Vizhinjam

Vizhinjam Vizhinjam
town
Population  (2001)
• Total	18,566

Vizhinjam (IPA: [ʋiɻiɲːam]) is a small coastal Town in Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala state, South India. There is a large sea port in Vizhinjam. Kovalam beach is just 3 km from Vizhinjam. The areas in and around Vizhinjam are known for its Ayurvedic treatment centers and internationally acclaimed beach resorts. As of 2001, the population was 18,566.

Vizhinjam is on the outskirts of Trivandrum, 16 km away from the City Centre and 1 km away from the City Limits, but located within the Trivandrum Metropolitan City area. Vizhinjam is a natural port, which is located close to the international ship route. So it is expected that at least 50% of the nearly 20,000 ships that pass through the Suez canal (per annum) will anchor at Trivandrum. It is expected that with the functioning of Vizhinjam port in its full swing, the ports of Colombo, Singapore and Dubai might face serious competitor from India. This will boost the trade and commercial activities not only in Kerala but also to entire India. It is estimated that the cargo movements to southern, northern and western regions may find it more cost-effecitve to use Vizhinjam as a gateway/trans-shipment terminal instead of ports in Colombo, Singapore, Salalah, etc.

The sea is 23 to 27 metres deep at the proposed site. This would facilitate berthing of large container ships.

The port is supposed to be 150 metres in width. About 2.5 to 2.75 km² (600 to 700 acres (2.8 km²)) would be made available through reclamation of the sea. The port would have two breakwaters of 1.5 km and 6 km with harbour basin and wharfs. There would be about 30 berths, most of which would be capable of handling Mother Vessels. There was high potential for a new port as India needs additional capacity in the coming years. Thus Vizhinjam port has very high importance from this point of view.

Advantages of the proposed Vizhinjam port

Vizhinjam port is located 16 km south of Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram on the West coast of India.

The site offers the following unique advantages:

• Proximity to international shipping route and East-West shipping axis
• Availability of 20 m contour within a nautical mile off the coast. Minimal littoral drift along the coast and therefore hardly any maintenance dredging
• Immediacy to national/regional road, rail network, Air Network.
• Flexibility in design and expansion being Greenfield project close to Thiruvananthapuram city that has an International airport, human resource and social infrastructure
• Proximity to another international port (Cochin)that would make a twin international harbours (similar to Los Angeles Port & Long Beach Port, albeit 300 km apart)and proxility to other International ports like Colombo, Singapore and Dubai.
• The commercial, Technological and Political importance of Trivandrum, the fastest growing IT hub in India.
• Accessibility to Trivandrum International Airport, on of the busiest in the Country and one that holds the largest cargo unit in the South.
• The moderate climate of Trivandrum suitable for Western operators.
• The tourist climate and accessibility to international beaches like Kovalam and Shangumugham.
• The growth prospect of the Trivandrum which is potentially considered the next Metro.
• Availability of Educated, English speaking public in and around the City.
• The Trivandrum Metropolitan Area which is the largest, oldest and most populous in the state.

The Project

Buoyant International container trade and growth in container traffic in India at a CAGR of 14 percent during the last decade has led to a trend towards agglomeration (increased vessel sizes on order). This necessitates the establishment of an international transshipment terminal close to southern tip of Indian peninsula and the proposed terminal will be ideal for attracting mother vessels ranging from Post-Panamax to Malaccamax in a phased manner.

Detailed traffic assessment study indicates that Vizhinjam could be configured to meet these transshipment requirements of the region.

A container shipment economic study has further established the above for routing of containers economically.

Beginning of Vizhinjam Container Terminal Project

On 14th October 2009, Kerala Government announced that it will begin the infrastructure development work of the project area in the month of November. Practically this infrastructure work would mark the beginning of the much awaited project. And by 2010, state will be able to identify the Private partner for Vizhinjam Container Terminal project by floating a fresh global tender. The Project will be completed in three phases.

The project office of Vizhinjam International Sea Port Ltd. at Vizhinjam was inaugurated by V. S. Achuthanandan, Chief Minister of Kerala on Wednesday, December 9, 2009.

Wave Energy

Fishermen about to set sail for the day's catch from Vizhinjam Harbour. The Wave Energy demonstration plant can be seen in the background.

