1.
Surf lifesaving
–
Surf lifesaving is a multifaceted movement that comprises key aspects of voluntary lifeguard services and competitive surf sport. Originating in early 20th century Australia, the movement has expanded globally to countries including New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa. Surf lifesavers in Australia are colloquially known as Clubbies, Surf lifesaving originated in Australia in 1907 in response to drownings at local beaches in Sydney. Such groups became necessary following the relaxing of laws prohibiting daylight bathing on Australian beaches, volunteer groups of men were trained in life saving methods and patrolled the beaches as lifesavers looking after public safety. The original surf life saving club is a matter of contention between the Bronte and Bondi beach clubs in Sydney, Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club claims to be the “First Surf Club in the World since 1903”. The Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club also claims to be the “world’s first life saving club”, according to current evidence, it may therefore be correct to say Bronte was the first real club, and Bondi was the first official club. Whatever the original club, it is certain that on October 10,1907 the Surf Bathing Association of NSW was founded – with 9 clubs, the first club outside of Sydney was Kiama Surf Bathers Club, founded in 1908. The first New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Clubs began in the years 1909-1910 leading of with, Castlecliff, Lyall Bay, New Brighton, within the next few years other clubs started forming around five regions, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne/Napier/New Plymouth and Wanganui. In the Northern Region, Piha Surf Life Saving Club was founded in 1934, soon after the New Zealand clubs were formed, rivalry began to take place which created the forming of competition between the clubs and regions. By early 1912 competitions were being organised by Wellingtons Maranui Club, the competitions consisted of a land drill and reel test. The first New Zealand National Champs where clubs were able to compete was held in 1922, the Surf Life Saving Great Britain organisation was formed in 1955. Volunteer clubs patrolled beaches at Bude and St Agnes in Cornwall and Brighton, their aim to protect, rescue, voluntary organisations exist in Germany, such as DLRG and Wasserwacht. Lifesavers are volunteers that typically patrol in groups under a captain for a given period of time on weekend. In order to be a surf lifesaver a person must hold a Bronze Medallion or a Surf Rescue Certificate, Life savers who are on patrol wear red and yellow cloth caps on the head. While not performing rescues they are required to wear long-sleeve yellow shirts. Support Operations Lifesavers are required to wear the appropriate functional attire and this includes wetsuits for RWC drivers, JRB/ORB crew and high visibility tabards for Duty Officers who liaise with other emergency services at major incidents. The crews of various Lifesaver helicopter services over the country wear appropriate aviation equipment, each surf life saving club also has a competition cap with distinct colours or patterns. These are worn during competition and for training on the beach, the patrolled area of the beach is marked out with flags and beachgoers are encouraged to swim between the flags
Surf lifesaving
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Surf Ski Carnival in Alexandra Heads.
Surf lifesaving
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1908 photograph of
Redhead Surf Lifesaving Club.
Surf lifesaving
–
Chariot race,
Piha Surf Club carnival, New Zealand c. 1938
Surf lifesaving
–
North Cronulla Beach Tower
2.
Kollam
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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.
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
4.
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.
5.
Kollam KSRTC Bus Station
–
Kollam KSRTC Bus Station is an important transport hub in the Indian city of Kollam owned and operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation under the depot code KLM. The bus station is located in Taluk Cutchery and is close to Kerala State Water Transport Departments Kollam City Water Transport terminal, long distance intrastate, inter-state and city buses run regularly from the bus station. Kollam KSRTC Bus Station is one among the major KSRTC depots in the state, because of the geographical position of Kollam, the depot is easily handling service through National Highways – NH66, NH183, NH744 of Kerala. Inter-state service towards Thoothukkudi, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi are also running from here, the depot is also serving as a hub for KURTCs A/C Volvo Kollam city bus services & Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram Intercity A/C Volvo Bus services. KSRTCs regular A/C Garuda, Super Deluxe, Super Express, Super Fast, Limited Stop, Fast Passenger, Ordinary, Kollam zone of KSRTC is the second most revenue generating zone in Kerala. Kollam Depot will soon become a part of KSRTCs real-time booking system, would be setting-up in the Kollam depot, along with Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode. KSRTC also have a plan to start an operating centre in the Andamukkam City Bus Stand situated at Downtown Kollam area, Kollam Andamukkam City Bus Stand Downtown Kollam Kollam Junction railway station Chinnakada
Kollam KSRTC Bus Station
–
A view of Kollam KSRTC Bus Station from
Asramam Link Road
Kollam KSRTC Bus Station
–
View of
Kollam KSRTC Bus Station from Adventure Park
Kollam KSRTC Bus Station
–
View of Kollam KSRTC Bus Station from
Asramam Link Road
6.
Bus
–
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry many passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers, many types of buses, such as city transit buses and inter-city coaches, charge a fare. Other types, such as elementary or secondary school buses or shuttle buses within a post-secondary education campus do not charge a fare, in many jurisdictions, bus drivers require a special licence above and beyond a regular drivers licence. Horse-drawn buses were used from the 1820s, followed by steam buses in the 1830s, the first internal combustion engine buses, or motor buses, were used in 1895. Recently, interest has been growing in hybrid electric buses, fuel cell buses, as of the 2010s, bus manufacturing is increasingly globalised, with the same designs appearing around the world. Bus is a form of the Latin word omnibus. The first horse-drawn omnibus service was started by a businessman named Stanislas Baudry in the French city of Nantes in 1823, Nantes citizens soon gave the nickname omnibus to the vehicle. The omnibus in Nantes was a success and Baudry moved to Paris, a similar service was introduced in London in 1829. The first mechanically propelled omnibus appeared on the streets of London on 22 April 1833, in parallel to the development of the bus was the invention of the electric trolleybus, typically fed through trolley poles by overhead wires. The Siemens brothers, William in England and Ernst Werner in Germany, sir William first proposed the idea in an article to the Journal of the Society of Arts in 1881 as an. arrangement by which an ordinary omnibus. The first such vehicle, the Electromote, was made by his brother Dr. Ernst Werner von Siemens and presented to the public in 1882 in Halensee, Germany. Although this experimental vehicle fulfilled all the criteria of a typical trolleybus. Max Schiemann opened a trolleybus in 1901 near Dresden, in Germany. Although this system operated only until 1904, Schiemann had developed what is now the standard trolleybus current collection system, in the early days, a few other methods of current collection were used. Leeds and Bradford became the first cities to put trolleybuses into service in Great Britain on 20 June 1911, in Siegerland, Germany, two passenger bus lines ran briefly, but unprofitably, in 1895 using a six-passenger motor carriage developed from the 1893 Benz Viktoria. Another commercial bus line using the same model Benz omnibuses ran for a time in 1898 in the rural area around Llandudno. Daimler also produced one of the earliest motor-bus models in 1898, the vehicle had a maximum speed of 18 kph and accommodated up to 20 passengers, in an enclosed area below and on an open-air platform above. With the success and popularity of bus, Daimler expanded production, selling more buses to companies in London and, in 1899, to Stockholm
Bus
–
An
Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double-decker bus, operating for
Arriva on
London Buses route 102
Bus
–
Volvo B10M articulated bus in
Chiba, Japan
Bus
–
A SWB6128V8LF bus in
Shanghai, China
Bus
–
A
Scania OmniCity bus belonging to
SL here seen on line 55 in
Stockholm,
Sweden
7.
Kollam Junction railway station
–
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
–
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
–
Kollam railway station in 1905
Kollam Junction railway station
–
Railways in Kerala cities
Kollam Junction railway station
–
Main foot overbridge in Kollam Railway Station
8.
Kollam KSWTD Ferry Terminal
–
Kollam KSWTD Boat Jetty or Kollam KSWTD Ferry Station is an transport hub in the city of Kollam in Kerala, India, one of 14 ferry stations owned by the Kerala State Water Transport Department. Kollam is one of the few cities in Kerala which is reachable by rail, the city of Kollam was the commercial capital of the princely state of Travancore. Kollam Port was founded by Mar Abo at Tangasseri in 825, the districts major waterways include Ashtamudi Lake, Paravur Kayal, Sasthamcotta Lake and the historic Kollam Canal. The ferry station is situated on the side of Asramam Link Road, Kollam has two gateways to the backwaters of Kerala. Kollam Junction railway station -2.2 km Kollam Port -2.0 km Kollam Beach -3.3 km The Kollam-Alappuzha route is the longest service operated by KSWTD within Kerala. The eight-hour-long journey passes through Ashtamudi Lake, Kayamkulam Lake and Vembanad Lake, the route also passes through the settlements in Amritapuri, Tharayilkadavu, Alumkadavu, Kovilthottam, Chavara, Pallikkodi & Kavanad. Kollam KSRTC Bus Station Kollam Junction railway station Andamukkam City Bus Stand Kollam Port Kerala State Water Transport Department Cutchery Asramam Link Road
Kollam KSWTD Ferry Terminal
–
Kollam KSWTD Ferry Terminal
Kollam KSWTD Ferry Terminal
–
Kollam Tourism Gateway near Kollam Ferry Terminal
9.
Ferry
–
A ferry is a merchant vessel used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate regular return services, a passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi. Ferries form a part of the transport systems of many waterside cities and islands. However, ship connections of much larger distances may also be called ferry services, the profession of the ferryman is embodied in Greek mythology in Charon, the boatman who transported souls across the River Styx to the Underworld. Speculation that a pair of oxen propelled a ship having a wheel can be found in 4th century Roman literature Anonymus De Rebus Bellicis. Though impractical, there is no reason why it could not work and such a ferry, see When Horses Walked on Water, Horse-Powered Ferries in Nineteenth-Century America. The Marine Services Company of Tanzania offers passenger and cargo services in three of the African Great Lakes viz, Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa. It also operates one of the oldest ferries in the region, Ferries from Great Britain also sail to Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Ireland. Some ferries carry mainly tourist traffic, but most also carry freight, in Britain, car-carrying ferries are sometimes referred to as RORO for the ease by which vehicles can board and leave. The busiest single ferry route is across the part of Øresund. Before the Øresund bridge was opened in July 2000, car and car & train ferries departed up to seven times every hour, in 2013, this has been reduced, but a car ferry still departs from each harbor every 15 minutes during daytime. The route is around 2.2 nautical miles and the crossing takes 22 minutes, today, all ferries on this route are constructed so that they do not need to turn around in the harbors. This also means that the ferries lack natural stems and sterns, due to the same circumstances, starboard and port-side are dynamic and depending of in what direction the ferry sails. Despite the short crossing, the ferries are equipped with restaurants, cafeteria, kiosks, large cruiseferries sail in the Baltic Sea between Finland, Åland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Saint Petersburg, Russia and from Italy to Sardinia, Corsica, Spain and Greece. In many ways, these ferries are like cruise ships, also many smaller ferries operate on domestic routes in Finland, Sweden and Estonia. The south-west and southern parts of the Baltic Sea has several routes mainly for heavy traffic, on the longer of these routes, simple cabins are available. In Istanbul, ferries connect the European and Asian shores of Bosphorus, as well as Princes Islands, in 2014 İDO transported 47 million passengers, the largest ferry system in the world. Due to the numbers of freshwater lakes and length of shoreline in Canada
Ferry
–
The
Staten Island Ferry in the United States shuttles
commuters between
Manhattan and
Staten Island in
New York City, the world's busiest ferry route.
