochin. Ernakulam was the capital of the erstwhile Cochin State, in the first state census of 1911, the population of Ernakulam was 21,901,11,197 Hindus,9,357 Christians,935 Muslims, and 412 Jews. The City of Ernakulam is situated in Ernakulam District of Central Kerala in India, Ernakulam is located at 9. 98°N76. 28°E /9.98,76.28. It has an elevation of 4 m. Under the Köppen climate classification, City of Ernakulam features a Tropical monsoon climate, since the region lies in the south western coastal state of Kerala, the climate is tropical, with only minor differences in temperatures between day and night, as well as over the year. Summer lasts from March to May, and is followed by the South-west monsoon from June to September, october and November form the post monsoon or retreating monsoon season. Winter from December through February is slightly cooler, and windy, the City is drained in the monsoonal season by heavy showers. The average annual rainfall is 3000 mm, the South-west monsoon generally sets in during the last week of May. On an average, there are 124 rainy days in a year, the maximum average temperature of the City in the summer season is 33 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature recorded is 22.5 degrees Celsius. The winter season records an average of 29 degree Celsius
Ernakulam
–
High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam
Ernakulam
–
Ernakulam Town Hall
Ernakulam
–
Ernakulam skyline.
35.
Nagercoil
–
Nagercoil is a town in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu and a municipality and administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District. The city is situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula and it was briefly part of the erstwhile Travancore state, till almost a decade after Indias Independence from Britain in 1947. In 1956, it was merged with Tamil Nadu, in its earlier days, the town and its surroundings were known as Nanjilnadu. Nagercoil holds a number of institutions, hospitals, offices and industries. It is also the hub of industrial and commercial activity in the district, the minerals ilmenite and monazite are mined there. The land is surrounded by hills and lush paddy fields. It is also known for different varieties of bananas, Nagercoil is a land of great traditional and cultural significance. Nagercoil derives its name from an old temple called the Nagaraja Temple. It has been an important temple for Hindus, for centuries and is also a tourist attraction, according to certain accounts, it may once have been a Jain temple as icons of the Tirthankaras Mahavira and Parshvanatha are found on the pillars of the temple. Archaeological records also show Jain influences in ancient times, the modern history of the town is interwoven with the history of Travancore state. The modern town of Nagercoil grew around Kottar, now a locality within the municipal limits. The town came to prominence during and after the reign of Maharaja Marthanda Varma, the king of Travancore, although Travancore was considered by many to be a Hindu administration, the rulers generally showed religious tolerance, and were not hostile to European educators, missionaries and traders. The British in India considered Travancore a model native state, at the time, Travancore was the most socially developed, and one of the most economically developed, states under the British Raj. During the British Raj, Travancore was essentially a vassal-state to the British, at the time of Indias independence from Britain, the then Dewan of Travancore, Sir C. P. The late Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer is still held in esteem in Nagercoil, for the many developmental projects he undertook in the then South Travancore. This was enacted in the Indian States Reorganisation Act,1956, according to 2011 census, Nagercoil had a population of 224,849 with a sex-ratio of 1,050 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 20,241 were under the age of six, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 4. 19% and. 17% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 95. 35%, the city had a total of 59,997 households
Nagercoil
–
Political map of
South India, 210 B.C. Showing Nagercoil as Nanjil.
Nagercoil
–
A view of Padmanabhapuram Palace.
Nagercoil
–
Nagercoil with its Scenic Beauty is cradeled between the
Western Ghats
36.
