text:
Kottayam district

Kottayam is one of 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns: Kottayam, Changanassery, Pala, Erattupetta, Ettumanoor, and Vaikom. It is the only district in Kerala that does not border either the Arabian Sea or another Indian state.

The district is bordered by hills in the east, and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. The area's geographic features include paddy fields, highlands, and hills. As of the 2011 census, 28.6% of the district's residents live in urban areas, and it reports a 97.2% literacy rate. In 2008, the district became the first tobacco-free district in India. Kottayam registered the lowest Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) of zero among all districts of India, indicating no deprivation as per the report published by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative and UNDP for districts across India. The district's headquarters are based in the city of Kottayam.

Hindustan Newsprint Limited and Rubber Board are two central government organizations located in the district. The headquarters of two religious communities in Kerala are also in the Kottayam District: Nair Service Society and the Indian Orthodox Church.

Etymology
The name Kottayam is a combination of the words "kotta" and "akam" in the local language of Malayalam, meaning "interior of a fort".

Prehistoric period
A substantial portion of Kottayam district may have been under the Arabian Sea during prehistoric times. Marine fossils have been found in an area near Changanassery, thus supporting the hypothesis.

However, there are archaeological evidences of the early human inhabitation period of this district, including ancient fossils, stone inscriptions and monuments, in the archeological sites like the excavation sites, the caves, the temples, etc. The literary works of the Sangam period also help to take a look into the ancient period of the district.

Chera dynasty and the Keralaputras of ancient Tamilakam (up to 5th century CE)
Early members of the Chera dynasty (first few centuries of the Common Era) had their original headquarters in a region called Kuzhamur at Kuttanad in the ancient Tamilakam and were sometimes known as the Kuttuvans. The Chera dynasty is mentioned as Keralaputras in the inscriptions of the emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire (322 BCE – 184 BCE).

The province Kuttanad of the ancient kingdom of Keralaputras included the modern-day districts of Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, and parts of Alappuzha, which can be defined as the region between the rivers Periyar and Pamba. It was bounded by the Ay kingdom to the south, which included the regions between Pamba River and Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), and the province of Kudanad, which lies between the rivers Periyar and Chaliyar (modern-day districts of Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram), to the north.

It was during the reign of Uthiyan Cheralathan (105–130 CE) that the Chera dynasty began to expand towards the northern and the eastern regions of Kuttanad by conquering the provinces of Kudanadu and Kongu Nadu. Afterwards the dynasty got split into three branches and fixed their capitals at Muziris, Tyndis, and Caroura, respectively, as seen in the ancient Greco-Roman travelogues as well as the Old Tamil literary works of the Sangam period. During the reign of Narmudi Cheral, the regions included in the Kingdom of Ezhimala was also added to the Chera empire.

Invasions and social transformation from 6th century CE to 800 CE
The ancient Chera empire collapsed due to the continuous invasions carried out by the Kalabhras, the Pallavas, the Chalukyas, the Pandyas, and the Rashtrakutas during the period between 500 CE and 800 CE for nearly three centuries. This era marked the migration of Nambudiri Brahmins into the district, which later led to a transformation in the social structure of the region after the 10th century CE. The ancient prominent religions in the district like Buddhism began to vanish after the 10th century CE. Sri Mulavasam was a prominent centre of Buddhism in the Indian peninsula until the early medieval period, prior to the Chera-Chola wars of the 11th century CE.

Medieval history
The regions included in the modern-day district of Kottayam is described well in the medieval Kerala literature which includes works written in both Malayalam and Sanskrit. The 14th century Sanskrit work Sukasandesam describes about Kaduthuruthy. Similarly the 17th century Sanskrit work Bhramara Sandesam contains details about Kumaranalloor and Vaikom. The 18th century Sanskrit literary work Chathaka Sandesam also contains references to Vaikom.

Unnuneeli Sandesam, a work which belongs to the Malayalam literature written during early decades of the 14th century CE, contains a short geographical and political description of the regions and the medieval feudal states that lied between Kaduthuruthy and Thiruvananthapuram. It contains details about the medieval kingdoms of Thekkumkur (1102–1749) and Vadakkumkur (1102–1750) those together constitute the modern district of Kottayam.

The writings and the records of the Portuguese as well as the Dutch, who visited and interfered in the political affairs of the district after the Age of Discovery (1498 CE), such as the Hortus Malabaricus, contain significant information about the geographical and the political conditions of the region during the late medieval period.

The Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram (800 – 1102 CE)
The area included in the modern-day district of Kottayam was part of three Nadus (provinces) during the period of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram (800–1102 CE) for nearly three centuries. The region around the city of Kottayam was known as Munjunadu, while the Vaikom-Meenachil region, which lies to the north of Munjunadu was included in a province called Vempolinadu (known as Bimbali Desam in Sanskrit). The third province was the Nantuzhainadu which constitutes the modern-day Taluks of Changanassery and Thiruvalla. This period saw the decline of Buddhism and Jainism, which were once prominent in the region, along with the growth of Hinduism characterised by a large-scale migration of the Nambudiri Brahmins into the region.

The territory of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram disintegrated into several small feudal states by early 12th century CE as a result of the continuous war that occurred between the Chera Perumals and the Medieval Cholas throughout the 11th century CE. The Vazhappally copper plate (c. 882/83 CE ) is a copper plate inscription written in Old Malayalam language that dates back to the 9th century CE found at Vazhappally in Kottayam district. Recent scholarship puts the date of the plate in c. 882/83 CE. The inscription is engraved on a single copper plate (with five lines on both sides) in an early form of the Old Malayalam language in Vatteluttu script with some Grantha characters. The contents of the plate are incomplete. The inscription was discovered by V. Srinivasa Sastri from Thalamana Illam near Changanassery. The plate is owned by Muvidathu Madom, Thiruvalla. The record is dated to the twelfth regnal year of Chera Perumal king Rama Rajasekhara (882/83 CE). Inscriptions related to Rama Kulasekhara (1089–1123 CE) of Chera Perumal dynasty can be found at Perunna near Changanassery. The Perunna inscription dates back to the year 1099 CE (the 10th regional year of Rama Kulasekhara).

Thekkumkur dynasty (1102–1749 CE)
The province Vempolinadu (Bimbali Desam) of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram attained political autonomy in 1102 CE following the Chera-Chola wars of the 11th century CE. The Vempolinadu royal family got evolved into two independent branches by the 12th century CE – the southern branch among them later came to be known as the kingdom of Thekkumkur. It included the modern-day Taluks of Changanassery, Kanjirappally, Kottayam, and Thiruvalla. The kings of the Thekkumkur dynasty are described by the titles Bimbaleeshas and Manikandas in the Sanskrit literary works. Vennimala and Manikandapuram were the early headquarters of the Thekkumkur dynasty. Later it was transferred to Thazhathangady near the town of Kottayam. Thazhathangady is one of the places in Kerala where a church, a mosque, and a Hindu temple co-exist together, which points out the religious harmony that existed under the Thekkumkur Rajas. At times, the town of Changanassery acted as headquarters of the Thekkumkur dynasty.

The Thekkumkur Rajas were vassals to the Kingdom of Cochin until the mid-18th century CE. Thekkumkur Rajas also allied with the Kingdom of Cochin and the Kingdom of Odanad (Kayamkulam) against the military invasions of the kingdom of Travancore into its northern kingdoms that occurred during the 1740s. As a result, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the architect of the modern Travancore, attacked and annexed the kingdom of Thekkumkur into Travancore in 1749 during the Battle of Changanassery, after his annexation of Kayamkulam in 1746. The Thekkumkur king took refuge in the kingdom of the Zamorin of Calicut following his defeat in the battle.

Vadakkumkur dynasty (1102–1750 CE)
Vadakkumkur was the northern branch of the erstwhile province of Vempolinadu which attained political autonomy in 1102 CE after the collapse of the Chera Perumals of Mahodayapuram. The rulers of this dynasty were also known by the titles Bimbaleeshas and Manikandas in the contemporary Sanskrit works just like their Thekkumkur counterparts. The kingdom of Vadakkumkur included the modern-day Taluks of Ettumanoor and Vaikom along with a portion of the Meenachil Taluk. Kaduthuruthy was the earlier headquarters of the Vadakkumkur dynasty which was later transferred into Vaikom. Vadakkumkur was a vassal state of the Kingdom of Cochin until 1750.

The Portuguese explorers described Vadakkumkur as "The Pepper country" due to the availability and high scale production of good quality pepper there during the 16th century CE. The Dutch Malabar who became an influential power in the territory of Vadakkumkur during the 17th century CE and the first half of the 18th century CE had a trade centre at Vechoor (in Vaikom taluk) in Vadakkumkur. The Kingdom of Kizhmalanadu (1102–1600), which had included the modern-day Taluks of Muvattupuzha and Thodupuzha with its headquarters at Karikode near Thodupuzha, merged with the kingdom of Vadakkumkur around 1600 CE.

Vadakkumkur Raja was also a part of the combined military alliance formed by the kingdoms of Odanad (Kayamkulam), Thekkumkur, and Cochin against the expansion of Travancore into the northern territories. As a result, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the architect of the modern Travancore, attacked and annexed Vadakkumkur in 1750. The Vadakkumkur Raja sought asylum in the kingdom of the Zamorin of Calicut. Later he returned back into Travancore.

Poonjar dynasty (1160–1750 CE)
In, Kulothunga Chola, who belonged to the lineage of the Medieval Cholas, entered into a war with Manavikrama Kulasekhara Perumal, who belonged to the Pandya dynasty of Madurai. Upon the failure in the battle, Manavikrama appointed his brother Maravarman Sreevallabha as the monarch of the Pandya dynasty and left Madurai with his family and some of his trusted servants. Manavikrama crossed the Western Ghats and sought political asylum in Kerala. Manavikrama purchased a vast tract of land bordering the Pandyan territories, from the ruler of Thekkumkur which comprised the Meenachil taluk the regions of Poonjar, Erattupeta, Pala, Patthanamthitta, Thodupuzha, etc. along with the High Range region of modern-day Idukki district in 1160 CE, which originally belonged to the Thekkumkur Rajas. This incident commenced the beginning of the Poonjar dynasty. They were a sovereign state. Though disputed, the territory of Poonjar was claimed by the Kingdom of Travancore in 1899 AD. Travancore claimed that the sovereignty reverted to them following the annexation of the principalities of Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur in 1749–1750. The land ownership was not disputed.

