Location of Kollam:
Kollam or Quilon in Kerala lies in the southwestern coast of India. The district is enclosed by Pathanamthitta to the northeast, Alappuzha to the north, Tirunelveli (Tamilnadu) to the east, Thiruvananthapuram to the south, and the Arabian Sea to the west and extends to longitude 76�17' north and latitude 9�28'.

Climate of Kollam:
Essentially tropical in nature, the weather of Quillon includes a hot and humid summer and lots of seasonal rain. The summer which starts from March and continues till May gives way to the southwest monsoons that barge into the city from June to September. The northeast monsoon hits the land from October to November. The rest of the year mostly remains dry.

History of Kollam:
Situated on the Arabian coast, more specifically along the banks the Ashtamudi Lake, Kollam is an olden seaport town and a key trade center of Kerala. The name of the city has been changing frequently and has been referred to as Desinganadu, Kollam, and Kollam at different points of time. It has been enjoying continual commercial reputation since the early days of Phoenicians and the Romans. Ibn Batuta approved of it as one of the five ports he visited during the span of 24 years of travel in India. Evidences show that the rulers of Kollam had political relations with those of China in the 14th century and they even exchanged embassies with one another. In fact, there existed quite a thriving Chinese settlement at Kollam at that point of time. Great Venetian explorer Marco Polo traversed to this city in 1275 as a Chinese mandarin. 16th century onwards, the Portuguese, Dutch, and British kept invading the country in rapid succession to set up trading relations with and trading centers at Kollam. In view of a contract between British and Travancore, the British erected a fort at Kollam in the 18th century.

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