ISO 15919 (Transliteration of Devanagari and related Indic scripts into Latin characters ) is an international standard for the romanization of Brahmic and Nastaliq scripts. Published in 2001, it is part of a series of international standards by the International Organization for Standardization .
89-531: Kochi ( / ˈ k oʊ tʃ i / , Malayalam: [kotˈt͡ʃi] , ISO : Kōcci ), also known by its former name Cochin ( / ˈ k oʊ tʃ ɪ n / KOH -chin ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea . It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala . The city is also commonly referred to as Ernakulam . As of 2011,
178-656: A mayor . For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 74 wards , from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. Earlier; Fort Kochi , Mattancherry and Ernakulam were the three Municipalities in Cochin area, which was later merged to form the Cochin Corporation. The corporation has its headquarters in Ernakulam, and zonal offices at Fort Kochi , Mattancherry, Palluruthy , Edappally and Pachalam . The general administration of
267-428: A 75% stake in the company to BBC Worldwide , worth an estimated £63 million at the time. The company was publishing 500 titles and ventured into television production. BBC Worldwide struggled following the acquisition, registering a £3.2 million loss in the year to the end of March 2009. By the end of March 2010, profits of £1.9 million had been generated, as digital revenues had risen 37% year-on-year over
356-490: A city with one of the largest Christian populations in India. The majority of the city's residents are Malayalis . However, there are significant ethnic minority communities including Tamils , Gujaratis , Jews , Anglo-Indians , Sikhs and Konkanis Malayalam is the main language of communication and medium of instruction for primary education, although a number of schools do offer English medium education. The higher education
445-441: A construction and realty boom in the city. Over the years, Kochi has witnessed rapid commercialisation, and has today grown into the commercial hub of Kerala. Kochi is located on the southwest coast of India at 9°58′N 76°13′E / 9.967°N 76.217°E / 9.967; 76.217 , with a corporation limit area of 94.88 km (36.63 sq mi). Over the years, the city has expanded considerably outside
534-637: A crime rate of 1,897.8 compared to the 424.1 in whole Kerala. However, the city police commissioner defended that in major crimes such as murders and kidnapping, the city registered a low crime rate even behind other cities in the state. Kochi is part of the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency in Indian Parliament . The current elected Member of Parliament representing the constituency is Hibi Eden of Indian National Congress . The Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency elects seven members to
623-530: A former co-founder and CEO of Refinery29 , was named head of the company. In 2022, Lonely Planet bought Elsewhere, a website that links travellers directly with experts who assist in designing trips. In 2024, Lonely Planet announced that it withdrew from the market in China and ceased publishing travel guides in simplified Chinese. Lonely Planet's online community, the Thorn Tree, was created in 1996. It
712-525: A major port, container trans-shipment terminal, harbour terminal and an international air terminal are some of the factors which accelerated the industrial growth in the city and its adjoining district. In recent years the city has witnessed heavy investment, thus making it one of the fastest-growing second-tier metro cities in India. Sales tax income generated in the Kochi metropolitan area contributes heavily to state revenue. The district contributes 15.1% of
801-501: A project to build an industrial park named Electronic City spanning an area of 340 acres (140 ha), to cater to the electronic hardware industries. The private operator NeST is building a Special Economic Zone specifically for electronics hardware spanning an area of 30 acres (12 ha). The Cochin International Airport is in the process of setting up an aerotropolis at Nedumbassery . The air gateway to Kochi
890-958: A survey conducted by the Nielsen Company on behalf of the Outlook Traveller magazine . In October 2019, Kochi was ranked seventh in Lonely Planet 's list of top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2020. In November 2023, the British Luxury travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller rated Kochi as one of the best places to go in Asia in 2024. Ancient travellers and tradesmen referred to Kochi, variously alluding to it as Cocym , Cochym , Cochin , and Kochi . The Cochin Jewish community called Cochin Kogin ( Hebrew : קוגין ), which
979-480: A water metro project. The Kochi Water Metro is the first water metro project in India and the first integrated water transport system of this size in Asia connects 10 islands of Kochi through a network of 15 routes that span 76 km and 38 jetties. Kochi has the highest population density in Kerala with 7139 people per km. As of 2011, Kochi had a metropolitan area population of 2,117,990. The female-to-male ratio
