Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( )
(
the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the
Malabar Coast
The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing m ...
of India bordering the
Laccadive Sea
The Laccadive Sea or Lakshadweep Sea is a body of water bordering India (including its Lakshadweep islands), the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It is located to the southwest of Karnataka, to the west of Kerala and to the south of Tamil Nadu. This war ...
, which is a part of the
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
. It is part of the
district of Ernakulam in the state of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
and is commonly referred to as
Ernakulam
Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
. Kochi is the most densely populated city in Kerala. As of 2011, it has a
corporation
A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...
limit population of 677,381
within an area of 94.88 km
2 and a total urban population of more than of 2.1 million within an area of 440 km
2, making it the largest and the
most populous metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
in Kerala. Kochi city is also part of the
Greater Cochin
Greater Cochin is the area defined by Greater Cochin Development Authority for town planning. This area consists of the Kochi UA region and its suburbs. The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and Goshree Islands Development Authority ( ...
region and is classified as a Tier-II city by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
. The civic body that governs the city is the
Kochi Municipal Corporation
The Kochi Municipal Corporation is the municipal corporation that manages the Indian city of Kochi (also known as Cochin) in the state of Kerala. Municipal Corporation mechanism in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of muni ...
, which was constituted in the year 1967, and the statutory bodies that oversee its development are the
Greater Cochin Development Authority
Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) is the statutory body overseeing the development of the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India.
Headquartered at Kadavanthra, GCDA oversees the development of the major part of Greater Cochin ar ...
(GCDA) and the
Goshree Islands Development Authority
Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) was established in 1994. It is one of the two government agencies for the development of Kochi City Region, Kerala along with GCDA which serves entire Cochin Corporation and surrounding municipaliti ...
(GIDA). The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland
Ernakulam
Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
,
Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
, the suburbs of
Edapally
Edappally or Idappalli is a region in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is a major commercial centre as well as a prominent residential region. Edappally junction is one of the busiest junctions in the city.
History
Edappally in English ...
,
Kalamassery
Kalamassery () is a major industrial region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. It houses companies like Apollo Tyres and HMT; IT/Electronics Parks like KINFRA Hi Tech Park, Startup Village, and Electronics City. Kalamassery ...
,
Aluva
Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the Ernakulam District in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transpor ...
and
Kakkanad
Kakkanad is a major industrial and residential region in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is situated in the eastern part of the city and houses the Cochin Special Economic Zone, Infopark, Smart City and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial ...
to the northeast;
Tripunithura
Thrippunithura or Tripunithura (), is a prominent historical and residential region in the City of Kochi in Kerala, India. Located about 7 km (4 mi) from the city centre, Tripunithura was the capital of the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin ...
to the southeast; and a group of islands closely scattered in the
Vembanad Lake
Vembanad is the longest lake in India, as well as the largest lake in the state of Kerala. The lake has an area of 230 square kilometers and a maximum length of 96.5 km. Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Ve ...
.
Called the "Queen of the Arabian Sea", Kochi was an important spice trading centre on the west coast of India from the 14th century onward, and maintained a trade network with Arab merchants from the pre-Islamic era. In 1505, the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
established trading ports in Cochin. There are still buildings like the
Old Harbour House from this period, some of which have been renovated in more recent times. The
Kingdom of Cochin
The Kingdom of Cochin, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It commenced at the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until 1949, when monarchy w ...
allied with the
Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
,
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
, and
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
and became a
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
of the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
. Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourist arrivals in Kerala.
The city was ranked the sixth best tourist destination in India according to a survey conducted by the
Nielsen Company
Nielsen Holdings plc is an American information, data and market measurement firm. Nielsen operates in over 100 countries and employs approximately 44,000 people worldwide.
The company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and use ...
on behalf of the
Outlook Traveller magazine. In October 2019, Kochi was ranked seventh in
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...
's list of top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2020. Kochi was one of the 28 Indian cities among the emerging 440 global cities that will contribute 50% of the world GDP by 2025, in a 2011 study done by the
McKinsey
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm founded in 1926 by University of Chicago professor James O. McKinsey, that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. McKinsey is the oldest and ...
Global Institute.
In July 2018, Kochi was ranked the topmost emerging future megacity in India by global professional services firm
JLL.
Kochi is known as the
financial
Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...
,
commercial
and industrial capital of Kerala. It has the highest
GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...
as well as the highest
GDP per capita
Lists of countries by GDP per capita list the countries in the world by their gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. The lists may be based on nominal or purchasing power parity GDP. Gross national income (GNI) per capita accounts for inflows ...
in the state. The city is home to the
Southern Naval Command
The Southern Naval Command is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy. It has its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala at INS Venduruthy. It is the Training Command of the Indian Navy.
The Command is commanded by a Three Star Fla ...
of the
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...
and is the state headquarters of the
Indian Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally esta ...
with an attached
air squadron, named ''Air Squadron 747''. Commercial maritime facilities of the city include the
Port of Kochi
Cochin Port or Kochi Port is a major port on the Arabian Sea – Laccadive Sea – Indian Ocean sea-route in the city of Kochi and is one of the largest ports in India. It is also the first transshipment port in India. The port lies on two ...
, an
International Container Transshipment Terminal, the
Cochin Shipyard
Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) is a shipbuilding facility in India. It is part of a line of maritime-related facilities in the port-city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India.
Of the services provided by the shipyard are building platform supply ...
, offshore
SPM of the
BPCL Kochi Refinery and the
Kochi Marina
The Kochi International Marina is a marina in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located in the eastern coast of the Mulavukad (one of the islands part of the city of Kochi), in the premises of the Bolgatty Palace, a 'h ...
. Kochi is home for the
International Pepper Exchange
The International Pepper Exchange is an organisation headquartered in Kochi, India, that deals with the global trade of black pepper
Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, kno ...
,
Marine Products Export Development Authority
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is a Government of India company headquartered at Kochi. It was constituted on 24 August 1972, under the ''Marine Products Export Development Authority Act 1972 (No.13 of 1972)''. The role ...
,
Coconut Development Board
Coconut Development Board (CDB) is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of India for the integrated development of coconut and coconut-related products. Coconut Development Board is a statutory body es ...
, companies like
HMT,
Apollo Tyres,
FACT
A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...
,
IREL,
Petronet LNG
Petronet LNG Ltd is an Indian oil and gas company formed by the government of India to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) and set up LNG terminals in the country. It is a joint venture company promoted by the Gas Authority of India Limited (G ...
,
Kochi Refineries
Kochi Refinery Limited (KRL) is a crude oil refinery in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is the largest public sector refinery in India with a production capacity of 15.5 million tonnes per year. Formerly known as Cochin Refineries Limite ...
,
V-Guard and industrial parks like the
Cochin Special Economic Zone
The Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) is a multi-product special economic zone located at Kochi, Kerala. It is established in an area of in Kakkanad.
It is a multi-product zone, with industrial units operating in Electronics Hardware, Engine ...
,
Smart City
A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in return ...
,
Infopark and
Kinfra Hi-Tech Park. Kochi is home for the
High Court of Kerala and Lakshadweep,
Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory
The Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory or NPOL is a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), under the Ministry of Defence, India. It is situated in Thrikkakara, Kochi, Kerala. NPOL is responsible for the ...
,
Indian Maritime University
The Indian Maritime University (IMU) is a public central university directly under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in India. It deals with a wide range of topics related to the sea, ranging from oceanography to maritime law and h ...
,
Sree Sankaracharya Sanskrit University and the
Cochin University of Science and Technology
Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) is a state government-owned autonomous university in Kochi, Kerala, India. It was founded in 1971 and has three campuses: two in Kochi (Kalamassery and Ernakulam) and one in Kuttanad, Ala ...
,
National Law School
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU or simply NLS) is a public law school and a National Law University located in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was the first National Law University to be established in India as well as one of the ...
and
National University of Advanced Legal Studies
The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) is a public law school and a National Law University located in Kochi, India. It is the first and only National Law University in the State of Kerala and one of the 23 NLUs in India. ...
. Kochi was earlier home to
Cochin Stock Exchange
Cochin Stock Exchange (CSE or CoSE) was an Indian stock exchange in Kochi, Kerala fully owned by Government of India. It was incorporated in 1978. At its peak, it had almost 500 Indian companies listed, and with a daily turnover of 70–, it ...
(CSE).
