Kottayam district | |
|---|---|
  .jpg)    Clockwise from top: Kumarakom,Malarikkal,Nair Service Society atChanganassery,SB CollegeChanganassery,CMS College Kottayam, andVaikom Boat Jetty. | |
 Location inKerala | |
 Kottayam district | |
| Coordinates:9°35′42″N76°31′52″E / 9.595°N 76.531°E /9.595; 76.531 | |
| Country | India |
| State | Kerala |
| Established | 1 July 1949 |
| Headquarters | Kottayam |
| Government | |
| • Collector | Chethan Kumar Meena IAS[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,208 km2 (853 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 10th |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,974,551 |
| • Density | 894.3/km2 (2,316/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Postal code | 686*** |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL |
| Vehicle registration | KL-05Kottayam, KL-33Changanassery, KL-34Kanjirappally, KL-35Pala, KL-36Vaikom, KL-67Uzhavoor |
| HDI(2005) |  0.796[2] ( High) |
| Website | kottayam |
Kottayam district (IPA:[koːʈːɐjɐm]ⓘ) is one of14 districts in theIndian state ofKerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns:Kottayam,Changanassery,Pala,Erattupetta,Ettumanoor, andVaikom. Situated in the south-central part of Kerala, Kottayam shares its borders with Ernakulam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts. It is the onlydistrict in Kerala that does not border either the Arabian Sea or another Indian state.
The district is bordered by hills in the east, and theVembanad Lake andpaddy fields ofKuttanad on the west. The area's geographic features include paddy fields, highlands, and hills. As of the 2011 census, 28.6% of the district's residents live in urban areas, and it reports a 97.2%literacy rate.[3] In 2008, the district became the first tobacco-free district in India.[4] Kottayam registered the lowestMultidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) of zero among all districts of India, indicating no deprivation as per the report published byOxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative andUNDP for districts across India.[5] The district's headquarters are based in the city of Kottayam.
Hindustan Newsprint Limited andRubber Board are two central government organizations located in the district. The headquarters of two religious communities in Kerala are also in the Kottayam District:Nair Service Society and theIndian Orthodox Church.
The name Kottayam is a combination of the words "kotta" and "akam" in the local language ofMalayalam, meaning "interior of a fort".[citation needed]
A substantial portion of Kottayam district may have been under theArabian Sea during prehistoric times. Marine fossils have been found in an area nearChanganassery, thus supporting the hypothesis.[6]
However, there are archaeological evidences of the early human inhabitation period of this district, including ancient fossils, stone inscriptions and monuments, in the archeological sites like the excavation sites, the caves, the temples, etc. The literary works of theSangam period also help to take a look into the ancient period of the district.[6]
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Early members of theChera dynasty (first few centuries of theCommon Era) had their original headquarters in a region calledKuzhamur atKuttanad in the ancientTamilakam and were sometimes known as theKuttuvans.[6] TheChera dynasty is mentioned asKeralaputras in the inscriptions of the emperorAshoka of theMaurya Empire (322BCE – 184 BCE).[6]
The provinceKuttanad of the ancient kingdom ofKeralaputras included the modern-day districts ofKottayam,Ernakulam,Idukki, and parts ofAlappuzha, which can be defined as the region between the riversPeriyar andPamba.[6] It was bounded by theAy kingdom to the south, which included the regions betweenPamba River andKanyakumari (Cape Comorin), and the province ofKudanad, which lies between the riversPeriyar andChaliyar (modern-day districts ofThrissur,Palakkad, andMalappuram), to the north.[6]
It was during the reign ofUthiyan Cheralathan (105–130 CE) that theChera dynasty began to expand towards the northern and the eastern regions ofKuttanad by conquering the provinces ofKudanadu andKongu Nadu.[6] Afterwards the dynasty got split into three branches and fixed their capitals atMuziris,Tyndis, andCaroura, respectively, as seen in the ancientGreco-Roman travelogues as well as theOld Tamil literary works of theSangam period.[6] During the reign ofNarmudi Cheral, the regions included in theKingdom of Ezhimala was also added to the Chera empire.[6]
