Kochi (
MalayalamMalayalam is one of the four major Dravidian languages of South 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 Mahé. It is spoken by around 37 million people...
: , ), formerly known as
Cochin, is a city in the
IndiaIndia, 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, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n
stateIndia is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.- States and territories :...
of
KeralaKerala , is a state located in southwestern India. The state was created in 1956 on linguistc basis, bringing together those places where Malayalam formed the principal language...
. The city is one of the principal seaports of the country and is located in the district of
ErnakulamErnakulam District is a district of the state of Kerala in southern India. The district headquarters is located at Kakkanad. The district includes the city of Kochi, an important seaport.-Statistics:*Area : 2407 km²...
, about north of the state capital,
Thiruvananthapuram, also 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. Referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the "Evergreen city of India", the city is...
. It has an estimated population of 600,000, with an extended metropolitan population of about 1.5 million, making it the largest urban agglomeration and the largest city in Kerala.
In 1102 CE, Kochi became the seat of the
Kingdom of CochinThe Kingdom of Cochin was a princely state that included much of modern day Thrissur district, Chittoor Taluk of Palakkad district and Kanayannur and Fort Kochi Taluks of Ernakulam district which are now the part of the Indian state of...
, a
princely stateThere were as many as 568 states in India before independence. A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entity of British rule in India that was not directly administered by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-The British...
which traces its lineage to the
KulasekharaThe Kulasekhara dynasty is one of the three surviving royal lineages that ruled the current Indian state of Kerala.Kulasehkhara dynasty is named after Chera king Kulasekhara Alwar who describes himself as Villavar Kon in his Perumal Thirumozhi an epic Tamil work written by the Chera King...
empire. Heralded as the
Queen of Arabian SeaThe 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 Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui, the north-east point of Somalia, Socotra, Kanyakumari in India, and the western coast...
, Kochi was an important
spiceA spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavour, colour, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth....
trading centre on the Arabian Sea coast since the 14th century. Ancient travellers and tradesmen referred to Kochi in their writings, variously alluding to it as
Cocym,
Cochym,
Cochin, and
Cochi. Occupied by the
PortugueseThe Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in history, with territories in South America, Africa, India and South East Asia...
in 1503, Kochi was the site of the first European colonial settlement in India. It remained the capital of
Portuguese IndiaPortuguese India was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de Almeida, then settled at Kochi...
until 1530, when they opted for
GoaGoa is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located on the west coast of 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 western coast.Panaji is...
as their capital. The city was later occupied by the
DutchThe Dutch Empire consisted of the overseas territories controlled by the Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century. The Dutch followed Portugal and Spain in establishing an overseas colonial empire, aided by their skills in shipping and trade and the surge of nationalism accompanying the...
, the
MysoreThe 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...
and the
BritishThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
.
Kochi entered a period of
economic growthThe economy of India is the twelfth largest economy in the world by market exchange rates and the fourth largest by purchasing power parity basis....
after 2000, leading to a spurt in the city's development. A growing centre of shipping industries,
international tradeInternational trade is exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, it represents a significant share of gross domestic product . While international trade has been present throughout much of history , its economic, social, and political...
,
tourismTourism is the largest service industry in India, with a contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witnesses more than 5 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 527 million domestic tourism visits...
and
information technologyInformation technology , as defined by the Information Technology Association of America , is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic...
, Kochi is the commercial hub of Kerala, and one of the fastest growing
second-tier metrosThe 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. Like other large cities in the developing world, Kochi continues to struggle with urbanisation problems such as
traffic congestionTraffic congestion is a condition on networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction between vehicles...
and
environmental degradationEnvironmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife....
.
Successive waves of
migrationHuman migration is movement by humans from one district to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups....
over the course of several millennia have made Kochi a cultural
melting potThe melting pot is an analogy for the way in which heterogeneous societies become more homogeneous, in which the ingredients in the pot are combined so as to develop a multi-ethnic society...
. Despite the risk of
overdevelopmentOverdevelopment refers to a process by which natural resources are impacted by urbanization and/or road construction, at a rate significantly harmful to the ecosystem. Environmental activism is a frequent response to overdevelopment, as well as are many fields of academic study...
, the city retains its distinct colonial heritage and a blend of tradition and modernity.
Name
Theories regarding the
etymologyEtymology is the study of the history of words and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages, and texts about the languages, to gather knowledge about how words were used at earlier stages, and...
of the name "Kochi" are disputed. One suggests that the city's modern name is derived from the
MalayalamMalayalam is one of the four major Dravidian languages of South 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 Mahé. It is spoken by around 37 million people...
word
koch azhi, meaning 'small
lagoonA lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or brackish water separated from the deeper sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral reef, or similar feature. Thus, the enclosed body of water behind a barrier reef or barrier islands or enclosed by an atoll reef is called a lagoon. This...
'. Another version mentions the name as derivative of the Sanskrit word
Go shree which means 'prosperous with cows'. Certain ancient texts refer to the city
Balapuri (Sanskrit for 'small town'), which became Cochin in course of time.
According to some accounts, traders from the court of the
Chinese rulerThe Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of China, united by Fu Xi in 2852 BCE until the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title created no later than Shang Dynasty, the Emperor was recognized...
Kublai KhanKublai or Khubilai Khan , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty...
gave Cochin the name of their homeland. Yet another theory is that Kochi is derived from the word
Kaci meaning 'harbour'. Accounts by
ItalianThe Italian people are an ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common Italian culture, descent, and speaking the Italian language as a mother tongue...
explorers
Nicolo ContiNiccolò de' Conti was a Venetian merchant and explorer, born in Chioggia, who traveled to India and Southeast Asia, and possibly to Southern China, during the early 15th century...
(15th century), and
Fra PaolineFra Paoline was a 17th century Italian traveller, known for his travels in the Indian Ocean region....
in the 17th century say that it was called
Kochchi, named after the river connecting the
backwaterBackwater or Backwaters may refer to:* shallows adjacent to the main course of a river* "Backwater" , a song by Brian Eno* Backwater , a novel by Joan Bauer* "Backwater" , a song recorded by the Meat Puppets...
s to the sea.
After the arrival of the
PortuguesePortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
, and later the British, the name
Cochin stuck as the official appellation. The city
revertedThe process of renaming of cities in India started after the end of the British imperial period in 1947 and continues to date. There were political controversies about several renamings. Not all proposed renamings were actually implemented...
to a closer
anglicisationAnglicisation or Anglicization is a process of conversion of verbal or written elements of any other language into a more comprehensible English form for an English speaker....