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#17327661116791068-450: Is 1,028:1,000, significantly higher than the all-India average of 933:1,000. Kochi's literacy rate is 97.5%. The female literacy rate lags that of males by 1.1%, among the lowest such gaps in India. Kochi's major religions are Hinduism , Christianity and Islam . Jainism , Judaism , Sikhism and Buddhism , with smaller followings, are also practised in Kochi. Though 44% practice Hinduism, Christianity's large following (38%) makes Kochi
1157-775: Is also the Cochin Harbour Terminus providing rail connectivity to the southern segment of the Port of Kochi . The terminus is currently under renovation for the suburban rail networks in the city. The main rail transport system in Kochi is operated by the Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways , and comes under Thiruvananthapuram Railway division . The South station is one of the busiest railway stations in South India, with more than 128 scheduled train services daily. The North station situated on
1246-645: Is an international standard on the romanization of many Brahmic scripts , which was agreed upon in 2001 by a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries. However, the Hunterian transliteration system is the "national system of romanization in India " and a United Nations expert group noted about ISO 15919 that "there is no evidence of the use of the system either in India or in international cartographic products." Another standard, United Nations Romanization Systems for Geographical Names (UNRSGN),
1335-480: Is invariably in English medium, and it is the preferred language in business circles. Tamil and Hindi are widely understood—albeit rarely spoken. Like other fast-growing cities in the developing world, Kochi suffers from major urbanisation problems. The city was ranked tenth among Indian cities in terms of house-cost and availability, urban household crowding and household incomes. ISO 15919 ISO 15919
1424-669: Is located in Kochi. Kochi Refineries of (BPCL) at Ambalamugal is the largest state owned refinery in India. Petronet India has now almost completed Kochi LNG Terminal , for importing and storing natural gas, for energy and fueling needs. Central Government establishments like the Coconut Development Board , the Coir Board and the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) have head offices located in
1513-540: Is mainly known as Ernakulam , while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge is called as Western Kochi. The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland Ernakulam, Fort Kochi , the suburbs of Edapally , Kalamassery , Aluva and Kakkanad to the northeast; Tripunithura to the southeast; and a group of islands closely scattered in the Vembanad Lake . The state government and
1602-565: Is named for a Naivasha thorn tree ( Acacia xanthophloea ) that has been used as a message board for the city of Nairobi , Kenya since 1902. The tree still exists in the Stanley Hotel, Nairobi . In April 2020, the forum was locked and left in read-only mode as part of Lonely Planet temporarily halting business in response to the COVID-19 pandemic . In September 2021, the Thorn Tree was shut down. In 2009, Lonely Planet began publishing
1691-577: Is no standard keyboard layout for ISO 15919 input but many systems provide a way to select Unicode characters visually. ISO/IEC 14755 refers to this as a screen-selection entry method . Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler . In 1972, they embarked on an overland trip through Europe and Asia to Australia, following
1780-483: Is one of the major contributors of the local economy. Ernakulam district , in which Kochi is situated, ranks first in the total number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala, and thus contributes to the economy of the city. The tourist enclave at Fort Kochi and presence of several historical monuments, museums etc. as well as natural attractions like the Vembanad lake and the backwaters attract large number of tourists to
1869-551: Is proposed for Kochi city by the state government for which a project study is being currently undertaken by NATPAC. The primary form of public transport within the city is largely dependent on privately owned bus networks. The state-run also operates its services in the city through the Thirukochi service. The major bus terminals in the city are Ernakulam Town, Ernakulam Jetty and the private bus terminal at Kaloor. An integrated transit terminal namely The Mobility Hub at Vytilla
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#17327661116791958-527: Is recognised as one of the seventeen major industrial cities of India by the World Bank Group. However, in the 2009 rankings of ease to start and operate a business, among the 17 Indian cities selected, Kochi was rated as the second most difficult city to start business and was ranked 16th, above Kolkata. As in most of Kerala, remittances from non-resident Indians (NRI)s is a major source of income. Eloor , situated 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) north of