The ancient Chera empire collapsed due to the continuous invasions carried out by theKalabhras, thePallavas, theChalukyas, thePandyas, and theRashtrakutas during the period between 500 CE and 800 CE for nearly three centuries.[6] This era marked the migration ofNambudiriBrahmins into the district, which later led to a transformation in the social structure of the region after the 10th century CE.[6] The ancient prominent religions in the district likeBuddhism began to vanish after the 10th century CE.Sri Mulavasam was a prominent centre ofBuddhism in theIndian peninsula until the early medieval period, prior to the Chera-Chola wars of the 11th century CE.[6]
The regions included in the modern-day district ofKottayam is described well in the medieval Kerala literature which includes works written in bothMalayalam andSanskrit.[6] The 14th centurySanskrit workSukasandesam describes aboutKaduthuruthy.[6] Similarly the 17th century Sanskrit workBhramara Sandesam contains details aboutKumaranalloor andVaikom.[6] The 18th century Sanskrit literary workChathaka Sandesam also contains references toVaikom.[6]
Unnuneeli Sandesam, a work which belongs to theMalayalam literature written during early decades of the 14th century CE, contains a short geographical and political description of the regions and the medievalfeudal states that lied betweenKaduthuruthy andThiruvananthapuram.[6] It contains details about the medieval kingdoms ofThekkumkur (1102–1749) andVadakkumkur (1102–1750) those together constitute the modern district ofKottayam.[6]
The writings and the records of thePortuguese as well as theDutch, who visited and interfered in the political affairs of the district after theAge of Discovery (1498 CE), such as theHortus Malabaricus, contain significant information about the geographical and the political conditions of the region during the late medieval period.[6]
The area included in the modern-day district ofKottayam was part of threeNadus (provinces) during the period of theChera Perumals of Mahodayapuram (800–1102CE) for nearly three centuries.[6] The region around the city ofKottayam was known asMunjunadu, while theVaikom-Meenachil region, which lies to the north ofMunjunadu was included in a province calledVempolinadu (known asBimbali Desam in Sanskrit).[6] The third province was theNantuzhainadu which constitutes the modern-dayTaluks ofChanganassery andThiruvalla.[6] This period saw the decline ofBuddhism andJainism, which were once prominent in the region, along with the growth ofHinduism characterised by a large-scale migration of theNambudiriBrahmins into the region.[6]
The territory of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram disintegrated into several smallfeudal states by early 12th century CE as a result of the continuous war that occurred between the Chera Perumals and theMedieval Cholas throughout the 11th century CE.[6]
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TheVazhappally copper plate (c. 882/83 CE[7]) is a copper plate inscription written inOld Malayalam language that dates back to the 9th century CE found atVazhappally in Kottayam district.[8][9] Recent scholarship puts the date of the plate in c. 882/83 CE.[10] The inscription is engraved on a single copper plate (with five lines on both sides) in an early form of theOld Malayalam language inVatteluttu script with someGrantha characters. The contents of the plate are incomplete.[8] The inscription was discovered by V. Srinivasa Sastri fromThalamana Illam nearChanganassery.[11] The plate is owned byMuvidathu Madom,Thiruvalla.[8] The record is dated to the twelfthregnal year of Chera Perumal kingRama Rajasekhara (882/83 CE).[10]
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Inscriptions related toRama Kulasekhara (1089–1123 CE) of Chera Perumal dynasty can be found atPerunna nearChanganassery.[13] ThePerunna inscription dates back to the year 1099 CE (the 10th regional year of Rama Kulasekhara).[12]
