Kottayam, the Akshara Nagari that was India's first fully literate town

Background

Kottayam, the administrative capital of Kottayam district, lies in central Kerala.
It is bordered by the Western Ghats on the east and by the Vembanad Lake and the paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west.
The district administration calls the town 'Akshara Nagari', the city of letters, for its contribution to print media and literature.
Kottayam Town was the first town in India to achieve 100 per cent literacy, a feat recorded in 1989.
English education in South India began at the Old Seminary at Kottayam in 1813.
The first printing press in Kerala, the CMS Press, was established there in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Baily.
The first college in the State, CMS College, was started at Kottayam in 1840.
The maiden printed Malayalam-English and English-Malayalam dictionaries were published from Kottayam in 1846 and 1847 respectively.
Most of India's natural rubber comes from the district's plantations, and Kottayam is home to the Rubber Board.
Kottayam was the first town in India selected by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to be transformed into an Eco City.