Tirunelveli
–
Tirunelveli pronunciation ), also known as Nellai and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District. It is the sixth-largest municipal corporation in the state, Tirunelveli is located 700 km southwest of the state capital, Chennai and 58 km away from Thoothukudi. The city is located on the west bank of the Thamirabarani River, the Polygar War, involving Palaiyakkarars led by Veerapandiya Kattabomman and forces of the British East India Company, was waged on the citys outskirts from 1797 to 1801. Tirunelveli has a number of monuments, the Nellaiappar Temple being the most prominent. Industries in Tirunelveli include administrative services, agricultural trading, tourism, banking, agricultural machinery, Tirunelveli is administered by a municipal corporation, established in 1994 by the Municipal Corporation Act. The city covers an area of 169.9 km2, and had a population of 1,473,637 in 2011, Tirunelveli is well-connected by road and rail with the rest of Tamil Nadu. Tirunelveli was known in Sambandars seventh-century Saiva canonical work Tevaram as Thirunelveli, Nellaiappar temple inscriptions indicate that Shiva descended in the form of a hedge and roof to save the paddy crop of a devotee. In Hindu legend, the place was known as Venuvana due to the presence of bamboo in the temple under which the deity is believed to have appeared, the word Tirunelveli is derived from three Tamil words, thiru, nel and veli, meaning sacred paddy hedge. The history of Tirunelveli was researched by Robert Caldwell, a Christian missionary who visited the area, Tirunelveli was under the rule of Pandya kings as their secondary capital, Madurai was the empires primary capital. The Pandya dynasty in the dates to several centuries before the Christian era from inscriptions by Ashoka and mention in the Mahavamsa, the Brihat-Samhita. The province came under the rule of Cholas under Rajendra Chola I in 1064 CE, however, Tirunelveli remained under control of the Cholas until the early 13th century, when the second Pandyan empire was established with Madurai as its capital. The Nellaiappar temple was the shrine of the later Pandyas during the 13th and 14th centuries. After the death of Kulasekara Pandian, the region was occupied by Vijayangara rulers, the Maravars occupied the western foothills and the Telugas, and the Kannadigas settled in the black-soil-rich eastern portion. Tirunelveli was the capital of the Madurai Nayaks, under Viswanatha Nayak. Inscriptions from the Nellaiappar temple indicate generous contributions to the temple, Nayak rule ended in 1736, and the region was captured by Chanda Sahib, Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan during the mid-18th century. In 1743 Nizam-ul-mulk, lieutenant of the Deccan Plateau, displaced most of the Marathas from the region, the original power lay in the hands of the polygars, who were originally military chiefs of the Nayaks. The city was the commercial town during the Nawab and Nayak era
Tirunelveli
–
Sculpted pillar in Nellaiappar Temple (the largest temple in Tirunelveli)
Tirunelveli
–
The
Agasthiyamalai hills cut off Tirunelveli from the
southwest monsoon, creating a
rainshadow region.
Tirunelveli
–
Podhigai mountain's shadow falling on
Poovankurichi lake.
37.
Madurai
–
Madurai is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of Madurai District. Madurai is the third largest city by population in Tamil Nadu, located on the banks of River Vaigai, Madurai has been a major settlement for two millennia. Madurai was the longest continuous capital city until British rule in India, Madurai has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under Prime Minister Narendra Modis flagship Smart Cities Mission. Madurai is closely associated with the Tamil language, and the third Tamil Sangam, the recorded history of the city goes back to the 3rd century BCE, being mentioned by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to India, and Kautilya, a minister of the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya. Signs of human settlements and Roman trade links dating back to 300BC are evident from excavations by Archeological Survey of India in Manalur, the city has a number of historical monuments, with the Meenakshi Amman Temple and Tirumalai Nayak Palace being the most prominent. Madurai is an important industrial and educational hub in South Tamil Nadu, the city is home to various automobile, rubber, chemical and granite manufacturing industries. It has developed as a city for information technology. Madurai has important government educational institutes like the Madurai Medical College, Homeopathic Medical College, Madurai Law College, Agricultural College, Madurai city is administered by a municipal corporation established in 1971 as per the Municipal Corporation Act. Madurai is the corporation in Tamil Nadu next to Chennai corporation. The city covers an area of 147.97 km2 and had a population of 1,017,865 in 2011, the city is also the seat of a bench of the Madras High Court. The city is referred by various names including Madurai, Koodal, Malligai Maanagar, Naanmadakoodal, the word Madurai may be derived from Madhura arising out of the divine nectar showered on the city by the Hindu god Shiva from his matted hair. Another theory is that Madurai is the derivative of the word Marutham, a town in the neighbouring Dindigul district is called Vada Madurai and another in Sivagangai district is called Manamadurai. The different names by which the city has referred to historically are listed in the 7th-century poem Thiruvilayaadal puraanam written by Paranjothi Munivar. Koodal means an assembly or congregation of people, referring to the three Tamil Sangams held at Madurai. Naanmadakoodal, meaning the junction of four towers, refers to the four major temples for which Madurai was known for, tevaram, the 7th- or 8th-century Tamil compositions on Shiva by the three prominent Nayanars, namely Appar, Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar, address the city as Thirualavai. As per Iravatham Mahadevan, a 2nd-century BCE Tamil-Brahmi inscription refers to the city as matiray, Madurai has been inhabited since at least the 3rd century BCE. Megasthenes may have visited Madurai during the 3rd century BCE, with the city referred as Methora in his accounts
Madurai
–
Periyar Bus stand, Teppakulam Mariyamman tank, Madurai Corporation, River Vaigai, Thirumalai Nayak Palace,
Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai city,
Madurai
–
Hand coloured antique wood engraving drawn by W. Purser (1858) shows Madurai city as seen from the north bank of the
Vaigai river
Madurai
–
Coin of
Jalaluddin Ahsan Khan, first ruler of the
Sultanate of Madurai, 1335–1339 CE
Madurai
–
Map of Madurai showing center of the city and some important landmarks
38.
