Downtown Kollam

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Paikkada road in downtown Kollam - Once this road was the nerve centre of the Malabar Coast's business capital 'Quilon' Paikkada road in Kollam city.jpg
Paikkada road in downtown Kollam - Once this road was the nerve centre of the Malabar Coast's business capital 'Quilon'

Downtown Kollam is the primary central business district in the city of Kollam, Kerala, India. Located entirely within the former municipality of old Quilon, it is approximately bounded by Chinnakada to the east, Thangassery to the West, Cutchery to the north, and Mundakkal to the South. The area is popularly known for its business activities. Kollam was formerly an international emporium of trade and today remains a prosperous commercial centre. [1]

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The downtown area of Kollam has a long business history. Marco Polo, the Venetian traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kubla Khan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin. [2] He pointed out that Old Kollam was the only town on the west coast of India with multi-story buildings, some of which still stand today. He found Christians and Jews living in Coilum (Kollam) as well as merchants from China and Arabia. Polo left a detailed account of Kollam in his writings, extracts of which are reproduced in the Travancore State Manual . Many clothing, vegetables, stationary, pharmaceuticals, and spice wholesale-retail dealers do business in the downtown area of this old industrial city and there are many hotels in the downtown area. The proximity to Kollam Port makes this area one of the biggest business centres in India. It also contains the buildings of the Kollam Municipal Corporation.

Big Bazaar and Pharma City

Downtown Kollam is one of the largest central business districts in the state of Kerala. The area is known as a center of trading and culture. Kollam's main road runs through the center of the downtown business district of Old Quilon. [3] [4] The north-south area of this downtown, popularly known as Big bazaar, is the largest bazaar in city of Kollam with many rice, spice and cloth merchants doing business in the Big bazaar area. [5] [6]

The area behind Kollam District hospital is known as Pharma city because of its large number of pharmaceutical and surgical distributors.

Neighborhoods

Aerial view of off-Chinnakada in downtown Kollam Arial view of off Chinnakada in Downtown Kollam.jpg
Aerial view of off-Chinnakada in downtown Kollam
RP Mall - A view from downtown area, Kollam RP Mall, Kollam.jpg
RP Mall - A view from downtown area, Kollam
An aerial view of Chinnakada in downtown Kollam during 2008 Arial view of Chinnakada in 2008.jpg
An aerial view of Chinnakada in downtown Kollam during 2008

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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 71 km (44 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada river. Kollam is the fourth largest city in Kerala and is known for cashew processing and coir manufacturing. It is the southern gateway to the Backwaters of Kerala and is a prominent tourist destination. Kollam is one of the most historic cities with continuous settlements in India. Geographically, Quilon formation seen around coastal cliffs of Ashtamudi Lake, represent sediments laid down in the Kerala basin that existed during Mio-Pliocene times.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Kollam</span>

Kollam or Quilon is an old seaport and a city on the Laccadive Sea coast in Kerala, India, on Ashtamudi Lake. The city remains notable as the ancient commercial capital of Kerala and the southwestern Indian coast, in addition to its fame as the "Cashew Capital of the World". The Kollam Municipal Corporation has the second largest budget in Kerala in terms of revenue and expenditure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kollam Cantonment</span> Neighbourhood in Kollam, Kerala, India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kochupilamoodu</span> Neighbourhood in Kollam, Kerala, India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Kollam</span>

Transport in Kollam includes various modes of road, rail and water transportation in the city and its suburbs. State-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses, private buses, Indian Railways, state-owned Kerala State Water Transport Department boats & ferry, taxis and auto rickshaws are serving the city of Kollam. The city had a strong commercial reputation since the days of the Phoenicians and Romans. Ibn Battuta mentioned Kollam Port as one of the five Indian ports he had seen during the course of his twenty-four year travels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crowther Masonic Hall</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Kollam</span>

Quilon or Coulão, officially Kollam is one of the ancient civilizations in India.It is one of the oldest port cities in the Malabar Coast and was the capital city of historic Venad Kingdom and Travancore Kingdom. Quilon was once an important trading port in India. It was also known as Desinganadu. It is now known as the "Cashew Capital of the World".

References

  1. ↑ "Places to Visit - Kollam". Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "Short History of Kollam". Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Listings in Big bazaar, Downtown Kollam". Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Big Bazaar Market, Kollam
  5. ↑ "Listings in Big bazaar, Downtown Kollam". Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "Companies in Chamakkada Bigbazar of Kollam". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2014.

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