Kochi has been hosting India's first art biennale, the
Kochi-Muziris Biennale
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is an international exhibition of contemporary art held in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is the largest art exhibition in the country and the biggest contemporary art festival in Asia. The Kochi-Muziris Bienna ...
, since 2012, which attracts international artists and tourists.
Etymology
Ancient travellers and tradesmen referred to Kochi, variously alluding to it as ''Cocym'', ''Cochym'', ''Cochin'', and ''Kochi''.
The
Cochin Jewish community called Cochin ''Kogin'' (), which is seen in the seal of the synagogue owned by the community. The
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
merchants called this place ''Kashi'', which is seen in the books such as ''
Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen
'Tuhfat al-Mujahidin fi ba‘d Akhbar al-Burtughaliyin' (Arabic:تحفة المجاهدين في بعض اخبار البرتغاليين, often shortened as 'Tuhfat al-Mujahidin') is a historical work by Zainuddin Makhdoom II on the struggle betw ...
''.
The origin of the name ''Kochi'' is thought to be the
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
word ''kochu azhi'', meaning 'small lagoon'. Accounts by Italian explorers
Nicolo Conti (15th century), and Fra Paoline in the 17th century say that it was called ''Kochchi'', named after the river connecting the
backwaters to the sea. After the arrival of the Portuguese, and later the British, the name ''Cochin'' stuck as the official appellation. The city
reverted to a closer transcription of its original
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
name, ''Kochi'', in 1996. This change in name was challenged by the city municipal corporation but court later dismissed the plea.
History
Muziris
Muziris ( grc, Μουζιρίς, Old Malayalam: ''Muciri'' or ''Muciripattanam'' possibly identical with the medieval ''Muyirikode'') was an ancient harbour and an urban centre on the Malabar Coast. Muziris found mention in the ''Periplus of ...
, a port somewhere north of Kochi (mostly identified with
Kodungallur
Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thr ...
in
Thrissur district), was the centre of Indian
spice trade for many centuries, and was known to the
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
s,
Yavanas
The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit and Yavanar in Tamil, were words used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for "Ionians" ( grc, ...
(
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
and
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
) as well as
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, Syrians, and Chinese since
ancient times
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...
.
[
] Kochi rose to significance as a trading centre after the port
Muziris
Muziris ( grc, Μουζιρίς, Old Malayalam: ''Muciri'' or ''Muciripattanam'' possibly identical with the medieval ''Muyirikode'') was an ancient harbour and an urban centre on the Malabar Coast. Muziris found mention in the ''Periplus of ...
around
Kodungallur
Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thr ...
(Cranganore) was destroyed by the massive flooding of
Periyar
Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (17 September 1879 – 24 December 1973), revered as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. He is known as the 'F ...
in 1341. The earliest documented references to Kochi occur in books written by Chinese voyager
Ma Huan
Ma Huan (, Xiao'erjing: ) (c. 1380–1460), courtesy name Zongdao (), pen name Mountain-woodcutter (會稽山樵), was a Chinese voyager and translator who accompanied Admiral Zheng He on three of his seven expeditions to the Western Oceans. Ma ...
during
his visit to Kochi in the 15th century as part of Admiral
Zheng He
Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferred ...
's treasure fleet.
[
] There are also references to Kochi in accounts written by Italian traveller
Niccolò Da Conti Niccolò is an Italian male given name, derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victor of people" or "People's champion".
There are several male variations of the name: Nicolò, Niccolò, Nicolas, and Nicola. The female equivalent is Nicole. The fe ...
, who visited Kochi in 1440.
[Niccolò di Conti">
] The ruler of
Perumpadappu (near
Ponnani
Ponnani () is a municipality in Ponnani Taluk, Malappuram District, in the state of Kerala, India. It serves as the administrative center of the Taluk and Block Panchayat of the same name. It is situated at the estuary of Bharatappuzha (Riv ...
) fled to
Kodungallur
Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thr ...
in the early medieval period, when the
Zamorin of Calicut
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited by ...
annexed
Ponnani
Ponnani () is a municipality in Ponnani Taluk, Malappuram District, in the state of Kerala, India. It serves as the administrative center of the Taluk and Block Panchayat of the same name. It is situated at the estuary of Bharatappuzha (Riv ...
region, after
Tirunavaya
Tirunavaya, also spelled as Thirunavaya, is a town in Malappuram, Kerala. Situated on the northern bank of Bharatappuzha (River Ponnani/Nila or Perar), it is one of major Hindu pilgrimage centres in Kerala. Tirunavaya, home to Tirunavaya Temple ...
war.
[A Survey of Kerala History, A. Sreedhara Menon, DC Books, Kottayam (2007)] They later moved to Kochi and established the
Kingdom of Cochin
The Kingdom of Cochin, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It commenced at the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until 1949, when monarchy w ...
.
When
Vasco Da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea.
His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...
landed at
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
and the
Zamorin of Calicut
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited by ...
fought against the Portuguese with
Kunjali Marakkar
Kunjali Marakkar (alternatively spelled Kunhali Marakkar) was the title inherited by the Admiral of the fleet of the Samoothiri / Zamorin, the king of Kozhikode / Calicut, in present-day Kerala, India. There were four Marakkars whose war tacti ...
, the ruler of Cochin aligned with the Portuguese.
![Miniature of Pedro Alvares Cabral (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Miniature_of_Pedro_Alvares_Cabral_%28cropped%29.jpg)
On the
Malabar
Malabar may refer to the following:
People
* Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India
* Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion
Places
* Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...
coast during the early 15th century,
Calicut
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
and Kochi were in an intense rivalry, so the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
of China decided to intervene by granting special status to Kochi and its ruler known as ''Keyili'' (可亦里) to the Chinese.
[.] Calicut had been the dominant port-city in the region, but Kochi was emerging as its main rival.
[ For the fifth ]Ming treasure voyage
The Ming treasure voyages were the seven maritime expeditions undertaken by Ming China's treasure fleet between 1405 and 1433. The Yongle Emperor ordered the construction of the treasure fleet in 1403. The grand project resulted in far-reach ...
, Admiral Zheng He
Zheng He (; 1371–1433 or 1435) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch during China's early Ming dynasty. He was originally born as Ma He in a Muslim family and later adopted the surname Zheng conferred ...
was instructed to confer a seal upon ''Keyili'' of Kochi and enfeoff a mountain in his kingdom as the ''Zhenguo Zhi Shan'' (鎮國之山, Mountain Which Protects the Country).[ Zheng He delivered a stone tablet, inscribed with a proclamation composed by the ]Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor (; pronounced ; 2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), personal name Zhu Di (), was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.
Zhu Di was the fourth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dyn ...
himself, to Kochi.[ As long as Kochi remained under the protection of Ming China, the ]Zamorin of Calicut
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited by ...
was unable to invade Kochi and a military conflict was averted.[ The cessation of the ]Ming treasure voyages
The Ming treasure voyages were the seven maritime expeditions undertaken by Ming China's treasure fleet between 1405 and 1433. The Yongle Emperor ordered the construction of the treasure fleet in 1403. The grand project resulted in far-reach ...
consequently had negative results for Kochi, as the Zamorin of Calicut would eventually launch an invasion against Kochi.[ In the late 15th century, the Zamorin occupied Kochi and installed his representative as the king of the port-city.][
]
According to many historians, the precursor state to Kingdom of Kochi
The Kingdom of Cochin, named after its capital in the city of Kochi (Cochin), was a kingdom in the central part of present-day Kerala state. It commenced at the early part of the 12th century and continued to rule until 1949, when monarchy wa ...
came into existence in the early 12th century, after the fall of the Chera Kingdom. The reign of the Kingdom was hereditary, and the family that ruled over the region was known as the '' Perumpadappu Swaroopam'' in the local vernacular.
The port at Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
held superior economic and political position in medieval Kerala coast, while Kannur
Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
, Kollam
Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...
, and Kochi, were commercially important secondary ports, where the traders from various parts of the world would gather.[''The Portuguese, Indian Ocean and European Bridgeheads 1500–1800''. Festschrift in Honour of Prof. K. S. Mathew (2001). Edited by: Pius Malekandathil and T. Jamal Mohammed. Fundacoa Oriente. Institute for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities of MESHAR (Kerala)] The Portuguese arrived at Kappad
Kappad, or Kappakadavu locally, is a beach and village near Koyilandy, in the district Kozhikode, Kerala, India.
A stone monument installed by government commemorates the "landing" by Vasco da Gama with the inscription, Vasco da Gama landed h ...