The Kannan Devan Hills on the High Range region were given on lease on 11 July 1877 by the ruler of the Poonjar dynasty to John Daniel Munroe from London and for tea plantations. The land and the plantations were later resumed by the Government of Kerala through the Kannan Devan Hills (Resumption Of Lands) Act, 1971. However, the act only addressed the issue of sovereignty which was taken over by the State of Kerala with the accession of Travancore to the Union of India. The ownership of the Kannan Devan plantation (125000 acres)leased to John Monroe, and subsequently transferred to Tata Finlay, and finally to Tata Tea was not relinquished by the Poonjar royal family. This was established by a court challenge to the status, which was resolved by a Kerala High Court order in the early 1990s. The order was in favor of the Poonjar royal family establishing ownership.The lease terms are currently being fulfilled with regards to lease payments as per the original deed.

Progress and Social Reformation during the Travancore era (1750–1947)
Entire portion of the modern-day district of Kottayam became part of the erstwhile British princely state of Travancore by 1750 CE. This era marked considerable progress and social reformation in all spheres.

The Church Mission Society press at Kottayam was established in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Baily, a British missionary, as the first printing press in Kerala. They had also established the CMS College Kottayam in 1815 as the first Western style institute of higher education in India. The region progressed much in its literacy rate by the end of the 19th century CE. It became one of the most literate regions in the British Indian Empire by 1860. Due to its remarkable progress in the fields of literacy, education, and printing, many early newspapers and magazines in Malayalam such as Deepika (1887) and Malayala Manorama (1888) were established in Kottayam.

The same period also saw the commencement of Kerala reformation movement with an aim to eradicate the Untouchability, inequality, and the irrational practices existed in the Kerala society for many centuries which ultimately led to the movements like the Vaikom Satyagraha (1924). Kottayam has been involved in a number of political movements, including the 'Malayali Memorial' movement. The goal of the movement was to seek more representation for Malayalis in the Travancore civil service irrespective of their caste and religion.

Vaikom Satyagraha, a protest against caste discrimination, took place in Kottayam district in 1924. The district also participated in the protests for responsible government in Travancore, which ended with the overthrow of Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer, who was the Divan of the British princely state of Travancore in 1947.

During the Travancorean administration, the British princely state of Travancore was divided into four revenue divisions- the Northern division headquartered at Kottayam, the Central division headquartered at Kollam, the Southern division headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram, and the High Range division with its headquarters at Devikulam.

Kottayam was the headquarters of the northernmost revenue division in Travancore which included the Taluks of North Paravur, Kunnathunad, Muvattupuzha, Thodupuzha, Meenachil, Changanassery, Kottayam, Vaikom, and Cherthala in 1931.

Post-independence (1947–present)
At the time of the integration of the state of Travancore and Cochin into the state of Travancore-Cochin in 1949 following the integration of the British Princely states of Travancore and Cochin into the Dominion of India, the erstwhile revenue divisions were reorganised into districts and the Divan Peshkars gave way to district collectors, paving the way for the birth of the Kottayam district on 1 July 1949.

The erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin was reorganized into Thrissur district and Taluks of North Paravur and Kunnathunad were transferred to that district. Similarly the Cherthala Taluk was transferred into the newly formed Kollam district on 1 July 1949. The High Range division of the erstwhile Travancore was merged with the remaining Taluks of the erstwhile Kottayam division to form the Kottayam district as a part of the inauguration of the new Indian state of Travancore-Cochin on 1 July 1949. The new district of Kottayam at that time contained eight Taluks – Changanassery, Kottayam, Vaikom, Meenachil, Muvattupuzha, Thodupuzha, Devikulam, and Peerumede.

As a part of the formation of the new Indian state of Kerala according to the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, many jurisdictional changes were done in the district. Two new Taluks, namely Kanjirappally (from Changanassery and Thiruvalla) and Udumbanchola (from Devikulam and Peerumede) were carved out on 1 October 1956. After a month, a new Taluk called Kuttanad was carved out from Changanassery and Ambalappuzha. The Kuttanad Taluk was transferred into the newly formed Alappuzha district on 17 August 1957. The Taluks of Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha were transferred into the newly formed Ernakulam district on 1 April 1958.

On 26 January 1972, the three High Range Taluks, namely Devikulam, Udumbanchola, and Peerumede, were separated from Kottayam district to form a new district called Idukki. The district of Kottayam took its current shape on 26 January 1972. Now it contains five Taluks- Changanassery, Kottayam, Vaikom, Meenachil, and Kanjirappally.

The municipality of Kottayam was declared as the first town in India to achieve 100% literacy in 1989. The Multidimensional Poverty Index prepared by NITI Aayog based on the National Family Health Survey 2015–16 declared Kottayam as the first Indian district to achieve zero multidimensional poverty rate.

Climate
There are no distinct seasons in Kottayam, as it has a tropical climate like that of the rest of Kerala. Humidity is high and rises to about 90% during the rainy season. Kottayam gets rain from two monsoon seasons, the south-west monsoon and the north-east monsoon, and accumulates an average rainfall of around 3600 mm per year. The south-west monsoon starts in June and ends in September, and the north-east monsoon season is from October to November. Pre-monsoon rains from March to May are accompanied by thunder and lightning; the highest rainfall during this period in Kerala is received in Kottayam. December, January, and February are cooler, while March, April, and May are warmer. The highest temperature recorded in Kottayam was 38.5 °C on 6 April 1998, and the lowest was 15 °C on 13 December 2000.

The Kottayam district experienced intense red rainfall in 2001, during which the rain was colored red, yellow, green, and black.

Tourism and wildlife
Kottayam has a network of rivers, backwaters, ancient religious places, and hill stations. Local tourist places include:
 * Kumarakom, a tourist destination located near the city of Kottayam. It contains the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, which is known for migratory birds.
 * Vembanad Lake is home to traditional cargo boats called Kettuvallams, which are modified into cruise boats and houseboats. Pathiramanal is a small island located in the Vembanad Lake, and is only accessible by boat.

Malarikkal and Panachikkad in Kottayam is famous for Ambal fest.
 * Ilaveezha Poonchira is a hill station in Kottayam.
 * Vagamon is a hill station in Kerala. It is located primarily in the Idukki district, but includes the Meenachil taluk and Kanjirappally taluk as well.
 * During the Onam festival in August and September, water boat races are conducted in Kottayam. The major one is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. The Thazhathangadi boat race in Kummanam is over a century old.
 * Vaikom, a historical town.
 * Illickal Kallu, the highest point in the Kottayam district.

Transport
Kottayam is linked by major roads and rail to other prominent cities in Kerala, and also by waterways allowing for waterborne travel. The Kottayam Kumali, Ettumanoor-Ernakulam, Kottayam-Pathanamthitta, Thiruvalla-Kidangoor Central Kerala Bypass, and MC road are the major roads in the district. The nearest airport is the Cochin International Airport. SWTD operates ferry services from different parts of the Kottayam district. The ferry service from Vaikom to Thavanakkadavu in the Alappuzha district is the longest. India's first solar ferry service boat, 'Adhithya', operates from Vaikom.

Administration
Kottayam city is the administrative headquarters of the Kottayam district. The district is divided into two revenue divisions- Kottayam and Pala.

Municipal towns
There are 6 municipal towns in the district. They are: • Changanassery

• Erattupetta

• Ettumanoor

• Kottayam

• Pala

• Vaikom

Villages

 * Achickal
 * Kalathukadavu
 * Mammood
 * Marangoly
 * Panackapalam

Legislative representation
There are three Lok Sabha constituencies in Kottayam district: Kottayam (6 assembly constituencies), Pathanamthitta (2 assembly constituencies, i.e., Kanjirappally and Poonjar) and Mavelikara (1 assembly constituency, i.e., Changanassery).

There are nine Kerala Legislative Assembly seats in Kottayam district.

Taluks
The district is divided into two revenue divisions which together incorporate five Taluks within them.
 * Taluks in the Kottayam Revenue Division are:
 * Taluks in the Pala Revenue Division are:

Revenue villages
Kottayam district is divided into 100 revenue villages for the ease and decentralisation of its revenue administration. They are further incorporated into 5 taluks as eludicated below.