The provinceVempolinadu (Bimbali Desam) of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram attained political autonomy in 1102 CE following the Chera-Chola wars of the 11th century CE.[6] TheVempolinadu royal family got evolved into two independent branches by the 12th century CE – the southern branch among them later came to be known as the kingdom ofThekkumkur.[6] It included the modern-dayTaluks ofChanganassery,Kanjirappally,Kottayam, andThiruvalla.[6] The kings of the Thekkumkur dynasty are described by the titlesBimbaleeshas andManikandas in the Sanskrit literary works.[6]Vennimala andManikandapuram were the early headquarters of the Thekkumkur dynasty.[6] Later it was transferred toThazhathangady near the town ofKottayam.[6] Thazhathangady is one of the places in Kerala where a church, a mosque, and a Hindu temple co-exist together, which points out the religious harmony that existed under theThekkumkur Rajas. At times, the town ofChanganassery acted as headquarters of the Thekkumkur dynasty.[6]
TheThekkumkur Rajas were vassals to theKingdom of Cochin until the mid-18th century CE.[6] Thekkumkur Rajas also allied with theKingdom of Cochin and the Kingdom ofOdanad (Kayamkulam) against the military invasions of the kingdom ofTravancore into its northern kingdoms that occurred during the 1740s.[6] As a result, Anizham ThirunalMarthanda Varma, the architect of the modern Travancore, attacked and annexed the kingdom ofThekkumkur into Travancore in 1749 during theBattle of Changanassery, after his annexation ofKayamkulam in 1746.[6] The Thekkumkur king took refuge in the kingdom of theZamorin of Calicut following his defeat in the battle.[6]
Vadakkumkur was the northern branch of the erstwhile province ofVempolinadu which attained political autonomy in 1102 CE after the collapse of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram.[6] The rulers of this dynasty were also known by the titlesBimbaleeshas andManikandas in the contemporary Sanskrit works just like theirThekkumkur counterparts. The kingdom ofVadakkumkur included the modern-day Taluks ofEttumanoor andVaikom along with a portion of theMeenachil Taluk.[6]Kaduthuruthy was the earlier headquarters of theVadakkumkur dynasty which was later transferred intoVaikom.[6] Vadakkumkur was a vassal state of theKingdom of Cochin until 1750.[6]
ThePortuguese explorers describedVadakkumkur as "The Pepper country" due to the availability and high scale production of good quality pepper there during the 16th century CE.[6] TheDutch Malabar who became an influential power in the territory of Vadakkumkur during the 17th century CE and the first half of the 18th century CE had a trade centre atVechoor (inVaikomtaluk) in Vadakkumkur.[6] The Kingdom ofKizhmalanadu (1102–1600), which had included the modern-day Taluks ofMuvattupuzha andThodupuzha with its headquarters at Karikode near Thodupuzha, merged with the kingdom ofVadakkumkur around 1600 CE.[6]
Vadakkumkur Raja was also a part of the combined military alliance formed by the kingdoms ofOdanad (Kayamkulam),Thekkumkur, andCochin against the expansion ofTravancore into the northern territories.[6] As a result, Anizham ThirunalMarthanda Varma, the architect of the modern Travancore, attacked and annexed Vadakkumkur in 1750.[6] The Vadakkumkur Raja sought asylum in the kingdom of theZamorin of Calicut.[6] Later he returned back into Travancore.[6]
In 1157 CE,Kulothunga Chola, who belonged to the lineage of theMedieval Cholas, entered into a war with Manavikrama Kulasekhara Perumal, who belonged to thePandya dynasty ofMadurai.[6] Upon the failure in the battle, Manavikrama appointed his brother Maravarman Sreevallabha as the monarch of thePandya dynasty and left Madurai with his family and some of his trusted servants.[6] Manavikrama crossed theWestern Ghats and sought political asylum inKerala.[6] Manavikrama purchased a vast tract of land bordering the Pandyan territories, from the ruler ofThekkumkur which comprised theMeenachil taluk the regions ofPoonjar, Erattupeta, Pala, Patthanamthitta, Thodupuzha, etc. along with theHigh Range region of modern-dayIdukki district in 1160 CE, which originally belonged to theThekkumkur Rajas.[6] This incident commenced the beginning of thePoonjar dynasty. They were a sovereign state.[6] Though disputed, the territory of Poonjar was claimed by the Kingdom ofTravancore in 1899 AD. Travancore claimed that the sovereignty reverted to them following the annexation of the principalities ofThekkumkur andVadakkumkur in 1749–1750.[6] The land ownership was not disputed.
