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Kottayam [1] is one of the larger towns in Kerala, south India. It is the headquarters of Kottayam district.

[edit] Understand

Kottayam is a town in south-central Kerala, sandwiched between the Vembanad Lake and the Kerala hill-country. Best known as a hub of trade and commerce, Kottayam is also a centre for education and literature, and as a centre of Kerala's large Christian population.

The lingua franca in Kottayam is Malayalam, the official language of the state of Kerala. Travellers should not face much difficulty in getting by with English, as the language is widely understood, at least at a rudimentary level. Most sign-boards above shops are in English as well. Tamil is another language that is understood reasonably widely. On the other hand, conversing with the locals in Hindi, India's national language, is a far more difficult task and is best avoided.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

• Kochi International Airport [2] (Cochin) 93 km away, is the nearest airport. The airport has flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Kozhikode, Tiruvananthapuram, Agatti, Mangalore, Goa, Colombo, Singapore and every international airport in the Middle East. The airport is currently served by the following airlines: Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, JetLite, Kingfisher Red, Go Air, IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, Srilankan Airlines, Silk Air, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Oman Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Traveller, Etihad Airlines, Air Arabia and Jazeera Airways.

From the airport, it is possible to get to Kottayam either by road (buses and taxis are available, and recommended for convenience) or by rail via railway stations at either Angamali (the closest to the airport, but very few trains stop here), Ernakulam Junction or Ernakulam Town.

• Alternatively Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) airport, 152 km away, can be used as an entry point, followed by road or rail travel to Kottayam. In addition to the destinations listed for Kochi International Airport, flights to Male in the Maldives are available from here.

• Other options are Kozhikode (Calicut), Chennai, Bangalore,Coimbatore and Bombay airports and further travel to Kottayam by road or rail.

[edit] By train

Kottayam has a number of long distance trains coming through. The town is linked to most major cities in India by trains, categorized as being either 'express' or 'non-express'. Short-haul trains also pass through Kottayam, connecting it to most cities and towns in Kerala.

[edit] By bus

There are bus services operating from cities like Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Chennai, Bangalore, Mangalore, Coimbatore to Kottayam. The quality of buses that operate vary significantly. Seats on comfortable, safe and air-conditioned buses that ply on long-distance routes can be had on paying higher fares. So, it's best to verify that what you're getting is in line with your expectations.

[edit] By road

Kottayam is well connected to other cities Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha (Alleppey), Chennai, Kannur, Kozhikode, Mangalore, Bangalore, Coimbatore by road.

[edit] By boat

Frequent ferries (run by the Kerala State Water Transport Corporation) from Alappuzha (Alleppey) run throughout the day. Plying through the backwaters, it takes approximately two hours to reach Kottayam. This is the cheapest mode of travel in the state, though not the fastest.

[edit] Get around

• Bus - Kottayam has a comprehenhsive local bus system which is inexpensive. Be warned, however - buses can become extremely crowded during rush hour.

• Autorickshaw - This is another inexpensive way of getting between places in town, and is recommended if you're weary of travelling by a crowded bus. As is the case with most of the rest of India, drivers may try cheat the unsuspecting traveller. Official rates are INR 12 for the first kilometre and INR 6 for every additional kilometre, though the rate increases at night.

• Taxi - Local taxis are also available, though they are considerably more expensive than autorickshaws. There are taxi stands at the District Collectorate, and at the District Hospital.

• Car - There are many car rental companies offering cars with drivers or self drive. Don't attempt to drive in Kerala unless you are comfortable with traffic conditions and have very good reflexes.

• Walk - Ultimately, Kottayam is a small town, and it is possible to cover the town on foot. A wise strategy would be to walk around downtown Kottayam during rush hour. Traffic jams during rush hour are very common, and your feet will get you where you want to go much faster.

[edit][add listing] See

• Aruvikkuzhi Waterfalls - 18 km from Kottayam town, near Kumarakom.

• Elaveezha poonchira (valley where leaves don't fall) - a hill station near Melukavu Mattom, 60 km from Kottayam with large hills around 3200 ft height. Beautiful hillocks named Mankunnu, Kudayathoormala, Thonippara and Poonchira are located here. A pool located here is famously remembered in local folklore as a bathing place used by Panchali, the legendary heroine of the Mahabharata.

• Erumely - important pilgrimage centre for Hindus and Muslims.

• Ettumanoor - 15km from Kottayam. Famous for having an ancient Shiva temple. Wall paintings in the temple are thousands of years old. The temple is also famous for its 'seven and a half golden elephants', a sequence of seven large and one small statues of elephants.

• Kumarakom - 14 km west of Kottayam, in Kuttanad. The place is famous for its bird sanctuary, house boats, backwaters, canals and the bungalow of Henry Baker (now run as part of a resort managed by the Taj group of hotels).

• Pathiramanal (Midnight sands) - This is a small white sand island, located in the middle of the Vembanad Lake. It gets its name from the brilliant reflection of moonlight from the sand.

• Poonjar Palace - situatied in Meenachil taluk, this building is famous for its collection of antiques, exquisite furniture, chandeliers, palm leaf engravings, jewel boxes, a variety of lamps, sculptures of Nataraja (Shiva as Lord of the Dance), grain measures, statues and weapons.

• Vaikom Temple - 40 km from Kottayam, famous for its Shiva Temple.

• Vembanad Lake - 83.72 km length and 14.48 km width. Cruise boats, house boats and traditional cargo boats.

• Wagamon - 64 km from Kottayam, enchanting hill station at an elevation of 1100 metre, with tea gardens and meadows.

• Manarcaud - St. Mary's Shrine here attracts people of all faiths. Various kinds of offerings are made here devotees.

Around Kottayam Town

• Thirunakkara Mahadeva temple, at the heart of the town, is a Shiva temple built in the Kerala style of temple architecture, and with interior murals depicting themes from the Hindu epics. It was built at the beginning of 16th century by the then Raja of Thekkumkur. The annual temple festival that culminates in a ceremony called the Aaraattu, attracts large number of devotees.

• Thazhathangady Juma Masjid situated on the banks of river Meenachil is one of the oldest Mosques in India and is more than 1000 years old. The mosque is famous for its architectural beauty, and the ornate wood carvings.

• St. Mary's Church known as Cheria Palli (the Little Church), belonging to the Malankara Orthodox Church was built in 1579 by the Raja of Thekkumkur for his Christian subjects. The interior murals, painted using vegetable dyes, depict Biblical themes.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Boat Races - Lots of boat races with traditional boats of different sizes - around 50 types - in the months of July, August and September during Onam.

Kottayam also has an annual food festival and an annual flower show. These events are quite popular and are worth a visit, if you're in town when it happens.

[edit][add listing] Eat

There are numerous restaurants and cafes in Kottayam. What the town lacks, however, is variety. Local food is extensively available and is generally quite good, as is 'South Indian' vegetarian food. Beyond this, food has been uniformly categorized by restaurants as being either 'North Indian', 'Chinese' or 'Continental'. Most dishes that go under the last two categories are imaginative concoctions that draw on the worst elements from various styles of cooking. In summary, stick to Kerala food in Kottayam. If you still insist on trying other things out, then head to the luxury resorts in Kumarakon near Kottayam, and pay absurd sums of money for a meal.

A large number of 'bakeries' can be found in Kottayam. You can get freshly made bread and other snacks at these outlets. They are quiet popular and worth a visit.

A word of caution for the religiously inclined - Beef is easily avalable in Kottayam and is a staple in the people's diet. If you don't want to end up eating beef you will need to be wary of anything that says 'meat' or beef on it. A 'meat roll' would very likely have beef in it, for example. To be on the safe side, make your preference known explicitly.

[edit][add listing] Drink

Drinking in Kottayam is a fairly entertaining experience. Local pubs tend to be lively, but serve primarily a male clientele. The local beverage called Toddy, made from palm sap, is quite potent and not for the faint-hearted.

The retail sale of alcohol in Kottayam (as with the rest of Kerala) is a government monopoly, and liquor stores are often stocked with only the most popular varieties and labels. Wine is almost impossible to find, and getting popular international brands of anything from whiskey to beer is a bit hit-and-miss. The more upscale hotels do have bars where one can be certain of a reasonable ambiance and a well-stocked bar, while the smaller ones can appear quite dodgy.

'Side-dishes'/'Touchings', the local terms for 'snacks' consumed along with drinks, is also something to try out. These vary from chicken, fish, duck to various wild birds and are considered de rigueur for any true drinking experience.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

There are a number of hotels of varying quality in Kottayam. Since the town isn't spread out, proximity to the down town area isn't really a selling point. Most 'hotels' are rated (or approximately equate to) Indian 2 and 3 stars. Nightly room rates average between INR 1000 to INR 2000, with seasonal increases around September (Onam) and December (Christmas, New Year's). An alternative to established hotels is to use the services of an ever-growing list of 'homestays'.

There is a large concentration of resorts run by large Indian and international hotel chains, as well as smaller boutique operators, at Kumarakom (14 km from Kottayam) on the Vembanad Lake, where rooms, cottages and houseboats aimed at deeper pockets are available. Expect to pay top dollar for resorts run by the likes of the Taj and Radisson.