City in Kerala, India
Kottayam
|
---|
|
|
Kottayam (India)
Show map of India
|
Coordinates:
9°35′29.8″N
76°31′19.9″E
/
9.591611°N 76.522194°E
/
9.591611; 76.522194
[1]
|
Country
|
India
|
---|
State
| Kerala
|
---|
District
| Kottayam
|
---|
Region
| Central Travancore
|
---|
Incorporated
| 1921
|
---|
Official Language
| Malayalam
|
---|
Native Language
| Malayalam
|
---|
|
? Type
| Municipality
|
---|
? Body
| Kottayam Municipality
|
---|
? Municipal Chairperson
| Bincy Sebastian
|
---|
|
?
City
| 108 km
2
(42 sq mi)
|
---|
? Land
| 179.54 km
2
(69.32 sq mi)
|
---|
? Water
| 5.46 km
2
(2.11 sq mi)
|
---|
? Urban
| 185 km
2
(71 sq mi)
|
---|
? Metro
| 220 km
2
(80 sq mi)
|
---|
? Rank
| 7th in Kerala
|
---|
Elevation
| 47.96 m (157.35 ft)
|
---|
|
?
City
| 489,615
|
---|
? Rank
| 5
|
---|
? Density
| 4,500/km
2
(12,000/sq mi)
|
---|
?
Urban
| 571,856
|
---|
? Urban density
| 3,100/km
2
(8,000/sq mi)
|
---|
?
Metro
| 802,419
|
---|
? Metro density
| 3,600/km
2
(9,400/sq mi)
|
---|
Demonym
| Kottayamkar
|
---|
Time zone
| UTC+5:30
(
IST
)
|
---|
PIN
| 686001
|
---|
Telephone
code
| Kottayam:0481
|
---|
Vehicle registration
| KL-05 Kottayam, KL- 33 Changanassery, KL- 34 Kanjirappally, KL - 35 Pala, KL - 36 Vaikom, KL- 67 Uzhavoor
|
---|
Sex ratio
| 1075 female(s)/1000 male(s)/
♂
/
♀
|
---|
Literacy rate
| 99.66 %
|
---|
HDI
| 0.831
|
---|
Website
| www
.kottayammunicipality
.lsgkerala
.gov
.in
kottayam
.nic
.in
|
---|
Kottayam
(
IPA:
[ko:?:ayam]
) is a
city
in the
Kottayam district
of
Kerala
,
India
. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about 151 km (93.8 mi) north of the state capital
Thiruvananthapuram
. As per the
2011 Indian census
, Kottayam has a population of 489,615 people, and a population density of 4,533/km
2
(11,740/sq mi). The total Kottayam
Metropolitan area
(the combined area of Kottayam municipality and its adjacent suburbs) has a population of 802,419 people, and a population density of 3,647/km
2
(9,450/sq mi).
Kottayam is also referred to as "the City of Letters" as many of the first
Malayalam
daily newspapers, such as
Deepika
,
Malayala Manorama
,
and
Mangalam
,
were started and are headquartered in Kottayam, as are a number of publishing houses.
[
citation needed
]
Etymology
[
edit
]
The royal palace of the
Thekkumkur
ruler was protected by a fort called
Thaliyilkotta
. It is believed that the name
Kottayam
is derived from a combination of the
Malayalam
words
kotta
which means fort (
Thaliyilkotta
) and
akam
which means inside. The combined form,
Kottaykkakam
(????????????), can be translated as "inside the fort".
[1]
[2]
[3]
History
[
edit
]
Thekkumkur rule (1103 - 1753)
[
edit
]
From the beginning of the ninth century AD, the history of
Thekkumkur
and of Kottayam are virtually indistinguishable. Kottayam was then a part of Vempolinad, an area in the
Kulashekara Empire
(800 AD ? 1103 AD). By 1103, the Kingdom of Vempolinad had split into the Kingdoms of Thekkumkur and
Vadakkumkur
, and the latter became a vassal of
Cochin
.
[4]
[5]
The royal house had originally been situated in Vennimala in Kottayam. It was protected by a fort known as Thaliyilkotta and, as a result, the locality came to be known by the same name as the fort. Afterward, Thekkumkur kings shifted their capital to Nattassery near Kumaranallore at the outskirts of Kottayam town. It is believed that the Thekkumkur dynasty ruled Kottayam from Thazhathangadi. Rulers of Munjanad and Thekkumkur had their headquarters at Thazhathangadi in the present Kottayam town. Marthanda Varma of Travancore attacked Thekkumkur and destroyed the palace and the Thaliyil fort. The remnants of the palaces and forts are still seen here.