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
Kochi was the centre of Indian
spice tradeThe spice trade is a commercial activity of ancient origin which involves the merchandising of spices, incense, herbs, drugs and opium. 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...
for many centuries, and was known to the Yavanas (
GreekAncient Greece is the civilisation belonging to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth. It is generally considered to be the seminal culture which provided the...
s) as well as
RomansAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
,
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an 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...
s,
ArabArab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
s, and
ChineseChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
since ancient times. Kochi rose to significance as a trading centre after the port at
KodungallurKodungallur is a town and a municipality in the Thrissur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It was known in ancient times as Mahodayapuram, Shinkli, Muchiri and Muyirikkodu...
(Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding of the river
PeriyarThe Periyar River 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 HuanMa Huan , courtesy name Chung-dao 宗道, pen name Mountain-woodcutter, born in Hui Ji county of Zhejiang province. He was a Muslim voyager and translator who accompanied Admiral Zheng He on three of his seven expeditions to the Western Oceans.In the 1413 expedition , he visited Champa, Java, Sumatra,...
during his visit to Kochi in the 15th century as part of Admiral
Zheng HeZheng He , was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who made the voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the travels of "Eunuch Sanbao to the Western Ocean" or "Zheng He to the Western Ocean", from 1405 to 1433.-Life:Zheng He...
's treasure fleet. There are also references to Kochi in accounts written by Italian traveller
Niccolò Da ContiNiccolò de' Conti was a Venetian merchant and explorer, 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 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
Cochin Royal FamilyCochin Royal Family were rulers of Cochin or Kochi. They were also known as Perumpadapu Swaroopam, Kuru Swaroopam.- History :There is no historically written evidence about the emergence of Kingdom of Cochin or of the Cochin Royal Family . All that is recorded are through folk tales and stories...
(
Perumpadappu Swaroopam in the local vernacular). The mainland Kochi remained the capital of the princely state since the 18th century. However, during much of this time, the kingdom was under foreign rule, and the King often only had titular privileges.
Fort KochiFort Kochi is one of the three main urban components that constitute the city of Kochi in the Indian state of Kerala, the other two being Mattancherry and Ernakulam...
in Kochi was the first European colonial settlement in India. From 1503 to 1663, Fort Kochi was ruled by
PortugalThe Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in history, with territories in South America, Africa, India and South East Asia...
. This Portuguese period was a harrowing time for the
JewsCochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews are the descendants of the ancient Jews in the former Kingdom of Cochin in South India, including the present day port city of Kochi. They traditionally spoke Judeo-Malayalam, a form of the Malayalam tongue native to the state of Kerala in India...
living in the region, as the
InquisitionThe term Inquisition can apply to any one of several institutions charged with trying and convicting heretics within the Catholic Church...
was active in
Portuguese IndiaPortuguese India was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de Almeida, then settled at Kochi...
. Kochi hosted the grave of
Vasco da GamaDom Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the European 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 in order to conquer Kochi. By 1773, the
MysoreThe 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 AliHyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. He is said to have induced his brother to employ a Parsi to purchase artillery and small arms from the government of Bombay Presidency, and to enrol some thirty sailors of different European nations as gunners, and is...
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 AchanPaliath 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 came to an end during this period.
Meanwhile, the Dutch, fearing an outbreak of war on the
United ProvincesThe Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was a European republic between 1581 and 1795, in about the same location as the modern Kingdom of the Netherlands,...
signed the
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the 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
BangkaBangka 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 prior to the signing of the treaty.
In 1866, Fort Kochi became a
municipalityA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
, and its first Municipal Council election was conducted in 1883. The
MaharajaThe word Mahārāja is Sanskrit for "great king" or "high king" . Due to Sanskrit's major influence on the vocabulary of most languages in India and Asia, the term 'maharaja' is common to many modern languages, such as Oriya, Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi, Gujrati, etc...
of Cochin, who ruled under the British, in 1896 initiated local administration by forming town councils in
MattancherryMattancherry is the western part of Kochi corporation in Ernakulam district of Kerala, south India. It is said that the name Mattanchery is drawn from "Ancherry Mattam", a Namboodiri illam which then the foreign traders pronounced it as Matt-Ancherry, gradually became Mattancherry. Its is about...
and
ErnakulamErnakulam refers to the eastern part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. Ernakulam is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to Ernakulam District...
. 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 BristowSir 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 WillingdonMajor Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon was a British Liberal politician, cricketer, scouting pioneer and administrator who, between 1926 and 1931 served as the Governor General of Canada, and between 1931 and 1936 served as the 32nd Viceroy and Governor-General of India, in both...
, then the Governor of
MadrasMadras Presidency , also known as Madras Province and known officially as Presidency of Fort St. George, was a province 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 stateThere were as many as 568 states in India before independence. A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entity of British rule in India that was not directly administered by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-The British...
to join the Indian Union willingly.
In 1949,
Travancore-CochinTravancore-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
TravancoreTravancore was a princely state from the Indian subcontinent, with its capital at Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. It comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, the Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of Tamil Nadu. Its ruler was accorded a 19-gun salute during the...
. The King of Travancore was the
RajpramukhRajpramukh 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 districtMalabar District was an administrative district of 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 Kerala state...
of the Madras State. Finally, the
Government of IndiaThe Government of India, also known as the Union Government or the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
's
States Reorganisation ActThe 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 NaduTamil 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 Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
), Malabar District, and the
talukA tehsil is an administrative division of some countries of South Asia....
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 corporationA 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, Mattancherry, and Ernakulam. The government appointed a commission to study the feasibility of the suggested merger. Based on its report, the
Kerala Legislative AssemblyThe Kerala Legislative Assembly 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, was between the municipalities of Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Kochi, along with that of the
Willingdon IslandWillingdon Island is the home of the modern port that serves Kochi in Kerala, India. It is a man-made island created from the materials dredged while deepening Kochi Port, it's in Ernakulam district of Kerala in south India. It's named after Lord Willingdon, the erstwhile governor of Madras who had...
, four panchayats (
PalluruthyPalluruthy is one of the earlier panchayats of Kerala kochin that was amalgamated with other panchayats during the formation of Kochi corporation. The region is famous for its temples and lotus ponds. Palluruthy comprises the regions Thoppumpady, Perumpadappu, Edakochi, Kumbalanghi and Mundamveli....
