Ernakulam district (; ISO: Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ) is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, and takes its name from the eponymous city division in Kochi. It is situated in the central part of the state, spans an area of about , and is home to over 9% of Kerala's population. Ernakulam is the third most populous district in Kerala with its headquarters located at Kakkanad. The district's principal urban centre is Kochi, which is known as the commercial and financial capital of Kerala.
Ernakulam district was formed on 1 April 1958 as part of the reorganisation of districts in Kerala, with its territory initially comprising parts of the erstwhile Thrissur and Kottayam districts. It includes the most populous metropolitan region of the state, the Kochi metropolitan area. Ernakulam district yields the highest revenue and the largest number of industries in the state. It is the most urbanised district in Kerala, with approximately 68.1% of its population living in urban areas as per the 2011 census. The district also hosts the highest number of international and domestic tourists in the state.
Ernakulam was the first fully literate district in India, achieving a 100% literacy rate in 1990. The most commonly spoken language is Malayalam. English is widely used, mostly in business circles. Ernakulam became India's first district to have 100 percent banking or full "meaningful financial inclusion" in 2012. It has a high Human Development Index of 0.801 (UNDP report 2005), which is one of the highest in India and the highest in Kerala.
Etymology The word Ernakulam has a varied derivation, with some references to mythology and others to temples. According to Komattil Achutha Menon, the word Erangiyal got its start from a particular kind of mud. In the past, Lord Shiva was referred to as Erayanar in Chennai. This was done in Kerala as well, and it became known as Eranakulam after that. There are also other opinions about the origin of the name, saying that Rishinagakulam became Eranakulam after losing it, but that the word Ernakulam came from Eranakulathappan Temple, and that it came from the word Kulam (Pond) for a long time because it was full of water bodies.
History
Ernakulam has played a part in the political history of south India since ancient times. The Jews, Syrians, Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British, and Portuguese seafarers followed the sea route to the Kingdom of Cochin and left their impressions on the town. 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 the traders from various parts of the world would gather.The Portuguese, Indian Ocean and European Bridgeheads 1500–1800. Festschrift in Honour of Prof. K. S. Mathew (2001). Edited by: Pius Malekandathil and T. Jamal Mohammed. Fundacoa Oriente. Institute for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities of MESHAR (Kerala) In 1664, the municipality of Fort Kochi was established by Dutch Malabar, making it the first municipality in Indian subcontinent, which got dissolved when the Dutch authority got weaker in 18th century.
In 1896, the Maharaja of Cochin initiated local administration by forming a town council in Ernakulam. Following the formation of the state of Kerala in 1956, Ernakulam district was subsequently formed on 1 April 1958. Initially, the district headquarters were located in Ernakulam which was later relocated to Kakkanad. In the year 1998, Kuttampuzha village was added to the district from Idukki district following which the district got a political boundary with neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. There is no interstate road that connects the district with the neighbouring state through this border.
Geography The Ernakulam district covers an area of on the Western Coastal Plains of India. It is surrounded by the Thrissur District to the north, the Idukki District and Coimbatore District to the east, Alappuzha and Kottayam to the south and the Laccadive Sea to the west. The district is divided geographically into highland, midland, and coastal area. The altitude of the highlands is about . The Periyar River, Kerala's longest, flows through all the taluks except Muvattupuzha. The Muvattupuzha River and a branch of the Chalakkudy River also flow through the district. The average yearly rainfall in the district is . The district has a moderate climate and mostly falls within the Malabar Coast moist forests ecoregion, while the highlands are part of the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests ecoregion. Some parts of the Idamalayar Reserve Forest and Mankulam Forest Division have Sholas but these parts are inaccessible by road. The Idamalayar Reserve Forest, and Edamalakkudy. Many types of sand, soil, and rocks are abundant here. Cochin International Airport is located in the northern part of the district at Nedumbassery, Kochi.
The district houses two Urban Agglomerations, Kochi and Kothamangalam. Kochi is the largest city in the state, and 17th most populous in the country according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs rankings based on the 2011 Census, with an area of over 843 km2 and 2.12 million population.
Topography The district is divided into three parts: lowland, midland, and the highland that consist of seaboard, plains, and hills and forests respectively. 20 percent of the total area are lowlands. The forests in the eastern part of the district are mostly remote, forming a part of the Anamalais. The midland consists mainly of plain land and a group of islands that naturally drain water via backwaters and canals. The hilly or eastern portion is formed by a section of the Western Ghats. Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam taluks, which were initially parts of the Kottayam district and constitute the highlands. Muvattupuzha and Periyar are the main rivers, of which the latter flows through Muvattupuzha, Aluva, Kunnathunad and Parur taluks. During the rainy season these rivers are full and heavy floods affect the low-lying areas on the banks, but in the summer season, they generally go dry and narrow. The Periyar is stretched over a length of .