The
Portuguese
and the
Dutch
established trade relations with both of these kingdoms, dealing in black pepper and other spices. After the subjugation of the Dutch East India Company by the Kingdom of
Travancore
in the 1741
Travancore?Dutch War
, military operations of
Marthanda Varma
progressed against the northern neighboring kingdoms, including Thekkumkur.
Travancore rule (1753 - 1949)
[
edit
]
Though Thekkumkur allied with Chempakassery and Vadakkumkoor to protect the kingdom, all of them were finally annexed to Travancore.
[6]
Another source states that the ruler of Thekkumkur had sided first with the
Kingdom of Kayamkulam
and then with the principality of
Ambalapuzha
against Travancore. After the fall of Ambalapuzha, and as the ruler of Thekkumkur refused to come to terms with Travancore, his capital city was taken on 11 September 1750 by
Ramayyan Dalawa
, the general and prime minister of Marthanda Varma, and the state was annexed to Travancore in 1753.
By the early 19th century, Travancore became a Protectorate of Britain after a series of unfair treaties. In 1817, the
Church Missionary Society
established
CMS College
as the first Western-style college in Kerala. It was welcomed by the
Travancore
government to provide administrators for the public bureaucracy
[7]
Kottayam has played its role in all the political agitations of modern times. The ‘Malayali Memorial ‘ agitation may be said to have had its origin in Kottayam. The Malayali Memorial sought to secure better representation for educated Travancoreans in the Travancore civil service against persons from outside. The Memorial, which was presented to the Maharaja Sri Moolam Thirunal (1891) was drafted at a public meeting held in the Kottayam Public Library. The event marked the beginning of the modern political movement in the State.
[1]
It was here that the famous Vaikom Satyagraha (1924?25), an epic struggle for eradication of untouchability, took place. Scheduled castes and other backward classes in Travancore were denied not only entry into temples, but also access to temple roads. Vaikom, the seat of a celebrated Siva Temple, was the venue of the symbolic satyagraha.
[8]
Due to these protests, the Maharaja
Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
issued the
Temple Entry Proclamation
in 1936.
Contemporary period (1949 - Present)
[
edit
]
Kottayam became a revenue division of Travancore.
[2]
A fifth division,
Devikulam
, existed for a short period but was later added to Kottayam. At the time of the integration of the
State of Travancore and Cochin
in 1949, these revenue divisions were redesignated as districts and the Diwan Peshkars gave way to
district collectors
, with the Kottayam district established in July 1949.
[9]
Geography
[
edit
]
Kottayam has an average elevation of 3 metres (9.8 ft) above sea level.
[10]
It is situated in the
basin
of the
Meenachil River
and in the basin of the
Vembanad
backwaters, which are formed from several streams in the
Western Ghats
of the
Idukki district
. The city is situated near the inland
estuary
of
Meenachil
river where it empties into the
Vembanad
lake in
Kumarakom
.
According to the division of places in Kerala based on altitudes, Kottayam is classified as a midland area. The general soil type is
alluvial
soil. The vegetation is mainly tropical evergreen and moist deciduous.
Climate
[
edit
]
Under the
Koppen climate classification
, Kottayam has a
Tropical monsoon climate
(Am).
The climate in this district is moderate and pleasant. Kottayam's proximity to the
equator
results in little seasonal temperature variation, with moderate to high levels of
humidity
.
Kottayam district is bordered by
Pathanamthitta district
on the south,
Alappuzha district
on the west,
Ernakulam district
on the north and
Idukki district
on the east and northeast.
