An important centre of the Syrian Christian community in Kerala, Kottayam is located between the palm-fringed backwaters on the west and the Western Ghats to the east. Also called the Rome of the East, the city is renowned for its churches and houses built in the colonial style. Kottayam shot into limelight when it was declared the first fully literate municipal town of India. The town is also the birthplace of the state/'s publishing industry and home to a number of globally renowned newspapers and magazines. Kottayam is derived from two Malayalam words -kotta and akkam- which, when combined, mean the interior of a fort. In 9th century AD Kottayam was a part of the Kulashekara Empire (AD 1090-1102) and was referred to as Vempolinad (the logical root of the Vembanad Lake). By about 1102, the empire split into the kingdoms of Thekkumkur and Vadakkumkur. Both these kingdoms were annexed by Marthanda Varma of Travancore between 1748 and 1754. During Marthanda Varma/'s reign, Kottayam received a prominent place among the princely states of the South. Kottayam has been the centre of various social and political movements that started in the state. The town played a major role in the Malayali Memorial agitation. During 1924-25, Kottayam became the breeding ground for the Vaikom Satyagraha, a movement started for eradication of untouchability in the state The Syrian Christian community has a special place in the history of Kottayam. The community traces its origin to Saint Thomas who visited the region in AD 53. Seven churches were established by Saint Thomas on the Malabar Coast. However, the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century saw many of the Syrian Christians forcibly converted into Roman Catholicism. Kottayam has a moderate and pleasant climate. The temperature here reaches up to 34.33°C during summers. The winter months are more suited for a visit to this place.