Kottarakkara


Kottarakkara, also transliterated as Kottarakara, is a town and municipality in Kollam District, in Kerala state, India. The town is close to Kollam Port, which has a rich history linked to the early medieval period as well as the reputation as an important commercial, industrial and trading center. Kottarakkara lies to the east of Kollam city centre.

History

Kottarakkara, also known in the ancient days of the kings as the Elayadathu Swarupam, was a principality ruled by a branch of the Travancore Royal Family. It is the home of Kathakali, a well known dance drama which originated initially as Ramanattam created in the 17th century by Prince Kottarakkara Thampuran and later patronized by the Raja of Kottarakkara in the early 19th century absorbing other dance forms of Krishnattam with further innovations.

Etymology

Kottarakkara, a compound word made up of the words Kottaram, meaning "palace", and kara meaning "land", literally means "land of palaces". The area which had several palaces was thus named "Kottarakkara."

Geography

Kottarakkara is a small principality close to Kollam. As a taluk headquarters, it has six panchayats and other small towns. It is surrounded by several other towns.

Towns and villages in Kottarakara Taluk

Politics

is one among the 11 assembly constituencies in Kollam district. Adv P. Aisha Potty is the present MLA from Kottarakkara constituency. Kottarakkara comes under Mavelikkara that represents a large area including Kottarakkara, Mavelikkara, Changanasseri, spread in Kollam, Alappuzha and Kottayam districts.
E Chandrasekaran Nair, D.Damodaran Potti, R.Balakrishna Pillai, E.Chandrasekaran Nair, C.Achutha Menon, Kottara Gopalakrishnan and R.Balakrishna Pillai are the former elected members represented Kottarakara Assembly Constituency in the past.

Transportation

Road Network

NH 744 earlier known as NH 208 meets the MC road at Kottarakkara.
Kottarakkara is linked with Kollam, both by road and rail, at a distance of 27 km. It is 72 km to the north of Thiruvananthapuram and 80 km to the south of Kottayam.

Road

Kottarakara has one of the Kerala's well connected KSRTC Hub, consist of various services across almost all the parts of kerala and interstate services.
Local routes are connected by private bus services as well as State Transport. It is well connected to the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram by KSRTC Fast Passenger, super fast,
super deluxe, a/c low floor buses. Buses are also ply to the district headquarters of Kollam and Pathanamthitta and to towns in Tamil Nadu like Coimbatore, Tenkasi and Sengottai and Daily trips to Mookambika, Sullya Munnar, Chennai Hosur Bangalore, Velankanni, Madura, Kumali, Mysur, Kanyakumari, Coimbatore, Nagercoil, Thirunelveli, Tutricon, Palani, Trichy, Ernakulam, Kannur, Palakkad, Thrissur, Mangalore, SulthanBathery, Kasargod. Kottarakara depot of ksrtc is one of the top revenue earning depots of the state.

Rail

is located on the Kollam-Sengottai railway line. Kottarakara railway station, which currently connects to Kollam, Trivandrum, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Madurai, Nagercoil, Paravur, Tirunelveli, Guruvayur, Varkala and Punalur through the direct passenger, fast passenger and express train services. There are eight pairs of services right now and heard that many more services would be inducted in this route since the Punalur-Schengotta ghat section has been closed for Broad Gauge conversion. Once the conversion is over, this will serve as the shortest route from Kollam to Chennai and from Kollam Port & Cochin Port to Tuticorin Port. Further, a new line from Chengannur to Thiruvananthapuram via Adoor and Pandalam is awaiting survey. Kottarakkara will become a junction once the new line materializes.

Air

The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport,

Notable people