The name Kottayam is derived from the word 'Kotta' which means 'Fortress' in Malayalam.

The old town of Kottayam was originally founded on the hilltop now known as Kunnumpuram.  This fortress was called Thaliyil Kotta and was founded by the local...

The name Kottayam is derived from the word 'Kotta' which means 'Fortress' in Malayalam.

The old town of Kottayam was originally founded on the hilltop now known as Kunnumpuram.  This fortress was called Thaliyil Kotta and was founded by the local chieftain or RAJA known as the Thekkumcoor RAJA. The small hamlet  developed within the walls of the fort and thus was derived the present name from the words 'Kottackk Akam' which literally means  'Inside the Fortress'.  It is commonly believed that down the ages this gradually assumed its present form, Kottayam.

Kottayam has the distinction of being the first fully literate town ( 100 per cent literacy) in the whole of India. The first English school was started here by the missionaries of the Church Mission Society of the erstwhile Anglican Church( C.M.S.School.)  The C.M.S.College is also one of the oldest Colleges in the state of Kerala. The former President of India Mr.K.R.Narayanan is a disitinguished alumni of this college. Kottayam has been a centre of learning  and in recognition of this fact the Government  established the Mahatma Gandhi University here. The University has a unique School of Gandhian Studies devoted to research and propagation of the ideals of MAHATMA GANDHI,the man who led India to Independence from the British , Mahatma Gandhi is revered and honoured all over India  today as the Father of the Nation.

The two oldest Newspapers in India are published from Kottayam. The 'DEEPIKA' arguably the oldest newspaper in the Malayalam vernacular followed by the 'MALAYALA MANORAMA ' were both founded and published from Kottayam. The Malayala Manorama claims to have the largest readership among all newspapers in India.  It is now  published from nearly 15 centres all over India.

THE BACKWATERS OF KUMARAKOM AND THE VEMBANAD LAKE

The Vembanad Lake is one of the largest Inland lakes in Kerala stretching over a vast expanse of nearly 400 square kilometres. This lake spreads from Kottayam in the east to Allapuzha in the south and meets the Arabian Sea at Kochi to the North.  Many of the rivers from the hinterland empty into the Vembanad Lake. A large area bordering the lake was reclaimed for Paddy cultivation. The water is  held back with the help of a network of dikes. Many rivers, canals and rivulets criss cross the areas surrounding the lake . This delightful network of canals and waterways form what is considered one of the truly unique and picturesque experiences for the traveller

This content is licenced under a creative commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 licence and has been copied from World66.com.