Kochi, also known as Cochin is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala and is commonly referred to as Ernakulam. Kochi is the most densely populated city in Kerala. As of 2011, it has a corporation limit population of 677,381 within an area of 94.88 km2 and a total urban population of more than of 2.1 million within an area of 440 km2, making it the largest and the most populous metropolitan area in Kerala. Kochi city is also part of the Greater Cochin region and is classified as a Tier-II city by the Government of India. The civic body that governs the city is the Kochi Municipal Corporation, which was constituted in the year 1967, and the statutory bodies that oversee its development are the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA). The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland Ernakulam, Fort Kochi, the suburbs of Edapally, Kalamassery, Aluva and Kakkanad to the northeast; Tripunithura to the southeast; and a group of islands closely scattered in the Vembanad Lake.
Ernakulam, IPA: [erɐɳɐːguɭɐm]; ISO: Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ, in Malayalam: എറണാകുളം), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, that takes its name from the eponymous city division in Kochi. It is situated in the central part of the state, spans an area of about 3,000 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi), and is home to over 9% of Kerala's population. Its headquarters are located at Kakkanad. The district includes Kochi, also known as the commercial capital of Kerala, which is famous for its ancient Churches, Hindu temples, synagogues and mosques. The district includes the largest metropolitan region of the state: Greater Cochin. Ernakulam is the district that yields the most revenue and the largest number of industries in the state. Ernakulam is the third most populous district in Kerala, after Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram. The district also hosts the highest number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala state.
Aluva is a region in Kochi City in Kerala, India. It is also a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transportation hub, with easy access to all major forms of transportation, Aluva acts as a corridor which links the highland districts to the rest of Kerala. Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery is 11.7 km from Aluva. Aluva is accessible through rail, air, metro along with major highways and roadlines. Aluva KSRTC bus station is an important transport hub in Kerala and one of the busiest stations in central part of the state.
Willingdon Island is the largest artificial island in India, which forms part of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala. Much of the present Willingdon Island was claimed from the Lake of Kochi, filling in dredged soil around a previously existing, but tiny, natural island. Willingdon Island is significant as the home for the Port of Kochi as well as the Kochi Naval Base, the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, Plant Quarantine station, Custom House Cochin and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, a constituent unit of Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
Marine Drive also known as APJ Abdul Kalam Marg is a picturesque promenade in Kochi, India. It is built facing the backwaters, and is a popular hangout for the local populace. Despite its name, no vehicles are allowed on the walkway. Marine Drive is also an economically thriving part of the city of Kochi. With several shopping malls it is as an important centre of shopping activity in Kochi. Major fast food joints, including Marrybrown, DiMark, Coffee Bar are present along the walkway. The view of the setting and rising sun over the sea mouth, and the gentle breeze from the Vembanad Lake has made Marine Drive an important tourist destination in Kochi. Hundreds of people throng the walkway during the evenings. The walkway starts from the High Court Junction and continues until the Rajendra Maidan. There are also several boat jetties along the walkway.
Ernakulam is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation and the Cochin Shipyard are situated here.
Cochin Port or Kochi Port is a major port on the Arabian Sea – Laccadive Sea – Indian Ocean sea-route in the city of Kochi and is one of the largest ports in India. It is also the first transshipment port in India. The port lies on two islands in the Lake of Kochi: Willingdon Island and Vallarpadam, towards the Fort Kochi river mouth opening onto the Laccadive Sea. The International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), part of the Cochin Port, is the largest container transshipment facility in India.
Sir Robert Bristow was a British harbour engineer best known for his contributions to the development of the port of Kochi (Cochin) in Kerala, India and is regarded as the architect of modern Kochi port. Bristow recounted his experiences in his book Cochin Saga, which is considered an important source of historiography of Kerala. He is also noted for his initiatives in founding the Lotus Club, the first inter-racial club in Kochi. He was also a member of the Royal Society of Arts.