2047-475: Is seen in the seal of the synagogue owned by the community. The Arab merchants called this place Kashi , which is seen in the books such as Tuhfat Ul Mujahideen . The origin of the name Kochi is thought to be the Malayalam word kochu azhi , meaning 'small lagoon'. Accounts by Italian explorers Nicolo Conti (15th century), and Fra Paoline in the 17th century say that it was called Kochchi , named after
2136-510: Is the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) located at Nedumbassery , which is about 28 km (17 mi) north of Kochi city, and handles both domestic and international flights. It is the first international airport in India to be built without Central Government funds and is the world's first fully solar energy powered airport. The Cochin airport provides direct connectivity to popular international destinations in
2225-410: Is the only city in the country to have a water metro system , which has been described as the world's largest electric boat metro transportation infrastructure. The Cochin International Airport is the first in the world to operate solely on solar energy . Kochi was one of the 28 Indian cities among the emerging 440 global cities that will contribute 50% of the world GDP by 2025, in a 2011 study done by
2314-722: Is under second phase of construction. The terminal acts as a hub for long-distance bus services away from the city centre, and also a converging point for different modes of public transport, namely bus, metro and ferry. Kochi is one of the few cities to be granted the new-generation air-conditioned low-floor and non-air-conditioned semi-low-floor buses under the JNNURM city transport development project. KURTC and private buses operate frequent schedules to neighbouring areas of Nedumbassery , Perumbavoor , Aluva , Muvattupuzha , Kothamangalam , Cherthala and Poochakkal . Taxis and auto rickshaws (called autos ) are available for hire throughout
2403-673: Is well connected to neighbouring cities and states via several highways. It is a node in the North-South Corridor of the National Highway system. The road infrastructure in Kochi has not been able to meet the growing traffic demand and hence traffic congestion is a major problem in the city. Kochi is served by National Highway 66 , National Highway 544 , National Highway 966A and National Highway 966B . Several state highways also connect Kochi with other parts of Kerala. SH 15, Ettumanoor-Ernakulam Road , connects
2492-640: The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 with the United Kingdom, under which Kochi was ceded to the United Kingdom in exchange for the island of Bangka , east of Sumatra . However, there are evidences of English habitation in the region even before the signing of the treaty. In 1866, Fort Kochi municipality was reinstalled. Fort Kochi , which was a part of Malabar District until 1956, was made a municipality on 1 November 1866, along with Kannur , Thalassery , Kozhikode , and Palakkad , according to
2581-703: The Kingdom of Cochin . When Vasco Da Gama landed at Kozhikode and the Zamorin of Calicut fought against the Portuguese with Kunjali Marakkar , the ruler of Cochin aligned with the Portuguese. On the Malabar coast during the early 15th century, Calicut and Kochi were in an intense rivalry, so the Ming dynasty of China decided to intervene by granting special status to Kochi and its ruler known as Keyili (可亦里) to
2670-643: The Kochi Municipal Corporation had a population of 677,381 over an area of 94.88 km, and the larger Kochi urban agglomeration had over 2.1 million inhabitants within an area of 440 km, making it the largest and the most populous metropolitan area in Kerala. Kochi city is also part of the Greater Cochin development region and is classified as a Tier-II city by the Government of India . The civic body that governs
2759-493: The Köppen climate classification , Kochi features a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ). Kochi's proximity to the equator along with its coastal location results in little seasonal temperature variation, with moderate to high levels of humidity. Annual temperatures range between 23 and 31 °C (73 and 88 °F) with the record high being 36.5 °C (97.7 °F), and record low 16.3 °C (61.3 °F). From June to September,
Kochi - Misplaced Pages Continue
2848-617: The McKinsey Global Institute. In July 2018, Kochi was ranked the topmost emerging future megacity in India by global professional services firm JLL . Kochi's rich cultural heritage has made it a popular tourist destination among both domestic and international travellers. It has been hosting India's first art biennale, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale , since 2012, which attracts international artists and tourists. The Chinese fishing nets , introduced during
2937-554: The Periyar River is handled by Kerala Water Authority with support of Water works department of Kochi Corporation. Electricity is provided by the Kerala State Electricity Board . The GCDA and GIDA are the government agencies initiating and monitoring the development of Greater Cochin area, mainly in developing infrastructure facilities for the city. Kochi is the seat of High Court of Kerala ,
