Kottayam
| Kottayam കോട്ടയം |
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| State : |
 India
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| State : | Kerala | ||
| District : | Kottayam | ||
| Location : | 9 ° 35 ' N , 76 ° 31' E | ||
| Height : | 28 m | ||
| Area : | 55.4 km² | ||
| Residents : | 55,374 (2011) | ||
| Population density : | 1000 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Postal code : | 686001 - 686039 | ||
| Website : | www.kottayammunicipality.in | ||
Kottayam ( Malayalam കോട്ടയം IAST Kōṭṭayam [ ˈkoːʈːəjʌm ]) is a city in the state of Kerala in southwest India . As an important trading center and publishing center, the city is the administrative seat of the Kottayam district .
geography
Kottayam is an average of 3 meters above sea level. The geographical coordinates are 9.58 ° north latitude and 76.52 ° east longitude.
The city is bounded by the Meenachil and Kodoor Rivers and Lake Vembanad .
The climate is comparatively moderate due to the inland location . The annual average temperature is 27.5 degrees Celsius . The main rainy season lasts from May to August during the southwest monsoon , but the northeast monsoon also brings quite abundant rainfall from September to December. The rest of the year the weather stays dry.
history
The name Kottayam is said to be derived from Malayalam "Kotta Akam" and mean "within the fort".
It seems certain that Kottayam belonged to the kingdom of Vempolinad around 1100, under the rule of the Kulasekhara dynasty (1090–1102). After that, the kingdom was divided into Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur. In the course of the 16th century the Dutch and Portuguese established the first trading bases on the Malabar Coast and brought the profitable spice trade under their control.
When the Jesuit missionary Franciscus Xaverius came to India in the middle of the 16th century with the Portuguese looking for new trade routes , he found Christian communities to his great surprise. Although the Portuguese were very pleased to be welcomed as brothers in faith by the Thomas Christians, who presumably came to Kerala as early as the 4th century , a centuries-long period of foreign determination and the Latinization of worship and rites began. As a result, the Indian Church split into several groups, and so Kottayam has remained a center of the Syrian Orthodox Christians in Kerala to this day.
The Rajas of Thekkumkur, an independent small kingdom to which the region belonged, ruled from their seat of Thazhathangadi. Between 1749 and 1754 Raj Marthanda Varma (1706-1758) annexed Thekkumkur, together with the other areas of today's Kottayam district, which brought the area under British rule .
The residents of Kottayam played a major role in the broad social movement of Kerala in the 19th century. The protest movement that arose in 1891, called the Malayali Memorial agitation, sought to increase the number of civil servants from the former Kingdom of Travancore - it can be considered one of the first modern social movements in Kerala to be supported by a broader segment of the population was carried. It is also worth mentioning Kottayam's active role in the “Nivarthana” movement of the 1930s, for the legal equality of Hindus from lower castes with Christians and Muslims.
After Indian independence, Kottayam became the capital of the district of the same name.
Population and culture
population
As of the last India census in 2001, the city of Kottayam had 60,725 inhabitants. The city and district of Kottayam were one of the few regions in India to have negative population growth between 1991 and 2001.
Press and communication
Benjamin Bailey , a British missionary , founded CMS Press in 1829 , making Kerala's first printing company in Kottayam. The city continues to play a leading role in Keral's newspaper and publishing industry. Malayala Manorama , the most important daily newspaper in Malayalam, was founded in 1888 and was nicknamed "Granny Of News Papers" by left-wing circles in particular. Deepika , another Malayalam newspaper, was also first published in 1888. The well-known Malayalam daily newspapers include Manorama , Mathrubhumi , Deshabhimani , Deepika and Kerala Kaumudi as well as some evening papers.
The founding of the publishing house SPCA - "Literary Workers Co-operative Society in Malayalam" - dates back to a group of writers in 1945, a unique cooperative that became a leader in the publishing industry. Kottayam is home to several other Malayalam language book and newspaper publishers such as DC Books , Labor India Publications Ltd , Manorajyam , Mathrubhumi , Mangalam Publications (India) Private Limited, and Madhyamam Daily .
Leisure, shopping and entertainment
The city park in the city center enjoys continued popularity as a local recreation area . Likewise, sporting activities that are organized in a myriad of clubs and for which the nationally known Nehru Stadium is representative, where numerous sporting events take place. Basketball is the preferred sport among younger people and is played in the Marion Trophy (Marian Junior College), Girideepam Trophy (Girideepam School), Lourdes Trophy (Lourdes School), the Virginia Memorial Tournament (Mount Carmes School) and that of Baselius College. Kalarippayat (Malayalam: " martial arts exercise") is an ancient Indian martial art that originated in Kerala and is still widespread in southern India today. Important centers are located between the cities of Calicut and Kottayam. For the sake of completeness, the cricket adopted by the English colonial rulers should not go unmentioned.
