Kollam has had a strong commercial reputation since ancient times. The Arabs,Phoenicians, Chinese, Ethiopians, Syrians, Jews,Chaldeans and Romans have all engaged in trade at the port of Kollam for millennia.[14] As a result of Chinese trade, Kollam was mentioned byIbn Battuta in the 14th century as one of the five Indian ports he had seen during the course of his twenty-four-year travels.[15][16] Desinganadu's rajas exchanged embassies with Chinese rulers while there was a flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. In the ninth century, on his way toCanton, China, Persian merchantSulaiman al-Tajir found Kollam to be the only port in India visited by huge Chinese junks.Marco Polo, the Venetian traveller, who was in Chinese service underKublai Khan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin.[17]Kollam is also home to one of theseven churches that were established bySt Thomas as well as one of the10 oldest mosques believed to be found byMalik Deenar inKerala.Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon is the first diocese in India.[18]
V. Nagam Aiya in hisTravancore State Manual records that in 822 AD twoEast Syriac bishopsMar Sabor and Mar Proth, settled in Quilon with their followers. Two years later the Malabar Era began (824 AD) and Quilon became the premier city of the Malabar region ahead of Travancore andCochin.[19]Kollam Port was founded by Mar Sabor atTangasseri in 825 as an alternative to reopening the inland seaport of Kore-ke-ni Kollam near Backare (Thevalakara), which was also known as Nelcynda and Tyndis to the Romans and Greeks and as Thondi to the Tamils.[19]Thambiran Vanakkam printed inTamil language in 20 October 1578 at Kollam was the first book to be published in an Indian language.[20]
Kollam city corporation receivedISO 9001:2015 certification for municipal administration and services.[21] As per the survey conducted by theEconomist Intelligence Unit (EIU) based on urban area growth during January 2020,Kollam became the tenth fastest growing city in the world with a 31.1% urban growth between 2015 and 2020.[22] It is a coastal city and on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake. The city hosts the administrative offices ofKollam 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.[23] Kollam is one of the least polluted cities in India.[24]
During the later stages of the rule of theChera monarchy in Kerala, Kollam emerged as the focal point of trade and politics. Kollam continues to be a major business and commercial centre in Kerala. Four major trading centers around Kollam areKottarakara,Punalur,Paravur, andKarunagapally. Kollam appeared asPalombe inMandeville'sTravels, where he claimed it contained aFountain of Youth.[25][26]
The popular theory is that the name "Kollam" is derived from the wordkoyillam, which is a compound ofkovilakam (meaning "Royal Palace") andillam (a traditional house ofNair nobles orBrahmins).[27] Another theory posits that the name originates from theSanskrit wordkollam, which means "pepper," as the region was historically a prominent center for the trade and export of pepper.[28]
In 825 AD, theMalayalam calendar, orKollavarsham, was created in Kollam at meetings held in the city.[29] The present Malayalam calendar is said to have begun with the re-founding of the town, which was rebuilt after its destruction by fire.
