Kottayam

Kottayam, in Kerala, sits between the Western Ghats to the east and Vembanad Lake to the west, with a walkable centre dense with historic churches — it is one of the strongest centres of the Malankara Orthodox Church. The city is also known as the Letter Capital of Kerala, home to more than a dozen publishing houses and the origins of major Malayalam newspapers including Malayala Manorama and Deepika. India's first fully literate city, it draws independent travellers exploring Kerala's backwaters.

• Population55,374
• Nearest water from center0.3 km
• Nearest mountain from center25.4 km