3026-945: The State Water Transport Department and private firms from various boat jetties in the city. The junkar ferry for the transshipment of vehicles and passengers between the islands are operated between Ernakulam and Vypin , and between Vypin and Fort Kochi. However, with the construction of the Goshree bridges (which links Kochi's islands), ferry transport has become less essential. The main boat jetties are Ernakulam Main Boat Jetty near Park Avenue, High Court Jetty in Banerjee Road, Embarkation Jetty in Willingdon Island and Fort Kochi Jetty. In April 2023, Kochi became India's first city to have
3115-563: The Yongle Emperor himself, to Kochi. As long as Kochi remained under the protection of Ming China, the Zamorin of Calicut was unable to invade Kochi and a military conflict was averted. The cessation of the Ming treasure voyages consequently had negative results for Kochi, as the Zamorin of Calicut would eventually launch an invasion against Kochi. In the late 15th century, the Zamorin occupied Kochi and installed his representative as
3204-532: The south-west monsoon brings in heavy rains as Kochi lies on the windward side of the Western Ghats . From October to December, Kochi receives lighter (yet significant) rain from the northeast monsoon, as it lies on the leeward side. Average annual rainfall is 3,014.9 mm (118.70 in), with an annual average of 124 rainy days. The city is governed by the Kochi Corporation , headed by
3293-401: The transliteration of Sanskrit rather than the transcription of Brahmic scripts. As a notable difference, both international standards, ISO 15919 and UNRSGN transliterate anusvara as ṁ , while ALA-LC and IAST use ṃ for it. However, ISO 15919 provides guidance towards disambiguating between various anusvara situations (such as labial versus dental nasalizations), which is described in
3382-471: The 14th century by the Chinese, are a symbol of the city and a popular tourist attraction in themselves. Other landmarks include Mattanchery Palace , Marine Drive , Venduruthy Bridge , Church of Saint Francis and Mattanchery Bridge . The city ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourist arrivals in Kerala. The city was ranked the sixth best tourist destination in India according to
3471-407: The 15th century as part of Admiral Zheng He 's treasure fleet. There are also references to Kochi in accounts written by Italian traveller Niccolò Da Conti , who visited Kochi in 1440. The ruler of Perumpadappu (near Ponnani ) fled to Kodungallur in the early medieval period, when the Zamorin of Calicut annexed Ponnani region, after Tirunavaya war. They later moved to Kochi and established
3560-647: The 18th century. The remaining part of Kochi were governed by governors of Kochi Kingdom. By 1773, the Mysore ruler Hyder Ali extended his conquest in the Malabar region to Kochi forcing it to become a tributary of Mysore . The hereditary Prime Ministership of Kochi held by the Paliath Achans ended during this period. Meanwhile, the Dutch, fearing an outbreak of war on the United Provinces , signed
3649-549: The Cheap: A Complete Guide to Making the Overland Trip , published in 1975. The Lonely Planet guide book series initially expanded to cover other countries in Asia, with the India guide book in 1981, and expanded to rest of the world later on. Geoff Crowther was renowned for frequently inserting his opinions into the text of the guides he wrote. His writing was instrumental to the rise of Lonely Planet. The journalist used
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3738-592: The Chinese. Calicut had been the dominant port-city in the region, but Kochi was emerging as its main rival. For the fifth Ming treasure voyage , Admiral Zheng He was instructed to confer a seal upon Keyili of Kochi and enfeoff a mountain in his kingdom as the Zhenguo Zhi Shan (鎮國之山, Mountain Which Protects the Country). Zheng He delivered a stone tablet, inscribed with a proclamation composed by
3827-660: The GCDA have plans to include Mala and Kodungallur in Thrissur district, Angamaly , Perumbavoor , Piravom and Kolenchery in Ernakulam district, Thalayolaparambu and Vaikom in Kottayam and Cherthala in Alappuzha district within Kochi metropolitan limits. The newly formed metropolis would be put under the charge of a new authority called Kochi Metropolitan Regional Development Authority. However, The Hindu reported that
3916-655: The Home Ministry of Government of Kerala . An anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation also operates out of the city. CISF maintains 3 squadrons for providing security to various central and state heavy industries, airport and seaport zones. Other major central agencies are NIA , DRI and Indian Customs due to the presence of major port. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Kochi reported significant increase of 193.7 per cent IPC crimes in 2010 compared to 2009, and reported
