Kollam, also called Quilon, is a district located on the south west coast of India bordering the Arabian Sea and covers an area of 2492 sq kms. It is bound on the north by Alappuzha district, north east by Pathanamthitta district, on the east by thirunelveli district (Tamil Nadu) and in the south by Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala.

Kollam has a great history to boast of and shares fame with Muzuris (Kodungalloor) as one of the earliest sea ports on the western side of India. Kollam had a flourishing trade and maintained close commercial relationships with the  Arabs, Jews, Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and all the European colonial powers including the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. The remnants of the Europeans can be seen in the Dutch fort at Thangasseri and the several churches built by the Portuguese. The major export items from Kollam in those days included spices, pearls, diamonds, timber and silk among others.  The Neendakara harbor is the most important fishing center with largest quantity of fish landings in the state.

Lakes in Kollam

Kollam is home to the largest fresh water lake in Kerala- Sasthamkotta Lake. There are two other major lakes in Kollam district- Asthtamudi Lake and the Paravoor Lake

Climate in Kollam

Kollam has a humid tropical climate with abundant sunshine in summer and substantial rainfall during monsoon.  The months from March to May are rather hot and the south west monsoon sets in the month of June and ends in September. During the months of October and November there is the North east monsoon 

Tourism in Kollam

Kollam is blessed with immense tourism potential including eco tourism. The Thenmala eco tourism project is a case in point. The government of Kerala is promoting eco tourism in Thenmala in a big way and thousands of tourists are attracted to this tourist spot. Due to the presence of several lakes in Kollam, there are a large number of house boats that operate houseboat cruises in the Kollam lakes. The beaches in Kollam including the Thangasseri beach are rather calm and many tourists make it a point to enjoy a quiet swim in the Arabian Sea.  Cashew processing and coir production are also two other industries that Kollam is famous for and many of the tourists that arrive at Kollam visit some of these manufacturing units

Spread of Christianity in Kollam

With the arrival of the Portuguese in 1502, the spread of Christianity gathered momentum in Kollam and thousands were converted to Christianity. The Portuguese built churches, the earliest European church being the church of St. Thomas, built by the Portuguese in 1502. The Europeans were concentrated at Thangasseri and several descendents of these Europeans can still be seen in Kollam. The foreign missionaries that arrived with the Europeans established educational institutions in the district. The Infant Jesus Church in Thangasseri still remains as an old Portuguese-built church, as a reminder to the Portuguese rule of the area.

Demographics

As per the census of 2001 Kollam had a population of 361,441 with a density of 1037 persons per square kilometer and a sex ratio, the number of females per 1000 males 1070. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%.   The district ranks sixth with respect to the population in the state. Kollam boasts of having a literacy rate of 91.47 % higher than the national average of 59.5%: with male literacy being 84% and female literacy 80%. In Kollam 11% of the population presently is below six years of age.

How to Reach Kollam

Rail
Kollam is accessible from every part of India and the Kollam Railway station is one of the biggest railway stations in Kerala state after Trivandrum and Ernakulam. The district is home to over 132 km of railway tracks, of which 51 km are broad gauge and 81 km meter gauge. The meter gauge track, however, is presently not operational. Kollam can be reached by train from all major Indian cities including Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Bangalore, Hyderabad etc.

Road
The district is well connected to other parts of Kerala and India through National Highways 47, 220 and 208. Kollam has a total 1552.096 km of roads.. The National Highways NH 208 (Kollam - Chenkotta) and NH 220 (Kollam - Theni) originates from Kollam. The State Highway namely, Main Central Road (MC Road)) connects the district to other districts. Transport is provided by State owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private transport bus operators. There are also private buses, taxis and auto rickshaws.

Water
The state water transport department operates daily trips to Alappuzha and other tourist destinations and this is a great attraction for the tourists. There are several houseboats also in Kollam that operate houseboat cruises through the Kollam backwaters.

Air
Kollam has no airport and the nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport, 70 kms away. One can also arrive by flight at Cochin and travel to Kollam.
Distances
Kollam to Kottayam     66 miles
Kollam to Cochin         93 miles
Kollam to Kovalam       53 miles
Kollam to Munnar     175 miles
Kollam to Thekkady   136 miles