Punalur
–
Punalur ) is a city situated near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in the Kollam district of the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is situated on the banks of the Kallada River and derives its name from the Tamil words, punal, meaning water and ooru, meaning city, literally and it is about 45 kilometres north-east of Kollam and 75 kilometres north of Thiruvananthapuram. It is also known as the Gateway of Western Ghats, Punalur become an important trading and transport centre between Kollam and Sengottai under the rule of the Travancore Kingdom. Steady progress by the Punalur Panchayat administration saw an upgrade to municipality status in 1972, despite this elevation in status, Punalur still lacks the basic infrastructure to cope with an ever growing population and an influx of tourists and pilgrims. Oldest bridge in India is situated in Punalur and it is also the first motorable bridge in India, constructed in 1877. It is believed that Punalur derived its name from Punel - the Malayalam word for funnel, the other school of thought attributes the etymology to the word punal, and ooru, referring to the river passing through the town. Yet another suggestion is associated to Hindu epic, Ramayana, that the name originated from the pursuit of Khara for Rama, Khara on seeing the duo, removed his sword from sheath, first at a place now known as Karavaloor. But unable to attack there, followed and removed his sword again at Punalur. Punalur is a city on a path which had good relations with Tamil Nadu to the East from time unknown. Most parts of Punalur taluk were inhabited before the Indus Valley Civilization, human civilizations existed in Punalur during the Mesolithic period, mainly around Thenmalai. Punalur is described in inscriptions of Mithranandpuram and Vellayani, until 1734, Punalur was under the direct rule of the Ilaydathu Swaroopam. Later it was annexed by Marthanda Varma and came under the rule of Travancore, the British Raj established a good hold over this part of India due to its rich agricultural resources. Historically, Shenduruny has a rich heritage, a recent study conducted by Dr. P. It was proved that these belong to the Mesolithic period. This study brought out the fact that the Shenduruny River Valley Civilization was one of the oldest river valley civilizations in India and it dates to between 5210 and 4420 BC, making it older than the Indus Valley Civilization which is believed to have flourished from 4400 to 3700 BC. Cave paintings seen here are comparable to the Mesolithic paintings found in the caves of central India, the cave found here is large enough to hold at least twenty people at a time. According to Dr. Rajendran, the place seen below just in front of the cave once must have been a lake. Now the Shenduruny River has the reputation that it had nourished a civilization in the prehistoric past and this act of the local traders evoked the anger of the Captain and he sent his troops and killed many people
Punalur
–
View of Punalur Railway Station
Punalur
–
Punalur KsrtcBustand
Punalur
–
Thirteen- Arch Railway Bridge
39.