Nationally known are the five cinemas , in which premieres of Malayalam, English, Tamil and Hindi-language films in Kerala are shown.
Kottayam is one of the major business centers in Kerala. Most of the shops are located in Kottayam-Kumily (KK), in recent years Baker Junction and Kanjikuzhy, three kilometers away from the city center , have also gained importance as preferred districts for commercial and residential buildings.
Tourism- related services can be found mostly in Kumarakom, one of the more well-known tourist destinations in Kerala, approximately 14 kilometers from the city center, as can hotels and restaurants.
Attractions
The cultural diversity of Kerala reflecting and shaping the cityscape are Hindu temples such as the Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple , the Thazhathangadi Mosque (Juma Masjid) and two Christian churches , known as Cheriya Palli and Valiya Palli .
Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple , in the heart of the city, is a temple dedicated to Shiva , built in the temple architecture typical of Kerala, with images on the inner walls depicting themes from the Hindu epics . It was built at the beginning of the 16th century by the Raja of Thekkumkur. The annual temple festival, which ends with the Aaraattu ceremony , attracts large numbers of devotees and onlookers to Kottayam. Ettumanoor Mahadeva , Kaduthuruthy Mahadeva , Vaikom Mahadeva, and Thiruvayamkudy Mahadeva are other well-known temples dedicated to Shiva in and around Kottayam.
Thazhathangady Juma Masjid , on the banks of the Meenachil , is one of the oldest mosques in India, believed to be from the late 10th century. It is known for its architectural elegance and for the wealth of wood carvings . The interior is completely made of wood, with carvings that are worth seeing. It was built by a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed during his first trip to Kerala, two kilometers from today's city center, on the road to the tourist destination of Kumarakom.
As mentioned, Kottayam is a center of the Thomas Christians in Kerala. The Church of St. Mary's, Valia Palli (The Great Church), was used by the Syrian Orthodox Knanaya built, who immigrated from West Asia to India in 1550 and is considered the first Christian church in Kottayam. Is known Valia Palli for his Persian inscriptions and their stone cross.
Another church called St. Mary's, Cheria Palli (the little church), belongs to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and was built by the Raj of Thekkumkur for his Christian subjects in 1579 and is similar to St. Mary's Church in Kudamalloor, built on Raja from Chempakassery. Both churches have influences from Indian temples; the wall paintings, however, represent biblical themes. St. Mary's Church near Manarcaud is part of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, around eight kilometers from the city center, and is an important pilgrimage site. Other well-known churches are Lurdes Forane Church , Good Shepherd Church , Vimalagiri Cathedral , Christhuraja Cathedral and St. Mary's Church in Athirampuzha, 10 kilometers away. St. Mary's Church in Kuravilangad is said to go back to the year 355.
The Kurisumala Ashram is also worth mentioning .
Education and Healthcare
education
In Kottayam there is an above-average number of educational institutions that are among the best in India and that can look back on a history that goes back two centuries. As early as the 19th century, Kerala, with its comparatively high level of education, had a special place in the British Empire . In 1989, official sources cited a literacy level of 100% for the first time ever for an Indian district .
The Seminary of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church was the first with an English education in South India. The former CMS Highschool (Church Missionary Society College High School) was founded by the British missionary Benjamin Bailey . CMS College followed in 1817 , the first high school in Kerala, perhaps even India. The Baker Memorial Girls High School (1820) by Amalia Dorothea Baker is one of the oldest girls' schools in India and is located on a hill in the city center.
The leading institution in Kerala for higher education is Mahatma Gandhi University , founded in 1983 , one of the six universities in the state of Kerala. The Government Medical College Kottayam (1962) is a state medical college and also includes a dental and a nursing college.
There are also some art and scientific technical schools, Baselius College , in the city center, as well as some engineering schools and a polytechnic , located in and around the city: CMS College High School , MD Seminary High School and MT seminary High School , where well-known doctors , Engineers, teachers, scientists, lawyers and managers have graduated. The newer schools also include Mount Carmel School , Pallikoodam High School (formerly Corpus Christi), Girideepam School , Marian School and Don Bosco .
Due to the large number of above-average educational institutions, Kottayam is considered the academic center of South India.