4005-1051: The Madras Act 10 of 1865 (Amendment of the Improvements in Towns act 1850) of the British Indian Empire . Its first Municipal Council seating contest was conducted in 1883. In 1896, H.H. Rama Varma XV , The Maharaja of Cochin, initiated local administration by forming town councils in Mattancherry and Ernakulam . In 1907, the Governor of the Madras Presidency, Sir Arthur Lawley and his brother, Beilby Lawley, 3rd Baron Wenlock , Governor of Madras, 1891 to 1896, left for an official tour of Cochin and Travancore , which lasted from 25 January to 14 February. On 26 January, they were met by His Highness
4094-642: The Middle East, Malaysia , Thailand and Singapore and to most major Indian cities apart from tourist destinations like Lakshadweep . Kochi is also the headquarters of the Air India Express service. With a terminal area of 840,000 sq ft (78,000 m), and a passenger capacity of 2200 (international and domestic), it is the largest and busiest airport in the state. It is also the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of international passenger traffic, and seventh busiest overall. Kochi
4183-515: The Rajah of Cochin who gave a State Dinner in their honour at Ernakulam . By the 1870s, the capital of Kochi Kingdom was relocated again to Kochi Suburb of Tripunithura . In 1910, Ernakulam became the administrative capital of Kochi Kingdom with establishment of Royal Secretariat and State Durbar. The offices of the Diwan and High court were soon moved into Ernakulam. In 1925, Kochi legislative assembly
4272-595: The Romans, Persians, Arabs, and Chinese. From 1503 to 1663, the Portuguese established Fort Kochi ( Fort Emmanuel ), before it was taken over by the Dutch in 1663. The Dutch then ceded the area to the United Kingdom. Kochi remained under the control of the Kingdom of Cochin , which became a princely state of the British . Today, Kochi has been described as the financial , commercial and industrial capital of Kerala. Kochi
4361-469: The central part of the city. It has a wide range of mangrove species and is a nesting ground for a vast variety of migratory birds. Kochi's water needs are entirely dependent on ground water and the two rivers flowing through the district viz., Periyar and Muvattupuzha . Periyar serves the entire northern part of the city whereas Muvattupuzha river under the JnNurm project covers the western part. Under
4450-574: The city is a major exporter of spices and is home to the International Pepper Exchange , where black pepper is globally traded. The Spices Board of India and World Spice Organisation are headquartered in Kochi. The IT and ITES related industries are growing up in Kochi. Availability of cheap bandwidth through undersea cables and lower operational costs compared to other major cities in India, has been to its advantage. Various technology and industrial campuses including
4539-601: The city is handled by the Personnel Department and the Council Standing committee Section. Other departments include that of town planning , health, engineering, revenue and accounts. The corporation is also responsible for waste disposal and sewage management. The city produces more than 600 tons of waste per day and a large portion of waste is decomposed at Brahmapuram Solid Waste plant into organic manure. The supply of potable water , sourced from
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#17327661116794628-415: The city is the Kochi Municipal Corporation , which was constituted in the year 1967, and the statutory bodies that oversee its development are the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA). Nicknamed the Queen of the Arabian Sea , Kochi was an important spice trading center on the west coast of India from antiquity. The port of Muziris traded with
4717-540: The city to Kottayam , Pala , Kumily , Changanacherry , Pathanamthitta etc. SH 41, Palarivattom-Thekkady Road , provides a corridor to the eastern parts of the district. SH 63, Vypeen Pallipuram Road and SH 66, Alappuzha – Thoppumpady road are coastal roads that serve the narrow sliver of land between the backwaters and the sea. The main arterial roads of the city are the Mahatma Gandhi Road and Sahodaran Ayyappan Road in Ernakulam, constructed in 1925 & 1962 respectively which runs parallel & perpendicular to
4806-423: The city-centre, is the largest industrial belt in Kerala, with more than 250 factories manufacturing a range of products including chemical and petrochemical products, pesticides , rare earth elements , rubber processing chemicals, fertilisers , zinc and chromium compounds, and leather products. Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), one of the oldest fertilizers and chemical industry in Kerala
4895-572: The city. Kalamassery which is situated around 16.5 km from the City Center is one of the major Industrial areas. Leading factories like FACT , HMT and IT/Biotechnology park like KINFRA Hi-Tech Park are located here. The Cochin University of Science and Technology is located at Kalamassery. Irimpanam is another major industrial area in Kochi. The Seaport-Airport Road (SPAP Road) passes through this place and oil giants like Indian Oil Corporation , Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have plants here. Like elsewhere in Kerala, tourism