Changanassery Taluk

 * Changanassery
 * Chethipuzha
 * Kangazha
 * Karukachal
 * Kurichy
 * Madappally
 * Nedumkunnam
 * Payippad
 * Thottackad
 * Thrikkodithanam
 * Vakathanam
 * Vazhappally East
 * Vazhappally West
 * Vazhoor
 * Vellavoor

Kanjirappally Taluk

 * Cheruvally
 * Chirakkadavu
 * Edakkunnam
 * Elamgulam
 * Elikkulam
 * Erumeli North
 * Erumeli South
 * Kanjirappally
 * Koottickal
 * Koovappally
 * Koruthodu
 * Manimala
 * Mundakkayam

Kottayam Taluk

 * Akalakunnam
 * Anickad
 * Arpookara
 * Athirampuzha
 * Ayarkunnam
 * Aymanam
 * Chengalam East
 * Chengalam South
 * Ettumanoor
 * Kaipuzha
 * Kooroppada
 * Kottayam
 * Kumarakom
 * Manarcaud
 * Meenadam
 * Muttambalam
 * Nattakom
 * Onamthuruthu
 * Pampady
 * Panachikkad
 * Peroor
 * Perumbaikad
 * Puthuppally
 * Thiruvarppu
 * Veloor
 * Vijayapuram

Meenachil Taluk

 * Bharananganam
 * Elackad
 * Erattupetta
 * Kadanad
 * Kadaplamattom
 * Kanakkary
 * Kidangoor
 * Kondoor
 * Kuravilangad
 * Kurichithanam
 * Lalam
 * Meenachil
 * Melukavu
 * Monippally
 * Moonilavu
 * Poonjar
 * Poonjar Nadubhagam
 * Poonjar Thekkekara
 * Thalanadu
 * Poovarany
 * Puliyannoor
 * Ramapuram
 * Thalappalam
 * Teekoy
 * Uzhavoor
 * Vallichira
 * Veliyannoor
 * Vellilappally

Vaikom Taluk

 * Chempu
 * Kaduthuruthy
 * Kallara
 * Kothanalloor
 * Kulasekharamangalam
 * Manjoor
 * Mulakulam
 * Muttuchira
 * Naduvile
 * Njeezhoor
 * Thalayazham
 * Vadakkemuri
 * Vadayar
 * Vaikom
 * Vechoor
 * Velloor
 * Udayanapuram
 * T V Puram

Major Towns
The major towns of the district include:
 * Vaikom taluk: Vaikom, Kaduthuruthy, Kallara, Chempu, Njeezhoor, Vadakkemuri
 * Kottayam taluk: Kottayam, Pampady, Athirampuzha, Ettumanoor, Chingavanam,Ayarkunnam,  Manarcaud, Puthupally,
 * Changanasserry taluk: Changanassery, Karukachal, Vazhoor, Vakathanam
 * Kanjirappally taluk: Kanjirappally, Manimala, Ponkunnam, Koottickal, Koruthodu, Erumeli, Mundakayam
 * Meenachil taluk: Kuravilangad, Pala, Bharanaganam, Erattupetta, Theekoy, Ramapuram, Poonjar, Uzhavoor

Agriculture
Kottayam has a mountainous terrain as well as low-lying areas very close to sea level. Depending on the location, different varieties of food and cash crops are cultivated. Rice is the principal crop extensively cultivated in low-lying regions like Vaikom and Upper Kuttanad. The district occupies third place in the production of rice in Kerala behind Palakkad and Alappuzha.

Although it is the staple food of the people, the area under cultivation is dwindling due to more lucrative cash crops such as rubber plantations for which Kottayam significantly contributes to the overall rubber production in India. Kottayam is India's largest rubber producer. Rubber trees provide a stable income for farmers and the climate is ideal for rubber plantations. Though the highlands are more suitable, cultivation has spread to almost all regions. Other crops cultivated include tapiocas, coconuts, peppers, and vegetables. To enhance rubber productivity, the government of India has set up a Rubber Board as well as a rubber research institute in Kottayam.

Industry
The district lacks refineries, ports, and an airport, which are needed for major industries.Aside from two public sector companies, Hindustan Newsprint at Velloor and Travancore Cements at Nattakom, industries in the district consist mostly of small and medium-size operations. These mainly include the publishing and processing of rubber or latex, and manufacturing of rubber-based products.

Confined mostly to the Vaikom area of the district is an industry of coir processing and making coir products. Consisting of more than twenty cooperatives, it employs around 20,000 people. In the hand-loom sector, eight cooperative societies employ 2,100 persons. The district's forests include varieties of softwood and other varieties of timber providing the raw material for several small enterprises in the production of plywood, packing cases, splints, veneers, and furniture.

The first printing press in Kerala, C.M.S. Press, was established in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Bailey, a British missionary. Malayalam-English and English-Malayalam dictionaries were published in Kottayam in 1846 and 1847. The only cooperative society of writers, authors and publishers (SPCS) for publishing books and periodicals was established in 1945. Kottayam is home to a number of books and periodicals, and is the center of publishing business in the state.

Publishing houses like Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi publications, Labour India Publications Ltd, Mangalam Publications, Deepika, D. C. Books, V Publishers, Vidhyamitram, Kerala Kaumudi daily and Kerala Kaumudi Flash are also publishers in the district. The city of Kottayam hosts several book exhibitions every year.

Demographics
According to the 2011 census Kottayam district has a population of 1,974,551, roughly equal to the nation of Slovenia or the US state of New Mexico. This gives it a ranking of 234th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 896 PD/sqkm. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–11 was 1.32%. Kottayam has a sex ratio of 1040 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 97.21%, the highest in the state and 4th highest in India. 28.63% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 7.79% and 1.11% of the population respectively.

Malayalam is the predominant language, spoken by 98.88% of the population. Tamil is spoken by a small minority in urban areas.

Religion
According to the 2011 Indian Census, Hinduism (49.81%) is the largest religion in Kottayam, with a significant Christian minority (43.48%). Syro-Malabar, Orthodox, Jacobites and Pentecostals are the main Christian sects. The Muslim population constitutes 6.41% of the district.

The three major religious communities in the Kottayam district are Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. The Nair Service Society's headquarters are located in the district's town of Perunna, Changanassery. The Mannam memorial, created in memory of social reformer Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai, is also located there.

The headquarters of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (Malankara Church/Indian Orthodox Church), is located in Devalokam, Kottayam. It is the official headquarters of the Malankara Metropolitan and the Catholicos of the East.

The Madhya Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India has its headquarters in Kottayam.

The Knanaya Christian community (both the Catholic and Jacobite factions) also has its headquarters in Kottayam district.

The Thazhathangady Juma Mosque, which is one of the oldest Masjids in the country, is also located at Kottayam.

Kottayam, Thiruvalla, and Chengannur are the railway stations for pilgrims heading to the Hindu holy site of Sabarimala.

The pilgrim centers in Kottayam include a number of Hindu temples, Christian churches and Muslim mosques, including:

Hindu temples

 * Erumely Sree Dharmasastha Temple – Pilgrims arrive here during Mandalakalam on their way to Sabarimala. Erumeli Pettathullal is a notable ritual.
 * Vaikom Mahadeva Temple – It is known as the Kasi of the south. The Vaikath Ashtami is held in November and December. Vadakkumpurathupattu is held every 12 years to attract devotees.
 * Kodungoor Devi Temple
 * Ettumanoor Mahadevar Temple – Annual festival and Ezhunallath are held in this Shiva temple in Kumbham (February to March).
 * Panachikkadu Dakshina Mookambilka Saraswathy Devi Temple
 * Kumaranalloor Devi Temple – Known for Thrikarthika Deshavilakku. Navarathri and  Meena Pooram are the other festivals celebrated at this temple.
 * Adithyapuram Sun Temple – It is the only 'Adithya' (Hindu solar deity) shrine in the state.
 * Thirunakkara Sree Mahadevar Temple – The temple is situated in the heart of Kottayam city and is built in the traditional architectural styles of Kerala. The temple is about 500 years old and was built by the Thekkumkoor Raja, and occupies about 4 acres of land.

Churches

 * St. George Orthodox Church, Puthuppally (Orthodox) – Georgian Pilgrim Centre (Founded AD 1557). Relics of St. George is kept here
 * Pazhaya Seminary (Orthodox) – The remains of Saint Vattasseril Dionysius VI (15th Malankara Metropolitan) are kept here
 * Bharananganam (Syro-Malabar Catholic) – The remains of Saint Alphonsa are kept here.
 * St. Joseph's Church, Mannanam (Syro-Malabar Catholic) – It was built by Kuriakose Elias Chavara. His remains are preserved here.
 * St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral, Manarcad (Jacobite Orthodox) – Its Ettunompu festivals/perunnals are notable.
 * St Thomas Cathedral of Pala – cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Pala
 * St. Mary's Church, Kottayam—(Kottayam Cheriapalli) (Orthodox) – It was built in 1579 AD with a Kerala and Portuguese style.
 * Vimalagiri Cathedral (Latin Catholic) – It was built in the Gothic Architectural style. Cathedral of the Latin Diocese of Vijayapuram
 * Marth Mariam Archdeacon Pilgrim Church, Kuravilangad (Syro-Malabar Catholic) – 13 km north of Ettumanoor.
 * Mar Sleeva Forane Church, Cherpunkal, (Syro-Malabar Catholic) near Pala.
 * Marth Mariyam Metropolitan Cathedral (Valiyapally) – cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Changanassery
 * St. Dominic's Cathedral Kanjirappally – cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Kanjirappally
 * St. Alphonsa Church Payyanithottam – church of the Syro-Malabar Diocese of pala

Mosques

 * Thazhathangady Juma Mosque—One of the ancient mosques in India.
 * Thangalppara in Kottayam—The mausoleum of Sheikh Fariduddin, and a Muslim pilgrim centre.

Education
The first Western styled college in Kerala was the C.M.S. College (Grammar School) (1840) in Kottayam. Notable educational institutions in the district include:-

 * CMS College Kottayam
 * Government College, Kottayam
 * Government Medical College, Kottayam
 * Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kottayam(IIIT-K)
 * Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Kottayam (IIMC-K)
 * K. R. Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts
 * Kottayam Institute of Technology & Science
 * Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.
 * Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Kottayam (Government Engineering College)

Notable people

 * Saint Alphonsa, a canonised saint
 * Meenakshi Anoop, a child artist
 * K. G. Balakrishnan, the first judge from the state of Kerala to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
 * Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Malayalam writer
 * Oommen Chandy, the former Chief minister of Kerala
 * Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, a Malayalam writer
 * V. N. Janaki, a Tamil actress and politician
 * Janardhanan, actor in India
 * Manoj K. Jayan, a Malayalam actor
 * Jayaraj, director
 * Santhosh George Kulangara, managing director of Safari TV
 * K. P. A. C. Lalitha, South Indian actress
 * Mamitha Baiju,actress
 * Mammootty, an actor
 * K. M. Mani, who was the chairman and leader of Kerala Congress (M) which is one of the oldest regional political parties in India.
 * Rosemary, Malayalam language poet and translator.
 * P. K. Vasudevan Nair, Former Chief Minister, Kerala
 * K. R. Narayanan, the former President of India
 * Parvathy Omanakuttan, the Miss World 2008 runner-up
 * Guinness Pakru, a South Indian actor who is the shortest actor in the world
 * Karoor Neelakanta Pillai, writer
 * Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai, a social reformer and the founder of Nair Service Society (N.S.S.)
 * N. N. Pillai, an Indian playwright, actor, theatre director, and orator.
 * Jose Prakash, actor
 * Arundhati Roy, an Indian author
 * Kottarathil Sankunni, Malayalam writer
 * Kalabhavan Shajohn, an actor
 * E. C. George Sudarshan, scientist, 9 times Nobel Prize nominee.
 * Kerala Varma Valiya Koil Thampuran, a Malayalam-language poet and translator
 * Abhilash Tomy, sailor
 * Rimi Tomy, playback singer in Kerala
 * Ponkunnam Varkey, Malayalam writer
 * A. R. Raja Raja Varma, a poet
 * Vijayaraghavan, an actor

title: Kottayam district


text:
Kozhikode

Kozhikode, also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the UNESCO's Cities of Literature.