Ferry
–
A typical car ferry in
Istanbul,
Turkey
Ferry
–
Passenger area of a Norwegian ferry
Ferry
–
MV Victoria (formerly
RMS Victoria) at Bukoba Port in Lake Victoria.
10.
Kollam Beach
–
Kollam Beach, also known as Mahatma Gandhi Beach, is a beach at Kollam city in the Indian state of Kerala. Kollam Beach is the first Beach Wedding Destination in Kerala, the beach also features a park of international standard, the Mahatma Gandhi Park, which was inaugurated on 1 January 1961 by the then Vice President of India, Zakir Hussain. Kollam beach is one among the few beaches in Kerala with a lifeguard outpost, lifeguards were stationed at the beach from 2005. As of July 2015 Kovalam, Varkala and Kollam are the beaches in south Kerala with lifeguard outposts. Kollam Port is one of the oldest and most important ports for the cashew trade on the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea. As of 2010, Kollam Port was the second largest port in Kerala after Cochin Port, Kollam was once a favourite settlement of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English in succession before Independence. The port is protected by the Tangasseri Breakwater, extending about 1.1 miles south-south east of Tangasseri Point, the exotic location and backwaters makes Kollam Beach one of Keralas most popular tourist attractions. On 22 June 2014, construction started on a marine aquarium at Kollam Beach. The Harbour Engineering Department is constructing the aquarium at the side of the beach on behalf of Kollam Municipal Corporation. The foundation stone for the project was laid in March and is expected to complete by December 2014 and it will be a single storey aquarium with 40 large tanks to hold a diverse collection of marine life and will be an added attraction for visitors to Kollam beach. The 144-foot Tangasseri lighthouse built in 1902 is a landmark at the beach. Ruins of Portuguese / Dutch forts and 18th-century churches near the port remain as a memento of the Portuguese, presidents Trophy Boat Race Kollam pooram Kovalam Paravur Thekkumbhagam Varkala
Kollam Beach
–
Kollam Beach,
Quilon
Kollam Beach
–
Mahatma Gandhi Park in Kollam Beach
Kollam Beach
–
Snap from Kollam Beach
Kollam Beach
–
View of Arabian Sea from Kollam Beach
11.
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).
12.
Kollam-Paravur Coastal Road
–
Kollam-Paravur Coastal Road is one of the important city roads currently under construction in Kollam city in Kerala, India. The 14.1 km long road starts at Chinnakada in the north and ends at Paravur town in the south, via Kollam Beach, Paapanasam Beach, Kakkathoppu, Mukkom, Thanni and Pozhikara. Coastal road is considered as one of the important roads in Kollam city as it is passing through the suburbs like Kochupilamoodu, Mundakkal, Valathungal and it is also known as Eravipuram-Paravur Coastal road. Kollam-Paravur Coastal road is the most scenic road in the state, 90% of this road is passing through the beautiful coastal areas of Kollam. In addition to that, the Harbour Engineering Department of Kerala is planning to make New port road towards Kollam Port as part of coastal road. So after completion, the road will serve as a bypass for Kollam city. The Harbour Engineering Department had completed the works in Pozhikara-Thanni stretch of coastal road. Bus services through coastal road, connecting Paravur with Kollam, has resumed on 8 July 2016. Roads in Kerala Kollam Kollam District Paravur
Kollam-Paravur Coastal Road
–
Kollam-Paravur Coastal Road
13.
Chinnakada
–
Chinnakada or Chinnakkada is considered as the heart of the city of Kollam, in the state of Kerala, India. Chinnakada is one of the junctions in the city where National Highways – NH66 meets NH744. The citys symbolic clock tower is located in Chinnakada, because of the presence of a huge traffic circle in the junction, it became as one of the busiest junctions in the city. To reduce the congestion in Chinnakada, Kollam Municipal Corporation now constructed a new underpass near to the clock tower. Marine Products Export Development Authoritys Kollam sub-regional office is situated at Chinnakada, the name Chinnakada may be derived from China-Kada, which means China bazaar. Another explanation is that due to the presence of a number of Tamil people in Kollam, they named the area Chinnakada. This derivation fits with the toponomy of Valiakada adjacent to Chinnakada, the presence of an existing Railway over bridge and three close intersections with heavy traffic limits the option for traffic management measures including junction improvement. That caused the authorities to think about this underpass at Chinnakada, Chinnakada is a complex junction where roads from Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Downtown, Sengottai, Ashramam, Kollam Beach and the City bus stand road meets. Preliminary design for underpass was prepared by NATPAC involving the acquisition of 0.08 hectares of government land on a temporary basis. Height of the passage above the underpass was increased to 5.5 metres from 5 metres to facilitate movement of modern container trucks through the underpass. Underpass has been open to the public by the end of May 2015. Kollam Kollam Junction railway station Kollam district Kollam Port Kollam Technopark Kollam Beach Kollam Pooram Andamukkam City Bus Stand Kadappakada Asramam Maidan
Chinnakada
–
A night view of Chinnakada
Chinnakada
–
Aerial view of Chinnakada in 2008
Chinnakada
–
Panorama of Chinnakada, the
CBD of
Kollam(Quilon) city in
India in September 2015
Chinnakada
–
Upcoming Pulimootil Silks building at Chinnakada,
Kollam
14.
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
15.
Hindu
–
Hindu refers to any person who regards themselves as culturally, ethnically, or religiously adhering to aspects of Hinduism. It has historically used as a geographical, cultural, or religious identifier for people indigenous to South Asia. The historical meaning of the term Hindu has evolved with time, by the 16th century, the term began to refer to residents of India who were not Turks or Muslims. The historical development of Hindu self-identity within the Indian population, in a religious or cultural sense, is unclear, competing theories state that Hindu identity developed in the British colonial era, or that it developed post-8th century CE after the Islamic invasion and medieval Hindu-Muslim wars. A sense of Hindu identity and the term Hindu appears in texts dated between the 13th and 18th century in Sanskrit and regional languages. The 14th- and 18th-century Indian poets such as Vidyapati, Kabir and Eknath used the phrase Hindu dharma, the Christian friar Sebastiao Manrique used the term Hindu in religious context in 1649. In the 18th century, the European merchants and colonists began to refer to the followers of Indian religions collectively as Hindus, in contrast to Mohamedans for Mughals, scholars state that the custom of distinguishing between Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs is a modern phenomenon. Hindoo is a spelling variant, whose use today may be considered derogatory. At more than 1.03 billion, Hindus are the third largest group after Christians. The vast majority of Hindus, approximately 966 million, live in India, according to Indias 2011 census. After India, the next 9 countries with the largest Hindu populations are, in decreasing order, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United States, Malaysia, United Kingdom and Myanmar. These together accounted for 99% of the worlds Hindu population, the word Hindu is derived from the Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit word Sindhu, which means a large body of water, covering river, ocean. It was used as the name of the Indus river and also referred to its tributaries, the Punjab region, called Sapta Sindhava in the Vedas, is called Hapta Hindu in Zend Avesta. The 6th-century BCE inscription of Darius I mentions the province of Hidush, the people of India were referred to as Hinduvān and hindavī was used as the adjective for Indian in the 8th century text Chachnama. The term Hindu in these ancient records is an ethno-geographical term, the Arabic equivalent Al-Hind likewise referred to the country of India. Among the earliest known records of Hindu with connotations of religion may be in the 7th-century CE Chinese text Record of the Western Regions by the Buddhist scholar Xuanzang, Xuanzang uses the transliterated term In-tu whose connotation overflows in the religious according to Arvind Sharma. The Hindu community occurs as the amorphous Other of the Muslim community in the court chronicles, wilfred Cantwell Smith notes that Hindu retained its geographical reference initially, Indian, indigenous, local, virtually native. Slowly, the Indian groups themselves started using the term, differentiating themselves, the poet Vidyapatis poem Kirtilata contrasts the cultures of Hindus and Turks in a city and concludes The Hindus and the Turks live close together, Each makes fun of the others religion
Hindu
–
A Hindu wedding ritual in India.
Hindu
–
Hindu culture in Bali,
Indonesia. The Krishna-Arjuna sculpture inspired by the
Bhagavad Gita in
Denpasar (top), and Hindu dancers in traditional dress.
Hindu
Hindu
–
Hindus at
Har Ki Pauri,
Haridwar near river
Ganges in
Uttarakhand state of India.
16.
Thirumullavaram Beach
–
Thirumullavaram Beach, is one of the popular twin beaches in the city of Kollam and a beautiful tourism destination in the state of Kerala. The beach is situated at Thirumullavaram, an important neighbourhood of Kollam city, the beach is very famous for conducting the Karkidaka Vavubali rituals. Thousands of devotees arrive on the beach to perform the Vavubali Tharpanam every year and it is one of the most attractive beaches located in South India. Thirumullavaram beach is one among the beautiful beaches in the Cashew Capital of the World. The beach is ideal for early morning walks The beach is ideal for swimming and sun bathing, the beach is connected with all the major roads around the state and it can be easily accessed to reach the place. The taste of local cuisine that is flavoured with coconut and spices like cardamom, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon. A water hillock named Njarazhcha Para which means Sunday Rock, is another allurement for the tourists visiting here, during low tides, this hillock can be seen clearly from the shore about one and a half km into the sea. The beach is situated at 6 km away from the heart of Kollam city and it is a beautiful picnic centre and has frequent bus connections to the city. Kollam KSRTC Bus station is situated at a distance of 5 from here, the nearest rail head is Kollam Junction railway station, which is 7 km away. The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport which is at a distance of 80 km
Thirumullavaram Beach
–
Thirumullavaram Beach തിരുമുല്ലവാരം ബീച്ച് Thirumullavaaram Beach
Thirumullavaram Beach
–
Panorama of Thirumullavaram beach, in September 2015
17.
