Kollam

Kollam district, earlier known as Quilon district, is one among the 14 districts of Kerala state,India. The district is representative of all the natural attributes of Kerala and is endowed with a long coastal region, a major sea port on the Arabian Sea inland in Astamudi lake and was called Tarsish.

Plains, mountains, lakes, lagoons and Kerala Backwaters, forests, farm land and rivers. The area had mercantile relationship with Phoenicians and the Romans

About thirty percent^{[dubious – discuss]} of this district is covered by the Ashtamudi Lake, thereby making it a gateway to the Kerala Backwaters.Thevalakara and Thekkumbagam panchyaths together had made the very ancient korekini(sea pointed inland) kollam port of Tarsish even in 1500 BC.

Administration

Kollam district has five administrative sub-divisions (taluks): Pathanapuram, Kunnathur,Kottarakkara, Karunagappally and Kollam.

The District Collector is a key functionary of the government, exercising large powers and responsibilities. He or she has a dual role to play, as the agent of the government and as the chief administrator of the District, always reporting to the state government. Among the tasks of the District Collector is it to maintain law and order. The District Collector is also the head of the Land Revenue Department of the district. TheTahsildar is the main revenue official in charge of each taluk.

The district has a single revenue division with its headquarters at Quilon.

Taluks

§ Kollam Taluk (taluk headquarters: Kollam)

Adichanallore, Chirakkara, Eravipuram, Kalluvathukkal, Kilikolloor, Kizhakkke Kallada (East Kallada), Kollam East, Kollam West, Kottamkara,Kottappuram, Mangad, Munroethuruth, Mayyanad, Meenadu, Mulavana, Mundakkal, Nedumpana, Pallimon, Panayam, Parippally, Perinadu,Poothakulam, Paravur, Sakthikulangara, Thazhuthala, Thrikkadavoor, Thrikkaruva, Thrikkovilvattom, Kundara and Vadekkevila.

§ Pathanapuram Taluk (taluk headquarter: Punalur)

Alayamon, Anchal, Arackal, Arayankavu, Ayranallore, Channapetta, Edamon, Edamulakkal, Eroor, Karavaloor, Kulathupuzha, Maloor,Pathanapuram, Pattazhi, Pidavoor, Piravanthoor, Punalur, Punnala, Thalavoor, Thenmala, Thinkalkarikkom, Vadakode and Vilakkudi.

§ Kottarakkara Taluk (taluk headquarter: Kottarakkara)

Chadayamangalam, Chakkuvarakkal, Chithara, Elamadu, Ezhukone, Ittiva, Kadakkal, Kalayapuram, Kareepra, Kottarakkara, Kottukkal,Kulakkada, Kummil, Mangodu, Melila, Mylam, Neduvathoor, Nilamel, Odanavattom, Pavithraswaram, Pooyapally, [Puthoor,] Ummannore,Valakom, Velinallore, Vettikavala and Veliyam.

§ Karunagappally Taluk (taluk headquarter:Karunagappally)

Adhinadu, Alappad, Ayanivelikulangara, Chavara, Clappana, Kallelibhagam, Karunagappally, Kulasekharapuram, Neendakara, Ochira, Paavumba, Panmana, Thazhava, Thekkumbhagam, Thevalakkara, Thodiyoor and Vadakkumthala.

§ Kunnathur Taluk (taluk headquarter: Sasthamkotta)

Kunnathur, Mynagappally, Padinjara(West), Kallada, Poruvazhi, Sasthamkotta, Sooranad North and Sooranad South.

Places of worship

world famous spiritual Guru Mata Amrithanda mayi has her spiritual abode set on the beautiful shores of the Arabian sea in the karunagapally taluk of kollam district

Oachira, located in the north end of Kollam on National Highway 47, is famous for the Oachira Parabrahma Temple. Oachirakali is a special annual event at the padanilam (paddy fields) in the month of Vrichikam. Oachira Town Masjid (mosque) and the Oachira temple are situated close to one another and are a proud symbol of communal harmony.

The Anchal Agasthyakode Mahadevar Temple is another major Mahadevar temple in the Kollam district. It is situated in Anchal Panchayath. Every year during Sivarathri, people from every caste and religious background come for the religious festivities, such as Jikku Krishnalayam.

