Kottayam
City Information
Kottayam literally means the
interior of a fort - Kotta + Akam. 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.
Positioned a little south to central
Kerala, Kottayam district is bordered
on the north by Ernakulam district,
on the east by Idukki district and on
the south by Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta
districts. The Vembanad Lake forms the
western boundary. Kottayam lies between
latitude 9o 15' and 10o 21' and longitude
76o 22' and 77o 25'.
The present Kottayam district was
previously a part of the erstwhile princely
state of Travancore. Earlier, the Travancore
state consisted of two revenue divisions
viz. the southern and northern divisions,
under the administrative control of
a 'Diwan Peshkar' for each. Later in
1868 two more divisions Quilon (Kollam)
and Kottayam were constituted. The fifth
division Devikulam came next but only
for a short period, which in course
of time, was added to Kottayam. At the
time of the integration of the State
of Travancore and Cochin (Kochi) in
1949, these revenue divisions were renamed
as districts and the Diwan peshkars
gave way to District Collectors, paving
the way for the birth of the Kottayam
District in July 1949.
Kottayam has some of the finest natural
scenes sandwiched as it is between serene
palm-fringed backwaters on the west
and the Western ghats on the east. Kottayam
is the ideal take off point for visits
to Peermedu, Munnar, Idukki, Thekkady,
Ernakulam and the temple city of Madurai.
Main
Sightseeing of Kottayam
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
: Located on the banks of
the Vembanand Lake , the Bird Sanctuary
is known for its varied avian population.
Local varieties such as waterfowls,
cuckoos and owls, as well as the migratory
Siberian Cranes can be viewed here.
Vaikon : Parasurama,
the mythical founder of Kerala, is
said to have built a temple here dedicated
to Lord Shiva. The twelve-day festival
of the temple falls in November -December,
and is celebrated with classical dance
and music performances. Also famous
is the 'Kshetra Kalapeedhom', a school
devoted to temple arts.
Thirunakkara : The
Siva temple at Thirunakkara is in
the heart of Kottayam town. The sanctum-sanctorum
is covered with pictures from the
epics. Three festivals are celebrated
here in Thulam (October-November)
Mithunam (June-July) and Meenam (March-April)
of which the last one is the most
important. The Arat, conducted on
the last day of the festival, is the
festival of Kottayam, irrespective
of the caste and creeds. .
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Excursions
from Kottayam
Kumarakom : On the
shores of the enchanting Vembanad Lake
, 14 kms from Kottayam, lies Kumarakom
a small-town. A boat ride into the countryside
offers a close look into an engaging
rustic life. Women, neck-deep in water,
with their waist-length hair heaped
in a crown, searching for fish with
their feet.
Bharananganam : an
important Christian Pilgrimage centre,
located 5 kms east of Palai on the Kottayam
- Erattupett Road . Associated with
Sister Alphonsa, the blessed saint of
the Catholics, the mortal remains of
the saint are preserved in a chapel
next to the St. Mary's Church. She lived
from 1916 AD to 1946 AD. The day of
28th July, the death anniversary of
the saint is observed with much solemnity.
Ettumanoor Temple : Located
12 kms north of Kottayam town, at Ettumanoor
is an ancient Shiva temple, which was
built in the 16th century. Ettumanoor
temple is a marvelous example of the
Kerala style of architecture, attracts
many Hindu devotees from all over the
state. The copper plated conical roof
of the central shrine is in itself a
majestic structure.
Vembanad Lake : Asia
's largest fresh water lake is the Vembanad
Lake , is 12km west from Kottayam. Kottayam
is a vast network of rivers and canals,
which empty into the great expanse of
water called Vembanad Lake . The lake,
a mystical tourist spot and a fast developing
Backwater Tourism destination, provides
boating, fishing and sightseeing experiences
that are truly exhilarating.
How
to reach Kottayam ?
By Air : The nearest
airports are Nedumbassery, Kochi (90
Km) and Thiruvananthapuram or Trivendrum
(160 Km)
By Rail : Well connected
Southern Railway network.
By Road : Well road
connection from all major cities of
South India.