TheKannan Devan Hills on theHigh Range region were given on lease on 11 July 1877 by the ruler of thePoonjar dynasty to John Daniel Munroe from London and fortea plantations. The land and the plantations were later resumed by theGovernment of Kerala through the Kannan Devan Hills (Resumption Of Lands) Act, 1971.[14] However, the act only addressed the issue of sovereignty which was taken over by the State of Kerala with the accession of Travancore to the Union of India. The ownership of the Kannan Devan plantation (125000 acres)leased to John Monroe, and subsequently transferred to Tata Finlay, and finally to Tata Tea was not relinquished by the Poonjar royal family. This was established by a court challenge to the status, which was resolved by a Kerala High Court order in the early 1990s. The order was in favor of the Poonjar royal family establishing ownership. The lease terms are currently being fulfilled with regards to lease payments as per the original deed.[citation needed]
Entire portion of the modern-day district ofKottayam became part of the erstwhileBritishprincely state ofTravancore by 1750 CE. This era marked considerable progress and social reformation in all spheres.[6]
TheChurch Mission Society press atKottayam was established in 1821 by Rev.Benjamin Baily, a British missionary, as the first printing press inKerala.[15] They had also established theCMS College Kottayam in 1815 as the firstWestern style institute of higher education in India. The region progressed much in its literacy rate by the end of the 19th century CE.[6] It became one of the most literate regions in theBritish Indian Empire by 1860.[6] Due to its remarkable progress in the fields of literacy, education, and printing, many early newspapers and magazines inMalayalam such asDeepika (1887) andMalayala Manorama (1888) were established inKottayam.[6]
The same period also saw the commencement ofKerala reformation movement with an aim to eradicate theUntouchability, inequality, and the irrational practices existed in the Kerala society for many centuries which ultimately led to the movements like theVaikom Satyagraha (1924).[6] Kottayam has been involved in a number of political movements, including the 'Malayali Memorial' movement.[6] The goal of the movement was to seek more representation forMalayalis in theTravancore civil service irrespective of their caste and religion.[16]
Vaikom Satyagraha, a protest againstcaste discrimination, took place in Kottayam district in 1924.[6] The district also participated in the protests for responsible government in Travancore, which ended with the overthrow ofSir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer, who was theDivan of the British princely state of Travancore in 1947.[6]
During theTravancorean administration, theBritishprincely state of Travancore was divided into four revenue divisions- theNorthern division headquartered atKottayam, theCentral division headquartered atKollam, theSouthern division headquartered atThiruvananthapuram, and theHigh Range division with its headquarters atDevikulam.[17]
Kottayam was the headquarters of the northernmost revenue division in Travancore which included theTaluks ofNorth Paravur,Kunnathunad,Muvattupuzha,Thodupuzha,Meenachil,Changanassery,Kottayam,Vaikom, andCherthala in 1931.[17]
At the time of the integration of the state ofTravancore andCochin into the state ofTravancore-Cochin in 1949 following the integration of theBritishPrincely states ofTravancore andCochin into theDominion of India, the erstwhile revenue divisions were reorganised intodistricts and theDivan Peshkars gave way todistrict collectors, paving the way for the birth of the Kottayam district on 1 July 1949.[18]
The erstwhileKingdom of Cochin was reorganized intoThrissur district and Taluks ofNorth Paravur andKunnathunad were transferred to that district.[19] Similarly theCherthala Taluk was transferred into the newly formedKollam district on 1 July 1949.[19] TheHigh Range division of the erstwhile Travancore was merged with the remaining Taluks of the erstwhile Kottayam division to form the Kottayam district as a part of the inauguration of the new Indian state ofTravancore-Cochin on 1 July 1949.[19] The new district of Kottayam at that time contained eight Taluks – Changanassery, Kottayam, Vaikom, Meenachil, Muvattupuzha, Thodupuzha, Devikulam, and Peerumede.[19]
As a part of the formation of the new Indian state ofKerala according to theStates Reorganisation Act, 1956, many jurisdictional changes were done in the district.[20] Two new Taluks, namelyKanjirappally (from Changanassery and Thiruvalla) andUdumbanchola (from Devikulam and Peerumede) were carved out on 1 October 1956.[20] After a month, a new Taluk calledKuttanad was carved out from Changanassery andAmbalappuzha.[20] The Kuttanad Taluk was transferred into the newly formedAlappuzha district on 17 August 1957. The Taluks of Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha were transferred into the newly formedErnakulam district on 1 April 1958.[20]
On 26 January 1972, the threeHigh Range Taluks, namely Devikulam, Udumbanchola, and Peerumede, along withThodupuzha from theErnakulam district were separated from Kottayam district to form a new district calledIdukki.[21] The district ofKottayam took its current shape on 26 January 1972. Now it contains five Taluks-Changanassery,Kottayam,Vaikom,Meenachil, andKanjirappally.
The municipality ofKottayam was declared as the first town in India to achieve 100% literacy in 1989.[22] The Multidimensional Poverty Index prepared byNITI Aayog based on the National Family Health Survey 2015–16 declared Kottayam as the firstIndian district to achieve zero multidimensional poverty rate.[22]
There are no distinct seasons in Kottayam, as it has a tropical climate like that of the rest of Kerala. Humidity is high and rises to about 90% during the rainy season. Kottayam gets rain from twomonsoon seasons, the south-west monsoon and the north-east monsoon, and accumulates an average rainfall of around 3600 mm per year. The south-west monsoon starts in June and ends in September, and the north-east monsoon season is from October to November. Pre-monsoon rains from March to May are accompanied by thunder and lightning; the highest rainfall during this period in Kerala is received in Kottayam. December, January, and February are cooler, while March, April, and May are warmer. The highest temperature recorded in Kottayam was 38.5 °C on 6 April 1998, and the lowest was 15 °C on 13 December 2000.[23]
The Kottayam district experienced intensered rainfall in 2001, during which the rain was colored red, yellow, green, and black.[24]
Kottayam has a network of rivers,backwaters, ancient religious places, and hill stations. Local tourist places include:
Malarikkal and Panachikkad in Kottayam is famous for Ambal fest.