Paravur, Kollam
–
Paravur, or South Paravoor, is a town and a municipality in the Kollam district of the Indian state of Kerala. The lakes and sea coast of Paravur attract visitors and foreigners with the attraction the interconnection of Paravur Kayal. Paravur lies 21 kilometres from Kollam by road and can be reached within 15 minutes by train from Kollam Junction, Paravur Municipality consists of Kottapuram, Koonayil, Thekkumbhagam, Chillakkal, Perumpuzha, Nedungolam, Pozhikara, Maniyamkulam, Kurumandal, Kottamoola, Attinpuram & Kochalummoodu. Paravur Municipality is a Grade-II Municipality of Kerala, Paravur is located at 8.78 N76 E. It has an elevation of 10 metres. Paravur,21 kilometers from the Kollam, is a skirt of land stretching in between the backwaters and the sea. The famous Varkala beach is a mere 12 kilometres drive from here, there is an elevation of 6 metres above sea level, extending to 16 metres on the inland. As of 2011 India census, Paravur has a population of 43,739, males constitute 47% of the population and females 53%. Paravur has an literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59. 5%, male literacy is 81%. In Paravur, 10% of the population are under 6 years of age, total number of households are 9,155. Pozhikara was the headquarters of Paravur. Remnants of the old fort, Thaana and Anchalappees still remain, a mint of the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom for printing and punching their currencies was once situated at Paravur. Paravur panchayat was formed in 1936 as one of the four panchayats sanctioned by Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the others were Boothapandi, Nedumangadu, and Perumbavoor. The so formed Paravur panchayat included nine territories-Thekkumbhagam, Kottappuram, Kongal, Pozhikara, Kurumandal, Koonayil, Kalakkode, Bhoothakkulam, sree Ramavarma koyi thampuram from Kilimanoor Palace was the first executive officer of the panchayat. The first election for Paravur panchayat was held in 1942 and Sri Achuthan Pillai became the first elected panchayat president, later Paravur became a Municipality on May 1,1988. For the first seven years it was ruled by special officers, in 1995 after the first Municipal election, Smt. Bhanumati became the first Municipal Chairperson, in April 2016, over 100 people were killed in a fireworks explosion at a local temple in the town. There are so many important roads in Paravur, connecting Kollam city and neighbouring towns like Varkala, Chathannoor, Parippally, Poothakkulam
Paravur, Kollam
–
From top:
Paravur railway station,
Paravur Lake(Kaayal), Aayiravilli Temple Festival, Pulimuttu in
Paravur Pozhikara
Paravur, Kollam
–
Entrance of
Paravur railway station
Paravur, Kollam
–
Paravur Lake – An evening scene from
Paravur Thekkumbhagam
40.
Kottarakkara
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Kottarakkara, also transliterated as Kottarakara, is a town and municipality in Kollam District, in Kerala state, India. The town is close to Kollam Port, which has a history linked to the early medieval period as well as a reputation as an important commercial, industrial. Kottarakkara lies 27 kilometres to the east of Kollam city centre and 18 kilometres to the west of Punalur city on National Highway 208/220 and it lies 35 kilometres north-east of Paravur. Kottarakkara, also known in the ancient days of the kings as the Elayadathu Swarupam, was a principality ruled by a branch of the Travancore Royal Family, other historical places of interest include the Ganapathi Temple, Edakkidom Thettikkunil Maha Devi Temple and the more-than-700-year-old Mar Thomas Church. Kottarakkara, a word made up of the words Kottaram, meaning palace. The area which had several palaces was thus named Kottarakkara, Kottarakkara is a small principality close to Kollam. It is now a modern town with all essential facilities. As a taluk headquarters, it has six panchayats, NH208 meets the MC road at Kottarakkara. Kottarakkara is linked with Kollam, both by road and rail, at a distance of 27 km and it is 72 km to the north of Thiruvananthapuram and 80 km to the south of Kottayam. Kottarakara Assembly Constituency is part of the Mavelikkara, shiva in the form of a fierce hunter is deified here. Another shrine next to it is a Durga temple, where the deity installed is known as Pazenadu Bhagavathy, Devi The idol of was carved out from the root of the jack tree by Perumthachan. It is well connected to the city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram by KSRTC Fast Passenger, super fast, deluxe. There are six pairs of services now and heard that many more services would be inducted in this route since the Punalur-Schengotta ghat section has been closed for Broad Gauge conversion. Once the conversion is over, this serve as the shortest route from Kollam to Chennai. Further, a new line from Chengannur to Thiruvananthapuram via Kottarakkara, Kottarakkara will become a junction once the new line materializes. The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, a new green field airport has been proposed at Aranmula,45 kilometres from Kottarakkara. Salim Yusuf - Physician, world-renowned cardiologist and epidemiologist and he is one of the most cited scientists ever in the world. Bobby Kottarakkara, Malayalam actor K. B, Kollam District official website National Informatics Centre
Kottarakkara
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Kottarakkara Sree Mahaganapathi Kshethram
Kottarakkara
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A close-up of a Kathakali artist
Kottarakkara
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Kottarakkara Palace
Kottarakkara
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City Corporations
41.
