Kollam Cantonment (originally Quilon Cantonment) is a residential neighbourhood in the city of

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 ...

. It arose as a

cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British India, colonial-era). In military of the United States, United Stat ...

of the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

in the 17th century. It is now a thickly populated area of the city of

. Some of the important business centres, shopping complexes and Government offices are located here.

Kollam Junction railway station Kollam Junction railway station (station code: QLN) is a junction station situated in the city of Kollam in Kerala, India. It is the second largest railway station in Kerala in terms of area and largest in terms of number of tracks and one of t ...

is also located near to cantonment area.

History

Kollam(Quilon) was one of the trade hubs in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

Kollam Port Kollam Port is one of the historic ports situated away from Downtown Kollam (formerly Quilon),14 km north of Paravur and 24 km north of Varkala Town It is the second largest port in Kerala by volume of cargo handled and facilities. L ...

had trades history with

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their his ...

ns,

Arabs 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, ...

and Chinese etc. The city was conquered by Portuguese,

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

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, ...

people during 16th to 18th centuries. Considering the importance, a British garrison was stationed in

which was subsequently reduced to a native regiment, as a protective force for the then Maharaja of the erstwhile state of

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. A ...

. The garrison was situated at the Cantonment Maidan during those days.

Public/Private institutions situated at Kollam Cantonment area

The Kollam Corporation Town Hall, named the C. Kesavan Memorial Municipal Town Hall in the memory of

C. Kesavan C. Kesavan (23 May 1891 – 7 July 1969) was a politician, social reformer, statesman and the Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin during 1950–1952. He led the Nivarthana agitation in Travancore to gain the democratic authority for the citizen ...

– a freedom fighter and former Chief Minister of erstwhile Travancore-Cochin state – is a decades-old building situated on the

National Highway National highway or National Highway may refer to: * National Highways (England) * National Highway (Australia) * List of National Roads in Belgium * Brunei National Roads System * National Highway System (Canada) * Trans ...

passing through the Cantonment. The building is now one of the main venues for several cultural events and meetings. Apart from the town hall, there are other buildings of note in the Cantonment area. * Corporation office, Kollam *

Armed Reserve Police Force Camp (ARPF Camp) * Kollam Public Library * Sopanam Auditorium * Sri Moolam Thirunal Palace(SMP Palace) * Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium * Cantonment Maidan * Kollam Passport Seva Kendra * Bhima Jewellers * Quilon Athletic Club(QAC) * Kerala Water Authority Office * Al-Manama Supermarket

References

Neighbourhoods in Kollam Cantonments of British India {{Kollam-geo-stub