The city was known asKoolam in Arabic,[30]Coulão in Portuguese, andDesinganadu in ancient Tamil literature.[9]
As the ancient city of Quilon, Kollam was a flourishing port during thePandya dynasty (c. 3rd century BC–12th century), and later became the capital of the independentVenadu or the Kingdom of Quilon on its foundation in c. 825. Kollam was considered one of the four earlyentrepots in global sea trade during the 13th century, along with Alexandria and Cairo in Egypt, the Chinese city ofQuanzhou, andMalacca in the Malaysian archipelago.[31] It seems that trade at Kollam seems to have flourished right into the Medieval period as in 1280, there is instance of envoys ofYuan China coming to Kollam for establishing relations between the local ruler and China.[32]
The ancient political and cultural history of Kollam was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. TheChera dynasty governed the area of Malabar Coast betweenAlappuzha in the south toKasaragod in the north. This includedPalakkad Gap,Coimbatore,Salem, andKolli Hills. The region aroundCoimbatore was ruled by the Cheras duringSangam period between c. first and the fourth centuries CE and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the Malabar Coast andTamil Nadu.[33] However the southern region of present-day Kerala state (The coastal belt between Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha) was underAy dynasty, who was more related to thePandya dynasty ofMadurai than Cheras.[34]
Cosmas Indicopleustes, a GreekNestorian sailor,[35] in his book the Christian Topography[36] who visited the Malabar Coast in 550, mentions an enclave of Christian believers inMale (Malabar Coast). He writes, "In the island of Tabropane (Ceylon), there is a church of Christians, and clerics and faithful. Likewise at Male, where the pepper grows, and in the farming community of Kalliana (Kalliankal at Nillackal) there is also a bishop consecrated in Persia in accordance with the Nicea Sunnahadose of 325 AD."[37]
The port at Kollam, then known as Quilon, was founded in 825 by the Nestorian ChristiansMar Sabor and Mar Proth with sanction from Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal, the king of the independent Venadu or the State of Quilon, a feudatory under theChera kingdom.[44][45][46]
It is believed that Mar Sapor Iso also proposed that the Chera king create a new seaport near Kollam in lieu of his request that he rebuild the almost vanished inland seaport at Kollam (kore-ke-ni) near Backare (Thevalakara), also known as Nelcynda and Tyndis to the Romans and Greeks and as Thondi to the Tamils, which had been without trade for several centuries because the Cheras were overrun by thePallavas in the sixth century, ending the spice trade from the Malabar coast. This allowed the Nestorians to stay in the Chera kingdom for several decades and introduce the Christian faith among the Nampoothiri Vaishnavites and Nair sub-castes in the St. Thomas tradition, with the Syrian liturgy as a basis for the Doctrine of the Trinity, without replacing the Sanskrit and Vedic prayers.[47] TheTharisapalli plates presented to Maruvan Sapor Iso by Ayyanadikal Thiruvadikal granted the Christians the privilege of overseeing foreign trade in the city as well as control over its weights and measures in a move designed to increase Quilon's trade and wealth.[46][48]
Thus began the Malayalam Era, known as Kolla Varsham after the city, indicating the importance of Kollam in the ninth century.[46] The Persian merchant Soleyman of Siraf visited Malabar in the ninth century and found Quilon to be the only port in India used by the huge Chinese ships as their transshipment hub for goods on their way from China to the Persian Gulf. The rulers of Kollam (formerly called 'Desinganadu') had trade relations with China and exchanged embassies. According to the records of theTang dynasty (618–913),[49] Quilon was their chief port of call before the seventh century. The Chinese trade decreased about 600 and was again revived in the 13th century.Mirabilia Descripta by Bishop Catalani gives a description of life in Kollam, which he saw as the Catholic bishop-designate to Kollam, the oldest Catholic diocese in India. He also gives[50] true and imaginary descriptions of life in 'India the Major' in the period beforeMarco Polo visited the city. Sulaiman al-Tajir, a Persian merchant who visited Kerala during the reign ofSthanu Ravi Varma (9th century CE), records that there was extensive trade between Kerala and China at that time, based at the port of Kollam.[51]