4984-435: The city. Presence of several leading hospitality brands have been a major source of employment for locals. The Kochi Port is one of the leading ports where international cruisers call on regularly. The city has the first marina facility in the country, Kochi Marina which attracts large number of yacht-totters. Real Estate industry is also one industry which is contributing a lot to the economy of Kochi. Many players have entered
5073-456: The coast and having the proposed Metro Rail connectivity. The Seaport-Airport Road is another major road and connects the Cochin Seaport to the Cochin International Airport . The Infopark Expressway in Kakkanad is connected to the Seaport-Airport Road and stretches all the way to Infopark . Other major roads include Chittoor Road , Banerji Road , Shanmugham Road , Kochi Bypass , Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road , Park Avenue etc. A new ring road
5162-408: The company and in March 2013 confirmed the sale of Lonely Planet to Brad Kelley 's NC2 Media for US$ 77.8 million (£51.5 million), at nearly an £80 million (US$ 118.89 million) loss. In December 2020, NC2 Media sold Lonely Planet to Red Ventures for an undisclosed amount. Lonely Planet offices continue to operate in Dublin , Nashville and New Delhi . Phillippe von Borries,
5251-423: The corporation limit set in 1967, although the official city limits haven't been changed. The city straddles the backwaters, encompassing the northern end of a peninsula, several islands and a portion of the mainland. To the west lies the Laccadive Sea , and to the east is the urbanised region in the rest of the mainland area. Much of Kochi lies at sea level, with a coastline of 48 km. The eastern part of Kochi
5340-409: The day. Development of road infrastructure not keeping pace with the increase in traffic is a major problem faced by Kochi, like most other parts of Kerala. The city has four major railway stations – Ernakulam Junction , Ernakulam Town (locally known as the South and North railway stations respectively), Aluva , and Tripunithura followed by smaller stations, Edapally and Kalamassery. There
5429-419: The erstwhile Travancore-Kochi-Malabar regions. A major portion of the district is from the Kochi kingdom. The city's economic growth gathered momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the central government in the early 1990s. Since 2000, the service sector has energised the city's economy. The establishment of several industrial parks based on IT and other port based infrastructure triggered
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#17327661116795518-479: The establishment of the state of Kerala, the Kochi Municipal Corporation came into existence. The merger leading to the establishment of the corporation, was between the municipalities of Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Kochi , along with that of the Willingdon Island , four panchayats ( Palluruthy , Vennala , Vyttila and Edappally ), and the small islands of Gundu and Ramanthuruth . The Kochi and Ernakulam districts formed on 1 April 1958 carving areas of
5607-595: The government promoted InfoPark , Cochin Special Economic Zone and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Park operate in the outskirts of the city. Several new industrial campuses are under construction in the suburbs of the city. SmartCity at Kakkanad is one of the prominent projects. Cyber City at Kalamassery is another integrated IT township SEZ being planned in the private sector. Kochi has an established electronics hardware industry with companies such as V-Guard Industries, OEN India Limited, FCI OEN Connectors and SFO Technologies. The Government of Kerala has announced
5696-469: The highest judicial body in the state of Kerala. The Kochi City Police is headed by a Police Commissioner , an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The city is divided into five zones and each zone under a circle officer. Apart from regular law & order, the city police comprises the Traffic Police, Narcotics Cell, Riot horse, Armed Reserve Camps, District Crime Records Bureau and a Women's Police station . It operates 19 police stations functioning under
5785-524: The king of the port-city. According to many historians, the precursor state to Kingdom of Kochi came into existence in the early 12th century, after the fall of the Chera Kingdom . The reign of the Kingdom was hereditary, and the family that ruled over the region was known as the Perumpadappu Swaroopam in the local vernacular. The port at Kozhikode held superior economic and political position in medieval Kerala coast, while Kannur , Kollam , and Kochi, were commercially important secondary ports, where
5874-444: The market and have developed residential properties. Kochi is the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command , the primary training centre of the Indian Navy. The Cochin Shipyard , contributes to the economy of the city. The fishing harbour at Thoppumpady is a minor fishing port in the state and supplies fish to local and export markets. To further tap the potential of the all-season harbour at Kochi, an international cruise terminal