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Kottayam is linked by major roads and rail to other prominent cities inKerala, and also by waterways allowing for waterborne travel. The Kottayam Kumali, Ettumanoor-Ernakulam, Kottayam-Pathanamthitta, Thiruvalla-Kidangoor Central Kerala Bypass, and MC road are the major roads in the district. The nearest airport is theCochin International Airport. SWTD operates ferry services from different parts of the Kottayam district. The ferry service from Vaikom to Thavanakkadavu in the Alappuzha district is the longest. India's first solar ferry service boat, 'Adhithya', operates from Vaikom.[citation needed]
Kottayam city is the administrative headquarters of the Kottayam district. The district is divided into two revenue divisions- Kottayam and Pala.[29]
There are 6 municipal towns in the district. They are:[30]
There are threeLok Sabha constituencies in Kottayam district:Kottayam (6 assembly constituencies),Pathanamthitta (2 assembly constituencies, i.e., Kanjirappally and Poonjar) andMavelikara (1 assembly constituency, i.e., Changanassery).
There are nineKerala Legislative Assembly seats in Kottayam district.[32]
| Sl no. | Constituency | Member | Party | Alliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pala | Mani C. Kappan | NCP | UDF |
| 2 | Kaduthuruthy | Monce Joseph | KEC | UDF |
| 3 | Vaikom | C. K. Asha | CPI | LDF |
| 4 | Ettumanoor | V. N. Vasavan | CPI(M) | LDF |
| 5 | Kottayam | Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan | INC | UDF |
| 6 | Puthuppally | Chandy Oommen | INC | UDF |
| 7 | Changanassery | Job Michael | KC(M) | LDF |
| 8 | Kanjirappally | N. Jayaraj | KC(M) | LDF |
| 9 | Poonjar | Sebastian Kulathunkal | KC(M) | LDF |
The district is divided into two revenue divisions which together incorporate fiveTaluks within them.[33]
| Changanassery | Kanjirappally | Kottayam[33] |
| Meenachil | Vaikom[33] |
Kottayam district is divided into 100 revenue villages for the ease and decentralisation of its revenue administration.[34] They are further incorporated into 5taluks as eludicated below.[34]
The major towns of the district include:
Kottayam has a mountainous terrain as well as low-lying areas very close to sea level. Depending on the location, different varieties of food and cash crops are cultivated. Rice is the principal crop extensively cultivated in low-lying regions likeVaikom andUpper Kuttanad. The district occupies third place in the production of rice in Kerala behindPalakkad andAlappuzha.
Although it is the staple food of the people, the area under cultivation is dwindling due to more lucrative cash crops such as rubber plantations for which Kottayam significantly contributes to the overall rubber production in India. Kottayam is India's largest rubber producer. Rubber trees provide a stable income for farmers and the climate is ideal for rubber plantations. Though the highlands are more suitable, cultivation has spread to almost all regions. Other crops cultivated include tapiocas, coconuts, peppers, and vegetables. To enhance rubber productivity, the government of India has set up aRubber Board as well as a rubber research institute in Kottayam.[35][36]
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The district lacks refineries, ports, and an airport, which are needed for major industries.[citation needed]Aside from two public sector companies,Hindustan Newsprint at Velloor and Travancore Cements at Nattakom, industries in the district consist mostly of small and medium-size operations. These mainly include the publishing and processing of rubber orlatex, and manufacturing of rubber-based products.
