Kochi ([koˈtʃːi ] (
listen)), also known as Cochin, is a major port city on the west coast of India by the Arabian Sea and is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. Kochi is often called by the name Ernakulam, which refers to the mainland part of the city.
listen)), also known as Cochin, is a major port city on the west coast of India by the Arabian Sea and is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. Kochi is often called by the name Ernakulam, which refers to the mainland part of the city.
Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourist arrivals in Kerala.[9][10] Kochi has been ranked the sixth best tourist destination in India according to a survey conducted by the Nielsen Company on behalf of the Outlook Traveller magazine.[11] Kochi was one of the 28 Indian cities found to be among the emerging 440 global cities that will contribute 50% of the world GDP by the year 2025, in a study done by McKinsey Global Institute.[12]
Transport
The air gateway to Kochi 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.[83] It is the first international airport in India to be built without Central Government funds.[84]
The Cochin airport provides direct connectivity to popular international destinations in the Middle East, Malaysia 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 m2), and a passenger capacity of 1800, it is the largest and busiest airport in the state.[85] It is also the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of international passenger traffic, and seventh busiest overall.[86][87][88][89]
Road[edit]
Kochi is well connected to neighboring cities and states via several highways. It is a node in the North-South Corridor of the National Highway system.
National Highways[edit]
The NH47 connects Salem to the city of Kochi via Coimbatore, Palakkad and Thrissur and is part of the North-South Corridor of India's National Highway System.[90][91] The entire stretch of NH47 passing through Kochi and its urban agglomeration has four/six lanes, with some stretches six-laned.[92][93]
NH17 (now renumbered as NH 66) connects Kochi with Panvel near Mumbai and passes through major junctions like Edappally and Vytilla in the city.
NH966A is a 17.2 km (10.7 mi) four-lane stretch of highway connecting Kalamassery to the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal. The four-laning of the stretch is nearing completion and carries 11 major bridges and a grade separated interchange where it branches off NH47.[94] and meets NH17 (now renumbered as NH 66) at Cheranelloor
NH966B is a 6 km (3.7 mi) stretch of highway connecting Kundanoor Junction on the mainland to the Willingdon Island. It is the shortest stretch of highway on the Indian National Highways system.
NH85 connects Kochi to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu passing through Madurai thus providing another link to the North-South Corridor National Highway System.
State Highways[edit]
Several state highways also connect Kochi with other parts of Kerala.[95] SH 15, Ettumanoor-Ernakulam Road, connects the city to Kottayam. 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.
City Roads[edit]
The main arterial road of the city is Mahatma Gandhi Road in Ernakulam, constructed in 1925 which runs parallel to the coast. Other major roads include Chittoor Road, Banerji Road,Shanmugham Road (in Marine Drive), Kochi Bypass, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, Park Avenue, Seaport-Airport Road and S.A Road. A new ring road is proposed for Kochi city by the state government for which a project study is being currently undertaken by NATPAC.[96]
Public Transport[edit]
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 is under 2nd phase of construction. The terminal acts as a hub for long distance bus services away from the city centre, and also to provide access to the other public transport facilities.[97]
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 JNNURMcity transport development project. Call taxis and auto rickshaws (called autos) are available for hire throughout 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.[98]
Rail[edit]
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The city has two major railway stations – Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town (locally known as the South and North railway stations respectively). The main rail transport system in Kochi is operated by the Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways, and comes underThiruvananthapuram Railway division.
The South station is one of the busiest railway stations in South India, with more than 128 scheduled train services daily.[99] The North station situated on 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.
Edapally Railway Station is a smaller halt station for passenger services and few express trains. The major station at Aluva, the station at Thripunithuraand the halting stations at Kalamassery, Nettoor, Kumbalam and Aroor serve the outskirts of the city and the surrounding metropolitan area.
The spur line to the port and the Cochin Harbour Terminus station are temporarily out of commission because of an accident at the harbour bridge.[100]A spur line exclusively for freight traffic connects the International Container Transshipment Terminal to the main line at Edapally. India's longest rail bridge – the 4.62 km long Vembanad Rail Bridge[101] is also part of this line. In addition, Southern Railways are planning a suburban railway system connecting Kochi to nearby towns and cities, using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit services, with the first services expected to begin in early 2011[102][103] between Kollam and Ernakulam for which works are underway.