Ernakulam Town is one of the main railway stations in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India.
Kochi is a major port city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city is widely known as the commercial or economic capital of the state of Kerala.
Mattancherry BOT Bridge, also known as Thoppumpady Bridge is a bridge in Kochi, Kerala, India. It connects the Kochi's western mainland to Willingdon Island. The new bridge was constructed in 1998; succeeding the old bridge of the same name, which is now known as the Old Cochin Harbour Bridge, built in 1940. The old bridge, which is a landmark of Kochi is now preserved as a heritage monument and carries only two and three wheelers.
Thevara is a place in central Kochi in Kerala, India.
Nettoor is a region in the city of Kochi. It is around 5 km (3.1 mi) from Vytilla Junction and around 8 km (5.0 mi) from Ernakulam Junction Railway Station. Nettoor is located on Panangad Island and is a part of Maradu Municipality.
Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section is a high density railway corridor in Kerala state, India, running from Shoranur Junction in Palakkad district through Thrissur district to Cochin in Ernakulam district. The Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section is strategic and the lifeline of Kerala economy that connects the state to other parts of India. It is central to the provision of fast, long-distance Intercity and Express passenger services between Kerala and other cities of India. It is operated by Thiruvananthapuram railway division of the Southern Railway zone.
Cochin Harbour Terminus (CHTS) is one of the railway stations in the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located on the Willingdon Island. During the peak time of the station, 17 trains operated from here to different parts of the country and served as the principal station providing rail connectivity to the southern segment of the Port of Kochi located on the Willingdon Island. The station, which has not been in use after the commissioning of Vallarpadam container terminus is now locked and all the train service to the station from Ernakulam Junction were completely stopped in 2013. Since then, only occasional tourist trains carrying passengers will arrive at the station – notably the Golden Chariot in 2022.
Mahatma Gandhi Road, popularly known as M. G. Road, is the main artery as well as the commercial high street of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India. The road lies north-south with its boundaries at the Venduruthy bridge, Thevara in the south, and the Madhava Pharmacy Junction in the north, where it intersects the Banerji Road. The road was earlier part of the NH 47A and was later handed over to Kochi Municipal Corporation. The highway was earlier known as Seventy Feet road. The total distance of the road is 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi).
Aluva railway station is a railway station in Aluva, in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala. It is an NSG 3 grade station under Thiruvananthapuram railway division. It lies in the Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section of Thiruvananthapuram railway division.
Ernakulam Terminus, also called as Ernakulam Goods Station or Ernakulam Old Station, is an abandoned railway station in the Indian city of Kochi, Kerala. It is one of the first railway station in Kochi, built by the Maharaja Rama Varma XV of Kochi. The first passenger trains started service from the station on 16 July 1902. The station lost its prominence with the commissioning of Ernakulam Junction railway station in 1932 and Cochin Harbour Terminus in 1943. Though a few passenger-trains used to halt at the old station till the 1960s, it was ignored with the passage of time and was abandoned in 1990. Many historical figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore have visited Kochi through this station.
Ernakulam–Kayamkulam coastal line is a railway line which runs along the coastal areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam districts in Kerala state of India. The coastal railway line starts as a branch line from Ernakulam Junction railway station towards Alappuzha and joins with the route via Kottayam at Kayamkulam Junction. This is the only main track in Kerala yet to be doubled and the single line traffic causes major delays in the route. The coastal line has a total distance of 102 km (63 mi).
The Cochin Port Maritime Heritage Museum is a museum located on Willingdon Island in Kochi, Kerala. The museum has rare collection of photographs related to the evolution of Cochin as a port city. It also shows the development of Willingdon Island and Kochi's maritime heritage. Old marine equipment and rare photographs documenting Cochin Port's history can be found in the museum. The building, which was used as the chief engineer's quarters during the construction of Willingdon Island was converted into a museum by the Cochin Port Trust in May 2014.