,
VennalaVennala is one of the earlier panchayats of Kerala, India that was amalgamated with other panchayats during the formation of Kochi corporation. Postal Code is 682028....
,
VyttilaVytilla is a rapidly expanding commercial area in the city of Kochi, India. This urban area is home to numerous business establishments, numerous automobile showrooms and several small-scale and cottage industries. Vytilla also connects the southern end of the city to the National Highway NH 47....
and
EdappallyEdappally is a fast growing suburb of Kochi/Cochin City in Kerala state, southern India. Edappally was the seating place of the Edapally Rajas, the ruler of this place. Edapally Palace also has the famous Edapally Ganapathy Temple. The town is famous for St. George's Church which is quite old and...
), and the small islands of
GunduThe Gundu Island is the place where Gundus live . Most of them believe in Gunduism . They worship Gundhi . Their current president is Gandhi .-See also:* Shuddup...
and
RamanthuruthRamanthuruth 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 in the years following India's independence. The city's economic recovery gathered momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the
central governmentThe Government of India, also known as the Union Government or the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in the mid-1990s. Since 2000, the
service sectorThe tertiary sector of economy is one of the three economic sectors, the others being the secondary sector and the primary sector...
has revitalised the city’s stagnant economy. The establishment of several industrial parks based on Information technology (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 the commercial capital of Kerala.
Geography and climate
Kochi is located on the southwest coast of India at , spanning an area of 94.88 square kilometres (36.63
sq miThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
). The city is situated at the northern end of a peninsula, about 19 kilometres (12 mi) long and less than one mile (1.6 km) wide. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, and to the east are
estuariesAn estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries are thus subject to both marine influences, such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water; and riverine influences, such as flows of...
drained by perennial rivers originating in the
Western GhatsThe Western Ghats also known as the Sahyadri Mountains, 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...
. Much of Kochi lies at sea level, with a coastline of 48 km.
The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland
ErnakulamErnakulam refers to the eastern part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. Ernakulam is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to Ernakulam District...
, old Kochi, the suburbs of Edapally,
KalamasseryKalamassery is a municipality and town in India in the Ernakulam district of the southern state of Kerala. It is also a part of the Kochi metropolitan area. It is a concentrated region of industrialization with several factories manufacturing chemicals and fertilizers, as well as IT companies...
and
KakkanadKakkanad is the administrative headquarters of the district of Ernakulam in Kerala, India. It is also a major industrial and residential area located east of the city of Kochi...
to the northeast; Tripunithura to the south east; and a group of islands closely scattered in the
Vembanad LakeVembanad Lake is India's longest lake, and is the largest lake in the state of Kerala. It is also one of the largest lakes in India.-Geography and Hydrography:...
. 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
acreThe acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre....
s).
Soil consists of
sedimentSediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow, and which eventually is deposited.Sediments are most often transported by water transported by wind and glaciers...
s such as
alluviumAlluvium is soil or sediments deposited by a river or other running water...
, teri's, brown
sandSand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.As the term is used by geologists, sand particles range in diameter from 0.0625 to 2 millimeters. An individual particle in this range size is termed a sand grain...
s etc. Hydromorphic saline soils are also found in the areas surrounding the backwaters.
Predominant rock types found here are Archaean-basic
dykesA 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...
,
CharnockiteCharnockite is applied to any orthopyroxene-bearing granite, composed mainly of quartz, perthite or antiperthite and orthopyroxene , as an end-member of the charnockite series (1) Charnockite is applied to any orthopyroxene-bearing granite, composed mainly of quartz, perthite or antiperthite...
s and
GneissGneiss 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. Gneissic rocks are usually medium to coarse foliated and largely recrystallized but do not carry large...
es. An ecologically sensitive area, the
Mangalavanam Bird SanctuaryMangalavanam is an ecologically sensitive area situated at the centre of the Indian city of Kochi. It is a nesting ground for a large variety of migratory birds and supports many varieties of mangroves. The Managalavanam is often regarded as the green lung of Kochi, considering its role in...
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 birdsBird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. These however are usually irregular or in only one direction and are termed variously as nomadism, invasions,...
.
Under the
Koppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by the Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Kochi features a
Tropical monsoon climateTropical monsoon climate, occasionally also known as a tropical wet climate or tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate, is a relatively rare type of climate that corresponds to the category Am under the Köppen climate classification...
. 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 20 to 35 °
CCelsius is a temperature scale that is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
(68–95 °
FFahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Today, the scale has been replaced by the Celsius scale in most countries; it is still in use for non-scientific purposes in the United States and a few other nations, such as...
) with the record high being 34 °C (96 °F), and record low 17 °C (63 °F).
From June through September, the
south-west monsoonA pennis is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but now is used to describe seasonal changes atmospheric circulation and precipitation The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the African and Asia-Australian monsoons...
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 274 cm (108 in), with an annual average of 132 rainy days.
Civic administration
Kochi City officials
Mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
|
Mercy Williams Mercy Williams is the 16th and current mayor of Kochi, Kerala. She is Kochi's first woman mayor. A member of the Left Democratic Front, she was elected via an open ballot over opposing United Democratic Front candidate Winne Abraham by a ratio of 47 to 23 votes among Kochi municipal corporation...
|
| 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...
|
C. K. Manisankar |
| Police Commissioner Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces. In some organizations it may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police....
|
Manoj Abraham |
|
The city is administered by the
Kochi CorporationCorporation of Cochin is the municipal corporation that manages the Indian city of Kochi . The corporation is headed by a Mayor. The current Mayor is Mercy Williams. The city is divided into 70 administrative wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for a period of five...
, headed by a mayor. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 70 wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for a period of five years. Earlier; Fort Cochin, 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 KochiFort Kochi is one of the three main urban components that constitute the city of Kochi in the Indian state of Kerala, the other two being Mattancherry and Ernakulam...
, Mattancherry, Palluruthy, Edappally,
VaduthalaVaduthala 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...
and Vyttila. The general administration of the city is handled by the Personnel Department and the Council Section. Other departments include that of
town planningUrban, city, and town planning is the integration of the disciplines of land use planning and transport planning to explore a very wide range of aspects of the built and social environments of urbanized municipalities and communities...
, health, engineering, revenue and accounts. The corporation is also responsible for waste disposal, sewage management and the supply of potable water, sourced from the
PeriyarPeriyar may refer to*Periyar River, a major river in Kerala*Periyar District, the erstwhile name for Erode district in Tamil Nadu*Periyar National Park*Periyar University*Periyar Maniammai University...