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
in 1498 during the Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery (or the Age of Exploration), also known as the early modern period, was a period largely overlapping with the Age of Sail, approximately from the 15th century to the 17th century in European history, during which seafarin ...
, thus opening a direct sea route from Europe to India. Portuguese navigator, Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral ( or ; born Pedro Álvares de Gouveia; c. 1467 or 1468 – c. 1520) was a Portuguese nobleman, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the European discoverer of Brazil. He was the first human in ...
founded the first European settlement in India at Kochi in 1500.[
] From 1503 to 1663, Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
(Fort Emmanuel
Fort Emmanuel, also known as Fort Manuel, is a ruined fort located at Fort Kochi Beach in Kochi (Cochin), Kerala, India. It is a bastion of the Portuguese and a symbol of the strategic alliance between the Maharaja of Kochi and the Kingdom ...
) was ruled by Portugal. This Portuguese period was a harrowing time for the Saint Thomas Christians
The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, ''Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani'', ''Malankara Nasrani'', or ''Nasrani Mappila'', are an ethno-religious
An ethnoreligious group (or an ethno-religious group) is a grouping of ...
, Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
Mappila
Mappila Muslim, often shortened to Mappila, formerly anglicized as Moplah/Mopla and historically known as Jonaka/Chonaka Mappila or Moors Mopulars/Mouros da Terra and Mouros Malabares, in general, is a member of the Muslim community of same n ...
s, and the Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, as the Inquisition
The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...
was active in Portuguese India
The State of India ( pt, Estado da Índia), also referred as the Portuguese State of India (''Estado Português da Índia'', EPI) or simply Portuguese India (), was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded six years after the discovery of a se ...
. The ruler of the Kingdom of Tanur
Kingdom of Tanur (Vettathunadu, Vettom, Tanur Swaroopam, Prakashabhu, Kingdom of Light) was one of the numerous feudal principalities on Malabar Coast during the Middle Ages. It was ruled by a Hindu dynasty, claiming Kshatriya status, known as ' ...
, who was a vassal to the Zamorin of Calicut
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited by ...
, sided with the Portuguese, against his overlord at Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
. As a result, the Kingdom of Tanur
Kingdom of Tanur (Vettathunadu, Vettom, Tanur Swaroopam, Prakashabhu, Kingdom of Light) was one of the numerous feudal principalities on Malabar Coast during the Middle Ages. It was ruled by a Hindu dynasty, claiming Kshatriya status, known as ' ...
('' Vettathunadu'') became one of the earliest Portuguese Colonies in India. The ruler of Tanur also sided with Cochin
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
. Many of the members of the royal family of Cochin in 16th and 17th centuries were selected from Vettom
Vettom is a local body of the Kerala government and village in Tirur Taluk, Malappuram district, India. It is the coastal suburb of Tirur Municipality. It was part of the Kingdom of Tanur (Vettathnad) in medieval times. Vettom gram panjayath i ...
. However, the Tanur forces under the king fought for the Zamorin of Calicut in the Battle of Cochin (1504)
The Battle of Cochin, sometimes referred as the Second Siege of Cochin, was a series of confrontations, between March and July 1504, fought on land and sea, principally between the Kingdom of Portugal, Portuguese garrison at Cochin, allied to ...
. However, the allegiance of the Mappila
Mappila Muslim, often shortened to Mappila, formerly anglicized as Moplah/Mopla and historically known as Jonaka/Chonaka Mappila or Moors Mopulars/Mouros da Terra and Mouros Malabares, in general, is a member of the Muslim community of same n ...
merchants in Tanur region still stayed under the Zamorin of Calicut
The Samoothiri (Anglicised as Zamorin; Malayalam: , Arabic: ''Sāmuri'', Portuguese: ''Samorim'', Dutch: ''Samorijn'', Chinese: ''Shamitihsi''Ma Huan's Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' 433 Translated and Edited by ...
. Kochi hosted the grave of Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea.
His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...
, 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 renamed Fort Immanuel as Fort Stormsburg. In meantime, the Royal Family of Kochi relocated the capital of Kochi Kingdom to Thrissur
Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...
, leaving nominal authority over Islands of Kochi. In 1664, Fort Kochi Municipality was established by Dutch, making it the first municipality in Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when Dutch authority got weaker in the 18th century. The remaining part of Kochi were governed by governors of Kochi Kingdom. By 1773, the Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
ruler Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the att ...
extended his conquest in the Malabar region
The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing m ...
to Kochi forcing it to become a tributary of Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
. The hereditary Prime Ministership of Kochi held by the Paliath Achan
Paliath Achan or Paliyath Achan is the name given to the oldest male member of the Paliam royal family, a Nair/ Menon chieftain family from the Indian state of Kerala who were elevated to the status of royalty by the Rajah of Kingdom of Cochin ( ...
s ended during this period.
Meanwhile, the Dutch, fearing an outbreak of war on the United Provinces, signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 (also known as the Convention of London; nl, Verdrag van Londen) was signed by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 13 August 1814.
The treaty restored most of the territories in Java that B ...
with the United Kingdom, under which Kochi was ceded to the United Kingdom in exchange for the island of Bangka, east of Sumatra. However, there are evidences of English habitation in the region even before the signing of the treaty.[
] In 1866, Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
municipality was reinstalled. Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
, which was a part of Malabar District until 1956, was made a municipality on 1 November 1866, along with Kannur
Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
, Thalassery, Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
, and Palakkad, according to the Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in Towns act 1850) of the British Indian Empire. Its first Municipal Council seating contest was conducted in 1883. In 1896, H.H. Rama Varma XV, The Maharaja of Cochin, initiated local administration by forming town councils in Mattancherry and Ernakulam
Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
. In 1907, the Governor of the Madras Presidency, Sir Arthur Lawley and his brother, Beilby Lawley, 3rd Baron Wenlock, Governor of Madras, 1891 to 1896, left for an official tour of Cochin and Travancore, which lasted from 25 January to 14 February. On 26 January, they were met by His Highness the Rajah of Cochin who gave a State Dinner in their honour at Ernakulam
Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
.[Sir Arthur Lawley's Photo Album, Empire and Commonwealth Museum][The Fourth Tour of His Excellency Sir Arthur Lawley to Cochin and Travancore – 25 January to 14 February 1907. Madras Government Press.][Letter from Lord Wenlock to his wife Constance, 29 January 1907. Hull University. Forbes Adam Archive.][Sir Arthur Lawley, Eloquent Knight Errant, Chapter 5. Ruler of the Raj. Lady Lawley Cottage (Western Australian Red Cross) 2008 iBooks] By the 1870s, the capital of Kochi Kingdom was relocated again to Kochi Suburb of Tripunithura
Thrippunithura or Tripunithura (), is a prominent historical and residential region in the City of Kochi in Kerala, India. Located about 7 km (4 mi) from the city centre, Tripunithura was the capital of the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin ...
. In 1910, Ernakulam became the administrative capital of Kochi Kingdom with establishment of Royal Secretariat and State Durbar. The offices of the Diwan and High court were soon moved into Ernakulam.
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 Bristow (engineer), Robert Bristow was brought to Kochi in 1920 under the direction of Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon, Lord Willingdon, then the Governor of Madras Presidency, Madras. 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 state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
to join India willingly.
In 1949, Travancore-Cochin state came into being with the merger of Cochin and Travancore. The King of Travancore was the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1949 to 1956. Travancore-Cochin, was in turn merged with the Malabar district of the Madras State. Finally, the Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
's States Reorganisation Act (1956) inaugurated a new state—Kerala—incorporating Travancore-Cochin (excluding the four southern Taluks which were merged with Tamil Nadu), Malabar District, and the tehsil, taluk of Kasaragod taluk, 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 corporation by combining the existing municipalities of Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
, Mattancherry, and Ernakulam
Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
. The government appointed a commission to study the feasibility of the suggested merger. Based on its report, the Kerala Legislative Assembly approved the corporation's formation. On 1 November 1967, exactly eleven years since the establishment of the state of Kerala, the Kochi Municipal Corporation
The Kochi Municipal Corporation is the municipal corporation that manages the Indian city of Kochi (also known as Cochin) in the state of Kerala. Municipal Corporation mechanism in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of muni ...
came into existence. The merger leading to the establishment of the corporation, was between the municipalities of Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
, along with that of the Willingdon Island, four panchayats (Palluruthy, Vennala, Vyttila and Edappally), and the small islands of Gundu Island, Gundu and Ramanthuruth.
