Kottayam
HISTORY: Bounded by the giant Western Ghats on the east and the shimmering Vembanad Lake and sprawling paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west, Kottayam is a land of unique characteristics – the land of language and literature..!!
It is a district gifted with lavish and breathtaking landscape – with unending stretches of enchanting backwaters, sprawling lush paddy fields, highlands, extensive rubber plantations and fascinating hills & hillocks. Kottayam has earned an enviable status as a highly literate district in Kerala. This district has been given a title by the people as Land of letters, latex and lakes.
Way back in 1989, a remarkable feat was made by Kottayam as the first town of India, achieving 100% literacy. The oldest seminary was established at Kottayam in 1813, and English education in south India first started here. State’s first Printing press was also set up in Kottayam in 1890 AD by Benjamin Baiely, a Christian Missionary. Early achievements of this district did not stop here. It was from this printing press in Kottayam the maiden printing and publications of Malayalam – English and English – Malayalam Dictionaries were launched in the year 1846 & 1847 respectively. Considering the remarkable contributions made by this district towards Print media and literature, Kottayam is rightly called as “Akshara Nagari”, meaning “City of Letters”.
Kottayam has occupied a pre-eminent role in the cultural life of Travancore Princely court. This was the main reason prompting Ramapurathu Warrier, the famous poet of Vadakkumkur to migrate to Thiruvanathapuram, when annexation of Kottayam was done by Marthanda Varma. The present Kottayam town was once the headquarters of the rulers of Munjanad and Thekkumkur. Marthanda Varma of Travancore attacked Thekkumkur and destroyed the palace and the Thaliyal Fort. Some remnants of the Palace and the fort can be seen here.
Kottayam did also play a significant role in the political upheavals of modern times, giving birth to “Malayali memorial” agitation in Kottayam. The aims and objectives of Malayali memorial were to secure better representation for the educated travancoreans in civil services against outsiders.Places To Visit
Kumarakom is a beautiful village, lavished by abundant nature. It is located 14 kms away from Kottayam and being a cluster of islands in the enchanting backwaters of Vembanad Lake. Of the total area of 5166 hectares of Kumarakom village, 2413 hectares of area is composed of backwaters, 1500 hectares constitute sprawling paddy fields and remaining 1253 hectares area is dry land. As major potion of this small village is formed of shimmering backwaters, it is known as backwater paradise of Kerala. Kumarakom is also known as the rice bowl of Kerala considering a vast area coming under paddy cultivation. The unending paddy fields in Kumarakom bear a testimony to this fact. The place has also a renowned bird sanctuary spread over an area of 14 acres. Apart from paddy fields, the backwater cruises in houseboats will offer an unforgettable experience to tourists besides a “Home on waves” feel. There are luxury houseboats available in Kumarakom for backwater cruises which meet international standards in hygiene and décor. There are also country boats, crafts and canoes with ideal spots for fishing and swimming etc.
Kumarakom is also having mangroves and coconut groves interspersed with lagoons, canals and waterways etc.
Attracted by the irresistible natural beauty of Kumarakom, an English man named Henry Baker decided to settle at Kumarakom and he built his bungalow here, after obtaining land from the then Travancore Maharaja. The beautiful Bungalow of Baker now stands modified into Taj Garden Retreat by the KTDC.
Vembanad Lake is synonymous with backwaters of Kerala. The sparkling backwaters of this lake lay stretched up to 83.72 kms in length and 14.48 kms in width. The sight of the beautiful houseboat gliding over the glassy backwaters of Vembanad Lake and rippling sound of the wavelets beating upon the shorelines make it a most sought - after and tempting tourist spot. The Vembanad Lake consists of a cluster of small islands forming the Kumarakom village. The Kumarakom village on the Vembanad Lake provides a spectacular view of sprawling paddy fields.
A beautiful island called Pathiramanal or midnight sands is situated on Vembanad Lake. This island is reachable by boat only. There are various types of boat available for cruises in backwaters, lagoons, rivers and canals etc. The houseboats vary in size and comfort starting from ordinary type to luxury type, having fully furnished rooms with and without A/c. Some are built with facilities as in a Palace.
Kottayam is famous for boat races. The festive months for holding boat races are August & September in every year. The spectacular water regatta – the snake boat race, is conducted during Onam. It is a thrilling experience to watch the race boats cruising through the placid backwaters with astonishing speed and in tune with the synchronized singing and oaring by the oarsmen. Kavanar and Kottahodu rivers of Kumarakom are the places where boat races are conducted. There are about 50 types of boats namely Veppu, Ody and Churulan including snake boats. 
The main highlight of Kumarakom is the bird sanctuary. This bird sanctuary is spread over an area of 14 acres of land on the shores of the vast and enchanting Vembanad Lake. As many as 50 species can be seen here and some of these are the Siberian stork, egret, darter, heron and teal etc. In addition, some species of common birds like woodpecker, skylark, crane and parrots can also be seen in this bird sanctuary. The best time to watch the migratory birds by taking a cruise along the Vembanad Lake is during the months November – February.
It is a breathtaking and picturesque hill station near Melukavu Mattom, 60 kms from Kottayam. Poonchira hill station is nestled among three beautiful hillocks namely Mankunnu, Kudayathoormala and Thonippara. This place has a pool and according to the legend, Panchali the legendary heroine of Mahabharata used to come here for bath. The beautiful valleys of Poonchira are spread across thousands of acres of land. The luxuriant landscape interspersed with huge hills rising up to 3200 feet presents a very imposing look. During monsoon, the hill valley totally presents a different look like that of a natural lake. The unique specialty of Elaveezhapoonchira is its valley where there are no trees to shed leaves. In other words it means - the valley without leaves. This place is considered as an ideal spot to watch the sunrise and sunset.
The Poonjar palace is situated in Meenachil Taluk and stands as a living testimony to a bygone era of opulence and glory. This palace has an extraordinary royal collection of antiques, exquisite furniture, a palanquin; a toni (boat) carved out of a single piece of wood for ayurvedic massages, huge and lovely chandeliers, palm leaf engravings, jewel boxes, a variety of lamps, sculptures of Nataraja (dancing lord Siva), grain measures, statues and weapons. A unique couch preserved here is taken out once a year for ritualistic purposes. Near the palace is an amazing replica of Madurai Meenakshi Temple. The walls of this temple have sculptures with warfare stories from the Puranas (the legend of ancient India). However the most fascinating thing here is the Chuttuvilakku (row of lamps) carved out on the stone walls of the Sastha temple nearby. Such rock-cut lamps are rare in India. 