Kayamkulam
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Kayamkulam is a town on the Arabian Sea in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, Indian state. Located on the western coast of India, it was an ancient maritime trading centre, one of the largest thermal power plants in Kerala, the Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant run by the NTPC, is situated in Kayamkulam. Many old cashew factories can also be seen in the locality, Kayamkulam is closely associated with the legend of Kayamkulam Kochunni. He was a highwayman, active in the area known as Central Thiruvithamkoor. He is said to have stolen from the rich and given to the poor, legends about his exploits are part of the local folklore. Kayamkulam was a feudal kingdom, known as odanadu, ruled by the Kayamkulam Rajas, with their royal palaces at Eruva. Maharajah Marthanda Varma conquered kayamkulam and annexed its territories to Travancore, the present day palace was built in its place by Marthanda Varma after he annexed Kayamkulam to Travancore. Kayamkulam, Mavelikkara and Karunagappally were previously known as Onattukara, Kayamkulam had slave markets in the 17th Century. The Krishnapuram Palace, built in the 18th century, now functions as a museum, constructed in typical Kerala-style architecture, it has the largest mural painting in Kerala. Also, this palace museum at Krishnapuram houses the famous Kayamkulam double-edged sword, cartoonist Sankar Memorial National Cartoon Museum and Art Gallery, is the first of its kind in the state and would be elevated to the ‘top cartoon study centre’ in the country. Kayamkulam Lake is a part of the Kerala backwaters tourist map, the Kayamkulam Boat Race is held on the fourth Saturday of August every year. The famous Chinese fishing nets can be found on the banks of the lagoon, Azhikkal Beach and Valiya Azhikkal beach have gained popularity as tourist locations. Kayamkulam is well connected by road and rail network, besides this, Alappuzha-Kollam boat service runs via Kayamkulam. NH47 passes through Kayamkulam, which connects it to the major cities Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kollam, Palakkad. The Kayamkulam-Punalur road is a road connecting it to the eastern parts of the State. The KSRTC Bus Station lies very near to the highway and is one of the biggest bus stations of KSRTC in terms of total area. All the KSRTC buses have halt at Kayamkulam Bus station, the new Railway Terminal Bus Stand near Kayamkulam Railway Station is an interlink between railway and road transport. 40 km from the Kollam, on National Highway 47,105 km from Trivandrum International Airport, on National Highway 47
Kayamkulam
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Krishnapuram Palace
Kayamkulam
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Kayamkulam Bus Stand
Kayamkulam
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Kayamkulam Railway Junction
42.
Karunagappalli
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Karunagappalli, also written as Karunagappally, is a municipality in Kollam district of Kerala, India. Karunagappalli is situated 27 km north of Kollam and 60 km south of Alappuzha, the Municipality is bound on the north by Kayamkulam, east by Kunnathur taluk, south by Kollam and on the west by the Arabian Sea. Sree Narayana Trophy boat race, a boat race is organised in the Kannety River, Karunagappally. The famous Chinese fishing nets can be found on the banks of the lagoon, the Amritapuri ashram is also situated in vallikavu, which is 8 km from karunagappally. Other tourist attractions are Alumkadavu Backwater, Oachira temple, Pandarathuruth Church, Sheik Masjid Mosque, Padanayarkulangara Mahadeva Temple, Thazhava, recently, Azheekal Beach is gaining popularity as a local tourist attraction. Karunagappally was an ancient budhhist site, there was a budha bhikshu named karinagan who lived in karunagappally. He later became known as pallikkal puthran hence the name karunagappally. lots of traces of ancient budhhist culture were excavated from various places in, a statue of karinagan was placed in front of mahadevar temple at the heart of the city. Now it has moved to krishnapuram palace. The 2011 India census puts the population of Karunagappalli Municipality is 25,336, as with the rest of the state the population of the municipality is a heterogeneous mix of Hindu, Muslim and Christian community. The high literacy of Kerala is reflected in Karunagappalli as well with 94. 23% of the classified as literate as against the national average of 74. 04%. Karungappalli used to be an agrarian economy until the late 19th century with coconut, banana, tapioca, with rapid urbanization and the consequent pressure on land the reliance on agriculture has dwindled. Several cottage and small industries have now come up in the area in making, engineering. Proximity to Kollam and the excellent road and rail infrastructure have helped in this transition, the area also receives substantial foreign remittances from the large number of people from here working in the Gulf countries. Fishing forms the source of livelihood for the coast dwellers. Karunagappalli is known for high background radiation from thorium-containing monazite sand, in some coastal panchayats, median outdoor radiation levels are more than 4 mGy/yr and, in certain locations on the coast, it is as high as 70 mGy/yr. Both road and rail transport are available, main road transport is provided by State owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and private transport bus operators. Karunagappally Bus Station is on National Highway 47, buses available from Karunagappally to Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kottayam, Kottarakkara, Kollam, Kodungallur, Guruvayur etc. Local services are available to various places in the district
Karunagappalli
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A view of Karunagappally Bus Stand
Karunagappalli
Karunagappalli
Karunagappalli
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Karunagappally കരുനാഗപ്പള്ളി Karunagappally
43.
