Kollam

Kollam (IPA: [koɭɭəm]) About this soundpronunciation , also known by its former name Quilon About this soundpronunciation (help·info) and Coulão (in Portuguese), is an old seaport and city on the Laccadive Sea coast of the Indian state of Kerala.It is situated 66 kilometers north of the state capital Trivandrum.The city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake. Kollam has a strong commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans.Fed by the Chinese trade, it was mentioned by Ibn Battuta in the 14th century as one of the five Indian ports he had seen during the course of his twenty-four year travels. Desinganadu's rajas exchanged embassies with Chinese rulers while there was a flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. In the 9th Century, on his way to Canton, China, Persian merchant Sulaiman al-Tajir found Kollam to be the only port in India visited by huge Chinese junks. Marco Polo, the Venetian traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kublai Khan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin.

Geography

Kollam city is bordered by the panchayats of Neendakara and Thrikkaruva to the north, Mayyanad to the south, and Thrikkovilvattom and Kottamkara to the east, and by the Laccadive Sea to the west. Ashtamudi Lake is in the heart of the city. The city is about 71 kilometres (44 mi) from Thiruvananthapuram, 142 kilometres (88 mi) from Kochi and 350 kilometres (220 mi) from Kozhikode. The National Waterway 3 and Ithikkara river are two important waterways passing through the city. The 7.7 km long Kollam Canal is connecting Paravur Lake ans Ashtamudi Lake. The Kallada river, another river that flows through the suburbs of the city, empties into Ashtamudi Lake, while the Ithikkara river runs to Paravur Kayal. Kattakayal, a freshwater lake in the city, connects another water-body named Vattakkayal with Lake Ashtamudi. In March 2016, IndiaTimes selected Kollam as one of the nine least polluted cities on earth to which anybody can relocate.Kollam is one among the top 10 most welcoming places in India for the year 2020, according to Booking.com’s traveller review awards.

Hotspots

ashtamudikayal kollam

Thangassery lighthouse