Sultan of Delhi (top, flag:) and the "King of Colombo" (Kollam) at the bottom (flag:, identified as Christian due to the earlySaint Thomas Christianity there, and the Catholic mission underJordanus since 1329)[52] in the contemporaryCatalan Atlas of 1375.[53] Several of the location names are accurate.[54] The caption next to the southern king reads: "Here rules the king of Colombo, a Christian."[55]
In the 13th century CE,Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I, aPandya ruler fought a war in Venadu and captured the city of Kollam.[56] The city appears on theCatalan Atlas of 1375 CE as Columbo and Colobo. The map marks this city as a Christian city, ruled by a Christian ruler.[52]
The text above the picture of the king says:
Açí seny[o]reja lo rey Colobo, christià. Pruvíncia de Columbo (Here reigns the Lord King Colobo, Christian, Province of Columbo).[52]
The city was founded in 825 by Maruvān Sapir Iso, a PersianEast Syriac Christian merchant, and was also Christianized early by theSaint Thomas Christians. In 1329 CEPope John XXII established Kollam / Columbo as the first and only Roman Catholic bishopric on the Indian subcontinent, and appointedJordan of Catalonia, aDominican friar, as the diocese's first bishop of the Latin sect.[52]
Portuguese, Dutch and British Trade and Influences (16th to 18th centuries)
The Portuguese arrived atKappadKozhikode in 1498 during theAge of Discovery, thus opening a direct sea route from Europe to India.[57] They were the first Europeans to establish a trading center in Tangasseri, Kollam in 1502, which became the centre of their trade in pepper.[58] In the wars with the Moors/Arabs that followed, the ancient church (temple) of St Thomas Tradition at Thevalakara was destroyed. In 1517, the Portuguese built the St. Thomas Fort in Thangasseri, which was destroyed in the subsequent wars with the Dutch. In 1661, theDutch East India Company took possession of the city. The remnants of the old Portuguese Fort, later renovated by the Dutch, can be found at Thangasseri. In the 18th century, Travancore conquered Kollam, followed by the British in 1795.[59] Thangasseri remains today as an Anglo-Indian settlement, though few Anglo-Indians remain. The Infant Jesus Church in Thangasseri, an old Portuguese-built church,[60] remains as a memento of the Portuguese rule of the area.[61][62][63]
Kollam fort in 1756 after it had passed from Portuguese rule to the Dutch
TheBattle of Quilon was fought in 1809 between a troop of the Indian kingdom of Travancore led by the then Dalawa (prime minister) of Travancore,Velu Thampi Dalawa and theBritish East India Company led by Colonel Chalmers atCantonment Maidan in Quilon. The battle lasted for only six hours[64] and was the result of the East India Company's invasion of Quilon and their garrison situated near the Cantonment Maidan. The company forces won the battle while all the insurrectionist who participated in the war were court-martialed and subsequently hanged at the maidan.[65]
Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the powerfulZamorin ofKozhikode in the battle ofPurakkad in 1755.[67] The Government Secretariat was also situated in Kollam till the 1830s. It was moved to Thiruvananthapuram during the reign ofSwathi Thirunal.[68]
Excavations have gone on atKollam Port premises since February 2014. The team has uncovered arrays of antique artifacts, including Chinese porcelain and coins.[69] A Chinese team with the Palace Museum, a team from India with Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) discovered Chinese coins and artifacts that show trade links between Kollam and ancient China.[70]
