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Kollam district Quilon district | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname: Cashew capital of the world | |
 Location in Kerala | |
 Kollam district | |
| Coordinates:8°48′N76°36′E / 8.8°N 76.6°E /8.8; 76.6 | |
| Country | India |
| State | Kerala |
| Revenue divisions | 2
|
| Taluks | 6
|
| Established | 1956 |
| Headquarters | Kollam |
| Government | |
| • Collector | Devidas.N IAS[1] |
| • City Police Commissioner | Narayanan T IPS[2] |
| • District Police Chief Kollam Rural SP | Sabu Mathew KM IPS[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,491 km2 (962 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 8th |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 2,635,375 |
| • Density | 1,058/km2 (2,740/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Postal code | 691XXX |
| Vehicle registration |
|
| HDI(2005) |  0.787[4] ( High) |
| Sex ratio | 1113♂/♀ |
| Local governments | 85
|
| Literacy | 93.77%[5] |
| Website | www |
Kollam district (Malayalam:[kolːɐm]ⓘ), (formerly known asQuilon district) is one of 14districts of the state ofKerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a majorLaccadive Seaseaport and an inland lake (Ashtamudi Lake). The district has many water bodies.Kallada River is one among them, and land on the east bank of the river is East Kallada and that on the west bank is West Kallada.
In 825 CE, theMalayalam calendar, orKollavarsham, was created in Kollam at meetings held in the city.[6] 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,[7]Coulão in Portuguese, andDesinganadu in ancient Tamil literature.
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Kallada Boat race is one of the famous festival events of the district. Even though it is a competition between two land sides of the river, many boat clubs from various places, even beyond the district participate in the event. Kollam is known as the capital of Kerala'scashew industry. Plains, mountains, lakes, lagoons, andbackwaters, forests, farmland and rivers make up the topography of the district. The area had trading relationships withPhoenicia andAncient Rome.[citation needed]
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Kollam's temperature is almost steady throughout the year. The average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May; themonsoon begins by June and ends by September. Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around 2,700 millimetres (110 in).
It receives both southwest and northeast monsoons. Winter is from November to February; the temperature is moderately cool, ranging from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius.[8]
| Climate data for Kollam (Quilon)[8] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32 (90) | 33 (91) | 33 (91) | 33 (91) | 33 (91) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 32 (90) | 33 (91) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22 (72) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 24.4 (0.96) | 30.9 (1.22) | 77.7 (3.06) | 159.5 (6.28) | 246.9 (9.72) | 458.8 (18.06) | 408.9 (16.10) | 258.9 (10.19) | 211.2 (8.31) | 332.5 (13.09) | 230.8 (9.09) | 65.4 (2.57) | 2,700 (106.30) |
| Source 1:[9] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:[10] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 406,013 | — |
| 1911 | 465,684 | +1.38% |
| 1921 | 552,333 | +1.72% |
| 1931 | 698,041 | +2.37% |
| 1941 | 856,585 | +2.07% |
| 1951 | 1,110,362 | +2.63% |
| 1961 | 1,461,103 | +2.78% |
| 1971 | 1,839,265 | +2.33% |
| 1981 | 2,175,339 | +1.69% |
| 1991 | 2,407,566 | +1.02% |
| 2001 | 2,585,208 | +0.71% |
| 2011 | 2,635,375 | +0.19% |
| source:[11] | ||
According to the2011 census Kollam district has apopulation of 2,635,375,[12] roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait[13] or the US state ofNevada.[14] This gives it a ranking of 155th in India (out of a total of640 districts).[12] The district has a population density of 1,056 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,740/sq mi) .[12] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 1.72 percent.[12] Kollam has asex ratio of 1113females for every 1000 males. The total literacy rate of Kollam district was 94.09%. The male literacy rate was 96.09% and the female literacy rate was 92.31% in Kollam district. 45.05% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 12.46% and 0.41% of the population respectively.[12]
