From Elancon To Kollam: The Transformation of A Port City

The erstwhile Elancon or Kaulam Mall had a commercial fame and reputation from the days of Ancient Rome and Phoenicians. Records and ancient Roman coins recovered from the region mention the existence of the town as a trade link with the Romans, Chinese, Arabs and other Oriental traders. In fact, the name of the city; Kollam itself is believed to have been derived from the corresponding Sanskrit word meaning “pepper” which clearly indicates the importance the town had in the trade map of the world. Most of the historians are of the view that the port existed much before the birth of Jesus Christ as is evident from the writings of Pliny the Elder, who mentions Kollam or Nelcynda along with Muziris as the two main anchoring points of Greek ships in India. Hoards of ingots and archaeological evidences pertaining to lower Palaeolithic period and Megalithic period discovered from the vicinity of the port town takes the history of Kollam back to pre-stone age. As southern points of Kerala and Tamil Nadu were the cradle of Sangam culture, it can be perceived that Kollam too would have been a focal point of the civilization.