The Thrikkadavoor Mahadevar Temple is the most famous Siva Temple in Kollam District. It is situated in the Thrikkadavoor Panchayath and on the banks of the Ashtamudi lake. The annual Srattu festival attracts thousands of people, including foreigners. The festival falls in the month of Kumbham (February). The eight artificial horses, which represent the eight areas (karas) around the temple, is a special attraction for tourists.

The Veerabhadra Swamy Temple at Ashtamudi in Kollam is the only temple in the southern part of the country with Veerabhadra as the presiding deity. This belongs to Kuttiyazhikam, Karuva, a two hundred & fifty-year-old Ezhava Family.

The Mahaganapathi Temple at Kottarakara, famous for its Unniappom, is one of the most venerated Ganesh temples in Kerala.

Umayanalloor Sri Balasubramania Swamy Temple is situated on the NH-47, about 8 km from Kollam town, on the Kollam-Trivandrum road. The temple is visited by thousands of devotees. Its 'Aana Vaal Pidutham' Mahotsavam during the Malayalam calendar 'Meenam'[mid-March], attracts hundreds of devotees from all over the state. 'Thaipuyyam' is also celebrated in a big way. The lore is that the temple was built by the powerful lady ruler 'Umayammarani' of Venad Kingdom about 500 years ago. Aryankavu in the Western Ghats is the easternmost point in the district on the National Highway. One of the five ancient Ayyappa temples is situated here; two others are at Achankovil and Kulathupuzha in the district.

Chathanoor is 17 km south from Kollam town and has a lot of attractive places to tourists. Sree Bhootha Natha Temple, Chennamath Temple and Vilappuram Bhagavathy Temple at Chathannoor are famous temples. Polachira is a beautiful place near Vilappuram Temple and Anathavalam (elephants shelter) at Chirakkara are also there.

Thalavoor Sri Durga Devi Temple, Peroor Karunalloor Bhagavathy Temple,Pattazhy Devi Temple, Kundara Elampalloor Devi Temple and ParavurPuttingal Devi Temple are among the important Hindu temples in Kollam District.

Another important temple is the Kottamkulangara temple near Chavara, where there is a tradition of males participating in 'Vilakkeduppu' wearing women's dresses.

Parayakadavu, a coastal village near Karunagapally, is the birthplace of Mata Amritanandamayi and is the headquarters of her Math.

Thirumullavarom Temple is the most famous temple in Kollam situated near the Arabian Sea where thousands used to come annually for performing Vavu Bali.

Kundara St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral[1] is located about 200 meters from Arumurikkada junction (NH - 208) on Arumurikkada - Kuzhimathikadu - Nallila Road. The church in Malankara is an integral part of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church with the Patriarch of Antioch [2][His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas] as its supreme head. The local head of the church in Malankara is the Catholicose of India [3] [His Beatitude Baselios Thomas I], ordained by and accountable to the Patriarch of Antioch. The Feast of Virgin Mary's birth is celebrated from September 1 to 8 every year.On September 7 evening a Rasa (Procession) is conducted from Church to Cheerankavu Junction (East) and Mukkada Junction (West) , and back to Church. http://www.syrianchurch.org/ch/KundaraChurch.htm

Apostle Thomas founded one of his "seven and a half churches" in Kollam.They were family or community churches as neither Holy Bible was codified nor cross was acknowledged as the symbol of Christian faith in the first century AD. The church founded by the Apostle at the ancient kollam port of Tarsish(thevalakara) was re-constructed three times .The second re organising of the Tarsish Christian nambuthiri community which was still inside vedic vaishnavism was in the 4th century when a Persian cross brought from a Red sea port was erected in accordance with the Nicaea sunnahodose the first ecumenical council of the Christian church, meeting in ancient Nicaea (now İznik, Tur.). It was called by the emperor Constantine I, an unbaptized catechumen, or neophyte, who presided over the opening session and took part in the discussions declaration making the cross the symbol of Christian faith the World over for the first time. In 825 AD Mar S(abo)r ministered here re constructing the Tarsi sh-a -palli at Thevalakara for the third time as the first church founded by him with Syrian litergy after receiving the Tarsish-a-palli plates from kulshekara kings which in reality laid the foundation of Christianity as a religion in Kerala outside vedic vaishnavism .

Tourism

Palaruvi (waterfalls), Thenmala (forests and reservoir), the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Ashtamudi (backwaters) and Kollam beaches(Kollam city beach ,Thirumullavaram beach ,Thangassery beach) are all beautiful spots in this area. The first community tourism program in the state will begin on the Munroethuruth islands in Kollam district.

Kollam was the seat of the Desinganad kings. Kottarakara is famous as the place where the classical dance form of Kathakali was conceived. It was also the capital of the Elayidath Swaroopam. Kundara is famous for the 1812 proclamation against the British by Velu Thampi Dalawa.

Alappad village is located on the seashore of Kollam District, which was affected by the Tsunami in 2005.

Suspension bridge (hanging bridge) at Thenmala

The famous Varkala Beach, also known as Papanasham, is 26 km south of Kollam.

The famous Duriyodana temple is in Kunnathur Taluk.

The Sakthikulangara Dharma Sastha Temple-Sree Ayyappa Swamy Temple is famous for the Utsavam, in the month of Makaram [Malayalam Calender], which is between mid-January and mid-February.

Polachira in Chirakkara Gramapanchayat is a beautiful place for site seeing. The famous "Anathavalam" is near here, where one can see domestic elephants, touch it and even travel on it. Don't forget to see "Mannathippara" at Polachira. It is 4 kms towards south from Chathannoor town.

Education

Kollam has several privately-owned and state-owned educational institutions. ST.Joseph's convent school at tuet,kollam is the school without Government Aid & having maximum students in the world(over 12,000 students).The state-run school is the Govt. Model Higher Secondary School For Boys which is the oldest school in the city. Schools like Mount Carmel Convent Anglo-Indian Girls High School, Sree Narayana Public School, Infant Jesus Anglo Indian School[4] and Trinity Lyceum School[5] are affiliated with theIndian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE),Accel IT academy, the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) or the Kerala State Education Board. '''' Divine Public School, Puthoor(CBSE Senior Secondary School, affiliated to the CBSE, Delhi, offers admission from 'Play Class to Plus Two.) Web:www.divinepublicschool.'com'''''''''After students have completed their 10+2 years of schooling, they can enroll in higher education institutions for professional degree/diploma courses. The professional colleges of the district include Fatima Mata National College(FMNC), SN College, SN Women's College, TKM College of Engineering (Karikode), TKM Institute of Technology (Karuvelil), Younus College of Engineering and Technology (Pallimukku), Amritha Institute of Technology, Travancore Engineering College (Oyoor), Prasanth Computers, Kadappakada and The V Institute of Wireless and Telegraphy. Arafa Medical Mission Hospital and School of Nursing in Kadakkal contribute prominently into the field of nursing education.www.kollamcity.com

]Industries

Two central government undertakings, the Indian Rare Earths Chavara and Parvathi Mills Ltd., are among the industries in Kollam. Kerala Ceramics Ltd.[6], Kundara, Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Company, Kundara, Kerala Premo Pipe factory, Chavara, Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited, Chavara, United Electrical Industries-Kollam and the Kerala Agro-Fruit Products Punalur are state government-owned companies. Other major industries in the private sector are Thomas Stephen & Co., Kollam, Floorco Paravur, Cooperative Spinning Mill, Chathannur and Punalur Paper Mills, Punalur. 1963 SSI units have been registered in the district.

The Travancore Plywood Industries at Punalur and Aluminium Industries Ltd. at Kundara have been notified as being sick units and have consequently been closed down.

The traditional cashew industry is centralised in this District. Kollam is approved by the central government as a "centre of cashew industry". Most of the workers in this industry are women and among them a majority comes from the weaker sections of the society. There are several cashew processing units working in the district. The Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation Ltd,, a government of Kerala undertaking, has its headquarters in Kollam. It 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 in the cooperative sector and has 10 cashew factories. Interested persons can visit the website of the Corporation ([7])to understand more details of the Cashew Industry.

Coir production, handloom industry, clay and wood-based industries KDTTA

Kollam is connected by inland waterways to Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha. These waterways are main attractions and scenic tourist destinations in the area. Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) had an operating centre near the KSRTC bus stand. Now, KSWTD is not operating boat service from Kollam to Alappuzha anymore.However circular chain boat service from kollam to astamudi via thopilkadavu,kureepuzha,kavanadu &sampranikodi is to begin this year. Tourists may privately hire motorised country boats with all amenities in Kettavulam in Malayalam.