River. Electricity is provided by the
Kerala State Electricity BoardKerala State Electricity Board or KSEB is a public sector agency under the Government of Kerala, India, that generates, provides and regulates the electricity supply in the state...
.
The
Greater Cochin Development AuthorityGreater Cochin Development Authority is the government overseeing agency for the development of the Indian port city of Kochi, Kerala. Greater Cochin area consists of the Cochin Corporation, the commercial capital of Kerala, 6 surrounding municipalities and 25 intervening panchayats covering an...
(GCDA) is the government agency overseeing the development of Kochi. The
Kochi City PoliceKochi City Police or the Cochin City Police is the police force of the Indian city of Kochi. The force is headed by a Police Commissioner, an Indian Police Service officer. It comprises the traffic police, Narcotics Cell, Armed Reserve Camps, District Crime Records Bureau, Senior citizen's Cell,...
is headed by a
Police CommissionerCommissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces. In some organizations it may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police....
, an
Indian Police ServiceThe Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India; other two being the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Forest Service...
(IPS) officer. It comprises the
traffic police*Police controlling traffic, see rules of the road*Highway patrol*Road Policing Unit*Traffic Guard...
,
NarcoticThe term narcotic is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden, causing loss of feeling or paralysis. It is based on the Greek word ναρκωσις , the term used by Hippocrates for the process of benumbing or the benumbed state...
s Cell, Armed Reserve Camps, District Crime Records Bureau,
Senior citizenSenior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which of course varies according to country. Synonyms include...
's Cell, and a Women's Cell. It operates 19 police stations functioning under the Home Ministry of State Government. An
anti-corruptionPolitical 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 InvestigationThe Central Bureau of Investigation , is India's premier investigating agency, responsible for a wide variety of criminal and national security matters...
also operates out of the city. Kochi is the seat of the
High Court of KeralaHigh 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.
Kochi contributes five seats to the State Assembly, and a seat to the
Lok SabhaThe Lok Sabha is the directly elected lower house of the Parliament of India. As of 2009 there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
, the Lower House of the
Indian ParliamentThe Parliament of India is the federal and supreme legislative body of India. It consists of the office of President of India and two houses, the lower house, known as the Lok Sabha and the upper house, known as the Rajya Sabha.. It is located in New Delhi at Sansad Bhavan on Sansad Marg...
.
Economy
Kochi is called the economic capital of Kerala by volume of trade; though, unlike other leading South Indian cities, Kochi has been slow to
industrialiseIndustrialisation is the process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a pre-industrial society into an industrial one...
. In recent years the city has witnessed heavy investment, thus making it one of the fastest-growing
second-tier metro citiesThe 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 taxA sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of purchase for certain goods and services. The tax is usually set as a percentage by the government charging the tax. There is usually a list of exemptions...
income generated in the Kochi metropolitan area contributes heavily to state revenue.
The economy of the city can be classified as a business economy with emphasis on the
service sectorThe tertiary sector of economy is one of the three economic sectors, the others being the secondary sector and the primary sector...
. Major business sectors include gold and textile retailing, seafood and spices exports,
information technologyInformation technology , as defined by the Information Technology Association of America , is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic...
(IT), tourism,
health servicesMedical tourism is a term initially coined by travel agencies and the mass media to describe the rapidly-growing practice of traveling across international borders to obtain health care...
, banking, shipbuilding, and the fishing industry. The economy is mostly dependent on trade and retail activities. As in most of Kerala, remittances from
non-resident IndiansA 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 outside India. Other terms with the same meaning are overseas Indian and expatriate Indian...
(NRI)s is a major source of income. The city also houses Kerala's only
bourseA stock exchange is a corporation or mutual organization which provides "trading" facilities for stock brokers and traders, to trade stocks and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for the issue and redemption of securities as well as other financial instruments and capital...
—the
Cochin Stock ExchangeThe Cochin Stock Exchange Limited is located at Kochi, Kerala in India. Incorporated in the year 1978, the stock exchange has been playing a vital role in shaping the economic development of the region.-See also:*List of South Asian stock exchanges...
.
Kochi is a major destination for IT and ITES companies, ranked by
NASSCOMThe National Association of Software and Services Companies , the Indian chamber of commerce is a consortium that serves as an interface to the Indian software industry and Indian BPO industry.-Objectives:...
as the second-most attractive city in India for IT-based services. Availability of cheap
bandwidthIn computer networking and computer science, digital bandwidth, network bandwidth or just bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bit/s or multiples of it ....
through
undersea cablesA submarine communications cable is a cable laid beneath the sea to carry telecommunications between countries.The first submarine communications cables carried telegraphy traffic. Subsequent generations of cables carried first telephony traffic, then data communications traffic...
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
InfoParkInfoPark is an information technology park promoted by the Government of Kerala, located at Kochi, India. Infopark is placed in a campus which is 12 km from the International Airport and the city, the Park is a destination for the IT industry, especially for ITES units.The VSNL’s...
,
Cochin Special Economic ZoneThe Cochin Special Economic Zone is a Special Economic Zone situated at Cochin, Kerala. A Special Economic Zone is a foreign territory within India with special rules for facilitating foreign direct investment. The Zone is run directly by the Government of India....
and
KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial ParkKerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation is a government agency under the State government of the Indian state of Kerala, that understakes development of industrial estates, to nurture industrialisation in the state....
operate in the outskirts of the city. Several new industrial campuses for research, trade and development in
biotechnologyBiotechnology is technology based on biology, agriculture, food science, and medicine. Modern use of the term usually refers to genetic engineering as well as cell- and tissue culture technologies...
,
electronic hardwareElectronic hardware refers to interconnected electronic components which perform analog and/or logic operations on received and locally stored information to produce as output and/or store resulting new information and/or to provide control for output actuator mechanisms.Electronic hardware can...
and information technology are in various stages of construction in the suburbs of the city. Prominent among them are the
Sobha Hi-tech citySobha Hi-tech city is a planned industry township for knowledge-based companies to be constructed in Kochi, India. The project, being constructed by Sobha Developers, will come up at Maradu, in the suburbs of the city. With an initial investment of Rs.5000 crore, the project is the single highest...
at Maradu and the
SmartCitySmart City Kochi is a planned industry township for Information Technology and enabled services, media and Bio-technology, to be constructed in Kochi, Kerala in India. Dubai Internet City is the main investor of the project which has the potential to create over 100,000 jobs...
at Kakkanad, which on completion, would rank among the largest such ventures in the country.
