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Kochi (India)
Encyclopedia
Kochi formerly Cochin, is a major port city on the west coast of India
by the Arabian Sea
. Kochi is part of the district of Ernakulam
in the state of Kerala
. Kochi is often called by the name Ernakulam
, which refers to the western part of the mainland Kochi. The civic body that governs the city is the Corporation of Cochin, which was constituted in the year 1967, and the statutory bodies that oversee its development are the Greater Cochin Development Authority
and the Goshree Islands Development Authority
.
The city of Kochi (pop. 601,574) is Kerala's second largest city and is part of an extended metropolitan region (pop. 2.1 million), which is the largest urban agglomeration in Kerala
. It is the most densely populated city in the state. Kochi city is also a part of Greater Cochin
region and is classified as a B-1 grade city by the Government of India, making it the highest graded city in the state. Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala.
The city lies about 220 kilometres (137 mi) north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram
and about 180 kilometres (112 mi) south of Kozhikode
, the third largest city in Kerala
. In 1102 AD, Kochi became the seat of the Kingdom of Cochin
, which traced its lineage to the Kulasekhara
Empire. Heralded as the Queen of Arabian Sea, Kochi was an important spice trading centre on the Arabian Sea
coast from the 14th century. Occupied by the Portuguese Empire
in 1503, Kochi was the first of the European colonies in India
. It remained the main seat of Portuguese India
until 1530, when Goa
was chosen instead. The city was later occupied by the Dutch
and the British
, with the Kingdom of Cochin
becoming a princely state
.
Kochi is home for the Southern Naval Command
, of the Indian Navy
, state headquarters (DHQ4) and Air Squadron 747 of the Indian Coast Guard
, maritime-related facilities including the Port of Kochi, an International Container Transshipment Terminal
, the Cochin Shipyard
, offshore SPM
of the Kochi Refineries
, and the Kochi Marina
. Kochi is also home for several major chemical industries like the FACT
, TCC
, IREL
, HOCL
and Kochi Refineries
, industrial parks like the Cochin Special Economic Zone
and Infopark
. Kochi is home for the High Court of Kerala & Lakshadweep
, and the Cochin University of Science and Technology
.
word kochu azhi, meaning 'small lagoon'. Yet another theory is that Kochi is derived from the word Kaci meaning 'harbour'. Accounts by Italian explorers Nicolo Conti
(15th century), and Fra Paoline in the 17th century say that it was called Kochchi, named after the river connecting the backwater
s to the sea. After the arrival of the Portuguese, and later the British, the name Cochin stuck as the official appellation. The city reverted to a closer anglicisation of its original Malayalam name, Kochi, in 1996. However, it is still widely referred to as Cochin, with the city corporation retaining its name as Corporation of Cochin.
Kochi was the centre of Indian spice trade
for many centuries, and was known to the Yavanas (Greek
s) as well as Romans
, Jews, Arabs, and Chinese since ancient times. Kochi rose to significance as a trading centre after the port at Kodungallur
(Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding of the river Periyar
in 1341. The earliest documented references to Kochi occur in books written by Chinese voyager Ma Huan during his visit to Kochi in the 15th century as part of Admiral Zheng He
's treasure fleet. There are also references to Kochi in accounts written by Italian traveller Niccolò Da Conti
, who visited Kochi in 1440.
According to many historians, the Kingdom of Kochi came into existence in 1102, after the fall of the Kulasekhara
Empire. The King of Kochi had authority over the region encompassing the present city of Kochi and adjoining areas. The reign was hereditary, and the family that ruled over Kochi was known as the Perumpadappu Swaroopam or Kuru swaroopam
in the local vernacular. The mainland Kochi remained the capital of the princely state since the eighteenth century. However, during much of this time, the kingdom was under foreign suzerainty
, and the King often only had titular privileges.
Portuguese navigator, Pedro Álvares Cabral founded the first European settlement in India at Kochi in 1500. From 1503 to 1663, Fort Kochi was ruled by Portugal
. This Portuguese period was a harrowing time for the Cochin Jews
, as the Inquisition
was active in Portuguese India
. Kochi hosted the grave of Vasco da Gama
, the first European explorer to set sail for India, who was buried at St. Francis Church until his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539. The Portuguese rule was followed by that of the Dutch, who had allied with the Zamorins to conquer Kochi. By 1773, the Mysore
King Hyder Ali
extended his conquest in the Malabar region to Kochi forcing it to become a tributary of Mysore. The hereditary Prime Ministership of Kochi held by the Paliath Achan
s ended during this period.
Meanwhile, the Dutch, fearing an outbreak of war on the United Provinces
, signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
with the United Kingdom, under which Kochi was ceded to the United Kingdom in exchange for the island of Bangka
. However, there are evidences of English habitation in the region even before the signing of the treaty.
In 1866, Fort Kochi became a municipality, and its first Municipal Council
election was conducted in 1883. The Maharaja
of Cochin, who ruled under the British, in 1896 initiated local administration by forming town councils in Mattancherry
and Ernakulam
. In 1925, Kochi legislative assembly was constituted due to public pressure on the state.
Towards the early 20th century, trade at the port had increased substantially, and the need to develop the port was greatly felt. Harbour engineer Robert Bristow
was brought to Kochi in 1920 under the direction of Lord Willingdon
, then the Governor of Madras
. In a span of 21 years, he transformed Kochi as one of the safest harbours in the peninsula, where ships berthed alongside the newly reclaimed inner harbour equipped with a long array of steam cranes.
In 1947, when India gained independence from the British colonial rule, Cochin was the first princely state
to join the Indian Union willingly.
In 1949, Travancore-Cochin
state came into being with the merger of Cochin and Travancore
. The King of Travancore was the Rajpramukh
of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1949 to 1956. Travancore-Cochin, was in turn merged with the Malabar district
of the Madras State
. Finally, the Government of India
's States Reorganisation Act
(1956) inaugurated a new state — Kerala — incorporating Travancore-Cochin (excluding the four southern Taluks which were merged with Tamil Nadu
), Malabar District, and the taluk
of Kasargod
, South Kanara. On 9 July 1960 the Mattancherry
council passed a resolution—which was forwarded to the government—requesting the formation of a municipal corporation
by combining the existing municipalities of Fort Kochi
, Mattancherry, and Ernakulam
. The government appointed a commission to study the feasibility of the suggested merger. Based on its report, the Kerala Legislative Assembly
approved the corporation's formation. On 1 November 1967, exactly eleven years since the establishment of the state of Kerala, the corporation of Cochin came into existence. The merger leading to the establishment of the corporation
, was between the municipalities of Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Kochi
, along with that of the Willingdon Island
, four panchayats (Palluruthy
, Vennala
, Vyttila
and Edappally
), and the small islands of Gundu
and Ramanthuruth
.
Kochi witnessed economic stagnation
in the years following India's independence. The city's economic recovery gathered momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the central government
in the mid-1990s. Since 2000, the service sector
has revitalised the city's stagnant economy. The establishment of several industrial parks based on IT
and other port based infrastructure triggered a construction and realty boom in the city. Over the years, Kochi has witnessed rapid commercialisation, and has today grown into a commercial hub of Kerala.
Kochi is located on the southwest coast of India at 9°58′N 76°13′E, spanning an area of 94.88 square kilometres (36.63 sq mi). The city straddles the backwaters, encompassing the northern end of a peninsula, several islands and a portion of the mainland. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, and to the east is the urbanized region in the rest of the mainland area. Much of Kochi lies at sea level, with a coastline of 48 km.
The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland Ernakulam
, Fort Kochi
, the suburbs of Edapally, Kalamassery
and Kakkanad
to the northeast; Tripunithura to the southeast; and a group of islands closely scattered in the Vembanad Lake
. Most of these islands are very small, varying in extent from six square kilometre to less than a square kilometre (1,500 to less than 250 acres).
Soil consists of sediment
s such as alluvium
, teri's, brown sands, etc. Hydromorphic saline soils are also found in the areas surrounding the backwaters.
Predominant rock types found here are Archaean-basic dykes
, Charnockite
s and Gneiss
es. An ecologically sensitive area, the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
is located in the central part of the city. It has a wide range of mangrove species and is nesting ground for a vast variety of migratory birds.
, Kochi features a tropical monsoon climate
. Kochi's proximity to the equator along with its coastal location results in little seasonal temperature variation, with moderate to high levels of humidity. Annual temperatures range between 23 and 31 °C (73–88 °F) with the record high being 38 °C (100 °F), and record low 17 °C (63 °F).
From June to September, the south-west monsoon
brings in heavy rains as Kochi lies on the windward side of the Western Ghats
. From October to December, Kochi receives lighter (yet significant) rain from the northeast monsoon, as it lies on the leeward side. Average annual rainfall is 3228.3 mm (127.1 in), with an annual average of 132 rainy days.
The city is administered by the Kochi Corporation
, headed by a mayor. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 74 wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. Earlier; Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Ernakulam were the three Municipalities in Cochin area, which was later merged to form the Cochin Corporation. The Corporation has its headquarters in Ernakulam, and zonal offices at Fort Kochi
, Mattancherry, Palluruthy
, Edappally
, Vaduthala
and Vyttila
. The general administration of the city is handled by the Personnel Department and the Council Standing committee Section. Other departments include that of town planning
, health, engineering, revenue and accounts. The corporation is also responsible for waste disposal and sewage management. The city produces more than 600 tons of waste per day and the a large portion of waste is decomposed at Brahmapuram Soild Waste plant into organic manure. The supply of potable water, sourced from the Periyar River
is handled by Kerala Water Authority with support of Water works department of Kochi Corporation. Electricity is provided by the Kerala State Electricity Board
.
The GCDA
and GIDA
are the government agencies initiating and monitoring the development of Greater Cochin
area, mainly in developing infrastructure facilities for the city.
, the highest judicial body in the state and thus several judicial offices are located here. The Kochi City Police
is headed by a Police Commissioner
, an Indian Police Service
(IPS) officer. The city is divided into five zones and each zone under a circle officer. Apart from regular law & order, the city police comprises the Traffic Police, Narcotics Cell, Riot force, Armed Reserve Camps, District Crime Records Bureau and a Women's Police station. It operates 19 police stations functioning under the Home Ministry of Government of Kerala
. An anti-corruption
branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation
also operates out of the city. CISF
maintains 3 squadrons for providing security to various central and state heavy industries, airport and seaport zones. Other major central agencies are NIA
, DRI
and Indian Customs
due to the presence of major port. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Kochi reported significant increase of 193.7 per cent IPC crimes in 2010 compared to 2009, and reported a crime rate of 1,897.8 compared to the 424.1 in whole Kerala. However, Kochi Police officials defended that in major crimes such as murders and kidnapping, the city registered a low crime rate even behind other cities in the state.
. The current elected Member of Parliament representing the constituency is Prof. K V Thomas who belongs to the Indian National Congress. Prof. Thomas is currently holding the portfolio of Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
The Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency elects six members to the Legislative Assembly. Out of this, four constituencies, namely Kochi, Ernakulam,Thripunithura and Thrikkakara represent the city.
Kochi is widely referred to as the commercial capital of Kerala. Kochi is home to Cochin Stock Exchange
, the only stock exchange in Kerala. Availability of electricity, fresh water, long coastline, backwaters, good banking facilities, presence of a major port, container trans-shipment terminal, harbor terminal and an international air terminal are some of the factors which accelerated the industrial growth in the city and its adjoining district. In recent years the city has witnessed heavy investment, thus making it one of the fastest-growing second-tier metro cities
in India. Sales tax
income generated in the Kochi metropolitan area contributes heavily to state revenue.
The district contributes the highest portion, 14.47%, of the state's GDP. Construction and manufacturing combined contributes 37%, and trade, tourism and hospitality together provides another 20%. Major business sectors include construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding
, transportation/shipping, seafood and spices exports, chemical industries, information technology (IT), tourism, health services
, and banking. Kochi is recognized as one of the seventeen major industrial cities of India by World Bank, Doing Business Group. However, in the 2009 rankings of ease to start and operate a business, among the 17 Indian cities selected, Kochi was rated as the second most difficult city to start business and was ranked 16th, above Kolkata.
As in most of Kerala, remittances from non-resident Indians
(NRI)s is a major source of income. Eloor
, situated 17 kilometres (10.5 mi) north of the city-centre, is the largest industrial belt in Kerala, with more than 250 industries manufacturing a range of products including chemical and petrochemical products, pesticide
s, rare earth element
s, rubber
processing chemicals, fertilisers, zinc
and chromium
compounds, and leather
products. Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), one of the oldest fertilizers and chemical industry in Kerala is located in Kochi. Kochi Refineries
of (BPCL) at Ambalamugal
is one of the largest oil refining facilities in South India. Petronet India has now almost completed Kochi LNG Terminal
, for importing and storing natural gas, for energy and fueling needs. Central Government establishments like the Coconut Development Board
, the Coir Board
and the Marine Products Export Development Authority
(MPEDA) have head offices located in the city.
Like elsewhere in Kerala, tourism is one of the strongest drivers of the local economy. Ernakulam district
, in which Kochi is situated, ranks first in the total number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala, and thus contributes to the economy of the city. The tourist enclave at Fort Kochi
and presence of several historical monuments, museums etc. as well as natural attractions like the Vembanad lake and the backwaters attract large number of tourists to the city. Presence of several leading hospitality brands have been a major source of employment for locals. The Kochi Port is one of the leading ports where international cruisers call on regularly. The city has the first marina facility in the country Kochi Marina
which attracts large number of yacht-totters.
Real Estate industry is also one industry which is contributing a lot to the economy of Kochi. Many players have entered the market and have developed residential properties.
Kochi is the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command
, the primary training centre of the Indian Navy. The Cochin Shipyard
, which was the largest shipbuilding facility in India till 2008, contributes to the economy of the city. The fishing harbour at Thoppumpady
is a minor fishing port in the state and supplies fish to local and export markets. To further tap the potential of the all-season harbour at Kochi, an international cruise terminal and several marinas are being constructed.
Exports and allied activities are also important contributors to the city's economy. The Cochin Port
currently handles export and import of container cargo at its terminal at Willingdon Island
. The International Container Transshipment Terminal
operating out of Vallarpadam
, is India's largest transshipment terminal.
Cochin Port Trust also planning to build an Outer Harbour near Puthuvype
. Upon completion it will be the largest port in South Asia. Kochi's historical reliance on trade continues into modern times, as the city is a major exporter of spices and is home to the International Pepper Exchange
, where black pepper
is globally traded. The Spices Board of India
is also headquartered in Kochi.
The IT
and ITES related industries are growing up in Kochi. Availability of cheap bandwidth
through undersea cables
and lower operational costs compared to other major cities in India, has been to its advantage. Various technology and industrial campuses including the government promoted InfoPark
, Cochin Special Economic Zone
and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Park
operate in the outskirts of the city. Several new industrial campuses are under construction in the suburbs of the city. SmartCity
at Kakkanad is the prominent project under proposal. Cyber City
at Kalamassery
is another integrated IT township SEZ being planned in the private sector.