There is a historic station named as Ernakulam Terminus(station code:ERG) situated behind the High Court. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhiand The British Viceroy have visited Cochin through this old railway station. Ernakulam Terminus 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.[104]
Kochi Metro[edit]
Main article: Kochi Metro
The Kochi Metro is an under-construction metro rapid transit system for the city of Kochi, intended to considerably ease traffic congestion in the city and its surrounding metropolitan area.[105] It is being set up at an estimated cost of 
5146 crore (US$790 million). Expected to be complete by 2016, the metro system will have 22 stations connecting the suburban towns of Aluva and Pettah while passing through downtown Kochi.[106]
5146 crore (US$790 million). Expected to be complete by 2016, the metro system will have 22 stations connecting the suburban towns of Aluva and Pettah while passing through downtown Kochi.[106]
On 13 September 2012, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the Kochi Metro Rail project.[107] The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), with E Sreedharan as principal advisor, has been entrusted to execute the implementation of the Kochi Metro.[108][109] The project received the central Public Investment Board's green signal in March 2012. The union cabinet gave its final nod for Kochi Metro on 3 July 2012.[110] Preparatory works for the system that includes building railway over bridges, repaving roads and land acquisition are in progress.[111][112] Construction work on the first phase of the metro commenced on 7 June 2013. The first phase covering 25 km is expected to be completed by 2016. [113]
Ferry[edit]
Kochi ranks among India's major seaports, partly due to being one of the safest harbours in the Indian Ocean.[114] The port, administered by a statutory autonomous body known as the Cochin Port Trust, offers facilities forbunkering, handling cargo and passenger ships and storage accommodation.
It also operates passenger ships to Colombo and Lakshadweep. Boat services are operated by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation, 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.
Demographics[edit]
With a population of 601,574 As of 2011, the city of Kochi has Kerala's highest population density parameter with 6340 people per km2. As of 2011, Kochi had a metropolitan area population of 2,117,990. Scheduled castes and tribes comprise 14% of the city's population.[citation needed] .The female-to-male ratio 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%, amongst 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 47% practise Hinduism, Christianity's large following (35%) makes Kochi a city with one of the largest Christian populations in India.[115][116] [117] The majority of the city's residents are Malayalis. However, there are significant ethnic minority communities including Tamils, Gujaratis, Jews, Anglo-Indians, Sikhs, Konkanis andTulus.[118][119][120] 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 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, poor sanitation, vector problem, heavy pollution. The city was ranked 10th among Indian cities in terms of house-cost and availability, urban household crowding and household incomes.[121]
Shortage of potable water is a major concern in the city.[122] The situation is aggravated by the threat posed by pollution in industrial areas.[123] Water pollution in Kochi is very high with about 80% of the open wells are polluted.[124] Kochi is also one among the 50 most polluted cities in India,[125] which was ranked 24th by Central Pollution Control Board.[126][127] The economic boom of the last decade has made Kochi a favourite spot among job seekers. In 2003, the region of the district where the city belongs registered an unemployment rate of 24.5%, roughly 9.7% more than the rate in 1998[128] which was then the third highest unemployment rate behind state capital Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur. However the economic boom of the ensuing decade saw Kochi soaring into one of the employment hubs of the country, as indicated by various studies in last few years.[129][130][131] This has resulted in the a large number of migrants flowing into the city. Kochi is found to have largest share of migrant workers coming to Kerala in search of employment .[132] The economic boom and the flow of migrants has also created a problems of a different kind. The migration has contributed to a growing slum-dwelling population.[133] [134] The government has plans to make the city slum-free by 2016.[135] According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the city holds the fourth position in the number of recorded crimes in India.[136][137][138] In 2009, the city recorded an average crime rate of 646.3 against the national average of 181.4.[137]But Kochi City Police Commissioner later clarified that this anomaly was due to higher reporting rates of minor crimes in Kochi than in other Indian cities.[139] The State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) report gives further credence to this as it finds that Kochi has the least number of crime against women in the state of Kerala. [140] According to the 2011 CII/Institute of Competitiveness report on Liveability,[141] Kochi stands first in the state, and 6th in the country. Kochi is ranked seventh in the list of the top ten most affluent cities in India by 2009 study by Nielsen Company.[142]
Culture[edit]