5963-418: The members of the royal family of Cochin in 16th and 17th centuries were selected from Vettom . However, the Tanur forces under the king fought for the Zamorin of Calicut in the Battle of Cochin (1504) . However, the allegiance of the Mappila merchants in Tanur region still stayed under the Zamorin of Calicut. Kochi hosted the grave of Vasco da Gama , the first European explorer to set sail for India, who
6052-521: The metro system will have 22 stations connecting the suburban towns of Aluva and Pettah while passing through downtown. The first half of the Phase-1 of Kochi Metro was inaugurated on 17 June 2017 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi . Currently Kochi Metro is operational from Aluva till Maharaja's College along the Kalamassery – Edappally – Kaloor – MG Road stretch, covering a total of 18.4 km with 16 operational metro stations. Kochi ranks among India's major seaports, partly due to being one of
6141-424: The newly reclaimed inner harbour equipped with a long array of steam cranes. In 1947, when India gained independence from the British colonial rule , Cochin was the first princely state to join India willingly. In 1949, Travancore–Cochin state came into being with the merger of Cochin and Travancore . The King of Travancore was the Rajpramukh of the Travancore–Cochin Union from 1949 to 1956. Travancore-Cochin,
6230-417: The northern side of the city, caters mostly to long-distance services that bypass the South station, and also is an additional halt station for many trains. There is also a historic station named as Ernakulam Terminus (station code:ERG) situated behind the High Court . Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and The British Viceroy have visited Cochin through this old railway station. Ernakulam Terminus
6319-444: The preceding 12 months, a Lonely Planet magazine had grown and non-print revenues increased from 9% in 2007 to 22%. Lonely Planet's digital presence included 140 apps and 8.5 million unique users for lonelyplanet.com, which hosted the Thorn Tree travel forum. In 2011, BBC Worldwide acquired the remaining 25% of the company for £42.1 million (A$ 67.2 million) from the Wheelers. By 2012, BBC wanted to divest itself of
6408-588: The river connecting the backwaters to the sea. After the arrival of the Portuguese, and later the British, the name Cochin stuck as the official appellation. The city reverted to a closer transcription of its original Malayalam name, Kochi , in 1996. This change in name was challenged by the city municipal corporation, but the court later dismissed the plea. Muziris , a port somewhere north of Kochi (mostly identified with Kodungallur in Thrissur district ),
6497-537: The route of the Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition . The company name originates from the misheard "lovely planet" in a song written by Matthew Moore . Lonely Planet's first book, Across Asia on the Cheap , had 94 pages; it was written by the couple in their home. The original 1973 print run consisted of stapled booklets with pale blue cardboard covers. Wheeler returned to Asia to write Across Asia on
6586-571: The safest harbours in the Indian Ocean. The port, administered by a statutory autonomous body known as the Cochin Port Trust , offers facilities for bunkering , handling cargo and passenger ships and storage accommodation. The port is a complex of three islands, one of which is man-made. It also operates passenger ships to Colombo and Lakshadweep . Boat services are operated by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation ,
6675-413: The state GDP. Construction and manufacturing industries combined contributes 37% of the district's total GDP, and trade, tourism and hospitality industries together provides another 20%. Major business sectors include construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding , transportation/shipping, seafood and spices exports, chemical industries, information technology (IT), tourism, health services , and banking. Kochi
6764-587: The state Legislative Assembly, one each from Ernakulam , Kalamassery , Kochi , Paravur , Thrikkakara , Thrippunithura and Vypin . Kochi is widely referred to as the financial and commercial capital of Kerala. Federal Bank , the fourth-largest Private-sector bank in India is located in Aluva which is a suburb of Kochi. Being a major online trading centre in the country, Kochi has a newly opened SEBI office. Availability of electricity, fresh water, long coastline, backwaters, good banking facilities, presence of
6853-487: The state government is yet to take any concrete steps in this regard. Soil consists of sediments such as alluvium , teris, brown sands, etc. Hydromorphic saline soils are also found in the areas surrounding the backwaters. Predominant rock types found here are Archaean -basic dykes , Charnockites and Gneisses . An ecologically sensitive area, the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is located in