Vizhinjam fishing harbour is the site of a unique demonstrations plant that converts sea wave energy to elecricity and is given to the local grid. This plant is based on the oscillating water column (OWC) principle. A caisson was constructed in December 1990 at Vizhinjam and two generations of power modules have been tested as of today. The plant was first commissioned in October 1991. The physical processes in the energy conversion are understood to a much greater extent, leading to a threefold increase in absolute power from the plant.

At present, more than 80% cost of the wave energy plant is due to civil construction (concrete caissons). Considerable cost savings can be obtained using the concept of multi-functional breakwaters wherein a power module forms an incremental addition to a caisson breakwater. It is proposed to demonstrate the utility of this concept with the design and construction of a breakwater with a number of power modules.

History

Our Lady of Good Voyage Church

Mosque

The history of Vizhinjam dates back to The Ay Dynasty. Before the Cheras established themselves as a major force in Kerala, it was ruled by the Ay dynasty sometime between 7th to 11th century AD with Vizhinjam as the capital. The Ay kingdom extended between Nagercoil and Thiruvalla. During the second Sangham age (circa 850–1400 AD),the region was the scene of many battles between the Kulashekaras and the Cholas and Vizhinjam, the capital, was sacked by the Cholas.

When the kings of the Ay dynasty shifted their capital to Vizhinjam, they built a fort which is now considered to be the oldest fort in Kerala dating to the eighth or ninth century. A preliminary investigation by a team under Dr. Ajit has revealed the fort might have originally been 800 m² in area. The fort's wall can be found on the northern and western (seaside) parts and has been constructed using large boulders set in mud mortar. The wide base of the wall tapers on its way up. Even now this part of Vizhinjam is known as Kottapuram, 'Kotta' in Tamil and Malayalam means Fort. According to Dr. Ajit, one important clue in dating the fort is that the walls have no battlements or `loop holes' (holes to place cannons in). This is typical of early forts, he says.

The team was also able to trace literary and epigraphical references - of 9 AD to 12 AD vintage - to a fort and port at Vizhinjam. Sangam literature such as `Pandikkovai', `Iraiyanar Ahapporul Urai', `Kalingattup-parani', of Jayamkondar, and `Vikrama-solan-ula' are said to have numerous references to the existence of a fort, port and a mansion at Vizhinjam.

Moreover, the Srivaramangalam copper plate's of Pandyan King Nedum Chadayan ( 8 AD) have clear reference to Vizhinjam and its fort. "Here, the fort is described as surrounded by waters of three seas, protected by a wide moat, high walls which the sun's rays do not touch and so on. Leaving aside the hyperbole typical of such inscriptions, the ground evidence at Vizhinjam that fits this description of the old fort. In fact the port at Vizhinjam has been mentioned in the work `The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea', a work of the first century AD. Here Vizhinjam has been called as Balita," said Dr. Ajit.

The Portuguese and the Dutch had commercial establishments here. The Portuguese have built a church in Vizhinjam near to the sea shore, which is still functional and is referred as the Old Vizhinjam Church (Old St. Mary's Church). It is located in the vizhinjam fishing harbour area.

Cave Temple

Kerala cave temples, of which ten exist, are distributed accordingly in three groups. The southernmost group consists of those at Tirunandikara, Vizhinjam, Tuvarankad, and Bhutapandi. All the cave temples in the southern group are examples of one called shrines, mostly enshrining a lingam. The best example of this group is the niche cave on a boulder at Vizhinjam, the capital of Ay rulers, a sea port and the scene of battles between Pandyas and Ay Kings. This cave has unfinished reliefs of Siva Kirata Murti and Siva dancing with Parvati. Some scholars hold the view that the bas-reliefs of Vizhinjam with their slender forms and rhythmic lines, show Pallava affinities.

How to reach

Nearest	Name	Distance
Airport	Trivandrum International Airport	22 km.
Railway station	Trivandrum Central	16 km
City	Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)	14 km

• Regular buses ply to Vizhinjam from the City Bus Stand at East Fort, and as well as from Central Bus Stand at Thampanoor
• Taxis and autorickshaws can be also hired from these places.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Vizhinjam had a population of 18566 with 9278 males and 9288 females.

See also

• Vizhinjam Port Official Web Site.
• Details of Vizhinjam International Transshipment Terminal
• Location of Vizhinjam Port
• Vizhinjam International Sea Port Ltd.
• Vizhinjam Port Related Site.