Main article: Culture of Kochi
See also: Cuisine of Kerala and List of Tourist attractions in Kochi
As a result of successive waves of migration over the course of several centuries, the population of the city is a mix of people from all parts of Kerala and most of India. The pan-Indian nature is highlighted by the substantial presence of various ethnic communities from different parts of the country.[143]
Kochi has a diverse, multicultural, and secular community consisting of Malayalis, Konkanis,[144][145] Gujaratis,[118][119] Bengalis,[146] Marathis,[147]Punjabis,[120][148] Tamilians, Biharis and a few families of Jews among other denominations, all living in peaceful co-existence. The city once had a large Jewish community, known as the Malabar Yehuden—and now increasingly as Cochin Jews—that figured prominently in Kochi's business and economic strata.[149] The Syro-Malabar Church, one of the 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches, has its seat at Ernakulam. The headquarters of theArchdiocese of Verapoly and the Diocese of Cochin are also situated in the city. Prominent places of Christian worship include the St. Mary's Cathedral, the St. Antony's Shrine at Kaloor and St Mary's Bascilica,Vallarpadam. Appropriate to its multi-ethnic composition, Kochi celebrates traditional Kerala festivals like Onam and Vishu along with North Indian Hindu festivals like Holi with great fervour. Christian and Islamic festivals like Christmas, Easter, Eid ul-Fitr and Milad-e-sherif are also celebrated. A merry making fest called the Cochin Carnival is celebrated at Fort Kochi during the last ten days of December.
The residents of Kochi are known as Kochiites; they are an important part of the South Indian culture. However, the city's culture is rapidly evolving with Kochiites generally becoming more cosmopolitan in their outlook.[58] The people are also increasingly fashion-conscious, often deviating from thetraditional Kerala wear to western clothing.
Kochiites generally partake of Keralite cuisine, which is generally characterised by an abundance of coconut and spices. Other South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese and North Indian cuisines are popular. Fast food culture is also very prominent.[150] Being a tourist hotspot, Fort Kochi have a number of restaurants that offer international cuisine, like Italian, French, Mexican etc. Being close to the ocean and the backwaters, Kochi has an abundance of seafood, which reflects in the cuisine. A service known as You Buy, We Cook is available at the waterfront of Fort Kochi, where the fresh seafood purchased from the nets is cooked as per the customers needs.[151] Arabian food joints that serve Shawarma and roasted chicken are a new addition to the fast food scene in the city.
Kochi also has a number of shopping malls including Oberon Mall, the first mall in Kerala; Gold Souk Grande Kochi; Bay Pride Mall and Lulu Mall, one of the largest malls in India. Various shopping malls are expected to open in the city in the near future including Forum Thomsun Mall and Center Square Mall, which hosts Kerala's first Cinepolis.
Kochi was home to some of the most influential figures in Malayalam literature, including Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, Kesari Balakrishna Pillai, G. Sankara Kurup, and Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon. Prominent social reformers such as Sahodaran Ayyappan and Pandit Karuppan also are from Kochi.
The Maharajas of Kochi (then Cochin) were scholars who knew the epics and encouraged the arts. The paintings at the Hill Palace and the Dutch Palace are testimony to their love for arts.
Kochiites are known for their enthusiasm in sports, especially football and cricket.[152] The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi is one of the largest stadiums in India with floodlights for Cricket and Football matches.[153] The Regional Sports Centre is an important centre of sporting activity in the city. Kochi is reportedly the 6th best city in India according to the livability index of 2011.[154]
Healthcare[edit]
With a large number of advanced tertiary/quaternary care facilities, Kochi has one of the best healthcare facilities in India. It is the prime destination for people seeking advanced healthcare facilities from across Kerala.[155] [156] In recent times, it has attracted a large number of patients from all over India, Middle East, African nations as well as from Europe and United States looking for relatively inexpensive advanced medical care. Kochi is the only city from Kerala that have carried out successful heart transplantations.[157] Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Sunrise Hospital Kakkanad, Specialists Hospital Ernakulam, Medical Trust Hospital, PVS Memorial Hospital Kaloor, Lakeshore Hospital, Lisie Hospital are some of the advanced tertiary/quaternary healthcare facilities in Kochi. There are a large number of tertiary/quaternary medicare institutions that are newly coming up in Kochi including Aster Medicity, Rajagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Medical Trust Institute of Medical Sciences.[citation needed] Other reputed institutions in the city include Ernakulam Medical Centre, KIMS Hospital, Renai Medicity, Lourde's Hospital, Kochi Medical College, and Saraf Hospital. Some of the reputed fertility related treatment centres in India – like Vijaya Hospital, Bourn Hall Clinic and CIMAR – are located in Kochi. General Hospital, Ernakulam is the only notable medical institution in the government sector in Kochi.