Malayalam is the predominant language, spoken by 99.10% of the population. Small minorities ofTamil speakers live in Koovakkad village and bordering areas[15]
The KollamUrban Agglomeration (UA) is the 6th most populous UA in the state. Kollam is placed 49th in thelist of most populous urban agglomerations in India. The total urban population of the entire district is 1,187,158.[5] The metropolitan area of Kollam includesAdichanalloor,Adinad,Ayanivelikulangara,Chavara,Elampalloor,Eravipuram (part),Karunagappally,Kollam,Kundara,Kulasekharapuram,Mayyanad,Meenad,Nedumpana,Neendakara,Oachira,Panayam,Panmana,Paravur,Perinad,Poothakkulam,Thazhuthala,Thodiyoor,Thrikkadavoor,Thrikkaruva,Thrikkovilvattom, andVadakkumthala.[16]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 64.42% | |||
| Islam | 19.30% | |||
| Christianity | 16.00% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.28% | |||
Hinduism (64.42%) is practised by majority of the people in Kollam district of whichNair (32%) andEzhava (30.5%) are the largest sub groups.Islam (19.3%) is the second largest religion. Kollam is the only district in Southern Kerala where Muslims outnumber Christians. Despite this Kollam has a significant Christian population too (16%) among this theLatin Catholics (38.5%),Malankara Orthodox (36.1) andMarthoma Church (15.8%) form the majority.[18]
| Hindu Castes | Percentage | Christian Denominations | Percentage | Muslim Sects | Percentage |
| Nair | 32 | Sunni | 100 | ||
| Ezhava | 30.5 | Syro-Malankara Catholics | 4.3 | ||
| Brahmin | 2 | Latin Catholics | 38.5 | ||
| Nadar | 0.4 | ||||
| Viswakarma | 7.7 | Orthodox | 36.1 | ||
| Schedule Caste | 16.9 | Mar Thoma | 15.8 | ||
| Schedule Tribe | 2.1 | ||||
| Others | 8.4 | Dalit Christians | 1.3 | ||
| Others | 4.0 | ||||
TOTAL | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Rank | Taluk | Pop. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kollam* | Kollam | 397,419 | ||||||
| 2 | Karunagappally | Karunagappally | 49,604 | ||||||
| 3 | Punalur | Punalur | 46,702 | ||||||
| 4 | Chavara | Karunagappally | 42,655 | ||||||
| 5 | Mayyanad | Kollam | 40,039 | ||||||
| 6 | Paravur | Kollam | 37,245 | ||||||
| 7 | Kundara | Kollam | 33,959 | ||||||
| 8 | Kottarakkara | Kottarakkara | 29,788 | ||||||
| 9 | Ochira | Karunagappally | 28,412 | ||||||
| 10 | Chathannoor | Kollam | 28,029 | ||||||
*In 2015, the area of Kollam municipal corporation increased by merging Thrikkadavoor panchayat*The area of Karunagapally municipality has expanded by merging Ayanivelikulangara village.
The history of the district's administration can be traced back to 1835, when theTravancore state consisted of two revenue divisions with headquarters at Kollam andKottayam. When Travancore and Cochin were combined intoTravancore-Cochin, Kollam was one of the three revenue divisions. When the state of Kerala was formed in 1957, half portion ofChenkottataluk was merged with the state ofMadras. Later in 1957, the Cherthala, Ambalapuzha, Mavelikara, Karthikapalli, Chengannur and Thiruvalla taluks (formerly in Kollam district) were united to form the new district ofAlappuzha. In 1983, Pathanamthitta taluk and Adoor taluk and seven villages of Kunnathur taluk were removed from Kollam district to form the newPathanamthitta district.[20][better source needed]
| No. | Constituency (Kollam city area) | Elected Representative | Political Party | Political Front |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kollam | Mukesh | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 2 | Chavara | Dr Sujith Vijayan Pillai | CMP(A) | LDF |
| 3 | Eravipuram | M. Noushad | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 4 | Karunagappally | C. R Mahesh | INC | UDF |
| 5 | Kunnathur | Kovoor Kunjumon | RSP(L) | LDF |
| 6 | Kottarakkara | K. N Balagopal | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 7 | Pathanapuram | K. B. Ganesh Kumar | KC(B) | LDF |
| 8 | Punalur | P.S.Supal | CPI | LDF |
| 9 | Chadayamangalam | J. Chinchu Rani | CPI | LDF |
| 10 | Kundara | P. C Vishnunadh | INC | UDF |
| 11 | Chathannoor | G. S. Jayalal | CPI | LDF |
| Source: Elections.in[21] | ||||
Police administration in Kollam is divided into two districts: urban and rural. The City Police is headed by a City Police Commissioner, an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer with the rank of SP; its headquarters is at Kollam. The rural police is headed by the Rural Superintendent of Police (SP), with its headquarters at Kottarakkara. Both heads report to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Thiruvananthapuram Range (Kerala).