Varkala
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Varkala is a coastal town and municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the town of Thiruvananthapuram. It is located 50 kilometres north-west of Thiruvananthapuram and 37 km south-west of Kollam, Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs, in 2015, Ministry of Mines, Government of India and Geological Survey of India have declared Varkala Cliff as a geo-heritage site. Varkala is also famous for the 2, 000-year-old Janardana Swami Temple which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine in India and is referred to as Dakshin Kashi. The temple is located close to the Papanasam beach, which is considered to have holy waters which wash away sins, the temple has an ancient bell removed from a shipwreck, donated by the captain of the Dutch vessel which sank near Varkala without causing any casualties. Another major landmark in Varkala is the Sivagiri Mutt, established by the social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, the hill-top mausoleum of Sree Narayana Guru is one of the most famous monuments in Kerala. It is believed that a Pandyan King was instructed by Lord Brahma to build a temple at this place to redeem him of his sins. But several other myths abound on the birth of Varkala, narada told the pilgrims to pray for their redemption at Papanasam, which literally means redemption from sins. Varkala is located at 8. 73°N76. 71°E /8.73,76.71, Warkalli formation along with Quilon formation represents sediments laid down in the Kerala basin that existed during the Mio-pliocene times. Thin seams of lignite in the shales of the Warkalli formation suggests good vegetation at the time of deposition of the clayey sediments, Varkala assembly constituency is part of Attingal, and current MP is Mr. Sampath. Current MLA of Varkala Municipality is Mr. Joy V. Varkala is a well-known tourist destination, the town has an average-rated water supply system, fire station, several post offices and a police station. The town has government-run medical facilities in addition to over 10 private hospitals, a government-run nature cure hospital is also near the Papanasam cliff. The District Ayurvedic Hospital is located in Varkala, Varkala is an important hub for neighbouring places Attingal, Kadakkavur, Chirayinkeezhu, Kallambalam, Paravur and Kilimanoor. In 2001, Varkala had a population of 42,273, males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Varkala has an literacy rate of 88%, with 92% of males. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age, according to the 2011 Census of India, The Varkala Municipality has population of 40,048 of which 18,312 are males while 21,736 are females. Population of Children with age of 0-6 is 4479 which is 11. 18% of total population of Varkala, in Varkala Municipality, Female Sex Ratio is of 1187 against state average of 1084
Varkala
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Traffic circle in Varkala
Varkala
Varkala
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Trains in
Varkala Sivagiri Railway station
Varkala
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Paragliding at
Varkala Beach
44.
Neyyattinkara
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Neyyattinkara in Thiruvananthapuram district is a municipal Town 20 km south of the kerala State capital Trivandrum on the National Highway 66 to Kanyakumari. The town spreads over an area of 16.21 km2 on the banks of the Neyyar River and is the headquarters of the Neyyattinkara taluk and it is a suburb of the extended metropolitan region of Thiruvananthapuram city. The name Neyyattinkara in Malayalam regional language means shore of Neyyar River and this river flows from Agasthyarkoodam, the highest peak in southern end of the Western Ghats. The town comes under the surveillance of Neyyattinkara Municipality and it is the town on the banks of Neyyar River. The rapidly growing Thiruvananthapuram city has almost reached its outskirts, the town is mostly residential, with lots of service sector establishments. There is 24 hours to and fro bus service in NH47 connecting Nagarcoil » Neyyattinkara » Trivandrum, further, there is to and fro rail service connecting Nagarcoil » Neyyattinkara » Trivandrum. Cave pictures, probably by Neolithic people, are found in Pandavanpara and this famous cave will come under Perumkadavila panchayath. The name of this portion of land, before Marthanda Varma became the ruler of Travancore, was Thenganad, Neyyattinkara is located at 8. 4°N77. 08°E /8.4,77.08. It has an elevation of 26 metres. The town is situated on the Neyyar River side, one of the rivers in Trivandrum district. The river flows to the part of the town. Water Supply for the town and the adjacent places is obtained from this river, topography of the town is rather uneven, with higher areas in the downtown. Nearby the town is the hillock Aruvippuram, the Western Ghats form a scenic backdrop to the town. The town is sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, the nearby sea shore is just 10 km. away in west, and seven kilometres to the east can take you to the mammoth hillocks of Western ghats. The geology is said to be typical of the Kerala soil - the Laterite, the town can still boast of a good green cover in residential and non-residential areas. The Neyyattinkara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple is situated in the centre of the town and is an important pilgrimage centre, the annual festival is an important attraction for people in the district. Besides the religious significance, the temple holds a place in Travancore history. Legend has it that the then Crown Prince Marthanda Marthanda Varma was redirected by a boy to a Jackfruit Tree near the Temple while he was being chased by his enemies
Neyyattinkara
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Unfinished Cave Temple in Vizhinjam [South-West side of NTA Town, constructed by the rulers of the Ay kingdom (857-885 AD)]
Neyyattinkara
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Sreekrishna Swami Temple, Neyyattinkara Town founded by Marthanda Varma in 1775
Neyyattinkara
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Christ Nagar in NTA Town (CSI Town Church, Neyyattinkara area)
45.
