Ernakulam refers to the central, mainland portion of the city of Kochi in central Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. The Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation and the Cochin Stock Exchange are situated here. The Ernakulam Junction is a major railway station of the Indian Railways. 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) 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.
The state government and the GCDA have plans to include Angamaly, Perumbavoor, Piravom and Kolenchery in the Ernakulam district; Mala and Kodungallur in the Thrissur district; Thalayolaparambu and Vaikom in Kottayam; and Cherthala in the Alappuzha district within the Kochi metropolitan limits. The newly formed metropolis would be put under the charge of a new authority called Kochi Metropolitan Regional Development Authority.
Landmarks/tourist spots
A night view of Marine Drive, Kochi
Durbar Hall Ground
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam
Marine Drive, Kochi
Durbar Hall Ground
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
Bolghatty
Wonderla Kochi
LuLu International Shopping Mall
Mahatma Gandhi Road (Kochi)
Sahodaran Ayyappan Road (Kochi).
Maharajas College ground with Synthetic Athletic track
Jawahar Lal Nehru International Stadium, Kaloor
Rajeev Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Kadavathara
Kerala High Court
Subhash Park
Children's Park
Changampuzha Park
B.R. Ambedkar Stadium
Penta Meneka
Hill Palace, Tripunithura
St. Albert's College (Autonomous), Ernakulam
Vivekananda Statue, Elamakkara
Sacred Heart College, Thevara
Transport
The Vytilla Mobility hub caters to the transportation needs of the city. Ernakulam is well served by private/government buses, autorickshaws, long and short distance trains and ferries. Ernakulam has a number of jetties where passengers can embark and disembark from ferries. Traveling via ferries is cheaper and faster than traveling by buses and/or autos. The main jetty is called the Ernakulam jetty from where one can board a ferry to Vypin, Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Willingdon Island.
Road
Ernakulam is connected to the North-South Corridor National Highway System via the four-laned National Highway 66. The highway traverses through the entire length and breadth of the city from different points and provides access to the nearby cities such as Thrissur, Palakkad, Salem and Coimbatore. NH 66 provides two main exit points at Edapally and Vytilla to the Ernakulam city. The city is largely dependent on city buses, taxis and auto rickshaws (called autos) for public transport. The state-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs inter-state, inter-district and city services. The National Highway 17, National Highway 49 connected to Madurai, Main Central Road, State Highways are the roads which connect city with its suburbs and municipalities. Major Roads — M. G. Road, Sahodharan Ayyappan Road, Broadway and Marine drive walkway, Banerjee Road, Shanmugham Road, Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road. KL 07 Reg..,
Railway
Ernakulam Junction Railway Station is the one of the busiest railway station in Kerala. The Ernakulam railway station is located close to the town's main shopping area situated on MG Road. The Southern Railway Zone of the Indian Railways operates the main rail transport system in Ernakulam. There are two railway stations in Ernakulam City. Ernakulam Town railway station is situated in the northern part of the city and is the stopping point for trains going towards mainly to the Kottayam side in the south. The Ernakulam Junction Railway Station is a junction and departing station of passengers and express trains, and is the stopping point for trains going towards the south side Alappuzha. The Station also has a Train Care Centre in its premises. 21 trains originate from Ernakulam Junction. There is also a small railway station at Edappally.
Air
Ernakulam city is served by Cochin International Airport (Nedumbassery), which is about 27 kilometers away. Direct domestic flights are available to major Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. International flights to Middle East cities like Bahrain, Muscat, Sharjah, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha and to Southeast Asian cities Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are available here. It has a dedicated Heli-taxi service and Chartered flights. In 2015, it became the world's first airport to be completed powered by solar energy.
Metro
Kochi Metro is a metro system for the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. The first phase is being set up at an estimated cost of ₹51.81 billion (US$750 million), and was expected to be completed by June 2017, revising the previous deadline of 1 November 2016. Currently 18.2 km of phase 1 from aluva to maharajas is open to public while remaining 7 km from maharajas to pettah and extension to thripunithura is under construction phase. Also phase 2 line from kaloor station to infopark via kakkanad has been sanctioned and government is in negotiations with people on that stretch for land acquisition. And phase 3 extension proposal from aluva to angamaly via nedumbassery airport has been forwarded to central government for sanction.