Mar Sabor and Mar Proth
–
In 825 AD, the seaport of Quilon was part of the Venad Kingdom. The then ruling monarch, Iyyanadikal Thiruvadikal, welcomed the monks on their arrival and showered them with special privileges, maruvan Sapir Iso built the Nilalkkal ashram near St. Thomas Church in Chayal, he died and buried in Chayal ashram. The start of the Malayalam era, also referred to as Kollavarsham, is associated with Kollam, the era was started by these East Syrian Saints who settled in Korukeni Kollam, near to the present Kollam. The start of the ME has been dated to 825 AD and it also signified the independence of Malabar from the Cheraman Perumals. V. Nagam Aiya in his Travancore State Manual records that in 822 AD two Nestorian bishops Mar Sapor and Mar Peroz, settled in Quilon with their followers. Two years later the Malabar Era began and Quilon undoubtedly became the city of the Malabar region including Travancore. Tradition says that st. M. G. S and this was the period when the Cera-Pandya conflict was developing in the south. The foundation of Kollam in 825 A. D. must have coincided with victory of Chera in the Vel province. This incident reveals the practical wisdom of the rulers and throws light on the motivations of men who promoted ideas of religion. The Syrian Christian Monks who took advantage of the situation were equally clever, in the absence of materials for a detailed history, it is difficult to ascertain whether Mar Abo was a or missionary. Perhaps he was both at the time and there was no inherent contradiction between the two roles. ”This means that they did not remain as a separate group but rather they intermarried with the Hindus of Kerala. “The deity of the Tarsa Church was referred to the tevar. ”When they arrived on the Malabar Coast, Quilon, Angamaly, Kaduthuruthy and Cranganore had the largest population of Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala. Giovanni Empoli, who came to Quilon in 1503, estimated there were more than three thousand St. Thomas Christians in Quilon alone. Mar Sapor writes, the forgiving Miseha who saved me from persecution, though the Synod of Diamper in 1599 proclaimed Mar Sabor and Mar Proth heretics, the Christians of Malankara respected them. According to decisions of Synod of Diamper these saints of Malankara Nazranis were considered as schismatics, Mar Sabor gained the necessary rights from the local ruler of Kadamattom to build a church there. He established the church in the forest regions of Kadamattom in the 40th year of Kollam Era and he stayed there at first in a small home with a mother and a son. Afterwards he left for Thevalakara to visit an influential and reputed Nambuthiri family who were traditional ophthalmologists to the families in the adjoining area. This family is known as Thevalakara Vaidyan family and most of their members retain the surname Vaidyan
Mar Sabor and Mar Proth
–
Kottakkavu Sliva, the Persian cross founded by Mar Sabor and Mar Proth, is preserved at
Kottakkavu Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Pilgrim Center, North Paravur.
Mar Sabor and Mar Proth
–
Mar Sabor
Mar Sabor and Mar Proth
–
Tomb of Mar Sabor at Marth Mariam church,
Thevalakkara
18.
Chera dynasty
–
The Cheras were the principal ruling dynasty of the present-day state of Kerala and to a lesser extent, parts of Tamil Nadu in South India. Along with the Ay kingdom and the Ezhimala kingdom, they formed the kingdoms of Kerala in the early years of the Common Era. The origins of the dynasty are unclear and it is understood that they were speakers of Proto-Tamil-Malayalam while some being practitioners of literary writing in Old Tamil. In fact, most of their history is reconstructed from the body of known as the Sangam literature written in Old Tamil around the 3rd century CE. While Pliny and Ptolemy refer to the Cheras as Calobotras, the Periplus refers to them as the Keprobotras, the earliest Sanskrit works which refer to the Cheras and Kerala is probably the Aitreya Aranyaka. It refers to the land as Chera-pada - and as one of the three peoples who did not follow some ancient injunctions, there are also brief references by Katyanana, Edicts of Ashoka, Patanjali and Kautilya though Panini does not mention of the land. However, it is the Tamil works collectively known as the Sangam literature that form the most important sources for a detailed history of the Cheras. These works roughly span the period 100 CE to 300 CE, among them, the most important sources for the Cheras are the Pattittupattu, the Agananuru, the Purananuru and the Silappatikaram. The exact antiquity of the Chera dynasty is difficult to establish, however, based on the travellers accounts and the Sangam literature, it can be confirmed that they were already existing around the 4th century BCE. The Sangam literature describes a line of Chera rulers. It records the names of the kings, the princes, the internal chronology of this literature is still far from settled and a connected account of the history of the period is an area of research. Uthiyan Cheralathan, Nedum Cheralathan and Senguttuvan Chera are some of the referred to in the Sangam poems. Senguttuvan Chera, the most celebrated Chera king, is famous for the legends surrounding Kannagi, the exact location of the Chera capital has been subject to some speculation. The Chera capital has been called, Vanchi and Karur in several works and this has led to several theories identifying the Chera capital in places called Karur in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. However, it is clear that the capital was near the famous port known as Muziris. Pliny refers to Muziris as the Chera capital, while the author of the Periplus identifies the capital to be a couple of away from the mouth of the river at Muziris. Ptolemy who identifies the capital as Karoura gives a location that is very close to Muziris as well. The Cheras also seem to have battles with other neighbouring dynasties such as the Pallavas, the Rashtrakutas
Chera dynasty
–
Extent of Chera kingdom
Chera dynasty
–
Family tree of the kings of the Chera dynasty based on Sangam literature. The monarchs ruled in the first two centuries of the Common Era.
19.
Kollam Port
–
Kollam Port is one of Indias 20 major ports situated 4 kilometres from Downtown Kollam. It is the second largest port in Kerala by volume of cargo handled, located on the south west coast of India, under the name of Quilon Port it became one of the countrys most important trade hubs from the ninth to the seventeenth centuries. It was founded by Mar Abo at Thangasseri in 825 as an alternative to reopening the inland sea port near Backare, also known as Nelcynda and Tyndis to the Romans and Greeks and Thondi to the Tamils. V. Nagam Aiya in his Travancore State Manual records that in 822, the Chinese traders were one of the oldest foreign communities to settle in Kollam. That was the period when Kollam evolved as a trade center. In January 2014, the port trust discovered thousands of Chinese coins and stone age weapons at Kollam Port, revealing the historic background and this was the first discovery of such a quantity of artifacts at a port in India. Archaeologists believe that a city lies on the seabed of current Kollam Port. Today, ships frequently anchor at the port for shipping operations as well for urgent repairs when required, chief Minister Oommen Chandy launched the Coastal Shipping Project at Kollam Port on 9 November 2013 while passenger ships began operations in 2014. The first container ship, MV Suryamukhi arrived at Kollam port as part of the coastal shipping project on 18 January 2014, major shipping companies are now showing interest in the port to commence shipping operations. The companies have plans to choose the port as an intermediate base, at present, about four companies have assured their frequent presence at the port. Sooryamukhi, the ship of Kerala State Maritime Development Corporation has sailed to Mudra Port in Gujarat to load tiles. The Great Sea Shipping Company will also berth at the port soon, after modernization of the port, the first foreign ship anchored in the port on 4 April 2014. Now it is proven that huge ships can easily operate from Kollam Port. The tugs MT Chaliyar and MT Kerala along with a new German made Rs.12 crore crane are used for the operations in the port. The wharf at Kollam Port is 177 metres in length and 12 metres wide with a draught of 6.5 metres. The wharf is protected from the waves by a 2,100 metres seaboard breakwater, the length of the wharf will be increased to 200 metres in due course. In 2007, Kollam Port handled about 500,000 tonnes of cargo, several major modernization projects have been proposed for Kollam with Maladives port in order to transform it into the port city of Kerala. Projects already planned are some of the largest ever mooted for the state, a face lift of the Maruthadi-Iravipuram area will be carried out by the government as part of the Kollam Port City project and will include facilities for sports, fishing, tourism and entertainment
Kollam Port
–
Kollam Port as seen from
Thangassery
Kollam Port
–
Kollam in the 1500s
Kollam Port
–
A distant view of Kollam Port from
Thangassery harbour
Kollam Port
–
Kollam in the 1800s
20.
Tharisapalli plates
–
The inscription describes the gift of a plot of land to the Syrian Church at Tangasseri near Quilon, along with several rights and privileges to the Syrian Christians led by Mar Sapir Iso. The Tharisappalli copper plates are one of the important historical inscriptions of Kerala, the grant was made in the presence of important officers of the state and the representatives of trade corporations or merchant guilds. It also throws light on the system of taxation that prevailed in early Venad, as several taxes such as a tax, sales tax. It also testifies to the policy of religious toleration followed by the rulers of ancient Kerala. There are two sets of plates as part of document, and both are incomplete. The first set documents the land while the details the attached conditions. The signatories signed the document in the Hebrew, Pahlavi, the Tharisappalli copper plates are kept at Poolatheen Aramana of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church K. Sivasankaran Nair, Venadinte Parinamam, D C Books,2005
Tharisapalli plates
–
References [edit]
21.
