South India · Kerala
Kollam, Kerala
Sources: wikimedia
About Kollam
- Coastal
- Lakeside
Where it is
Kollam, once known as Quilon, is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast of southern Kerala, north-west of Thiruvananthapuram, set on the shores of Ashtamudi Lake, a gateway to the Kerala backwaters.
History
Kollam was one of the great ports of the medieval Malabar Coast, trading pepper and spices with Arab and Chinese merchants, and both Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta wrote of it. The Portuguese built a fort at Thangassery in 1517, the Dutch took the city in 1661, and in the 18th century it was absorbed into the kingdom of Travancore.
People
Kollam's people speak Malayalam, and Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities have long lived side by side in this old trading city. Cashew processing, fishing, coir-making and trade are its traditional livelihoods.
Known for
- Ashtamudi Lake and its backwaters
- The backwater boat journey to Alappuzha
- Cashew processing and export
- Thangassery lighthouse and fort ruins
Did you know?
The traditional Malayalam calendar is known as the Kollam Era, or Kollavarsham, and counts its years from 825 CE.
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