Education[edit]
See also: Education in India, Education in Kerala, and Educational Institutions in Ernakulam District
Primary Education[edit]
The pattern of primary education is essentially the same all over the state. There are government owned schools and government aided schools, which are affiliated to the Kerala State Education Board. A few privately owned schools are also affiliated to the system. Most of the schools owned by private organizations or individuals are affiliated to the Central Board for Secondary Education(CBSE). Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) have some schools affiliated to them as well. The state education board offers both Malayalam and English medium instruction, while the other boards offer English medium alone. There are a few schools that follow international curricula, such as IB and IGCSE.
There 34 government schools, 67 private aided schools and 31 unaided schools affiliated to the Kerala State Education Board in the city and suburbs.[158] There are 62 CBSE Schools, 2 IGCSE and 9 ICSE Schools as well.[159][160]
The general pattern of education is ten years of common schooling to reach the secondary level. Kindegartens are widely available, but considered separate from formal schooling, and generally unregulated. After the secondary level, three streams, namely Arts, Commerce or Science are offered for higher secondary education. After finishing the school, students can opt for higher education related to the streams they had undergone for higher secondary schooling.
The notable schools in the government sector are Sree Rama Varma High School, Edappally High School, Government School-Kochi and Govt Girls High School. There are Kendriya Vidyalaya,Chinmaya Mission and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan run several quasi-private charter schools within the city limits, as well as in the suburbs. There are several fully private schools that are owned by secular and religious trusts which are of particular renown, such as The Delta Study, Rajagiri Public School, Campion School, Cochin Refineries School,Gregorian Public School, Toc-H Public School, Global Public School, Choice School, Vidyodaya School, Mar Thoma Public School and Nava Nirman Public School.
Higher Education[edit]
The Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) is a major university named after the city. Most of the colleges in Kochi offering tertiary education are affiliated either with the Mahatma Gandhi University or with the Cochin University. Kochi has one of the campuses of the Indian Maritime University at Willingdon Island. Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady is a research oriented university located at the outskirts. Other national educational institutes include the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training, the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, the National Institute of Oceanography and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.
Kochi has some of the leading B-Schools in the region. The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) has set up its first satellite campus at Athulya building in InfoPark, Kochi.[161] Cochin University's School of Management Studies (SMS) is the first and oldest managerial education institution in South India. SCMS Cochin is one of the emerging B-Schools in the country.[162]Another major B-School XIME is opening a new campus in Kochi.[163] Other leading managerial institutions include Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, Kochi Business School, Amrita School of Business, Albertian Institute of Management and Toc-H B school.
The city and outskirts are home to four medical schools — Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre at Elamakkara, Cochin Medical College at Kalamassery, Sree Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, M.O.S.C. Medical College, Kolenchery. Some of the prestigious general colleges are Maharaja's College, St. Albert's College, St. Teresa's College, Sacred Hearts College, Bharata Matha College, Aquina's College and Cochin College. The major Engineering and Technology colleges in the city are CUSAT Engineering Schools, Model Engineering Collegeand Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology.
Being the seat of the High Court of Kerala, several top legal education institutes are here. The Government Law College-Ernakulam is one of the oldest law schools in Kerala.[164] The School of Legal Studies (SLS), CUSAT is one of the leading Graduate, post-graduate, and research institute in the country. The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) is located in the city.