Travancore
–
The Kingdom of Travancore (/ˈtrævəŋkɔər/, Malayalam, തിരുവിതാംകൂർ Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, the official flag of the state was red with a dextrally-coiled silver conch shell at its center. In the early 19th century, the became a princely state of the British Empire. When the region was part of the Chera empire, it was known as Thiruvazhumkode. It was contracted to Thiruvankode, and anglicised by the English to Travancore. In course of time, the Ay kingdom, part of the Chera empire, which ruled the Thiruvazhumkode area, became independent, the Aayis controlled the land from present day Kollam district in the north, through Thiruvananthapuram district, all in Kerala, to the Kanyakumari district. There were two capitals, the one at Kollam and a subsidiary one at Thrippapur. The kingdom was also called Venad. Kings of Venad had, at times, travelled from Kollam and built residential palaces in Thiruvithamcode. By the time of King Marthanda Varma, the half of the kingdom had become dominant. During his reign, it absorbed the north and Thiruvithamcode or Travancore became the official name, Travancore was located at the extreme southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, Travancore was divided into three distinct regions, the eastern highlands, the central midlands, and the western lowlands. Venad was a state at the tip of the Indian Subcontinent. Till the end of the 11th century AD, it was a principality in the Ay Kingdom. The Ays were the earliest ruling dynasty in southern Kerala, who, at their zenith and their capital during the first Sangam age was in Aykudi and later, towards the end of the 8th century AD, was at Quilon. Though a series of attacks by the resurgent Pandyas between the 7th and 8th centuries caused the decline of the Ays, the dynasty was powerful till the beginning of the 10th century, when the Ay power diminished, Venad became the southernmost principality of the Second Chera Kingdom. An invasion of the Cholas into Venad caused the destruction of Kollam in 1096, however, the Chera capital, Mahodayapuram, also fell in the subsequent Chola attack, which compelled the Chera king, Rama varma Kulasekara, to shift his capital to Kollam. Thus the end of the Second Chera dynasty in the 12th century marks the independence of Venad, the history of Travancore began with Marthanda Varma, who inherited the kingdom of Venad, and expanded it into Travancore during his reign
Travancore
Travancore
–
Flag
Travancore
–
Map of Travancore in 1871
Travancore
–
Canal scene, Travancore
22.
Cantonment Maidan
–
Cantonment Maidan or Peeranki Maidan or Peeringee Maidan is a historical ground, closely associated with the social and political history of Kerala. It is situated at the portion of Old Quilon town. It hosts the exhibitions, party meetings and citys main cultural. Cantonment Maidan is situated at the east of old Quilon city, two hundred years back, the maidan extended over a sizeable area of East Kollam. There were no railway connectivity in South Kerala then, in 1809, the local militia and the Army of Travancore stationed around Kollam attacked the British Garrison at the Cantonment Maidan on the heels of Velu Thampi Dalawa. The British force led by Col. Chalmers proved victorious in six hours lasted war. All the insurrectionist who participated in the war were court-martialled and got hanged at the maidan, apart from this, Cantonment Maidan has been the venue for many significant events. A compromise meeting was held here in 1915 as part of Pulayar-Nair Revolt at Perinad, also called the Kallumala Agitation, a statue of Ayankali can be seen at the maidan. Mahatma Gandhi addressed the people here On October 11,1927, historic Chingam 17 Struggle happened at Cantonment Maidan on September 2,1938 in which six people were killed in firing by the British police. As per the History of Modern Kollam penned by journalist late V. Lakshmanan, the four identified among them were Asramam Lakshmanan, Ayathil Balakrishna Pillai, Kolloorvila Moideenkunju, and Kureepuzha Kochukunju. Thousands marched from Polayathode to Chinnakkada led by state leaders, including Kumbalathu Sankupillai. Police arrested the speakers and opened fire at the gathering, British Police used to exhibit five cannons at the adjacent park accounts for the name Peeringee Maidan, by which name this ground was earlier called. These cannons were used for firing at the patriots of the land is now kept at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police Museum in Kollam city. The present Armed Reserve Camp is situated at the old Cantonment ground, Kollam Asramam Maidan Polayathode Chinnakada Sree Narayana College, Kollam
Cantonment Maidan
–
An Exhibition going on at Cantonment Maidan
23.
Tangasseri
–
Tangasseri or Thangassery is a heavily populated beach area on the shores of the Arabian Sea in Kollam city, Kerala, India. Tangasseri is located about 5 kilometres from the city centre and 71 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, archaeologists recently discovered Chinese coins and other artefacts along the coast, which reveal the historic background of the location. Kollam Port makes Tangasseri an important place on the world maritime map, in 1502, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a trading centre in Tangasseri and the area soon became a major centre for the pepper trade. In the wars with the Moors and Arabs that followed, the ancient church of St Thomas was destroyed, tangasseris St Thomas Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1517, was destroyed in the subsequent wars with the Dutch. In 1661, the Dutch took possession of the city, the remains of both the Dutch and Portuguese forts can still be seen in Tangasseri. In the 18th century, the kingdom of Travancore first conquered Kollam, Tangasseri remains an Anglo-Indian settlement in character, though there are few Anglo-Indians in the population. The Infant Jesus Church in Tangasseri, an old Portuguese-built church, the old cathedral was demolished and replaced by a new cathedral at a cost of around ₹4.5 crore, it was consecrated and blessed on 3 December 2005. The metallic cross on the top is one of the largest crosses in India, Tangasseri is a picturesque seaside village with a three kilometre long beach on which stands a 144 feet tall lighthouse—a silent sentinel warning seamen since 1902 of the treacherous reefs. There are also ruins of Portuguese and Dutch forts and 18th century churches, the fishery harbour at Tangasseri is a basin for traditional fishermen, achieved by the construction of two breakwaters. The length of the breakwater is 2100 m and of the leeward breakwater 550 m. This provides sufficient beach length for landing facilities for all operational craft, Tangasseri is home to Keralas oldest schools, Mount Carmel Convent Anglo-Indian Girls High School and Infant Jesus School Kollam. Official website A brief history of Tangaserri
Tangasseri
–
Tangasseri Gate
Tangasseri
–
Tangasseri beach lighthouse
Tangasseri
–
Fishing activities at Thangassery
24.
Portuguese Empire
–
The Portuguese Empire, also known as the Portuguese Overseas, was one of the largest and longest-lived empires in world history and the first colonial empire. It existed for almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the grant of sovereignty to East Timor in 2002, the first era of the Portuguese empire originated at the beginning of the Age of Discovery. Initiated by the Kingdom of Portugal, it would eventually expand across the globe, in 1488, Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and in 1498, Vasco da Gama reached India. In 1500, either by an accidental landfall or by the secret design. Over the following decades, Portuguese sailors continued to explore the coasts and islands of East Asia, establishing forts, by 1571, a string of naval outposts connected Lisbon to Nagasaki along the coasts of Africa, the Middle East, India and South Asia. This commercial network and the trade had a substantial positive impact on Portuguese economic growth. Though the realms continued to be administered separately, the Council of Portugal ruled the country and its empire from Madrid. As the King of Spain was also King of Portugal, Portuguese colonies became the subject of attacks by three rival European powers hostile to Spain, the Dutch Republic, England, and France. With its smaller population, Portugal was unable to defend its overstretched network of trading posts. Eventually, Brazil became the most valuable colony of the era until, as part of the wave of independence movements that swept the Americas during the early 19th century. The third era represents the stage of Portuguese colonialism after the decolonization of the Americas of the 1820s. The colonial possessions had been reduced to the African coastline, Portuguese Timor, the disastrous 1890 British Ultimatum led to the contraction of Portuguese ambitions in Africa. Macau was returned to China in 1999, the origin of the Kingdom of Portugal lay in the reconquista, the gradual reconquest of the Iberian peninsula from the Moors. There were several motives for their first attack, on the Marinid Sultanate. In 1415 an attack was made on Ceuta, a strategically located North African Muslim enclave along the Mediterranean Sea, although Ceuta proved to be a disappointment for the Portuguese, the decision was taken to hold it while exploring along the Atlantic African coast. At the time, Europeans did not know what lay beyond Cape Bojador on the African coast, under his sponsorship, soon the Atlantic islands of Madeira and Azores were reached and started to be settled producing wheat to export to Portugal. Fears of what lay beyond Cape Bojador, and whether it was possible to return once it was passed, were assuaged in 1434 when it was rounded by one of Infante Henrys captains, Gil Eanes. Once this psychological barrier had been crossed, it became easier to further along the coast
Portuguese Empire
–
The
Conquest of Ceuta, in 1415, was led by
Henry the Navigator, and initiated the Portuguese Empire.
Portuguese Empire
–
Map of Western Africa by Lázaro Luis (1563). The large castle in West Africa represents the
São Jorge da Mina (Elmina castle).
Portuguese Empire
–
Vasco da Gama 's departure to
India, in 1497
25.
Dutch Malabar
–
Dutch presence in the region started with the capture of Portuguese Quilon, and ended with the occupation of Malabar by the British in 1795. They possessed military outposts in 11 locations, Alleppey, Ayacotta, Chendamangalam, Pappinivattom, Ponnani, Pallipuram, Cranganore, Chetwai, Cannanore, Cochin, and Quilon. The Dutch virtually ruled Malabar for a period of over 130 years, the Kingdom of Cochin was under the complete influence of the Dutch and the king was a mere puppet of the Dutch East India Company. They enlarged the Royal Palace built by the Portuguese at Mattancheri for the King of Cochin, in 1744, an impressive country house, later called Bolgatty Palace, was erected on Bolghatty Island for the Dutch Governors. The Dutch contributed a work called Hortus Indicus Malabaricus on the medicinal properties of Malabar plants. In Cochin, the Dutch established an orphanage for poor European children, although also motivated by the lucrative pepper trade on Malabar, the primary aim for the Dutch in capturing the coast from the Portuguese was to secure Dutch Ceylon from Portuguese invasions. After failed attempts to capture the main Portuguese fort of Goa in 1604 and 1639, in 1650s the Dutch possessed only the unfortified factories at Kayamkulam and Cannanore. They took Quilon on 29 December 1658, but it was reconquered by the Portuguese on 14 April 1659. It was agreed that Calicut, the most powerful ruler in Malabar, according to the treaty between the two parties, Fort Cranganore was to be made over to Calicut after its successful capture. Van der Meyden dispersed a Nair detachment sent to stop his advance on the way, the Portuguese made no attempt to resist and fled by the backwaters. On March 21, Rijckloff Van Goens signed a treaty with the chief of Paliyam on a ship anchored off the coast. Dutch forces soon landed and attacked the palace of the queen at Mattanceri, subsequently, the queen was taken as a prisoner. Later in December 1661, Portuguese Quilon was captured by a Dutch expedition under Rijckloff Van Goens and this is often regarded as the beginning of the Dutch presence in Malabar. On January 3,1662 Van Goens was joined by the Calicut army in a siege of Fort Cranganore in the tropical heat, after a fortnight, the fort surrendered, and the Dutch demolished the structure with the exception of the bastion, where they stationed a garrison. A new treaty was now signed between Calicut and Van der Meyden, Calicut agreed to cede Fort Cranganore and Vypin to the Dutch after the capture of the Portuguese fort at Cochin. The allies moved towards Cochin and marched upon the palace of the Raja on 5 February 1662, the raja was killed in the subsequent battle along with two of his juniors. The Dutch installed another prince on the throne and proceeded to besiege the Portuguese fort, Cochin and the chief of Paliyam provided supplies to the Dutch, who faced heroic Portuguese resistance during the prolonged siege. The Native rulers of Porca and Cembakasseri kept the besieged supplied with provisions, though disrupted by monsoon rains and the deaths of the ruler of Calicut and important Dutch officers, the garrison finally capitulated on January 8,1663
Dutch Malabar
–
Quilon rulers submit to the Dutch at Quilon
Dutch Malabar
–
Flag
Dutch Malabar
–
The battle between the Dutch and the Portuguese in December 1661
Dutch Malabar
–
Capture of
Cochin in 1663.