The Cochin International Airport is in the process of setting up an
aerotropolisAn aerotropolis is a new type of urban form comprising aviation-intensive businesses and related enterprises extending up to 25 kilometers outward from major airports....
at Nedumbasserry.
EloorEloor is a census town located 10 km north of the city of Kochi in Paravur taluk Ernakulam district in Kerala, India. 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, is the largest industrial belt in Kerala, with more than 250 industries manufacturing a range of products including chemical and
petrochemicalPetrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum or other hydrocarbon origin. Although some of the chemical compounds that originate from petroleum may also be derived from coal and natural gas, petroleum is the major source...
products,
pesticideA pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest.A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substance intended for:- preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest....
s,
rare earth elementAs defined by IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a collection of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, namely scandium, yttrium, and the fifteen lanthanoids...
s,
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
processing chemicals, fertilisers,
zincZinc , also known as 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
chromiumChromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24, 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 odourless, tasteless, and malleable...
compounds, and
leatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
products.
Kochi is the headquarters of the
Southern Naval CommandThe Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. It currently has approximately 55,000 personnel on active duty, including 5,000 members of the naval aviation branch and 2,000 marine commandos, making it the world's fifth largest navy...
, the primary training centre of the Indian Navy. The
Cochin ShipyardCochin Shipyard Limited is the largest shipyard in India located at Kochi, Kerala. The city of Kochi was formerly known as Cochin.Cochin Shipyard was incorporated in 1972 as a Government of India company, with the first phase of facilities coming online in 1982. In the last three decades the...
in Kochi is the largest
shipbuildingShipbuilding is the construction of ships. 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....
facility in India. The Cochin fishing harbour, located at
Thoppumpady-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 the British in the pre independence period. This bridge is a classic work of the British's engineering...
is a major fishing port in the state and supplies fish to local and export markets. To further tap the potential of the all-season deep-water harbour at Kochi, an international cruise terminal and several
marinaA marina is a sheltered harbor where boats and yachts are kept in the water and where services geared to the needs of recreational boating are found....
s are being constructed.
Exports and allied activities are also important contributors to the city's economy. The
Cochin PortCochin Port Trust is a body of the Government of India that manages the port of Kochi. Operating from the Willingdon Island, the trust is located at latitude 9 degree 58' north and longitude 76 degree 14' east....
currently handles export and import of container cargo at its terminal at
Willingdon IslandWillingdon Island is the home of the modern port that serves Kochi in Kerala, India. It is a man-made island created from the materials dredged while deepening Kochi Port, it's in Ernakulam district of Kerala in south India. It's named after Lord Willingdon, the erstwhile governor of Madras who had...
. A new international
containerContainerization is a system of intermodal freight transport using standard intermodal containers that are standardised by the International Organization for Standardization...
transshipmentTransshipment or Transhipment is the shipment of goods or container to an intermediate destination, and then from there to yet another destination....
terminal—the first in the country—is being commissioned at
VallarpadamVallarpadam is one of the islands that make up the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is situated in the Vembanad lake and has a population of over 10,000. An International Container Transshipment Terminal is under construction here.-How to Reach:...
, which is expected to be a major transshipment port in India.
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 ExchangeInternational Pepper Exchange is an organisation headquartered in Kochi, India, that deals with the global trade of black pepper. It is the world's only pepper exchange.-External links:*...
, where
black pepperBlack 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 a small drupe approximately five millimetres in diameter, dark red when fully mature, containing a single...
is globally traded. The
Spices Board of IndiaSpices Board is the Indian government regulatory and promotion agency for Indian spices. The board is headquartered in Kochi....
is also headquartered in Kochi.
Kochi also has an
oil refineryAn oil refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas...
—the
Kochi Refineries- History :Kochi Refinery started on 27 April 1963 when Government of India, Phillips Petroleum Company of USA and Duncan Brothers of Calcutta signed an agreement for the construction of a petroleum refinery in south India, in Kochi, Kerala....
(BPCL) at
AmbalamugalAmbalamedu is a small township adjacent to the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Kochi Refineries is located here....
. Central Government establishments like the
Coconut Development BoardCoconut Development Board is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India for the integrated development of coconut and related coconut related products.-Failures:...
, the
Coir BoardCoir Board of India is an Indian government organisation that works for the promotion, research, education and training of the coir industry. The board functions under the Ministry of Agro and Rural Industries....
and the
Marine Products Export Development AuthorityThe 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.
Transport
Public transport in the city is largely dependent on private buses.
TaxisA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire, with a driver, for a single passenger, or small group of passengers, typically for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
and
auto rickshawAn auto rickshaw or three-wheeler is a motor vehicle and a mode of transport for private use and as a vehicle for hire...
s (called
autos) are available for hire throughout the day. Narrow roads and the mix of vastly differing types of vehicles have made traffic congestion a problem in the city. A
metroThe Kochi Metro is a proposed mass transit system for the South Indian city of Kochi. It was one of the first proposed in India but was delayed for a variety of reasons. It is now planned to be commissioned by 2011. The alignment was created by the DMRC and is planned to be made on a Public-Private...
rapid transit service, intended to considerably ease congestion, is currently awaiting sanction of Union govt.
Because it is one of the safest harbours in the
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by South Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean...
, Kochi ranks among India's major seaports. The port, administered by a statutory autonomous body known as the
Cochin Port TrustCochin Port Trust is a body of the Government of India that manages the port of Kochi. Operating from the Willingdon Island, the trust is located at latitude 9 degree 58' north and longitude 76 degree 14' east....
, offers facilities for bunkering, handling
cargoCargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.- Marine Cargo Types :...
and
passenger shipA passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is...
s and storage accommodation. It also operates passenger ships to
ColomboColombo is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the capital city of Sri Lanka. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins and a city...
and Lakshadweep. Boat services operated by
Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation CorporationKerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation is an agency under the State government of Kerala, that oversees the shipping and inland navigation matters of the state....
, the
State Water Transport DepartmentKerala 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 of private ownership are available from various
boat jettiesA jetty is a structure extending into a body of water, which protects a harbor or coastline from the effects of currents and tides. Coastal lagoons fronted by barrier spits typically have entrances that migrate over time...
in the city. The
junkar ferryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
for the transshipment of vehicles and passengers between the islands are operated between Ernakulam and
VypinVypin, also spelled Vypeen is an island in Ernakulam district of Kerala. The island which is about 27 km long was formed in the year 1341 after a heavy flood. It is known to be the island having highest density of population in the world. It is connected to Kochi by a bridge from Kalamuku...