Social service organisations[edit]
Some of the main orphanages and rehabilitation shelters in Cochin City are Palluruthy Relief Settlement in Palluruthy Veli, Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan, Don Bosco Big Boys, Crescent Girls Orphanage, YMCA Boys Home,[165] Bal Bhavan, Valsalya Bhavan.[166]
Palluruthy Relief Settlement is under Corporation of Cochin and managed in association with Peoples Council for Social Justice. There are about 300 inmates and many of them are mentally ill.[167] The night shelter for women run by Corporation of Cochin near Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus stand provides free and safe accommodation.[168] Peoples Council for Social Justice was found in 1985 under the patronage of Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer with the aim to work for human rights protection, free legal aid and to strive for social justice.[169][170][171]
The orphanages for children under Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan Cochi are Sneha Bhavan Annexe, SnehaBhavan, Valsalya Bhavan, Don Bosco and Bosco Nilayam. The Childline India project in Cochin is taken in collaboration with Don Bosco. Children in distress and in need of help can contact in '1098' (toll free number).[172] Sneha Bhavan Annexe is the first point of contact with children and children can stay as a safe night shelter.[173] Sneha Bhavan is a home for the children from the streets and for those from unhealthy and risky situations. The Valsalya Bhavan centre is solely for the girls who are rescued from the streets. Runaways, street children, children of sex workers, abused children and child labourers all live here. Along with primary and high school education at a local school, the centre provides shelter, food, clothing and educational support.[174]
There are many good people doing independent social service. The Italian Sister Sabiola conducts a home at Fort Cochin known as "Ashwasa Bhavan", for young orphaned children.[175] Br. Judson run his own mobile bath in his vehicle for the abandoned: His "Mobile Bath Service" moves around Kochi mornings and in evenings to clean and clothe people living on the streets. Judson washes and cleanses their wounds, provides them new clothes and food, and takes them to shelters in the city.[176][177]
Sree Narayana Sevika Samajam, a charitable organization situated at Thottumugham, Aluva, Ernakulam District, Kerala, India.[178][179][180] It was established in the year 1965 under Societies Registration Act, Travancore, 1955. Sreenarayana Sevika Samajam seeks to give a home to those who would otherwise have none.
Sports[edit]
Like elsewhere in Kerala, football is the most passionate sport among locals. Kochi is home to two of India's major professional football teams, FC Kochin and Chirag United Kerala and also teams like Josco FC since 2008.[197][198]
India's fourth largest stadium and third largest cricket stadium, the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium located in Kaloor, is a major facility for football and cricket.[199][200] Recently, the stadium was renovated to facilitate more cricket tournaments as well as for hosting IPL Matches. Kochi was home to the Indian Premier League cricket team, the Kochi Tuskers which won franchise rights to play IPL which participated in the 2011 edition of IPL.
The Maharaja's Stadium located on MG Road in the heart of the city, is the major athletic facility in the state with synthetic tracks and turf grass as per international standards.[201] The Ambedkar stadium, maintained by GCDA, will be developed exclusively for Football with funds from Government of Kerala and FIFA.[202] Spanish club Real Madrid has proposed to set up a football school in Kochi.[203]
The Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex at Kadavanthara is a major indoor stadium, mainly used for conducting badminton, tennis and basketball tournaments. The 25m X 10m swimming pool[204] at the centre is one of the larger water sports facility in the state, where regular swimming competitions and coaching are conducted.
The FACT Grounds at Udyogamandal, Sacred Heart's College Grounds and St.Albert's College Grounds are the other major training facilities for various games like volleyball, badminton, cricket etc.
Kochi has two golf courses in the city, and one in the suburbs. The oldest golf club is located at Bolgatty Palace constructed in 1903, which is a nine hole facility run by Cochin Golf Club society.[205] The Cochin Golf and Country Club located near to Cochin Airport, operated by CIAL, is Kerala's first 18 hole golf course with a playing area of over 7,200 yards. The first phase of the all-weather golf course comprising nine holes was opened in May 2010 for members and public. The expansion to a 18 hole course is progressing, which is scheduled to be open in September 2012.[206] The nine hole golf course at the Naval Base is restricted only for military personnel.[207]
Being surrounded by water bodies, the city is ideal for Yachting. The Kerala Yachting Association and[208] the Cochin Yacht Club[209] are located in the city. Both organizations conduct regular yachting tournaments. Kochi was the only Indian city chosen for stopover during the Volvo Ocean Race 2008.[210]
For more details visit wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kochi