Kollam city is bordered by thepanchayats ofNeendakara andThrikkaruva to the north,Mayyanad to the south, andThrikkovilvattom andKottamkara to the east, and by the Laccadive Sea to the west. Ashtamudi Lake is in the heart of the city. The city is about 71 km (44 mi) away from Thiruvananthapuram, 140 km (87 mi) away from Kochi and 350 km (220 mi) away fromKozhikode. TheNational Waterway 3 andIthikkara river are two important waterways passing through the city. The 7.7 km (4.8 mi) longKollam Canal is connecting Paravur Lake ans Ashtamudi Lake. The Kallada river, another river that flows through the suburbs of the city, empties into Ashtamudi Lake, while the Ithikkara river runs toParavur Kayal. Kattakayal, a freshwater lake in the city, connects another water-body named Vattakkayal with Lake Ashtamudi.[71][72][73] In March 2016,IndiaTimes selected Kollam as one of the nine least polluted cities on earth to which anybody can relocate.[74] Kollam is one among the top 10 most welcoming places in India for the year 2020, according toBooking.com's traveller review awards.[75]
Kollam is an ancient trading town – trading with Romans, Chinese, Arabs, and other Orientals – mentioned in historical citations dating back to Biblical times and the reign of Solomon, connecting with Red Sea ports of the Arabian Sea (supported by a find of ancient Roman coins).[76][77] There was also internal trade through theAryankavu Pass inSchenkottah Gap connecting the ancient town to Tamil Nadu. The overland trade in pepper by bullock cart and the trade over the waterways connectingAllepey and Cochin established trade linkages that enabled it to grow into one of the earliest Indian industrial townships. 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.[78]
As of the 2011[update] India census,[79] Kollam city had a population of 349,033 with a density of 5,400 persons per square kilometre. The sex ratio (the number of females per 1,000 males) was 1,112, the highest in the state. The district ofKollam ranked seventh in population in the state while the city of Kollam ranked fourth. As of 2010[update] Kollam had an average literacy rate of 93.77%,[80] higher than the national average of 74.04%. Male literacy stood at 95.83%, and female at 91.95%. In Kollam, 11% of the population was under six years of age. In May 2015,Government of Kerala have decided to expandCity Corporation of Kollam by merging Thrikkadavoor panchayath. So the area will become 73.03 km2 (28.20 sq mi) with a total city population of 384,892.[81][82]Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and official language of the city, whileTamil is understood by some sections in the city. There are also small communities ofAnglo-Indians,Konkani Brahmins,Telugu Chetty andBengalimigrant labourers settled in the city. For ease of administration,Kollam Municipal Corporation is divided into six zones with local zonal offices for each one.[83]
Distribution of religions †Includes Not Stated,Sikhism (<0.01%),Buddhism (<0.01%).
St. Antony's Church, Vaddy, built 1910
The city of Kollam is a microcosm of Kerala state with its residents belonging to varied religious, ethnic and linguistic groups.[86] There are so many ancient temples, centuries-old churches and mosques in the city and its suburbs. Kollam is aHindu majority city in Kerala. 56.35% of Kollam's total population belongs toHindu community. Moreover, theKollam Era (also known asMalayalam Era orKollavarsham orMalayalam Calendar orMalabar Era),solar andsiderealHindu calendar used in Kerala, has been originated on 825 CE (Pothu Varsham) at (Kollam) city.[87][88][89]
Muslims account for 22.05% of Kollam's total population. As per the Census 2011 data, 80,935 is the total Muslim population in Kollam.[90] The Karbala Maidan and the adjacent Makani mosque serves as the Eid gah for the city. The 300-year-old Juma-'Ath Palli at Karuva houses the mortal remains of a Sufi saint, Syed Abdur Rahman Jifri.[91][92]
Christians account for 21.17% of the total population of Kollam city.[93] TheRoman Catholic Diocese of Quilon (Kollam) is the first Catholic diocese in India. The diocese was first erected byPope John XXII on 9 August 1329. It was re-erected on 1 September 1886. The diocese covers an area of 1,950 km2 (750 sq mi) and contains a population of 4,879,553, Catholics numbering 235,922 (4.8%). The famousInfant Jesus Cathedral, 400 years old, located in Thangassery, is the co-cathedral of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Quilon.[94]CSI Kollam-Kottarakara Diocese is one of the twenty-four dioceses of the Church of South India.[95] The Headquarters of the Kerala region ofThe Pentecostal Mission for Kottarakkara, is in Kollam.