Confined mostly to the Vaikom area of the district is an industry ofcoir processing and making coir products.[citation needed] Consisting of more than twentycooperatives, it employs around 20,000 people.[citation needed] In the hand-loom sector, eight cooperative societies employ 2,100 persons. The district's forests include varieties ofsoftwood and other varieties of timber providing the raw material for several small enterprises in the production ofplywood, packing cases, splints,veneers, and furniture.[citation needed]
The first printing press in Kerala,C.M.S. Press, was established in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Bailey, a British missionary. Malayalam-English and English-Malayalam dictionaries were published in Kottayam in 1846 and 1847. The only cooperative society of writers, authors and publishers (SPCS) for publishing books and periodicals was established in 1945. Kottayam is home to a number of books and periodicals, and is the center of publishing business in the state.[citation needed]
Publishing houses likeMalayala Manorama,Mathrubhumi publications,Labour India Publications Ltd,Mangalam Publications,Deepika,D. C. Books, V Publishers, Vidhyamitram,Kerala Kaumudi daily and Kerala Kaumudi Flash are also publishers in the district. The city of Kottayam hosts several book exhibitions every year.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 450,615 | — |
| 1911 | 488,040 | +0.80% |
| 1921 | 585,478 | +1.84% |
| 1931 | 775,069 | +2.84% |
| 1941 | 942,899 | +1.98% |
| 1951 | 1,132,478 | +1.85% |
| 1961 | 1,313,983 | +1.50% |
| 1971 | 1,539,030 | +1.59% |
| 1981 | 1,697,442 | +0.98% |
| 1991 | 1,828,271 | +0.75% |
| 2001 | 1,953,646 | +0.67% |
| 2011 | 1,974,551 | +0.11% |
| source:[37] | ||
According to the2011 census Kottayam district has apopulation of 1,974,551,[38] roughly equal to the nation ofSlovenia[39] or the US state ofNew Mexico.[40] This gives it a ranking of 234th in India (out of a total of640).[38] The district has a population density of 896 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,320/sq mi).[38] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–11 was 1.32%.[38] Kottayam has asex ratio of 1040females for every 1000 males, and aliteracy rate of 97.21%, the highest in the state and 4th highest in India. 28.63% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 7.79% and 1.11% of the population respectively.[38]
Malayalam is the predominant language, spoken by 98.88% of the population.Tamil is spoken by a small minority in urban areas.[41]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinduism | 49.81% | |||
| Christianity | 43.48% | |||
| Islam | 6.41% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.30% | |||
According to the 2011 Indian Census,Hinduism (49.81%) is the largest religion in Kottayam, with a significantChristian minority (43.48%). Syro-Malabar, Orthodox, Jacobites and Pentecostals are the main Christian sects. The Muslim population constitutes 6.41% of the district.[42]
| Talukas | Hindus | Christians | Muslims | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meenachil | 39.91 | 52.54 | 7.36 | 0.19 |
| Vaikom | 67.62 | 28.72 | 3.41 | 0.25 |
| Kottayam | 50.41 | 45.56 | 3.71 | 0.32 |
| Changanassery | 47.21 | 45.71 | 6.66 | 0.42 |
| Kanjirappally | 46.30 | 39.02 | 14.37 | 0.31 |
The three major religious communities in the Kottayam district areHinduism, Christianity, andIslam. TheNair Service Society's headquarters are located in the district's town ofPerunna, Changanassery. The Mannam memorial, created in memory of social reformerMannathu Padmanabha Pillai, is also located there.
The headquarters of theMalankara Orthodox Syrian Church (Malankara Church/Indian Orthodox Church), is located inDevalokam,Kottayam. It is the official headquarters of theMalankara Metropolitan and theCatholicos of the East.
The Madhya Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India has its headquarters in Kottayam.
TheKnanaya Christian community (both the Catholic and Jacobite factions) also has its headquarters in Kottayam district.
TheThazhathangady Juma Mosque, which is one of the oldestMasjids in the country, is also located at Kottayam.
Kottayam,Thiruvalla, andChengannur are the railway stations for pilgrims heading to the Hindu holy site ofSabarimala.
The pilgrim centers in Kottayam include a number of Hindu temples, Christian churches and Muslim mosques, including:[43]
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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 theChurch Missionary Society of England under the leadership ofCol. John Munro, asCMS College. Later in 1891, theclergies ofCatholic Church, under the leadership ofFr Charles Lavigne, establishedSt Berchmans English High School, Changanassery, one of the first residential English High School in Central Travancore. On seeing a need for instituition for higher education inKottayam - Malabar region, under the leadership ofVenerable Mar Thomas Kurialacherry, Bishop ofArcheparchy of Changanassery with help ofSyro Malabar Catholic Church, established the famousSB College inChanganasserry in 1922. Today CMS College Kottayam and SB College Changanasserry stands as a landmark and has made a huge contribution to education in the district. Thus, Kottayam became India's first district with 100% literacy in 1989.
Notable educational institutions in the district include:-
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Slovenia 2,000,092 July 2011 est.
New Mexico – 2,059,179
Places adjacent to Kottayam district | |
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