It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in Kerala and the 19th largest in India. Kozhikode is classified as a Tier 2 city by the Government of India.

It is the largest city in the region known as the Malabar Coast and was the capital of the British-era Malabar district. It was the capital of an independent kingdom ruled by the Samoothiris (Zamorins). The port at Kozhikode acted as the gateway to medieval South Indian coast for the Chinese, the Persians, the Arabs, and finally the Europeans. According to data compiled by economics research firm Indicus Analytics in 2009 on residences, earnings and investments, Kozhikode was ranked the second-best city in India to live in. In 2023, Kozhikode was recognised by UNESCO as India's first City of Literature.

Etymology
The exact origin of the name Kozhikode is uncertain. According to many sources, the name Kozhikode is derived from Koyil-kota (fort), meaning "fortified palace". Koil or Koyil or Kovil is the Malayalam/Tamil term for a Hindu temple, referring to the Tali Shiva Temple. Both the terms kōyil and kōvil are used interchangeably. The Tamil name of the city is Kaḷḷikkōṭṭai.

The name also got corrupted into Kolikod, or its Arab version Qāliqūṭ (IPA: qˠaːliqˠːuːtˤ) and later its anglicised version Calicut. Chinese merchants called it Kūlifo.

The city is officially named Kozhikode in Malayalam, and in English, it is known by its anglicised version, Calicut. The word calico, a fine variety of hand-woven cotton cloth that was exported from the port of Kozhikode, is thought to have been derived from Calicut. The term for tricolour cats, called calico cats, is as well derived from the fabric name.

History
The ancient port of Tyndis which was located on the northern side of Muziris, as mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, was somewhere around Kozhikode. Its exact location is a matter of dispute. The suggested locations are Ponnani, Tanur, Beypore-Chaliyam-Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu, and Koyilandy. Tyndis was a major center of trade, second only to Muziris, between the Cheras and the Roman Empire. Pliny the Elder (1st century CE) states that the port of Tyndis was located at the northwestern border of Keprobotos (Chera dynasty). The North Malabar region, which lies north of the port at Tyndis, was ruled by the kingdom of Ezhimala during Sangam period. According to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a region known as Limyrike began at Naura and Tyndis. However  Ptolemy mentions only Tyndis as Limyrike's starting point. The region probably ended at Kanyakumari; it thus roughly corresponds to the present-day Malabar Coast. The value of Rome's annual trade with the region was estimated at around 50,000,000 sesterces. Pliny the Elder mentioned that Limyrike was prone by pirates. The Cosmas Indicopleustes mentioned that the Limyrike was a source of peppers.

In the 14th century, Kozhikode conquered larger parts of central Kerala after the seize of Tirunavaya region from Valluvanad, which were under the control of the king of Perumbadappu Swaroopam (Cochin). The ruler of Perumpadappu was forced to shift his capital (c. CE 1405) further south from Kodungallur to Kochi. In the 15th century, the status of Cochin was reduced to a vassal state of Kozhikode, thus leading to the emergence of Kozhikode as the most powerful kingdom in medieval Malabar Coast. During the 15th century Kalaripayat was important in the history of Malabar, some warriors lived, most notably puthooram veettil Aromal Chekavar and his sister Unniyarcha who were chieftains of martial arts.

The port at Kozhikode held the superior economic and political position in medieval Kerala coast, while Kannur, Kollam, and Kochi, were commercially important secondary ports, where the traders from various parts of the world would gather. Kozhikode was the capital of an independent kingdom ruled by the samoothiris (Zamorins) in the Middle Ages and later of the erstwhile Malabar District under British rule. Arab merchants traded with the region as early as 7th century, and Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Kozhikode on 20 May 1498, thus opening a trade route between Europe and India. A Portuguese factory and the fort was intact in Kozhikode for short period (1511–1525, until the Fall of Calicut). The English landed in 1615 (constructing a trading post in 1665), followed by the French (1698) and the Dutch (1752). In 1765, Mysore captured Kozhikode as part of its occupation of the Malabar Coast. Kozhikode, once a famous cotton-weaving centre, gave its name to the Calico cloth. It was ranked eleventh among Tier-II Indian cities in job creation by a study conducted by ASSOCHAM in 2007.

Early Kozhikode in foreign accounts
Accounts of the city and the conditions prevailing then can be gleaned from the chronicles of travellers who visited the port city. Ibn Battuta (1342–1347), who visited six times, gives the earliest glimpses of life in the city. He describes Kozhikode as "one of the great ports of the district of Malabar" where "merchants of all parts of the world are found here". The king of this place, he says, "shaves his chin just as the Haidari Fakeers of Rome do... The greater part of the Muslim merchants of this place are so wealthy that one of them can purchase the whole freightage of such vessels put here and fit out others like them". Ma Huan (1403), the Chinese sailor part of the Imperial Chinese fleet under Cheng Ho (Zheng He) lauds the city as a great emporium of trade frequented by merchants from around the world. He makes note of the 20 or 30 mosques built to cater to the religious needs of the Muslims, the unique system of calculation by the merchants using their fingers and toes (followed to this day) and the matrilineal system of succession.

Abdur Razzak (1442–1443) the ambassador of Persian Emperor Sha-Rohk finds the city harbour perfectly secured and notices precious articles from several maritime countries especially from Abyssinia, Zirbad and Zanzibar.

The Italian Niccolò de' Conti (1445), perhaps the first Christian traveller who noticed Kozhikode, describes the city as abounding in pepper, lac, ginger, a larger kind of cinnamon, myrobalans and zedoary. He calls it a noble emporium for all India, with a circumference of 13 km.

The Russian traveller Athanasius Nikitin or Afanasy Nikitin (1468–1474) calls 'Calecut' a port for the whole Indian sea and describes it as having a "big bazaar."

Other travellers who visited Kozhikode include the Italian Ludovico di Varthema (1503–1508) and Duarte Barbosa.

Zamorins of Calicut
Kozhikode and its suburbs formed part of the Polanad kingdom, which was a vassal state to the Kolathunadu of North Malabar, ruled by the Porlatiri. The Eradis of Nediyiruppu at Kondotty in Eranad (Malappuram district) wanted an outlet to the sea, to initiate trade and commerce with the distant lands. and after fighting with the king Polatthiri for 48 years conquered the area around Panniankara. After this, Menokki became the ruler of Polanad and came to terms with the troops and people. After this, the town of Kozhikode was founded close to the palace at Tali. Then, the Eradis shifted their headquarters from Nediyiruppu to Kozhikode. The Governor of Ernad built a fort at a place called Velapuram to safeguard his new interests. The fort most likely lent its name to Koyil Kotta the precursor to Kozhikode. Thus the city came into existence sometime in the 13th century. The status of Udaiyavar increased and he became known as Swami Nambiyathiri Thirumulpad, and eventually Samuri or Samoothiri (Zamorin). Europeans called him in a corrupt form as Zamorin.

At the peak of their reign, the Zamorins ruled over a region from Kollam (Quilon) to Panthalayini Kollam (Koyilandy). Following the discovery of the sea route from Europe to Kozhikode in 1498, the Portuguese began to expand their territories and ruled the seas between Ormus and the Malabar Coast and south to Ceylon. Kallingal Madathil Rarichan Moopan and Pullambil Moopan and Vamala Moopan families were very prominent among those who said that two centuries ago, some Jenmis in Kozhikode were engaged in sea trade and shipping.

According to K.V. Krishna Iyer, the rise of Kozhikode is at once a cause and a consequence of Zamorin's ascendancy in Kerala. By the end of the 15th century, the Zamorin was at the zenith of his powers with all princes and chieftains of Kerala north of Kochi acknowledging his suzerainty. The Sweetmeat Street (Mittayi Theruvu) was an important trading street under Zamorin's rule.

The First Battle of Cannanore that occurred in January 1502 between the Third Portuguese Armada and Kingdom of Cochin under João da Nova and Zamorin of Calicut's navy marks the beginning of Portuguese conflicts in the Indian Ocean. The defeat of the joint fleet of the Sultan of Gujarat Mahmud Begada, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, and the Zamorin of Calicut with support from the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Diu in February 1509 marks the beginning of Portuguese dominance of the Spice trade and the Indian Ocean. The continuous wars between the Zamorin navy under the Kunjali Marakkar (Fleet Admiral) and the Portuguese in the 16th century reduced the importance of Kozhikode as a centre of trade. The Kunjali Marakkars are credited with organizing the first naval defense of the Indian coast.

At the beginning of the 17th century the Zenin Toji expelled the Portuguese with the help of the Dutch East India Company. In 1602, the Zenin Toji sent messages to Aceh promising the Dutch a fort at Kozhikode if they would come and trade there. Two factors, Hans de Wolff and Lafer, were sent on an Asian ship from Aceh, but the two were captured by the chief of Tanur, and handed over to the Portuguese. A Dutch fleet under Admiral Steven van der Hagen arrived at Kozhikode in November 1604. It marked the beginning of the Dutch presence in Kerala and they concluded a treaty with Kozhikode on 11 November 1604, which was also the first treaty that the Dutch East India Company made with an Indian ruler. By this time the kingdom and the port of Kozhikode was much reduced in importance. The treaty provided for a mutual alliance between the two to expel the Portuguese from Malabar. In return the Dutch East India Company was given facilities for trade at Kozhikode and Ponnani, including spacious storehouses.