Climate data for Kottayam (1981?2010, extremes 1970?2012)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
36.6
(97.9)
|
37.5
(99.5)
|
38.5
(101.3)
|
38.0
(100.4)
|
36.9
(98.4)
|
35.9
(96.6)
|
34.7
(94.5)
|
33.8
(92.8)
|
34.9
(94.8)
|
35.0
(95.0)
|
36.0
(96.8)
|
35.6
(96.1)
|
38.5
(101.3)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
32.9
(91.2)
|
33.6
(92.5)
|
34.4
(93.9)
|
34.0
(93.2)
|
33.0
(91.4)
|
30.3
(86.5)
|
29.6
(85.3)
|
30.1
(86.2)
|
30.9
(87.6)
|
31.2
(88.2)
|
31.5
(88.7)
|
32.4
(90.3)
|
32.0
(89.6)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
22.2
(72.0)
|
22.8
(73.0)
|
23.8
(74.8)
|
24.2
(75.6)
|
24.0
(75.2)
|
22.9
(73.2)
|
22.7
(72.9)
|
22.9
(73.2)
|
23.2
(73.8)
|
23.1
(73.6)
|
23.1
(73.6)
|
22.4
(72.3)
|
23.1
(73.6)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
16.9
(62.4)
|
16.0
(60.8)
|
18.5
(65.3)
|
20.2
(68.4)
|
16.9
(62.4)
|
18.0
(64.4)
|
18.1
(64.6)
|
16.9
(62.4)
|
20.2
(68.4)
|
19.2
(66.6)
|
18.1
(64.6)
|
16.0
(60.8)
|
16.0
(60.8)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
9.6
(0.38)
|
22.8
(0.90)
|
56.3
(2.22)
|
147.4
(5.80)
|
264.2
(10.40)
|
640.0
(25.20)
|
542.3
(21.35)
|
382.8
(15.07)
|
286.0
(11.26)
|
335.8
(13.22)
|
196.0
(7.72)
|
40.9
(1.61)
|
2,924.1
(115.12)
|
Average rainy days
|
0.9
|
1.4
|
3.0
|
8.3
|
10.9
|
22.3
|
22.3
|
17.3
|
12.8
|
14.3
|
9.7
|
2.7
|
125.8
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
(at 17:30
IST
)
|
65
|
63
|
63
|
67
|
71
|
80
|
81
|
79
|
76
|
76
|
75
|
67
|
72
|
Source:
India Meteorological Department
[11]
[12]
|
Demographics
[
edit
]
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±%
|
---|
1901
| 17,552
| ?
|
---|
1911
| 15,141
| ?13.7%
|
---|
1921
| 18,833
| +24.4%
|
---|
1931
| 25,236
| +34.0%
|
---|
1941
| 33,364
| +32.2%
|
---|
1951
| 44,204
| +32.5%
|
---|
1961
| 52,685
| +19.2%
|
---|
1971
| 59,714
| +13.3%
|
---|
1981
| 64,431
| +7.9%
|
---|
1991
| 89,625
| +39.1%
|
---|
2001
| 129,894
| +44.9%
|
---|
2011
| 172,878
| +33.1%
|
---|
As of 2001
[update]
India
census
,
[13]
Kottayam
Urban Agglomeration
had a population of 172,878, while Kottayam district had a population of 1,974,551. The population of Kottayam municipality was 136,812. Males constituted 62% of the population and females 38%. Population growth in the district had a diminishing trend with a decadal population growth rate of 6.5% compared to 9.35% across the decade 1991?2000.
[14]
Population growth in the municipality is due to migration for employment. Kottayam District is ranked first in literacy, with 95.9% literacy compared to 90.92% for Kerala State and 65.38% for India (2001 census).
[2]
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
constituted 6.73% and 0.31% of the total population in Kottayam respectively.
[16]
19,739 persons were engaged in work or business activity, including 14,282 males and 5,457 females. In the census survey, the worker is defined as a person who does business, job, service, cultivator or labour activity. Of total 19,739 working population, 90.17% were engaged in main work while 9.83% of total workers were engaged in marginal work.
Literature
[
edit
]
Jnananikshepam
was the first newspaper published by the natives of Kerala, published at CMS press at Kottayam in 1848.
[17]
Kottayam has produced many well-known writers, journalists and artists. Novelist
Muttathu Varkey
and poet
Pala Narayanan Nair
both have roots in Kottayam.
Kottayam Pushpanath
, a writer of crime thrillers lives in Kottayam. The Indian-English novelist
Arundhati Roy
is a native of Kottayam and her semi-autobiographical Booker Prize-winning novel,
The God of Small Things
,
contains her childhood experiences in
Aymanam
, Kottayam.
Unni R.
a story writer and scriptwriter, is also from Kottayam. Kottayam was the first town in India to have achieved 100% literacy.
[18]
Kottayam Public Library was founded in 1882 by T Rama RaoDewanPeshkar (Collector) of Northern Division of Travancore State.
[19]
Education
[
edit
]
In the 17th century, a Dutch school was started at Kottayam, which was short-lived. The first English school in Kerala, and the first college in India, was established in 1817 by the
Church Missionary Society
of England as
CMS College
.
[20]
Kottayam became India's first town with 100% literacy in 1989.
[21]
The
Government Medical College, Kottayam
, is one of the most prominent medical colleges in Kerala.
Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala
, is based out of Kottayam. Kottayam boasts several other colleges and universities.
There are 14 engineering colleges. Government Engineering College,
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Kottayam
is located in Pampady, 14 km east of Kottayam. Indian institute of information technology, Kottayam is an institute of national importance is also located around 30 km (19 mi) from Kottayam, near to Pala town.
Media
[
edit
]
In 1821,
Benjamin Bailey
, a British missionary, established C.M.S. Press, the first printing press in Kerala, in Kottayam. The town has been at the forefront of newspaper and book publishing in the state ever since.
Newspaper
Malayala Manorama
,
published from Kottayam, is one of the largest circulating dailies in India.
[22]
The Malayala Manorama Group, based in Kottayam, also owns Manorama Online, Manorama News Channel,
The Week
magazine and other publications. Other major Malayalam newspapers?
Mathrubhoomi
,
Deshabhimani
,
Deepika
,
Madhyamam
,
and around thirty periodicals are published from Kottayam. Kottayam is also home to several Malayalam book publishers such as
D. C. Books
,
Labour India Publications
and Current Books. Almost 70 percent of books published in Kerala are from Kottayam.
[23]
In 1945, a group of writers set up
Sahithya Pravarthaka Sahakarana Sangham
(English: Literary Workers' Co-operative Society) in Malayalam.
Sports
[
edit
]
A number of annual
basketball
tournaments including the Marian Trophy, Girideepam Trophy, Lourdes Trophy and Virginia Memorial Tournament are conducted. The main sports stadiums in Kottayam are
Nehru Stadium
and
Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium
, both located in Nagambadom.
Governance
[
edit
]
Legislature
[
edit
]
Kottayam is one of the six municipalities in the district, formed after the implementation of the Kerala Municipalities Act in 1994. The members of the municipal council are elected from each of 52 wards every five years, held with the local government elections across the state. The chairperson is the executive authority of the municipality.
Kottayam town is the part of the Kottayam legislative assembly constituency and the
Kottayam Lok Sabha constituency
. The legislative assembly election is conducted every four years, last in May 2016.
Executive
[
edit
]
The
collectorate
of the
Kottayam District
is located in Kottayam town. The present collector is Smt. V. Vigneshwari IAS. Many administrative and district offices of Kottayam including the District Court is situated within the collectorate premises.
Judiciary
[
edit
]
Five courts were established during the tenure of
Colonel John Munro
, as the Diwan of various states in India. One of these was established in
Vaikom
, in the northwest of Kottaya district.
The district court at Kottayam was established in 1910 during the period of
Sree Moolam Thirunal Maharaja of Tranvancore
. The court celebrated its centenary in 2010.
The District Headquarters of the judiciary is set up at Kottayam town with the Principal District Court as it Administrative Centre. The justice delivery system consists of eight Munsiff Courts, ten Judicial 1st Class Magistrate Courts, three Sub Courts, one Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, and three Additional District Courts. In addition to these regular courts, two Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals, one special court for Vigilance cases and two Family Courts also function in this district.
Politics
[
edit
]
The major political parties active in Kottayam are
Indian National Congress
(INC),
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
(CPI[M]),
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) and
Kerala Congress
. Trade union movements are also popular in Kottayam as
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
(BMS, Indian Workers' Union),
Indian National Trade Union Congress
(INTUC) and
Centre of Indian Trade Unions
(CITU) affiliated workers engaged in the labor sector.
The current municipal chairperson is PR Sona.
United Democratic Front (Kerala)
(UDF[K]) is the ruling coalition of parties, holding a majority in the municipal council.
The current member of legislative assembly (MLA) from Kottayam is
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan
.
[24]
He has been of the member of legislative assembly of Kerala representing Kottayam town constituency since 2011.
[25]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"About Kottayam"
.
Kottayam
. 3 April 2020
. Retrieved
9 April
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
Kurien L (2010).
"Structure and functioning of Gramsabhas"
(PDF)
.
- ^
"Structure and functioning of Gramsabhas"
. 2010. Archived from
the original
on 10 June 2011.
- ^
P. Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition: 1878, New edition: 1983, Page 130, 131 -
ISBN
978-8170200406
- ^
K.N Gopala Pillai Kuruppum Veettil (1948).
Thekkumkur Rani (Queen of Thekkumkur)
. The Hindustan Publishing House, Trivandrum, Publisher: Thomas George BA. pp. 224?
. Retrieved
2 December
2019
.