Forest and wildlife
The flora of this district is tropical. The heavy rainfall combined with moderate temperatures and fertile soil support abundant vegetation. Many of the common plants are found in the coastal area, which forms the lowland region. The midland region is occupied by coconut palms, paddy, tapioca, pepper, pineapple and pulses. The lower slopes of the highland region have teak and rubber.
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is located at the centre of Kochi. It covers , supports many species of mangroves and is a nesting ground for a variety of migratory birds. The Managalavanam is called the "green lung of Kochi", considering its role in controlling the city's air pollution.
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary Thattekad Bird Sanctuary lies on the northern bank of the Periyar River and covers about . It was founded by ornithologist Salim Ali. The sanctuary is from Kochi. Birds found here include falcons, jungle fowl, water hens, and hornbills. The flora of this area consists mainly of plantations of teak, rosewood, and mahogany. Further on the road, Pooyamkutty forest of the Anamalais is reached.
Climate
Economy
Ernakulam district is the richest district in Kerala and is the biggest commercial centre in the state of Kerala. It contributes the most to the state exchequer in terms of GSVA and tax revenues. The total literacy rate of Ernakulam district was 95.89% in 2011. It has the highest per capita income in the state, along with having the greatest number of commercialised banks, startups and large-scale industries & MSMEs in the state. Its M.G. Road is home to some of Kerala's most prestigious enterprises. Kochi is also the headquarters of some large companies like Federal Bank, Geojit, V-Guard, and Muthoot.
The sea along the entire coast of the district and its backwaters are the habitat of various kinds of fish that supply both marine and inland fisheries.
Agriculture The eastern part of Ernakulam is primarily agrarian in nature. Rice is the principal crop cultivated in the wetlands. The district is the largest producer of nutmeg and pineapple in the state: more than 55% of pineapples produced in the state is cultivated in the district. Rubber is the most cultivated plantation crop in the district and the district is the second-largest producer of rubber in the state behind Kottayam. Other important crops cultivated in the district are tapioca, black pepper, areca nut, coconut, turmeric, banana, and plantain.
Education
Ernakulam is the first district in India to have 100 percent literacy by 1990. The Kochi city has the highest literacy rate for any city in the country with over 20 lakhs population. Pothanikkad of Ernakulam is the first village in India that achieved 100 percent literacy according to state literacy programme.
There are three prominent universities in Ernakulam: Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady, Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kalamassery, and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies in Kochi. The district has the most educational institutions in the state; as of 2019, there are 476 fully high-tech schools in Ernakulam.
In 2017, Ernakulam district administration launched the Roshni project, which aims to provide Malayalam education to migrant children. It supported 1,265 migrant workers' children from lower primary to high school.
Administration
The district administration is headed by the District Collector and handles land revenue, disaster management, elections, and law and order. The district is divided into revenue divisions under a Revenue Divisional Officer/Sub Collector, further into taluks under Tahsildars, and then into revenue villages. The district has two revenue divisions—Fort Kochi and Muvattupuzha—along with 7 taluks and 124 revenue villages.
Taluks
The district has the most taluks in Kerala, with a total of seven, grouped under two revenue divisions — Fort Kochi and Muvattupuzha. Each revenue division is headed by a Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), while each taluk is administered by a tehsildar.
Paravur Aluva Kunnathunad Muvattupuzha Kochi Kanayannur Kothamangalam
These taluks are further divided into 124 revenue villages for land revenue and related administrative matters.
Local governments Corporation of Kochi The Kochi Municipal Corporation is the governing body responsible for administering the city of Kochi and its suburbs. It is headed by a Mayor and a Deputy Mayor.
Municipalities
Interestingly, Ernakulam district has the most municipalities in the state.
North Paravur Piravom Muvattupuzha Koothattukulam Perumbavoor Aluva Angamaly Thripunithura Kalamassery Kothamangalam Eloor Maradu Thrikkakara
A criticism that has been centered around this fact is that despite municipalities like Aluva, Kalamassery, Thrikkakara, Maradu, Tripunithura and Eloor becoming assimilated into Kochi city, they still exist as individual municipalities instead of being under Kochi Corporation. The corporation has not amended its limits for over half a century, since 1967. The corporation was the largest in area and population when it was formed, and all these regions were panchayats back then. .
Rural divisions Ernakulam district’s rural local self-government is organised into a three-tier system comprising one district panchayat, 14 block panchayats, and 82 gram panchayats. This structure functions under the Kerala Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 to plan and implement development programmes, deliver basic services, and promote participatory governance in rural areas.
Parliamentary constituencies
Ernakulam Parliamentary Constituency Chalakudy Parliamentary Constituency (partially) Idukki Parliamentary Constituency (parts of Muvattupuzha taluk and Kothamangalam taluk)