British Rule
The arrival of British in Kerala documented in the year 1615, when a group under the leadership of Captain William Keeling arrived at Kozhikode, using three ships. It was in these ships that Sir Thomas Roe went to visit Jahangir, the fourth Mughal emperor, as British envoy. Travancore became the most dominant state in Kerala by defeating the Zamorin of Kozhikode in the battle of Purakkad in 1755. Kozhikode came under British Rule after the Mysorean conquest of Malabar in the late 18th century. The British later also formed a regiment called the Thiyyar Regiment to meet their military operations in Malabar. Kozhikode was the capital city of Malabar District, one of the two districts on the western coast (Malabar Coast) of Madras presidency. During the British rule, Malabar's chief importance lay in producing pepper, coconut, tiles, and teak. Kozhikode municipality was formed on 1 November 1866 according to the Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in Towns act 1850) of the British Indian Empire, making it the first modern municipality in the state.

Post Independence
Kozhikode Municipality was upgraded into Kozhikode Municipal Corporation in the year 1962, making it the second-oldest Municipal Corporation in the state.

Climate
Kozhikode has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). A brief spell of pre-monsoon Mango showers hits the city sometime during April. However, the primary source of rain is the South-west monsoon that sets in the first week of June and continues until September. The city receives significant precipitation from the North-East Monsoon that sets in from the second half of October through November. This city has winter (December-February) hotter than summer (June-August), while spring (March-May) is the hottest season.

Demographics
The total population under Municipal Corporation limits is 550,440. Males form 47.7% and females 52.3%.

Kozhikode has been a multi-ethnic and multi-religious town since the early medieval period. The Hindus form the largest religious group, followed by Muslims and Christians. Hindus form the majority at 57.37% of the population with 315807 members. Muslims form 37.6% of the population with 207298 members.

The corporation of Kozhikode has an average literacy rate of 96.8% (national average is 74.85%). The male literacy rate is 97.93% and female literacy rate is 95.78%.

Pre-modern Kozhikode was already teeming with people of several communities and regional groups. Most of these communities continued to follow their traditional occupations and customs till the 20th century. Brahmins, too, lived in the city mostly around the Hindu temples. Regional groups like the Tamil Brahmins, Gujaratis and Marwari Jains became part of the city and lived around their shrines.

The Nairs formed the rulers, warriors and landed gentry of Kozhikode. The Thiyyar formed the vaidyars (Ayurveda Physicians), local militia and traders of Kozhikode. The Samoothiri had a ten thousand strong Nair bodyguard called the Kozhikkottu pathinaayiram (The 10,000 of Kozhikode) who defended the capital and supported the administration within the city. He had a larger force of 30,000 Nairs in his capacity as the Prince of Eranadu, called the Kozhikkottu Muppatinaayiram (The 30,000 of Kozhikode). The Nairs also formed the members of the suicide squad (chaver). The Muslims of Kozhikode are known as Mappilas, and according to the official Kozhikode website "the great majority of them are Sunnis following the Shafi school of thought. There are some smaller communities among the Muslims such as Dawoodi Bohras of Gujarati origin. Many of the Muslims living in the historic part of the city follow matrilineality and are noted for their piety. Though Christianity is believed to have been introduced in Kerala in the 1st century CE, the size of the community in Malabar (northern Kerala) began to rise only after the arrival of Portuguese missionaries towards the close of the 15th century. A few Christians of Thiruvitankoor and Kochi have lately migrated to the hilly regions of the district and are settled there.

The Tamil Brahmins are primarily settled around the Tali Siva temple. They arrived in Kozhikode as dependants of chieftains, working as cooks, cloth merchants and moneylenders. They have retained their Tamil language and dialects as well as caste rituals. The Gujarati community is settled mostly around the Jain temple in and around the Valliyangadi. They owned many establishments, especially textile and sweet shops. They must have arrived in Kozhikode at least from the beginning of the 14th century. They belong to either the Hindu or the Jain community. A few Marwari families are also found in Kozhikode who was basically moneylenders.

Civic administration
The city is administered by the Kozhikode Corporation, headed by a mayor. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 75 wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. Recently neighbouring suburbs Beypore, Elathur, Cheruvannur and Nallalam were merged within the municipal corporation.

Kozhikode Corporation is the first City Corporation in Kerala after the creation of the state. Established in 1962, Kozhikode Corporation's first mayor was H Manjunatha Rao. Kozhikode corporation has four assembly constituencies – Kozhikode North, Kozhikode South, Beypore and Elathur – all of which are part of Kozhikode.

Law and order
The Kozhikode City Police is headed by a commissioner, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The city is divided into six zones each under a circle officer. Apart from regular law and order, the city police comprise the traffic police, bomb squad, dog squad, fingerprint bureau, women's cell, juvenile wing, narcotics cell, riot force, armed reserve camps, district crime records bureau and a women's station. It operates 16 police stations functioning under the Home Ministry of Government of Kerala.

National highways
National Highway 66 connects Kozhikode to Mumbai via Mangaluru, Udupi and Goa to the north and Kochi and Kanyakumari near Thiruvananthapuram to the south along the west coast of India. This highway connects the city with the other important towns like, Kasaragod, Kanhangad, Kannur, Thalassery, Mahe, Vadakara, Koyilandy Ramanattukara, Kottakkal, Valanchery, Kuttippuram, Ponnani, Kodungallur, North Paravur, Ernakulam, Edapally and proceeds to Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram and terminates at the southern tip of India, Kanyakumari.

National Highway 766 connects Kozhikode to Bangalore through Kollegal in Karnataka via Tirumakudal Narsipur, Mysore, Nanjangud, Gundlupet, Sulthan Bathery, Kalpetta and Thamarassery.

National Highway 966 connects Kozhikode to Palakkad through Malappuram,Perinthalmanna. It covers a distance of 125 km. At Ramanattukara, a suburb of Kozhikode, it joins NH 66. It passes through major towns like Kondotty, Perinthalmanna, and Mannarkkad and Malappuram. This stretch connects the city and Calicut International Airport.

State Highways
SH 29 passes through the city. It connects NH 766, Malabar Christian College, civil station, Kunnamangalam, koduvally,Thamarassery,Chellot, Chitragiri and Road to Gudallor from Kerala border.

State highway 38 starts from Pavangad near passes through Ulliyeri, Perambra, Kuttiady, Nadapuram, Panoor & Koothuparamba and ends at Chovva in Kannur. The highway is107;km long. It is one of the busiest route in the district.

SH 54 connects the city to Kalpetta. The highway is 99.0 km long. The highway passes through Pavangad, Kozhikode, Ulliyeri, Perambra, Poozhithodu, Peruvannamuzhi and Padinjarethara. SH 68 starts from Kappad and ends in Adivaram. The highway is 68.11 km long.

SH 34 starts from Koyilandy and ends in Edavanna which is 44.0 km long. This highway passes through Koyilandi, Ulliyeri, Balussery, Thamarassery, Omassery, Mukkam.

Buses
Buses, predominantly run by individual owners, ply on the routes within the city and to nearby locations. City buses are painted green. Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs regular services to many destinations in the state and to the neighboring states. The city has three bus stands. All private buses to the suburban and nearby towns ply from the Palayam Bus Stand. Private buses to adjoining districts start from the Mofussil Bus Stand on Indira Gandhi Road (Mavoor Road). Buses operated by the KSRTC drive from the KSRTC bus stand on Indira Gandhi Road. KSRTC Bus Stand Kozhikode is the largest bus stand in Kerala having a size of 36,036.47 meter square. There are also KSRTC depots in Thamarassery, Thottilpalam, Thiruvambady and Vatakara. There are three routes available to Bangalore. Kozhikode–Sulthan Bathery-Gundlupet–Mysore–Bangalore is the preferred one and is very busy. Another route, is Kozhikode-Manathavady-Kutta-Mysore-Bangalore. The third one, less used, is Kozhikode–Gundlupet–Chamarajanagar–Kollegal–Bangalore.

Private tour operators maintain regular luxury bus services to Mumbai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Vellore, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, Ooty, Mysore. etc. and mainly operate from the Palayam area. These are usually night services.

Rail
Kozhikode has a main railway station, where all passing trains stops. There are other railway stations within the City limits. They are Elathur, West Hill, Vellayil and Kallai. Only local passenger trains stops in these stations. One can travel to almost all destinations within the country from Kozhikode. The history of railways in Kerala dates to 1861 when the first tracks were laid between Tirur and Beypore.

Air
Calicut International Airport is 26 km from the city at Karipur in Kondotty, which is in the Malappuram district. It began operations in 1988. Domestic services are operated to major Indian cities. It received the status of an international airport in 2006.

Economy
Calicut is one of the biggest economic hubs in Kerala. Service sector dominates the economy followed by industries. Nedungadi Bank, the first and oldest bank in the modern state of Kerala, was established by Appu Nedungadi at Kozhikode in the year 1899. Cyberpark, a Government of Kerala organisation, plans to build, operate and manage IT parks for the promotion and development of investment in IT and ITES industries in the Malabar region of Kerala. It would be the third IT hub in the state of Kerala. The two IT parks might create a total 100,000 direct job opportunities. The first project is the development of Cyberpark hub in Kozhikode with its spokes at Kannur and Kazargode IT parks. Other planned projects include the Birla IT park (at Mavoor) and Malaysian satellite city (at Kinaloor) where KINFRA has plans to set up a 400 acre industrial park. In 2012, Kozhikode was given the tag of "City of Sculptures" (Shilpa Nagaram) because of the architectural sculptures around the city. Currently there are many IT companies running in UL Cyberpark, Government Cyberpark and Hilite Business Park.