Kochi has an established electronics hardware industry with companies such as V-Guard Industries, FCI OEN Connectors and SFO Technologies. The Government of Kerala has announced a project to build an industrial park named Electronic City spanning an area of 340 acres (137.6 ha), to cater to the electronic hardware industries. The private operator NeST is building a Special Economic Zone
specifically for electronics hardware spanning an area of 30 acres (12.1 ha).
The Cochin International Airport is in the process of setting up an aerotropolis
at Nedumbasserry.
located at Nedumbassery, which is about 25 km (15.5 mi) north of Kochi city, and handles both domestic and international flights. It is the first international airport in India to be built without Central Government funds.
The Cochin airport provides direct connectivity to popular international destinations in the Middle East, Malaysia and Singapore and to most major Indian cities apart from tourist destinations like Lakshadweep
. Kochi is also the headquarters of the Air India Express service. With a terminal area of 600000 sq ft (55,741.8 m²), and a passenger capacity of 1600, it is the largest airport in the state and the fourth busiest international airport in India in terms of international passengers, and seventh busiest overall.
in Tamil Nadu
. The Salem-Coimbatore
-Kochi stretch of the NH47 is part of the North-South Corridor of India's National Highway System, passing through Coimbatore
, Palakkad
and Thrissur
. The entire stretch
of NH47 passing through Kochi and its urban agglomeration has four lanes, with some stretches six-laned.
NH47A
is a 6 km (3.7 mi) stretch of highway connecting Kundanoor Junction on the mainland to the Willingdon Island. It is the shortest stretch of highway on the Indian National Highways system.
NH47C
is a 17.2 km (10.7 mi) four-lane stretch of highway connecting Kalamassery to the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal
. The four-laning of the stretch is nearing completion and carries 11 major bridges and a grade separated interchange where it branches off NH47.
NH17
connects Kochi to Mumbai
along the west coast of India, passing through Kozhikode
, Mangalore
and Goa
. The highway terminates at the Edappally Junction in the city.
NH49
connects Kochi to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu passing through Madurai
thus providing another link to the North-South Corridor National Highway System.
, connects the city to Kottayam. SH 41, Palarivattom-Thekkady Road
, provides a corridor to the eastern parts of the district. SH 63, Vypeen Pallipuram Road
and SH 66, Alappuzha – Thoppumpady road
are coastal roads that serve the narrow sliver of land between the backwaters and the sea.
in Ernakulam, constructed in 1925 which runs parallel to the coast. Other major roads include Chittoor Road
, Banerji Road
, Shanmugham Road (in Marine Drive)
, Kochi Bypass
, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road
, Park Avenue
, Seaport-Airport Road
and S.A Road
.
at Vytilla is under construction, in order to move the long distance bus services away from the city centre, and also to provide access to the other public transport facilities.
Kochi is one of the few cities to be granted the new generation air-conditioned low floor and non air-conditioned semi low-floor buses under the JNNURM
city transport development project. Call taxis and auto rickshaw
s (called autos) are available for hire throughout the day.
Development of road infrastructure not keeping pace with the increase in traffic is a major problem faced by Kochi, like most other parts of Kerala.
and Ernakulam Town
(locally known as the South and North railway stations respectively). The main rail transport system in Kochi is operated by the Southern Railway Zone
of Indian Railways
, and comes under Thiruvananthapuram Railway division
.
The South
station is one of the busiest railway stations in South India, with more than 128 scheduled train services daily,. The North
station situated on the northern side of the city, caters mostly to long distance services that bypass the South
station, and also is an additional halt station for many trains. The railway line connecting these two stations cuts the city longitudinally in two, with three narrow bridges connecting the two halves.
Edapally Railway Station is a smaller halt station for passenger services and few express trains. The major station at Aluva
, Thripunithura station, and the halting stations at Kalamassery
, Nettoor, Kumbalam and Aroor serves the outskirts of the city and the surrounding metropolitan area.
The spur line to the port, and the Cochin Harbour Terminus
station are temporarily out of commission because of an accident at the harbour bridge. A spur line exclusively for freight traffic connects the International Container Transshipment Terminal
to the main line at Edapally. India's longest rail bridge – the 4.62 km long Vembanad Rail Bridge
is also part of this line. In addition, Southern Railways are planning a suburban railway system connecting Kochi to nearby towns and cities, using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit
services, with the first services expected to begin in early 2011 between Kollam and Ernakulam for which works are underway.
There is a historic station named as Ernakulam Terminus
(station code:ERG) situated behind the High Court. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi
and The British Viceroy have visited Cochin through this old railway station. Ernakulam Terminus was the first station to serve the city but had to be abandoned in the early 60's. Now this station operates as a goods depot of Southern Railway.
, a metro
rapid transit service, intended to considerably ease congestion, is currently awaiting sanction of the Indian government. A feasibility study is also currently being conducted to study the possibility of running Bullet trains on Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulam route.
, offers facilities for bunkering, handling cargo and passenger ships and storage accommodation.
It also operates passenger ships to Colombo
and Lakshadweep
. Boat services are operated by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation
, the State Water Transport Department
and private firms from various boat jetties
in the city. The junkar ferry for the transshipment of vehicles and passengers between the islands are operated between Ernakulam and Vypin
, and between Vypin and Fort Kochi. However, with the construction of the Goshree bridges
(which links Kochi's islands), ferry transport has become less essential. The main boat jetties are Ernakulam Main Boat Jetty near Park Avenue, High Court Jetty in Banerjee Road, Embarkation Jetty in Willingdon Island and Fort Kochi Jetty.
With a population of 601,574 , the city of Kochi has Kerala's highest population density parameter with 6340 people per km2. , Kochi had a metropolitan area population of 1,355,972. Scheduled castes and tribes
comprise 14% of the city's population. The female-to-male ratio is 1,024:1,000, significantly higher than the all-India average of 933:1,000. Kochi's literacy rate is 94%. The female literacy rate lags that of males by 1.1%, amongst the lowest such gaps in India.
Kochi's major religions are Hinduism
, Christianity
and Islam
. Jainism
, Judaism
, Sikhism
and Buddhism
, with smaller followings, are also practised in Kochi. Though 47% practise Hinduism, Christianity's large following (35%) makes Kochi a city with one of the largest Christian populations in India.
Kochi is one of the few cities in India without a Hindu
majority.
The majority of the city's residents are Malayali
s. However, there are significant ethnic minority communities including Tamils, Gujaratis, Jews
, Anglo-Indian
s, Sikhs, Konkanis
and Tulu
s. Malayalam is the main language of communication and medium of instruction for primary education, although a number of schools do offer English medium education. The higher education is invariably in English medium, and it is the preferred language in business circles. Tamil
and Hindi
are widely understood—albeit rarely spoken.
Like other fast-growing cities in the developing world, Kochi suffers from major urbanisation problems, poor sanitation
, vector problem, heavy pollution and unemployment
. The city was ranked 23rd, which was one of the lowest, among Indian cities in terms of house-cost and availability, urban household crowding and household incomes.
Shortage of potable water is a major concern in the city. The situation is aggravated by the threat posed by pollution in industrial areas. Water pollution in Kochi is very high with about 80% of the open wells are polluted. Kochi is also one among the 50 most polluted cities in India, which was ranked 24th by Central Pollution Control Board.
The region of the district where the city belongs registered an unemployment rate of 21.6% in 2003, which is roughly 6% more than the rate in 1998. The city also has a growing slum
-dwelling population. The government has plans to make the city slum-free by 2016. According to the National Crime Records Bureau
, the city holds the fourth position in the number of recorded crimes in India. In 2009, the city recorded an average crime rate of 646.3 against the national average of 181.4.
According to the 2010 CII/Institute of Competitiveness report on Liveability, Kochi stands first in the state, and 12th in the country. Kochi is ranked seventh in the list of the top ten most affluent cities in India by 2009 study by Nielsen Company.
As a result of successive waves of migration over the course of several centuries, the population of the city is a mix of people from all parts of Kerala and most of India. The pan-Indian nature is highlighted by the substantial presence of various ethnic communities from different parts of the country.
Kochi has a diverse, multicultural, and secular community consisting of Malayalis, Konkanis, Gujaratis, Bengalis, Marathis, Punjabis, Tamilians, Biharis and a few families of Jews among other denominations, all living in peaceful co-existence. The city once had a large Jewish community, known as the Malabar Yehuden—and now increasingly as Cochin Jews
—that figured prominently in Kochi's business and economic strata. The Syro-Malabar Church, one of the 22 sui iuris
Eastern Catholic Churches, has its seat at Ernakulam. The headquarters of the Archdiocese of Verapoly and the Diocese of Cochin are also situated in the city. Prominent places of Christian worship include the St. Mary's Cathedral, the St. Antony's Shrine at Kaloor
and St Mary's Bascilica,Vallarpadam
. Appropriate to its multi-ethnic composition, Kochi celebrates traditional Kerala festivals like Onam
and Vishu
along with North India
n Hindu festivals like Holi
with great fervour. Christian and Islamic festivals like Christmas, Easter, Eid ul-Fitr
and Milad-e-sherif are also celebrated. A merry making fest called the Cochin Carnival is celebrated at Fort Kochi during the last ten days of December.
The residents of Kochi are known as Kochiites; they are an important part of the South Indian culture
. However, the city's culture is rapidly evolving with Kochiites generally becoming more cosmopolitan in their outlook. The people are also increasingly fashion-conscious, often deviating from the traditional Kerala wear to western clothing.
Kochiites generally partake of Keralite cuisine, which is generally characterised by an abundance of coconut
and spices. Other South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese
and North Indian
cuisines are popular. Fast food
culture is also very prominent. Being a tourist hotspot, Fort Kochi have a number of restaurants that offer international cuisine, like Italian, French, Mexican etc. Being close to the ocean and the backwaters, Kochi has an abundance of seafood, which reflects in the cuisine. A service known as You Buy, We Cook is available at the waterfront of Fort Kochi, where the fresh seafood purchased from the nets is cooked as per the customers needs. Arabian food joints that serve Shawarma
and roasted chicken are a new addition to the fast food scene in the city.
Kochi was home to some of the most influential figures in Malayalam literature
, including Changampuzha Krishna Pillai
, Kesari Balakrishna Pillai
, G. Sankara Kurup
, and Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon
. Prominent social reformers such as Sahodaran Ayyappan
and Pandit Karuppan
also are from Kochi.
The Maharajas of Kochi (then Cochin) were scholars who knew the epics and encouraged the arts. The paintings at the Hill Palace and the Dutch Palace are testimony to their love for arts.
Kochiites are known for their enthusiasm in sports, especially football and cricket
.
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium
in Kochi is one of the large multi-use stadiums in India with international class lighting for football matches. The Regional Sports Centre
is an important centre of sporting activity in the city.
. A few privately owned schools are also affiliated to the system. Most of the schools owned by private organizations or individuals are affiliated to the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
(ICSE) have some schools affiliated to them as well. The state education board offers both Malayalam and English medium instruction, while the other boards offer English medium alone. There are a few schools that follow international curricula, such as IB and IGCSE.
There 34 government schools, 67 private aided schools and 31 unaided schools affiliated to the Kerala State Education Board in the city and suburbs. There are 62 CBSE Schools, 2 IGCSE and 9 ICSE Schools as well.
The general pattern of education is ten years of common schooling to reach the secondary level. Kindegartens are widely available, but considered separate from formal schooling, and generally unregulated. After the secondary level, three streams, namely Arts
, Commerce
or Science are offered for higher secondary education. After finishing the school, students can opt for higher education related to the streams they had undergone for higher secondary schooling.
The notable schools in the government sector are Sree Rama Varma High School
, Edappally High School, Government School-Kochi and Govt Girls High School. There are Kendriya Vidyalaya
, Chinmaya Mission
and Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan run several quasi-private charter schools within the city limits, as well as in the suburbs. There are several fully private schools that are owned by secular and religious trusts which are of particular renown, such as Rajagiri Public School, Toc-H Public School, Global Public School, Choice School
, Vidyodaya School
and Mar Thoma Public School
.
the main university named after the city, is located in the outskirts of the city. Most of the colleges offering tertiary education
are affiliated either with the Mahatma Gandhi University
or with the Cochin University. Other national educational institutes include the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training
, the National University of Advanced Legal Studies
, the National Institute of Oceanography
and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
.
The city is also home to two medical colleges – Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre
at Elamakkara (offers undergraduate and post-graduate courses in medicine, dentistry and nursing) and the Co-operative Medical College at Kalamassery. Some of the prestigious general colleges are Maharaja's College, St. Albert's College
, St. Teresa's College
, Sacred Heart College
, Bharata Matha College Aquina's College, Cochin College
etc. The engineering and technology colleges located in the city and suburbs are CUSAT Engineering Schools
, Model Engineering College
etc. Cochin University's School of Management Studies (SMS) is the first and oldest Managerial education institution in South India. Leading managerial institutions include Amrita School of Business, Rajagiri
School of Management, SCMS B-School, Albertian Institute of Management, Toc-H B school etc.
Being seat of Kerala High Court, several top legal education institutes are located in the city. The Government Law College-Ernakulam
is one of the oldest law schools in Kerala. The prestigious National University of Advanced Legal Studies
(NUALS) is located here, in the city.
in Palluruthy Veli, Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan, Don Bosco Big Boys, Crescent Girls Orphanage, YMCA
Boys Home, Bal Bhavan, Valsalya Bhavan.
Palluruthy Relief Settlement
is under Corporation of Cochin and managed in association with Peoples Council for Social Justice. There are about 300 inmates and many of them are mentally ill. . The night shelter for Ladies run by Corporation of Cochin near Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Bus Stand provides free and safe accommodation . Peoples Council for Social Justice was found in 1985 under the patronage of Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer
, with the aim to work for human rights protection, free legal aid and to strive for social justice.
The Orphanages for Children under Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan Cochin are Sneha Bhavan Annexe, SnehaBhavan, Valsalya Bhavan, Don Bosco and Bosco Nilayam. The ChildLine India project in Cochin is taken in collaboration with Don Bosco and children in distress and in need of help can contact in '1098' (toll free number). Sneha Bhavan Annexe is the first point of contact with children and children can stay as a safe night shelter. Sneha Bhavan is a home for the children from the streets and for those from unhealthy and risky situations The Valsalya Bhavan centre is solely for the young girls who are rescued from the streets. Runaways, street children, children of sex workers, abused children and child labourers all live here. Along with primary and high school education at a local school, the centre provides shelter, food, clothing and educational support.
