Kottayam is an important trading centre of commercial crops, panoramic backwater stretches, lush paddy fields, high lands extensive rubber plantations and total literate people which have given this district the enviable title ‘ the land of letters, latex and lakes’. Kottayam is also the first city in to launch an ‘Eco city project’.

Kottayam has played major role in all the political agitations of modern times. The ‘Malayali Memorial’ which sought to secure better representation for educated Travancoreans in the Travancore civil service against person from outside may be said to have had its orgin in Kottayam.