The Kochi and Ernakulam
Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
districts formed on 1 April 1958 carving areas of the erstwhile Travancore-Kochi-Malabar regions. A major portion of the district is from the Kochi kingdom.
The city's economic growth gathered momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the Government of India, central government in the early 1990s. Since 2000, the Tertiary sector of industry, service sector has energised the city's 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 hub of Kerala.[
]
Geography and climate
Geography
Kochi is located on the southwest coast of India at , with a corporation limit area of 94.88 km2 (36.63 sq mi). Over the years, the city has expanded considerably outside the corporation limit set in 1967, although the official city limits hasn't yet been increased. The city straddles the backwaters, encompassing the northern end of a peninsula, several islands and a portion of the mainland. To the west lies the Laccadive Sea
The Laccadive Sea or Lakshadweep Sea is a body of water bordering India (including its Lakshadweep islands), the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. It is located to the southwest of Karnataka, to the west of Kerala and to the south of Tamil Nadu. This war ...
, and to the east is the urbanised region in the rest of the mainland area. Much of Kochi lies at sea level, with a coastline of 48 km.
The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland Ernakulam
Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
, Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
, the suburbs of Edapally
Edappally or Idappalli is a region in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is a major commercial centre as well as a prominent residential region. Edappally junction is one of the busiest junctions in the city.
History
Edappally in English ...
, Kalamassery
Kalamassery () is a major industrial region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. It houses companies like Apollo Tyres and HMT; IT/Electronics Parks like KINFRA Hi Tech Park, Startup Village, and Electronics City. Kalamassery ...
, Aluva
Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the Ernakulam District in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transpor ...
and Kakkanad
Kakkanad is a major industrial and residential region in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is situated in the eastern part of the city and houses the Cochin Special Economic Zone, Infopark, Smart City and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial ...
to the northeast; Tripunithura
Thrippunithura or Tripunithura (), is a prominent historical and residential region in the City of Kochi in Kerala, India. Located about 7 km (4 mi) from the city centre, Tripunithura was the capital of the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin ...
to the southeast; and a group of islands closely scattered in the Vembanad Lake
Vembanad is the longest lake in India, as well as the largest lake in the state of Kerala. The lake has an area of 230 square kilometers and a maximum length of 96.5 km. Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala, it is known as Ve ...
. The state government and the GCDA have plans to include Mala, Kerala, Mala and Kodungallur
Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thr ...
in Thrissur district, Angamaly, Perumbavoor, Piravom and Kolenchery in Ernakulam district, Thalayolaparambu and Vaikom in Kottayam and Cherthala in Alappuzha district within Kochi metropolitan limits. The newly formed metropolis would be put under the charge of a new authority called Kochi Metropolitan Regional Development Authority. However, ''The Hindu'' reported that the state government is yet to take any concrete steps in this regard.
Soil consists of sediments such as alluvium, teris, brown sands, etc. Hydromorphic Soil salinity, saline soils are also found in the areas surrounding the backwaters.
Predominant rock types found here are Archean, Archaean-basic Dike (geology), dykes, Charnockites and Gneisses. An ecologically sensitive area, the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is located in the central part of the city. It has a wide range of mangrove species and is a nesting ground for a vast variety of migratory birds.
Kochi's water needs are entirely dependent on ground water and the two rivers flowing through the district viz., Periyar (river), Periyar and Muvattupuzha. Periyar serves the entire northern part of the city whereas Muvattupuzha river under the JnNurm project covers the western part.
Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification, Kochi features a tropical monsoon climate (''Am''). 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 with the record high being , and record low .
From June to September, the monsoon, south-west monsoon 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 , with an annual average of 124 rainy days.
Civic administration
The city is governed by the Corporation of Kochi, Kochi Corporation, headed by a mayor. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 74 Ward (country subdivision), wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. Earlier; Fort Cochin, Fort Kochi, 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 Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
, Mattancherry, Palluruthy, Edappally and Pachalam. The general administration of the city is handled by the Personnel Department and the Council Standing committee Section. Other departments include that of Urban planning, town planning, health, engineering, revenue and accounts. The corporation is also responsible for waste disposal and sewage management. The city produces more than 600 tons of waste per day and a large portion of waste is decomposed at Brahmapuram Solid Waste plant into organic manure. The supply of potable water, sourced from the Periyar River is handled by Kerala Water Authority with support of Water works department of Kochi Corporation.[
] Electricity is provided by the Kerala State Electricity Board.
The Greater Cochin Development Authority, GCDA and Goshree Islands Development Authority, GIDA are the government agencies initiating and monitoring the development of Greater Cochin
Greater Cochin is the area defined by Greater Cochin Development Authority for town planning. This area consists of the Kochi UA region and its suburbs. The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and Goshree Islands Development Authority ( ...
area, mainly in developing infrastructure facilities for the city.
Law and order
Kochi is the seat of Kerala High Court, High Court of Kerala, the highest judicial body in the state of Kerala. The Kochi City Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The city is divided into five zones and each zone under a circle officer. Apart from regular law & order, the city police comprises the Traffic Police, Narcotics Cell, Riot horse, Armed Reserve Camps, District Crime Records Bureau and a Women's Police station.[
] It operates 19 police stations functioning under the Home Ministry of Government of Kerala. An Political corruption, anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation also operates out of the city. Central Industrial Security Force, CISF maintains 3 squadrons for providing security to various central and state heavy industries, airport and seaport zones. Other major central agencies are National Investigation Agency, NIA, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, DRI and Indian Revenue Service, Indian Customs due to the presence of major port. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Kochi reported significant increase of 193.7 per cent IPC crimes in 2010 compared to 2009, and reported a crime rate of 1,897.8 compared to the 424.1 in whole Kerala. However, the city Police commissioner#India, police commissioner defended that in major crimes such as murders and kidnapping, the city registered a low crime rate even behind other cities in the state.
Politics
Kochi is part of the Ernakulam (Lok Sabha constituency), Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency in Indian Parliament. The current elected Member of Parliament representing the constituency is Hibi Eden of Indian National Congress.
The Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency elects six members to the state Legislative Assembly. Out of this, five constituencies, namely Kochi, Ernakulam, Thripunithura, Thrikkakara and Kalamassery represent the city.
Economy
Kochi is widely referred to as the financial and commercial capital of Kerala. Federal Bank, the fourth-largest Private-sector banks in India, Private-sector bank in India is located in Aluva
Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the Ernakulam District in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transpor ...
which is a suburb of Kochi. Being a major online trading centre in the country, Kochi has a newly opened SEBI office.
Availability of electricity, fresh water, long coastline, backwaters, good banking facilities, presence of a major port, container trans-shipment terminal, harbour terminal and an international air terminal are some of the factors which accelerated the industrial growth in the city and its adjoining district. In recent years the city has witnessed heavy investment, thus making it one of the fastest-growing Status of Indian cities, second-tier metro cities in India.[
] Sales tax income generated in the Kochi metropolitan area contributes heavily to state revenue.[
][
]
The district contributes 15.1% of the state GDP. Construction and manufacturing industries combined contributes 37% of the district's total GDP, and trade, tourism and hospitality industries together provides another 20%. Major business sectors include construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding, transportation/shipping, seafood and spices exports, chemical industries, information technology (IT), tourism, Medical tourism, health services, and banking. Kochi is recognised as one of the seventeen major industrial cities of India by the World Bank Group. However, in the 2009 rankings of ease to start and operate a business, among the 17 Indian cities selected, Kochi was rated as the second most difficult city to start business and was ranked 16th, above Kolkata.
As in most of Kerala, remittances from Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin, non-resident Indians (NRI)s is a major source of income.[
] Eloor, situated north of the city-centre, is the largest industrial belt in Kerala, with more than 250 factories manufacturing a range of products including chemical and petrochemical products, pesticides, rare earth elements, rubber processing chemicals, fertilisers, zinc and chromium compounds, and leather products. Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), one of the oldest fertilizers and chemical industry in Kerala is located in Kochi. Kochi Refineries
Kochi Refinery Limited (KRL) is a crude oil refinery in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is the largest public sector refinery in India with a production capacity of 15.5 million tonnes per year. Formerly known as Cochin Refineries Limite ...
of (BPCL) at Ambalamugal is the largest State ownership, state owned Oil refinery, refinery in India. Petronet LNG, Petronet India has now almost completed Kochi LNG Terminal, for importing and storing natural gas, for energy and fueling needs. Central Government establishments like the Coconut Development Board
Coconut Development Board (CDB) is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of India for the integrated development of coconut and coconut-related products. Coconut Development Board is a statutory body es ...