The Kollam City Police is divided into three subdivisions, each under an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP): Karunagappally, Kollam and Chathannoor. Each subdivision is divided into circles, headed by the Circle Inspector of Police. Each circle is divided into a number of police stations, headed by a Sub-Inspector of Police. The Kollam Rural Police District is divided into two subdivisions, each under an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP)/ Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP): Kottarakkara andPunalur. There are a total of 29 police stations, in 13 circles. Kollam city traffic is controlled by the City Traffic Police, with a Traffic Police Station located near the Asramam Ground.Kerala's first coastal police station was established in Neendakara, Kollam.[22]
The first police museum in India-TheSardar Vallabhbhai Patel Police Museum has a large collection of police artefacts and rare photographs. The museum has a room dedicated to officers martyred in the line of duty.[22] The forensic section has a large collection of photographs. The museum is located at the Kollam East Police Station.
Administratively Kollam District is composed of two Revenue Divisions, viz Kollam and Punalur with three Taluks each under them.
2) Punalur
Kollam is administratively divided into 6 taluks. They are Kollam, Karunagappally, Kunnathur, Kottarakkara, Punalur and Pathanapuram, which are subdivided into 104 villages. Thetahsildar is the revenue official in charge of each taluk.
| Taluk | Headquarters |
|---|---|
| Kollam Taluk | Kollam |
| Karunagappally Taluk | Karunagappally |
| Kunnathur Taluk | Sasthamkotta |
| Kottarakkara Taluk | Kottarakkara |
| Punalur Taluk | Punalur |
| Pathanapuram Taluk | Pathanapuram |
There are four municipalities in Kollam District.Punalur,Paravur,Karunagappally andKottarakkara are the municipalities. There is a long-standing demand for upgradingPathanapuram &Anchal panchayaths into municipal status.
Places adjacent to Kollam district | |
|---|---|
Kollam district has threeLok Sabha (lower house) constituencies. They include theChavara,Kundara,Eravipuram,Kollam,Chathannoor,Chadayamangalam andPunalur assembly constituencies. While theKunnathur,Kottarakkara andPathanapuram constituencies are in theMavelikara Lok Sabha constituency, theKarunagapally assembly constituency is in theAlappuzha Lok Sabha constituency.