26.
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
–
The 4th Portuguese India Armada was assembled in 1502 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of D. Vasco da Gama. It was Gamas second trip to India, along the way, in East Africa, the 4th Armada established a Portuguese factory in Mozambique, made contact and opened trade with the gold entrepot of Sofala and extorted tribute from Kilwa. Once in India, the set about attacking Calicut shipping and disrupting trade along much of the Malabar Coast. But the ruling Zamorin of Calicut refused to accede to Portuguese demands, the 4th Armada left without bringing the Zamorin to terms and leaving matters unresolved. Before departing, the established a crown factory in Cannanore and left behind a small patrol under Vicente Sodré. The Second India Armada, commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral, had arrived in Portugal in the summer of 1501 in a terrible shape, ship and human losses were tremendous, its mission objectives failed. By the time this news was received, the 3rd India Armada under João da Nova had already departed, a commercial expedition unequipped to deal with the hostile turn of events in the Indian Ocean. As a result, King Manuel I of Portugal ordered a new fleet to be assembled, the command of the 4th Armada was offered to Pedro Álvares Cabral. But various factions in the Portuguese court and the Casa da India, opposed Cabrals appointment, however, Cabral had his own political supporters that could not be ignored. Finding this condition an unacceptable affront, Cabral withdrew his name in a huff, Manuel I immediately appointed Vasco da Gama himself as captain-major. The intrigues behind the appointment have been variously told, by some accounts, the initial offer to Cabral was a pro forma gesture to palliate his faction rather than an earnest offer. In other words, the never had any intention of letting Cabral lead the expedition. But that he had made a promise to Cabral and could not break it, on this hint, Gama produced a royal letter, promising Gama a determining role in any future India expedition, and demanded command of the expedition for himself. The king was caught between two commitments - honoring the letter to Gama, or his appointment to Cabral, hearing of the kings quandary, Cabral voluntarily withdrew his name to graciously allow Manuel I to honor his letter. But some later authors have interpreted the accounts differently, that King Manuel I was wholly behind Cabral, the vintena would continue until 1522. The 4th Armada was composed of 20 ships and between 800 and 1800 men, the Armada was originally envisaged as two squadrons -15 ships under the admiral to head to India,5 under the vice-admiral designated to patrol the mouth of the Red Sea. The exact composition of the three squadrons differs in the various accounts, the following list of ships should not be regarded as authoritative, but a tentative list compiled from various conflicting accounts. The list of names is from Gaspar Correias Lendas da Índia
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
–
The 4th India Armada (1502) From Memorias das Armadas
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
–
Vasco da Gama
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
4th Portuguese India Armada (Gama, 1502)
–
4th Armada of 1502 (from Livro de Lisuarte de Abreu)
27.
St Thomas Fort, Tangasseri
–
St. Thomas Fort also known as Tangasseri Fort, is a ruined fort located in the beach town of Tangasseri on the shores of the Arabian Sea in the city of Kollam, Kerala, India. It is located around 5 kilometres from the city center of Kollam and 71 kilometres from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Tangasseri was associated with the Chinese trade from the first millennium AD and later colonised by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British to become the gold village. According to Historians, Captain Rodriguez came to Quilon and was appointed as the captain of the factory and trade, St. Thomas Fort was built by the Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque for the protection of the newly developed trade. In 1505 the Portuguese established a port here, and in 1518 established its sovereignty through the construction of Fort St. Thomas. Later in 1661 the town and the fort were handed over to the Dutch who made it the capital of Dutch Malabar, the Dutch occupied the fort for several years. In 1795, the British East India Company took possession of the fort, in 1823 Fort St. Thomas accepted a lease by Travancore from the British Government for a period of twenty years. Fort St. Thomas was originally around 20 feet tall, today, the remains of the fort, popularly known as Tangasseri fort remain facing the beach. The government of India has taken over the fort and it is being considered an historical landmark, restoration of the fort is ongoing. At present, the fort is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India, mining rampant at Tangasseri fort Tangaserri a brief history
St Thomas Fort, Tangasseri
–
Front View of St Thomas Fort
St Thomas Fort, Tangasseri
–
Sketch of the Thangaserri, 1505. The fort can be seen close to the shore.
St Thomas Fort, Tangasseri
–
Old - St.Thomas Fort - Front-view
28.
Kollam Cantonment
–
Kollam Cantonment is a residential neighbourhood in the city of Kollam. It arose as a cantonment of the British Raj in the 17th century and it is now a thickly populated area of the city of Kollam. Some of the important business centres, shopping complexes and Government offices are located here, Kollam Junction railway station is also located near to cantonment area. City of Kollam was a trade hub in British India. Kollam Port was a flourishing and favorite port of Phoenicians, Arabs, old Quilon city was conquered by Portuguese, Dutch and British people during 16th to 18th centuries. The garrison was situated at the Cantonment Maidan during those days
Kollam Cantonment
–
Bhima Jewellers situated at Kollam Cantonment area
29.
Christianity in India
–
Christianity is Indias third-largest religion according to the census of 2011, with approximately 27.8 million followers, constituting 2.3 percent of Indias population. Old legends say that Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, Christians are found all across India and in all walks of life, with major populations in parts of South India, the Konkan Coast, and Northeast India. Indian Christians have contributed significantly to and are represented in various spheres of national life. They include former and current chief ministers, governors and chief election commissioners, Indian Christians have the highest ratio of women to men among the various religious communities in India. Christianity in India has different denominations, the state of Kerala is home to the Saint Thomas Christian community, an ancient body of Christians, who are now divided into several different churches and traditions. They are Eastern Syrian Saint Thomas Christian churches, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, the Christian Church runs thousands of educational institutions and hospitals which have contributed significantly to the development of the nation. Roman Catholicism was first introduced to India by Portuguese, Italian, most Christian schools, hospitals, primary care centres originated through the Roman Catholic missions brought by the trade of these countries. Evangelical Protestantism was later spread to India by the efforts of British, American, German, even though Christians are a significant minority, they form a major religious group in three states of India - Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland. Other states with historic Christian population like Goa and Kerala, there the number, still Christianity is widespread across India and is present in all states. Two ancient testimonies exist about the mission of Saint Bartholomew in India and these are of Eusebius of Caesarea and of Saint Jerome. Both these refer to this tradition while speaking of the visit of Pantaenus to India in the 2nd century. Many of these Jews presumably spoke Aramaic like St. Thomas, also a Jew by birth and this is a plausible reference to the earliest Indian churches which are known to have used the Syriac New Testament. Pantaenus evidence thus indicates that Syriac-speaking Christians had already evangelised parts of India by the late 2nd century. An early 3rd-century Syriac work known as the Acts of Thomas connects the tradition of the apostle Thomas Indian ministry with two kings, one in the north and the other in the south, the year of his arrival is widely disputed due to lack of credible records. The apostles ministry resulted in many conversions throughout this northern kingdom, including the king. The Acts of Thomas identifies his second mission in India with a kingdom ruled by King Mahadwa and he reputedly preached to all classes of people and had about seventeen thousand converts, including members of the four principal castes. According to legend, St. Thomas attained martyrdom at St. Thomas Mount in Chennai and is buried on the site of San Thome Cathedral and it is now declared an international St. Thomas pilgrim center. The colony of Syrian Christians established at Kodungallur may be the first Christian community in South India for which there is a written record
Christianity in India
–
A
Peutinger Table 's depiction of
Muziris near the tip of India where
St. Thomas is believed to have landed in 52 A.D.
Christianity in India
–
Nasranis or Syrian Christians of Kerala in ancient days (from an old painting). Photo published in the Cochin Government Royal War Efforts Souvenir in 1938
Christianity in India
–
Marth Mariam Syrian Catholic Church (Syro-Malabar Rite) at
Arakuzha, Kerala is an ancient
Nasrani church established in 999
Christianity in India
–
The renovated Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Catholic Church,
Kodungaloor; the first Christian church in India, built 52 A. D.
30.