Kanyakumari
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Kanyakumari pronunciation, also known as Kanniyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin, is a town in Kanyakumari District in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The name comes from the Devi Kanya Kumari Temple in the region and it is the southernmost tip of peninsular India. Kanyakumari town is the tip of the Cardamom Hills, an extension of the Western Ghats range. The nearest town is Nagercoil, the headquarters of Kanyakumari District,22 km away. Kanyakumari has been a town since Sangam period and is a popular tourist destination, ptolemys geography describes commercial relations between western India and Alexandria, the chief eastern emporium of the Roman Empire. He identified Kanyakumari along with the Gulf of Mannar as a center for pearl fishery and he also identifies Korkai, a place to the east of Kanyakumari, as an emporium of pearl trade. Kanyakumari District consists of those known locally as Nanjil Nadu. The names of the villages of the such as Azhagiapaandipuram, Bhoothapandy. Nanjilnadu was under the rule of Pandiyas till the early 10th century, the Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks were under the rule of the Chera Dynasty. Veera Kerala Varma, one such chieftain, styled himself as Nanjil Kuravan, the annexation commenced by Veera Kerala Varma was to a large extent continued by his successors and completed by AD1115. For about four centuries, the Venad was ruled by powerful kings who were making incursions into the Pandian territories. As a result, Vijayanagar kings proceeded against Venad, in 1609 Kanyakumari fell into the hands of Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai. Consequent on this, there was no threat to Nanjilnadu until 1634. During the regime of Ravi Varma and Marthanda Varma, Venad was disturbed by the internal strife, sanda Sahib of Arcot took advantage of this situation and attacked Nanjilnadu. After Marthanda Varma, Venad had weak rulers and as a result there was frequent interference by the British whose control was established over Venad. From 1947 to 1956, it was under the rule of Maharaja of Travancore. During the period between 1956–1961, the system has fallen in line with that of other districts in Tamil Nadu. Kanyakumari has been a centre for art and religion for centuries
Kanyakumari
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Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
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Thiruvalluvar Statue at Night
Kanyakumari
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Gandhi Memorial Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari
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Thiruvalluvar Statue
46.
