History

Kollam or Quilon is an old sea port and town on the Laccadive Sea coast in Kerala Kollam, the erstwhile Desinganadu, had a sustained commercial reputation from the days of the Phoenicians and the Romans. Fed by the Chinese trade, it was regarded by Ibn Batuta, as one of the five ports, which he had seen in the course of his travels during a period of twenty four years, in the 14th century. Kollam later became the capital of the enlightened and liberal rulers of Desinganad. At the time of the integrating of Travancore and Cochin in 1949, Kollam was one of the three revenue divisions in the state.