, the Coir Board of India, Coir Board and the Marine Products Export Development Authority
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is a Government of India company headquartered at Kochi. It was constituted on 24 August 1972, under the ''Marine Products Export Development Authority Act 1972 (No.13 of 1972)''. The role ...
(MPEDA) have head offices located in the city.
Kalamassery
Kalamassery () is a major industrial region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. It houses companies like Apollo Tyres and HMT; IT/Electronics Parks like KINFRA Hi Tech Park, Startup Village, and Electronics City. Kalamassery ...
which is situated around 16.5 km from the City Center is one of the major Industrial areas. Leading factories like FACT
A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...
, HMT Limited, HMT and IT/Biotechnology park like Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, KINFRA Hi-Tech Park are located here. The Cochin University of Science and Technology
Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) is a state government-owned autonomous university in Kochi, Kerala, India. It was founded in 1971 and has three campuses: two in Kochi (Kalamassery and Ernakulam) and one in Kuttanad, Ala ...
is located at Kalamassery.
Irumpanam, Irimpanam is another major industrial area in Kochi. The Seaport-Airport Road (SPAP Road) passes through this place and oil giants like Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have plants here.
Like elsewhere in Kerala, List of Tourist attractions in Kochi, tourism is one of the major contributors of the local economy. Ernakulam district, in which Kochi is situated, ranks first in the total number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala, and thus contributes to the economy of the city. The tourist enclave at Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
and presence of several historical monuments, museums etc. as well as natural attractions like the Vembanad lake and the backwaters attract large number of tourists to the city. Presence of several leading hospitality brands have been a major source of employment for locals. The Kochi Port is one of the leading ports where international cruisers call on regularly. The city has the first marina facility in the country, Kochi Marina
The Kochi International Marina is a marina in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located in the eastern coast of the Mulavukad (one of the islands part of the city of Kochi), in the premises of the Bolgatty Palace, a 'h ...
which attracts large number of yacht-totters.
Real Estate industry is also one industry which is contributing a lot to the economy of Kochi. Many players have entered the market and have developed residential properties.
Kochi is the headquarters of the Indian Navy, Southern Naval Command, the primary training centre of the Indian Navy.[
] The Cochin Shipyard
Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) is a shipbuilding facility in India. It is part of a line of maritime-related facilities in the port-city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India.
Of the services provided by the shipyard are building platform supply ...
, contributes to the economy of the city.[
] The fishing harbour at Thoppumpady is a minor fishing port in the state and supplies fish to local and export markets. To further tap the potential of the all-season harbour at Kochi, an international cruise terminal was also constructed.
Exports and allied activities are also important contributors to the city's economy. The Cochin Port Trust, Cochin Port currently handles export and import of container cargo at its terminal at Willingdon Island. The International Container Transshipment Terminal operating out of Vallarpadam, is India's largest transshipment terminal.[
][
][
][
]
Port of Cochin, Cochin Port Trust also planning to build an Outer Harbour near Puthuvype. 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 Exchange
The International Pepper Exchange is an organisation headquartered in Kochi, India, that deals with the global trade of black pepper
Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, kno ...
, where black pepper is globally traded. The Spices Board of India and World Spice Organisation are headquartered in Kochi.
The Information technology, IT and Information technology enabled services, ITES related industries are growing up in Kochi. Availability of cheap Bandwidth (computing), bandwidth through Submarine communications cable, undersea cables 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 InfoPark, Kochi, InfoPark, Cochin Special Economic Zone
The Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) is a multi-product special economic zone located at Kochi, Kerala. It is established in an area of in Kakkanad.
It is a multi-product zone, with industrial units operating in Electronics Hardware, Engine ...
and Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Park operate in the outskirts of the city. Several new industrial campuses are under construction in the suburbs of the city. SmartCity, Kochi, SmartCity at Kakkanad is one of the prominent projects. Cyber City, Kochi, Cyber City at Kalamassery
Kalamassery () is a major industrial region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. It houses companies like Apollo Tyres and HMT; IT/Electronics Parks like KINFRA Hi Tech Park, Startup Village, and Electronics City. Kalamassery ...
is another integrated IT township SEZ being planned in the private sector.
Kochi has an established electronics hardware industry with companies such as V-Guard Industries, OEN India Limited, FCI OEN Connectors and SFO Technologies. The Government of Kerala has announced a project to build an industrial park named Electronic City[
] spanning an area of , to cater to the electronic hardware industries. The private operator NeST[
] is building a Electronics City, Kochi, Special Economic Zone specifically for electronics hardware spanning an area of .
The Cochin International Airport is in the process of setting up an aerotropolis at Nedumbassery.
Transport
Air
The air gateway to Kochi is the Cochin International Airport, Cochin International Airport (CIAL) located at Nedumbassery, which is about north of Kochi city, and handles both domestic and international flights. It is the first international airport in India to be built without Central Government funds and is the world's first fully solar energy powered airport.
The Cochin airport provides direct connectivity to popular international destinations in the Middle East, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore and to most major Indian cities apart from tourist destinations like Lakshadweep. Kochi is also the headquarters of the Air India Express service. With a terminal area of , and a passenger capacity of 2200 (international and domestic), it is the largest and busiest airport in the state. It is also the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of international passenger traffic, and seventh busiest overall.
Road
Kochi is well connected to neighbouring cities and states via several highways. It is a node in the North–South and East–West Corridor, North-South Corridor of the National Highway system. The road infrastructure in Kochi has not been able to meet the growing traffic demand and hence traffic congestion is a major problem in the city.
Kochi is served by National Highway 66 (India), National Highway 66, National Highway 544 (India), National Highway 544, National Highway 966A (India), National Highway 966A and National Highway 966B (India), National Highway 966B.
Several List of state highways in Kerala, state highways also connect Kochi with other parts of Kerala. State Highway 15 (Kerala), SH 15, Ettumanoor-Ernakulam Road, connects the city to Kottayam, Palai, Pala, Kumily, Changanacherry, Pathanamthitta etc. State Highway 41 (Kerala), SH 41, Palarivattom-Thekkady Road, provides a corridor to the eastern parts of the district. State Highway 63 (Kerala), SH 63, Vypeen Pallipuram Road and State Highway 66 (Kerala), SH 66, Alappuzha – Thoppumpady road are coastal roads that serve the narrow sliver of land between the backwaters and the sea.
The main arterial roads of the city are the Mahatma Gandhi Road (Kochi), Mahatma Gandhi Road and S.A Road, Sahodaran Ayyappan Road in Ernakulam, constructed in 1925 & 1962 respectively which runs parallel & perpendicular to the coast and having the proposed Metro Rail connectivity. The Seaport-Airport Road is another major road and connects the Cochin Port, Cochin Seaport to the Cochin International Airport. The Infopark Expressway in Kakkanad
Kakkanad is a major industrial and residential region in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is situated in the eastern part of the city and houses the Cochin Special Economic Zone, Infopark, Smart City and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial ...
is connected to the Seaport-Airport Road and stretches all the way to Infopark, Kochi, Infopark. Other major roads include Chittoor Road, Banerji Road, Shanmugham Road, Kochi Bypass, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, Park Avenue, Kochi, Park Avenue etc. A new ring road is proposed for Kochi city by the state government for which a project study is being currently undertaken by NATPAC.
Public transport
Road
The primary form of public transport within the city is largely dependent on privately owned bus networks. The state-run also operates its services in the city through the Thirukochi service. The major bus terminals in the city are Ernakulam Town, Ernakulam Jetty and the private bus terminal at Kaloor. An integrated transit terminal namely The Vyttila Mobility Hub, Kochi, Mobility Hub at Vytilla is under second phase of construction. The terminal acts as a hub for long-distance bus services away from the city centre, and also a converging point for different modes of public transport, namely bus, metro and ferry.
Kochi is one of the few cities to be granted the new-generation air-conditioned low-floor and non-air-conditioned semi-low-floor buses under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, JNNURM city transport development project. KURTC and private buses operate frequent schedules to neighbouring areas of Nedumbassery, Perumbavoor, Aluva
Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the Ernakulam District in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transpor ...
, Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Cherthala and Poochakkal. Taxis and auto rickshaws (called ''autos'') are available for hire throughout the day.
Development of road infrastructure not keeping pace with the increase in traffic is a major problem faced by Kochi, like most other parts of Kerala.