6942-643: The table below. The table below shows the differences between ISO 15919, UNRSGN and IAST for Devanagari transliteration. Only certain fonts support all Latin Unicode characters for the transliteration of Indic scripts according to this standard. For example, Tahoma supports almost all the characters needed. Arial and Times New Roman font packages that come with Microsoft Office 2007 and later also support most Latin Extended Additional characters like ḍ, ḥ, ḷ, ḻ, ṁ, ṅ, ṇ, ṛ, ṣ and ṭ. There
7031-524: The term "Geoffness", in tribute to Crowther, to describe a quality that has been lost in travel guides. By 1999, Lonely Planet had sold 30 million copies of its travel guides. The company's authors consequently benefited from profit-sharing and expensive events were held at the Melbourne office, at which Lonely Planet authors would arrive in limousines. In 2007, the Wheelers and John Singleton sold
7120-453: The traders from various parts of the world would gather. The Portuguese arrived at Kappad Kozhikode in 1498 during the Age of Discovery , thus opening a direct sea route from Europe to India. Portuguese navigator, Pedro Álvares Cabral founded the first European settlement in India at Kochi in 1500. From 1503 to 1663, Fort Kochi ( Fort Emmanuel ) was ruled by Portugal . This Portuguese period
7209-711: Was a harrowing time for the Saint Thomas Christians , Muslim Mappilas , and the Jews , as the Inquisition was active in Portuguese India . The ruler of the Kingdom of Tanur , who was a vassal to the Zamorin of Calicut, sided with the Portuguese, against his overlord at Kozhikode . As a result, the Kingdom of Tanur ( Vettathunadu ) became one of the earliest Portuguese Colonies in India. The ruler of Tanur also sided with Cochin . Many of
7298-606: Was also constructed. Exports and allied activities are also important contributors to the city's economy. The Cochin Port currently handles export and import of container cargo at its terminal at Willingdon Island . The International Container Transshipment Terminal operating out of Vallarpadam , is India's largest transshipment terminal. Cochin Port Trust also planning to build an Outer Harbour near Puthuvype . Kochi's historical reliance on trade continues into modern times, as
7387-614: Was buried at St. Francis Church until his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539. The Portuguese rule was followed by that of the Dutch who renamed Fort Immanuel as Fort Stormsburg. In meantime, the Royal Family of Kochi relocated the capital of Kochi Kingdom to Thrissur , leaving nominal authority over Islands of Kochi. In 1664, Fort Kochi Municipality was established by Dutch, making it the first municipality in Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when Dutch authority got weaker in
7476-440: Was constituted due to public pressure on the state. Towards the early 20th century, trade at the port had increased substantially, and the need to develop the port was greatly felt. Harbour engineer Robert Bristow was brought to Kochi in 1920 under the direction of Lord Willingdon , then the Governor of Madras . In a span of 21 years, he transformed Kochi as one of the safest harbours in the peninsula, where ships berthed alongside
7565-666: Was developed by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) and covers many Brahmic scripts. The ALA-LC romanization was approved by the Library of Congress and the American Library Association and is a US standard. The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is not a standard (as no specification exists for it) but a convention developed in Europe for
7654-484: Was forwarded to the government—requesting the formation of a municipal corporation by combining the existing municipalities of Fort Kochi , Mattancherry , and Ernakulam . The government appointed a commission to study the feasibility of the suggested merger. Based on its report, the Kerala Legislative Assembly approved the corporation's formation. On 1 November 1967, exactly eleven years since
7743-471: Was in turn merged with the Malabar district of the Madras State . Finally, the Government of India 's States Reorganisation Act (1956) inaugurated a new state—Kerala—incorporating Travancore-Cochin (excluding the four southern Taluks which were merged with Tamil Nadu ), Malabar District, and the taluk of Kasargod , South Kanara . On 9 July 1960 the Mattancherry council passed a resolution—which
7832-528: Was the centre of Indian spice trade for many centuries, and was known to the Arabs , Yavanas ( Greeks and Romans ) as well as Jews , Syrians, and Chinese since ancient times . Kochi rose to significance as a trading centre after the port Muziris around Kodungallur (Cranganore) was destroyed by the massive flooding of Periyar in 1341. The earliest documented references to Kochi occur in books written by Chinese voyager Ma Huan during his visit to Kochi in
7921-433: Was the first station to serve the city but had to be abandoned in the early 1960s. Now this station operates as a goods depot of Southern Railway. The Kochi Metro is a metro rapid transit system serving the city of Kochi, intended to considerably ease traffic congestion in the city and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is being set up at an overall estimated cost of ₹ 5,146 crore (US$ 620 million). The Phase-1 of
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