Kottayam is one of 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns: Kottayam, Changanassery, Pala, Erattupetta, Ettumanoor, and Vaikom. It is the only district in Kerala that does not border either the Arabian Sea or another Indian state.
The Kingdom of Travancore, also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor or later as Travancore State, was kingdom that lasted from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day Kerala and the southernmost part of modern-day Tamil Nadu with the Thachudaya Kaimal's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in the neighbouring Kingdom of Cochin. However Tangasseri area of Kollam city and Anchuthengu near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram were parts of British India.
Changanassery, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located 17 km (10.6 mi) south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about 115 km (71.5 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Changanassery has a population of 47,485 people, and a population density of 3,517/km2 (9,110/sq mi).
University of Kerala, formerly the University of Travancore, is a state-run public university in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who was also the first Chancellor of the university. C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the then Diwan of the State was the first Vice-Chancellor. It was the first university in Kerala, and among the first in the country. It is accredited by NAAC with highest grade of A++ and scored 3.67 points out of 4.
The CMS College, established in 1817, is the earliest Western-style college in India. The college is considered to be the oldest institution of higher education in India. This college is located at Kottayam, in the Kottayam district of Kerala. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in arts, commerce, and sciences. It also offers different vocational degree courses. It is affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala. It has been given Autonomous status by the University Grants Commission, India. CMS College, Kottayam and Presidency College Calcutta, established in the same year, are the two earliest western-style colleges of India. The college is ranked 92nd among colleges in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2024.
The Nair Service Society (NSS) is an organisation created for the social advancement and welfare of the Nair community that is found primarily in the state of Kerala in Southern part of India. It was established under the leadership of Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai. The NSS is a three-tier organisation with Karayogams at the base level, Taluk Unions at the intermediate level and a central headquarters operating from Perunna, Changanassery in Kerala. G. Sukumaran Nair is currently the General Secretary.
St. Berchmans College, most commonly known as SB College, is one of the first Autonomous Colleges in Kerala, India. Established in 1922, the college is considered to be one of the oldest institutions of higher education in India. The University Grants Commission (UGC) identified the College under its “College with Potential for Excellence” scheme. UGC and the Government of Kerala granted autonomy to the college on June 13, 2014. The college celebrated its centenary in the academic year of 2022.
Nirmala College is a first grade arts and science college in Muvattupuzha, Kerala, India run by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The college admits undergraduates and post-graduates and offers degrees in the liberal arts, sciences and commerce. The college celebrated the golden jubilee in the academic year 2002–2003. The institution is affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. The college was Re accredited by NAAC With A++ (CGPA:3.73)Grade in April 2021.Nirmala College is governed by a management board consisting of 21 members. The Board meets at least four times a year and takes all important decisions concerning the governance of the college.
Kottayam is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about 151 km (93.8 mi) 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 4,533/km2 (11,740/sq mi). The total Kottayam Metropolitan area has a population of 802,419 people, and a population density of 3,647/km2 (9,450/sq mi).
Chengannur is a municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is located 37 km (23.0 mi) south of the district headquarters in Alappuzha and about 98 km (60.9 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Chengannur has a population of 23,466 people, and a population density of 1,607/km2 (4,160/sq mi).
The Cochin College, located at Kochi, Kerala, India, is an accredited first grade Arts, Science and Commerce College affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India.
A small hill, Midayikunnam lies near Thalayolaparambu in Kottayam District. It is situated on the Kottayam - Ernakulam route and is easily accessible by local buses from Kottayam. Pundareekapuram Temple, a shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is located atop the hill. The temple is noted for its mural collections.
V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai is the vice-chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University and provost of Somaiya Vidyavihar, Pillai concurrently serving as the chancellor of the ICFAI University, Tripura. He was president of Mewar University, Chiittorgarh, Rajasthan, India (2016–2018).
Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta, established in 1952, is an institution of higher education at Pathanamthitta of Kerala, India. Catholicate College belongs to the first group of colleges in Kerala to receive academic accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). In the fourth cycle of (NAAC) re-accreditation, the college has been re-accredited by NAAC in A++ grade with CGPA of 3.53. The college is owned by Malankara Orthodox Church, founded by Catholicos Moran Mar Baselios Geevarghese II. The college was originally planned by Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos, Metropolitan; it was founded in 1952, after his death, by Daniel Mar Philoxenos Metropolitan, who became the first principal of the college.
St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry is a government-aided college in Kozhencherry, Kerala state, South India. Established in 1953, it is administered by the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan and K. T. Thomas, Kurumthottickal, the veteran Minister of the Parish of Kozhencherry were involved in founding the college. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, the present head of the Mar Thoma Church, is the manager of the college.
Gopala Pillai Sankara Pillai, better known as G. Sankara Pillai, was an Indian playwright, literary critic, and director, known to be one of the pioneers of modern Malayalam theatre. A proponent of total theater, he was the founder of Nataka Kalari movement in Kerala and the chairman of the Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi. He was a recipient of a number of awards including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Drama in 1964 for the work Rail Palangal and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the best playwright in 1979.
Kumbalathu Sanku Pillai (1898-1969) was a social reformer, politician and freedom fighter from Kollam in erstwhile Travancore. An upper caste by birth, who worked for upliftment of lower Caste, spreading modern education and democratization of Travancore. He was the president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee from 1949-1951 and one of the leaders of Vimochana Samaram. He was also the founder and first president of Panmana Ashramam made in commemoration of Chattampi Swamikal.