Christianity in Kerala
–
Christianity is the third-most practised religion in Kerala, accounting for 18% of the population according to the Indian census. Although a minority, the Christian population of Kerala is proportionally larger than that of India as a whole. A significant portion of the Indian Christian population resides in the state, other main places where churches were built are Angamaly, AD300 Ambhazhakkad and other parts of kerala. The medieval historian Pius Malekandathil believes these were adopted and privileges won during the beginning of the Brahmin dominance of medieval Kerala. Some writers believe that the original converts would have included the Jews already present in Kerala at that time, Church, Fort Kochi, built in 1503 C. E. is the oldest European church, declared as a National Monument in India. St. George Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Edathua, St. Antonys Latin Catholic Church, Kaloor, Kochi. St. Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Church Kattachira, Kayamkulam St. Josephs Latin Catholic Shrine, Kannamaly, Kochi Holy Cross chapel, Marth Mariam Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Arakuzha, estd. 999 Marth Mariam Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Kuravilangadu St. Marys Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Athirampuzha, benedict Vadakkekara, Origin of Christianity in India, Media House, Delhi,2007. ISBN 81-7495-258-6. Agur C. M. Church History of Travancore, Madras,1903 Reprint, Asian Educational Services, visvanathan Susan, The Christians of Kerala, Oxford University Press, Delhi1993,1999. George Menachery, The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, SARAS, George Menachery, Ollur, Vol. I1982, Vol. II1973, Vol. III2009. George Menachery, Ollur, Vol. I The Nazranies 1998, C. I. Issac, The Evolution of Christian Church in India, DK Printworld, New Delhi, ISBN 978-81-7255-056-1
Christianity in Kerala
–
Marth Mariam Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Arakuzha was founded in 999
31.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon
–
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon or Kollam is the first Catholic diocese in India in the state of Kerala. The diocese, which covers an area of 1,950 km². and it was first erected on 9 August 1329, and was re-erected on 1 September 1886. It belongs to the province of Trivandrum. As of 2013 the bishop was Stanley Roman, according to tradition, St. Thomas the Apostle established seven churches along the southern part of west coast of India, and Quilon is the second in the list of the above seven churches. John of Monte Corvino, a member of the Societas Peregrinantium Pro Christo on his way to China, landed in Quilon in 1291, the Venetian traveller Marco Polo who visited India in 1292 testified to the presence of a Christian community in Quilon. Since the latter half of the 13 th century, Quilon became the centre of missionary expeditions. Franciscan and Dominican Missionaries in the 13 th and 14 th centuries visited Quilon, by a separate bull, tah goes Venerabili Fratri Jordano, the same Pope, on 21 August 1329 appointed the French or Catalan Dominican friar Jordanus Catalani as the first Bishop of Quilon. The ancient diocese of Quilon had extensive jurisdiction over modern nations of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Jordanus Catalani arrived in Surat in 1320. After his ministry in Gujarat he reached Quilon in 1323 and he not only revived Christianity but also brought hundreds to the Christian fold. He might have come again to Quilon as the bishop in 1330 to build the church at Quilon, George happened to be the patron saint of the Catalans, besides being popular among other Christian communities on the Malabar coast. His book Mirabilia Descripta is a work on plants, animals and the people of India and of other countries in Asia. This book is considered to be a chronicle of its time written around 1327. The first Latin Bishop of Quilon was received with jubilation by the faithful of Quilon. He brought a message of good wishes from the Pope to the local rulers, as the first bishop in India, he was also entrusted with the duty of spiritual nourishment of the Christian community in Calicut, Mangalore, Thane and Baruch. In the year 1348 John De Marignoli, the Papal Legate to China on his way back to Rome sojourned here for 14 months, with the martyrdom of the first Latin Bishop, the See of Quilon remained vacant. There was a gap with regard to ecclesiastical administration in India till the Portuguese landed here in 1498 AD. It follows from the Friar Jordanus tradition that Catholicism – not just Christianity – is deep rooted in Quilon and it is now settled that Latin Catholicism was brought to Kerala in the early fourteenth century by this Catalan or Occitan speaking Dominican. It is now evident that while Bishop Jordanus introduced Latin Catholicism, in the 1340s, an Italian friar called Marignolli called on Kollam and still found a Catholic church that he mentions as Saint George of the Latins, probably built by Jordanus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon
–
New cathedral of Quilon at Tangasseri
Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon
–
John De Marignolli, Papal legate in Quilon, 1348-1349
Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon
–
Episcopal Bishop's house and chapel in Quilon
Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon
–
Episcopal chapel with Bishop Joseph Fernandez, 1998. In 1930 the
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was founded.
32.
Quilon Aerodrome
–
Quilon Aerodrome or Kollam Airport was an aerodrome in the city of Kollam in the former state of Travancore, now in Kerala, India. During the 1920s, there were no other civil aerodromes in the kingdoms of Cochin, Travancore, with the 1932 commissioning of Trivandrum International Airport in the state capital 57 kilometres to the south, the aerodrome fell into disuse and came to be known as the Asramam Maidan. The landing strip of the aerodrome was strengthened with red soil from the adjoining hills because the local loose soil was unsuitable for the purpose. There were no buildings in the aerodrome, however, a concrete pad for parking aircraft was built. The aerodrome was under the control of the Public Works Department, the aerodrome was also used for training operations. These were stopped when an accident involving an aircraft at the boundary of the aerodrome, resulted in the death of the pilot. During 2009 -2012, local authorities made plans to revive the aerodrome for an academy with a 4,000 foot runway for light aircraft. Trivandrum International Airport Cochin International Airport Calicut International Airport Kannur International Airport Aranmula International Airport List of airports in India
Quilon Aerodrome
–
Quilon Aerodrome Kollam Airport കൊല്ലം വിമാനനിലയം
33.
Ashtamudi Lake
–
Ashtamudi Lake, in the Kollam District of the Indian state of Kerala, is the most visited backwater and lake in the state. It possesses a unique ecosystem and a large palm-shaped water body. Ashtamudi means eight coned in the local Malayalam language, the name is indicative of the lakes topography with its multiple branches. The lake is called the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala and is well known for its houseboat. Ashtamudi Wetland was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation, along both banks of the lake and its backwater canals, coconut groves and palm trees interspersed with towns and villages are seen. Kollam, is an important historic city located on the right bank of the lake. Boat cruises are operated by the Kollam Boat Club from Kollam to Alappuzha providing transport access to other towns. Luxury houseboats also operate on the lake, the boat journey is an 8-hour trip, winds through lakes, canals and water bound villages, and gives complete exposure to the beauty of the backwaters of Ashtamudi Lake. Chinese fishing nets, called cheena vala in Malayalam, are used by local fisherman and are a common sight along the waterway, the lake is the source of livelihood for people living close by from fishing, coconut husk retting for coir production and inland navigation services. In 2014, Clam Governing Council of Ashtamudi lake became the first Marine Stewardship Council certified fishery in India for their sustainable clam fishing, the lake and the life on its shores have inspired many artists and writers. It has been the subject of poems by the renowned poet Thirunalloor Karunakaran who was born. Quilon or Kollam and inevitably the Ashtamudi lakes importance is claimed to be dated to the days of the Phoenicians, ibn Batuta, during his 24-year sojourn in the 14th century, is reported to have mentioned about the Quilon port as one of the five ports for Chinese trade. Links with Persia, Chinese mandarin in 1275 AD, Portuguese in 1502 AD, velu Thampi is credited with organizing the rebellion against the British from this place. National Highway 47 passes through the lake not only from Quilon. Southern Railways network of metre gauge and broad gauge lines connects with Quilon, the metre gauge train journey from Quilon to Chennai via Madurai is stated to offer a picturesque journey. Ferry services operate daily to Alleppey and boats operate to all villages located in the canals of the backwater system, the boat jetty is located at about 3 km away from the railway station. Famous Paravur estuary and backwaters are just 21 kilometer away from Ashtamudi, Kallada River is a major river discharging into the Ashtamudi Lake. The Kallada river, which originates near Ponmudi from the Kulathupuzha hills Western Ghats is formed by the confluence of three rivers, viz, with a maximum depth of 21 ft at the confluence, it is Kerala’s deepest estuary
Ashtamudi Lake
–
View on a bank of the Lake
Ashtamudi Lake
–
Luxury house boat in the backwaters
Ashtamudi Lake
–
View of Ashtamudi Lake and
Downtown Kollam
Ashtamudi Lake
–
A top view of Ashtamudi backwaters
34.
Asramam Maidan
–
The Asramam Maidanam or Ashramam Maithanam is an urban park, or maidhanam, in the city of Kollam, in Kerala, India. At 72 acres, it is the largest open space within Kerala Municipal Corporation limits, the maidan is considered as one of the green lungs of the city and regularly hosts the citys main cultural and sports events. It holds an adventure park childrens park, picnic village, British Residency, Asramam Maidan was used as an aerodrome during the British Raj. Chartered flights, mainly using Avro aircraft, would land and take off from Quilon Aerodrome, the aerodrome was primarily used by VIPs from Madras en route to Thiruvananthapuram, who after landing at Quilon, would proceed to Thiruvananthapuram by car. Quilon Aerodrome was also used for flying training, during one such training exercise, an aircraft hit a tree on the boundary of the aerodrome, killing the pilot and the trainee. Training operations were stopped after the accident, but civilian aircraft continued to use the aerodrome, because of the loose soil in the Asramam area, the landing and take-off areas were prepared by bringing huge quantities of red laterite soil from the hilly areas. The aerodrome had strong barbed wire fencing round it, with two points, one at the south and the other at the north. There were no buildings in the aerodrome, not even a shed and it was here that the passengers alighted and boarded the plane. Planes used to land sometimes once in two months, the airport then came under the control of Kerala Public Works Department. Residents of Asramam knew in advance about the arrival of planes, because the PWD authorities, on getting information about a coming arrival, after the commissioning of Thiruvananthapuram airport and its development, Quilon Aerodrome went into decline, and finally, planes stopped arriving there. The aerodrome remained fenced off for a long time, later, the fence was destroyed and its granite stumps pilfered. The only reason the maidan was not encroached upon was that it was a government property. Now there are two large helipads at the maidan, Kollam Fest Kollam Fest is an international event with focus on art, culture, trade, and tourism. The event, organised by the Kollam City Corporation, was aimed at presenting the history, Kollam Pooram Kollam Pooram is one of the most colorful festivals of Kerala, attracting a large number of people from all parts of the state. The Kollam Pooram, organised in connection with the festival of the Asramam Sri Krishnaswamy Temple, is held annually at the Asramam Maidan in the month of April. The festival has now assumed the status of a national festival, Cricket matches Asramam Maidan is a regular ground for the Kerala Cricket Associations matches, which are held almost all year round. Following a preliminary inspection by a team of experts, in 2009 plans were drawn up for the construction of an airstrip, supporters of the project said that the school would increase the importance of the city. The government of Kerala has decided to preserve the Asramam Maidan, the Corporation of Kollam has been sanctioned Rs.52 lakhs in the 2017-18 financial years budget for constructing cycle track around the Asramam maidan
Asramam Maidan
–
Asramam Maidan, Kollam
Asramam Maidan
–
British Residency in
Asramam,
Kollam - Till 1829,
Quilon was the capital of the
Travancore State and the headquarters of the British Residency.
Asramam Maidan
–
Kollam DTPC Boat club near Asramam Maidan
Asramam Maidan
–
Link Road at
Asramam
35.