The Kerala Government has decided to develop the City of Kollam as a "Port City of Kerala". Regeneration of theMaruthadi-Eravipuram area including construction of facilities for fishing, tourism and entertainment projects will be implemented as part of the project.[100]
The city life of Kollam has changed in the last decade. In terms of economic performance andper capita income, Kollam city is in fifth position from India andthird in Kerala.[101] Kollam is famous as a city with excellent export background.[102]
Dairy farming is fairly well developed. Also there is a chilling plant in the city. Kollam is an important maritime and port city. Fishing has a place in the economy of the district. Neendakara andSakthikulangara villages in the suburbs of the city have fisheries. An estimated 134,973 persons are engaged in fishing and allied activities. Cheriazheekkal, Alappad, Pandarathuruthu, Puthenthura,Neendakara, Thangasseri,Eravipuram and Paravur are eight of the 26 important fishing villages. There are 24 inland fishing villages. The Government has initiated steps for establishing a fishing harbour at Neendakara. Average fish landing is estimated at 85,275 tonnes per year. One-third of the state's fish catch is from Kollam. Nearly 3000 mechanised boats are operating from the fishing harbour. FFDA and VFFDA promote fresh water fish culture and prawn farming respectively. A fishing village with 100 houses is being built at Eravipuram. A prawn farm is being built atAyiramthengu, and several new hatcheries are planned to cater to the needs of the aquaculturists. Kerala's only turkey farm and a regional poultry farm are atKureepuzha.[103]
There are two Central Government industrial operations in the city, the Indian Rare Earths, Chavara andParvathi Mills Ltd., Kollam. Kerala Ceramics Ltd. inKundara, Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Company inKundara, Kerala Premo Pipe factory in Chavara, Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited in Chavara and United Electrical Industries in Kollam are Kerala Government-owned companies. Other major industries in the private/cooperative sector are Aluminium Industries Ltd. inKundara, Thomas Stephen & Co. in Kollam, Floorco in Paravur and Cooperative Spinning Mill in Chathannoor.[104]
Technopark Kollam
Besides large deposits of China clay in Kundara, Mulavana and Chathannoor, there are also lime-shell deposits in Ashtamudi Lake and Bauxite deposits in Adichanallur.[105]
Known as the "Cashew Capital of the World", Kollam is noted for its traditional cashew business and is home to more than 600 cashew-processing units. Every year, about 800,000 tonnes of raw cashews are imported into the city for processing[106] and an average of 130,000 tonnes of processed cashews are exported to various countries worldwide.[107] TheCashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) expects a rise in exports to 275,000 tonnes by 2020, an increase of 120 per cent over the current figure.[108] TheKerala State Cashew Development Corporation Limited (KSCDC) is situated atMundakkal in Kollam city. The company owns 30 cashew factories all across Kerala. Of these, 24 are located in Kollam district.[109][110]
Kollam Fest is Kollam's own annual festival, attracting mostly Keralites but also hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists to Kollam. The main venue of Kollam Fest is the historic and gigantic Ashramam Maidan. Kollam Fest is the signature event of Kollam. Kollam Fest seeks to showcase Kollam's rich culture and heritage, tourism potential and investments in new ventures.[115]
ThePresident's Trophy Boat Race (PTBR) is an annual regatta held in Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam. The event was inaugurated by President Prathibha Patil in September 2011. The event has been rescheduled from 2012.[116][117]
Chavara Thekkumbhagom bridge near Kollam City - This bridge had given a new way of connectivity for the people of Thekkumbhagom with Kollam City along with the existing boat services.
Kollam Bypass - The 13.141 km (8.165 mi) long Kollam Bypass project was actually planned in 1975 but work was delayed due to political and financial issues.
Kollam KSRTC Bus Station is situated at the banks of famous Ashtamudi Lake. One of the main bus stations in the state, it is still waiting to get a makeover.
