About Ernakulam

The District derived its name from the Tamil word “ ERAYARKULAM” which means the divine abode of Lord Shiva. It is also believed that the district got its name from the pond of Shiva Temple – RISHIKAKULAM – situated near Rajendra Maidan,Kochi.

The district has a total geographical area of 305826 ha with high lands, midlands and coastal areas. The district is bounded by Arabian Sea in the west ,Thrissur in the north,idukki in the east and Alappuzha and Kottayam in the south.There are seven taluks in the district namely N.Paravur, Aluva, Kochi, Kanayannur , Muvattupuzha , Kothamangalam and Kunnathunadu. River Periyar , which is the second longest river in the state , runs across the district.The district is benefited by both Muvattupuzha river and periyar valley irrigation projects. The soil is predominantly laterite and alluvial with presence of china clay and graphite , enriched with mineral deposits in some pockets.

Agriculture contributes significantly to the District economy. The total cropped area is 208123 ha, in which the crop Coconut covers - 58553 ha, Rubber – 57288 ha, Paddy – 24934ha, Banana and other plantains – 10949 ha, and vegetables – 2817 ha. The district is having a unique system of paddy cultivation known as Pokkali. The peculiarity of the system is that after harvest of Pokkali paddy, prawn cultivation is taken up which enables the farming follies to get an additional income.