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Kollam is connected by bus and train service.[23][24] It is also connected to neighbouring states by bus service operated by theKerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) andIndian Railways.[23][24] These are theKSRTC Depots & Sub Depots & Operating Centres (OC) in the district:
The district is connected to other parts of Kerala and India through theNational Highways – NH 66 (earlier NH 47),NH 183 (earlier NH 220),NH 744 (earlier NH 208). The state highway -Main Central Road (MC Road) andPunalur-Pathanamthitta-MuvattupuzhaMain Eastern Highway — connects Kollam with other districts. Intrastate road transportation is served by theKSRTC, Tamil Nadu State Transport and Karnataka State Transport Companies. KSRTC Interstate bus service operates from theKollam andKottarakkaraKSRTC bus stations.Kollam zone ofKSRTC is now the second most revenue generating zone inKerala.[25]
Kollam Junction railway station (QLN) is the one and only rail head in the district. A total of 128 short & long-distance services (including weekly) and 10 services ofMEMU are running throughKollam Junction railway station. A most modern MEMU maintenance shed is working in the railway station premises ofKollam city. In addition to that, there are some other major railway stations in the district namelyPunalur (PUU),Karunagappalli (KPY),Paravur (PVU),Sasthamkotta (STKT),Kottarakara (KKZ) andKundara (KUV).The district has a good railway network, with 25 stations and about 132 kilometres (82 mi) of track. Kollam district boasts the record of having most numbers of railway stations in the state.[26]
| Ochira | Karunagapalli | Sasthamkotta |
| Munrothuruthu | Perinad | Kollam Junction |
| Eravipuram | Mayyanad | Paravur |
| Kilikollur | Chandanathoppe | Kundara |
| Kundara East | Ezhukone | Kottarakkara |
| Kuri | Avaneeswaram | Punalur |
| Edamon | Ottakkal | Thenmala |
| Kazhuthurutty | Edappalayam | Aryankavu[26][27][28] |
Trains from here connect the city of Kollam to major cities of India, includingNew Delhi,Bangalore,Chennai,Indore,Bhopal,Hyderabad,Thiruvananthapuram,Mumbai,Madurai,Vizag,Jammu,Howrah,Guwahati,Madgaon,Itarsi,Hubli,Ahmedabad,Kanyakumari,Gwalior,Nagpur,Pune,Kota,Bhubaneswar,Gorakhpur,Kochi,Kozhikode,Amritsar,Vijayawada,Coimbatore,Chandigarh andMangalore. There are also passenger services running inKollam–Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam–Ernakulam and Kollam–Punalur routes.[29]
The district is having a fairly good network of waterways. TheState Water Transport Department operates boat services toWest Kallada,Munroe Island and Alappuzha. Double decker luxury boats run between Kollam andAllepey daily. Luxury boats, operated by 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 atKanhangad in the north, passes throughParavur, the city of Kollam and Karunagappally taluk. The Thiruvananthapuram-Shornurcanal, which forms a part of the Thiruvananthapuram-Hosdurg system, runs a distance of about 62 km. The other canal systems include theParavur Kayal,Kollam Canal andChavara canal.[30][31] The waterways are popular attractions and scenic tourist destinations in the area. The Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) has an operating centre near the KSRTC bus stand.[32][33] Tourists may hire motorised country boats and houseboats with amenities (Kettavulam inMalayalam) to cruise along the waterways.[34]
The cashew industry is centralised in this district. Kollam is approved by the central government as a "centre of cashew industry". Most workers in this industry are women; among them, a majority comes from the poorer sections of the society. There are several cashew-processing units in the district. The Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation Ltd., a Government of Kerala undertaking, has its headquarters in Kollam and serves as a model agency for the cashew-processing industry. The corporation has 30 cashew factories and employs more than 20,000 workers. Another government organisation in this field is CAPEX, which is part of the cooperative sector and has 10 cashew factories.[35][failed verification] Coir production, handloom industry, clay and wood-based industries contribute to the industrial health of the region.[36]
According to the Government of Kerala estimates 81,438 hectares (314.43 sq mi) of land is under forest cover, mainly in the eastern portion of the district (including the Thenmala, Punalur, and a portion of the Achencoil forest divisions). The Thenmala Range, Aryankavu Range, andShendurney Wildlife Sanctuary comprise the Thenmala division and the Achencoil, Kallar, and Kanayar Ranges make up the Achencoil division. The Pathanapuram and Anchal Ranges constitute the Punalur division.
TheShendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, 66 kilometres (41 mi) from Kollam, is situated on the southern part of the Western Ghats (8°50' and 8°55'N; 77°5'and 77°15'E) in the Punalur taluk of the district.[37] The name "Shenduruny" is derived from the name of a tree species locally called "Shenkuruny" or "Chenkuruny" (Gluta travancorica), a tree mainly found in this area. An artificial lake of about 26 square kilometres (10 sq mi) has developed following the construction of a dam across theKallada River. Remnants ofStone Age culture from a large cave situated at the northwestern part of the Shenduruny River were excavated from this sanctuary.[37] These remains belong to theMesolithic period.