, and between Vypin and Fort Kochi. However, with the construction of the
Goshree bridgesGoshree bridges include bridges that link the scattered islands in the city of Kochi, India.These bridges are financed by selling reclaimed land in and around Kochi.Bridges were constructed by Goshree Island Development Authority.These bridges are the life line for people living in Vypin Island who...
(which links Kochi's islands), ferry transport has become less essential.
The
Cochin International AirportCochin International Airport , also known as Nedumbassery Airport, is located at Nedumbassery, near Kochi , Kerala in India...
, which is about 25 kilometres (15 mi) north of the city, handles both domestic and international flights. It is the largest airport of Kerala, and one of the busiest in India. It is the first international airport in India to be built without Central Government funds. An airport run by the
NavyThe Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. It currently has approximately 55,000 personnel on active duty, including 5,000 members of the naval aviation branch and 2,000 marine commandos, making it the world's fifth largest navy...
also operates in the city. A third airport, for use by the
Indian Coast GuardThe Indian Coast Guard is one of four branches of the Indian Armed Forces, tasked with the mission to guard the Republic of India's maritime interests. The Indian Coast Guard's organization is similar to that of other Para Military Forces of India. It was created on 18 August 1978 as an...
, is under construction in the suburbs.
There is no intra-city rail transport system in Kochi. The
inter-city railInter-city rail services are express train passenger services which cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no clear definition of Inter-city rail. Most broadly, it includes all rail service except short distance commuter rail within one city area and slow regional rail...
transport system in the city is administered by the
Southern Railway ZoneThe 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 the
Indian RailwaysIndian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is the state-owned railway company of India, which owns and operates most of the country's rail transport...
. There are two main railway stations—the
Ernakulam JunctionErnakulam Junction ' is a railway junction and is the busiest railway station in Kerala, located in Kochi, India. It is operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways....
and the
Ernakulam TownErnakulam Town is a railway station for inter-city trains, and is located at Kochi, Kerala in India. The station is operated by the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. It is situated in the northern end of the city and is a stopping point for trains going towards both Alleppey and...
(locally known as the 'South' and 'North' railway stations respectively). The railway line connecting these two stations cuts the city longitudinally in two, with two narrow bridges connecting the two halves.
Demographics
With a city population of 564,589 Kochi city ranks first among cities in Kerala, in the population density with 5950 per km
2. , Kochi had a metropolitan area population of 1,541,175.
Scheduled castes and tribesScheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are Indian population groupings that are explicitly recognized by the Constitution of India, previously called the "depressed classes" by the British, and otherwise known as untouchables. SCs/STs together comprise over 24% of India's population, with SC at ...
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
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
,
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
, and
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
;
JainismJainism is an ancient dharmic religion from India that prescribes a path of non-violence for all forms of living beings in this world. Its philosophy and practice relies mainly on self-effort in progressing the soul on the spiritual ladder to divine consciousness...
,
JudaismJudaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
,
SikhismSikhism, founded on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and ten successive Sikh Gurus in fifteenth century Punjab, is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world. This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat or the Sikh Dharma...
, and
BuddhismBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
have smaller followings. Though 51% practise Hinduism, Christianity's large following (35%) makes Kochi a city with one of the largest Christian populations in India.
The majority of residents are
MalayaliThe Malayali people are a group of people, who speak Malayalam, originating from the Indian state of Kerala...
s; however, there are significant ethnic minority communities including
TamilsTamil people , are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, a state in India, and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. They speak Tamil , with a recorded history going back two millennia. Emigrant communities are found across the world...
,
GujaratisGujarati People , or Gujaratis, is an umbrella term used to describe an indo-aryan ethnic group that is traditionally Gujarati-speaking and can trace their ancestry to the state of Gujarat in India.-Gujaratis in...
,
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an 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...
s,
SikkimSikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. It is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest in area after Goa. The thumb-shaped state borders Nepal in the west, the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north and the east and Bhutan in the southeast...
ese,
Anglo-IndianAnglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry. The British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent ....
s,
KonkanisKonkani people form an ethnic group mainly found in the Konkan Coast of western India who speak the Konkani language natively.The word Konkani derives from kum, meaning 'Mother Earth' and kana, meaning 'piece/part' thereby meaning a strip of land along the western Indian coast beyond the Western...
, and
TuluvaThe Tuluvas are an linguistic ethnic group native to the Tulu Nadu region of India, presently divided amongst the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, the Udupi district of Karnataka and the Kasaragod Taluk of Kerala. They are the native speakers of the Tulu Dravidian language...
s. Malayalam is the main language of communication and medium of instruction, although English is more commonly used in business circles.
TamilTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. Tamil is also spoken by significant minorities in Malaysia, Mauritius and Réunion as well as emigrant communities around the world...
and
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
are widely understood—albeit rarely spoken.
Like other fast-growing cities in the developing world, Kochi suffers from major urbanisation problems, poor
sanitationSanitation 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...
, and
unemploymentUnemployment occurs when a person is available to work and seeking work but currently without work. The prevalence of unemployment is usually measured using the unemployment rate, which is defined as the percentage of those in the labor force who are unemployed...
. However, a survey conducted in 2007 by a private agency considered Kochi to be the best city to live in India.
The city registered an increase of 9.7 percentage points in its unemployment rate from 14.8% in 1998 to 24.5% in 2003. Shortage of potable water is a major concern in the city. The situation is aggravated by the threat posed by
pollutionPollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms . Pollution can take the form of chemical substances, or energy, such as noise, heat, or light...
in industrial areas. The city also has a growing
slumA slum, as defined by the 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 proportion 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 BureauNCRB 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....
, Kochi has one of highest rates of crime in India—498.6, against the national average of 287.3.
Culture
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 Hindus,
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
s,
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
s, Jains,
SikhSikh is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. The term has its origin in the Sanskrit term , meaning "disciple, learner" or , meaning "instruction"....
s, and Buddhists 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 JewsCochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews are the descendants of the ancient Jews in the former Kingdom of Cochin in South India, including the present day port city of Kochi. They traditionally spoke Judeo-Malayalam, a form of the Malayalam tongue native to the state of Kerala in India...