Places of worship
Main article: Places of worship in Ernakulam
Temples
Ernakulam Shiva Temple Ernakulathapan temple (Shiva)
Valanjambalam Devi Temple
Hanuman Temple, in Ernakulam Shiva Temple compound
Muruga Temple. in Ernakulam Shiva Temple compound
Thrikkakara temple, Thrikkakara, Ernakulam
Sivarathri Manappuram (Sree Mahadeva temple)(Dekshina Kaashi)
Kadungalloor Sree Narasimha Swamy temple
Thiruvalloor Sree Mahadeva Temple
Desom Sree Pallippattukavu Bhagavathy Temple
Desom Sree Ananthapuram Mahavishnu Temple
Sree Dhattha Anjaneya Temple
Uliyannoor Sree Mahadeva Temple
Pottachira Sree Krishna Temple
Thevarkadu Sree Mahavishnu-Durga Temple, Near Chowara Ferry
Thiruvairanikulam Sree Mahadeva Temple
Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple, Thripunithura
Chottanikkara Temple
Pavakkulam Mahadeva Temple
Puthukkalavattom Mahadeva Temple
Punnackkal Devi Temple
Edappally Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
Ravipuram Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
Edappally Maha Ganapathy Temple
Paravoor Dakshina Mookambika Temple
Chittoor Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
Edappally Bhagavathy Temple
Kattungal Devi Temple
Paramara Devi Temple
Thottathingal Dharma Sastha Temple
Poornathrayeesa Temple
Marankulanthara Sree Krishna Swamy Temple
Ameda Temple
Anchumana Temple
Sree Rajarajeshwari Temple
Mosque
Chembitta Pally, Kochangadi, Kochi, Ernakulam
Juma Masjid,Karimakkad,Kakkanad,Ernakulam
Kanjiramattom Juma Masjid, Kanjramattam, Ernakulam
Ponnurunni Juma Masjid, Pallipadi, Thammanam, Ernakulam
Kadavanthra Salafi Juma Masjid
Al Hilal Masjid, Pachalam
Pulleppadi Masjid.
Church
Sharon Fellowship Church Aluva, India [Pentecostal Church]
Vallarpadam Church Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam-Ernakulam
St. Thomas Church, Kothamangalam
St. Mary's Cathedral, Kothamangalam
Marthoman jacobite syrian Cathedral, Mulanthuruthy
Nadamel Marth Mariam jacobite Syrian Church
St. George Jacobite Syrian Cathedral, Karingachira
Little Flower Church Elamkulam
St. Marys Soonoro Patriarchal Cathedral Elamkulam, Kochi
St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral, Morakkala
St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral Basilica, Ernakulam
St Jude Shrine and St Joseph Parish church, Thevara
St Mary's Forane Church (St Sebastian pilgrim centre) Kanjoor
Miraculous Shrine of St Joseph and St Antony's Parish, Kannamaly
St. Joseph's Shrine, Tripunithura
Thattazhthamma Chapel, Don Bosco Vaduthala
Infant Jesus church, Ernakulam
St. Jude's Church Karnakodam
Ponnurunny Ashramam ( Tomb of Servant of God Fr Theophane ofm)
Former Cathedral of St Joseph and Our lady of Mt Carmel, Servant of God Mother Eliswa Tomb, Varapuzha
Infant Jesus Parish Shrine, Thundathumkadavu, Varapuzha
St Augustine Parish Shrine, Moolampilly
Little Flower church, Pottakuzhy
Mt Carmel church, Chathiath
Mt Carmel church, Mamangalam
St Francis Asissi Cathedral and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Shrine, Ernakulam
Holy Family Monastery Church, Ernakulam
St. Teresa's Monastery Church, Ernakulam
St. John the Baptist Church, Palarivattom
St. Martin de porres church, Palarivattom
St. Francis Xavier Church, Kaloor
St. Augustine's Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Pazhanganad
Thamarachal Valiyapally
St George Hebron Jacobite Syrian Church
St. Raphael church, Thykoodam
Little Flower Church Koottukad
St. Antony's shrine, Chullikkal, Kochi
St. Sebastian Church, Thoppumpady
Santa Cruz church and Infant Jesus Shrine, Perumpadappu, Edakochi
St. Thomas More Church, Edakochi
St. Lawrence Church, Edakochi
St. Louis Church(St James Shrine), Mundemvelli
Our Lady of Hope Church, Fort Vypeen
Karingachira Church
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Fort kochi