There are many good people doing independent social service .The Italian Sister Sabiola conducts a home at Fort Cochin known as “Ashwasa Bhavan”, for young orphaned children. Br.Judson run his own mobile bath in his vehicle for the abandoned. Judson's “Mobile Bath Service" moves around Kochi, in the morning time and in evenings to clean and clothe people living on the streets. Judson washes and cleanses their wounds, provides them new clothes and food, and takes them to shelters in the city.
, Mathrubhumi
, Madhyamam
, Deshabhimani, Deepika, Kerala Kaumudi
, Janmabhumi
, etc. Popular English newspapers include The Hindu
, The New Indian Express
, The Pioneer
and The Deccan Chronicle
. A number of evening papers are also published from the city. Newspapers in other regional languages like Hindi, Kannada
, Tamil and Telugu
are also available.
A number of financial publications are also published in the city. These include The Economic Times
, Business Line
, The Business Standard and The Financial Express.
Prominent magazines and religious publications like the Sathyadeepam, The Week
and Vanitha
are also published from the city.
Kochi houses several leading Malayalam television channels like Indiavision
, Jeevan TV
, Manorama News and We
(music channel of Kairali TV
) as well as major news studios of Asianet
, Kairali TV
, Amrita TV
and Doordarshan
. Prasar Bharati
maintains its earth station and broadcasting center in Kakkanad, Kochi. Satellite television
services are available through DD Direct+, Dish TV
, Sun Direct DTH
and Tata Sky
. FM radio channels broadcast from Kochi are Rainbow FM (AIR) 101.9 MHz, AIR Kochi 102.3 MHz, Club FM 94.3
MHz, Radio Mango 91.9
MHz, Red FM 93.5
MHz
There are over twelve cinema halls
that screen movies in Malayalam, Tamil, English and Hindi. The city hosts Kerala's first cine multiplex, at the Oberon Mall
with four screens. Gold Souk Grande Kochi also has a cine multiplex operated by Q cinemas. 16 more multiplex screens are expected in the city in the near future.
Kerala has the highest density of telephones in India. Telephony
services are provided by various players like Aircel
, Airtel, Idea cellular
, Vodafone, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Docomo
, MTS, Uninor
, Tata Indicom
and the state owned BSNL
.
and Viva Kerala and also teams like Josco FC since 2008.
India's fourth largest stadium and third largest cricket stadium, the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium
located in Kaloor, is a major facility for football and cricket. Recently, the stadium was renovated to facilitate more cricket tournaments as well as for hosting IPL Matches
. Kochi is home to the Indian Premier League
cricket team, the Kochi Tuskers which won franchise rights to play IPL will participate in the 2011 edition of IPL. Sreesanth who plays for the Indian National Cricket team hails from Kochi.
The Maharaja's Stadium located on MG Road in the heart of the city, is the major athletic facility in the state with synthetic tracks and turf grass as per international standards.
The Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex
at Kadavanthara is a major indoor stadium, mainly used for conducting badminton, tennis and basket ball tournaments. The 25m X 10m swimming pool at the centre is one of the larger water sports facility in the state, where regular swimming competitions and coaching are conducted.
The FACT Grounds at Udyogamandal, Ambedkar Stadium and St.Albert's College Grounds are the other major training facilities for various games like volleyball, badminton, cricket etc.
Kochi has two golf courses in the city, and one in the suburbs. The oldest golf club is located at Bolgatty Palace constructed in 1903, which is a nine hole facility run by Cochin Golf Club society. The Cochin Golf and Country Club located near to Cochin Airport, operated by CIAL, is a nine hole golf course with a playing area of over 7,200 yards. The nine hole golf course at the Naval Base is restricted only for military personnel.
Being surrounded by water bodies, the city is ideal for Yachting
. The Kerala Yachting Association and the Cochin Yacht Club are located in the city. Both organizations conduct regular yachting tournaments. Kochi was the only Indian city chosen for stopover during the
Volvo Ocean Race 2008.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
by the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. Kochi is part of the district of Ernakulam
Ernakulam district
-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...
in the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. Kochi is often called by the name Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
, which refers to the western part of the mainland Kochi. The civic body that governs the city is the Corporation of Cochin, which was constituted in the year 1967, and the statutory bodies that oversee its development are the Greater Cochin Development Authority
Greater Cochin Development Authority
Greater Cochin Development Authority is the statutory body overseeing the development of the City of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India...
and the Goshree Islands Development Authority
Goshree Islands Development Authority
Goshree Islands Development Authority is one of the two government agencies for the development of Kochi City Region, Kerala along with GCDA which serves entire Cochin Corporation and surrounding municipalities around the region. GIDA's main purpose, as the name suggests to develop the...
.
The city of Kochi (pop. 601,574) is Kerala's second largest city and is part of an extended metropolitan region (pop. 2.1 million), which is the largest urban agglomeration in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. It is the most densely populated city in the state. Kochi city is also a part of Greater Cochin
Greater Cochin
Greater Cochin is the area defined by Greater Cochin Development Authority for townplanning. This area consists of the Kochi UA region and its suburbs...
region and is classified as a B-1 grade city by the Government of India, making it the highest graded city in the state. Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala.
The city lies about 220 kilometres (137 mi) north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
and about 180 kilometres (112 mi) south of Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
, the third largest city in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. In 1102 AD, Kochi became the seat of the Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...
, which traced its lineage to the Kulasekhara
Kulasekhara
Kulasekhara or Later Chera dynasty was a classical Hindu dynasty founded by the saint King Kulashekhara Varman. The dynasty ruled the whole of modern Kerala state , Guddalore and some parts of Nilgiri district and Salem - Coimbatore region in southern India between 9th and 12th centuries AD...
Empire. Heralded as the Queen of Arabian Sea, Kochi was an important spice trading centre on the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
coast from the 14th century. Occupied by the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
in 1503, Kochi was the first of the European colonies in India
Colonial India
Colonial India refers to areas of the Indian Subcontinent under the control of European colonial powers, through trade and conquest. The first European power to arrive in India was the army of Alexander the Great in 327–326 BC. The satraps he established in the north west of the subcontinent...
. It remained the main seat of Portuguese India
Portuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
until 1530, when Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
was chosen instead. The city was later occupied by the Dutch
Dutch Malabar
Malabar, also known by the name of its main settlement Cochin, was a commandment of the Dutch East India Company on the Malabar Coast between 1661 and 1795, and is part of what is today collectively referred to as Dutch India...
and the British
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, with the Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...
becoming a princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
.
Kochi is home for the Southern Naval Command
Southern Naval Command
The Southern Naval Command is one of the three main formations of the Indian Navy. It has its HQ in Kochi, and is commanded by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief....
, of the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
, state headquarters (DHQ4) and Air Squadron 747 of the Indian Coast Guard
Indian Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard is a branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Its mission is the protection of India's maritime interests and maritime law enforcement with jurisdiction over both territorial and international waters....
, maritime-related facilities including the Port of Kochi, an International Container Transshipment Terminal
International Container Transshipment Terminal, Kochi
The Kochi International Container Transhipment Terminal , locally known as the Vallarpadam Terminal , is a container trans-shipment facility which is part of the Kochi Port. It is the only trans-shipment port in India, and is situated in Kochi, in the state of Kerala.Being constructed in three...
, the Cochin Shipyard
Cochin Shipyard
Cochin Shipyard Limited is the largest ship building and maintenance facility in India. It is part of a line of maritime related facilities in the port-city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India....
, offshore SPM
Single buoy mooring
Single Point Mooring is a loading buoy anchored offshore that serves as a mooring point and interconnect for tankers loading or offloading gas or liquid products. SPMs are the link between geostatic subsea manifold connections and weathervaning tankers...
of the Kochi Refineries
Kochi Refineries
The Kochi Refineries Ltd is an oil refinery in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located in the Ambalamugal industrial district of Kochi. It has a production capacity of 7.5 million tons per annum as of Dec 1994...
, and the Kochi Marina
Kochi Marina
The Kochi International Marina is a marina in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located in the eastern coast of the Bolgatty Island , in the premises of the Bolgatty Palace, a 'heritage hotel'.The Kochi Marina is the only marina in India. It is owned by the Kerala Tourism...
. Kochi is also home for several major chemical industries like the FACT
Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore
Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore , is a fertiliser and chemical manufacturing company in Kochi, Kerala, India. It is one of the largest chemical manufacturing facilities in Kerala.and is iso 14001 certified....
, TCC
Travancore Cochin Chemicals
Travancore Cochin Chemicals is a public sector undertaking owned by the Government of Kerala, engaged in the manufacture and marketing of Caustic Soda, Chlorine and allied chemicals. It is situated in Udyogamandal industrial district of Kochi, India.FEATURES OF TCC* It is the only caustic soda...
, IREL
Indian Rare Earths Limited
Indian Rare Earths Limited ' is a government-owned corporation in India based in Mumbai. It was incorporated as a private limited company and jointly owned by the Government of India and Government of Travancore Cochin. Government of India took control of IREL in 1963 under the administrative...
, HOCL
Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd
Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited is Government of India owned company based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was established in 1960 to indigenise manufacture of basic chemicals and to reduce country’s dependence on import of vital organic chemicals. Its products are Phenol, Acetone, Nitrobenzene,...
and Kochi Refineries
Kochi Refineries
The Kochi Refineries Ltd is an oil refinery in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located in the Ambalamugal industrial district of Kochi. It has a production capacity of 7.5 million tons per annum as of Dec 1994...
, industrial parks like the Cochin Special Economic Zone
Cochin Special Economic Zone
The Cochin Special Economic Zone is an Industrial Park located at Kochi, Kerala. It is established in an area of in the Kakkanad area under the Thrikkakara Municipal Town. It is a multi-product zone, with units operating in Gems and Jewelry, Electronics Hardware, IT and Engineering Services, Food...
and Infopark
InfoPark, Kochi
Infopark, Kochi is an information technology park situated in Kakkanad, a suburb of the city of Kochi, India. Established in 2004 by the Government of Kerala, Infopark is spread over a campus with more than of built up area, housing over 75 companies which employ around 15,000 professionals...
. Kochi is home for the High Court of Kerala & Lakshadweep
Kerala High Court
High Court of Kerala is the highest court in the Indian state of Kerala and in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. The High Court of Kerala is headquartered at Kochi...
, and the Cochin University of Science and Technology
Cochin University of Science and Technology
Cochin University of Science and Technology is a government owned autonomous university in Kochi , Kerala, India. Founded in 1971, the university consists of three campuses, two in Kochi and one in Kuttanad, Alappuzha, 66 km inland. The university awards degrees in engineering and allied...
.
Etymology
Ancient travellers and tradesmen referred to Kochi in their writings, variously alluding to it as Cocym, Cochym, Cochin, and Kochi. The Cochin Jewish community called Cochin as Kogin (קוגין), which is seen in the seal of the synagogue which is still owned by the community. The origin of the name "Kochi" is thought to be from the MalayalamMalayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
word kochu azhi, meaning 'small lagoon'. Yet another theory is that Kochi is derived from the word Kaci meaning 'harbour'. Accounts by Italian explorers Nicolo Conti
Niccolò Da Conti
Niccolò de' Conti was an Italian merchant and explorer of the Republic of Venice, born in Chioggia, who traveled to India and Southeast Asia, and possibly to Southern China, during the early 15th century...
(15th century), and Fra Paoline in the 17th century say that it was called Kochchi, named after the river connecting the backwater
Kerala Backwaters
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state...
s to the sea. After the arrival of the Portuguese, and later the British, the name Cochin stuck as the official appellation. The city reverted to a closer anglicisation of its original Malayalam name, Kochi, in 1996. However, it is still widely referred to as Cochin, with the city corporation retaining its name as Corporation of Cochin.
History
Spice trade
Civilizations of Asia were involved in spice trade from the ancient times, and the Greco-Roman world soon followed by trading along the Incense route and the Roman-India routes...
for many centuries, and was known to the Yavanas (Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
s) as well as Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, Jews, Arabs, and Chinese since ancient times. Kochi rose to significance as a trading centre after the port at Kodungallur
Kodungallur
Kodungallur is a municipality in Thrissur District, in the state of Kerala, India on the Malabar Coast. Kodungallur is located about 29 km northwest of Kochi city and 38 km Southwest of Thrissur, on National Highway 17 . Muziris the ancient seaport at the mouth of the Periyar River was...
(Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding of the river Periyar
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
in 1341. The earliest documented references to Kochi occur in books written by Chinese voyager Ma Huan during his visit to Kochi in the 15th century as part of Admiral Zheng He
Zheng He
Zheng He , also known as Ma Sanbao and Hajji Mahmud Shamsuddin was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the Voyages of Zheng He or Voyages of Cheng Ho from...
's treasure fleet. There are also references to Kochi in accounts written by Italian traveller Niccolò Da Conti
Niccolò Da Conti
Niccolò de' Conti was an Italian merchant and explorer of the Republic of Venice, born in Chioggia, who traveled to India and Southeast Asia, and possibly to Southern China, during the early 15th century...
, who visited Kochi in 1440.
According to many historians, the Kingdom of Kochi came into existence in 1102, after the fall of the Kulasekhara
Kulasekhara
Kulasekhara or Later Chera dynasty was a classical Hindu dynasty founded by the saint King Kulashekhara Varman. The dynasty ruled the whole of modern Kerala state , Guddalore and some parts of Nilgiri district and Salem - Coimbatore region in southern India between 9th and 12th centuries AD...
Empire. The King of Kochi had authority over the region encompassing the present city of Kochi and adjoining areas. The reign was hereditary, and the family that ruled over Kochi was known as the Perumpadappu Swaroopam or Kuru swaroopam
Cochin Royal Family
The Cochin royal family were rulers of Cochin, or Kochi, India. They were also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam or Kuru Swaroopam.-Tradition of Perumpadapu Swaroopam:...
in the local vernacular. The mainland Kochi remained the capital of the princely state since the eighteenth century. However, during much of this time, the kingdom was under foreign suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
, and the King often only had titular privileges.
Portuguese navigator, Pedro Álvares Cabral founded the first European settlement in India at Kochi in 1500. From 1503 to 1663, Fort Kochi was ruled by Portugal
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
. This Portuguese period was a harrowing time for the Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews , are the oldest group of Jews in India, with roots claimed to date to the time of King Solomon, though historically attested migration dates from the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Historically, they lived in the Kingdom of Cochin in South India, now part of the...
, as the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
was active in Portuguese India
Portuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
. Kochi hosted the grave of Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
, the first European explorer to set sail for India, who was buried at St. Francis Church until his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539. The Portuguese rule was followed by that of the Dutch, who had allied with the Zamorins to conquer Kochi. By 1773, the Mysore
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...
King Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
extended his conquest in the Malabar region to Kochi forcing it to become a tributary of Mysore. The hereditary Prime Ministership of Kochi held by the Paliath Achan
Paliath Achan
Paliath Achan or Paliyath Achan : is the name given to the oldest male member of the Paliam family , a Nair family from the Indian state of Kerala that figured prominently in the history of the region.-Overview:...
s ended during this period.
Meanwhile, the Dutch, fearing an outbreak of war on the United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the Netherlands in London on August 13, 1814...
with the United Kingdom, under which Kochi was ceded to the United Kingdom in exchange for the island of Bangka
Bangka Island
Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. Population 626,955. Area: c.4,600 sq mi .There is an additional small island named Pulau Bangka in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.-Geography:...
. However, there are evidences of English habitation in the region even before the signing of the treaty.
In 1866, Fort Kochi became a municipality, and its first Municipal Council
Municipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
election was conducted in 1883. The Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
of Cochin, who ruled under the British, in 1896 initiated local administration by forming town councils in Mattancherry
Mattancherry
Mattancherry is the western part of city of Kochi, India. It is said that the name Mattancherry is drawn from "Ancherry Mattam", a Namboodiri illam which then the foreign traders pronounced it as Matt-Ancherry, gradually became Mattancherry. It is about 9 km from Ernakulam town. There are...
and Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
. In 1925, Kochi legislative assembly was constituted due to public pressure on the state.
Towards the early 20th century, trade at the port had increased substantially, and the need to develop the port was greatly felt. Harbour engineer Robert Bristow
Robert Bristow
Sir Robert Bristow was a British harbour engineer who is best known for his contributions to the development of the port of Kochi in India. Bristow recounted his experiences in his book Cochin Saga, which is considered an important source of historiography of Kerala...
was brought to Kochi in 1920 under the direction of Lord Willingdon
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon
Major Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy and Governor-General of India, the country's 22nd.Freeman-Thomas was born in England and...
, then the Governor of Madras
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
. In a span of 21 years, he transformed Kochi as one of the safest harbours in the peninsula, where ships berthed alongside the newly reclaimed inner harbour equipped with a long array of steam cranes.
In 1947, when India gained independence from the British colonial rule, Cochin was the first princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
to join the Indian Union willingly.
In 1949, Travancore-Cochin
Travancore-Cochin
Travancore-Cochin or Thiru-Kochi is a former state of India . It was created on 1 July 1949 by the merger of two former princely states, the kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin....
state came into being with the merger of Cochin and Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
. The King of Travancore was the Rajpramukh
Rajpramukh
Rajpramukh was an administrative title in India which existed from India's independence in 1947 until 1956. Rajpramukhs were the appointed governors of certain of India's provinces and states....
of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1949 to 1956. Travancore-Cochin, was in turn merged with the Malabar district
Malabar District
Malabar District was an administrative district of Madras Presidency in British India and independent India's Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad , and Chavakad Taluk of Thrissur District in the northern part of...
of the Madras State
Madras State
Madras State was the name by which the Indian districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Northern Kerala, Bellary and Dakshina Kannada were collectively known as from 1950 to 1953....
. Finally, the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
's States Reorganisation Act
States Reorganisation Act
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India's states and territories. The act reorganised the boundaries of India's states along linguistic lines, and amended the Indian Constitution to replace the three types of states, known as Parts A, B,...
(1956) inaugurated a new state — Kerala — incorporating Travancore-Cochin (excluding the four southern Taluks which were merged with Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
), Malabar District, and the taluk
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
of Kasargod
Kasaragod taluk
Kasaragod, is a taluk which along with Hosdurg taluk constitute the Kasaragod district, Kerala, India.- External links :* *...
, South Kanara. On 9 July 1960 the Mattancherry
Mattancherry
Mattancherry is the western part of city of Kochi, India. It is said that the name Mattancherry is drawn from "Ancherry Mattam", a Namboodiri illam which then the foreign traders pronounced it as Matt-Ancherry, gradually became Mattancherry. It is about 9 km from Ernakulam town. There are...
council passed a resolution—which was forwarded to the government—requesting the formation of a municipal corporation
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
by combining the existing municipalities of Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi is a region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. This is part of a handful of water-bound regions toward the south-west of the mainland Kochi, and collectively known as Old Kochi or West Kochi. Adjacent to this is Mattancherry...
, Mattancherry, and Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
. The government appointed a commission to study the feasibility of the suggested merger. Based on its report, the Kerala Legislative Assembly
Kerala Legislative Assembly
The Kerala Legislative Assembly more popularly known as Niyamasabha , is the law making body of Kerala, one of the 28 States in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives and one nominated member from the Anglo-Indian community...
approved the corporation's formation. On 1 November 1967, exactly eleven years since the establishment of the state of Kerala, the corporation of Cochin came into existence. The merger leading to the establishment of the corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
, was between the municipalities of Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi is a region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. This is part of a handful of water-bound regions toward the south-west of the mainland Kochi, and collectively known as Old Kochi or West Kochi. Adjacent to this is Mattancherry...
, along with that of the Willingdon Island
Willingdon Island
Willingdon Island is an island, which forms part of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Much of the present Willingdon Island was claimed from the Lake of Kochi, filling dredged soil around a previously existed, but tiny natural island...
, four panchayats (Palluruthy
Palluruthy
Palluruthy is a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Palluruthy is part of the water bound West Kochi, lying westward to the Kochi mainland. Palluruthy comprises the regions Thoppumpady, Perumpadappu, Edakochi, Kumbalanghi and Mundamveli...
, Vennala
Vennala
Vennala is one of the early panchayats of Kerala, India that was amalgamated with other panchayats during the formation of Kochi corporation. Located, 9 km from Kochi City, and 4 km From Vyttila, Edappally and Thripunithura, it spans the area from Alinchuvadu to Arkakkadavu and from Kottenkavu to...
, Vyttila
Vyttila
Vyttila is an intersection as well as the name of a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the largest as well as the busiest intersection in Kerala. This node intersects the main north-south artery of the state of Kerala, namely, the National Highway 47, with three city...
and Edappally
Edappally
Edappally is one of Kochi's well known neighbourhoods. Its name in English literally translates as 'The City with a Church in the Centre' . The famous church in the centre is St. George's Church which is quite old and is a pilgrimage centre. It is said to be one of the fastest growing areas in...
), and the small islands of Gundu
Gundu Island
The Gundu Island is one of the many islands that make up the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. The November 1967 amalgamation order of the Kerala Legislative Assembly declared Gundu Island as part of Kochi....
and Ramanthuruth
Ramanthuruth
Ramanthuruth is one of the islands that make up the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. The November 1967 amalgamation order of the Kerala Legislative Assembly declared Ramanthuruth Island as part of Kochi....
.
Kochi witnessed economic stagnation
Economic stagnation
Economic stagnation or economic immobilism, often called simply stagnation or immobilism, is a prolonged period of slow economic growth , usually accompanied by high unemployment. Under some definitions, "slow" means significantly slower than potential growth as estimated by experts in macroeconomics...
in the years following India's independence. The city's economic recovery gathered momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the central government
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in the mid-1990s. Since 2000, the service sector
Tertiary sector of industry
The tertiary sector of the economy is one of the three economic sectors, the others being the secondary sector and the primary sector .The service sector consists of the "soft" parts of the economy, i.e...
has revitalised the city's stagnant economy. The establishment of several industrial parks based on IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
and other port based infrastructure triggered a construction and realty boom in the city. Over the years, Kochi has witnessed rapid commercialisation, and has today grown into a commercial hub of Kerala.
Geography
The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
, Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi is a region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. This is part of a handful of water-bound regions toward the south-west of the mainland Kochi, and collectively known as Old Kochi or West Kochi. Adjacent to this is Mattancherry...
, the suburbs of Edapally, Kalamassery
Kalamassery
Kalamassery is a suburban region of the city of Kochi and a Municipality in the District of Ernakulam of Kerala state, India. It is a concentrated region of industrialization with several factories manufacturing chemicals and fertilizers, as well as IT companies...
and Kakkanad
Kakkanad
Kakkanad is a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. This is the part of Kochi where much of its IT industry is based in. It is also the administrative headquarters of the District of Ernakulam ....
to the northeast; Tripunithura to the southeast; and a group of islands closely scattered in the Vembanad Lake
Vembanad Lake
Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India, and the largest lake in the state of Kerala. It is also one of the largest lakes, in India. A lake spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known by different names in different localities viz. Punnamada Lake in Kuttanad, Kochi Lake in...
. Most of these islands are very small, varying in extent from six square kilometre to less than a square kilometre (1,500 to less than 250 acres).
Soil consists of sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
s such as alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
, teri's, brown sands, etc. Hydromorphic saline soils are also found in the areas surrounding the backwaters.
Predominant rock types found here are Archaean-basic dykes
Dike (geology)
A dike or dyke in geology is a type of sheet intrusion referring to any geologic body that cuts discordantly across* planar wall rock structures, such as bedding or foliation...
, Charnockite
Charnockite
Charnockite is applied to any orthopyroxene-bearing granite, composed mainly of quartz, perthite or antiperthite and orthopyroxene , as an end-member of the charnockite series.-Charnockite series:...
s and Gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
es. An ecologically sensitive area, the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
Mangalavanam is an ecologically sensitive area situated at the centre of the Indian city of Kochi. It is situated behind the Kerala High Court building. It is a nesting ground for a large variety of migratory birds and supports many types of mangroves. The Managalavanam is often regarded as the...
is located in the central part of the city. It has a wide range of mangrove species and is nesting ground for a vast variety of migratory birds.
Climate
Under the Köppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Kochi features a tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate
Tropical monsoon climate, occasionally also known as a tropical wet climate or tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate in climate classification, is a relatively rare type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category "Am."Tropical monsoon climates have monthly...
. Kochi's proximity to the equator along with its coastal location results in little seasonal temperature variation, with moderate to high levels of humidity. Annual temperatures range between 23 and 31 °C (73–88 °F) with the record high being 38 °C (100 °F), and record low 17 °C (63 °F).
From June to September, the south-west monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
brings in heavy rains as Kochi lies on the windward side of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. From October to December, Kochi receives lighter (yet significant) rain from the northeast monsoon, as it lies on the leeward side. Average annual rainfall is 3228.3 mm (127.1 in), with an annual average of 132 rainy days.
Civic administration
| Kochi City officials | |
|---|---|
| Mayor Mayor In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city.... |
Tony Chamminy |
| Deputy Mayor Deputy Mayor Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence... |
Bhadra Satish |
| Police Commissioner Police commissioner Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a... |
M.R. Ajith Kumar |
Corporation of Kochi
Corporation of Cochin is the municipal corporation that manages the Indian city of Kochi . The Corporation manages 94.88 km2 of city limits of Kochi city. It is the second largest city corporation in Kerala after Thiruvananthapuram Corporation by area and population...
, headed by a mayor. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 74 wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. Earlier; Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Ernakulam were the three Municipalities in Cochin area, which was later merged to form the Cochin Corporation. The Corporation has its headquarters in Ernakulam, and zonal offices at Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi is a region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. This is part of a handful of water-bound regions toward the south-west of the mainland Kochi, and collectively known as Old Kochi or West Kochi. Adjacent to this is Mattancherry...
, Mattancherry, Palluruthy
Palluruthy
Palluruthy is a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Palluruthy is part of the water bound West Kochi, lying westward to the Kochi mainland. Palluruthy comprises the regions Thoppumpady, Perumpadappu, Edakochi, Kumbalanghi and Mundamveli...
, Edappally
Edappally
Edappally is one of Kochi's well known neighbourhoods. Its name in English literally translates as 'The City with a Church in the Centre' . The famous church in the centre is St. George's Church which is quite old and is a pilgrimage centre. It is said to be one of the fastest growing areas in...
, Vaduthala
Vaduthala
Vaduthala is a suburb of the city of Kochi, India. Before merger with the corporation of Kochi, Vaduthala was a municipality under the Government of Kerala. A zonal office of the Corporation of Cochin operates here. Several educational institutions like Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Don Bosco School,...
and Vyttila
Vyttila
Vyttila is an intersection as well as the name of a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the largest as well as the busiest intersection in Kerala. This node intersects the main north-south artery of the state of Kerala, namely, the National Highway 47, with three city...
. The general administration of the city is handled by the Personnel Department and the Council Standing committee Section. Other departments include that of town planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, health, engineering, revenue and accounts. The corporation is also responsible for waste disposal and sewage management. The city produces more than 600 tons of waste per day and the a large portion of waste is decomposed at Brahmapuram Soild Waste plant into organic manure. The supply of potable water, sourced from the Periyar River
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
is handled by Kerala Water Authority with support of Water works department of Kochi Corporation. Electricity is provided by the Kerala State Electricity Board
Kerala State Electricity Board
Kerala State Electricity Board is a public sector agency under the Government of Kerala, India, that generates and distributes the electricity supply in the state...
.
The GCDA
Greater Cochin Development Authority
Greater Cochin Development Authority is the statutory body overseeing the development of the City of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India...
and GIDA
Goshree Islands Development Authority
Goshree Islands Development Authority is one of the two government agencies for the development of Kochi City Region, Kerala along with GCDA which serves entire Cochin Corporation and surrounding municipalities around the region. GIDA's main purpose, as the name suggests to develop the...
are the government agencies initiating and monitoring the development of Greater Cochin
Greater Cochin
Greater Cochin is the area defined by Greater Cochin Development Authority for townplanning. This area consists of the Kochi UA region and its suburbs...
area, mainly in developing infrastructure facilities for the city.
Law and order
Kochi is the seat of High Court of KeralaKerala High Court
High Court of Kerala is the highest court in the Indian state of Kerala and in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. The High Court of Kerala is headquartered at Kochi...
, the highest judicial body in the state and thus several judicial offices are located here. The Kochi City Police
Kochi City Police
Kochi City Police is the police force of the Indian city of Kochi. The force is headed by a Police Commissioner, an IPS officer. The city police was reorganized as Metro Police force, on April 1, 1966, after forming City Corporation of Cochin. Kochi City Police is one of the most advanced police...
is headed by a Police Commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
, an Indian Police Service
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
(IPS) officer. The city is divided into five zones and each zone under a circle officer. Apart from regular law & order, the city police comprises the Traffic Police, Narcotics Cell, Riot force, Armed Reserve Camps, District Crime Records Bureau and a Women's Police station. It operates 19 police stations functioning under the Home Ministry of Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala
The Government of Kerala is a democratically elected body that governs the State of Kerala, India for a period of 5 years. The state government is headed by the Governor of Kerala as the nominal head of state, with a democratically elected Chief Minister as real head of the executive. The state...
. An anti-corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
also operates out of the city. CISF
Central Industrial Security Force
The Central Industrial Security Force is a Central Armed Police Force in India.It was set up under an Act of the Parliament of India on March 10, 1969 with a strength of 2,800. CISF was subsequently made an armed force of the Union of India by another Act of Parliament passed on June 15, 1983. Its...
maintains 3 squadrons for providing security to various central and state heavy industries, airport and seaport zones. Other major central agencies are NIA
National Investigation Agency
National Investigation Agency is a federal agency approved by the Indian Government to combat terror in India. The agency is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states. The National Investigation Agency Bill 2008 to create the agency was...