—that figured prominently in Kochi's business and economic strata. The Syro-Malabar Church, one of the 22
sui iurisSui 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. Prominent places of Christian worship include the St. Mary's Cathedral and the
St. Antony's ShrineSt. Antony's Shrine is a famous church situated at Kaloor in Kochi, India. It was built in 1915 and is dedicated to St. Antony....
at
KaloorKaloor is a place in Kochi city in Kerala, India. The place is famous for some important landmarks of the city such as Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The St. Antony's Shrine is also located here.How to get there?Rail:...
. Appropriate to its multi-ethnic composition, Kochi celebrates traditional Kerala festivals like
OnamOnam is the biggest festival in the South Indian state of Kerala. It falls during the Malayali month of Chingam and marks the homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali. Carnival of Onam lasts for ten days and is linked to many elements of Kerala's culture and tradition...
and
VishuVishu is a festival celebrated in the state of Kerala in South India. It is also celebrated in adjoining areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The festival marks the first day of Malayalam Year and falls in the month of Medam . Vishu follows the sidereal vernal equinox and generally falls on April 14...
along with
North IndiaNorth India is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from Tibet and Central Asia...
n Hindu festivals like
HoliHoli, also called the Festival of Colors, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Srilanka, and countries with large Hindu diaspora populations, such as Suriname, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, the UK, USA, Mauritius, and Fiji...
and
DiwaliDiwali or ' is a significant festival in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and an official holiday in India and Nepal. Adherents of these religions celebrate Diwali as the Festival of Lights...
with great fervour. Christian and Islamic festivals like
ChristmasChristmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days. The nativity of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini...
,
EasterEaster is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day from his crucifixion...
,
Eid ul-FitrEid ul-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 "to break fast"; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period...
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 cultureSouth Indian culture refers to the culture of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, 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
coconutThe Coconut Palm is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4–6 m long, pinnae 60–90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth. The term coconut refers to the seed of the...
and spices. Other South Indian cuisines, as well as
ChineseChinese cuisine originated in China and has become widespread in many other parts of the world — from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa. In recent years, connoisseurs of Chinese cuisine have also sprouted in Eastern Europe and South Asia...
and
North IndianThe cuisine of India is characterized by sophisticated and subtle use of various spices, herbs and other vegetables grown in India and also for the widespread practice of vegetarianism across many sections of its society. Each family of Indian cuisine is characterized by a wide assortment of dishes...
cuisines are popular.
Fast foodFast 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 low quality preparation and served to the customer in a packaged form...
culture is also very prominent.
Kochi was home to some of the most influential figures in
Malayalam literatureThe 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 PillaiChangampuzha Krishna Pillai was a writer of Malayalam poetry.He is from Kerala,India. He is most famous for his pastoral elegy Ramanan, written in 1936, which sold over 100,000 copies....
,
Kesari Balakrishna PillaiKesari Balakrishna Pillai , was a prominent Malayalam literary critic born in North Paravur.Kesari Balakrishna Pillai, who was known by the name of the news paper he run "Kesari". He was also a literary critic, essayist and translated literary works form French and other languages to Malayalam in...
,
G. Sankara KurupG. Sankara Kurup, , better known as Mahakavi G , was the first winner of the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary award. He won the prize in 1965 for his collection of poems in Malayalam Odakkuzhal...
, and
Vyloppilli Sreedhara MenonVyloppilli Sreedhara Menon was a renowned Indian poet of Kerala, India. He was born on May 11, 1911 in Kaloor in the Ernakulam district. After taking his bachelors degree in science he took B.T...
. Prominent social reformers such as
Sahodaran AyyappanSahodaran 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 KaruppanPandit 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
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
and football.
The
Jawaharlal Nehru International StadiumJawaharlal Nehru International Stadium is an international stadium in Kochi, Kerala, India. With a capacity to hold 75,000 spectators, the stadium was built in 1996 during the tenure of K. Karunakaran as Chief Minister of Kerala...
in Kochi is one of the large multi-use stadiums in
IndiaIndia, 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, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
with International Class Lighting for Day and Night Matches. The
Regional Sports CentreRegional 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.
Education
Schools and colleges in the city are either run by the government or by private trusts and individuals. The schools are each affiliated with either the
Indian Certificate of Secondary EducationThe Indian Certificate of Secondary Education 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), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), or the
Kerala State Education BoardThe 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...
. English is the medium of instruction in most private schools; though government run schools offer both English and Malayalam. After completing their secondary education, which involves ten years of schooling, students typically enrol at
Higher Secondary SchoolThe term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through grade 12. Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka however, have a system of junior colleges where, after taking the 10th grade board exams ,...
in one of the three streams—
ArtsLiberal arts are the skills derived from the Classical education curriculum.-Definition:The term liberal arts denotes a curriculum that imparts general knowledge and develops the student’s rational thought and intellectual capabilities, unlike the professional, vocational, technical curricula...
,
CommerceCommerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer. It comprises the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information, or money between two or more entities...
or
ScienceScience is in its broadest sense to any systematic knowledge-base or prescriptive practice that is capable of resulting in a prediction or predictable type of outcome...
. Upon completing the required coursework, the student can enroll in general or professional degree programmes.
The
Cochin UniversityCochin University of Science & 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, about 66 km inland. Nearly 2,000 students engage yearly in various areas of...
is situated in the city. Most of the colleges offering
tertiary educationTertiary 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, or gymnasium...
are affiliated either with the
Mahatma Gandhi UniversityMahatma Gandhi University, also known as M G University, was established on 2 October 1983 in Kottayam. The Mahatma Gandhi University , has been accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council,India...
or the Cochin University. Other national educational institutes include the
Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering TrainingCentral 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 StudiesNational University of Advanced Legal Studies is a university located at Kochi, India for under-graduate and graduate legal education. NUALS has been established to be a national level institute of excellence in higher learning of law in the state of Kerala by the Government of Kerala by virtue...
, the
National Institute of OceanographyThe National Institute of Oceanography is a constituent laboratory of CSIR - the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, an autonomous research organization in India. The institute has its headquarters in the coastal state Goa, and regional centres in Kochi , Mumbai and Vizag. The...
and the
Central Marine Fisheries Research InstituteCentral Marine Fisheries Research Institute is a marine research institute located at Kochi, India....
.
Media
Major Malayalam newspapers published in Kochi include
Malayala ManoramaMalayala Manorama is a popular Malayalam daily with a very strong readership in Kerala, India. The Manorama group, which manages the newspaper, also runs the Manorama Yearbook, largest circulated yearbook in the region...
,
MathrubhumiMathrubhumi is a prominent 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:...