Hospitals
- Caritas Hospital of the Syro-Malabar Diocese
- Matha Hospital, Thellakom
- SH Medical Center
- District Hospital
- Little Lourdes Mission hospital, Kidangoor
- Indo-American Hospital
- Bharath Hospital
- Mandiram Hospital Manganam
- Karipal Hospital, Kalathilpady
- Sukhodaya Ayurveda Hospital, Kanjikuzhy
- State Dental Medical School Institute, Gandhinagar
Transport and economy
traffic
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Local public transport is largely in the hands of the numerous, mostly private, operators of auto rickshaws . The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) public bus network provides regular connections to towns and villages in the district and state. There are also numerous connections between private bus companies and the surrounding villages and towns. In contrast to the state-owned KSRTC, the private entrepreneurs do not offer long-haul connections, but rather concentrate mainly on city traffic. Rail connections to Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala's capital in the south, and the port city of Kochi in the north are ensured with its train station, one of the most important Kerala and stop for almost all express and long-distance trains to New Delhi , Mumbai , Bengaluru , Chennai etc. The nearest international airport is 76 kilometers away in Kochi and that of Thiruvananthapuram, about 150 kilometers outside of Kottayam.
The backwaters to Kasaragod, Kannur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kollam are of great importance as transport routes . The backwaters are a branched network of waterways in the hinterland of the Malabar coast . They extend from Kochi in the north to Kollam in the south over a total area of 1900 km². From Kollam, Alappuzha and Kottayam boat trips lasting several hours and in some villages Kathakali demonstrations are organized for visitors .
economy
The extensive cultivation of rubber trees in Kerala, especially in the Kottayam district in plantations , but also in small private plantations and even family gardens, has made Kottayam a major trading center for natural rubber in India. In line with this, the state authority responsible for promoting the rubber industry is located in Kottayam. Some small and medium-sized companies have established themselves in Kottayam in the processing of raw rubber (latex) and the further processing of the product.
Another important industry is the trade in grain grown in Kerala and neighboring states - the state growing authority is also based in Kottayam.
Service sector and non-governmental organizations
There is an increasing number of businesses in the district whose main activities include rural development, social services, poverty reduction, advancing the role of women and environmental concerns.
The flourishing areas of training and research are also increasingly located in the urban area, including the Center for Rural Management (CRM), founded in 1990 , which specializes in research, project management , training, consulting and social interaction and is regarded as one of the leading independent research organizations.
Personalities
- Benjamin Bailey (* 1791 in Dewsbury; † April 3, 1871), English missionary and founder of a mission station in Kottayam. He introduced the printing press in Kerala in 1821, was the first to translate and print the Bible in Malayalam, as well as the first English-Malayalam dictionary in 1846.
- Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvares (born April 29, 1836 - September 23, 1923), Archbishop - Metropolitan of the (Latin) Archdiocese of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Goa and India within the Syrian Orthodox Church .
- Mathias Kappil (born January 21, 1928; † February 24, 2007 in Kottayam), until 2005 bishop in Kollam .
- UR Ananthamurthy (* December 21, 1932 - August 22, 2014), Indian writer and former Vice-Rector of the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam.
- Jacob Angadiath (born October 26, 1945), Bishop of the Catholic Syro-Malabar Diocese of St. Thomas in Chicago , Illinois, USA.
- Julius Hanna (Johannes) Aydin (born April 2, 1947) was Bishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church for Germany, based in the Syrian Orthodox St. Jakob von Sarug Monastery in Warburg . In 2002 Hanna Aydin was awarded a doctorate by the St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute in Kottayam. phil. PhD.
- James Thoppil (* 1959), Catholic clergyman, Bishop of Kohima
Web links
- Kottayam Municipality (City Council)
- WorldViewer website for Kottayam (English)
- Website World66 guide to Kottayam (English)
- Website Kumarakom on Kottayam (English)
- Temple in Kottayam district (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ www.census2011.co.in
- ↑ Website Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Kottayam (English)
- ↑ Website Census Commission of India ( Memento from June 16, 2004 in the Internet Archive ): 2001 Census, including cities, villages and settlements, as of March 9, 2007 (English)
- ↑ Website Kalarippayat Schule Hamburg ( memento of the original from June 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ The Meenachil River plays an important 'supporting role' in Arundhati Roy's The God of Little Things .
- ↑ Website Kurismala Ashram (English)
- ↑ Website CMS College (English)
- ↑ Website Mahatma Gandhi University (English)
- ↑ Government Medical College website, Kottayam ( Memento of the original from February 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
- ↑ Website Baselius College (English)
- ↑ Hospitals in Kottayam ( Memento of the original from May 24, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
- ^ Website Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) . (English)
- ↑ Website Center for Rural Management (CRM) (English)
- ↑ George A. Kiraz: The Credentials of Mar Julius Alvares, Bishop of Ceylon, Goa and India, Excluding Malabar . In: Hugoye. Journal of Syriac Studies . tape 7 , no. July 2 , 2004 (English, bethmardutho.org ). The Credentials of Mar Julius Alvares, Bishop of Ceylon, Goa and India, Excluding Malabar ( Memento of the original from June 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