Kollam Junction
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Kollam Junction railway station is a junction station situated in the city of Kollam in Kerala, India. It is the second largest railway station in Kerala in terms of area and is one of the oldest railway stations in the state, indias second longest railway platform is situated at Kollam railway station. Kollam Junction lies on Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram trunk line and it is an A-class station operated by the Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways and comes under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division. The annual passenger revenue of Kollam railway station is ₹60.44 crore and 23,350 is the daily ridership through this station. Kollam was the city in Kerala to be connected to the nascent Indian Railway. The idea of a link from Tirunelveli to Kollam, then the trading capital of the Travancore Kingdom was first conceived in 1873. The line was sanctioned by the Madras Presidency in 1899 and a survey completed in 1900, the railway line was built jointly by South Indian railway, Travancore state and the Madras Presidency. Kollams railway station was built in 1904 by Sree Moolam Tirunal Rama Varma and it was the ruler’s desire to create a rail link between Kollam, the then commercial capital of his State and Madras. The meter gauge line from Kollam to Punalur was inaugurated on 1 June 1904, the Kollam-Sengottai railway line was inaugurated on 26 November 1904. The meter gauge line was extended to Chala at Trivandrum via Paravur and Varkala. The meter gauge line from Kollam was extended to Ernakulam via Kottayam on 6 January 1958. The meter gauge lines between Kollam and Ernakulam were converted to broad gauge in 1975 and inaugurated on 13 September 1976, the broad gauge conversion between the Punalur and Kollam sections was inaugurated on 12 May 2010. There was once a 2.4 kilometres meter gauge line connecting Quilon Junction, during the inauguration of the Kollam-Punalur meter gauge line in 1904, parts of locomotives which were to be used for Quilon-Schencottah line were shipped to Quilon Port from Tuticorin Port. They were assembled at the Ashramam Maidan, which was an open ground, the line was laid to carry these locomotives to the main station. The line was dismantled in 2000 to allow for town expansion, there are a total of 17 tracks in the Kollam railway station,2 lines are passing through the MEMU shed. The station has 6 platforms for handling long distance, passenger, the platform 1 is divided into two sections. Platform 1A handles the trains to Punalur-Sengottai line and platform 1 handles trains towards Trivandrum Central, the platform 1 and 1A together have a length of 1,180.5 m making them together the second longest railway platform in India. The station has a MEMU shed which is situated near to Platform 1A, an FCI godown owned and operated by Food Corporation of India is also situated near Kollam junction.68 crore, for Mainline Electric Multiple Unit rakes
Kollam Junction
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From Top: Entrance of Kollam Junction Railway Station, A
MEMU train at
Kollam railway station, Foot over bridge, Name board of the station,
Kollam MEMU Shed building
Kollam Junction
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Kollam railway station in 1905
Kollam Junction
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Railways in Kerala cities
Kollam Junction
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Main foot overbridge in Kollam Railway Station
47.
Kanyakumari railway station
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Kanniyakumari railway station is a railway terminus of the Indian Railways serving the coastal city of Kanyakumari in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a part of the Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone and its the southern most railway station in India. The Kanyakumari rail station is located in the heart of Kanniyakumari and is only 1 kilometre away from Kanniyakumari beach, several express trains connect Kanyakumari with the rest of India. Two longest trains operated by the Indian Railways — Dibrugarh–Kanyakumari Vivek Express 4,283 kilometres ) and it has daily trains to Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai as well as direct trains for Rameswaram, New Delhi, Howrah, Jammu, Dibrugarh etc. Kanniyakumari railway station at the India Rail Info
Kanyakumari railway station
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A platform of the station
48.
Paravur railway station
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Paravur railway station is a railway station in the Indian municipal town of Paravur in Kollam district, Kerala. Paravur Railway Station falls under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division of the Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways and it is a D-Class railway station coming under the Southern Railway Zone. Proximity of Paravur railway station to the core Paravur town and Paravur Municipal Bus Stand is making it as one of the important public transport hubs in the district, the Madras-Quilon line was extended to the capital of the Princely State of Travancore. Paravur Railway Station was opened on 4 January 1918 along with the inauguration of Quilon - Trivandrum Central Metre Gauge Line, during that time, Paravur was the most important railway station between Kollam and Trivandrum with maximum number of halts of trains. Important trains like Chennai Mail had halt at Paravur then, Paravur is a blessed land of estuary, backwaters and beaches. It is an tourism spot of Kerala. Estuaries in Paravur attracts a number of people. It is the railway station in the Chathannoor Constituency of Kollam District. Paravur railway station is declared as the station of ESIC Medical College. During 2012-2013, Southern Railway has given halt for 3 pairs of trains at Paravur railway station and that helped to give a 40% increase in revenue of the station. Express Trains Some of the trains having halt at the station. Passenger Trains Paravur Railway Station is an Adarsh Railway Station, however, stoppage of Ernad Express, Netravati Express, Amritha Express trains have been a long-standing demand of Paravur people. Two more Kollam-Kanyakumari MEMU services and a Punalur-Kanyakumari Passenger are expected to service soon with halts at Paravur. Paravur Kollam Junction Thiruvananthapuram railway division Karunagappalli railway station Annual passenger earnings details of stations in Kerala
Paravur railway station
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Entrance of the station
Paravur railway station
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Kollam -
Kanyakumari MEMU is arriving at
Paravur railway station
Paravur railway station
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Railway station building,
Paravur
Paravur railway station
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A view of Paravur railway station from the north side