Rail
The city has four major railway stations – Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town (locally known as the ''South'' and ''North'' railway stations respectively), Aluva railway station, Aluva, Angamaly and Tripunithura railway station, Tripunithura followed by smaller stations, Edappally railway station, Edapally and Kalamassery. There is also the Cochin Harbour Terminus railway station, Cochin Harbour Terminus providing rail connectivity to the southern segment of the Port of Kochi
Cochin Port or Kochi Port is a major port on the Arabian Sea – Laccadive Sea – Indian Ocean sea-route in the city of Kochi and is one of the largest ports in India. It is also the first transshipment port in India. The port lies on two ...
. The terminus is currently under renovation for the suburban rail networks in the city. The main rail transport system in Kochi is operated by the Southern Railway Zone (India), Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways, and comes under Thiruvananthapuram Railway division. The Ernakulam Junction, South station is one of the busiest railway stations in South India, with more than 128 scheduled train services daily. The Ernakulam Town, North station situated on the northern side of the city, caters mostly to long-distance services that bypass the Ernakulam Junction, South station, and also is an additional halt station for many trains.
There is also a historic station named as Ernakulam Terminus(station code:ERG) situated behind the High court of Kerala, High Court. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and The British Viceroy have visited Cochin through this old railway station. Ernakulam Terminus was the first station to serve the city but had to be abandoned in the early 1960s. Now this station operates as a goods depot of Southern Railway.
Metro
The Kochi Metro is a Rapid transit, metro rapid transit system serving the city of Kochi, intended to considerably ease traffic congestion in the city and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is being set up at an overall estimated cost of . The Phase-1 of the metro system will have 22 stations connecting the suburban towns of Aluva
Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the Ernakulam District in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transpor ...
and Pettah while passing through downtown.
The first half of the Phase-1 of Kochi Metro was inaugurated on 17 June 2017 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Currently Kochi Metro is operational from Aluva
Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the Ernakulam District in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transpor ...
till Maharaja's College along the Kalamassery - Edappally - Kaloor - MG Road stretch, covering a total of 18.4 km with 16 operational metro stations.
Water
Kochi ranks among India's major seaports, partly due to being one of the safest harbours in the Indian Ocean. The port, administered by a statutory autonomous body known as the Cochin Port Trust, offers facilities for Bunker oil, bunkering, handling cargo and passenger ships and storage accommodation. The port is a complex of three islands, Willingdon Island, one of which is man-made.
It also operates passenger ships to Colombo and Lakshadweep. Boat services are operated by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation, the Kerala State Water Transport Department, State Water Transport Department and private firms from various jetty, boat jetties in the city. The ''junkar'' ferry for the transshipment of vehicles and passengers between the islands are operated between Ernakulam and Vypin, and between Vypin and Fort Kochi. However, with the construction of the Goshree bridges (which links Kochi's islands), ferry transport has become less essential. The main boat jetties are Ernakulam Main Boat Jetty near Park Avenue, High Court Jetty in Banerjee Road, Embarkation Jetty in Willingdon Island and Fort Kochi Jetty.
Demographics
Kochi has the highest population density in Kerala with 7139 people per km2.
, Kochi had a metropolitan area population of 2,117,990. The female-to-male ratio is 1,028:1,000, significantly higher than the all-India average of 933:1,000. Kochi's literacy rate is 97.5%. The female literacy rate lags that of males by 1.1%, amongst the lowest such gaps in India.
Kochi's major religions are Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Jainism in Kerala, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism and Buddhism, with smaller followings, are also practised in Kochi. Though 44% practice Hinduism, Christianity's large following (38%) makes Kochi a city with one of the largest Christian populations in India.
The majority of the city's residents are Malayalis. However, there are significant ethnic minority communities including Tamils, Gujaratis, Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, Anglo-Indians, Sikhs and Konkani people, Konkanis Malayalam is the main language of communication and medium of instruction for primary education, although a number of schools do offer English medium education. The higher education is invariably in English medium, and it is the preferred language in business circles. Tamil language, Tamil and Hindi are widely understood—albeit rarely spoken.
Like other fast-growing cities in the developing world, Kochi suffers from major urbanisation problems. The city was ranked tenth among Indian cities in terms of house-cost and availability, urban household crowding and household incomes.
The government has plans to make the city slum-free by 2016.[
] According to the NCRB, National Crime Records Bureau, the city holds the fourth position in the number of recorded crimes in India. In 2009, the city recorded an average crime rate of 646.3 against the national average of 181.4. But Kochi City Police Commissioner later clarified that this anomaly was due to higher reporting rates of minor crimes in Kochi than in other Indian cities.
The State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) report gives further credence to this as it finds that Kochi has the fewest crime against women in the state of Kerala.
According to the 2011 CII/Institute of Competitiveness report on Liveability, Kochi stands first in the state, and sixth in the country. Kochi is ranked seventh in the list of the top ten most affluent cities in India by 2009 study by Nielsen Company. Kochi was ranked the fourth cleanest city in India in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Swachch Bharat rankings for cities. It was selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagship Smart Cities Mission.
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 Malayalis, Konkanis, Gujaratis, Bengalis, Ethnic groups in Kerala, Marathis, Punjabis, Tamilians, Kannadigas, Biharias, Anglo Indians and a few families of Jews among other denominations. The city once had a large Jewish community, known as the ''Malabar Yehuden''—and now increasingly as Cochin Jews—who figured prominently in Kochi's business and economic strata[
] and owned List of Synagogues in Kerala, several Synagogues across Kochi and nearby areas such as Chendamangalam, Paravur, Kollam, Paravur or Mala, Kerala, Mala.
Kochi was one among the seven diocese of Syrian Orthodox (Jacobite Syrian Christian Church) in Kerala formed in 1876. The seat of the Bishop is at St George Cathedral, Karingachira. Also At Mary's Cathedral Elamkulam, seat of bishop of Simhasana churches of Jacobites is in the city. The seat of Roman Catholic Cathedral of Kerala's first Archdiocese Archdiocese of Verapoly and the first diocese Diocese of Cochin are located in the city. The Syro-Malabar Church, one of the 22 ''sui iuris'' Eastern Catholic Churches and a part of the Saint Thomas Christians, Saint Thomas Christian community, has its seat at Ernakulam. Prominent places of Christian worship include the St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral Basilica, Ernakulam, St. Francis Assisi Roman Catholic Cathedral, Ernakulam, Vallarpadam Church, Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam-Ernakulam, Santa Cruz Basilica Roman Catholic Cathedral, Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
, St. Antony's Shrine, Kaloor, St. Antony's Shrine at Kaloor, St. George Forane Church, Edappally and . Appropriate to its multi-ethnic composition, Kochi celebrates traditional Kerala festivals like Onam and Vishu along with North Indian Hindu festivals like Holi with great fervour. Christian and Islamic festivals like Christmas, Easter, Eid ul-Fitr 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 culture. 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 South Indian culture#Traditional clothing, traditional Kerala wear to western clothing.
Kochiites generally partake of Kerala cuisine, Keralite cuisine, which is generally characterised by an abundance of coconut and spices. Other South Indian culture#Cuisine, South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese cuisine, Chinese and Indian cuisine, North Indian cuisines are popular. Fast food culture is also very prominent. Being a tourist hotspot, Fort Kochi have a number of restaurants that offer international cuisine, like Italian, French, Mexican etc. Being close to the ocean and the backwaters, Kochi has an abundance of seafood, which reflects in the cuisine. Cochin is also called the official food capital of Kerala with largest number of restaurants and cafeterias in Kerala that serves every kind of delicious cuisine. A service known as ''You Buy, We Cook'' is available at the waterfront of Fort Kochi, where the fresh seafood purchased from the nets is cooked as per the customers needs. Arabian food joints that serve Shawarma and roasted chicken are a new addition to the fast food scene in the city.
Kochi also has a number of shopping malls including Oberon Mall, Gold Souk Grande, Bay Pride Mall, Centre Square Mall, Abad Nucleus Mall and Lulu International Shopping Mall, Kochi, LuLu Mall, which is one of the largest shopping malls in India in terms of total leasable area of . Various shopping malls are expected to open in the city in the near future including Forum Thomsun Mall.