,
Deshabhimani,
Deepika,
Kerala KaumudiKerala Kaumudi is a popular Malayalam newspaper, founded in 1911 by C. V. Kunhiramanwith K. Sukumaran BA as the founder editor. Published from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur in Kerala and Bangalore, Kerala Kaumudi is the third most circulated Malayalam daily...
,
Madhyamam and
Veekshanam. Popular English newspapers include
The HinduThe Hindu is a leading English-language Indian daily newspaper. With a circulation of 1.45 million, The Hindu is the second-largest circulated daily English newspaper in the India after Times of India, and slightly ahead of the Economic Times...
,
The New Indian ExpressThe New Indian Express is a newspaper with its head office based in Chennai in south India. It was started in 1932 as the Indian Express, under the ownership of Chennai-based Veradharajulu Naidu. In 1991, following the death of the then owner Ramnath Goenka, the Goenka's family split the group into...
and
The PioneerThe Pioneer is a medium-sized English language newspaper in India.It is published from Delhi, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Dehradun and Ranchi...
. A number of evening papers are also published from the city. Newspapers in other regional languages like Hindi,
KannadaKannada is one of the major Dravidian languages of India, spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas , number roughly 38 million, making it the 27th most spoken language in the world...
, Tamil and
TeluguTelugu is a Dravidian language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is the official language of Andhra Pradesh, one of the largest states of India. It is also one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of the Republic of India and was conferred the status of a Classical language by the Government...
are also available.
Being the seat of the
Cochin Stock ExchangeThe Cochin Stock Exchange Limited is located at Kochi, Kerala in India. Incorporated in the year 1978, the stock exchange has been playing a vital role in shaping the economic development of the region.-See also:*List of South Asian stock exchanges...
, a number of financial publications are also published in the city. These include
The Economic TimesThe Economic Times, launched in 1961, is India's largest financial daily and the world's second largest financial daily after The Wall Street Journal, with a daily circulation of over 620,000 copies...
,
Business LineBusiness Line or The Hindu Business Line is an Indian business newspaper published by Kasturi & Sons, the publishers of the newspaper The Hindu. It is the only white paper on business.-History:...
,
The Business StandardThe Business Standard is an English financial newspaper, published from various cities in India.-External links:*...
and
The Financial Express.
Prominent magazines and religious publications like the
Sathyadeepam,
The WeekThe Week is an English language Indian weekly newsmagazine published by the The Malayala Manorama group, which also publishes the iconic newspaper Malayala Manorama...
and
VanithaVanitha 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 woman's magazine. Published in Malayalam and Hindi, it is the fifth-largest selling magazine...
are also published from the city.
Television stations in Kochi include
Asianet Cable VisionAsianet Cable Vision was early a sister concern of Asianet TV, which provided services on cable TV, broadband internet connections, web hosting and VoIP services. Now ACV is a separate company, which is also based at Thiruvananthapuram.They operates Channels like Rosebowl, Medley and Jukebox....
,
IndiavisionIndiavision is an Indian news channel in Malayalam based at Kochi. It was the first full fledged News Channel in Malayalam. It has its registered office at Edappally in Kochi. Indiavision started telecasting in 2003 under the chairmanship of Dr. M. K. Muneer, a leader of Indian Union Muslim League....
,
Kairali TVKairali TV is a Malayalam television channel based in Trivandrum, Kerala. Currently, Padmasree Bharath Mammootty, a leading film actor in Malayalam, holds the post of Chairman and John Brittas is the Managing Director and editor. Other important leaders are: Prabha Varma- Director, News and...
,
Jeevan TVJeevan 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 the Catholic Church of Kerala. Mar Andrews Thazhath, Metropolitan Arch Bishop of Trichur...
,
Amrita TVAmrita TV, launched in 2005, as a 24-hour Malayalam, general entertainment & news satellite channel with a global footprint, has been honoured with 26 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 Manorama News.
Satellite televisionSatellite television is television delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by a satellite dish and set-top box. In many areas of the world it provides a wide range of channels and services, often to areas that are not serviced by terrestrial or cable providers.-History:The...
services are available through
DoordarshanDoordarshan is the public television broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati, a public service broadcaster nominated by the Government of India. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in the world in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters...
Direct Plus, Dish TV,
Sun Direct DTHSun Direct is a DTH satellite television provider in India, using MPEG-4 digital compression technology, transmitting using INSAT 4B at 93.5°E.. It is the country's first MPEG 4 technology DTH service provider.- History :...
and
Tata SkyTata Sky is a DTH satellite television provider in India, using MPEG-2 digital compression technology, transmitting using INSAT 4A at 83.0°E.-History:...
. There are five FM radio stations in Kochi, of which two are operated by the
All India RadioAll India Radio , officially known as Akashvani is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati , an autonomous corporation of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India...
. Private satellite radios such as
WorldSpace1worldspace is a satellite radio network that provides service to over 170,000 subscribers in eastern and southern Africa, the Middle East, and much of Asia with 96% coming from India.It is the first satellite radio network ever, beating the North American Siriusand XM services by 11 years.-...
, are also available. There are over ten
cinema hallsA movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre, film theater or cinema is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
that screen movies in Malayalam, Tamil, English and Hindi. A film festival, known as the
Cochin International Film FestivalThe Cochin International Film Festival was conducted in 2004 and 2005 in Kochi....
(CIFF), is held in the city every year.
Kochi has the highest density of telephones in India.
TelephonyIn telecommunication, telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide voice communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other....
services are provided by various players like
AircelAircel is a mobile phone service provider in India. It offers both prepaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout Tamil Nadu , Andhra Pradesh, Assam, North East India, Orissa, West Bengal , Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh & Mumbai. Aircel was founded by...
, Airtel,
Idea cellularIdea Cellular is a wireless telephony company operating in various states in India. It initially started in 1995 as a joint venture among the Tatas, Aditya Birla Group and AT&T by merging "'Wings Cellular'" operating in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh West, Rajasthan and Tata Cellular as well as...
, Vodafone, Reliance Infocomm,
Tata IndicomTata Teleservices Limited is a part of the Tata Group of companies, an Indian conglomerate. It operates under the brand name Tata Indicom in various telecom circles of India....
and the state owned
BSNLBharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is a public sector telecommunication company in India. It is India's largest telecommunication company with, 24% market share as on March 31, 2008. Its headquarters are at Bharat Sanchar Bhawan, Harish Chandra Mathur Lane, Janpath, New Delhi...
.
External links