Kottayam is famous for three L's - Literacy, Latex and Lagoons. Situated seventy six kms away from Kochi, Kottayam is a place strangely ancient in spirit but fairly modern in atmosphere. Bordered by the lofty Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west, Kottayam is a land of unique characteristics.

Kottayam is located in the erstwhile Central Travancore and is remarkably fertile and brilliantly green. A true topical diversity adorned with backwaters, green paddy fields, rubber plantations and palmgroves as far as the eye can see. The land is also rich in varieties of vegetables, cardamom, pepper, coffee and spices. The people are healthy, hard working and educated. This is Kottayam, the Land of Letters, Latex and Lagoons.

Land of letters because as a district Kottayam has the highest literacy in India. The town of Kottayam is also the birth place of the publishing industry and the home of the Fourth Estate in Kerala. Land of Latex because the district abounds in extensive rubber plantations which earned for its headquarters the sobriquet. A trip from Kottayam to Thekkady, along the zig-zag Kumily road, offers breath-taking views of rubber, coffee and tea plantations.

Land of Lakes because of the different lakes forming in great expanse of water called the Vembaad Lake into which a network of rivers like Manimala, Pamba, Achankovil empty. These and various canals provide for boating, canoeing, fishing and sight seeing, experiences that are unforgetable. The vivid blue and green palm-fringed backwaters of Kottayam is a perennial source of attraction to the tourists.

¤ Perched On The Western Ghats
Nestling at the foothills of the lofty Western Ghats, Kottayam is synonymous with a picturesque landscape, labyrinthine backwaters, lush paddy fields, rubber plantations, ayurvedic resorts and a fully literate population. The palm-fringed Vembanad Lake, embracing the western part of Kottayam, fully compensates for the lack of a sea coast.
The eastern side of the district is hemmed in by the rugged Western Ghats. While Ernakulam forms the northern boundary of Kottayam, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta are to the south of the district. Like most other places in South India, Kottayam has a tropical humid climate with plenty of rainfall throughout the year.

¤ The Vegetation
Several rivers meander through the district of Kottayam. While rivers like the Muvattupuzha and the Manimala can be categorised as inter-district rivers, the Meenachil River flows entirely through Kottayam. The secret of Kottayam’s economic prosperity lies in its production of cash crops like rubber, tea, pepper and cardamom that earn a substantial amount of foreign exchange. Extensive growth of rubber has given rise to rubber-based industries. Food crops like paddy, tapioca, coconut, ginger, pulses, pineapple and sugarcane are also abundantly available in this district.

¤ Thaliyil Fort
The story of how the modern town of Kottayam acquired its name has an unusual ring to it. The seat of power of the Murinjanad and Thekkumkur kings was at Thazhathangadi in Kottayam. Unfortunately, Marthanda Varma of Travancore defeated the Thekkumkur rulers and demolished the palace and the Thaliyil fort. The Kottayam of today was once located within the boundary of the fort.

¤ Declared As A Fully Literate Town
The socially progressive district of Kottayam has many firsts to its name. Kottayam was catapulted into the limelight when it was declared as the first district in India to be fully literate. Kottayam’s contribution to the development of literature and education in Kerala has been immense.
That modern day journalism in Kerala should have originated from Kottayam, hardly comes as a surprise. The first printing press was established here in 1821 under the patronage of Rev. Benjamin Baily. In 1848, the efforts of the local people finally paid off when the CMS Press in Kottayam launched the first newspaper called Jnananikshepam.

Kottayam has the singular honour of publishing a number of leading dailies like the Malayala Manorama, the Kerala Bhushanam and the Deepika.

¤ Making a Mark
Kottayam has carved out a niche for itself on the cultural map of Kerala. Kidangoor, a place in Kottayam, is the home of Kunchan Nambiar, known as the father of Thullal, a popular temple art form.

The Malayalam masterpiece, Unnineeli Sandesam, was authored by one of the Vadakkumkur rulers who reigned over this region. Around the 18th and 19th century, Christian missionaries made significant contribution to Malayalam literature.
Many notable personalities, who have enriched the culture of Kerala during the 20th century, have come from Kottayam. The name of the late G. Aravindan, the renowned film-maker comes immediately to mind. Recently, the place was in the news again when Arundhati Roy, a native of Kottayam, won the prestigious Booker Prize for her novel, ‘God of Small Things’.

¤ Festivals
For centuries, various religions have co-existed harmoniously in Kottayam. Though a stronghold of the Syrian Christians, Kottayam is home to a sizeable Hindu as well as Muslim population.
As churches, temples and mosques dot the landscape, religious festivals assume a special significance in this district.But compared to the more religious festivals, the popularity of the others has by no means waned.

The festival of Onam is celebrated with great pomp and ceremony all over Kerala. The highlight of this festival is the snake boat races that are held in the idyllic backwater stretches of Kottayam. (See Festivals of India and Kerala).

¤ Arts and Crafts
Although there are no handicrafts that are particularly associated with Kottayam, the nimble fingers of the craftsmen fashion exquisite items out of bell metal, wood, cane, fibre and coconut shell. But these pieces are available all over Kerala. Intricate gold jewellery designed and crafted in Kerala is also in great demand among the tourists as well as the locals.

¤ Tourist Hotspots
Many a temple, church and mosque dots the town of Kottayam. Among the temples, the Thirunakkara Mahadevar Temple is the most noteworthy.

Other temples like the Pallipurathukavu Bhadrakali Temple, theIranjali Devi Temple, the Keralapuram Temple, theThriguthapuram Sri Krishna Temple and so on are important pilgrim centres in their own right. Being a stronghold of the Syrian Christians, it is not surprising that Kottayam boasts of a number of churches like the Valiapally, the Cheriapally and the Good Shepherd Church. The headquarters of His Highness the Catholics of the East, the chief dignity of the Orthodox Syrian church is the Devalokam Aramana at Kottayam. The Thazathangadi Mosque is the religious hub of the Muslim population in Kottayam.