, DRI
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence is an Indian intelligence agency.Even today, the organisation runs on skeleton staff even when compared to other intelligence agencies such as IB or state Police organisations.It comproses of officers of the Indian Revenue Service.However, its track record...
and Indian Customs
Indian Revenue Service
The Indian Revenue Service , abbreviated as IRS, is the revenue service of the Government of India. It is a Central Civil Service...
due to the presence of major port. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Kochi reported significant increase of 193.7 per cent IPC crimes in 2010 compared to 2009, and reported a crime rate of 1,897.8 compared to the 424.1 in whole Kerala. However, Kochi Police officials defended that in major crimes such as murders and kidnapping, the city registered a low crime rate even behind other cities in the state.
Politics
Kochi is part of the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituencyErnakulam (Lok Sabha constituency)
-Assembly segments:Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments:#Paravur#Vypin#Ernakulam#Kochi#Thrippunithura#Thrikkakara#Kalamassery-Members of Parliament:Travancore-Cochin*1951: C.P. Mathew, Indian National Congress...
. The current elected Member of Parliament representing the constituency is Prof. K V Thomas who belongs to the Indian National Congress. Prof. Thomas is currently holding the portfolio of Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
The Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency elects six members to the Legislative Assembly. Out of this, four constituencies, namely Kochi, Ernakulam,Thripunithura and Thrikkakara represent the city.
Economy
Cochin Stock Exchange
The Cochin Stock Exchange Limited is a capital stock market in Kochi, Kerala in India. Incorporated in 1978, it has now over 350Indian companies listed. CSBL a wholly owned subsidiary of CSE is a member of NSE and BSE.-Facility:...
, the only stock exchange in Kerala. Availability of electricity, fresh water, long coastline, backwaters, good banking facilities, presence of a major port, container trans-shipment terminal, harbor terminal and an international air terminal are some of the factors which accelerated the industrial growth in the city and its adjoining district. In recent years the city has witnessed heavy investment, thus making it one of the fastest-growing second-tier metro cities
Status of Indian cities
The Status of Indian cities comprises two ranking systems used by the Government of India to allocate compensatory allowances to the cities in the country...
in India. Sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
income generated in the Kochi metropolitan area contributes heavily to state revenue.
The district contributes the highest portion, 14.47%, of the state's GDP. Construction and manufacturing combined contributes 37%, and trade, tourism and hospitality together provides another 20%. Major business sectors include construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
, transportation/shipping, seafood and spices exports, chemical industries, information technology (IT), tourism, health services
Medical tourism
Medical tourism is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of travelling across international borders to obtain health care...
, and banking. Kochi is recognized as one of the seventeen major industrial cities of India by World Bank, Doing Business Group. However, in the 2009 rankings of ease to start and operate a business, among the 17 Indian cities selected, Kochi was rated as the second most difficult city to start business and was ranked 16th, above Kolkata.
Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin
A Non-Resident Indian is an Indian citizen who has migrated to another country, a person of Indian origin who is born outside India, or a person of Indian origin who resides permanently outside India. Other terms with the same meaning are overseas Indian and expatriate Indian...
(NRI)s is a major source of income. Eloor
Eloor
Eloor is a suburb of Kochi and a municipality in Ernakulam District in the Indian state of Kerala, India. It is an industrial area north of Cochin. It is an island of 14.21 km² formed between two distributaries of river Periyar and is the largest industrial belt in Kerala...
, situated 17 kilometres (10.5 mi) north of the city-centre, is the largest industrial belt in Kerala, with more than 250 industries manufacturing a range of products including chemical and petrochemical products, pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s, rare earth element
Rare earth element
As defined by IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium...
s, rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
processing chemicals, fertilisers, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
compounds, and leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
products. Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), one of the oldest fertilizers and chemical industry in Kerala is located in Kochi. Kochi Refineries
Kochi Refineries
The Kochi Refineries Ltd is an oil refinery in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located in the Ambalamugal industrial district of Kochi. It has a production capacity of 7.5 million tons per annum as of Dec 1994...
of (BPCL) at Ambalamugal
Ambalamugal
Ambalamugal is a small township adjacent to the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is a heavily industrial area. Kochi Refineries is located here. In 2010, it was declared "critically polluted" by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, which placed a moratorium on approval of new projects....
is one of the largest oil refining facilities in South India. Petronet India has now almost completed Kochi LNG Terminal
Kochi LNG Terminal
Kochi LNG is a proposed liquefied natural gas regasification terminal in Puthuvypeen, Kochi, India.The LNG terminal is under construction and is scheduled for commissioning by the third quarter of 2012.- Facilities :...
, for importing and storing natural gas, for energy and fueling needs. Central Government establishments like the Coconut Development Board
Coconut Development Board
Coconut Development Board is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India for the integrated development of coconut and coconut-related products....
, the Coir Board
Coir Board of India
Coir Board is a statutory body established by the Government of India under a legislation enacted by the Parliament namely 'Coir Industry Act 1953 ' for the promotion and development of Coir Industry in India....
and the Marine Products Export Development Authority
Marine Products Export Development Authority
The Marine Products Export Development Authority was constituted in 1972 under the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act 1972...
(MPEDA) have head offices located in the city.
Ernakulam district
-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...
, in which Kochi is situated, ranks first in the total number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala, and thus contributes to the economy of the city. The tourist enclave at Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi is a region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. This is part of a handful of water-bound regions toward the south-west of the mainland Kochi, and collectively known as Old Kochi or West Kochi. Adjacent to this is Mattancherry...
and presence of several historical monuments, museums etc. as well as natural attractions like the Vembanad lake and the backwaters attract large number of tourists to the city. Presence of several leading hospitality brands have been a major source of employment for locals. The Kochi Port is one of the leading ports where international cruisers call on regularly. The city has the first marina facility in the country Kochi Marina
Kochi Marina
The Kochi International Marina is a marina in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located in the eastern coast of the Bolgatty Island , in the premises of the Bolgatty Palace, a 'heritage hotel'.The Kochi Marina is the only marina in India. It is owned by the Kerala Tourism...
which attracts large number of yacht-totters.
Real Estate industry is also one industry which is contributing a lot to the economy of Kochi. Many players have entered the market and have developed residential properties.
Kochi is the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
, the primary training centre of the Indian Navy. The Cochin Shipyard
Cochin Shipyard
Cochin Shipyard Limited is the largest ship building and maintenance facility in India. It is part of a line of maritime related facilities in the port-city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India....
, which was the largest shipbuilding facility in India till 2008, contributes to the economy of the city. The fishing harbour at Thoppumpady
Thoppumpady
Thoppumpady is a place in the city of Cochin in Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala, India.-How to Reach:It is about 6 km away from the South Railway Station. It has bus services to any location in the city. It is connected to the Willington Island via the Mattancherry Bridge built by...
is a minor fishing port in the state and supplies fish to local and export markets. To further tap the potential of the all-season harbour at Kochi, an international cruise terminal and several marinas are being constructed.
Exports and allied activities are also important contributors to the city's economy. The Cochin Port
Cochin Port Trust
The Port of Kochi is a major port on the Arabian sea - Indian Ocean sea-route and is one of the largest ports in India. The port lies on two islands in the Lake of Kochi namely the Willingdon Island and Vallarpadam, towards the Fort Kochi river-mouth opening onto the Arabian sea...
currently handles export and import of container cargo at its terminal at Willingdon Island
Willingdon Island
Willingdon Island is an island, which forms part of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Much of the present Willingdon Island was claimed from the Lake of Kochi, filling dredged soil around a previously existed, but tiny natural island...
. The International Container Transshipment Terminal
International Container Transshipment Terminal, Kochi
The Kochi International Container Transhipment Terminal , locally known as the Vallarpadam Terminal , is a container trans-shipment facility which is part of the Kochi Port. It is the only trans-shipment port in India, and is situated in Kochi, in the state of Kerala.Being constructed in three...
operating out of Vallarpadam
Vallarpadam
Vallarpadam is one among the group of islands, that form part of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is situated in the Vembanad_Lake known here as Lake of Kochi and has a population of over 10,000...
, is India's largest transshipment terminal.
Cochin Port Trust also planning to build an Outer Harbour near Puthuvype
Puthuvype
Puthuvype is a major Industrial area in Ernakulam District in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a western suburb of Kochi City. It is situated 5 km west of High Court Junction.-Demographics:...
. Upon completion it will be the largest port in South Asia. Kochi's historical reliance on trade continues into modern times, as the city is a major exporter of spices and is home to the International Pepper Exchange
International Pepper Exchange
The International Pepper Exchange is an organisation headquartered in Kochi, India, that deals with the global trade of black pepper. The exchange, established in 1997, has been described as the world's only international pepper exchange....
, where black pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
is globally traded. The Spices Board of India
Spices Board of India
Spices Board is the Indian government regulatory and promotion agency for Indian spices. The board is headquartered in Kochi. Dr. Jayathilak, IAS is the current Chairman of Spices Board....
is also headquartered in Kochi.
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
and ITES related industries are growing up in Kochi. Availability of cheap bandwidth
Bandwidth (computing)
In computer networking and computer science, bandwidth, network bandwidth, data bandwidth, or digital bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits/second or multiples of it .Note that in textbooks on wireless communications, modem data transmission,...
through undersea cables
Submarine communications cable
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....
and lower operational costs compared to other major cities in India, has been to its advantage. Various technology and industrial campuses including the government promoted InfoPark
InfoPark, Kochi
Infopark, Kochi is an information technology park situated in Kakkanad, a suburb of the city of Kochi, India. Established in 2004 by the Government of Kerala, Infopark is spread over a campus with more than of built up area, housing over 75 companies which employ around 15,000 professionals...
, Cochin Special Economic Zone
Cochin Special Economic Zone
The Cochin Special Economic Zone is an Industrial Park located at Kochi, Kerala. It is established in an area of in the Kakkanad area under the Thrikkakara Municipal Town. It is a multi-product zone, with units operating in Gems and Jewelry, Electronics Hardware, IT and Engineering Services, Food...
and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Park
Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation
Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation is a government agency under the government of the Indian state of Kerala. It's headquarter was in Thiruvananthapuram. It undertakes development of industrial estates, to nurture industrialization in the state. Dr...
operate in the outskirts of the city. Several new industrial campuses are under construction in the suburbs of the city. SmartCity
SmartCity, Kochi
SmartCity Kochi is a planned IT township to be constructed in Kochi, Kerala in India. Smart City Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. is a joint venture company formed to develop the Kochi Smart City project. Government of Kerala , TECOM Investments , a subsidiary of Dubai Holding are the main investors of...
at Kakkanad is the prominent project under proposal. Cyber City
Cyber City, Kochi
Cyber City, Kochi, also known as HDIL Cyber City is a proposed Special Economic Zone information technology park promoted by HDIL located at Kochi, India. The SEZ will bebuilt over a land area of in the Kalamassery Municipality adjacent to the city of Kochi...
at Kalamassery
Kalamassery
Kalamassery is a suburban region of the city of Kochi and a Municipality in the District of Ernakulam of Kerala state, India. It is a concentrated region of industrialization with several factories manufacturing chemicals and fertilizers, as well as IT companies...
is another integrated IT township SEZ being planned in the private sector.
Kochi has an established electronics hardware industry with companies such as V-Guard Industries, FCI OEN Connectors and SFO Technologies. The Government of Kerala has announced a project to build an industrial park named Electronic City spanning an area of 340 acres (137.6 ha), to cater to the electronic hardware industries. The private operator NeST is building a Special Economic Zone
Electronics City, Kochi
Electronics City, Kochi, also known as NeST Electronics City is a proposed Special Economic Zone targeting electronics hardware manufacturing, promoted by NeST group located at Kochi, India...
specifically for electronics hardware spanning an area of 30 acres (12.1 ha).
The Cochin International Airport is in the process of setting up an aerotropolis
Aerotropolis
An aerotropolis is an urban form whose layout, infrastructure, and economy is centered on an airport, offering its businesses speedy connectivity to suppliers, customers, and enterprise partners worldwide. Many of these businesses are much more dependent on distant suppliers or customers than to...
at Nedumbasserry.
Transport
Air
The air gateway to Kochi is the Cochin International Airport (CIAL)Cochin International Airport
Cochin International Airport is an international airport located in Nedumbassery, a suburb on the outskirts of the city of Kochi about northeast of downtown Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is the busiest and largest airport in the state of Kerala...
located at Nedumbassery, which is about 25 km (15.5 mi) north of Kochi city, and handles both domestic and international flights. It is the first international airport in India to be built without Central Government funds.
The Cochin airport provides direct connectivity to popular international destinations in the Middle East, Malaysia and Singapore and to most major Indian cities apart from tourist destinations like Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep , formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 km off the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala...
. Kochi is also the headquarters of the Air India Express service. With a terminal area of 600000 sq ft (55,741.8 m²), and a passenger capacity of 1600, it is the largest airport in the state and the fourth busiest international airport in India in terms of international passengers, and seventh busiest overall.
Road
Kochi is well connected to neighboring cities and states via several highways. It is a node in the North-South Corridor of the National Highway system.National Highways
The NH47 which originates from Salem passes through the city of Kochi before ending at KanyakumariKanyakumari
Kanyakumari is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is also sometimes referred to as Cape Comorin. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is the geographical end of the Indian mainland. The district in Tamil Nadu where the town is located is called Kanyakumari...
in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. The Salem-Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
-Kochi stretch of the NH47 is part of the North-South Corridor of India's National Highway System, passing through Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
, Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
and Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
. The entire stretch
Kochi Bypass
The Kochi Bypass is a bypass segment of NH 47 that bypasses the CBD of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. The highway stretches 17 km from Edapally in the north to Aroor in Alappuzha district in the south. The Government of Kerala began the preliminary works in 1973. After a slow progress, it was...
of NH47 passing through Kochi and its urban agglomeration has four lanes, with some stretches six-laned.
NH47A
National Highway 47A (India)
National Highway 47A, also known as NH 47A, is the shortest highway in the Indian Highway network. It covers a distance of between Kundannoor and Willingdon Island in Kochi, Kerala. It starts from the junction of NH 47 at Kundannoor...
is a 6 km (3.7 mi) stretch of highway connecting Kundanoor Junction on the mainland to the Willingdon Island. It is the shortest stretch of highway on the Indian National Highways system.
NH47C
National Highway 47C (India)
National Highway 47C or NH 47C starts at Kalamassery and ends at Vallarpadam International Container Transhipment Terminal in Kochi, Kerala, India...
is a 17.2 km (10.7 mi) four-lane stretch of highway connecting Kalamassery to the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal
International Container Transshipment Terminal, Kochi
The Kochi International Container Transhipment Terminal , locally known as the Vallarpadam Terminal , is a container trans-shipment facility which is part of the Kochi Port. It is the only trans-shipment port in India, and is situated in Kochi, in the state of Kerala.Being constructed in three...