Estuaries of Paravur
–
The Paravur Estuaries are a group of estuaries in Paravur, India, near the South-Western coast of Kollam district, Kerala. Paravur is one among the 4 municipal towns in Kollam district, the place is known for its natural beauties, backwater locations, white-sand beaches and concentration of temples. Paravur is a land of beaches, backwaters & estuaries, the Paravur landmasss three sides are surrounded by water bodies - Paravur Lake, Nadayara Lake and the Arabian Sea. Paravur Lake is the body of water in the town area. The peninsula of Paravur is one of the most visited areas in Kollam district, both north and south tips of Paravur town have peninsulas and estuaries. Pozhikara is to the north and Thekkumbhagam is to the south of Paravur, one more estuary mouth is in Pozhikara, which is very close to Pozhikara Devi Temple, which has breached in 2014 under the supervision of Water Resources Department, after a long gap of 14 years. The estuaries can be reached by travelling through Kollam-Paravur Coastal Road, the 600 hectare Polachira Wetland is also close to Paravur. Paravur backwaters on both the north and south ends have Pozhi, both meet the Arabian Sea in the districts beach faces. There is an artificial tidal-regulator in the bridge at Pozhikara estuarine area. Paravur Lake is a lake in Paravur, Kerala, India, although it is small, with an area of only 6.62 km², it is the end point of the Ithikkara River and part of the system of lakes and canals that make up the Kerala Backwaters. It has been connected to Edava and Ashtamudi Kayal as part of the Trivandrum - Shoranur canal system since the late 19th century
Estuaries of Paravur
–
Boating at
Paravur Lake
Estuaries of Paravur
–
Thekkumbhagam -
Kappil bridge as seen from Paravur Estuary. This bridge is the official border of
Paravur town towards south
Estuaries of Paravur
–
Pozhikkara peninsula in the north of
Paravur town
Estuaries of Paravur
–
Paravur Estuary mouth at
Thekkumbhagam
36.
Islands of Kollam
–
City of Kollam or Quilon is known as Prince of Arabian Sea, situated on the banks of Arabian Sea and Ashtamudi Lake. A major portion of Kollam Municipal Corporation area is occupied by Ashtamudi Lake and it is the most visited backwater and lake of Kerala, with a unique wetland ecosystem, a palm-shaped large water body, next only to the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state. Ashtamudi means eight coned in the language of Malayalam. This name is indicative of the topography, a lake with multiple branches. The lake is called the gateway to the backwaters of Kerala. This lake is famous for House Boat and Backwater Resorts. All the Islands in Kollam are situated in Ashtamudi Lake, there are so many Islands in Ashtamudi Lake. Munroe Island and Chavara Thekkumbhagom are the most important among these islands, Islands are the eye-catching factors as well as the beauty of Lake Ashtamudi. Most of these islands are potential tourism spots in the state, even Indian Railways also planning to develop one of the islands in Kollam for a tourism project. There are big as well as small islands which are inhabited and uninhabited by human beings, the important islands in Kollam are
Islands of Kollam
–
Five star hotel 'The Raviz' in
Kollam is situated in one of the island like structures near
Thevally
Islands of Kollam
–
Aerial view of
Ashtamudi backwaters
37.
Kallada River
–
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
–
Kallada River
38.
Paravur Lake
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Paravur Kayal is a lake in Paravur, Kerala, India. Although it is small, with an area of only 6.62 km², it is the end point of the Ithikkara River and part of the system of lakes and canals that make up the Kerala Backwaters. It has been connected to Edava and Ashtamudi Kayal as part of the Trivandrum - Shoranur canal system since the late 19th century, the lake meets the sea and in between a small stretch of road which divides them can be viewed on way. Paravur Lake is one of the emerging tourist destinations in the district which attracts a number of tourists. The panoramic views are breath taking if you opt for a birds eye view, not from the sky but from the terraces situated north. Famous Lakesagar Xaviers resort is situated at the banks of Paravur lake, priyadarshini boat club is another major attraction in the vicinity of Paravur lake. The mangroves along both sides of Paravur lake is very famous Paravur lake is about 4 kilometres away from Paravur town. Paravur-Edava-Varkala road passes through the banks of Paravur lake, the nearest important railway station to Paravur lake is Paravur railway station. Fourteen pairs of trains stop at Paravur railway station every day, the nearest major rail head is Kollam Junction railway station, which is about 26 kilometres away from the lake. The nearest KSRTC bus station is Chathannoor bus station, which is 12 km away, Paravur Municipal Bus Stand and railway station are 4 kilometres away from the lake. Paravur Paravur Thekkumbhagam Paravur railway station Pozhikara Nedungolam
Paravur Lake
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An evening view of Paravur Lake
Paravur Lake
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Paravur Lake near
Thekkumbhagam estuary
Paravur Lake
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A photo of sunset taken from
Paravur Thekkumbhagam beach
39.
Pozhikara
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Pozhikara or Pozhikkara is the Western border town of famous Paravur municipality in the Kollam district of Kerala state in India. It is located at the South-Western tip of Kollams coastal area and it is in the Arabian Sea coast. Pozhikara is considered as one of the sites in Kerala. The place is famous for its natural beauty. Paravur was a trade hub for the foreign countries. An important ancient document revealing the importance of Paravur and Pozhikara is Pozhikara sasanam built in 12 th century at Pozhikara sivakshetram and it was encrypted on a sila phalakam in vattazhuthu. Another mentioning of Paravur is in Unnineeli sandesam which was written more than 600 years. Pozhikara was the headquarters of Paravur before the independence of India. Remnants of old fort, Thaana and Anchalappees are still remaining there, Pozhikara is well connected with almost all the major towns. It is about 14 km from Kollam City through Kollam-Paravur coastal road, Pozhikara is just 2 km away from Paravur town. KSRTC is running daily Fast Passenger bus services in Pozhikara-Ernakulam and Pozhikara-Poovar route, Paravur Municipal bus stand is about 4 km away from Meenad. The nearest important railway station is Paravur Railway Station, which is 2.5 km away from Pozhikara, nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Paravur Paravur Railway Station Nedungolam Thekkumbhagam Kollam Paravur Kayal Kollam District
Pozhikara
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Pozhikara
Pozhikara
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City Corporations
40.
Sasthamcotta Lake
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Sasthamcotta Lake or Sasthamkotta Lake, also categorized as a wetland, is the largest fresh water lake in Kerala, a state of India on the south of the West Coast. The lake is named after the ancient Sastha temple located on its bank and it meets the drinking water needs of half million people of the Quilon district and also provides fishing resources. The purity of the water for drinking use is attributed to the presence of large population of larva called cavaborus that consumes bacteria in the lake water. The lake is a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention since November 2002. The lake is located at a distance of 25 km from Quilon city, thiruvananthapuram International Airport, at 105 km, is the nearest airport to Kollam. Karunagapally, at a distance of 8 km, is the closest town to the lake, a ferry service across the lake transports people between West Kallada and Sasthamkotta. Except for an embankment of 1. In the south and southwestern parts of the lake there are a number of water bodies. The present area of the lake is 375 ha since large part of the lake is reported to have occupied for agriculture. Rock formation of mainly archaean origin are recorded with intrusions of charnockite, biotite gneiss, the Tertiary Varkala formations are observed along the coastal beds. In the valley portion, sand and silt deposits are recorded.4 million cum, the average annual rainfall in the area is 2398 mm and mean annual temperature varies between 26.7 °C and 29.16 °C. Ground water table in the area is reported at depth of 3.89 m, after accounting for estimated evaporation loss of 5 MCM and water utilized for domestic use of 8 MCM, the two together account for about two-thirds of the inflow. The lake water is reported to be free of salt or other minerals and metals. The quality for water, interstitial water and sediments studied by World Wildlife Fund. /l Water quality test results indicate that the lake water conforms to standards of drinking water prescribed by regulatory bodies, eastern shore of the lake has the insectivorous plant Drosera Sp. Vegetation is negligible and rooted plants and floating plants are unimportant and insignificant, the crops grown on the banks of the lake, apart from paddy, are the plantation crops such as cashewnut, tapioca and plantain. The common teal or dabbling duck is the smallest migratory bird found in the lake,13 species of insects have also been identified,9 are butterflies,2 odonates and 2 hymenopterans. The quality of the environment is affected by the following factors
Sasthamcotta Lake
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Sasthamcotta Lake
Sasthamcotta Lake
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An Evening view of Sasthamcotta Lake
Sasthamcotta Lake
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Village on bank of the lake
41.
Thekkumbhagam
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Thekkumbhagam or Thekkumbhagom is the southern border town of Paravur municipality in the Kollam district of Kerala, India. It is located at the Southern tip of Kollams coastal area and it is in the Arabian Sea coast. Thekkumbhagam-Kappil estuary point in the Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram coastal border is one of the emerging tourism spots in the state, on 1936, during formation, Thekkumbhagam was one of the 9 territories of Paravur Panchayath. The place is famous for its natural beauty. Thekkumbhagam estuary is one among the twin estuary points in Paravur, the other one is Pozhikara estuary. Paravur landmass 3 sides are surrounded by water bodies - Paravur Lake, Nadayara Lake, both north and south tips of Paravur town is having peninsula and estuary. Thekkumbhagam is at south of Paravur, Thekkumbhagam estuary is the most crowd-pulling estuary in the state. It is located at the borders of Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram districts, a stunning beach in this location attracts a huge crowd every day. Beauty of this estuary can be enjoyed by travelling through Paravur-Kappil-Varkala road, pro-Vice Chancellor of Annamalai University Dr. A Hisham, Internationally known Phyto Scientist Paravur Pozhikkara Nedungolam Paravur Kayal Paravur railway station
Thekkumbhagam
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From Top:Boating at
Paravur Lake, Sunset at Thekkumbhagam beach,
Thekkumbhagam Estuary,
Paravur Lake at Thekkumbhagam, Lakesagar Xavier's resort in Thekkumbhagam
Thekkumbhagam
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Thekkumbhagam Coast in Paravur
Thekkumbhagam
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Sunset at Paravur Thekkumbhagam beach
42.
Sakthikulangara
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Sakthikulangara is a zone and neighbourhood situated at the coastal area of the city of Kollam in Kerala India. It is one among the 6 zonal headquarters of Kollam Municipal Corporation, Sakthikulangara is situated where Ashtamudi Lake confluence with the Arabian Sea. It is 7 km north from the core Kollam City and 31 km away from Paravur town, heading from North Neendakara bridge opens the entrance to Sakthikulangara village. Moreover it is the birthplace of B, wellington, E. Balanandan, R. S. Unni and Henry Austin. The famous political personalities in Kerala, one of the major fishing harbours in Kerala is in Sakthikulangara. Sakthikulangara is a prominent place because of its proximity to the following places, Seafood Exporting
Sakthikulangara
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City Corporations
43.
Kilikollur
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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
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Kilikollur railway station entrance
44.
