Kollam - Cashew Capital of the World

Kollam -- Cashew capital of the World

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Kollam - its backwaters - Mayanad  ,Ashtamudi lake

Kollam (IPA: [koɭɭəm]) or Quilon (Coulão), formerly Desinganadu, is an old seaport and city on the Laccadive Sea coast in Kerala, India on Ashtamudi Lake.  Kollam is known as the "Cashew Capital of the World", Kollam is noted for its traditional cashew business and is home to more than 600 cashew-processing units. Every year, about 800,000 tonnes of raw cashews are imported into the city for processing and an average of 130,000 tonnes of processed cashews are exported to various countries worldwide

Kollam is the Cashew Capital of the World

Kollam's rich history

Kollam has had a strong commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans. Fed by the Chinese trade, it was mentioned by Ibn Battuta in the 14th century as one of the five Indian ports he had seen during the course of his twenty-four year travels. Desinganadu's rajas exchanged embassies with Chinese rulers while there was a flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. In the 9th Century, on his way to Canton, China, Persian merchant Sulaiman al-Tajir found Kollam to be the only port in India visited by huge Chinese junks. Marco Polo, the great Venetian traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kublai Khan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin.

V. Nagam Aiya in his Travancore State Manual records that in 822 AD two East Syrian bishops Mar Sabor and Mar Proth, settled in Quilon with their followers. Two years later the Malabar Era began (824 AD) and Quilon became the premier city of the Malabar region ahead of Travancore and Cochin.  Kollam Port was founded by Mar Sabor at Thangasseri in 825 as an alternative to reopening the inland sea port of Kore-ke-ni Kollam near Backare (Thevalakara), which was also known as Nelcynda and Tyndis to the Romans and Greeks and as Thondi to the Tamils.

Below are the must visit places in Kollam

1 Neendakara 

Neendakara is a village in Kollam district 9 km north of Kollam city in Kerala, India. It is Kollam district's intermediate fishing port. Neendakara is 30 km north of Paravur.

Neendakara - Atilla of fishing boats

When Portuguese traders settled in Kollam (then Quilon) in the early 16th century, their ships passed through the Neenadakara bar, now the site of Neendakara Bridge, part of National Highway 47, which connects the village to Sakthikulangara across Ashtamudi Lake. In Malayalam, Neendakara means "a long bank".

The headquarters of the Indo-Norwegian Fisheries Community project, established in 1953, was based in Neendakara until 1961, when the site was handed over to the Government of Kerala

2 Tangasseri Lighthouse or Thangassery Lighthouse 
This is situated in Tangasseri, near Kollam in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of two lighthouses in the Kollam Metropolitan Area and is maintained by the Chennai Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships. In operation since 1902, the cylindrical lighthouse tower painted with white and red oblique bands has a height of 41 metres (135 ft), making it the tallest lighthouse on the Kerala Coast. (This lighthouse tower is opened for visitors only during the evenings from 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.)

Thangassey Lighthouse

Prior to construction of the lighthouse, the British East India company had installed a tower with an oil lamp. In 1902 they commissioned Tangasseri Lighthouse, which by 1930 had suffered cracks in the tower that required jacketing masonry to be installed.

The lighthouse is located on the coast at Tangasseri in Kollam city and is the only location in India that still maintains Anglo-Indian culture. Tangasseri is home to remnants of an ancient Portuguese built coastal defence, the St Thomas Fort, a Portuguese Cemetery, a canal, the ancient port of Quilon and the Infant Jesus Cathedral.

3 Munroe Island
Located 27 km from Kollam, is Munroe Island. Formed by the backwaters of Ashtamudi Lake and Kallada River, this island is named after Colonel Munroe, the British Resident of erstwhile Travancore State. He is credited with having integrated several backwater regions by digging canals. The discovery of stone age tools and megaliths stand testimony to the antiquity of this islet which shelters a quaint little village.

Munroe Islands - ideal for cruise

A unique country craft cruise is offered by DTPC at Munroe Island in this  typical backwater Island village of Kerala, Morning Cruise from 0900 hrs & Afternoon Cruise  from 1400 hrs

4 The Thirteen Arch Bridge
The Kollam–Sengottai branch line is a railway line in South India which connects Kollam ... The 13 Kannara bridge or 13 Arch Bridge (Pathimoonu kannara palam) is a 108–year–old bridge at Kazhathuruthi. The bridge consists of 13 arches.

13 arch bridge

5 Thenmala
Thenmala is a tourist place near Punalur town, Kollam district in Kerala. Thenmala is the first planned eco-tourism destination in India. The Thenmala dam was built across Kallada River. Thenmala is famous for being the shooting location in Malayalam and Tamil movies.

Kallada Irrigation Project - Thenmala

Thenmala attracts foreign and domestic tourists with a host of attractions. Boating on the lake, a rope bridge, trekking, mountaineering, biking and a musical fountain.  Thenmala is approachable both from Trivandrum and Punalur by road. The waterfall called Palaruvi is a prime attraction nearby.


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