Ernakulam എറണാകുളം |
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Downtown | |
Location in Kerala, India | |
Coordinates: 9°59′N 76°17′E / 9.98°N 76.28°ECoordinates: 9°59′N 76°17′E / 9.98°N 76.28°E | |
Country | India |
State | Kerala |
District | Ernakulam |
Government | |
• Body | Corporation of Cochin |
Area | |
• Total | 3,032 km2 (1,171 sq mi) |
Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
Languages | |
• Official | Malayalam, English |
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
Telephone code | 0484 |
Vehicle registration | KL-07 |
Lok Sabha constituency | Ernakulam |
Civic agency | Corporation |
Website | www |
Ernakulam ( pronunciation ) refers to the eastern, mainland portion of the city of Kochi in central Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala. The Kerala High Court, the Office of the Corporation of Cochin and the are situated here. The Ernakulam Junction or South station, Ernakulam Town or North Station and Ernakulam Terminus(now defunct) railway stations of the Indian Railways lies in Ernakulam. Initially, Ernakulam was the headquarters of the Ernakulam District but was later shifted to Kakkanad. Ernakulam was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin. It is located 220 kilometres (137 mi) towards north-west of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city has served as an incubator for many Malayali entrepreneurs and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala.
Starting from the Stone Age, Ernakulam has been the site of human settlement. Monolithic monuments like Dolmens and rock-cut caves can be seen in many parts of Ernakulam.
The region can claim to have played a significant part in fostering the trade relations between Kerala and the outside world in the ancient and medieval period. The early political history of Ernakulam is interlinked with that of the Chera Dynasty of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. After the Cheras, the place was later ruled by the Kingdom of Cochin (Perumpadapu Swaroopam).