. The four-laning of the stretch is nearing completion and carries 11 major bridges and a grade separated interchange where it branches off NH47.
NH17
National Highway 17 (India)
National Highway 17, commonly referred to as NH 17, now renamed as NH 66, is a busy National Highway in India that runs roughly north-south along the western coast of India, parallel to western ghats. It connects Panvel, near Mumbai to Kochi, passing through the states of Maharashtra, Goa,...
connects Kochi to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
along the west coast of India, passing through Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
, Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
and Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. The highway terminates at the Edappally Junction in the city.
NH49
National Highway 49 (India)
National Highway 49 is National Highway in southern India. It traverses coast-to-coast linking Cochin in Kerala with Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu. It crosses the famous Pamban Bridge before crossing into Rameshwaram island...
connects Kochi to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu passing through Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
thus providing another link to the North-South Corridor National Highway System.
State Highways
Several state highways also connect Kochi with other parts of Kerala. SH 15, Ettumanoor-Ernakulam RoadState Highway 15 (Kerala)
State Highway 15 is a State Highway in Kerala that starts fromEttumanoor and ends at Pulikkal junction. The highway is 57.3 km long.- The Route Map :...
, connects the city to Kottayam. SH 41, Palarivattom-Thekkady Road
State Highway 41 (Kerala)
State Highway 41 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts in Palarivattom and ends in Thekkady. The highway is 55.1 km long.- The Route Map :...
, provides a corridor to the eastern parts of the district. SH 63, Vypeen Pallipuram Road
State Highway 63 (Kerala)
State Highway 63 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts in Vypeen and ends in Munambam. The highway is 25.5 km long....
and SH 66, Alappuzha – Thoppumpady road
State Highway 66 (Kerala)
State Highway 66 is a State Highway in Kerala, India that starts in Alappuzha and ends in Thoppumpady. The highway is 44.1 km long....
are coastal roads that serve the narrow sliver of land between the backwaters and the sea.
City Roads
The main arterial road of the city is Mahatma Gandhi RoadMahatma Gandhi Road, Kochi
Mahatma Gandhi Road , popularly known as M. G. Road, is the main artery as well as the commercial high street of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. The road lies north-south with its boundaries at the Venduruthy bridge, Thevara in the south, and the Madhava Pharmacy Junction in the...
in Ernakulam, constructed in 1925 which runs parallel to the coast. Other major roads include Chittoor Road
Chittoor Road
Chittoor Road is one of the major arterial road in the city of Kochi, India. It is the oldest arterial road in the Ernakulam mainland city that connects Ernakulam south with Chittoor island in Ernakulam north. The road runs in North-south direction parallel to coast, covering a distance of...
, Banerji Road
Banerji Road
Banerji Road is one of the major arteries of downtown Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It lies east-west between the High-Court Junction in the west, and Palarivattom in the east....
, Shanmugham Road (in Marine Drive)
Shanmugham Road
Shanmugham Road is a major road of Kochi, India, named after R. K. Shanmukham Chetty who was the Diwan of the Kingdom of Kochi from 1931 to 1945. It runs parallel to Kochi Backwaters, and popularly known as Marine Drive. It is a busy and highly commercialised street of the city, dotted with...
, Kochi Bypass
Kochi Bypass
The Kochi Bypass is a bypass segment of NH 47 that bypasses the CBD of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. The highway stretches 17 km from Edapally in the north to Aroor in Alappuzha district in the south. The Government of Kerala began the preliminary works in 1973. After a slow progress, it was...
, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road
Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road
Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road also known as KK Road is one of the three north-south arteries in the city of Kochi. Most of the long distance buses that connect the city to the regions to the south and southeast use this road to reach their main terminal at Kaloor. This 3.2 km long, 22 m wide,...
, Park Avenue
Park Avenue, Kochi
Park Avenue, Kochi, is a famous tree-lined road starting from Gandhi Round to Broadway. The road is located in Park area where several famous historical buildings are located. It is the most beautiful road with more than 45 flowering trees planted on both sides of the roads, making a thick canopy...
, Seaport-Airport Road
Seaport-Airport Road
Seaport-Airport Road is a four-lane, 30-km highway from Cochin seaport to the Cochin International Airport developed to improve the transport infrastructure in the Kochi city, India...
and S.A Road
S.A Road
Sahodaran Ayyappan Road, popularly known as SA Road is one of the important road of Kochi city that run in east-west direction. The road connects the MG Road in west with Vyttila Junction in east and continues further as Tripunithura Road that connects to Tripunithara. It is a four lane city road...
.
Public Transport
The primary form of public transport within the city is largely dependent on privately-owned bus networks. The state-run also operates its services in the city through the Thirukochi service. The major bus terminals in the city are Ernakulam Town, Ernakulam Jetty and the private bus terminal at Kaloor. An integrated transit terminal namely The Mobility HubVyttila Mobility Hub, Kochi
Vyttila Mobility Hub is an integrated transit terminal planned in the city of Kochi. It is designed as a converging point of various forms of public transportation, such as local and long distance buses, metro rail and inland water transport. It is planned over an area of in Vyttila, making it one...
at Vytilla is under construction, in order to move the long distance bus services away from the city centre, and also to provide access to the other public transport facilities.
Kochi is one of the few cities to be granted the new generation air-conditioned low floor and non air-conditioned semi low-floor buses under the JNNURM
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission is a massive city modernisation scheme launched by the Government of India under Ministry of Urban Development. It envisages a total investment of over...
city transport development project. Call taxis and auto rickshaw
Auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw or three-wheeler is a usually three-wheeled cabin cycle for private use and as a vehicle for hire. It is a motorized version of the traditional pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw...
s (called autos) are available for hire throughout the day.
Development of road infrastructure not keeping pace with the increase in traffic is a major problem faced by Kochi, like most other parts of Kerala.
Rail
The city has two major railway stations – Ernakulam JunctionErnakulam Junction
Ernakulam Junction is the largest railway station in the city of Kochi. The station has six platforms and two terminals...
and Ernakulam Town
Ernakulam Town
Ernakulam Town is one of the three main railway stations in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. The station is operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways and comes under the Thiruvananthapuram Railway division...
(locally known as the South and North railway stations respectively). The main rail transport system in Kochi is operated by the Southern Railway Zone
Southern Railway Zone (India)
The Southern Railway is the earliest of the 16 zones of the Indian Railways created in independent India. It was created on April 14, 1951 by merging three state railways namely Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway, and the Mysore State Railway. The South Indian Railway...
of Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
, and comes under Thiruvananthapuram Railway division
Thiruvananthapuram Railway division
Thiruvananthapuram Railway division is one of the 6 divisions of the Southern Railway Zone of India. Its headquarters is in Thiruvananthapuram. It was the 53rd Division in the country, was carved out of the Palakkad Division and started in October 1979...
.
The South
Ernakulam Junction
Ernakulam Junction is the largest railway station in the city of Kochi. The station has six platforms and two terminals...
station is one of the busiest railway stations in South India, with more than 128 scheduled train services daily,. The North
Ernakulam Town
Ernakulam Town is one of the three main railway stations in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. The station is operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways and comes under the Thiruvananthapuram Railway division...
station situated on the northern side of the city, caters mostly to long distance services that bypass the South
Ernakulam Junction
Ernakulam Junction is the largest railway station in the city of Kochi. The station has six platforms and two terminals...
station, and also is an additional halt station for many trains. The railway line connecting these two stations cuts the city longitudinally in two, with three narrow bridges connecting the two halves.
Edapally Railway Station is a smaller halt station for passenger services and few express trains. The major station at Aluva
Aluva Railway Station
Aluva is one of the important railway station in Greater Cochin situated in Ernakulam district and also the second busiest station in the Indian state of Kerala in terms of number of trains after Thrissur Railway Station...
, Thripunithura station, and the halting stations at Kalamassery
Kalamassery
Kalamassery is a suburban region of the city of Kochi and a Municipality in the District of Ernakulam of Kerala state, India. It is a concentrated region of industrialization with several factories manufacturing chemicals and fertilizers, as well as IT companies...
, Nettoor, Kumbalam and Aroor serves the outskirts of the city and the surrounding metropolitan area.
The spur line to the port, and the Cochin Harbour Terminus
Cochin Harbour Terminus
Cochin Harbour Terminus is one of the railway stations in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located on the Willingdon Island. The Cochin Harbour Terminus is the principal station providing rail connectivity to the southern segment of the Port of Kochi located on the...
station are temporarily out of commission because of an accident at the harbour bridge. A spur line exclusively for freight traffic connects the International Container Transshipment Terminal
International Container Transshipment Terminal, Kochi
The Kochi International Container Transhipment Terminal , locally known as the Vallarpadam Terminal , is a container trans-shipment facility which is part of the Kochi Port. It is the only trans-shipment port in India, and is situated in Kochi, in the state of Kerala.Being constructed in three...
to the main line at Edapally. India's longest rail bridge – the 4.62 km long Vembanad Rail Bridge
Vembanad Rail Bridge
Vembanad Rail Bridge in the state of Kerala is a rail connecting Edappally and Vallarpadam in Kochi . It is the longest rail bridge in India. The line is dedicated only for goods traffic.-Construction :...
is also part of this line. In addition, Southern Railways are planning a suburban railway system connecting Kochi to nearby towns and cities, using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit
MEMU
MEMU is a commuter rail system in India operated by the Indian Railway.The system uses Mainline Electrical Multiple Units operating on Alternating Current drawn from over-head cables through the catenary system....
services, with the first services expected to begin in early 2011 between Kollam and Ernakulam for which works are underway.
There is a historic station named as Ernakulam Terminus
Ernakulam Terminus
Ernakulam Terminus is an abandoned railway station in the Indian city of Kochi. It was the first railway station in Kochi, built by the king. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and The Viceroy have visited Cochin through this old majestic railway station...
(station code:ERG) situated behind the High Court. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
and The British Viceroy have visited Cochin through this old railway station. Ernakulam Terminus was the first station to serve the city but had to be abandoned in the early 60's. Now this station operates as a goods depot of Southern Railway.
Kochi Metro
The Kochi MetroKochi metro
The Kochi Metro is a proposed rapid transit system for the city of Kochi, in India. It was proposed in the year 2005 but was delayed due to the reason that the union government expressing serious doubts about the economic viability of the project. The alignment was created by the DMRC and is...
, a metro
Kochi metro
The Kochi Metro is a proposed rapid transit system for the city of Kochi, in India. It was proposed in the year 2005 but was delayed due to the reason that the union government expressing serious doubts about the economic viability of the project. The alignment was created by the DMRC and is...
rapid transit service, intended to considerably ease congestion, is currently awaiting sanction of the Indian government. A feasibility study is also currently being conducted to study the possibility of running Bullet trains on Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulam route.
Ferry
Kochi ranks among India's major seaports, partly due to being one of the safest harbours in the Indian Ocean. The port, administered by a statutory autonomous body known as the Cochin Port TrustCochin Port Trust
The Port of Kochi is a major port on the Arabian sea - Indian Ocean sea-route and is one of the largest ports in India. The port lies on two islands in the Lake of Kochi namely the Willingdon Island and Vallarpadam, towards the Fort Kochi river-mouth opening onto the Arabian sea...
, offers facilities for bunkering, handling cargo and passenger ships and storage accommodation.
It also operates passenger ships to Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep , formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 km off the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala...
. Boat services are operated by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation
Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation
Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation is Government of Kerala undertaking, that oversees the shipping and inland navigation matters of the state....
, the State Water Transport Department
Kerala State Water Transport Department
Kerala State Water Transport Department is a governmental agency that regulates the inland navigation systems in the Indian state of Kerala and provides inland water transport facilities. The department is headed by the State Minister in charge of transportation.This system consists of 1895...
and private firms from various boat jetties
Jetty
A jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
in the city. The junkar ferry for the transshipment of vehicles and passengers between the islands are operated between Ernakulam and Vypin
Vypin
Vypin or Vypeen is one among a group of islands, that form part of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. The island is about 27 km long...
, and between Vypin and Fort Kochi. However, with the construction of the Goshree bridges
Goshree bridges
Goshree bridges is a system of bridges that link the mainland side of the city of Kochi to the islands lying to the north of the backwaters. It provides the vital road connectivity to the islands of Bolgatty and Vallarpadam and also links the western island of Vypin to the mainland.The bridges are...
(which links Kochi's islands), ferry transport has become less essential. The main boat jetties are Ernakulam Main Boat Jetty near Park Avenue, High Court Jetty in Banerjee Road, Embarkation Jetty in Willingdon Island and Fort Kochi Jetty.
Demographics
With a population of 601,574 , the city of Kochi has Kerala's highest population density parameter with 6340 people per km2. , Kochi had a metropolitan area population of 1,355,972. Scheduled castes and tribes
Scheduled Castes and Tribes
The Scheduled Castes , also known as the Dalit, and the Scheduled Tribes are two groupings of historically disadvantaged people that are given express recognition in the Constitution of India...
comprise 14% of the city's population. The female-to-male ratio is 1,024:1,000, significantly higher than the all-India average of 933:1,000. Kochi's literacy rate is 94%. The female literacy rate lags that of males by 1.1%, amongst the lowest such gaps in India.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Jainism
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
, Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, with smaller followings, are also practised in Kochi. Though 47% practise Hinduism, Christianity's large following (35%) makes Kochi a city with one of the largest Christian populations in India.
Kochi is one of the few cities in India without a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
majority.
The majority of the city's residents are Malayali
Malayali
Malayali is the term used to refer to the native speakers of Malayalam, originating from the Indian state of Kerala...
s. However, there are significant ethnic minority communities including Tamils, Gujaratis, Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
s, Sikhs, Konkanis
Konkani people
Konkani people , form a group of people mainly found in the Konkan Coast of western India whose mother-tongue is the Konkani language....
and Tulu
Tülu
A Tülu Camel is a breed of camel that results from mating a male Bactrian camel with a female Dromedary. This breed is sometimes called an F1 Hybrid Camel. The resulting camel is larger than either a Bactrian or a Dromedary, and has traditionally been used as a draft animal. This breed of camel...
s. Malayalam is the main language of communication and medium of instruction for primary education, although a number of schools do offer English medium education. The higher education is invariably in English medium, and it is the preferred language in business circles. Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
are widely understood—albeit rarely spoken.
Like other fast-growing cities in the developing world, Kochi suffers from major urbanisation problems, poor sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
, vector problem, heavy pollution and unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
. The city was ranked 23rd, which was one of the lowest, among Indian cities in terms of house-cost and availability, urban household crowding and household incomes.
Shortage of potable water is a major concern in the city. The situation is aggravated by the threat posed by pollution in industrial areas. Water pollution in Kochi is very high with about 80% of the open wells are polluted. Kochi is also one among the 50 most polluted cities in India, which was ranked 24th by Central Pollution Control Board.
The region of the district where the city belongs registered an unemployment rate of 21.6% in 2003, which is roughly 6% more than the rate in 1998. The city also has a growing slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
-dwelling population. The government has plans to make the city slum-free by 2016. According to the National Crime Records Bureau
NCRB
NCRB or the National Crime Records Bureau is a governmental agency of India responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code . The NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi....
, the city holds the fourth position in the number of recorded crimes in India. In 2009, the city recorded an average crime rate of 646.3 against the national average of 181.4.
According to the 2010 CII/Institute of Competitiveness report on Liveability, Kochi stands first in the state, and 12th in the country. Kochi is ranked seventh in the list of the top ten most affluent cities in India by 2009 study by Nielsen Company.
Culture
Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews , are the oldest group of Jews in India, with roots claimed to date to the time of King Solomon, though historically attested migration dates from the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Historically, they lived in the Kingdom of Cochin in South India, now part of the...
—that figured prominently in Kochi's business and economic strata. The Syro-Malabar Church, one of the 22 sui iuris
Sui iuris
Sui iuris, commonly also spelled sui juris, is a Latin phrase that literally means “of one’s own laws”.-Secular law:In civil law the phrase sui juris indicates legal competence, the capacity to manage one’s own affairs...
Eastern Catholic Churches, has its seat at Ernakulam. The headquarters of the Archdiocese of Verapoly and the Diocese of Cochin are also situated in the city. Prominent places of Christian worship include the St. Mary's Cathedral, the St. Antony's Shrine at Kaloor
Kaloor
Kaloor is a region in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. Kaloor is also the name of a major intersection in this region of the city, intersecting the two major arteries of downtown Kochi namely, the Banerji Road and the K. K. Road - Perandoor Road...
and St Mary's Bascilica,Vallarpadam
Vallarpadam Church
The Basilica of Our Lady of Vallarpadam, Vallarpadam is a famous centre of pilgrimage. People from all parts of Kerala and outside, irrespective of caste or creed go to the church to seek the blessings of Mary, the mother of Jesus, popularly known as "Vallarpadathamma".This is an ancient Christian...
. Appropriate to its multi-ethnic composition, Kochi celebrates traditional Kerala festivals like Onam
Onam
Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated by the people of Kerala, India. The festival commemorates the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of the legendary Emperor Mahabali. It falls during the month of Chingam and lasts for ten days...
and Vishu
Vishu
Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian state of Kerala, usually on April 14 of the Gregorian calendar. This occasion signifies the Sun's transit into the Mesha Raasi , according to Indian astrological calculations, and represents the vernal equinox...
along with North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
n Hindu festivals like Holi
Holi
Holi , is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United...
with great fervour. Christian and Islamic festivals like Christmas, Easter, Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
and Milad-e-sherif are also celebrated. A merry making fest called the Cochin Carnival is celebrated at Fort Kochi during the last ten days of December.
The residents of Kochi are known as Kochiites; they are an important part of the South Indian culture
South Indian culture
South Indian culture refers to the culture of the South Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. South Indian culture though with its visible differences forms an important part of the Indian culture. The South Indian Culture is essentially the celebration of the eternal...
. However, the city's culture is rapidly evolving with Kochiites generally becoming more cosmopolitan in their outlook. The people are also increasingly fashion-conscious, often deviating from the traditional Kerala wear to western clothing.
Kochiites generally partake of Keralite cuisine, which is generally characterised by an abundance of coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
and spices. Other South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
and North Indian
Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
cuisines are popular. Fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
culture is also very prominent. Being a tourist hotspot, Fort Kochi have a number of restaurants that offer international cuisine, like Italian, French, Mexican etc. Being close to the ocean and the backwaters, Kochi has an abundance of seafood, which reflects in the cuisine. A service known as You Buy, We Cook is available at the waterfront of Fort Kochi, where the fresh seafood purchased from the nets is cooked as per the customers needs. Arabian food joints that serve Shawarma
Shawarma
Shawarma is a Levantine Arab sandwich-like wrap of shaved lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, or mixed meats. The meat is placed on a spit, and may be grilled for as long as a day. It is eaten with pita bread, tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomato and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus,...
and roasted chicken are a new addition to the fast food scene in the city.
Kochi was home to some of the most influential figures in Malayalam literature
Malayalam literature
The term Malayalam literature refers to Literature written in Malayalam language. Malayalam is the language spoken by around 35 million people, mainly the inhabitants of the state of Kerala and the union territory of Lakshadweep Islands in India. Malayalam is a Dravidian language and thus has close...
, including Changampuzha Krishna Pillai
Changampuzha Krishna Pillai
Changampuzha Krishna Pillai was a celebrated Malayalam poet from Kerala, India, known almost exclusively for his romantic elegy Ramanan which was written in 1936 and sold over 100,000 copies...
, Kesari Balakrishna Pillai
Kesari Balakrishna Pillai
Kesari Balakrishna Pillai , was a prominent Malayalam writer, art and literary critic, journalist, thinker and visionary.Kesari Balakrishna Pillai, who was known by the name of the newspaper he ran, "Kesari". He was also a literary critic, essayist and translated literary works form French and...
, G. Sankara Kurup
G. Sankara Kurup
G. Sankara Kurup, , better known as Mahakavi G , was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary award...
, and Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon
Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon
Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon was a renowned Indian poet of Kerala. He was born on 11 May 1911 in Kaloor in the Ernakulam district. After taking his bachelors degree in science he took B.T...
. Prominent social reformers such as Sahodaran Ayyappan
Sahodaran Ayyappan
Sahodaran Ayyappan was a social reformer, thinker, journalist, and politician of Kerala, India. He was one of the outspoken followers of Sree Narayana Guru.-Overview:...
and Pandit Karuppan
Pandit Karuppan
Pandit Karuppan was a poet, dramatist, and social reformer who lived in Kerala, India. He was born on May 24, 1885, at Cheranelloor, near Ernakulam....
also are from Kochi.
The Maharajas of Kochi (then Cochin) were scholars who knew the epics and encouraged the arts. The paintings at the Hill Palace and the Dutch Palace are testimony to their love for arts.
Kochiites are known for their enthusiasm in sports, especially football and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
.
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium is an international stadium in Kochi, Kerala. The stadium has a capacity of 60,000 spectators making it the third largest stadium in India after the Eden Gardens and Salt Lake Stadium, both in Kolkata...
in Kochi is one of the large multi-use stadiums in India with international class lighting for football matches. The Regional Sports Centre
Regional Sports Centre, Kochi
Regional Sports Centre is a multipurpose sports centre in Kochi, Kerala, India. Situated in of land, the centre has the facilities for badminton, tennis, basketball, table tennis, swimming, billiards and cricket....
is an important centre of sporting activity in the city.
Primary Education
The pattern of primary education is essentially the same all over the state. There are government owned schools and government aided schools, which are affiliated to the Kerala State Education BoardKerala State Education Board
The State Council Educational Research and Training , Kerala is a board of school education in India, conducted by the Government of the state of Kerala, India. The board prepares the syllabus for schools affiliated with it...
. A few privately owned schools are also affiliated to the system. Most of the schools owned by private organizations or individuals are affiliated to the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or ICSE examination is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of school education in India, for class 10, i.e., grade 10...
(ICSE) have some schools affiliated to them as well. The state education board offers both Malayalam and English medium instruction, while the other boards offer English medium alone. There are a few schools that follow international curricula, such as IB and IGCSE.
There 34 government schools, 67 private aided schools and 31 unaided schools affiliated to the Kerala State Education Board in the city and suburbs. There are 62 CBSE Schools, 2 IGCSE and 9 ICSE Schools as well.
The general pattern of education is ten years of common schooling to reach the secondary level. Kindegartens are widely available, but considered separate from formal schooling, and generally unregulated. After the secondary level, three streams, namely Arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
, Commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
or Science are offered for higher secondary education. After finishing the school, students can opt for higher education related to the streams they had undergone for higher secondary schooling.
The notable schools in the government sector are Sree Rama Varma High School
Sree Rama Varma High School
Sree Rama Varma High School is a school located in Kochi, Kerala, India....
, Edappally High School, Government School-Kochi and Govt Girls High School. There are Kendriya Vidyalaya
Kendriya Vidyalaya
Kendriya Vidyalaya, is a system of central government schools under the Ministry of Human Resource Development ....
, Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission was founded in 1953 by the devotees of Swami Chinmayananda to 'give organizational structure and cohesiveness to the work and activities initiated by Swami Chinmayananda' . It is administered from Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai...
and Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan run several quasi-private charter schools within the city limits, as well as in the suburbs. There are several fully private schools that are owned by secular and religious trusts which are of particular renown, such as Rajagiri Public School, Toc-H Public School, Global Public School, Choice School
Choice School
The School is in Kerala, India. It started on 21 June, 1991, with 10 staff members and 90 students. Today, the Choice School has over 2200 students and 250 staff members.Situated on the outskirts of the city, the school building is surrounded by its campus...
, Vidyodaya School
Vidyodaya school
Vidyodaya School is a private college-preparatory combined-grades school located in Thevakkal, Kochi, India. It provides comprehensive school education from lower primary to grade 12. A co-educational school, with an English-language medium of instruction, Vidyodaya follows the Central Board of...
and Mar Thoma Public School
Mar Thoma Public School
Mar Thoma Public School was established by the Mar Thoma Educational Society, Kochi in the year 1991. The school is situated in Kakkanad, Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala, India. It is an English medium school imparting education from LKG through 12th grade...
.
Higher Education
The Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT)Cochin University of Science and Technology
Cochin University of Science and Technology is a government owned autonomous university in Kochi , Kerala, India. Founded in 1971, the university consists of three campuses, two in Kochi and one in Kuttanad, Alappuzha, 66 km inland. The university awards degrees in engineering and allied...
the main university named after the city, is located in the outskirts of the city. Most of the colleges offering tertiary education
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
are affiliated either with the Mahatma Gandhi University
Mahatma Gandhi University
Mahatma Gandhi University, also known as M G University, was established on 2 October 1983 in Kottayam. The University Grants Commission of India does not believe that the names of Indian universities should be unique, so another UGC-recognized government-run Mahatma Gandhi University was...
or with the Cochin University. Other national educational institutes include the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training
Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training
Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training is a marine studies centre located at Kochi, India. Maintained by the Fisheries department of the Government of India, the institute was set up to aid research and development in the field. The institute's charter commits it to...
, the National University of Advanced Legal Studies
National University of Advanced Legal Studies
National University of Advanced Legal Studies is a university located at Kochi, India for under-graduate, graduate and post-graduate legal education....
, the National Institute of Oceanography
National Institute Of Oceanography, India
The National Institute of Oceanography is one of 39 constituent laboratories of the CSIR - Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, an autonomous research organization in India. The institute has its headquarters in the coastal state of Goa, and regional centres in Kochi , Mumbai and...
and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Agriculture in 1947 became a member of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research family in 1967. The headquarters was shifted from Mandapam Camp to Cochin in 1971.Over the period, the...
.
The city is also home to two medical colleges – Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre
Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre
The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre is a ISO 9001:2000 certified and NABH accredited private medical college near Edapally in Kochi, India.It is a1450 bedded Hospital,...
at Elamakkara (offers undergraduate and post-graduate courses in medicine, dentistry and nursing) and the Co-operative Medical College at Kalamassery. Some of the prestigious general colleges are Maharaja's College, St. Albert's College
St. Albert's College
St. Alberts College is an arts and science college located at Kochi, IndiaSt. Albert’s College, started in 1946 is an accredited first grade Arts, Science and Commerce College affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India.St...
, St. Teresa's College
St. Teresa's College
St.Teresa's College is an arts and science college located at Kochi, India.St.Teresa's College is situated in the heart of the city of Cochin. This Kalakshetra has a proud history of 80 years to look back upon. Since its establishment in 1925, the College has progressed by leaps and bound...
, Sacred Heart College
Sacred Heart College
There are a number of colleges with the name Sacred Heart:-Australia:*Sacred Heart College, Kyneton, a Catholic co-ed Secondary School run by the Sisters of Mercy*Sacred Heart College, Geelong, a Catholic school for girls in Victoria...
, Bharata Matha College Aquina's College, Cochin College
Cochin College
The Cochin College is an arts and science college located at Kochi, India. The college was started by the Jesuit missionaries from Europe, who arrived in the city to impart theological and literary training to the locals.-3 year Graduate Courses:...
etc. The engineering and technology colleges located in the city and suburbs are CUSAT Engineering Schools
School of Engineering, CUSAT
The School of Engineering is a department of Cochin University of Science and Technology, in Kochi , Kerala, India. Established in 1979 for offering part time M.Tech programmes, the department along with some other constituents of the university was poised to become an Institute of National...
, Model Engineering College
Model Engineering College
Model Engineering College, Thrikkakara is an institute of engineering and technology in Thrikkakara near Kochi, Kerala in South India...
etc. Cochin University's School of Management Studies (SMS) is the first and oldest Managerial education institution in South India. Leading managerial institutions include Amrita School of Business, Rajagiri
Rajagiri
Rajagiri is the provincial headquarters of the Sacred Heart Province, Kochi , and part of the catholic Carmelites of Mary Immaculate congregation. It is located on a small hill in the outskirts of the rapidly expanding urban center of Kochi, in the southern Indian state of Kerala...
School of Management, SCMS B-School, Albertian Institute of Management, Toc-H B school etc.
Being seat of Kerala High Court, several top legal education institutes are located in the city. The Government Law College-Ernakulam
Government Law College, Ernakulam
Government Law College, Ernakulam is a prominent institution for undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate legal education in Kerala. It is situated in the heart of Kochi City...
is one of the oldest law schools in Kerala. The prestigious National University of Advanced Legal Studies
National University of Advanced Legal Studies
National University of Advanced Legal Studies is a university located at Kochi, India for under-graduate, graduate and post-graduate legal education....
(NUALS) is located here, in the city.
Social Service Organisations
Some of the main orphanages and rehabilitation shelters in Cochin City are Palluruthy Relief SettlementPalluruthy Relief Settlement
Palluruthy Relief Settlement is a rehabilitation shelter under the Cochin Vagrancy Act. for vagrant and destitute , managed by Corporation of Cochin in association with Peoples Council for Social Justice , . Now there are about 300 inmates and many of them are mentally ill...
in Palluruthy Veli, Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan, Don Bosco Big Boys, Crescent Girls Orphanage, YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
Boys Home, Bal Bhavan, Valsalya Bhavan.
Palluruthy Relief Settlement
Palluruthy Relief Settlement
Palluruthy Relief Settlement is a rehabilitation shelter under the Cochin Vagrancy Act. for vagrant and destitute , managed by Corporation of Cochin in association with Peoples Council for Social Justice , . Now there are about 300 inmates and many of them are mentally ill...
is under Corporation of Cochin and managed in association with Peoples Council for Social Justice. There are about 300 inmates and many of them are mentally ill. . The night shelter for Ladies run by Corporation of Cochin near Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is the state-run bus company in Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest state run public bus transport services in India.-History:...
