Air:
The nearest airport is the Trivandrum International Airport, 71 kms away.
From Trivandrum there are several KSRTC buses, which go to Quilon and
beyond.
Rail:
Quilon Junction is an important station in the Southern Railways network
in Kerala and connects Quilon to almost all-important centers in the rest
of the country. Cochin is about 156 km north of Quilon and takes 3 to
4 hours by train. There are also meter- gauge trains from Quilon to Chennai
via Madurai, which offer a rather different and interestingly scenic journey.
A Tourist Information counter functions as the railway station.
Road:
Quilon is an important transit point for buses on the NH 47 highway fro Trivandrum
to the northern towns of Kerala. Buses are frequent and fares reasonable. The
trip to Trivandrum takes under two hours and to Cochin, about one hour.
Boat/ Ferry: The boat jetty is
adjacent to the KSRTC central bus stand, about 3 km away from the Railway Station.
There are daily ferry services through the scenic backwaters to Alleppey (10.30
AM departure for the 8 hour trip) and more frequent ones to smaller destinations,
via, Guhandapuram (one-hour journey) and Muthiraparamb (2½ hour journey.)
Local Transport: Private and KSRTC
buses, Yellow-top and tourist taxis, Autorickshaws.
Not just
cashew and fish
An ancient seaport town dating
back to the 9th Century A.D., Kollam (the Malayalam name for Quilon) has given
its name to the Malayalam ear Kollavarsham, which began in 825 A.D and is said
to be calculated from the date of the founding of this town. That year Persian
immigrants set up a township in Quilon and built a church there, having received
a charter of privileges from the Raja of Venad. According to one historical
view, in that year King Udaya Marthanda Varma of Venad convened at Quilon a
grand assembly of Kerala’s learned men in order to introduce a new era which,
the assembly resolved, would be adopted from the Chingam (Malayalam month) of
the year.
In Quilon, over the century’s merchants
from all over the world gathered and contributed to the city’s reputation as
a centre of a flourishing mercantile community. This is borne out by the testimonies
of Arab, Chinese. Jewish and European travelers (Marco Polo, amongst others).
It was also in Quilon that in 1330 A.D Friar Jordams was consecrated Bishop
of the Roman Catholic See in India.
The town’s commercial importance
led the Portuguese to set up a factory here in 1502. This passed into the hands
of the Dutch in 1661 and later, in 1795, to the British. Today the red-tiled
roofs that dot Quilon’s low skyline is a reminder of the architectural influences
of the Dutch and British villas. Further, the Chinese fishing nets along the
Ashtamudi Lake are testimony links with China.
Today
this town, which is 71 km from Trivandrum, is fairly important for the state’s
trade and commerce and is the center of the country’s cashew trading and processing
industry. It is also an important hub for the state’s marine processing industry.
It is also an important hub for the state’s marine products industry, with the
port of Neendakara being the centre for trawlers and ice plants.
A particularly picturesque town
standing on the banks of the Ashtamudi lake (‘‘the lake with eight creeks’’),
Quilon’s contemporary fame among today’s travellers is as the inviting gateway
to Kerala’s exceedingly beautiful backwaters. The long 8-hour bout trip from
Quilon to Alleppey is the best and most comprehensive introduction to the delights
of Kerala’s backwaters, as the journey meanders through lakes, canals and waterbound
villages. The famous ‘Cheena Vala’ or Chinese fishing nets can also be seen
along the backwaters.
As a typical southern Kerala town,
Quilon offers a tranquil, rural atmosphere, punctuated by the bustle of trade
and commerce in its many busy and crowded market streets and junctions. On the
outskirts of the town are cashewnut-processing factories. Next to
the Government Guest House at Asramam,
3 km away from the central bus stand, is an Adventure Park which delights children.
The Quilon District Tourist Promotion Council organizes backwater cruises from
there and, during the season, conducted cruises to Alleppey.
There is a beach with a small park
at Quilon, popular as an evening retreat for the locals.
On the route Shenkottah, 70 km
from Quilon, is Ariankavu which holds a shrine devoted to Lord Sastha. The main
festival of this temple is in December. Five km from Ariankavu is the waterfall
at Palaruvi at a height of 300 feet. There are frequent buses to Ariankavu and
at Palaruvi there is a PWD Inspection Bungalow where rooms are sometimes available.
On
the same route, 64 km from Quilon, Kulathupuzha is in the forest range and is
famous a similar shrine. The most important temple festival here is the Vishnu
Mahotsava in April/May.
Mayyanad, a small town about 10
km south of Quilon, is known for its 9 temples, the most famous of which is
the shrine of Lord Subramanya, said to have been consecrated by Sri Sankaracharya.
A very important pilgrim center
34 km north of Quilon, Oachira is famed for its ‘Oachira Kalli’ festival in
mid-June.
Sasthamkotta, Kerala’s largest
freshwater lake, is 29 km from Quilon and on the right bank of the Kallada River.
This is a small town with a temple dedicated to Lord Sastha. An hour’s bus ride
from Quilon, Sasthamkotta has a PWD Rest House where accommodation is available
Five km and a 15 minute bus trip
from Quilon town, Thangassery is historically important, as become evident by
the ruins of the Portuguese/ Dutch fort there as well as the 18th Century church.
The 3 km long beach has a lighthouse which is open to visitors between 3.30
p.m. and 5.30 p.m.
Thirumullavaram , just 6 km north
of the centre and easily reached by bus, is a beautiful and quiet little beach
ideal for swimming or lying in the sun.
Conducted Tours: The Quilon District
Tourism Promotion Council, Tel: 742558 which functions from the Government Guest
House at Asramam where it maintains the adventure Park and boating facilities,
arranges on request a one-day city tour by coach for a group of ten or more
persons. For larger groups the Council will arrange a backwater cruise to Alleppey.
The State Forest Department has
come up with a project to develop Sasthamcotta in Kollam district, as an eco-
tourism destination. The Minister for Water Resources and Forests, Mr. Thiruvanchoor
Radhakrishnan inaugurated the eco- tourism office at Sasthamcotta. In his address,
the minister said that the project would be implemented with public support.
The department is preparing the master plan for the project. The fresh water
lake at Sasthamcotta would also be protected as part of the project."
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Road:
Quilon is an important transit point for buses on the NH 47 highway fro Trivandrum
to the northern towns of Kerala. Buses are frequent and fares reasonable. The
trip to Trivandrum takes under two hours and to Cochin, about one hour.
Today
this town, which is 71 km from Trivandrum, is fairly important for the state’s
trade and commerce and is the center of the country’s cashew trading and processing
industry. It is also an important hub for the state’s marine processing industry.
It is also an important hub for the state’s marine products industry, with the
port of Neendakara being the centre for trawlers and ice plants.
