Kottayam Institute Of Technology

Kottayam () is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kottayam has a population of 489,615 people, and a population density of . The total Kottayam Metropolitan area (the combined area of Kottayam municipality and its adjacent suburbs) has a population of 802,419 people, and a population density of .

Kottayam is also referred to as "the City of Letters" as many of the first Malayalam daily newspapers, such as '' Deepika,'' ''Malayala Manorama,'' and ''Mangalam,'' were started and are headquartered in Kottayam, as are a number of publishing houses.

Etymology

The royal palace of the Thekkumkur ruler was protected by a fort called ''Thaliyilkotta''. It is believed that the name ''Kottayam'' is derived from a combination of the Malayalam words ''kotta'' which means fort (''Thaliyilkotta'') and ''akam'' which means inside. The combined form, ''Kottaykkakam'' (കോട്ടയ്ക്കകം), can be translated as "inside the fort".

History

Thekkumkur rule (1103 - 1753)

From the beginning of the ninth century AD, the history of Thekkumkur and of Kottayam are virtually indistinguishable. Kottayam was then a part of Vempolinad, an area in the Kulashekara Empire (800 AD – 1103  AD). By 1103, the Kingdom of Vempolinad had split into the Kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur, and the latter became a vassal of Cochin.P. Shungoonny Menon - A HISTORY OF TRAVANCORE - First edition: 1878, New edition: 1983, Page 130, 131 -

The royal house had originally been situated in Vennimala in Kottayam. It was protected by a fort known as Thaliyilkotta and, as a result, the locality came to be known by the same name as the fort. Afterward, Thekkumkur kings shifted their capital to Nattassery near Kumaranallore at the outskirts of Kottayam town. It is believed that the Thekkumkur dynasty ruled Kottayam from Thazhathangadi. Rulers of Munjanad and Thekkumkur had their headquarters at Thazhathangadi in the present Kottayam town. Marthanda Varma of Travancore attacked Thekkumkur and destroyed the palace and the Thaliyil fort. The remnants of the palaces and forts are still seen here.

The Portuguese and the Dutch established trade relations with both of these kingdoms, dealing in black pepper and other spices. After the subjugation of the Dutch East India Company by the Kingdom of Travancore in the 1741 Travancore–Dutch War, military operations of Marthanda Varma progressed against the northern neighboring kingdoms, including Thekkumkur.

Travancore rule (1753 - 1949)

Though Thekkumkur allied with Chempakassery and Vadakkumkoor to protect the kingdom, all of them were finally annexed to Travancore. Another source states that the ruler of Thekkumkur had sided first with the Kingdom of Kayamkulam and then with the principality of Ambalapuzha against Travancore. After the fall of Ambalapuzha, and as the ruler of Thekkumkur refused to come to terms with Travancore, his capital city was taken on 11 September 1750 by Ramayyan Dalawa, the general and prime minister of Marthanda Varma, and the state was annexed to Travancore in 1753.

By the early 19th century, Travancore became a Protectorate of Britain after a series of unfair treaties. In 1817, the Church Missionary Society established CMS College as the first Western-style college in Kerala. It was welcomed by the Travancore government to provide administrators for the public bureaucracy.

Kottayam has played its role in all the political agitations of modern times. The ‘Malayali Memorial ‘ agitation may be said to have had its origin in Kottayam. The Malayali Memorial sought to secure better representation for educated Travancoreans in the Travancore civil service against persons from outside. The Memorial, which was presented to the Maharaja Sri Moolam Thirunal (1891) was drafted at a public meeting held in the Kottayam Public Library. The event marked the beginning of the modern political movement in the State.

It was here that the famous Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–25), an epic struggle for eradication of untouchability, took place. Scheduled castes and other backward classes in Travancore were denied not only entry into temples, but also access to temple roads. Vaikom, the seat of a celebrated Siva Temple, was the venue of the symbolic satyagraha. Due to these protests, the Maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma issued the Temple Entry Proclamation in 1936.

Contemporary period (1949 - Present)

Kottayam became a revenue division of Travancore. A fifth division, Devikulam, existed for a short period but was later added to Kottayam. At the time of the integration of the State of Travancore and Cochin in 1949, these revenue divisions were redesignated as districts and the Diwan Peshkars gave way to district collectors, with the Kottayam district established in July 1949.

Geography

Kottayam has an average elevation of above sea level. It is situated in the basin of the Meenachil River and in the basin of the Vembanad backwaters, which are formed from several streams in the Western Ghats of the Idukki district. The town is situated near the inland estuary of Meenachil river where it empties into the Vembanad lake in Kumarakom.

According to the division of places in Kerala based on altitudes, Kottayam is classified as a midland area. The general soil type is alluvial soil. The vegetation is mainly tropical evergreen and moist deciduous.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Kottayam has a Tropical monsoon climate (Am).

The climate in this district is moderate and pleasant. Kottayam's proximity to the equator results in little seasonal temperature variation, with moderate to high levels of humidity.

Kottayam district is bordered by Pathanamthitta district on the south, Alappuzha district on the west, Ernakulam district on the north and Idukki district on the east and northeast.

Demographics

India census, Kottayam Urban Agglomeration had a population of 172,878, while Kottayam district had a population of 1,974,551. The population of Kottayam municipality was 136,812. Males constituted 62% of the population and females 38%. Population growth in the district had a diminishing trend with a decadal population growth rate of 6.5% compared to 9.35% across the decade 1991–2000. Population growth in the municipality is due to migration for employment. Kottayam District is ranked first in literacy, with 95.9% literacy compared to 90.92% for Kerala State and 65.38% for India (2001 census).

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes constituted 6.73% and 0.31% of the total population in Kottayam respectively.
19,739 persons were engaged in work or business activity, including 14,282 males and 5,457 females. In the census survey, the worker is defined as a person who does business, job, service, cultivator or labour activity. Of total 19,739 working population, 90.17% were engaged in main work while 9.83% of total workers were engaged in marginal work.

Literature

''Jnananikshepam'' was the first newspaper published by the natives of Kerala, published at CMS press at Kottayam in 1848. Kottayam has produced many well-known writers, journalists and artists. Novelist Muttathu Varkey