Shopping

The city has a strong mercantile aspect. The main area of business was once Valiyangadi (Big Bazaar) near the railway station. As time progressed, it shifted to other parts of the city. The commercial heart has moved to Mittai Theruvu (Sweetmeat Street or S. M. Street), a long street crammed with shops that sell everything from saris to cosmetics. It also houses restaurants and sweetmeat shops. Today, the city has multiple shopping malls. Focus Mall (First mall of Kerala ), HiLITE Mall, Gokulam Mall, Address Mall and RP Mall are a few among them. LuLu Group International's Lulu Mall is under construction in the areas of Mankavu.

Music
In addition to the Malabar Mahotsavam, the annual cultural fest of Kozhikode, every year since 1981 the Tyagaraja Aradhana Trust has been conducting a five-day music festival in honour of Tyagaraja. The festival is complete with the Uncchavritti, rendering of Divyanama kritis, Pancharatna Kritis, concerts by professional artistes and students of music from morning to late in the evening.

Kozhikode has a tradition of Ghazal and Hindustani music appreciation. There are many Malayalam Ghazals. The late film director and play back singer M. S. Baburaj, from Kozhikode was influenced by Ghazal and Hindustani.

Newspapers
Newspaper publishing started in Kozhikode with the launch of the English weekly West Coast Spectator in 1879. Edited by Dr. Keys and printed by Vakil Poovadan Raman from the Spectator Press, it was rechristened the Malabar Spectator in later years. The first Malayalam newspaper in Kozhikode was Kerala Pathrika established by Chengalathu Kunhirama Menon in 1884. Keralam, Kerala Sanchari and Bharathivasam were among the other newspapers published in Kozhikode in the 19th century. Some of the major newspapers that contributed to the Indian independence movement Mathrubhumi and Mithavadi, were based in Kozhikode. Now almost all the major newspapers in Malayalam have editions in Kozhikode. English newspapers such as The Hindu and The New Indian Express also have Kozhikode editions.

Radio
The Kozhikode radio station of All India Radio has two transmitters: Kozhikode AM (100 kilowatts) and Kozhikode FM [Vividh Bharathi] (10 kilowatts). Private FM radio stations are Radio Mango 91.9 operated by Malayala Manorama Co. Ltd. Radio Mirchi operated by Entertainment Network India Ltd. and Club FM 104.8 operated by Mathrubhumi group and Red FM 93.5 of the SUN Network. AIR FM radio stations are Kozhikode – 103.6 MHz; AIR MW radio station is Kozhikode – 684 kHz.

Television
A television transmitter has been functioning in Kozhikode since 3 July 1984, relaying programmes from Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram Doordarshan. Doordarshan has its broadcasting centre in Kozhikode at Medical College. The Malayalam channels based on Kozhikode are the Shalom Television, Darshana TV and Media One TV. All major channels in Malayalam viz. Manorama News, Asianet, Surya TV, Kairali TV, Amrita TV, Jeevan TV, and Jaihind have their studios and news bureaus in the city.

Satellite television services are available through DD Direct+, Dish TV, Sun Direct DTH and Tata Sky. Asianet Digital TV is popularly known as ACV telecasts daily city news. Spidernet is another local channel. Other local operators include KCL and Citinet.

The Calicut Press Club came into existence in 1970. It is the nerve centre of all media activities, both print and electronic. Begun with around 70 members in the roll, this Press Club, became a prestigious and alert media centre in the state with a present membership of over 280.

Education
There are 1,237 schools in Kozhikode district including 191 highschools.

Kozhikode is home to two premier educational institutions of national importance: the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK), and the National Institute of Technology Calicut (NITC). Other research institutions located in Kozhikode include National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding (NIRDESH), Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) and National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT).

The University of Calicut is the largest university in Kerala and is located in Thenjipalam, about 24 km south of Calicut. This university was established in 1968 and was the second university set up in Kerala. Most of the colleges offering tertiary education in the region are affiliated to this university. The Calicut Medical College was established in 1957 as the second medical college in Kerala. Since then, the institution has grown into a premier centre of medical education in the state. Presently it is the largest medical institute in the state with a yearly intake of 250 candidates for the undergraduate programme.

The Government Law College, Kozhikode situated in Vellimadukunnu on the out skirts of kozhikode town, is owned by the Government of Kerala and affiliated to the University of Calicut. The college caters to the needs of the north Malabar region of Kerala it is the third law college in kerala state founded in 1970.

Main colleges in calicut city: Zamurians Guruvayoorappan College, Malabar Christian college, Farook College, Devagiri College, Providence college for women, Govt. Arts & science college, Meenchantha, Kerala Government Polytechnic College, West Hill, Government Engineering College Kozhikode.

In 1876, a school for young Rajas was started in Kozhikode. This was later thrown open to all caste Hindu boys. In 1879, it was affiliated to the University of Madras as a second-grade college and with this, collegiate education in the district received a fillip. Secondary education recorded appreciable progress since 1915. The erstwhile Malabar district, of which the present Kozhikode district formed a part, holds a high rank among the districts of Madras Presidency in secondary education.

Football
Kozhikode is home to I-League club Gokulam Kerala, they won 2 titles and Durand Cup.

Volleyball
Calicut Heroes Playing in top flight league Prime Volleyball League

Twin/sister cities
Calicut's sister city or twin city is

 * 🇷🇺 Tver, Russia

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Kozhikode


text:
Talk:Acid rain

Semi-protected edit request on 9 February 2024
Monika1221 (talk) 12:03, 9 February 2024 (UTC)

"Acid Rain Has Disproportionate Impact on Near-Shore Ocean Waters - Windows to the Universe". www.windows2universe.org. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved.Monika1221 (talk) 12:03, 9 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Shadow311 (talk) 15:48, 9 February 2024 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: EEB 4611-Biogeochemical Processes-Spring 2024
— Assignment last updated by LynSchwendy (talk) 03:28, 14 May 2024 (UTC)

 * --I added a peer review section to this article, on your draft sandbox. Please check it out for feedback suggestions. User:Dohanminhtho/Acid rain/Kloth017 Peer Review Kloth017 (talk) 03:33, 9 April 2024 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2024
— Assignment last updated by Warmedforbs (talk) 01:24, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Acid rain


text:
Taranto

Taranto (Tarde) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the former capital of the province of Taranto, serving as an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base.

Founded by Spartans in the 8th century BC during the period of Greek colonisation, Taranto was among the most important poleis in Magna Graecia, becoming a cultural, economic and military power that gave birth to philosophers, strategists, writers and athletes such as Archytas, Aristoxenus, Livius Andronicus, Heracleides, Iccus, Cleinias, Leonidas, Lysis and Sosibius. By 500 BC, the city was among the largest in the world, with a population estimated up to 300,000 people. The seven-year rule of Archytas marked the apex of its development and recognition of its hegemony over other Greek colonies of southern Italy.

During the Norman period, it became the capital of the Principality of Taranto, which covered almost all of the heel of Apulia.

Taranto is now the third-largest continental city in southern Italy (south of Rome, roughly the southern half of the Italian peninsula), with well-developed steel and iron foundries, oil refineries, chemical works, naval shipyards and food-processing factories. Taranto will host the 2026 Mediterranean Games.

Overview

Taranto's pre-history dates back to 706 BC when it was founded as a Greek colony, established by the Spartans. The ancient city was situated on a peninsula; the modern city has been built over the ancient Greek city of which only a few ruins remain, including part of the city wall, two temple columns dating to the 6th century BC, and tombs.

The Greek colonists from Sparta called the city Taras (Τάρᾱς, gen. Τάραντος Tárantos) after the mythical hero Taras, while the Romans, who connected the city to Rome with an extension of the Appian Way, called it Tarentum.

The islets of S. Pietro and S. Paolo (St. Peter and St. Paul), collectively known as Cheradi Islands, protect the bay, called Mar Grande (Big Sea), where the commercial port is located. Taranto is known for the large population of dolphins and other cetaceans living near these islands. Another bay, called Mar Piccolo (Little Sea), is formed by the peninsula of the old city and has flourishing fishing.

At the end of the 19th century, a channel was excavated to allow naval ships to enter the Mar Piccolo harbour, and the ancient Greek city become an island connected to the mainland by bridges. The islets and the coast are strongly fortified and Mar Piccolo is a naval port with strategic importance. Because of the presence of these two bays, Taranto is also called "the city of the two seas". The natural harbor at Taranto made it a logical home port for the Italian naval fleet before and during the First World War. During World War II, Taranto became famous for a November 1940 British air attack on the Regia Marina naval base stationed here, which today is called the Battle of Taranto.

The city's name is the origin of the common name "tarantula", originating from the terms tarantella, tarantism and tarantula — although no spider species of the family Theraphosidae inhabit the area. In ancient times, residents of Taranto bitten by the large local Wolf Spider, Lycosa tarentula, would promptly do a long vigorous dance like a jig, in order to sweat the venom out of their pores — even though the wolf spider's venom is not fatal to humans. The frenetic dance became known as the Tarantella.

In geology, Taranto gives its name to the Tarantian Age of the Pleistocene Epoch.

Physical geography
Taranto faces the Ionian Sea. It is 14.5 m above sea level. It was built on a plain running north/north-west–southeast, and surrounded by the Murgia plateau from the north-west to the east. Its territory extends for 209.64 km2 and is mostly underwater. It is characterised by three natural peninsulas and a man-made island, formed by digging a ditch during the construction of Aragon Castle. The city is known as the "city of two seas" because it is washed by the Big Sea in the bay between Punta Rondinella to the northwest and Capo San Dante to the south, and by the vast reservoir of the Little Sea.

Big Sea and Little Sea
The Big Sea is frequently known as the Big Sea bay as that is where ships harbour. It is separated from the Little Sea by a cape which closes the gulf, leading to the artificial island. This island formed the heart of the original city and it is connected to the mainland by the Ponte di Porta Napoli and the Ponte Girevole. The Big Sea is separated from the Ionian Sea by the Capo San Vito, the Isole Cheradi of St Peter and St Paul, and the three islands of San Nicolicchio, which are completely incorporated by the ILVA steelworks. The latter form a little archipelago which closes off the arc creating the natural Big Sea bay.