Kochi is the official food capital of Kerala because of the highest number of restaurants and the varieties of foods available. Kochi serves every type of food available in Kerala. Its very famous for varieties of non vegetarian food. Kochi also has the most five star hotels in the state. These include international brands like Crowne Plaza, Marriott International, Grand Hyatt, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Sheraton, Le Méridien, Radisson Blu, Holiday Inn, Ramada, Ibis (hotel), Ibis, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Taj Malabar, The Gateway etc.
Kochi was home to some of the most influential figures in Malayalam literature, including Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, Kesari Balakrishna Pillai, G. Sankara Kurup, and Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon. Prominent social reformers such as Sahodaran Ayyappan and Pandit Karuppan also are from Kochi. The Kochi International Book Festival is an annual event.
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 soccer, football and cricket.[
]
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi is one of the largest stadiums in India with floodlights for Cricket and Football matches.[
] The Regional Sports Centre, Kochi, Regional Sports Centre is an important centre of sporting activity in the city.
Kochi is reportedly the sixth best city in India according to the livability index of 2011.
Healthcare
With many advanced tertiary/quaternary care facilities, Kochi has one of the best healthcare facilities in India. It is the prime destination for people seeking advanced healthcare facilities from across Kerala.
In recent times, it has attracted many patients from India, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the United States looking for relatively inexpensive advanced medical care. Kochi is the only city from Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
that have carried out successful heart transplantations. Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Sunrise Hospital Kochi, Sunrise Hospital, Specialist Hospital, Medical Trust Hospital, PVS Memorial Hospital, Renai medicity, Renai Medicity, Lakeshore Hospital, Lisie Hospital, Kochi, Lisie Hospital, Aster Medcity, Rajagiri Hospital, Rajagiri Institute of Medical Sciences are some of the advanced tertiary/quaternary healthcare facilities in Kochi. Other reputed institutions in the city include Ernakulam Medical Centre, KIMS Hospital, Gautham Hospital, Lourdes Hospital and Saraf Hospital. Some of the reputed fertility related treatment centres in India – like Vijaya Hospital, Bourn Hall Clinic and CIMAR – are located in Kochi. General Hospital, Ernakulam and Government Medical College, Ernakulam are the notable medical institutions in the government sector in Kochi.
In August 2019, a home daycare program in the district, Arike has started for extending the service of the home palliative care. Nurses who have undergone training in palliative care will be reaching out to patients at home every day on two-wheelers. The service will be available to those who have registered with the General Hospital's home palliative care programme.
Education
Secondary education
The pattern of primary education is essentially the same all over the state. There are government owned schools and government aided schools, which are affiliated to the Kerala State Education Board. A few privately owned schools are also affiliated to the system. Most of the schools owned by private organisations or individuals are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) have some schools affiliated to them as well. The state education board offers both Malayalam and English medium instruction, while the other boards offer English medium alone. There are a few schools that follow international curricula, such as IB and IGCSE.
There 34 government schools, 67 private aided schools and 31 unaided schools affiliated to the Kerala State Education Board in the city and suburbs. There are 62 CBSE Schools, 2 IGCSE and 9 ICSE Schools as well.
The notable schools in the government sector are Sree Rama Varma High School, Edappally High School, Government School-Kochi and Govt Girls Higher Secondary School, Ernakulam. There are Kendriya Vidyalaya, Chinmaya Mission and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan run several quasi-private charter schools within the city limits, as well as in the suburbs. There are several private schools (both aided & unaided0 that are owned by secular and religious trusts which are of particular renown, such as:St. Albert's HSS, Ernakulam, St. Teresa's CGHSS, St. Mary's CGHSS Ernakulam, St. Antony's CGHSS, Model Technical Higher Secondary School, Kaloor The Delta Study, Rajagiri Public School, Campion School, Assisi Vidyaniketan, Cochin Refineries School, Gregorian Public School, Greets Public School, Toc-H Public School, Navy Children School Kochi, Navy Children School, Global Public School, Choice School, Vidyodaya School, Mar Thoma Public School, Nava Nirman Public School and St. Pauls International School, Kalamassery, The Charter School Kochi.
Higher education
The Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) is a major university named after the city. Most of the colleges in Kochi offering tertiary education are affiliated either with the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi University or with the Cochin University. Kochi has one of the campuses of the Indian Maritime University
The Indian Maritime University (IMU) is a public central university directly under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in India. It deals with a wide range of topics related to the sea, ranging from oceanography to maritime law and h ...
at Willingdon Island. Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady is a research-oriented university located at the outskirts. Other national educational institutes include the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training, the National University of Advanced Legal Studies
The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) is a public law school and a National Law University located in Kochi, India. It is the first and only National Law University in the State of Kerala and one of the 23 NLUs in India. ...
, the National Institute of Oceanography, India, National Institute of Oceanography and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.
Kochi has some of the leading B-Schools in the region. The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) has set up its first satellite campus at Athulya building in InfoPark, Kochi. Cochin University's Cochin University of Science and Technology#School of Management Studies, School of Management Studies (SMS) is the first and oldest managerial education institution in South India. School of Communication and Management Studies, SCMS Cochin is one of the emerging B-Schools in the country. Another major B-School Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, XIME is opening a new campus in Kochi. Other leading managerial institutions include Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, Kochi Business School, Amrita School of Business, Albertian Institute of Management and Toc-H B school.
The city and outskirts are home to four medical schools—Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre at Ponekkara, Cochin Medical College at Kalamassery
Kalamassery () is a major industrial region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. It houses companies like Apollo Tyres and HMT; IT/Electronics Parks like KINFRA Hi Tech Park, Startup Village, and Electronics City. Kalamassery ...
, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, and M.O.S.C. Medical College, Kolenchery. Some of the prestigious general colleges are Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, Maharaja's College, St. Albert's College, St. Teresa's College, Sacred Hearts College, Bharata Matha College, Aquina's College, De Paul Institute of Science & Technology (DIST) and Cochin College. The major Engineering and Technology colleges in the city are School of Engineering, CUSAT, School of Engineering CUSAT, SCMS School of Engineering and Technology at Kalamassery
Kalamassery () is a major industrial region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. It houses companies like Apollo Tyres and HMT; IT/Electronics Parks like KINFRA Hi Tech Park, Startup Village, and Electronics City. Kalamassery ...
, Model Engineering College, Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology and FISAT (Federal Institute of Science & Technology).
Being the seat of the High Court of Kerala, several top legal education institutes are here. The Government Law College, Ernakulam, Government Law College-Ernakulam is one of the oldest law schools in Kerala. The ''School of Legal Studies (SLS)'', CUSAT is one of the leading graduate, post-graduate, and research institutes in the country. The National University of Advanced Legal Studies
The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) is a public law school and a National Law University located in Kochi, India. It is the first and only National Law University in the State of Kerala and one of the 23 NLUs in India. ...
(NUALS) is located in the city, which is a premier law university in India and the only Law college listed in CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) in Kerala.
Social service organisations
Some of the main orphanages and rehabilitation shelters in Cochin City are Palluruthy Relief Settlement in Palluruthy Veli, Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan, Don Bosco Big Boys, Crescent Girls Orphanage, YMCA Boys Home, Bal Bhavan, Valsalya Bhavan.
Palluruthy Relief Settlement is under Kochi Municipal Corporation
The Kochi Municipal Corporation is the municipal corporation that manages the Indian city of Kochi (also known as Cochin) in the state of Kerala. Municipal Corporation mechanism in India was introduced during British Rule with formation of muni ...
and managed in association with Peoples Council for Social Justice. There are about 300 inmates and many of them are mentally ill. The night shelter for women run by Kochi Municipal Corporation near Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus stand provides free and safe accommodation. Peoples Council for Social Justice was found in 1985 under the patronage of Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer with the aim to work for human rights protection, free legal aid and to strive for social justice.
The orphanages for children under John Bosco, Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan Cochi are Sneha Bhavan Annexe, SnehaBhavan, Valsalya Bhavan, Don Bosco and Bosco Nilayam. The Childline India project in Cochin is taken in collaboration with Don Bosco. Children in distress and in need of help can contact in '1098' (toll free number). Sneha Bhavan Annexe is the first point of contact with children and children can stay as a safe night shelter. Sneha Bhavan is a home for the children from the streets and for those from unhealthy and risky situations. The Valsalya Bhavan centre is solely for the girls who are rescued from the streets. Runaways, street children, children of sex workers, abused children and child labourers all live here. Along with primary and high school education at a local school, the centre provides shelter, food, clothing and educational support.
There are also people doing independent social services within the city. The Italian Sister Fabiola conducts a home at Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...
known as "Ashwasa Bhavan", for young orphaned children. Br. Judson run his own "Mobile Bath Service" in his vehicle for the abandoned.
