Kochi
Kochi, also known as Cochin, is a major port city on the south west coast of India by the Arabian Sea. Being a metropolitan town with lots of awesome places to visit and hangout this city attracts tourists to it!
Also known as Eranakulam, owing to the name of the mainland part of the district in Kerala, its also known as the Queen of Arabian Sea. Kochi has been ranked the sixth best tourist destination in India according to a survey conducted by the Nielsen Company on behalf of the Outlook Traveller magazine.
Kochi is the home to Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy and the state headquarters of the Indian Coast Guard with an attached air squadron, named Air Squadron 747.
History
Kochi was the centre of Indian spice trade for many centuries, and was known to the Greeks and Romans, as well as Jews, Syrians, Arabs, and Chinese since ancient times.
According to many historians, the precursor state to Kingdom of Kochi came into existence in early 12th century, after the fall of the Chera Kingdom.
Towards the early 20th century, trade at the port had increased substantially, and the need to develop the port was greatly felt. Harbour engineer Robert Bristow was brought to Kochi in 1920 under the direction of Lord Willingdon, then the Governor of Madras. In a span of 21 years, he transformed Kochi as one of the safest harbours in the peninsula, where ships berthed alongside the newly reclaimed inner harbour equipped with a long array of steam cranes.
Detailed HistoryGeography
Kochi is located on the southwest coast of India spanning an area of 94.88 square kilometers . The city straddles the backwaters, encompassing the northern end of a peninsula, several islands and a portion of the mainland. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, and to the east is the urbanized region in the rest of the mainland area. Much of Kochi lies at sea level, with a coastline of 48 km.
The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland Ernakulam, Fort Kochi, the suburbs of Edapally, Kalamassery and Kakkanad to the northeast; Tripunithura to the southeast; and a group of islands closely scattered in the Vembanad Lake.
Detailed GeographyCulture
As a result of successive waves of migration over the course of several centuries, the population of the city is a mix of people from all parts of Kerala and most of India. The pan-Indian nature is highlighted by the substantial presence of various ethnic communities from different parts of the country
Kochi has a diverse, multicultural, and secular community consisting of Malayalis, Konkanis, Gujaratis,Bengalis, Marathis, Punjabis, Tamilians, Biharis and a few families of Jews among other denominations, all living in peaceful co-existence. A merry making fest called the Cochin Carnival is celebrated at Fort Kochi during the last ten days of December.
Cusine
Kochiites generally partake of Keralite cuisine, which is generally characterised by an abundance of coconut and spices. Other South Indian cuisines and Chinese cuisine are popular. Fast food culture is very prominent; a large number of fast food outlets include those operated by the multinational conglomerates like Pizza Hut, Marrybrown, Chic King, and Dominos. North Indian and Continental cuisines are becoming increasingly popular.
City Administration
The city is administered by the Kochi Corporation, headed by a mayor. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 74 wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. Earlier; Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Ernakulam were the three Municipalities in Cochin area, which was later merged to form the Cochin Corporation. The Corporation has its headquarters in Ernakulam, and zonal offices at Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Palluruthy, Edappally, Vaduthala and Vyttila. The general administration of the city is handled by the Personnel Department and the Council Standing committee Section.
- Tony Chamminy is the Mayor .
- Bhadra Satish is the Deputy Mayor .
- M.R. Ajith Kumar is the Police Commissioner.
Malls
Here are the list of Malls and the map details.
Hotel
The city has various wonderful Hotels to choose from. Few of them are Old Harbour, Vivanta by Taj, Green Woods, Abad Plaza etc. Here is a link to directly book a hotel.
Hospital
- Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre
- Eranakulam Medical Centre
- Krishna Nursing Home
- Lakeshore Hospital
- Luke Memorial Hospital
- Cochin Port Trust
Tourist Places
Economy
Kochi is widely referred to as the commercial capital of Kerala. Kochi is home to Cochin Stock Exchange, the only stock exchange in Kerala.
Availability of electricity, fresh water, long coastline, backwaters, good banking facilities, presence of a major port, container trans-shipment terminal, harbor terminal and an international air terminal are some of the factors which accelerated the industrial growth in the city and its adjoining district. In recent years the city has witnessed heavy investment, thus making it one of the fastest-growing second-tier metro cities in India.
Sales tax income generated in the Kochi metropolitan area contributes heavily to state revenue. The district contributes the highest portion, 14.47%, of the state's GDP.[Construction and manufacturing combined contributes 37%, and trade, tourism and hospitality together provides another 20%.
Major business sectors include construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding, transportation/shipping, seafood and spices exports, chemical industries, information technology (IT), tourism, health services, and banking. Kochi is recognized as one of the seventeen major industrial cities of India by World Bank, Doing Business Group. However, in the 2009 rankings of ease to start and operate a business, among the 17 Indian cities selected, Kochi was rated as the second most difficult city to start business and was ranked 16th, above Kolkata.
Detailed Economy