The Little Sea is considered to be a lagoon so it presents problems of water exchange. It is virtually divided into two by the Ponte Punta Penna Pizzone, which joins the Punta Penna to the Punta Pizzone. The first of these forms a rough triangle, whose corners are the opening to the east and the Porta Napoli channel linking it to the Big Sea in the west. The second half forms an ellipse whose major axis measures almost 5 km from the south-west to the north-east. The Galeso river flows into the first half.

The two water bodies have slightly different winds and tides and their underwater springs have different salinities. These affect the currents on the surface and in the depths of the Big Sea and the two halves of the Little Sea. In the Big Sea and in the northern part of the Little Sea, there are some underwater springs called citri, which carry undrinkable freshwater together with salt water. This creates the ideal biological conditions for cultivating Mediterranean mussels, known locally as cozze.

Climate
The climate of the city, recorded by the weather station situated near the Grottaglie Military Airport, is a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, typical of the Mediterranean with frequent continental features.

The spring is usually mild and rainy, but it is not uncommon to have sudden cold spells from the north and east, which often cause snowfall. Average annual precipitation is fairly low (even for southern Italy), measuring just 425 mm per year.

The summer is hot and humid, with temperatures averaging 29 C.

On 28 November 2012 a large F3 tornado hit the port of Taranto and damaged the Taranto Steel Mill; about 20 workers were injured, and another man was reported missing.

It is classified as Geographical zone C and having a degree-day of 30.

History
Taranto was founded in 706 BC by Dorian Greek immigrants hailing from Sparta. Its origin is peculiar: the founders were Partheniae ("sons of virgins"), sons of unmarried Spartan women and Perioeci (free men, but not citizens of Sparta); these out-of-wedlock unions were permitted extraordinarily by the Spartans to increase the prospective number of soldiers (only the citizens of Sparta could become soldiers) during the bloody Messenian Wars, but later they were retroactively nullified, and the sons were then obliged to leave Greece forever. Phalanthus, the Parthenian leader, went to Delphi to consult the oracle: the puzzling answer designated the harbour of Taranto as the new home of the exiles. The Partheniae arrived in Apulia, and founded the city, naming it Taras after the son of the Greek sea god, Poseidon, and of a local nymph, According to other sources, Heracles founded the city. Another tradition indicates Taras as the founder of the city; the symbol of the Greek city (as well as of the modern city) depicts the legend of Taras being saved from a shipwreck by riding a dolphin that was sent to him by Poseidon. Taranto increased its power, becoming a commercial power and a sovereign city of Magna Graecia,.

Its independence and power came to an end as the Romans expanded throughout Italy. Taranto won the first of two wars against Rome for the control of Southern Italy: it was helped by Pyrrhus, king of Greek Epirus, who surprised Rome with the use of war elephants in battle, a thing never seen before by the Romans. Rome won the second war in 272 BC. This subsequently cut off Taranto from the centre of Mediterranean trade, by connecting the Via Appia directly to the port of Brundisium (Brindisi).

Ancient art
Like many Greek city states, Taras issued its own coins in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. The denomination was a Nomos, a die-cast silver coin whose weight, size and purity were controlled by the state. The highly artistic coins presented the symbol of the city, Taras being saved by a dolphin, with the reverse side showing the likeness of a hippocamp, a horse-fish amalgam which is depicted in mythology as the beast that drew Poseidon's chariot.

Taras was also the centre of a thriving decorated Greek pottery industry during the 4th century BC. Most of the South Italian Greek vessels known as Basilican ware were made in different workshops in the city.

Unfortunately, none of the names of the artists have survived, so modern scholars have been obliged to give the recognizable artistic hands and workshops nicknames based on the subject matter of their works, museums which possess the works, or individuals who have distinguished the works from others. Some of the most famous of the Apulian vase painters at Taras are now called: the Iliupersis Painter, the Lycurgus Painter, the Gioia del Colle Painter, the Darius Painter, the Underworld Painter, and the White Sakkos Painter, among others.

The wares produced by these workshops were usually large elaborate vessels intended for mortuary use. The forms produced included volute kraters, loutrophoroi, paterai, oinochoai, lekythoi, fish plates, etc. The decoration of these vessels was red figure (with figures reserved in red clay fabric, while the background was covered in a black gloss), with overpainting (sovradipinto) in white, pink, yellow, and maroon slips.

Often the style of the drawings is florid and frilly, as was already the fashion in 4th-century Athens. Distinctive South Italian features also begin to appear. Many figures are shown seated on rocks. Floral motifs become very ornate, including spiraling vines and leaves, roses, lilies, poppies, sprays of laurel, acanthus leaves. Often the subject matter consists of naiskos scenes (scenes showing the statue of a deceased person in a naos, a miniature temple or shrine). Most often the naiskos scene occupies one side of the vase, while a mythological scene occupies the other. Images depicting many of the Greek myths are only known from South Italian vases, since Athenian ones seem to have had more limited repertoires of depiction.

World War II
The Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War between British naval forces, under Admiral Andrew Cunningham, and Italian naval forces, under Admiral Inigo Campioni. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, employing 21 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious (R87) in the Mediterranean Sea. The attack struck the battle fleet of the Regia Marina at anchor in the harbour of Taranto, using aerial torpedoes despite the shallowness of the water.

The Taranto Prize (Premio Taranto)
The Taranto Prize, defined as the "Biennial of the South", was a biennial cultural event that took place between 1947 and 1951. It was born on the initiative of thirty-year-old veterans who, returning from the Second World War, gathered in the «Cultural Club (Circolo della cultura)» and the newspaper 'Voce del Popolo'. The coordinator, Antonio Rizzo, was a physicist who graduated with Enrico Fermi. He intended to promote a new cultural impulse of a pacifist nature for the city. The event was structured into two sections: literature and painting. Several artists of international calibre, such as Pier Paolo Pasolini, Carlo Emilio Gadda, and Giorgio de Chirico, participated. The theme of the competition was the sea.

2006 municipal bankruptcy
The Municipality of Taranto was declared bankrupt effective 31 December 2005, having accrued liabilities of €357 million. This was one of the biggest financial crises which has ever hit a municipality.

The bankruptcy declaration was made on 18 October 2006 by the receiver Tommaso Blonda. He was appointed following the resignation of the mayor, Rossana Di Bello, on account of her sixteen-month prison sentence for abuse of office and forgery of documents relating to investigations into the contract for the management of the city incinerator, awarded to Termomeccanica.

Rail
Taranto railway station connects the city with Rome, Naples, Milan, Bologna, Bari, Reggio di Calabria and Brindisi.

Air
Taranto-Grottaglie Airport is located 16 km away from Taranto, but does not offer any regularly scheduled commercial services. The two closest airports that do offer regularly scheduled commercial services are in Brindisi and Bari, approximately 70 km and 90 km away, respectively.

Other
The Ponte Girevole (swing bridge), built in 1887, runs across the navigable ship canal that joins Mar Piccolo (Little Sea) with Mar Grande (Big Sea) and stretches along 89.9 m. When the bridge is open, the two ends of the city are disconnected.

Environment
In 1991 Taranto was declared a high environmental risk area by the Ministry of Environment. As a consequence of the pollutants discharged into the air by the factories in the area, most notably the ILVA steel plant, part of Gruppo Riva. 7% of Taranto's pollution is produced by the public; 93% is produced by factories. In 2005, the European Pollutant Emission Register estimated dioxin emissions from the Taranto ILVA plant were responsible for 83% of Italy's total reported emissions. Every year the city is exposed to 2.7 tonnes of carbon monoxide and 57.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide. In 2014, the Italian National Institute of Emissions and their Sources, stated that Taranto stands third in the world behind China's Linfen, and Copşa Mică in Romania, the most polluted cities in the world due to factories' emissions.

In particular, the city produces ninety-two percent of Italy's dioxin. This is 8.8 percent of the dioxin in Europe. Between 1995 and 2004, leukaemias, myelomas and lymphomas increased by 30 to 40 percent. Dioxin accumulates over the years. Over 9 kilos of dioxin have been discharged into the city's air by its factories. Grazing is banned within 20 km of the ILVA plant.

In 2013, the ILVA plant was placed under special administration when its owner, the Riva family, was accused of failing to prevent toxic emissions, which caused at least 400 premature deaths. Emissions of both carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dioxin have decreased. Animal species have returned that had left, including swallows, cranes, dolphins, seahorses and the coral reef.

Main sites

Taranto has a number of sites of historic value. Situated at the angle of the canal, Big Sea and Piazza Castello, the Aragon Castle was built between 1486 and 1492 by orders of King Ferdinand II of Aragon to protect the city from the Turks' frequent raids. The castle, which was designed by Italian painter and architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini, replaced a pre-existing 9th-century Byzantine fortress, which was deemed unfit for 15th-century warfare. In 1707 it ceased to be used as a military fortress and was converted to a prison until under Napoleon Bonaparte it reverted to its original military function. To date it is the property of the Italian Navy and is open to the public. Twenty-first-century excavations revealed the castle's earlier Byzantine foundations which can be viewed.

There are several Greek temple ruins - some from the 6th century BC - such as the remains of a temple dedicated to Poseidon, with its two surviving Doric columns still visible on Piazza Castello in the Città Vecchia.

The Promenade (lungomare), named after former Italian king Victor Emmanuel III, overlooks the Mar Grande, the natural harbour and commercial port.

The Concattedrale Gran Madre di Dio, designed by Gio Ponti, was built in 1967–1971 in reinforced concrete and is one of the most significant late works by the architect. In 2018 it is in poor condition and defaced by graffiti.