Holy Family Church(St James Shrine), Nazareth, Fort kochi
Holy Face pilgrim centre, Emmanuel church, St John pattam, Fort kochi
Holy Cross Shrine ( Coonan Cross Shrine ), Mattancherry
St. Sebastian Church & Velankanni Madha Shrine, Chellanam
Malayatoor Kurishumudy International Shrine
St. Thomas Forane Church, Malayatoor
St. Thomas Forane Church, North Paravur
St. Antony's shrine, Chettikad
Sacred Heart shrine, vypeen
St. Augustine's Church, Nedungad
St. Ambrose Church, Edavanakad
Sacred heart Shrine and Don Bosco Church, North paravur
Manjummel Immaculate Conception Church (Tombs of Venerable Servants of God Fr Aurelious OCD and Fr Zachariah OCD)
St. Philomena's church and St Kuriakose Elias Chavara Archdiocesean Shrine, Koonammavu
St. Mary Magdalene church( Tomb of Servant of God Fr George Vakayil ), Maradu
St. Antony's Parish Shrine, Vaduthala
St. Francis Xavier Church, Ponekkara
St. George Church, Perumanoor
Our Lady of Dolours church, Ambikapuram, Perumanoor
St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral
St. Antony's Shrine, Kaloor
St. George Forane Church, Edappally
Mar Yohannan Nepumsianose Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Konthuruthy, which houses the tomb of Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly
Basilica of Our Lady of Snows, Pallippuram
St. Roch Shrine, Pallippuram
St. Antony's and Velankanni Madha Shrine, Manjummel kavala, Cheranellore
St. James Church Cheranellore
Our Lady of Lourdes church, Elammakara
Our Lady of Fatima, Elamkulam
St. Antony's Parish Shrine, Cheriyapilly, North Paravur
St. Thomas Jacobite Syrian Church, North Paravur
St. Vincent Ferrer Church, Chattanad
St._Thomas_Marthoma_Church_Kalamassery
Infant Jesus church, Kunnel, Alangad
St. Mary's Church, Alangad
St. Kuriakose Kananaya Catholic Church, Kakkanad
St. Michael church, Kakkaand
St. Thomas Church( Birthplace of Blessed Martyr Sister Rani Maria FC), Pulluvazhy
St. Mary's Forane Church, Tripunithura
St. Gervasis and Prothasis Church, Udeyamperoor
Seventh-day Adventist Church, Kaloor
Education
Universities - Cochin University of Science and Technology, National University of Advanced Legal Studies.
Colleges — Maharajas College, St. Teresa's College, St. Albert's College, Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Cochin University of Science and Technology, St. Paul’s College, Kalamassery, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Bharata Mata College, School of Engineering, CUSAT, KMEA Engineering College, Government Medical College, Ernakulam, Government Model Engineering College, Government Law College, Ernakulam, Union Christian College, Aluva, Viswajyothi College of Engineering and Technology, Federal Institute of Science, National University of Advanced Legal Studies
Schools – SBOA Public School, Chittoor, Don Bosco Senior Secondary School, Vaduthala, St. Albert's HSS, Ernakulam, Kendriya Vidyalaya Kadavanthra (Ernakulam), St. Mary's Higher Secondary School(Morakkala), St. Peter's Senior Secondary School, Kadayirupp, Najath public School, Global public school, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan — Kochi Kendra (7 schools), Sree Narayana Higher Secondary School (Thrikkanarvattom), Campion School (Edappally), Cardinal Higher Secondary School (Thrikkakara) Chinmaya Vidyalaya (Vaduthala), Choice, Vidyodaya School(Thevekkal), TocH, Christava Mahilalayam Public School,Aluva, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Mountt Tabor Central School, seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School(Kaloor), Chinmaya Vidyapeet, St.Paul's International School Kalamassery.
Educational associations-IIAD - Indian Institute Of Architecture & Design,Palarivattom.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernakulam
