Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala covering an area of 55.40 square kilometres (21.39 sq mi). It is the administrative capital of Kottayam district and is located in south-central Kerala with a city population of 129,894 and UA population of 357,533 according to the 2011 census.

The city is an important trading centre for spices and commercial crops, especially rubber. Major Kerala print media publications such as Malayala Manorama, Deepika and Mangalam are headquartered in this town. Also a pioneering centre of modern education in Kerala, Kottayam became India’s first city to achieve 100% literacy in 1989 while the district became the first tobacco free district in India on September 28, 2008. The city is also widely known as Akshara Nagari (City of Alphabets) in honour of its contributions to print media and literature. It is known as the “Land of Letters, Lakes and Latex” on account of the upsurge in literacy, the presence of a vast network of rivers and canals, which empty into the great expanse of the Vembanad lake, and the sizable volume of natural rubber produced here.

Apart from being the educational hub of Kerala, Kottayam is also home to central and state government organisations including Mahatma Gandhi University, the Rubber Board, and India’s Rubber Research Institute along with the Government Medical College, Kottayam. MRF Limited, the leading manufacturer of tires in India has its roots in this city, as well as a hi-tech manufacturing facility located at Vadavathoor. Kottayam. D.C. Books, the largest publisher and a leading bookseller in Kerala, is also headquartered in Kottayam.

History

The kings of the small independent kingdom of Thekkumkoor ruled Kottayam from Thazhathangady till the mid-18th century.[citation needed] Later, Marthanda Varma, the ruler of Travancore, annexed Thekkumcore and the surrounding areas of Kottayam to the Kingdom of Travancore. During British rule in India, Kottayam remained a part of the Princely State of Travancore.

Earlier, the state of Travancore consisted of two revenue divisions: southern and northern, under the administrative control of a ‘Diwan Peshkar’ for each.[citation needed] In1868, Kottayam also became a revenue division of Travancore. A fifth division, Devikulam, existed for a short period but was later added to Kottayam. At the time of the integration of the State of Travancore and Cochin in 1949, these revenue divisions were renamed as districts and the Diwan Peshkars gave way to District Collectors. As a result, in July 1949, Kottayam came into being as a district. Later, it became a part of the state of Kerala, and the headquarters of the district bearing the same name when the state was formed in 1956.

The citizens of Kottayam played an important role in the early social struggles in Kerala. In 1891, a protest movement known as the Malayali Memorial Agitation originated in Kottayam, in order to seek better representation for the local people of Travancore in the Travancore civil service sector, against outsiders. Later, the movement spread to other parts of Travancore and had a major influence on the beginnings of modern political movements of Kerala.[6] The people of Kottayam also played a major role during the Abstention Movement in the 1930s, which aimed at the representation of Hindus of the lower castes, Christians and Muslims in the Travancore Legislature.[6] The Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924 against untouchability, led by Mahatma Gandhi, took place in Vaikom near Kottayam.[6] It was the first systematically organized agitation in Kerala against caste system and primitive customs to secure the rights of the depressed classes.

Roadways

Kottayam lies on the National Highway 183 (Old NH 220) connecting the City of Kollam and Theni. The NH183 connects Kottayam to the state of Tamil Nadu and the tourist destinations of Thekkady and Kuttikanam, as well as the agricultural towns of Kanjirapally and Mundakayam and State Highways SH1 or Main Central (MC) road,SH 9, SH11, SH13, SH14, SH15 and SH32 pass through Kottayam.

Public transport in the town is largely dependent on buses, run by both private operators and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). There are three bus stations serving Kottayam, two of which cater to private buses and one exclusively for KSRTC buses. The bigger of the two private bus stations is located at Nagampadam, close to the railway station and the other is located in the heart of the town. Besides local bus services for, traveling within the town, Kottayam is well-connected to the rest of Kerala through inter-state bus services run by KSRTC. Hired forms of transport include metered taxis and auto-rickshaws.

Railway

Kottayam railway station (Station Code:KTYM) is situated in the heart of the town and is under the administration of the Southern Railway. Kottayam lies on the busy rail route between Thiruvananthapuram – Kollam – Ernakulam and is served by several long distance trains connecting most major cities in the country, like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad.all

Air

The nearest airport is Cochin International Airport, 90 km to the north.

Ferry & Port

Kottayam Port, India’s first multi-modal Inland Container Depot (ICD) and a minor port using inland water way, is situated at Nattakom (near Kodimatha), on the banks of Kothoor river.

The Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) operates ferry services through the backwaters in and around Kottayam city. Ferries are a major mode of transport to the town connect to the tourist destination of Kumarakom and Alappuzha, as well as several smaller destinations. There are two major ferry jetties in the city – Town Jetty and Kodimatha Jetty. In recent years, the boat jetty at Kumarakom has acquired international fame as a launch point for the backwater rides on Vembabad lake, which has virtually become a poster image for tourism in Kerala.

Source : Wikipedia