- ^
A. Sreedhara Menon (1987).
Political History of Modern Kerala
. D C Books. pp. 140?.
ISBN
978-81-264-2156-5
. Retrieved
10 August
2012
.
- ^
"Setting standards of excellence: UGC recognition has added to CMS College's list of merits"
.
The Hindu
. 4 January 2005. Archived from
the original
on 15 March 2005
. Retrieved
5 April
2010
.
- ^
"Kottayam"
.
Government of Kerala
. 3 April 2020
. Retrieved
9 April
2020
.
- ^
"Kottayam District, Government of Kerala | Kottayam, the Land of Letters | India"
.
- ^
"Kottayam Travel Guide: Useful information to visit Kottayam. 8 Reviews"
.
- ^
"Station: Kottayam Climatological Table 1981?2010"
(PDF)
.
Climatological Normals 1981?2010
. India Meteorological Department. January 2015. pp. 433?434. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 5 February 2020
. Retrieved
29 February
2020
.
- ^
"Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)"
(PDF)
. India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M107. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 5 February 2020
. Retrieved
29 February
2020
.
- ^
"Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)"
. Census Commission of India. Archived from
the original
on 16 June 2004
. Retrieved
1 November
2008
.
- ^
Chattopadhyay, Srikumar (2006).
Striving for Sustainability: Environmental Stress and Democratic Initiatives in Kerala
. Concept Publishing. p. 157.
ISBN
9788180692949
.
- ^
"Towns in Kottayam - Religion 2011"
. Indian Population Census 2011
. Retrieved
22 September
2016
.
- ^
"Kottayam Municipality City Population Census 2011-2021 | Kerala"
.
- ^
"official website of Information and Public Relation Department"
. Archived from
the original
on 10 June 2011
. Retrieved
19 July
2008
.
- ^
"About District"
.
Government of Kerala
. 3 April 2020
. Retrieved
10 April
2020
.
- ^
"About Us ? Kottayam Public Library"
. Retrieved
22 November
2023
.
- ^
"Setting standards of excellence: UGC recognition has added to CMS College's list of merits"
.
The Hindu
. 4 January 2005. Archived from
the original
on 15 March 2005
. Retrieved
5 April
2010
.
- ^
"City of letters sets itself a new milestone"
.
www.thehindubusinessline.com
. 1 July 2014
. Retrieved
5 December
2023
.
- ^
2019 Highest Circulated Dailies, Weeklies & Magazines amongst Member Publications (across languages)
Audit Bureau
- ^
"Official website of the Kottayam District"
. Archived from
the original
on 2 October 2008
. Retrieved
19 July
2008
.
- ^
"Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies"
(PDF)
.
Kerala
. Election Commission of India. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 4 March 2009
. Retrieved
19 October
2008
.
- ^
"Assembly Constituencies - Corresponding Districts and Parliamentary Constituencies"
(PDF)
.
Kerala
. Election Commission of India. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 4 March 2009
. Retrieved
19 October
2008
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Kottayam
.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for
Kottayam
.
|
---|
History of Kottayam
| |
---|
Geography
| |
---|
Zones
|
- Kanjikuzhy
- Collectorate
- Kottayam City
- Kodimatha
- Nagambadom
- Thellakom
|
---|
Neighbourhoods
|
- Puthuppally
- Kanjikuzhy
- Manganam
- Mandiram
- Nattakom
- Pallom
- Kodimatha
- Kudamaloor
- Veloor
- Parampuzha
- Nattassery
- Devalokam
- Aymanam
- Kumaranellore
- Thellakom
- Chungam
- Ettumanoor
- Aarpookara
|
---|
Administration
& authorities
| |
---|
Transport
| Road
| Bus stations
|
- Kottayam KSRTC Bus stand
- Kottayam Old Private Bus stand
- Nagambadom Private Bus stand
|
---|
National highways
| |
---|
City roads
| |
---|
Organisations
| |
---|
|
---|
Railway
| |
---|
Air
| |
---|
Water
| |
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|
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Healthcare
| Medical college hospitals
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Education
| Premier institutions
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Engineering colleges
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- St. GITS College of Engineering
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Arts, science & law colleges
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Schools & other institutes
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Visitor
attractions
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Shopping centres
|
- Mall of Joy, Kottayam
- W Mall
- Seematti
- Kalyan Silks
- Pulimoottil
- Jolly Silks
- Mahalekshmi Silks
- Josco Group
- Joyalukas
- Jos Alukas
- Bhima Gold
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Sports
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Districts
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Towns and
cities
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