In the modern districts, but above all in the central Borgo Umbertino, there are also the Fountain of the Rosa dei Venti, Monumento al Marinaio, the War Memorial and the Navy Yard, another symbol of the city, some archeological sites such as the Cripta del Redentore, churches like Maria Santissima del Monte Carmelo, San Pasquale and San Francesco di Paola and 18th- and 19th-century palaces such as Palazzo Magnini, Palazzo delle Poste, Palazzo del Governo, Palazzo degli Uffici and Palazzo Savino D'Amelio.

On the outskirts and in the countryside there are several traditional ancient country houses called masseria, like Masseria Capitignano.

Old City
The Old City or Città Vecchia is where the Greeks built their acropolis. Today it retains the same street layout of 967, when the Byzantines under Nicephorus Phocas rebuilt what the Saracen troops led by the Slavic Sabir had razed to the ground in 927 AD. There are four main arteries (Corso Vittorio II, Via Duomo, Via di Mezzo and Via Garibaldi) which run in a straight direction however the side streets were purposely built narrow and winding to impede the passage of an invading army.

Incorporating the Aragon Castle, Doric Columns, City Hall, Clock Tower and Piazza Fontana, it is situated and entirely enclosed on the artificial island between the Big and Little Seas and is reached from the New City by crossing the Ponte Girevole (swing bridge) from the south and the Ponte di Porta Napoli from the north. Almost rectangular in shape, it is divided into four pittaggi (quarters) that are delineated by the cross formed between Via di Mezzo and postilier Via Nuova. These are "Baglio" and "San Pietro" in the upper section which face the Big Sea; and  "Turipenne" and "Ponte" in the lower part fronting the Little Sea. The nobility, clergy and military personnel made their homes in Baglio and San Pietro, whilst the artisans and fishermen dwelled in Ponte and Turipenne. An Armenian community was present in the 10th and 11th centuries having arrived in Taranto as troops in the Byzantine Army. The San't Andrea degli Armeni church in Piazza Monteoliveto, located in the Baglio quarter, stands as testimony to the neighbourhood where the Armenians made their homes.

In 1746 the entire population of Taranto resided in Old City. This resulted in the necessity of building additional stories on the narrow houses. It is still inhabited with a number of people living in juxtaposition to the old palazzi. By 2013 the population of the Old City was just 1000 at a time when the wider city had more than 200,000 inhabitants.

There are a number of 17th and 18th-century palazzi in Old City. For years, they served as the main residence of local aristocratic families and the clergy. These include Palazzo Calò, Palazzo Carducci-Artenisio (1650), Palazzo Galeota (1728), Palazzo Gallo (17th century), P PMalazzo Latagliata, Palazzo Lo Jucco (1793), Palazzo D'Aquino, Palazzo Delli Ponti, Palazzo Gennarini, Palazzo d'Ayala, Palazzo Visconti, Palazzo Galizia, Palazzo Ciura and Palazzo Pantaleo. The 17th century de Beaumont-Bonelli-Bellacicco palace houses the Spartan Museum of Taranto - Hypogeum Bellacicco which extends below street and sea level to the hypogeum that is a crossroads with other hypogeum of Old City which together form the system of subterranean Taranto.

Churches include the San Cataldo Cathedral (10th century) in Piazza Duomo, San Domenico Maggiore (1302), Sant'Andrea degli Armeni (16th century), Sant'Agostino (1402), San Michele (1763), Sant'Anna, the Madonna della Salute sanctuary (1752), and San Giuseppe (16th century). Close to the San Agostino church, located near Pendio La Riccia, the buried remains of an ancient Greek temple were discovered.

Beginning in 1934 Benito Mussolini embarked on a project of rejuvenation that involved the demolition of the working class Turipenne pittaggio along the Via Garibaldi and  Discesa Vasto  which contained the homes of local fishermen as well as the old Jewish quarter. The demolitions, which also razed the old medieval wall and three churches out of the four within the area, continued until the outbreak of World War II. Modern edifices and apartment blocks were erected to replace the demolished structures.

In addition to the many palazzi, Old City has myriad arched alleyways, saliti, vicoli and small streets, some of which are closed to traffic. Between 2013 and 2014 two Neapolitan urban artists Cyop and Kaf embarked on a project to decorate derelict buildings, walls and doors in the piazzi and vicoli with 120 representations of street art. It has since become a striking feature of Old City which is described as the abandoned district of Taranto.

Education
Among the various school are: Liceo Scientifico Battaglini, Liceo Archita (the most ancient), Liceo Quinto Ennio (in Literature), Liceo Aristosseno (Languages, Science, Humanistic), Galileo Ferraris, ITCS Pitagora da Taranto, Vittorino da Feltre, Cabrini, ITIS Righi and ITIS Pacinotti (in IT) and ITC V. Bachelet (in Commercial and Accounting – famous for the activities at BIT MILANO).

Demographics
Census populations

Dialect
The city is the centre of the Tarantino dialect (dialètte tarandíne) of the Neapolitan language. As a result of the city's history, it is influenced by Greek, Vulgar Latin, French and many others.

Sports

 * Taranto F.C. 1927 (Football)

2026 Mediterranean Games
Taranto will host the 2026 Mediterranean Games which will mark the fourth time Italy hosts the Mediterranean Games.

Cuisine
Taranto's cuisine is characterised by local products, especially vegetables and fish like artichokes, eggplants, tomatoes, olives, onions, shrimps, octopus, sardines, squid and, above all, mussels. A very important role is also played by the olive oil and bread produced in the city and in all the villages of its province. Some PDO, PGI and PAT are made in the countryside of Taranto and in the villages around the city: among them we can find some extra-virgin olive oil like Terre Tarentine PDO and Terra d'Otranto PDO, fruits like Uva di Puglia PGI and Clementine del Golfo di Taranto PGI, vegetables like the Barattiere PAT, Pomodorino di Manduria PAT, types of cheese like Burrata di Andria PGI and Ricotta Forte PAT, a type of bread called Pane di Laterza PAT and the Capocollo di Martina Franca PAT, a type of capocollo. Other appreciated street foods are the tarallini, the panzerotti, the pucce.

Mussels of Taranto
A very important ingredient of the cuisine of Taranto is mussels. They are grown in the Big Sea and, above all, in the Little Sea (see above). They have been inserted in the list of Traditional Food Products by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. The peculiar flavour of Tarantine mussels is given by the special conditions of salinity of the Little Sea which is crossed by the citri, submarine freshwater springs which manage to oxygenate the water, helping the development of the plankton and by the freshwater come from the Galeso river. The piles for the mussels were anciently made with wood from Sila Mountains in Calabria. During the Ancient Greek and Roman times, several authors described the richness and the goodness of the mussels of Taranto. After the tests about the pollution that is present in the first side of the Little Sea, the legal production of mussels has been moved to the second side. The tests and the classifications of the water are made by producers giving the possibility to certify the safety of the product. Some of the most traditional dishes of Taranto are mussels alla puppitegna (with garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and parsley) or the impepata ("full of pepper" in Italian) or spaghetti with mussels, or Tubettini with mussels.

Twin towns - sister cities
Taranto is twinned with:

 * 🇬🇷 Sparta, Greece (since 2015)
 * 🇫🇷 Brest, France (since 1964)
 * 🇺🇦 Donetsk, Ukraine (since 1985)
 * 🇪🇸 Alicante, Spain (since 2010)
 * 🇵🇰 Islamabad, Pakistan (since 2010)

Notable people
These historical figures have had a relationship with the city. Not all of them were actually born in Taranto.
 * Archytas (428-347 BC) of Tarentum, philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, strategist and commander-in-chief of the army of Taranto
 * Philolaus (c. 470 - c. 385 BCE), mathematician and philosopher
 * Aristoxenus (c. 375 - after 335 BCE), peripatetic philosopher, and writer on music and rhythm
 * Leonidas of Tarentum (3rd century BCE), poet
 * Lysis of Tarentum (c. 5th century BCE), philosopher
 * Cleinias of Tarentum (4th century BCE), Pythagorean philosopher
 * Rhinthon (c. 323–285 BC), dramatist
 * Zeuxis (3rd century BCE), physician
 * Livius Andronicus (с. 284- с. 205 BCE), poet
 * Titus Quinctius Flamininus (c. 229 - c. 174 BCE), propraetor of Tarentum
 * Pacuvius (220 - c. 130), tragic poet, died in Tarentum in 130 BC
 * Cataldus (с 7th century), archbishop and patron saint of Taranto
 * Bohemond of Taranto (c. 1054 -1111), (born in Calabria) key military leader on the First Crusade
 * Philip I, Prince of Taranto, Latin Emperor in exile 1313–1332 (as Philip II), king of Albania
 * Gil Albornoz, archbishop of Taranto in 1644
 * Nicola Fago (1677-1745), composer, teacher, and church musician (maestro di cappella) in Naples
 * Giovanni Paisiello (1740-1816), composer associated with Naples
 * Carlo Balsamo di Specchia-Normandia (1890 - 1960), commander of the naval forces of Italian East Africa during the early stages of World War II.
 * Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, Napoleonic army general and novelist, died in Taranto
 * Etienne-Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre MacDonald (1765–1840), duke of Taranto and marshal of France
 * Marcus Fulvius Nobilior, rumoured to have been born here and not Rome as was first assumed
 * Riccardo Tisci, fashion designer, creative director of Givenchy
 * Roberta Vinci, professional tennis player
 * Cosimo Damiano Lanza, pianist, harpsichordist and composer
 * Pino De Vittorio, singer, actor
 * Filippo Di Stani, Italian footballer
 * Quentin Tarantino, whose family derives its surname from its origins in the city
 * Michele Riondino, actor, director, singer
 * Laura Albanese, Italian-Canadian newscaster and politician
 * Nicola Martinucci, opera singer
 * Alessandro Leogrande, journalist
 * Anna Fougez, actress and singer
 * Diodato, singer and author who was also designated as the Italian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, event cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
 * Barbascura X, science communicator, blogger, writer, media performer
 * Valentina Petrini, journalist and writer
 * Giobbe Covatta, actor, performer writer and social activist

title: Taranto