Kollam district (formerly Quilon district) is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala’s natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major Laccadive Sea seaport and an inland lake (Ashtamudi Lake). The district has many water bodies. Kallada River is one among them, and the east side land of river is East Kallada and the west side land is West Kallada.
The oldest name of Kollam is “Desinganadu” after the king Jayasimha from whom the Venad dynasty is supposed to have originated. The name Kollam has a long etymology bearing the marks of the place’s history spanning centuries.
In 825 CE, the Malayalam calendar, or Kollavarsham, was created in Kollam at meetings held in the city.The present Malayalam calendar is said to have begun with the re-founding of the town, which was rebuilt after its destruction by fire.
The city was known as Koolam in Arabic, Coulão in Portuguese, and Desinganadu in ancient Tamil literature.
Kallada Boat race is one of the famous festival events of the district. Even though it is a competition between two land sides of the river, many boat clubs from various places, even beyond the district participate in the event. Kollam is known as the capital of Kerala’s cashew industry. Plains, mountains, lakes, lagoons, and backwaters, forests, farmland and rivers make up the topography of the district. The area had trading relationships with Phoenicia and Ancient Rome.
Kollam’s temperature is almost steady throughout the year. The average temperature ranges from 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. Summer usually runs from March until May; the monsoon begins by June and ends by September. Kollam receives an annual average rainfall of around 2,700 millimetres (110 in).
It receives both southwest and northeast monsoons. Winter is from November to February; the temperature is moderately cool, ranging from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius.
Kollam has been the centre of cashew industry in Kerala from the time of the Portuguese in 16th c. Having hundreds of working cashew factories in the district, Kollam still continues to be the largest processed cashew exporter in India.
Jatayu’s Earth Centre,Thangassery Lighthouse,Palaruvi Falls,Sasthamkotta Lake,Kollam Beach,Ashtamudi Lake,Thenmala,Mayyand,Kumbhavurutty Waterfalls,Sri Mahaganapathi Temple,Thirumullavaram Beach, Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary, Punalur, Kakkathuruthu, Rameshwaram Temple,Munroe Island,Kollam Adventure Park,Kottukkal Cave Temple,Paravur Lake etc are some of major destination in Kollam.