Eravipuram
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Eravipuram is a Neighbourhood of the city of Kollam in Kerala, India. It is one among the 6 zones of the Kollam City Corporation, other zones of the city of Kollam are Central Zone-I, Central Zone-II, Sakthikulangara, Kilikollur and Vadakkevila. Eravipuram town is only 8 km away from Kollam city, other nearby towns are Kottiyam, Mayyanad, Paravur etc. Paravur is 19 km away from Eravipuram, Eravipuram railway station is the nearest railway station, which is one among the 3 railway stations serving the city of Kollam. This place has a coastal line with Arabian Sea. St. Chettinada Ambalakkulam, Eravipuram Jn, Eravipuram
Eravipuram
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Eravipuram constituency in Kollam district
Eravipuram
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City Corporations
45.
Kollam Municipal Corporation
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Kollam Municipal Corporation is the civic body that governs the City of Kollam in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the fourth largest city corporation in the state by population, constituted in 1903 and officially recognized as city corporation in 2000, the body governs an area of 73.03 square kilometres centered on Kollam with about 55 wards and a population of 397,419. Kollam is the 2nd most revenue generating city in Kerala, as of 2015-16 reports, Kollam has a revenue of Rs.889.74 crore, expenditure of Rs.830 crore and a surplus of Rs.59.73 crore. Kollam, known historically as Quilon, was an ancient trade hub, the population density of the coastal belt of Kollam is very high compared to any other city in the state. After the constitution of Kochi as a corporation in 1967, there were demands to upgrade the densely populated Kollam City into a city corporation. As a result, on 1 October 2000, Kollam Municipality was upgraded by the Kerala Government to a Municipal Corporation, the city population of Kollam increased substantially from 139,852 in 1991 to 346,013 in 2011. In 1991, the Vadakkevila, Sakthikulangara, Eravipuram and Kilikollur panchayats were merged with Kollam City, as a result, the area run by the municipal corporation increased from 18.48 square kilometres to 58.18 square kilometres. Later in May 2015, Thrikkadavoor panchayath is merged with Kollam city, the City Corporation of Kollam has a 55-member council headed by a Mayor assisted by a Deputy Mayor. On an average, every ward consists of a population of around 7,000, each ward is represented in the municipal council by an elected councilor. The Kerala Municipalities Act,1994, governs all functions in KMC, also there are 8 standing committees in the corporation for the ease of smooth governance of the city. Each and every standing committee is headed by an elected councilor, there are zonal offices in each zones of the corporation. The presence of an existing Railway over bridge and three intersections with heavy traffic limits the option for traffic management measures including junction improvement. That caused the authorities to think about this underpass at Chinnakada, Chinnakada is a complex junction where roads from Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Downtown, Sengottai, Ashramam, Kollam Beach and the City bus stand road meets. Preliminary design prepared by NATPAC for the underpass involved the acquisition of 0.08 hectares of government land on a temporary basis. The height of the passage above the underpass was increased to 5.5 metres from 5 metres to facilitate movement of modern container trucks through the underpass. Underpass has been open to the public by the end of May 2015. On 22 June 2014, construction started on a marine aquarium at Kollam Beach. The Harbour Engineering Department is constructing the aquarium on the side of the beach on behalf of Kollam Corporation
Kollam Municipal Corporation
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Kollam Municipal Corporation കൊല്ലം മുനിസിപ്പല് കോര്പ്പറേഷന് KMC
Kollam Municipal Corporation
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Marine Aquarium under construction at
Kollam Beach
Kollam Municipal Corporation
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City Corporations
46.
Kollam Development Authority
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Kollam Development Authority is the autonomous statutory body overseeing the development of the City of Kollam in the state of Kerala, India. KDA is one of the 5 significant city development authorities in Kerala which gained in significance because of the importance of the City of Kollam as the emerging Port City of Kerala, Government of Kerala constituted Kollam Development Authority in 1981, under Town Planning Act. In 2007, the Government of Kerala wound up the Kollam Development Authority, along with the Kozhikode, Thrissur, Idukki, after 5 year, in 2012, the Government of Kerala reconstituted KDA along with Kozhikode and Thrissur development authorities. In April 7,2013, Government of Kerala has appointed A. K Hafees as the Chairman of Kollam Development Authority, Government of Kerala have organized an urban development meet in the name Partner Kerala during the month February,2014. Kollam development Authority proposed 10 projects in that meet for the development of Kollam Urban Area and they are, Organized park and open space, Thirumullavaram Organized park and open space, Thangassery Re-development of Payikkada commercial area in the city. The project would be constructed and operated on the private-public partnership basis on a 2.35 acres of land, the aim of this Commercial Complex project is to expand the commercial hub of the city of Kollam towards west from the traditional Chinnakada-Chamakada hubs. Kollam Kollam Beach Kollam Port Kollam Technopark Kollam Pooram Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Kollam
Kollam Development Authority
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Denotation board for Kollam Development Authority
47.
Kollam City Police
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In the pre-independence era, Kerala was divided into princely states of Travancore and Cochin and the Malabar region for the smooth administration. There were no Commissionerates in Kollam and Thrissur till 2011, the whole district police was administered by DySP of Kollam, Karunagappally, Kottarakkara and Punalur. As per the Government Order no 32/2011/Home dated 5 February 2011, Kollam district police was divided into Kollam Urban Police District, the City Police is headed by a City Police Commissioner, with its headquarters at Kollam. The rural police is headed by the District Police Chief, with its headquarters at Kottarakkara, both heads report to the Inspector General of Police, Thiruvananthapuram Range. The Kollam City Police came into existence on 1 March 2011 following the division of the Kollam District Police force into the Kollam City Police, the office of the Kollams City Police Commissioner is situated near the Armed Reserve Police Force camp in Kollam Cantonment. Departments such as administration, the District Crime Records Bureau, Crime Detachment, the facility cost ₹7 lakh and can accommodate four dogs. The dog squad currently consists of three dogs, on 3 November 2016, a 10 member team of anti-goonda squad has been formed in Kollam city police. The team will supposedly be headed by a sub inspector
Kollam City Police
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Armed Reserve Police Camp in
Kollam City
Kollam City Police
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Seal of Kerala Police
Kollam City Police
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Central Police Canteen in
Kollam City
48.
Economy of Kollam
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Kollam or Quilon is an old seaport and city on the Laccadive Sea coast in Kerala, India on Ashtamudi Lake. Kollam was the ancient commercial capital of Kerala and of the south-western coast of India, Kollam is now known as the cashew capital of the world. City corporation of Kollam has the third largest budget in Kerala in terms of revenue, Kollam sea port was founded by Mar Abo with sanction from Udayamarthandavarma, the Tamil king from Venad, otherwise called the Ay kingdom, in 825 AD. The trade and business culture of Quilon is as old as Kollam Port. Kollam was the most famous city in India which served as the business hub of people from China, Middle East, Dutch, Portugal, Brazil. The recent discovery of treasures and remnants happened at Kollam Port area is the proof for all those ancient trade activities related with old Quilon city, the archaeologists believe that there is an engulfed city in the seabed of current Kollam Port. Kollam is an industrialized city. The meeting of three National Highways, and a flourishing Port has made the city a favorable location for export and import businesses, educational institutions like the TKM College of Engineering are known as the cradle of Kerala entrepreneurs because they greatly encourage entrepreneurial activities. Kollam was the city in Kerala to adopt shopping mall culture. Kollam district ranks first in livestock wealth in the state, downtown Kollam is the main CBD of Kollam city. Kollam remained as the most populated city corporation in Kerala till 2005, during that time, the population density in Kollam city was 6041 per square kilometer. Because of the importance of Kollam as a trade and export hub and it is one among the 7 Sub offices of EICI in South India. Along with the city, Punalur town and suburbs of city like Chavara, Kundara etc. are also well developed in nature. Kollam is the largest processed cashew exporter in the world, in recent years there are more than 600 cashew processing units in Kollam. About 800,000 tonnes of raw cashews are brought to Kollam for processing every year, 90% of Indias export quality Cashew Kernels are prepared from Kollam. Kollam is known as the Cashew Capital of the World, CEPCI is expecting a rise in export to 275,000 tonnes by 2020. Two important councils/agencies are working at Kollam city for the export promotion and they are Cashew Export Promotion Council of India and Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation Limited. The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India was established by the government in 1955 in with the active cooperation of the cashew industry
Economy of Kollam
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Street view of
Downtown Kollam, the largest commercial centre in the city of Kollam
Economy of Kollam
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Nila's cashew packets displayed in a supermarket at
Paravur near
Kollam. Nila Cashews is one of Kollam's cashew exporters
Economy of Kollam
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A distant view of
Kollam Port
49.
Cashew Export Promotion Council of India
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It is headquartered in Mundakkal in the city of Kollam, Kerala. The Council serves as an intermediary between importers of cashew kernels and exporters who are members of the council, the council is also supposed to deal with any disputes on exports or imports arising on account of quality standards, breach of contractual obligations, etc. Cashew Export Promotion Council of India have offices in Kollam, Kochi, there are 238 registered cashew exporters in Cashew Export Promotion Council of India as members. In that, more than 200 exporters are based in Kollam, an examination of the records show that Kilikollur, a suburb of Kollam city, had the most cashew processing factories. India is on top nowadays in exporting cashew kernels and cashew nut shell liquid, foreign exchange earned by the country through export of cashew kernels during 2011–12 touched Rs.4,390 crore as per statistics of Cashew Export Promotion Council of India. 1.31 lakh tonnes of kernel were exported during 2011–12, united States of America is the biggest importer of cashew kernel from India. They are the biggest importer of CNSL from India, united Arab Emirates stood second in kernel import. CEPCI is expecting a rise in export, i. e.275,000 tonnes by 2020, the CEPC Laboratory and Technical Division was established by The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India in 1997. It is situated at Cashew Bhavan, Mundakkal, Kollam city, the lab is capable to do food products testing, water testing and other quality-based testing services. They also offer services to the food processing industry and field surveys. There is a plan to set up a facility and a cashew testing lab at the Kollam Port with the support of the Cashew Export Promotion Council. Analytical equipment Library Research facilities Microbiology Department Chemistry Department Biotechnology Department Kollam Cashew Kilikollur Mundakkal
Cashew Export Promotion Council of India
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CEPCI Headquarters at
Mundakkal,
Kollam city
Cashew Export Promotion Council of India
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Logo of CEPCI
- 4.7 mtr,
- 3.9 km,
- 4.7 km
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