Kollam
Kollam is a district in the State of Kerala in India. Kollam District is situated on the South west coast of kerala. The District is bound on the north by Alappuzha and north east by Pathanamthitta Districts on the east by Thirunelveli District of Tamilnadu, on the South by the Thiruvavanathapuram District and on the west by Arabian sea.Kollam or Quilon, an old sea port town on the Arabian coast , stands on the Ashtamudi lake.
District Area : 2491 Sq.Km.
District Population : 25,84,118
The Soil of the District may be classified as sandy loams, larerite and forest soil. The costal belt has sandy loams and the forest soil is found in the eastern forest belt. The rest of the district is laterite soil.
Kollam Revenue District is divided into 5 (five) Taluks and 104 Villages.
The Kollam district is divided into :- 13 Blocks - 69 Panchayats - 1 Corporation - 2 Municipalities
Kollam District which is a veritable Kerala in miniature is gifted with unique representative features - sea, lakes, plains, mountains, rivers, streams, backwaters, forest, vast green fields and tropical crop of every variety both food crop and cash crop, so called 'The Gods Own Capital'.
History
Kollam, the erstwhile Desinganadu, had a sustained commercial reputation from the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans. Fed by the Chinese trade, it was regarded by Ibn Batuta, as one of the five ports , which he had seen in the course of his travels during a period of twenty four years, in the 14th century.The rulers of Kollam (Desinganadu) and China , exchange embassies and there was flourishing Chinese settlement at Kollam. Merchant Sulaiman of Siraf in Persia ( 9th Century) found Kollam to be the only port in India , touched by the huge Chinese junks , on his way from Carton of Persian Gulf. Marco Polo, the great Venician traveller, who was in Chinese service under Kublahan in 1275, visited Kollam and other towns on the west coast, in his capacity as a Chinese mandarin.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a trading center at Kollam in 1502. Then came the Dutch followed by the British in 1795. A British garrison was stationed at Kollam in pursuance of a treaty between Travancore and the British.
Velu Thampi Dalawa of Travancore, did much for the improvement of the Kollam town. He build new bazaars and invited merchants from Madras and Thirunelveli to settle here. Kollam later became the capital of the enlightened and liberal rulers of Desinganad.
Once a city of palaces, Kollam has been known to the outside world, by the time honoured proverb, "Once you have seen Kollam you would no more need your illam (Home)"
The history of the district as an administrative unit can be traced back to 1835,when the Travancore state consisted of two revenue divisions with headquarters at Kollam and Kottayam. At the time of the integrating of Travancore and Cochin in 1949,Kollam was one of the three revenue divisions in the state. These three revenue divisions were converted into districts. Shencottah taluk was merged with Madras state consequent on the implementation of the state Reorganisation Act of 1956.
When Alappuzha district was formed in 1957, Cherthala, Ambalapuzha, Mavelikkara, Karthikappally. Chenganuur and Thiruvalla Taluks were united to the new district. When Pathanamthitta district was formed on 1st July 1983, the entire Pathanamthitta Taluk and nine villages of Kunnathur Taluk of the district were also removed. Now the district has a single revenue division with headquarters at Kollam. Pathanapuram, Kunnathur, Kottarakkara, Karunagappally and Kollam are the five taluks in the district.
Politics
Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) constituencies and their areas after delimitation order of 2008116 Karunagappally Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Alappad, Clappana, Kulasekharapuram, Oachira, Thazhava, Thodiyoor and Karunagappally Panchayats in Karunagappally Taluk.
117 Chavara Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Wards No.1 to 5 & 49, 50 of Kollam (M. Corporation) in Kollam Taluk and Chavara, Neendakara, Panmana, Thekkumbhagom and Thevalakkara Panchayats in Karunagappally Taluk.
118 Kunnathur Vidhan Sabha Constituency (SC) - East Kallada and Mundrothuruth Panchayats in Kollam Taluk and Kunnathur, Mynagappally, Poruvazhy, Sasthamcotta, Sooranad North, Sooranad South and West Kallada Panchayats in Kunnathoor Taluk and Pavithreswaram Panchayats in Kottarakkara Taluk.
119 Kottarakkara Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Ezhukone, Kareepra, Kottarakkara, Kulakkada, Mylom, Neduvathur, Ummannoor and Veliyam Panchayats in Kottarakkara Taluk.
120 Pathanapuram Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Melila and Vettikkavala Panchayats in Kottarakkara Taluk and Pathanapuram, Pattazhy, Pattazhy Vadakkekara, Piravanthoor, Thalavoor and Vilakkudy Panchayats in Pathanapuram Taluk.
121 Punalur Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Punalur Municipality and Anchal, Ariyankavu, Edamulakkal, Eroor, Karavaloor, Kulathupuzha and Thenmala Panchayats in Pathanapuram Taluk.
122 Chadayamangalam Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Alayamon Panchayat in Pathanapuram Taluk and Chadayamangalam, Chithara, Elamad, Ittiva, Kadakkal, Nilamel and Velinalloor Panchayats in Kottarakkara Taluk.
123 Kundara Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Elampalloor, Kottamkara, Kundara, Nedumpana, Perayam Perinad and Thrikkovilvattom Panchayats in Kollam Taluk.
124 Kollam Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Panayam Thrikkadavoor and Thrikkaruva Panchayats and Ward No.6 to 13, 16 to 19 and 42 to 48 of Kollam (M. Corporation) in Kollam Taluk.
125 Eravipuram Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Wards No.14, 15 and 20 to 41 of Kollam (M. Corporation) and Mayyanad Panchayat in Kollam Taluk.
126 Chathannoor Vidhan Sabha Constituency - Paravoor Municipality and Adichanalloor, Chathannoor, Kalluvathukkal and Poothakkulam Panchayats in Kollam Taluk and Pooyappally Panchayat in Kottarakkara Taluk.