Traffic on the Thevally Bridge connecting Thevally to Kottayathukadavu, overNational Waterway 3, Ashtamudi Lake
Kollam Junction is the second largest railway station in Kerala in terms of area with a total of 6 platforms and 17 rail tracks. Other railway stations in Kollam city areEravipuram, andKilikollur. Kollam Junction has the world's third longest railway platform, measuring 1180.5 meters (3873 ft).[120]
Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) has a car maintenance shed at Kollam Junction. The MEMU train services connects Kollam with Ernakulam (via Alappuzha and Kottayam), Punalur (via Kottarakkara), and Kanniyakumari (via Thiruvananthapuram).[121]
Double decker luxury boats run between Kollam and Allepey daily. Luxury boats, operated by the government and private owners, operate from the main boat jetty during the tourist season. The West coast canal system, which starts from Thiruvananthapuram in the south and ends atHosdurg in the north, passes throughParavur, the city of Kollam and Karunagappally taluk.[123][124]
Kollam Port is one of the major ports in Kerala. Cargo handling facilities began operation in 2013.[125] Foreign ships arrive in the port regularly with the MV Alina, a 145-metre (476 ft) vessel registered in Antigua anchored at the port on 4April 2014.[126] Once the Port starts functioning in full-fledged, it will make the transportation activities of Kollam-based cashew companies more easy.[127] Shreyas Shipping Company is now running a regular container service betweenKollam Port andKochi Port.[128][129]
The city corporation of Kollam is served by theThiruvananthapuram International Airport, which is about 56 kilometers from the city via NH66. Trivandrum International Airport is the first international airport in a non-metro city in India.[130]
There are many respected colleges, schools and learning centres in Kollam. The city and suburbs contribute greatly to education by providing the best and latest knowledge to the scholars.Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering, the first private school of its kind in the state, is atKilikollur, about 7 km (4.3 mi) east of Kollam city, and is a source of pride for all Kollamites. The Government of Kerala has granted academic autonomy toFatima Mata National College, another prestigious institution in the city.[131]
Kerala State Institute of Design (KSID), a design institute under Department of labour and Skills,Government of Kerala, is located at Chandanathope in Kollam. It was established in 2008 and was one of the first state-owned design institutes in India. KSID currently conducts Post Graduate Diploma Programs in Design developed in association withNational Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.[132][133]
Apart from colleges, there are a number of bank coaching centres in Kollam.[138] Kollam is known as India's hub for bank test coaching centres, with around 40 such institutes in the district.[139]
Cricket is the most popular sport, followed by hockey and football. Kollam is home to a number of local cricket, hockey and football teams participating in district, state-level and zone matches. AnInternational Hockey Stadium with astro-turf facility is there atAsramam in the city, built at a cost of Rs. 13 crore.[140] The land for the construction of the stadium was taken over from the Postal Department at Asramam, Kollam. The city has another stadium named theLal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Kollam. It is a multipurpose stadium and has repeatedly hosted such sports events as the Ranji Trophy, Santhosh Trophy and National Games.[141] Two open grounds in the city, theAsramam Maidan andPeeranki Maidan, are also used for sports events, practice and warm-up matches.
Ammachiveedu Murti Temple is another major temple in the city that have been founded around 600 years ago by the Ammachi Veedu family, aristocrats from Kollam.[143][144]
Kottankulangara Devi Temple is one of the world-famous Hindu temples in Kerala were cross-dressing of men forChamayavilakku ritual is a part of traditional festivities. The men also carry large lamps. The first of the two-day dressing event drew to a close early on Monday.[146]
Kottukadu Juma Masjid in Chavara, Elampalloor Juma-A-Masjid, Valiyapalli in Jonakappuram,Chinnakada Juma Masjid, Juma-'Ath Palli in Kollurvila, Juma-'Ath Palli inThattamala and Koivila Juma Masjid in Chavara are the other major Mosques in Kollam.[161][162]
^Kohanski, Tamarah & Benson, C. David (Eds.)The Book of John Mandeville. Medieval Institute Publications (Kalamazoo), 2007. Op. cit. "Indexed Glossary of Proper Names". Accessed 24 September 2011.
^ending with the Royal sanction of Tarissapalli copper plates to Assyrian Monks by Vaishnaite Chera King Rajashekara Varma, against the backdrop of a Shivite revival led by Adi Shankara among the Nampoothiri communitiesKerala government websiteArchived 21 November 2007 at theWayback Machine
Ring, Trudy (1994).International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania, Volume 5. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.ISBN978-1-884964-05-3.
Chan, Hok-lam (1998). "The Chien-wen, Yung-lo, Hung-hsi, and Hsüan-te reigns, 1399–1435".The Cambridge History of China, Volume 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-24332-2.
Lin (2007).Zheng He's Voyages Down the Western Seas. Fujian Province: China Intercontinental Press.ISBN978-7-5085-0707-1.
Travancore Archaeological Series (T.A.S.) Vol. 6 p. 15
Diaries and writings of Mathai Kathanar, the 24th generation priest of Thulaserry Manapurathu, based on the ancestral documents and Thaliyolagrandha handed down through generations
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