Media
Major Malayalam newspapers published in Kochi include ''Malayala Manorama'', ''Mathrubhumi'', ''Siraj Daily'', ''Madhyamam'', ''Deshabhimani'', ''Deepika (newspaper), Deepika'', ''Kerala Kaumudi'', ''Janmabhumi'', etc. Popular English newspapers include ''The Hindu'', ''The New Indian Express'', ''The Times of India'', ''The Pioneer (daily), The Pioneer'' and ''The Deccan Chronicle''. A number of evening papers are also published from the city. Newspapers in other regional languages like Hindi, Kannada language, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu language, Telugu are also available.
A number of financial publications are also published in the city. These include ''The Economic Times'', ''Business Line'', ''The Business Standard'' and ''The Financial Express (India), The Financial Express''.
Prominent magazines and religious publications like the ''Sathyadeepam'', ''The Week (Indian magazine), The Week'' and ''Vanitha'' are also published from the city.
Kochi houses several leading Malayalam television channels like ''Asianet Plus'', ''Flowers (TV channel), Flowers'', ''Jeevan TV'', ''Mazhavil Manorama'', ''We TV (Indian TV channel), Kairali We'', ''Manorama News'' and ''Reporter TV'' as well as major news bureaus of ''Asianet (TV channel), Asianet'', ''Kairali TV'', ''Amrita TV'' and ''Doordarshan''. Prasar Bharati maintains its earth station and broadcasting centre in Kakkanad, Kochi. Satellite television services are available through DD Direct+, Dish TV, Airtel digital TV, Reliance Digital TV, Reliance DTH, Sun Direct DTH and Tata Sky. FM radio channels broadcast from Kochi are All India Radio#South regional service, Rainbow FM (AIR) 101.9 MHz, All India Radio#South regional service, AIR Kochi 102.3 MHz, Club FM 94.3 MHz, Radio Mango 91.9 MHz, Red FM 93.5 MHz, Radio Mirchi, Radio Mirchi 104.0 MHz.
Kochi is considered to be the hub of the vibrant Malayalam movie industry,[
] especially contemporary Malayalam movies. The rise of Kochi to the centre stage of the entertainment industry occurred coinciding with the economic boom of the last couple of decades. Many movies are shot in Kochi every year.[
] Kochi also has a host of state-of-the-art production and post-production facilities.[
][
][
][
][
]
Due to these reasons, major section of film personalities including of actors, technical experts and other related workers reside in Kochi.[
]
There are over 50 movie theater, cinema halls that screen movies in Malayalam, Tamil, English and Hindi. The city hosts Kerala's first cine multiplex, at the Oberon Mall with four screens. Gold Souk Grande also has a cine multiplex operated by Q cinemas with four screens. PVR Cinemas, PVR with 9 screens is another national multiplex brand that has presence in Kochi and is based out of Lulu International Shopping Mall, Kochi, LuLu International Shopping Mall. Cinepolis at Centre Square Mall with 11 screens is the first international megaplex brand in the state. 16 more multiplex screens are expected in the city in the near future.
The district has the largest number of telephone connections in Kerala.[
] Telephony services are provided by various private sector players like Aircel, Bharti Airtel, Airtel, Idea Cellular, Hutch (Indian cellular company), Vodafone, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Docomo, Jio, Tata Indicom and the state owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, BSNL. All the private sector telecom companies have their headquarters for Kerala circle located in Kochi.
Sports
Like elsewhere in Kerala, association football, football is arguably the most passionate sport among the locals. In the Indian Super League, Kerala Blasters represents the city as well as the state of Kerala. The Blasters are one of the most widely supported clubs in the country as well as the fifth most followed football club from Asia in the social media. Kochi was also home to the now defunct football clubs FC Kochin and Chirag United Club Kerala, Chirag United Kerala. FC Kochin is considered as the first fully professional football club from India. Kochi was one of the six cities to host the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in India.
India's fourth largest stadium and third largest cricket stadium, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium located in Kaloor, is a major facility for football and cricket. Kochi was home to the now defunct Indian Premier League cricket team, Kochi Tuskers which won franchise rights to play in the 2011 edition of IPL.
The Maharaja's Stadium located on MG Road in the heart of the city, is the major athletic facility in the state with synthetic tracks and turf grass as per international standards. The Ambedkar stadium, maintained by Greater Cochin Development Authority, GCDA, was developed exclusively for football with funds from Government of Kerala and FIFA. Spanish club Real Madrid has proposed to set up a football school in Kochi.
The Regional Sports Centre, Kochi, Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex at Kadavanthra is a major indoor stadium, mainly used for conducting badminton, tennis and basketball tournaments. The 25m X 10m swimming pool at the centre is one of the larger water sports facility in the state, where regular swimming competitions and coaching are conducted.
The FACT Grounds at Udyogamandal, Sacred Heart's College Grounds, HMT Grounds at Kalamassery
Kalamassery () is a major industrial region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. It houses companies like Apollo Tyres and HMT; IT/Electronics Parks like KINFRA Hi Tech Park, Startup Village, and Electronics City. Kalamassery ...
and St. Albert's College Grounds are the other major training facilities for various games like volleyball, badminton, cricket etc.
Kochi has two golf courses in the city, and one in the suburbs. The oldest golf club is located at Bolgatty Palace constructed in 1903, which is a nine-hole facility run by Cochin Golf Club society. The Cochin Golf and Country Club located near to Cochin Airport, operated by CIAL, is Kerala's first 18-hole golf course with a playing area of over 7,200 yards. The first phase of the all-weather golf course comprising nine holes was opened in May 2010 for members and public. The expansion to an 18-hole course is progressing, which is scheduled to be open in September 2012.
Being surrounded by water bodies, the city is ideal for Yachting. The Kerala Yachting Association and the Cochin Yacht Club are located in the city. Both organisations conduct regular yachting tournaments. Kochi was the only Indian city chosen for stopover during the 2008–09 Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo Ocean Race 2008.
Navy
The Southern Naval Command, one of the three main formations of the Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...
has its headquarters in Kochi at INS Venduruthy, INS ''Venduruthy''. It is commanded by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief. The Southern Naval Command consists of Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), a training squadron, training establishments and bases, and land forces and survey ships. It has a naval air station, and a ship repair yard.
The Indian Navy Day is also celebrated here. It is a week-long event showcasing warships, planes, helicopters etc. of the Indian Navy at INS Venduruthy. It is a public event attended in large numbers.
The close by located Cochin Shipyard, Cochin Shipyard Limited is the largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India.
Presently it is building the first indigenous aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy.
Sister cities
Kochi is twin towns and sister cities, twinned with:
* Norfolk, Virginia, United States
* Menlo Park, California, United States
* Pyatigorsk, Russia
See also
* Neighbourhoods of Kochi
* List of tallest buildings in Kochi
* List of tourist attractions in Kochi
*Portuguese Cochin
References
Further reading
* Ma Huan
Ma Huan (, Xiao'erjing: ) (c. 1380–1460), courtesy name Zongdao (), pen name Mountain-woodcutter (會稽山樵), was a Chinese voyager and translator who accompanied Admiral Zheng He on three of his seven expeditions to the Western Oceans. Ma ...
: Ying Yai Sheng Lan, ''The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores'', translated by J.V.G. Mills, 1970 Hakluyt Society, reprint 1997, White Lotus Press, .
* Plunkett, R, Cannon, T, Davis, P, Greenway, P & Harding, P (2001), Lonely Planet South India, Lonely Planet, .
* Manorama Yearbook 2003 (English Edition), .
* Robert Charles Bristow. ''Cochin Saga'', Paico Pub. House; 2d ed. edition (1967), .
* ''Unemployment in Kerala at the turn of the 20th century Insights from the CDS gulf migration studies'' by K. C. Zachariah, S. Irudaya Rajan.
* ''Kochi Rajyacharithram'' by KP Padmanabha Menon. P (1914)
* "Akhilavijnanakosam". ''Malayalam Encyclopedia''. D C Books Multimedia Series.
External links
* (Government of Kerala)
* (Government of India)
The Story of India: South India
Cochin, BBC
{{Authority control
Kochi,
Metropolitan cities in India
Cities and towns in Ernakulam district
Former capital cities in India
Former Portuguese colonies
Historic Jewish communities
Populated coastal places in India
Port cities in India