This tropical rain forest has a wide variety of wildlife, and some endangered species are found here. Species found in the sanctuary includetiger,bonnet andlion-tailed macaques,Nilgiri langur,gaur (or Indian bison),sambar deer,muntjac (or barking deer),Indian spotted chevrotain (or mouse deer),wild boar,Indian elephant and different species ofsquirrels, such as theIndian giant andIndian palm squirrels.[37]
The western portion of Kollam is bordered by theLaccadive Sea. Kollam's coastline is 37.3 kilometres (23.2 mi), 6.3 percent of Kerala's total coastline.Neendakara and Sakthikulangara are important fishing villages. There are an estimated 26 villages whose livelihood depends entirely on fishing. Cheriazheekkal,Alappad, Pandarathuruthu, Puthenthura, Neendakara, Thangasseri,Eravipuram andParavoor are among the prominent fishing villages.[38]One-third of Kerala's fish production (including 60 percent of itsprawn catch) is contributed by Kollam, whose average fish production is estimated at 5,275 tonnes. Nearly 3,000 mechanised boats operate out of its fishing harbour.[38]
Jadayu earth centre,Palaruvi Falls,Thenmala (forests and reservoir), theAgasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Ashtamudi (backwater) and beaches at Kollam,Thirumullavaram and Thangassery are scenic areas.
Ashramam Tourist Village is a well-known tourist destination in Kollam city; the tourist village is located on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake. Ashramam is a hub of tourism activities in Kollam, and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) office is located within the village.
TheAsramam Maidan (Ashramam ground), adjacent to the tourist village, is the largest open space within a Kerala municipal corporation. It is used for events, sports, as a helipad, forKollam Pooram and by driving schools. It covers over 60 acres (24 ha) in an oval.
The first community tourism program in the state is being established on theMunroethuruth islands. Backwater tourism is an activity enjoyed in Kollam; Ashtamudi Lake,Paravur, Munroe Island, andAlumkadavu are the main backwater destinations. Accommodation is in resorts and on houseboats.
Thenmala, located 66 kilometres (41 mi) east of Kollam, is the firstecotourism project in India and run by the Thenmala Ecotourism Promotion Society.[39][40][41]
Kollam was the seat of the Desinganad kings. Kottarakara is well known as the place where a new version of the classical dance form ofKathakali was conceived. It was also the capital of theElayidath Swaroopam. Kundara is known for the 1812 proclamation against the British byVelu Thampi Dalawa.[36]
Alappad village, located on the seashore, was impacted by the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.Varkala Beach (also known as Papanasham) is 26 kilometres (16 mi) south of Kollam. The Duriyodana Temple is in Kunnathur Taluk. The Sakthikulangara Dharma Sastha Temple-Sree Ayyappa Swamy Temple is known for itsUtsavam in the month ofMakaram (between mid-January and mid-February).
Polachira, in Chirakkara Gramapanchayat, is a sightseeing destination. TheAnathavalam is near here where one can see domestic elephants, touch and ride them.Mannathippara is at Polachira, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Chathannoor.Sasthamcotta Lake, about 19 kilometres (12 mi) from Kollam, is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala and a domestic tourist destination.[42]
Jetayu Para, a large boulder, is located in Chadayamangalam; it is named for a mythical character in theRamayana. It is believed that Jatayu fell here, after his failed attempt to stopRavana.[42][43]
Kulathupuzha Forest Museum, a forestry museum inKulathupuzha, is the first and largest forest museum in Kerala.[44][45] Kerala Forest MinisterA. K. Saseendran inaugurated the museum and opened to public in August 18, 2023.[46]
Kuwait 2,595,62
Nevada 2,700,551
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