'
Kottayam'
consists of two words - Kotta meaning fort and Akkam meaning inside,
which itself suggests that Kottayam was once a fortified city of Kerala.
One of the exotic backwaters sites of Kerala,
Kottayam is a
hilly region with scenic landscapes, backwaters, bird sanctuaries,
temples and churches. Its unique physiography consists of high, mid and
lowlands and it is one of the few places in the world, which are below
the sea level. It has Ernakulam to its north, the beautiful hills of
Idukki to its east, the exotic backwaters of Alappuzha and
Pathanamthitta to its south and Vembanad Lake to its west, making it one
of the most beautiful cities in Kerala. It is also one of the main
pilgrimage centre for Christians in Kerala with its lovely churches.
It is an ideal disembarking point for visits to Peermedu, Munnar,
Idukki, Thekkady, Ernakulam and the temple city of Madurai. Since the
time of second Chera Empire,
Kottayam has been regarded as one
of the most important places of Kerala politically. Periyar Wildlife
Sanctuary featuring Indian elephants,tigers and bisons is not very far
from Kottayam. The Thirunakkara Shiva Temple at Kottayam is a storehouse
of the typical Keralan temple culture with beautiful wall paintings. The
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary on the shores of Vembanad Lake is also famous
for the seasonal migratory birds here. Pathiramal meaning 'the midnight
sand,' is a lonely delightful island in the lake. Backwater cruises of
Kottayam are accessible from here. Kottayam is an important
commercial centre of Kerala as a producer of cash crops, especially
rubber.