Bus Stand provides free and safe accommodation . Peoples Council for Social Justice was found in 1985 under the patronage of Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer
V. R. Krishna Iyer
Vaidyanathapura Rama Krishna Iyer , popularly known as Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, is a former judge in the Supreme Court of India. He was born in a village in Malabar region of Kerala...
, with the aim to work for human rights protection, free legal aid and to strive for social justice.
The Orphanages for Children under Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan Cochin are Sneha Bhavan Annexe, SnehaBhavan, Valsalya Bhavan, Don Bosco and Bosco Nilayam. The ChildLine India project in Cochin is taken in collaboration with Don Bosco and children in distress and in need of help can contact in '1098' (toll free number). Sneha Bhavan Annexe is the first point of contact with children and children can stay as a safe night shelter. Sneha Bhavan is a home for the children from the streets and for those from unhealthy and risky situations The Valsalya Bhavan centre is solely for the young girls who are rescued from the streets. Runaways, street children, children of sex workers, abused children and child labourers all live here. Along with primary and high school education at a local school, the centre provides shelter, food, clothing and educational support.
There are many good people doing independent social service .The Italian Sister Sabiola conducts a home at Fort Cochin known as “Ashwasa Bhavan”, for young orphaned children. Br.Judson run his own mobile bath in his vehicle for the abandoned. Judson's “Mobile Bath Service" moves around Kochi, in the morning time and in evenings to clean and clothe people living on the streets. Judson washes and cleanses their wounds, provides them new clothes and food, and takes them to shelters in the city.
Media
Major Malayalam newspapers published in Kochi include Malayala ManoramaMalayala Manorama
Malayala Manorama is a daily news paper, in Malayalam language, published in the state of Kerala, India. It was first published as a weekly on 14 March 1890, and currently has a readership of over 16 million . The Malayalam word "manorama" roughly translates to "entertainer"...
, Mathrubhumi
Mathrubhumi
Mathrubhumi is a Malayalam language newspaper that is published from Kerala, India. Mathrubhumi was founded by K. P. Kesava Menon, an active volunteer in the Indian freedom struggle against the British.-History:...
, Madhyamam
Madhyamam
Madhyamam is a Malayalam daily newspaper published from Kerala, India, since 1987.. It was founded in 1987 by the initiatives of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. It has 10 editions in India and its Gulf edition Gulf Madhyamam has 9 in the Middle East...
, Deshabhimani, Deepika, Kerala Kaumudi
Kerala Kaumudi
Kerala Kaumudi is a popular Malayalam newspaper, founded in 1911 by C. V. Kunhiraman with K. Sukumaran B.A. as the founder editor. Printed from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur in Kerala and Bangalore, Kerala Kaumudi is the third most circulated Malayalam daily. The...
, Janmabhumi
Janmabhumi
Janmabhumi Newspaper is an Indian daily newspaper founded in 1977, published in a broadsheet format and owned by Matruka Pracharanalayam Ltd.The paper's Managing Director is Kummanam Rajashekharan.The paper's editor in chief is Hari S. Kartha....
, etc. Popular English newspapers include The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express
The New Indian Express is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper published by the Express Publications. It was founded in 1932 as the Indian Express, under the ownership of Chennai-based P. Varadarajulu Naidu. In 1991, following the death of the then owner Ramnath Goenka, the Goenka...
, The Pioneer
The Pioneer (daily)
The Pioneer is a medium-sized English language newspaper in India.It is published from multiple locations in India, including Delhi. It is the second oldest English language newspaper in India that is operational...
and The Deccan Chronicle
The Deccan Chronicle
Deccan Chronicle is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Hyderabad, India by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited. The newspaper's name derives from the originating place, the Deccan regions of India. Supplements are "TV Guide", "Sunday Chronicle", "Chennai Chronicle", and...
. A number of evening papers are also published from the city. Newspapers in other regional languages like Hindi, Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
, Tamil and Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
are also available.
A number of financial publications are also published in the city. These include The Economic Times
The Economic Times
The Economic Times is an English-language Indian daily newspaper published by the Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.. The Economic Times was started in 1961. It is the most popular and widely read financial daily in India, read by more than 8 lakh people...
, Business Line
Business line
Business Line or The Hindu Business Line is an Indian business newspaper published by Kasturi & Sons, the publishers of the newspaper The Hindu located in Chennai, India.-History:...
, The Business Standard and The Financial Express.
Prominent magazines and religious publications like the Sathyadeepam, The Week
The Week (Indian magazine)
THE WEEK is an Indian weekly newsmagazine published by The Malayala Manorama Co. Ltd. The magazine is published from Kochi and is currently printed in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kottayam. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it is the largest selling English newsmagazine in India...
and Vanitha
Vanitha
Vanitha is an Indian magazine published fortnightly by the Malayala Manorama group. Although its name translates to "woman" in Malayalam, it includes articles on a variety of topics, and is not strictly a women's magazine. Published in Malayalam and Hindi, it is the largest selling magazine in...
are also published from the city.
Kochi houses several leading Malayalam television channels like Indiavision
Indiavision
Indiavision is an Indian news channel in Malayalam language based at Kochi, Kerala state. Founded in 2003, it was the first exclusive news channel in Malayalam. It has its registered office at Edappally in Kochi and its telecasting studio is located at Padivattom, Kochi. Indiavision started...
, Jeevan TV
Jeevan TV
Jeevan TV is a 24 hour Malayalam television channel, with its headquarters at Palarivattom, Kochi, India. It uses the slogan "The complete family channel". Further it is a semi news channel. It is promoted by Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur. Andrews Thazhath, Metropolitan Arch Bishop...
, Manorama News and We
WE TV
We TV is the third TV channel from Malayalam Communications Ltd, in Kerala and based at Trivandrum. The other two channels of this company are Kairali TV and People TV. WE TV is mainly aimed at the youth and was officially launched on April 14, 2007. Mr...
(music channel of Kairali TV
Kairali TV
Kairali TV is an Indian television channel broadcasting in the Malayalam language catering to the Malayalam speaking population in Kerala as well as abroad . The channel, headquartered in Trivandrum, has studio facilities in Trivandrum as well as Kochi. Malayalam Communications Limited is the...
) as well as major news studios of Asianet
Asianet
Asianet Communications Limited is an Indian media conglomerate jointly owned by STAR TV and Jupiter Entertainment. Formed in 1991 and headquartered in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the south Indian state of Kerala, the company owns several television channels including Asianet, the first...
, Kairali TV
Kairali TV
Kairali TV is an Indian television channel broadcasting in the Malayalam language catering to the Malayalam speaking population in Kerala as well as abroad . The channel, headquartered in Trivandrum, has studio facilities in Trivandrum as well as Kochi. Malayalam Communications Limited is the...
, Amrita TV
Amrita TV
Amrita TV, launched in 2005, as a 24-hour Malayalam, general entertainment & news satellite channel with a global footprint, has been honoured with 54 State Awards for Excellence in Television—the only channel in India to be bestowed with such a recognition in just two years since inception...
and Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
. Prasar Bharati
Prasar Bharati
Prasar Bharati is India's largest public broadcaster. It is an autonomous body set up by an Act of Parliament and comprises Doordarshan television network and All India Radio which were earlier media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.Prasar Bharati was...
maintains its earth station and broadcasting center in Kakkanad, Kochi. Satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
services are available through DD Direct+, Dish TV
Dish TV
Dish TV India Limited is an Indian company engaged in the business of providing direct-to-home satellite television service, which includes teleport service, customer support and transponder space leasing. Dishtv is a division of Zee Network Enterprise . It uses MPEG-2 digital compression...
, Sun Direct DTH
Sun Direct DTH
Sun Direct is an Indian direct broadcast satellite service provider. Its satellite service, launched on 2005, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in India. Sun Direct uses MPEG-4 digital compression technology, transmitting on INSAT 4B at 93.5°E. and MEASAT-3 at 91.5°E...
and Tata Sky
Tata Sky
TATA Sky is a direct broadcast satellite television provider in India, using MPEG-2 digital compression technology, transmitting using INSAT 4A at 83.0°E....
. FM radio channels broadcast from Kochi are Rainbow FM (AIR) 101.9 MHz, AIR Kochi 102.3 MHz, Club FM 94.3
Club FM 94.3
Club FM is a private FM radio station for the state of Kerala in India, operated by the Mathrubhumi in Kerala, specialising in popular music throughout the day. It bagged three of the RAPA awards in 2007, instituted by the Radio and TV Advertising Practitioners Association of India to honor...
MHz, Radio Mango 91.9
Radio Mango 91.9
Radio Mango 91.9 is a FM radio station for the state of Kerala in India, operated by the Malayala Manorama in Kerala, specialising in popular music throughout the day. It started FM broadcasting from November 29, 2007 in four cities of Kerala. This is the first Malayalam private FM station in...
MHz, Red FM 93.5
Red FM 93.5
Red FM is an Indian FM radio brand, with stations broadcasting at 93.5 megahertz in the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Kanpur in addition to Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Gulbarga, Kochi, Trivandrum, Thrissur, Kannur,...
MHz
There are over twelve cinema halls
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
that screen movies in Malayalam, Tamil, English and Hindi. The city hosts Kerala's first cine multiplex, at the Oberon Mall
Oberon Mall
Oberon Mall 'is a shopping mall located in the Indian city of Kochi and the current largest lifestyle mall in Kerala in operation. The Mall is also the first full format Mall in Kerala, opened formally on March 2, 2009, though the mall was launched in 2008. The cost of construction of the mall is...
with four screens. Gold Souk Grande Kochi also has a cine multiplex operated by Q cinemas. 16 more multiplex screens are expected in the city in the near future.
Kerala has the highest density of telephones in India. Telephony
Telephony
In telecommunications, telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other....
services are provided by various players like Aircel
Aircel
Aircel group is a mobile phone service provider in India. It offers both prepaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India. The Aircel group is a joint venture between Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia and Sindya Securities & Investments Private Limited, whose current...
, Airtel, Idea cellular
Idea cellular
Idea Cellular, usually referred to as Idea, is an Indian wireless telecom company based in Mumbai, India. Idea is the 3rd largest mobile services operator in India, in revenue terms, and recorded of over 98.4 million customers as of August 2011....
, Vodafone, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Docomo
Tata DoCoMo
TATA DoCoMo, referred to as DoCoMo , is a Tata Teleservices Limited owned cellular service provider on the GSM and CDMA platform-arising out of the Tata Group's strategic joint venture with Japanese telecom giant NTT Docomo in November 2008...
, MTS, Uninor
Uninor
Uninor is a mobile operator in India. The company holds Unified Access Service licences to offer mobile telephony services in each of India’s 22 telecom circles, and has received spectrum to roll out services in 21 of these...
, Tata Indicom
Tata Indicom
Tata Teleservices Limited is a Indian broadband and telecommunications provider based in Mumbai, India. It is a subsidiary of the Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate...
and the state owned BSNL
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is a state-owned telecommunications company headquartered in New Delhi, India. It is the largest provider of fixed telephony and fourth largest mobile telephony provider in India, and is also a provider of broadband services...
.
Sports
Like elsewhere in Kerala, football is the most passionate sport among locals. Kochi is home to two of India's major professional football teams, FC KochinFC Kochin
F. C. Kochin is a football club based in Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the first professional football club in India. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was the only Kerala football club in the National Football League although with their recent success, Viva Kerala is as well. F. C...
and Viva Kerala and also teams like Josco FC since 2008.
India's fourth largest stadium and third largest cricket stadium, the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium is an international stadium in Kochi, Kerala. The stadium has a capacity of 60,000 spectators making it the third largest stadium in India after the Eden Gardens and Salt Lake Stadium, both in Kolkata...
located in Kaloor, is a major facility for football and cricket. Recently, the stadium was renovated to facilitate more cricket tournaments as well as for hosting IPL Matches
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
. Kochi is home to the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
cricket team, the Kochi Tuskers which won franchise rights to play IPL will participate in the 2011 edition of IPL. Sreesanth who plays for the Indian National Cricket team hails from Kochi.
The Maharaja's Stadium located on MG Road in the heart of the city, is the major athletic facility in the state with synthetic tracks and turf grass as per international standards.
The Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex
Regional Sports Centre, Kochi
Regional Sports Centre is a multipurpose sports centre in Kochi, Kerala, India. Situated in of land, the centre has the facilities for badminton, tennis, basketball, table tennis, swimming, billiards and cricket....
at Kadavanthara is a major indoor stadium, mainly used for conducting badminton, tennis and basket ball tournaments. The 25m X 10m swimming pool at the centre is one of the larger water sports facility in the state, where regular swimming competitions and coaching are conducted.
The FACT Grounds at Udyogamandal, Ambedkar Stadium and St.Albert's College Grounds are the other major training facilities for various games like volleyball, badminton, cricket etc.
Kochi has two golf courses in the city, and one in the suburbs. The oldest golf club is located at Bolgatty Palace constructed in 1903, which is a nine hole facility run by Cochin Golf Club society. The Cochin Golf and Country Club located near to Cochin Airport, operated by CIAL, is a nine hole golf course with a playing area of over 7,200 yards. The nine hole golf course at the Naval Base is restricted only for military personnel.
Being surrounded by water bodies, the city is ideal for Yachting
Yachting
Yachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other water vessels for sporting purposes.-Competitive sailing:...
. The Kerala Yachting Association and the Cochin Yacht Club are located in the city. Both organizations conduct regular yachting tournaments. Kochi was the only Indian city chosen for stopover during the
Volvo Ocean Race 2008.
Sister Cities
Kochi has twinned with independent city of Norfolk, Virginia and admitted into Norfolk Sister Cities Association with effect from 3 September 2010, for co-operation in city development, exchange programmes in art, culture and education and improving business possibilities.| City | ountry | tate / Region | ince |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach.... |
 United States United States |
Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
2010 |
Further reading
- Ma Huan: Ying Yai Sheng Lan, The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores, translated by J.V.G. Mills, 1970 Hakluyt Society, reprint 1997 White Lotus Press. ISBN 974-8496-78-3
- Plunkett, R, Cannon, T, Davis, P, Greenway, P & Harding, P (2001), Lonely Planet South India, Lonely Planet, ISBN 1-86450-161-8
- Manorama Yearbook 2003 (English Edition) ISBN 81-900461-8-7
- Robert Charles Bristow – Cochin Saga, Paico Pub. House; 2d ed. edition (1967),
- Unemployment in Kerala at the turn of the century Insights from the CDS gulf migration studies — K. C. Zachariah, S. Irudaya Rajan
- Kochi Rajyacharithram by KP Padmanabha Menon. P (1914)
- Akhilavijnanakosam Malayalam Encyclopedia — D C Books Multimedia Series.